Cyberpunk 2077 in 2025 — A Redemption Story

I remember the launch. I think we all do. December 2020, refunds being handed out, PlayStation pulling the game from its store. It was a disaster by any measure, and a lot of us wrote Cyberpunk 2077 off completely.

I was one of those people. So when a friend told me to give it another shot last month, I rolled my eyes. But I did it anyway.

I'm glad I did.

Night City Is Stunning — And It Always Was

Here's the thing nobody wants to admit: even at launch, the world CDPR built was extraordinary. Night City is dense, layered, and alive in a way most open worlds aren't. Neon signs bleeding onto rain-soaked streets, corpo towers looming over shanty markets, every district with its own personality.

In 2025, with a mid-range PC, the game runs beautifully. The technical mess that plagued the launch is largely gone. Ray tracing looks insane. The city that was always gorgeous is now actually playable.

Phantom Liberty Changed Everything

If you haven't played the Phantom Liberty expansion — stop reading and go buy it.

It's not just good DLC. It's some of the best writing in any game I've played in the last five years. The spy thriller setting, Idris Elba's performance as Solomon Reed, the impossible choices it puts in front of you — Phantom Liberty elevated the whole game.

The new ending it adds to the base game is, in my opinion, the most emotionally satisfying conclusion to V's story. I won't spoil it, but when the credits rolled I just sat there for a few minutes.

The RPG Systems Are Better Than You Remember

Coming back with fresh eyes, I was surprised how deep the build system actually is. Netrunner, street samurai, tech specialist — each playstyle feels genuinely different. The skill trees got overhauled with Update 2.0 and it shows.

The police system, which was laughably broken at launch, actually works now. You do stupid things, you get hunted. Simple, but it makes the world feel real.

What's Still Not Perfect

The main story, outside of Phantom Liberty, still has pacing issues. Some side quests that should be mandatory feel optional, and a few of the base game's endings still feel abrupt.

And honestly? The game is still clearly built around a version of V that doesn't quite have room to breathe. You always feel like you're racing against a countdown, even when the story would benefit from slowing down.

Final Verdict

Cyberpunk 2077 in 2025 is not the game we were promised in 2020. It's better. It's been shaped by years of community feedback, genuine developer commitment, and one outstanding expansion into something worth your time.

If you skipped it at launch — now is the time.

Score: 9/10