“Aged like fine wine” is an overused cliche, I think. I think this phrase gets tossed around too casually where the actual intended effect is no longer...um...effective. Instead, I prefer to be direct. If something is still pretty some period of time later, just say so.
Cyberpunk 2077 is just that. It’s still pretty more than two years removed from release. In fact, I would say it’s even prettier today than it was at launch. In case you need a bit of a refresher, here’s my technical analysis of Cyberpunk 2077 as part of my review.
I praised the game for its groundbreaking technical achievement in its thorough implementation of real-time ray tracing for global illumination, indirect lighting, shadows, emissives, reflections, and more. Additionally, CDPR implemented DLSS to offset this ray tracing cost. In a word, the technical vision was holistically considered.
Since then, Cyberpunk 2077 has received several updates--both large and small--to address bugs, performance, and, in one instance, add yet another ray tracing effect to the game. RT local shadows were added to the PC version, increasing the total number of RT effects in the game. Just recently, the PC version was graced with the truly paradigm-shifting DLSS 3 to accelerate performance even more.
I have been there since the beginning. And, as the unabashed ray tracing and graphics enthusiast amongst my friends, I have been consistently amazed every single time I boot up the game.
Let’s start with some numbers for context. My gaming PC comprises an i7-12700k, RTX 4090, with 32 GB DDR5 RAM. I include these specs to transparently convey my experience is not--nor should not--be taken as “the norm.” This is an extreme edge case, concordantly resulting in extreme results.
And, as alluded to earlier, I am a graphics enthusiast. This means I am constantly browsing the Cyberpunk 2077 Nexus for mods which increase my immersion and technical experience (see my full list of currently used mods here). CDPR have put together a true technical masterpiece here, and mods help elevate that experience. They’re a complement, not a replacement.
Two years on from launch and there isn’t a single game that can go toe to toe with Cyberpunk 2077 from a technical standpoint. I find this incredibly relevant as recent PC launches have been utterly abysmal. Pick any release from the last 12 months and chances are, it had issues on PC. Callisto Protocol? Check. Forspoken? Check. Wild Hearts? Check.
This is not to absolve Cyberpunk 2077’s broken launch state which many players experienced. Not at all. Rather, it’s meant to emphasize how PC gaming is in quite a low point of late. Sure, bright spots like Returnal exist. But, even here, it’s not as good as it should be.
Therefore, returning to Cyberpunk 2077 is somewhat of a comfort blanket for me. It serves as a reminder of what, in my opinion, PC gaming should be all about: pushing the limits of what’s possible. And perhaps going a bit over that limit. And how today, more than two years removed from its launch, not a single game released since has stood up to Cyberpunk 2077 is a truly sad reminder of how rarely that vision is executed.
Other games may have open cities. Other games may have dense environments. Other games may have open approaches to level design. Other games may have phenomenal characters with deep stories. But few, if any, combine all these. And fewer still do so whilst pushing the technical boundaries of PC silicon.
It is this culmination, this holistic approach, which I deeply appreciate. I continually marvel at its execution, and the fact that it was even achieved at all. I am completely immersed every single time I jump back into Night City. I am constantly discovering new streets, new alleys, new entrances to buildings, new interactions.
But, despite my platitudes and amazement, nothing compares to the reaction of my parents. I recently had the opportunity to show one of my gameplay videos of Cyberpunk 2077 to them. They know I’m a huge gamer. In fact, my dad is somewhat of a Flight Simulator aficionado.
I was describing this game to them and paused. I decided it was more effective if I simply showed them. And so, I pulled up one of my videos.
The first reaction I heard was from my mom who audibly gasped. In my mother tongue, she asked in pure disbelief, “Is this a game?!” When I replied that it was, she and my dad were stunned in silence. They spent the next few minutes taking in the footage, utterly mesmerized at the visuals and audio on display. After the video concluded, they kept repeating how they could not believe what they had just seen was a game.
This is the power and magic of games. This is the result of pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible. My parents’ stunned reaction is an indisputable indictment of this fact.
Cyberpunk 2077, then, is a rare gem. And it always will be. For me, there is nothing else like it. I want more games like Cyberpunk 2077, not fewer. I want more developers who have the audacity to reach for more than they can chew, to push the limits of what’s possible, and go beyond.
After all, we didn’t get this far by boldly going where we’ve all been before.
