Cyberpunk 2077's 2.2 update might have taken the community by surprise with its sudden announcement and release, and the Balatro Treasure Hunt is certainly the icing on the ca??ke.

The card game has been in the news for all the right reasons, with its excellent reception from fans in general, which has seen it getting nominated to this year's The Game Awards in several catego??ries. You can solve a really cool quest to earn a few exclusive in-game rewards.

How to begin the Balatro Treasure Hunt in Cyberpunk 2077

Starting the quest is relatively easy, but you'll have to update the in-game client to the latest version. On consoles, this should be downloaded automatically, while for PC, you can do the same by manually checking for the latest version. Once you boot up the game, there will be a text message from Jim B. In case you haven't played Balatro, this is in re?ference ??to its clown mascot, Jimbo.

Once you get a text message, Jim will send you on a treasure hunt. You'll receive photos and clues to aid your efforts in the treasure hunt, and exclusive cosmetics that can be used for in-game decoration. It has been reported that the quest has been missing for some players who never get a text. Unfortunately, you can't do anything if that's the case, as it's a potential bug that will need fixing from CDPR .

How to complete Balatro Treasure Hunt in Cyberpunk 2077

To complete the quest, you'll have to find the Balatro icon at ten different locations. These locations are spread all across the city, so there's a fair bit of traveling involved. The first couple of them can be found at North Oak in the marked locations. The first one is found beside a row of seats, while the second one is located in the center. Look to? the bottom of the monument, and you'll find the Joker symbol.

The third one is? found inside a small building in Little China. Go inside the marked location and look to your side. You'll find an identical spot that was sent in the text by Jim.

The fourth one can be found on top of the Delamar store at the marked location. Once you've spotted the shop, go right and then turn left. You'll find a spot from where you can jump and reach the top, where you'll find the symbol ??you're looking for.

The fifth one is found at the pier,? where you'll come across a few people. A girl will be sitting at the pier, and you, the Joker ?symbol, will be right beside her.

Th??e sixth one is at the marked location inside the Ji??nguji store. Go inside and go past the store clerk to reach the symbol.

To get to the seventh, you'll need to travel to the City Center, where the Corpo Plaza is located. Go to the top of the gl??ass structure at the marked location, and you'??ll be able to find the Joker symbol.

The last three are all located close to each other in Japantown, and you can find the first at the foot o?f the massive statue. Next, go inside the 24 bar through the main door and? move to the area where the bartender works. There, you'll find the night Joker symbol, and the final one is in Jig-Jig Street, inside the 24 Restaurant.

Once you uncover all the hidden symbols, the Balatro Treasure Hunt will be? complete, and you'll unlock all the av??ailable rewards.

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The surprise Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 has arrived, expanding character customization options, adding more vehicles, and giving you a chanc??e to ride alongside your buddy Johnny Silverhand. There are also bug fixes and Photo Mode changes, including a way to display your best shots in your apartment.

The update probably won't light too many fires under the butts of those done with the game, but the changes were requested by the community at large. Those still tearing up the streets of Night City should be pleased with what Update ??2.??2 brings to the table.

What's included in Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2

A standout f??eature introduced by the update is the ability to scan ?vehicle colors and apply them to the vehicle you're driving. Using Kiroshi optics, you can scan a vehicle and buy its color for your own. Based on the patch notes, it sounds like the swap can be done on the fly and can be used to drop your wanted level. If that's the case, it's a big step up from going to a Pay 'n' Spray. CrystalCoat tech covers additional vehicle models such as the Herrera, Mizutani, and more.

Whil??e driving, Johnny can now pop up to ride shotgun. He chills on the side, reacting and making comments as you drive. Hopefully, he doesn't criticize your driving too much. Knowing me, he'll have a lot of harsh things to say.

Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 adds more features to the Photo Mode. Shutterbugs will now have increased camera range, Full Collision and c?amera lock options, a characters tab, an Effect Intensity Slider, and more. You can also hang your favorite images in ?your apartment using SmartFrames picture frames.

Customization options have also been?? expanded with over 100 more options, ranging from nail color to makeup. CD Projekt Red added a new slider called Plain-to-Punk, which automatically ramps up the emo look the f?urther you go.

There's plenty more to parse in the patch notes, including bug fixes and quest changes. Give it a look before r??eturning to the streets.

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Night City isn't done with you yet. Developer CD Projekt Red is showcasing a surprise update for Cyberpunk 2077 in a new stream on December 10. Update 2.2 includes bug fixes and "new features" to the game. No, it's not? a PlaySta?tion 5 Pro patch. Stop asking.

Word on what the surprise Update 2.2 will bring to Cyberpunk 2077 soon will be a mystery until its contents are revealed. CD Projekt Red announced via X that it's lifting the veil on the patch tomorrow, December 10, at 5 p.m. CET during a live stream on Twitch and YouTube.

"Join us for a new episode of #REDstreams, where we'll dive deep into the new features Coming Soon TM for Cyberpunk 2077 in Update 2.2," the company?? wrote o?n X. "See you tomorrow at 5 PM CET on our Twitch and, for the first time ever, simultaneously on our YouTube channel."

Cyberpunk 2077 surprise update brings new things, but not that

The news of another patch wasn't expected, especially since it hasn't even been a week since the last one. Update 2.1 arrived for players on December 4 with additional fixes, features,? and vehicle options. Perhaps something needed more work and got delayed for a few days. Who can say?

We don't know what's inside Update 2.2 for Cyberpunk 2077, but we know what it will not bring. The company has no plans to ship a PS5 Pro patch for the game. CD Projekt announced the news in November, but that didn't stop folks on X from asking about it. Several times. The game also won't get a New Game Plus mode, as doing so would "break the way the game is constructed," according to its lead quest designer.

All we know is that it'll bring more "cool" features and break all of your mods. But according to the team on X, "It will be worth it."

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A Cyberpunk 2077 PS5 Pro patch has been requested by fans of the RPG. However, they may be disappointed as the game's developer CD Projekt Red confirmed on Wednesday that the ga??me won't be optimized for the new console.

"We currently have no plans for PS5 Pro patch," said the official Cyberpunk 2077 X page (via VGC), ?responding to a fan asking for opti??mization for the new system.

Cyberpunk 2077 currently has a bunch of PS5-specific features already. It supports dynamic 4K resolution scaling, ray-tracing, 3D audio, haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and makes use of the ultra-high speed SSD. The PS5 version also has improved crowd reactions and various visual quality improvements, according to the official PlayStation listing.

