Cyberpunk 2077 vs. The Witcher 3: An Uneven Contest

When it comes to the inevitable Cyberpunk vs. The Witcher comparison there is only one clear winner. 2015's The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt was inarguably developer CD Projekt Red's greatest success and it now hangs like an albatross around the neck of their most recent release.

Cyberpunk 2077 Vs. The Witcher 3: An Uneven Contest Cover

The dust is finally beginning to settle on Cyberpunk 2077s, let’s say, less than successful launch. CD Projekt Red’s much-hyped table-top inspired RPG was released last year and almost immediately instigated the launch of one of the most widespread campaigns of online slating that any game has ever received. The title was riddled with bugs, crashed frequently and did not live up to many of the things it had initially promised. Credit should go to the developer for its proactive approach to patch out these issues, but the sad truth is no matter how much these patches improve the game, it cannot paper over another issue people have with Cyberpunk, that it is not The Witcher 3.

In my opinion, the latter is easily one of the finest games ever released, and although I’m sure the comparisons were not intended, the Cyberpunk vs. The Witcher argument is inevitable and deeply unflattering for the former. It would be a difficult task for any title to live up to the expectations following one of the greatest games ever, and, sadly, as we’ll see, Cyberpunk has many shortcomings that only make this task even more insurmountable.

A Wild Goose Hunt

A significant chunk of the hype that surrounded Cyberpunk‘s release can be attributed to the fact that the developer preceded it with one of the best games ever made. Although these lofty expectations certainly helped CD Projekt Red with its sales figures upon initial release, it also brought with it pressure for the developer to raise the bar even higher, and this just wasn’t possible. The Witcher 3 is, simply put, a masterpiece; an epic tale full of political intrigue, fantastic creatures, believable stories and gripping emotional drama. The studio set the bar too high for itself, and, like so many great bands that failed to follow up a critically acclaimed album, it ended up falling victim to its own success.

The Tales of the Tape

Perhaps the most significant department in which Cyberpunk fell short of meeting its predecessor’s lofty heights was in regards to the narrative. It’s understandable that it would struggle to match up, of course, with The Witcher 3 having two previous games plus all manner of existing source material to help establish its world. Although, 2020’s futuristic RPG also had existing material to draw from and still fell short in several departments it was expected to flourish. One of the reasons that The Witcher is so beloved was that each and every quest and side mission felt like a story in and of itself.

The Northern Realm is an interesting place

The Northern Realms is an interesting place

Whether you were chasing down the mysterious wild hunt to rescue Ciri or helping a random villager track down his son, every mission was populated with believable and emotional flourishes that ensured no two moments in the game felt the same. Cyberpunk, on the other hand, often foregoes these human stories for simple find and fetch missions that feel like a huge step backward for the studio. It is not without its moments – the River missions, in particular, are littered with some interesting ideas and characterization, but it too often chooses to burden you with busy work to fill out the game rather than spend the time to hook the player in with a reason to take on and engage with each and every task.

This lack of effort sadly carries into Cyberpunk’s characters too. While it is understandable that V would not feel as fleshed out as Geralt due to CD Projekt Red’s desire to let the player stamp their own personality on their Night City persona, the same excuse can not be used for any of the secondary characters in the game.

There are some decently interesting personalities you cross paths with over your journey in the game. Jackie, Panam, and Goro come to mind but they are sadly few and far between. The ambitious scope of the game means that the world often feels auto-populated in comparison to The Witcher, where it feels like each and every person is living out a life of their own with their own problems, usually involving Griffins killing loved ones or swamp creatures stealing their valuables.

There are certainly some interesting faces in Cyberpunk, just not enough

There are certainly some interesting faces in Cyberpunk, just not enough

The Punk is Not Mightier than the Sword

The hope is that with the recent patches, much of the gameplay issues may be ironed out of Cyberpunk, but the sad fact is that at present, the gameplay mechanics fall sadly short of what was expected. The Witcher 3’s combat is an often unsung element that brings the whole game together; it is smooth, immersive and feels amazingly satisfying to pull off combinations and bring down all manner of mythical creatures.

Cyberpunk’s combat by comparison often feels clunky and unfair. Combine this with a first-person perspective and V can usually be found flailing about helplessly during fistfights against seemingly much more mobile opponents. The frequent encounters with bullet spongy enemies often leave firefights feeling hollow as well. The same criticism can be applied to the moments between battles, whereas the Continent’s Northern Realms were a joy to traverse and take in as you canter along with Roach in tow; Night City can often feel like a chore to get around with the games underwhelming driving mechanics.

Every fight in The Witcher is as epic as it is satisfying

Every fight in The Witcher is as epic as it is satisfying

More Kaer for the Map

Clunky mechanics aside, it should be pointed out that Night City can also be breath-taking to behold at times. When the game is running correctly and smoothly, inside the City wall, in particular, is a beautifully realized and visually striking world to explore. If it was any other game that I was comparing it to, Night City as a game world might come out on top, but Northern Realms is a different beast altogether. I’m sure anyone that has played the game would know the feeling of being completely stopped in your tracks by some of the aesthetics in the game; arriving at the Skellig Isles, in particular for me, was a moment in the game that may have added a few superfluous hours to my playtime.

It is, for my money, the most stunning backdrop for a game to date. Even in the lowest reaches and darkest pits of the Northern Realms, there is a kind of morbid beauty to the game that very few have managed to pull off before. Each and every location feels completely actualized and immersive. Cyberpunk’s setting is certainly not an element of the game that deserves a share of the vitriol the game has been receiving, but it still fails to hold much of a candle to the world that existed before it.

Night City is worth breathing in from time to time

Night City is worth breathing in from time to time

Night (City) and Day

The most recent patch released for the studio’s much-hyped release may very well sort out many of the issues that the game carries. I for one, am rooting for the game in the hope that I may return to Night City in the next few weeks full of a renewed sense of wide-eyed optimism. However, the one issue that it cannot patch out is the feeling that, despite all the delays to its release and even all the work that has gone into it since then, this is a game that seems rushed.

When it comes to Cyberpunk vs. The Witcher, the more recent release is a game that simply does not carry the same emotional weight, unique wonderment or inescapable beauty of the title that preceded it. Cyberpunk 2077 is many things, some of them even positive, but a truly worthy successor to 2015’s Game of the Year it is not. And that is the biggest disappointment of all.

1 Comment

  1. Avatar photo

    It was weird last night. I finished the “Game” Cyberpunk…. It was so odd…. I didnt level up max.. I didnt have to.. I didnt have all of the cyber upgrades… I didnt have to… It kicks you back once finished but it seems very hard to continue.. Did I make the right decisions?? Witcher 1 and 3 had real consequences.. This game feels like a Witcher 2 experience.. OK/ Good but not great.

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