Cyberpunk 2077

Do we know if this is 'just' the next gen console update, or are we expecting any patch notes affecting the PC version?

I believe it would be next gen update plus all the overhaul regarding gameplay changes, loot etc and no doubt prep for future DLC so it would apply to all versions

You are welcome, though with the added power of the PS5 I would be disappointed if CDPR have not used the time to add some REALLY wonderful new bugs for us (whilst barely fixing the old ones)

It is what I will be doing, ain't paying full whack for Horizons as a digital only PS5 owner, they can do one.

Reckon Elden Ring will clean up anyway given the price, I got it for £40 off the US market

I can't see any patch suddenly making Cyberpunk a system seller or driving swathes of people to the game. They botched the launch so badly, there is a huge amount of ill will towards CP2077, even though it's still a great game in many regards (on the right system at least...).

It might have the longevity of Witcher 3, but I can't see it getting near the same popularity because of the irreparable damage they did at launch.

Witcher 3 released and everyone was like "bugs lol" but it was actually a game that rivalled (and imo was much better than) Skyrim, so people bought into it. People kept playing it and it got better and better.

Skyrim has absolutely dogshit AI and Witcher 3 AI isn't fantastic either, but people look past it in those games. The AI in CP2077 is also bad, but rather than overlook it, it's another stick to beat the game with. Of which there are plenty... I can see it getting better, but I don't think it's going to suck in as many players over the duration.

Heck, just a quick look on Steam stats and 25k people are playing Witcher 3 compared to 10k playing Cyberpunk. They really done fucked up.

I'm sure it'll get an initial boost. But once all the bugs and glaring issues are ironed out (of which I'm not convinced they will be) I see a bit more attention being pointed towards the fact that shitloads of content was very blatantly and unseamlessly cut from the game. It's a shame as on paper it sounded like pretty much the perfect game, but it always felt like it needed a Final Fantasy XIV approach to relaunching more than it did a No Man's Sky. The rot is deeper than a few glitches.

I've had three stints at this game now.

First on PS5 using the PS4 version. Got about 10hrs in, quite enjoyed it, even with all the bugs and crashes, but stopped because I felt like I wasn't getting the 'proper' experience. No RT, barely any NPCs, broken HDR it was just a no brainer to wait.

Bought it again fairly cheaply on PC when I got my new PC last summer. Another 20hrs and it was indeed a better experience with the bells and whistles but it never totally gripped me and I got distracted by other games and then forgot where I was up to and how to play it. I think the issue is that whilst the city is technically impressive, it never quite delivers a rewarding sense of discovery that the best open-world games do, and I think it's because there's not enough intrigue. At a certain point you feel as though you've seen it all, even when you obviously haven't. There are cool areas, great ideas and easter eggs but they aren't introduced as organically as other games and most feel a little underdeveloped.

Put another 10-15hrs in just before Christmas on PC this time focusing more on story missions and got up to the point of no return. Some of the story missions (and some of the character driven side quests TBF) are really superb. Parked it again as I wanted to sweep up the remaining side missions before completing, but instead got distracted again and drifted away from it.

CDPRs problem is now that for many, (probably the majority of purchasers) the ship has sailed and for better or worse they've had their fill and impressions have been formed. Whilst it would be great if they could make the NPCs better and develop a GTA-esque believable city with intelligent police and pedestrians, that's not enough in itself to justify replaying the game for most people, nor is it likely to deliver big numbers of sales.

Best case for me would be if they announced some sizeable expansions exactly like Hearts of Stone, and Blood and Wine were for Witcher3. A fairly priced, new 10-20hr well written story-driven expansion that follows on from the end of the main game plus some quality of life fixes would be something I'd fork out for and would be a sure sign that CDPR are 'back'. It's too late in the day for fixes, performance improvements and superfluous extra features like haircuts, vehicles and weapons to be of interest.

So has anyone actually fired up Cyberpunk since MS flagged it as an SX title? Has anything changed?

Tend to agree, there's certainly a sense that much of the ambition had to be stripped back and we've got a more pragmatic hollowed out experience.  It's still good in my view but uneven.

In GTA or Red Dead or Skyrim or Witcher 3 you can stumble on a new area and it's often an exciting jumping off point for a new mission or a bit of environmental story telling that hint at a wider narrative, or maybe a whole new unexpectedly large area branches off.   Not every 'discovery' has to be a huge deal but if a few are, that's enough to give hope to all of them and spur you on.  I'm thinking of things like the 'serial killer' murder locations in RDR or the unexpectedly massive underground city in Skyrim.

In Cyberpunk I'd occasionally spot an unusual building or location but it would invariably be:
1. totally empty environment but fairly obvious that significant dev time was spent on it so you're just waiting for a mission to tell you to go back there.  Usually did.
2. bit of environmental storytelling, including an obviously placed PDA that literally says what happened and directs you to a chest nearby for a reward.  Very much 'tell' not 'show' and the whole thing takes 1min.  Admittedly some of these discoveries/easter eggs are amusing but they feel rushed.
3. an interesting building with doors locked or rubble blocking routes as if it was once planned to be more but the scope was cut back.

I did have a quick peek last night just to see, but no, it’s not updated anything yet.

It’s definitely a much later version than it was when I played through, so they seem to have done a fair bit of work since at least.

It has the X/S tag but version number is still 1.3.1.0 currently.

I'd love to see the current gen version drop today but trying to temper expectations.

Yep. Feel similar, although I was personally really enjoying my time with it on PC. It's absolutely amazing to look at and wander around. The architecture in some places is incredible, the guns are great and the story is really good from what I've played. There's a lot to love, but the tension between waiting for an ultimate edition and just diving in and getting on with it is frustrating.

Just bought it in the Xbox sale too. FFS, is it coming to Game Pass?

Yeah looking like a trial of some sorts, not a gamepass addition. Hold off playing until later just in case maybe, if you haven't played it or unlocked any achievements then a refund is refund is much easier.