The ray-tracing mode, however, only supports 30 frames per second, which the PS5 Pro could possibly remedy if CD Projekt Red gave some time to a port. Thankfully, if you have the PS4 ??version of the game, physically or digitally, you can upgrade to the PS5 port for free. You can also t??ransfer your PS4 files to the PS5, so you won't lose any progress and finish that lengthy introduction once again.

Despite Cyberpunk 2077 missing out on the PS5 Pro's features, there are many games to support the new console. Action-RPG Lies of P has improved frame rates, and Performance Mode supports a full native 4K resolution. The PS5 Pro also delivers a 40% increase in pixel density, and Lords of the Fallen with Performance Mode gives us 4K resolutions at 60 frames per second.

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The Steam Deck has? been something of a revelation for PC gaming. This powerful device allows you to play your PC games on a portable screen, allowing for an experience more akin to somet?hing like the Nintendo Switch.

This is all well and good, but some PC games require the pinpoint precision of mouse-and-keyboard input. That's why we're taking a look at the 15 best Steam Deck games, so you know which titles are worth pl??aying on your portable PC device. All of the following games are marked "Steam Deck Verified," meaning you can guarantee a solid experience with these selections.

15. Phasmophobia

Hunting ghosts with friends, what could be more fun? Despite still technically being in Early Access, Phasmophobia is arguab??ly the best game in its genre. You're placed on a map, which ca??n be as small as a suburban house or as large as an entire prison, haunted by a ghost.

There are 24 different ghost types, each offering up three types of evidence to help you and your friends decipher what they are. You find this evidence using various types of ghost-hunting equipment, from spirit boxes to EMF readers. It's not entirely that simple, as these ghosts will drain your sanity before hunting and killing you. Phasmophobia is a blast, and ??we recommend playing with friends.

14. Diablo 4

Blizzard's long-awaited follow-up in its iconic ARPG series was worth the wait. Diablo 4 follows the sa??me general gameplay loop as previous iterations, defeating powerful enemies throughout dungeons while collecting hordes of loot to upgrade your build.

While technically an RPG, Diablo 4's quests and storyline play second fiddle to the game's unique brand of chaotic action. There's nothing quite like melting swarms of demons while finding a rare item that takes the havoc up a notch. Some might recommend a mouse and keyboard for Diablo 4, but you can definitely do just fine on ??a Steam Deck.

13. Balatro

Balatro isn't your standard card game. There's almost too much complexity to sum up in a few sentences, but the gist of it is t??his: it's a roguelike dec??k-builder where you must score points by playing poker hands against blinds. With these points, you can upgrade your deck and buy joker cards, which affect the game in various ways. It's absurdly addictive and puts an impressive spin on a classic card game.

Given the nature of Balatro's controls, it really doesn't matter whether you play on a regular PC or on a Steam Deck. It plays very well on Valve's portable devices, so if you're looking for a more laid-back Balatro, Steam Deck is the way to go.

12. Portal 2

Portal 2 might be well over a decade old at this point, but it can still kick it with any modern release on the market. With sharp humor, challenging puzzles, and an endlessly replayable co-op mode, Portal 2 remains one of the best video games ever made.

Valve gets so much mileage out of one simple conce?pt: you have a portal gun that you can use to open portals around the game world. You must use these portals to solve puzzles throughout each level, most of which are physics-based. Luckily, these puzzles don't require pinpoint mouse precision, which is why this is perfect for chilled-out Steam Deck ??play.

11. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 had its troubles upon its 2020 release, disappointing almost everyone. In the years since, CD Projekt Red has remained committed to making it the best game it can be via countless patches and the sublime 2023 expansion, Phantom Liberty.

At long last, Cyberpunk 2077 is (almost) everything it was hyped up to be, and it runs great on the Steam Deck. With engaging characters, powerful RPG choices, and the staggeringly beautiful open world of Night City, Cyberpunk 2077 is a game yo?u can really sink your teeth into n??owadays.

10. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

If The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth isn't the best roguelike ever, then I don't know what is. Straight from the brain of Super Meat Boy developer Edmund McMillen, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth sees you f??ight through procedurally-generated dungeons against some of the mos??t terrifyingly-designed monsters you'll ever see in a video game.

As you progress, you collect items on each floor. This contributes to your build, but not every item complements one another. This means you're constantly making important choic??es about what to pick up and what to leave behind. Each run is permadeath, resetting you right to the start if you die while pr??ogressing through the floors. Because of the randomized floors and items, it might be one of the most replayable games ever made.

9. Dave the Diver

How many games do you know that can blend the action-adventure and restaurant simulator genres seamlessly? There's not many, let me tell you that much. Dave the Diver is one such title, and it's undoubtedly one of the be?st games on the Steam Deck.

Dave the Diver is split into two gameplay sections. During the day, you dive into the sea, collecting ingredients from the ocean floor whi?le fighting sealife with your harpoon gun. Later in the evening, you use these ingredients to run a sushi restaurant, improving its reputation through good food and service. All of this is complemented by a gorgeous pixel art style, resulting in a game unlike anything you'll have played before.

8. Resident Evil 4

2023's Resident Evil 4 might be the best remake in the series to date, and that's a high bar to clear. The game sees the return of Leon Kennedy, ?who is tasked with rescuing the president's daughter, Ashley. You're faced with hordes of the undead throughout your adventure, which t?ops the 2005 original in just about every way.

Its graphics? Stunning. Its controls? Modern. The story? It has a tighter pacing this time around. And that's before we even get to the atmosphere, which is the real star of the show in the Resident Evil 4 remake. It's absolutely dripping with tension, which carries o??ver even on the small screen of the Steam Deck.

7. Skyrim

13 years after its launch, and there's still nothing that quite evokes the same feelings as Skyrim. It's a classic RPG in every sense of the word, with?? one of the most detailed open worlds you'll ever explore, even after all this time. Interesting questlines and memorable characters are the tip of the iceberg in Bethesda's magnum opus.

On PC, Skyrim modding takes things to another level. Nexus Mods has almost 100,000 mods to download for the game, so the question is: can you mod Skyrim on Steam Deck? Yes! It's a bit more hassle, but it's certainly possible, meaning you can bring Skyrim up to modern standards on your handheld device.

