Cyberpunk 2077 is based in Night City which is a bustling metropolis situated in the Free State of Northern California. It’s during the year 2077, which lore wise is seven years after the Unification War spread across America. Night City has just been voted as “the worst place to live” on the American continent. Of course, where there is danger some always find opportunity. “V,” who is the main character of the game, is one of the people who sees opportunity where there is danger.

When you meet the hero of the story, “V”, is working as a mercenary for the fixer Dexter Deshawn. After a job gone wrong the hero's world is flipped upside down. “V” is now in a rush to save him/herselves as their brain is experiencing a “hostile takeover” by none other than Johnny Silverhand (played by Keanu Reeves). The hero runs into many dead ends during their journey to save him/herselves while also dealing with other problems on the way.

In the character creation where you customize “V” to your liking. You have many options, from hair to body shape. When you’re done with customizing your character exactly the way you want you get to pick from three different life paths. Each life path affects the choices you can make in conversation and the way you interact with others. During missions, it can also give you bonus options. The gender you pick for “V” and their life path can impact character interactions and your romance options.

If you choose the Nomad Life Path you come from the polluted badlands, where being independent and resourceful are very important qualities. If you happen to choose the Streetkid Life Path, the main character will know more about life on Night City’s crime infested streets and how to work them. Finally, if you choose the Corporate Life Path you will be skilled in the art of intrigue, you will also have extensive knowledge of the Arasaka megacorporation.

In Night City there are many gangs but there are eight big street gangs that you run into during the story. To start there is “6th Street” which is a gang of hardened veterans of the fourth corporate war. Then there are the “Animals” which is a gang consisting of bodybuilders who are anti-cyberware. Another gang is ”Maelstrom,” who are extreme fans of implants as well as illegal and powerful cyberware. “THE MOX” is an anarchist group that unites outcasts from varying groups of people. The “Scavengers” are infamous for kidnapping people and harvesting their cyberware. “Tyger Claws” are the owners of widely illegal entertainment businesses. Another gang is the “Valentinos” who are a loyal family gang that idolizes Santa Muerte. Lastly, there are the “Voodoo Boys” who are a group of the best netrunners and master hackers in all of Night City.

After the release there were a lot of controversies because the developers didn’t finish bug fixing the game and released it anyway, the game came out with many issues. A lot of people were upset and immediately wanted their money back, some didn’t mind. Overall, it’s a pretty decent game; it’s just still very buggy and has a lot of work to be done. The release was labeled a disaster and the developers lost a lot of money because of it. The game was in development for about eight years so the release date was highly anticipated. They released the game before it was completely finished and suffered heavily from the backlash that came with it. Personally, I enjoy the game and all the things it offers, many disagree with this though.