6. RimWorld

Ludeon Studios' RimWorld is a far deeper game than it seems on the surface. At first glance, it appears to be just another construction and management simulator. Simply put, it isn't. RimWorld gives you numerous starting scenarios, where you must attempt to su??rvive and escape from a procedurally generated planet.

To make every playthrough unique, it employs the use of an AI storyteller, which can make decisions on the fly to affect proceedings. You can choose from various storytellers, each of which will change its behavior based on various parameters. Want something intense? Go with Randy Random. Want a more traditional narrative? Cassandra Classic will make that happen. The third is Phoebe Chillax, which offers a more laid-back experience. It's this storyteller feature alone that elevates RimWorld above every other game in the genre.

5. God of War

2018's God of War finally arrived on PC in 2022, breaking Santa Monica Studio's maste??rpiece free from its PS4 restraints. The game tells a powerful story between Kratos and his young son, Atreus, and their journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye, at the? highest peak in Jötunheim.

Its hack-and-slash gameplay is similar to previous God of War games, yet the combat still manages to feel distinctly modern. That's an achievement in itself. Just everything, from the impeccable score from Bear McCreary to the awesome world design, comes together as a full package to make God of War one of the best Steam Deck games.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

How will CD Projekt Red ever top The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt? The culmination of an epic trilogy, this title is an extraordinary RPG, with impactful choices to be made even in the smallest of moments. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt features some of the most well-written side-quests you'll ever see, as well as two fantastic expansions in Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.

For a 2015 release, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt holds up extremely well from both a visual and gameplay perspective. The combat still feels very fluid, ??which is why it remains one of the best Steam Deck games you can play after almost a decade.

3. Stardew Valley

There's a reason life-simulation fans are still returning to Stardew Valley almost nine ??years after its release. ConcernedApe's game strips the form?ula back to basics but does everything it attempts just about perfectly.

There's farming, fishing, building, mining, socializing, romancing, and even combat - it's a pretty simple life in Stardew Valley. If you enjoy life-simulators, there's a good chance you've already played this game. If you haven't, there's a good chance Stardew Valley will convert you to the genre.

2. Elden Ring

Elden Ring is not for the impatient gamers out there. This open-world RPG by FromSoftware will test the limits of your patience, punishing you with sweet, sweet death over and over again. It's a classic Souls-like, defined by nigh-impossible bosses and frustratingly infrequent checkpoints, but with a bigger scale than anything the studio has ever attempted before. The satisfaction from victory in Elden Ring will have you jumping for joy.

Given that many would recommend Elden Ring with a controller anyway, I feel safe saying the game works great with the Steam Deck joysticks. Go forth and explore the Lands Betwee?n f??rom the comfort of your own couch.

1. Baldur's Gate 3

Top spot was only ever going to Baldur's Gate 3. Larian's 2023 CRPG is an instant classic. With deep customization, fun combat, brilliant companions, and a gripping narrative, Baldur's Gate 3 is a game we'll all be playing for many years to come. I cou??ld wax further lyrical about its epic world, engaging quests, and a sta??ggering level of freedom, but I reckon you get the picture.

Baldur's Gate 3 feels made for the Steam Deck in? many ways. The turn-based combat lends itself well to the joystick controls, and the slow-paced gameplay in gene??ral makes it perfect for kicking back on the couch and playing at your own pace.

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Up to 40% of a game's total sales occur in the first month, according to the SSRN Electronic Journal. Consequently, the best strategy for studios is to ensure their titles launch with a b??ang. Some strategic marketing is necessary to achieve this. Piling up good reviews from critics and gamers is also vital, meaning it's essential for games to launch in a polished state.

Over the years, a few titles have missed the mark terribly, resulting in catastroph??ic launches. The following list contains some of the worst offenders in gaming history.

2024 addendum

To borrow a common internet adage, it's like Concord read this list and said, "Hold my beer." As such, we felt it would be a good time to add to this list. It felt as though it would remain incomplete without what is currently the ??most talked about crash.

But rather than slotting in Concord and calling it a day, I'm going to also add a couple of my favorite launch failures. Smangeliso already did a bang-up job on compiling some of the worst, so those?? are le??ft untouched.

13. Trespasser - Jurassic Park

The move to 3D graphics was a painful one. Over-ambition was common, and nowhere was this more obvious than with Trespasser, a game based on the Jurassic Park franchise. The lead-up to the launch promised a game that used a real-time physics engine and artificial intelligence that would make dinosaurs flock together and act based on their specif??ic needs.

Trespasser was technically impressive when it launched. However, the game was rushed so urgently that every promised feature was only technically implemented. Dinosaur AI, for example, wasn't ready for prime time, so the dinosaur's anger was cranked up to maximum, and that was it. The real-time physics and inverse kinematic animations resulted in the thunder lizards staggering around drunkenly. It's h??ilarious, it's easily one of my favorite terrible games.

12. SimCity (2013)

The first SimCity was released in 1989 and became one of the most influential games in the history of the industry. It practically created the city-builder genre and laid the groundwork for all kinds of management games. Makes sense that EA would be the ones to screw that up. The publisher decided that the once single-player city builder should have a multiplayer element, and that was enough to warrant an always-online requirement for SimCity (2013). Previous botched attempts at always-online had soured th??e already mixed feel??ings on the requirement, and it proved to be warranted when many players had difficulty downloading, connecting, and staying connected to play the game.

It didn't stop at the online issues, however. Many changes to the SimCity formula were not well received, such as an almost microscopic map size to build on and mindless traffic that players would put through veritable mazes of streets to demonstrate their insistence on taking the m??ost direct path, rather than an easily acceptable and better alternative. Three years later?, EA would remove the always-online requirement, but at that point, it was far too late.

11. WWE 2K20

The WWE franchise has had a long presence in the gaming scene, and titles like Smackdown! vs Raw 2006 and SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain are memo?rable games that successfully replicate the testosterone-flooded action of sports enterta??inment.

When WWE 2K20 launched in October 2019, day-one buyers ended up with a game sporting atrocious graphics that looked like they belonged on a PS3. The gameplay wasn't any better, and the numerous glitches made WWE 2K20 a pain to play. The game's terrible reception was one of the reasons WWE 2K21 was canceled. It was for the best, as when the franchise returned with WWE 2K22, it achieved double its predecessor's launch?? sales.

10. New World

Amazon's New World hit stores in September 2021, and the launch was nothing but chaos. Servers were flooded, resulting in players waiting for hours before ?they could start playing. When people were eventually able to play, they discovered that while the core game was good, it was also plagued with game-breaking glitches. Since release, plenty of updates have been pushed out, and the game is in a better state, but it failed to be the enduring classic that Amazon was likely aiming for.

9. Anthem

When Anthem was announced, the flashy marketing successfully caught the attention of the gaming world. Unfortunately, when Anthem launched in 2019, it?? was immediately critically panned. Critics and gamers alike complained about many elements, including boring missions, technical glitches, poor performance, and excessive grinding. The game failed to meet EA's expectatio??ns, and future developments for it were cut in 2021.

8. The Last of Us Part 1 (PC)

Though the PS5 version launched without any major issues, the PC port of The Last of Us Part 1 has been nothing short of a disaster. Players were greeted with technical issues and absurdly long loading times, making the game unplayable for some. Since launch, ??many have pointed the finger at Iron Galaxy, the studio Naughty Dog entrusted with the port. It won't be the last time the studio app??ears on the list, so there may be some truth to the accusations.

7. Fallout 76

In 2018, Bethesda took Fallout online with Fallout 76. The game promised to allow players to explore dystopian settings with friends, which is an idea that has great potential. When Fallout 76 launched in November 2018, it was far from what gamers expected, resulting in the PC version scoring a measly 52 on Metacritic. Due to the bad press, many gamers stayed away, and as a result, Fallout 76 had lower launch sales numbers than Fallout 4 and Fallout New Vegas.

6. Batman: Arkham Knight (PC)

Arkham Knight's PS4 and Xbox One versions were developed by Rocksteady Studios, and the PC port was handed off to Iron Galaxy. This proved to be a mistake. When Arkham Knights launched on PC, it crashed constantly and featured technical issues?? that rendered it unplayable for many.

The situation got so bad that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment suspende?d sales of the Windows version ?of the game in June 2015 while developers worked on patches to fix the game. Though the game has improved plenty, the historically disastrous launch won't be forgotten any time soon.

5. eFootball

The free-to-play sports game eFootball was rele??ased in September 2021. The concept wasn't a bad one, though the execution left a lot to be desired. Gamers were met with atrocious graphics, endless technical issues, and visual bugs that have made for some hilarious screenshots. With a score of 25 on Metacritic, it is one of the lowest-rated games of all time.

4. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition

When it was revealed that the GTA trilogy would receive a remake, excitement was high. Launch day arrived in November 2021, and gamers were less than satisfied. The trilogy was rife with technical issues, ugly character models, and visual errors, which should have been spotted during the QA ph??ase of development. To placate fans, Rockstar offered the original trilogy to all customers who had purchased the remake via the Rockstar Store.

3. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is a title that has been a ubiquitous fixture in gaming for years, and not always for good reasons. When Cyberpunk 2077 launched in 2020, the experience was so bad droves of g??amers demanded refunds, and Sony eventually pulled the game from the PS Store. Fortunately, the story doesn't end on a sour note, as developers have worked hard to improve the game, and after several patches and updates, the game is one of the most enjoyable open-world titles on current-gen consoles.

2. No Man's Sky

Like many other titles on the list, the developers made plenty of big promises before the game's release. When No Man's Sky launched, gamers realized that many of the promised features were missing, and the performance was poor. There was plenty of outrage, though Hello Games didn't abandon No Man's Sky. Instead, developers got to work releasing patches and updates that slowly but surely improved the game. Today, No Man's Sky is a bestseller available on almost all pl?atforms.

1. Concord

Concord's failed launch was so severe that it will probably be studied for years to come. It was enough to warrant an update on this list. It was reportedly the result of years of work and millions upon millions of dollars, and lasted two weeks before it was pulled from marketplaces with a refund being issued to those who had bought it. At least one report suggests that Sony dumped $400 million into the project and was betting on it being the future of the brand. Take that with a grain of salt; it hasn't yet been substantiated. However, the live service sector of the industry is packed to the gills with people hoping to be the next Fortnite, and simply dropping an expensive game in there is not enough to capture the crowd. Whether or not Concord reappears in some form in t??he fu??ture remains to be seen.

There's no shortage of games with failed launches, and the future will feature plenty more. From these cases, we learn that although delays may be f?rustrating, terrible l?aunches are far worse. We also see that even the worst launches don't have to spell the end for a game so long as developers persevere.

The post Top 13 wor??st game launches in?? gaming history, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

In the Fall of 2022, Netflix and CD Projekt Red released Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, an animated prequel to Cyberpunk 2077 that became one of the year's biggest sleeper hits. During Geeked Week 2024, the two studios revealed they're getting back together to make another animated project set in the Cyberpunk universe.

Netflix's new Cyberpunk project won't be Edgerunners Season 2

The announcement came as a brief but stylish trailer that barely reveals anything about this new project. All we know with any certainty is that this new Cyberpunk project will again play out in the mechanized jungle that is Night City. The trailer's description also confirms that Netf??lix Animation will be involved, proving that this will be an animated production.

I'm not surprised that Netflix is bringing us more Cyberpunk animation. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was an earth-shattering success, so much so that Cyberpunk 2077's 1.6 and 2.0 Patches added ??a plet?hora of Easter Eggs and references to it. I've binged the series three times since 2022, and I'm st?ill reduced to a?? sobbing mess by the time I reach the last episode.

Unfortunately, whatever this new Cyberpunk series (or film) ends up being, it won't be a continuation of Cyberpunk Edgerunners. CDPR confirmed long ago that they had no plans to produce a second season of Cyberpunk Edgerunners, and I, for one, am perfectly okay with that. David Martinez and his crew's adventures ended on a heartbreaking but satisfying note, and it'd be wrong to take?????????????????????????? that sense of closure away by trying to continue the story.

While we won't get Cyberpunk Edgerunners Season 2, we've known that CDPR has been planning to make other animated projects set in Cyberpunk 2077's world. Hopefully, this new entry will be just as nova as Cyberpunk Edgerunners was.

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CD Projekt Red has given a progress update on The Witcher 4. Currently known as codename Polaris, The Witcher 4 will enter full product??ion “ver?y soon� as per Joint CEO Michał Nowakowski.

The update was revealed during the latest earnings call where Nowakowski was explaining that while the Polaris team’s strength has only slightly increased (407 members on April 30, 2024, to 410 members as of July 31, 2024), the team is “maintaining the right scale to enter the production stage very soon.�/p>

As per the stats revealed, there are currently 639 employees across CD Projekt Red, and 410 of them are working on The Witcher 4.

The Witcher 4 will be the first CD Projekt game to be made in Unreal Engine 5, with the development studio moving on from their own REDengine for the upcoming title. CD Projekt Red has previously announced that two more The Witcher games released after Polaris, thus creating a new “AAA RPG tril?ogy�

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel update

An Update for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel was also provided during this call. Cyberpunk 2077 sequel or codename Orion currently has 60 members, with a slight inc?rease in workforce as there were 54 members working on the next Cyberpunk title back in April 2024.

Cyberpunk 2077 sequel is being led by the new Boston studio, and the team has bee?n "laying the ground" for Project Orion "during a busy period" in the first half of the year for the team, as per CD Projekt Red CFO Piotr Nielubowicz. He also revealed that the team is close to moving on from the research phase to the production phase fo??r the upcoming Cyberpunk sequel.

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Since releasing at the end of 2020, many have been waiting for Cyberpunk 2077 to get online multiplayer. However, tha?t hasn't happ??ened and is not going to, at an official level at least, so it's once again being left up to the modding community to save the day.

Currently, there is work-in-progress being made on a multiplayer mod for the game (called "CyberMP"), which will allow multiple people to duke it out dystopia-style across the whole of Night City. The video below shows the latest version of the project, with a number of Cyberpunk 2077 players testing out the functionality.

It's actually pretty impressive so far. The JuiceHead narrator notes the stability of this unofficial multiplayer mode, with reference to how well it all appears to be synced?? up. While it's by no means perfect, the mod seems to be coming along nicely, and the footage above shows that, even in this state, it plays pretty solid.

There were some a few issues, of course, such as a few crashes and some animations not being present in the earlier builds, but progress is being made all the time. It's also said to be under the sole care of a single developer, whi??ch makes the project even ?more impressive, but does mean it'll take a bit of time to complete.

Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer when?

Despite how stable it all looks, there's no indication on when the general public will get to try it out. A report from DSO Gaming speculates that �as it's still in "pre-alpha" �we may be waiting a while, possibly another year or so. However, given what we?? can see in JuiceHead's video, some may speculate a much so??oner release date, but these would just be guesses.

As for what happened with CD Projekt Red officially adding multiplayer in, that's definitely not on the cards now. The idea was pushed back in favor of fixing the many glaring issues that plagued Cyberpunk 2077 from day one. Add onto that the fact?? that the developer has now ended support for the game and there's no way an official online multiplayer mode will be coming to the game now.

It should also be noted that the mod itself won't feature co-op, so players can't team up to take on the game's missions or main storyline. Whether it'll come in the future cannot be said at this stage. Currently, it looks it's going for more of a GTA Online vibe, so ???expect a lot of chaos on the streets when it does come out.

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Now that CD Projekt Red has started working on the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, codenamed Project Orion, we can look forward to seeing where the Polish studio takes things. While the game was initially panned for its wealth of bugs, three years later, things have taken a turn for the best, earning the title an award for Evolving Game at the BAFTAs.

But what of the follow-up? What can we expect? Well, it's tough to say at the moment, but some of the guys at CDPR sat down recently for a podcast episode to discuss opening a studio in Boston. One thing that did crop up was how making the move to US soil could have an effect on the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.

At around the 2:10 mark in the video above, Acting Executive Producer Dan Hernberg says that Cyberpunk is "a uniquely American story," so it kind of makes sense to take t?he series to the states. It also me??ans CD Projekt Red can make the most of a "huge talent pool" that's available in America.

A Cyberpunk 2077-style Boston Tea Party?

To pivot off this, Associate Game Director Paweł Sasko mentions a few things in Cyberpunk that were subtle, but seemed evidence to some that it was made by a non-US studio. For example: there's the issue of the manholes in Night City. A few fans were quick to notice that the manhole covers were designed from ones ty?pically associated with European streets rather than American ones.

Additionally, Director Sebastian Kalemba recall?s how tough it was to calibrate, being a Polish outfit, in regard to nailing down American culture by?? experiencing the country, taking pictures, all in preparation for developing the first game.

For CDPR, it seemed like a pretty wise choice to move much of the base of operations to Boston, to ensure a more accurate approach to Americanizing (I think I just made that up) the next game. Hernberg goes on to say that relocating allows the team to "have those cultural touchpoints," which should go some way to creating greater a?uthenticity in the follow-up.

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Looking for the best o??pen-world games for the PS5 can be quite a task. Many open worlds we have traversed over th??e years in gaming can be the most immersive or barren and uninspiring.

So, we have c??ome up with the best open-world games to explore for this platform. 

The 10 best open-world games for the PS5

The following games may have appeared on the PlayStation 4 at so??me point, but have since received an update to be native to the PS5 hardware. Keep that in mind.

Borderlands 3

Say what you want about Borderlands 3’s story, but everything else around it just slaps. When you have great character customization, gunplay, and a variety of abilities to play around with in huge explorable areas, you’ll easily forg??et about the game’s biggest weakness. Also, the DLC adds dozens of more hours to look around via side quests and just your own exploration.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Some may argue that the many explorable areas don’t amount to an open world in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but I’d argue ot?herwise. You can mostly explore everything in a particular instance once you have progressed far enough into the game’s story. 

What makes it even neater is that you can play the ga??me in its entirety with minimal exploration and then come back without missing out on anything major. You can do?? anything in between as long as the game permits, which gives the players a lot of freedom. 

Grand Theft Auto V

More than a decade later, Grand Theft Auto V’s Los Santos still holds up. Yeah, you can do the missions and all that and have a blast, but there’s also that huge online component that has remained strong since the game first came out. Not only is GTA V’s version of Los Angeles an iconic world, bu?t it’s also an amazing s?andbox to just mess around in.

Hogwarts Legacy

It was always a dream for many gamers who grew up with the Harry Potter franchise to explore the Wizarding World. When Hogwarts Legacy came out, while not set exactly in the same timeline as our favorite Wizard and his lot, it was a damn good experience. The castle itself was already such a treat to explore, with so muc??h lore to uncover and so many activities to get into. 

Then, once you go outside and visit the ot??her locales via b?room or Hippogriff, that experience gets even better. Some quests and activities do get stale, but the whole package is a gem whether you’re a completionist or a casual.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

The other Marvel's Spider-Man games were such a treat when it came to open-world traversal. However, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 took what was great about the original and Miles Moralesâ€?standalone games and trimmed the fat. 

It’s fun as hell to traverse New York while web-slinging and gliding around from a visua??l perspective. The game also knows how to give you just enough?? playtime before things start to get stale.

No Man’s Sky

The procedurally generated planets you explore in No Man’s Sky make it seem like you’re on an endless journ?ey. You’re supposed to reach the center of the universe, but the game is best played to your own rhythm. Go off and explore nonstop. Discover new fauna, flora, and all the many other biomes o?ut there. 

Go make bases and create your own missions. This game is a chill type o??f sandbox that’s pretty to look at and has a purpose with each thing you do.

Fallout 4

In Fallout 4, you’re rewarded for going? off the beaten path. It may be a post-nuclear world out there, but there are so many things to do. Pai?r that with the base-building mode and you can easily sink dozens of hours into the game. If you like that element of exploration at your heart’s content, this is it.

Cyberpunk 2077

Night City and Dogtown (if you have Phantom Liberty) are so visually pleasing in Cyberpunk 2077. O?n top of that, there’s a lot of depth in these locales, ranging from player choices in dialogue and a strong focus on RPG elements. 

This game has come a long way since it was first released and now deserves all the praise it probably sho??uld have gotten now that it’s in a very stable, playable state. 

Ghost of Tsushima

The open world in Ghost of Tsushima is just do?wnright gorgeous. If you love to mess around in Photo Modes in games, you can easily sink hours to get the perfect shot here. In addition to that, the game has a compelling story with just the right amount of side content to keep you going and admire the techni??cal detail all around. 

It evokes a sense of familiarity the more you play this game, like what many players felt during the golden era of Assassin’s Creed games.

Elden Ring

Despite being a multiplatform game, Elden Ring does something that not a lot of open-world games do: i?t doesn’t hold your hand and lets you explore to your heart’s content. You’re really out there alone in The Lands Between with only a few indicators of where you should go. 

Fast-travel points are saved, NPC locations are marke??d, and the map is opened up permanently once you find the fragments. More than 200 hours later, many players, including myself, are still finding new things despite searching through every nook and cranny in every region.

The post 10 Best open world games for PS5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Yesterday, the BAFTA Game Awards 2024 honored the past twelve months of the industry. Hosted by comedian and former Taskmaster contestant Phil Wang, the show was a celebration of what gaming has achieved ??recently.

As is typical with a lot of award shows, there were some varying attempts at humor. Which is a shame because,? knowing Phil's work, I suspect he was not responsible for a lot of the jokes written on the teleprompter.

Still, it didn't detract from the jubilation, as a lot of games released in the past year �as well as their respective developers �were given their due credits. Below are the list ??of all the winners and nominations from this year's event.

Animation

• Alan Wake 2
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• WINNER: Hi-Fi Rush

Artistic Achievement

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Cocoon
• Diablo 4
• Finaly Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi Rush
• WINNER: Alan Wake 2

Audio Achievement

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
• Hi-Fi Rush
• The Legend of Zelda: tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• WINNER: Alan Wake 2

British Game

• Cassette Beasts
• Dead Island 2
• Disney Illusion Island
• Football Manager 2024
• Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin
• WINNER: Viewfinder

Debut Game

• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Dredge
• Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
• Viewfinder
• WINNER: Venba

Evolving Game

• Final Fantasy XIV Online
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 5
• Genshin Impact
• No Man's Sky
• WINNER: Cyberpunk 2077

Family

• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Disney Illusion Island
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Hogwarts Legacy
• WINNER: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Game Beyond Entertainment

• Chants of Sennaar
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Terra Nil
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba
• WINNER: Tchia

Game Design

• Cocoon
• Dredge
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Viewfinder
• WINNER: Dave the Diver

Multiplayer

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
• Diablo 4
• Forza Motorsport
• Party Animals
• WINNER: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Music

• Alan Wake 2
• Assassin's Creed Mirage
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

Narrative

• Alan Wake 2
• Dredge
• Final Fantasy XVI
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Star Wars Jed: Survivor
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

New Intellectual Property

• Chants of Sennaar
• Dave the Diver
• Dredge
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Jusant
• WINNER: Viewfinder

Performer In A Leading Role

• Amelia Tyler (Narrator in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Cameron Monaghan (Carl Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Neil Newbon (Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Samantha Béart (Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)
• WINNER: Nadji Jeter (Miles Morales in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)

Performer In A Supporting Role

• Debra Wilson (Cere Juna in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Ralph Ineson (Cidolfus "Cid" Telamon in Final Fantasy XVI)
• Sam Lake (Alex Casey in Alan Wake 2)
• Tony Todd (Venom in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)
• Tracy Wiles (Jaheira in Baldur's Gate 3)
• WINNER: Andrew Wincott (Raphael in Baldur's Gate 3)

Technical Achievement

• Alan Wake 2
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Horizon Call of the Mountain
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Starfield
• WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

EE Players' Choice Award (public vote)

• Cyberpunk 2077
• Fortnite
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Lethal Company
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

Best Game

• Alan Wake 2
• Dave the Diver
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

BAFTA Game Special Award

• SpecialEffect, presented to founder and CEO Dr. Mick Donegan MBE for "outstanding contributions to games, film and television" in helping "people with even the most severe physical challenges to access video games."

The post BAFTA G??ame Awards 2024: All winners and ??nominations appeared first on Destructoid.

Attention all cyberpunk (the genre) fans: we’re about to get one of the coolest crossovers in it??s history. 

If you’ve somehow missed out on Cyberpunk RED or VA-11 HALL-A, then consider this your reminder to go check them out immediately. The former is a TTRPG ruleset from R. Talsorian Games that pulls double-duty as a sequel to the original tabletop games Cyberpunk and Cyberpunk 2020, and a prequel to the events of Cyberpunk 2077. The latter is a visual novel-adjacent sim game from Sudek??an Games about slinging drinks in a high-tech, low-life future. 

R. Talsorian and Sudekan have partnered to released a DLC supplement that imports your favorite parts of VA-11 HALL-A into Night City. The DLC officially exists in an alternate universe from the base game, but so does just about every Cyberpunk RED game you’ve ever played ?with your friends. &??nbsp;

The 20 page DLC has everything you’d expect from a Cyberpunk RED s?upplement. There’s mechanical information like a map of the bar and lists of NPC stats, but there’s also a ton of flavorful additions like news stories, side character backstories, and, ?of course, a Drinktionary. Game Masters will be able to make great use of the included stat blocks for various lieutenants, mini-bosses, and bosses. Players, on the other hand, will want to check out the healthy supply of new tech and cyberware. The Drink Master 5000 is a must-have for any self-respecting drinking establishment, and denizens of Night City might want to pay for some Extreme Biosculpting or a Hammered Industries Cyberliver â€?if they have the humanity to spare. 

Just like the base Cyberpunk RED rulebook, this new DLC is a great read even if you don’t intend on using it to run a game. As an added bonus, the DLC is available as a free download from R. Talsorian’s site. It’s not necessarily a perfect translation of the visual novel â€?I, for one, would have loved to see VA-11 HALL-A’s many drinks get implemented in a more mechanical way â€?but it's a perfect way to bring the characters you loved from Glitch City into your own personal version of Night City. Anything that gives me a reason to call up the gang for another few sessions of Cyberpunk RED is a win in my book. 

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CD Projekt Red is offering a free trial, not a demo, of Cyberpunk 2077 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S owners. If you've not had the distinct pleasure of walking the streets of the vibrant and grimy Night City, then it might be time to surrender? the next hundred or so hours to this maligned masterpiece.

New players, it's time to give Cyberpunk 2077 a try

The news came via Twitter by the official Cyberpunk 2077 account. Those who own either a PS5 or Xbox Series can experience five hours of playtime for free between March 28, 2024, at 11 a.m. ET through April 1, 2024, at 2:59 a.m. ET. Even better, once you've gotten a sweet taste of this digital ambrosia, you can jump right into the full game ?as progress in the free trial ??carries over.

Cyberpunk 2077 got off to a rocky start when it was released in 2020. It was l?argely unplayable on previous-generation consoles and littered with technical issues across all versions. In the comeback that all other struggling titles are now compared to, CD Projekt Red corrected course and turned the sci-fi thriller into something truly amazing through a litany of patches and updates.

I was one of those players who tried it when it first launched and was whelmed. Then, like so many others, I decided to give it another shot after watching Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and I had that Frank Reynolds epiphany moment. I swear that anime?? w??as the best advertising for the game.

What followed was an intensive dive into an engrossing world full of unique and memorable characters. I was equally horrified, ecstatic, and obsessed with the various gigs available. Cyberpunk 2077 is a game where the main story is be??st left on the back burner while you take in everything else Night City has to offer. It's one of my all-time favorite games and if you've ever?? been remotely curious, you owe it to yourself to dive in during the free trial period.

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The best FPS games to play are those with tight controls, badass weaponry, and gameplay that tests you to your very limits. The following games certainly do that as you blast your ??way through enemies with a typic?ally powerful arsenal.

Apex Legends remains to be one of the best battle royale games out there, while Doom Eternal provides single-player fans with a juicy campaign packed to capacity with thrill. Here are all ?the best FPS games you can play right now.

[caption id="attachment_369717" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Apex Legends

Apex Legends is a battle royale that came out of nowhere in 2019, courtesy of EA and Respawn, a??nd has taken the world by storm. Moving around the world is excitedly energetic as you can slide and wall climb anywhere you please. Each character has their own ability to add to the chaos, such as Caustic dropping poisonous canisters onto the battlefield and Gibraltar summoning a bombardment toward their foes. It's free to play and is crossplay compatible, so you can join games with your friends in a snap as well. The cos?tumes you can buy are also pretty out there �as you can see in the picture above.

[caption id="attachment_480038" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3, despite releasing more than a decade ago, still warrants playing today. The shooting feels spot-on and feels heavier than the likes of Call of Duty and Titanfall. The bigger maps allow for thrilling sniping action, and you can ride vehicles like tanks across the battlefield. There are some smaller maps like Operation Metro as well that will test your skills with its narrow hallways and diverse battle environments. This game has a strong map variety. The Battlefield series focuses more on teamwork as you can resupply your pals on the squad and revive them from death; it's much more strategic than a game of Team Deathmatch. It would be great if the Battlefield series could stand tall again.

[caption id="attachment_480042" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via 2K[/caption]

Borderlands 2

Borderlands 2 is my most nostalgic FPS, and it could be yours too. It has a hilarious script with a devious, unruly antagonist who thinks too much of himself. However, the main highlight is collecting loot. As you defeat enemies and bosses around the world, you'll collect all sorts of weapons each with their own stats and gimmicks to use on foes. I remember laughing and playing with my online friends every week. The game's so entertaining that I beat the game through the mediocre streaming service OnLive and still enjoyed it.

Its sequel Borderlands 3 looks better and runs impressively, but ?to me, the more engaging experience is the second entry in the series due to the characters and weapons?? you'll find.

[caption id="attachment_369853" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Activision[/caption]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 brings everything you love about the series. A spectacular array of weapons, detailed multiplayer maps, and a thoroughly entertaining campaign. This series is the pinnacle of the FPS genre as each gun feels impactful and the controls are on point. The new maps, which include Breenbergh Hotel and the Valderas Museu??m, are also highlights �presenting depth and a wide range of scenarios from short-range to long-range combat. It's just a shame this game is such a storage hog!

[caption id="attachment_400393" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via CD Projekt Red[/caption]

Cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt Red weaves an intriguing story led b??y the custom player character, V, and their companion, the mysterious Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves. Somehow, Silverhand slowly takes over your mind, narrat?ing a fascinating plot from beginning to end.

And if you soured on Cyberpunk at launch, now may be the time to revisit. CD Projekt Red has pushed a ton of updates since launch, and the heavy patching was enough to draw mass player attention?? two years later. Even if the story isn't your th??ing, the gunplay's still decent, with all manner of weapons to find among the open world of Night City and beyond. There's also the badass Phantom Liberty expansion that features Hobbs & Shaw actor Idris Elba. 

[caption id="attachment_369878" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Valve[/caption]

Counter-Strike 2

The most intense FPS you can play is Counter-Strike 2. Available as a free-to-play title, this game offers intuitive shooting controls and will require precise shots from you to win. Beloved maps like "Dust 2" and "Office" require deep strategy as you manoeuvre through their tight corners. The system in which you buy each weapon a?lso adds to the pressure of the game �Spend too much and you'll be stuck with a pistol for one round.

[caption id="attachment_400394" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Valve[/caption]

Left 4 Dead 2

This one’s an oldie but a goodie, and it's likely almost all of your friends on Steam have it. In Left 4 Dead 2, hordes of zombies rage toward you and three other unlucky companions as you relentlessly unload against decaying foes. There are multiple types of swarming undead like the Spitters, who blast acid, or bulky infected that charge in without a moment’s notice—aptly named, you guessed it, Chargers. It’s intense, as the chaos demands you need to be alert at all times. However, Valve does provide some levity within the game’s funny dialogue. Left 4 Dead 2 certainly has aged well; the dedicated community proves as much.

[caption id="attachment_369883" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Bethesda[/caption]

Doom Eternal

If multiplayer isn't your bag and you want a shot at some intense FPS gameplay, Doom Eternal will call you. You'll be ripping and tearing through demons as you shred bullets into them with your powerful weapons. The environments look unique as they're hellish and post-apocalyptic. In addition, the music will keep your heart pumping while you take on some of the toughest bosses in gaming. If you decide to pick up Doom Eternal, you'll be in for a thrilling time.

[caption id="attachment_369884" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Ubisoft[/caption]

Rainbow Six Siege

If you're tired of Counter-Strike and want to dive into more gadget-based encounters, Rainbow Six Siege should interest you. You're setting up barricades, blasting explosives, and using an axe to dent the walls to either save the hostage or keep hostiles away. The shooting is intense as only a few bullets can seal your fate, and that rush of danger is what keeps many players coming back for more.

[caption id="attachment_369885" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Metroid Prime Remastered

Metroid Prime has never looked better, thanks to Nintendo and its fantastic remaster. The game has stellar design, entertaining puzzles, and thrilling bosses to face along the way. The exploration of the world is key in the game and returning to past areas with new abilities is super satisfying. The remaster has improved the game significantly with a more mode??rn two-stick control method.

The remaster has impressed us with its graphical upgrade. "Metroid Prime Remastered is a fantastic renewal of the classic GameCube title," said Zoey Handley in their Destructoid review."It now looks like how our brains tell us it looked the first time we played it." It's one of the best FPS games to play as it offers a great opportunity to get caught up on the lore before the fabled Metroid Prime 4. 

[caption id="attachment_400391" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Ascendant Studios[/caption]

Immortals of Aveum

Immortals of Aveum may have flown under the radar for FPS fans, b??ut it’s certainly worth gearing up for. The magic-based take on the genre is refreshing, with spectacular effects and outstanding (an??d demanding) graphical capabilities all around.

The story is dull as hell, but the combat is a constant thrill. You'll take on mighty bosses—like the mega-nasty dragon, Howler—with all manner of tools at your disposal. We've got a running list of Immortals tips and tricks outlining some of those special abilities, shields, and the game's handy ??whip (which also works for traversal).

[caption id="attachment_480063" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Overwatch 2

I will go out on a limb and declare Overwatch 2 is one of the best FPS games y??ou can play right now. It doesn't have the best support from its developers with dull events, but when you can talk about the general gameplay, few other games match it. This hero shooter has characters each with their own abilities that can change the state of battle.

Tracer can rewind time while Pharah can leap into the air and reign down rockets from above. Everyone has their role to play and like Battlefield 3, if each team member contributes, it can feel incredibly rewarding. The maps are well-designed with capture points that keep you on your toes too. While I think Blizzard has dropped the ball in recent years, I won't forget the incredible memories of playing Overwatch with my friends; that's why Overwatch 2 is on this list.

[caption id="attachment_480047" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Superhot Team[/caption]

SUPERHOT

Superhot is an incredible FPS, especially if you play the game in VR. This post-modern graphical style is matched up with a unique gameplay system. Time stops when you are standing still, but when you move??, your foes will move towards you and fire their weapons. You can shoot with a pistol, but there are other tools at your disposal you can grab, use, or throw like a sword or an assault rifle.

"It’s a shooter at heart, but Superhot brings something fresh and unexpected to the FPS genre," said our review. "It mixes thrilling, action-packed combat with meticulous, precision planning, and somehow these opposing ideas are able to unfold ??simultaneously." This mix of a puzzle game with an FPS is a fantastic way to spend your weekend.

[caption id="attachment_480059" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Titanfall 2

Before Apex Legends, there was Titanfall 2. This shooter has ??clever level design within its single player campaign and somehow manages you to care for this mech robot that assists you during battle. You can even get inside the mech and cause chaos below to your victims. There's wall-?jumping, intriguing platforms to jump on top of like being in the middle of an apartment-making factory, and cool weapons to utilize throughout the campaign. The campaign is the star event for me, but others say the multiplayer is a fantastic time too.

[caption id="attachment_369891" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Riot Games[/caption]

Valorant

Last up is Valorant. It combines the fluidity of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the ability-focused gameplay of Overwatch to create a triumphant FPS in and of itself. The maps are fantastically designed, and the weapons all feel great to control. It's heroes' abilities add further strategy to the original Counter-Strike-like formula as you create barriers with toxic gas, resurrect fallen allies, and activate seismic charges to shake up the opponent's standin??g.

The post 15 Best FPS Games to play appeared first on Destructoid.

Once a huge embarrassment for CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 has managed to turn the ??tides to become a pretty big hit in the first-person, sci-fi, dystopian, Keanu Reeves-heavy, RPG genre (so niche). However, as we move forward??, the studio is almost ready to say goodbye to the game.

In a recent interview with Game File, Gabe Amatangelo �Cyberpunk 2077's director �revisited the dark days of December 2020, when CDPR's new RPG was finally released. With the launch of last year's Phantom Liberty DLC, th?e game is thankfully now?? in much better standing than it was several years ago.

Towards the end of the interview, it becomes apparent that the developer is ready to leave 2077 behind for good, saying, "we're done." However, it's? possible there will be a few more bits and pieces "here? or there," though the team is now fully moving onto new projects.

Shoulder-to-shoulder with the greats

Despite patch 2.12 releasing recently, Amatangelo's words suggest CD Projekt Red is truly moving on from Cyberpunk 2077. Along with the sequel and a new Witcher saga, the studio?? is hopefully taking some lessons from what it has learned about that disastrous 2020 launch.

And learned it it apparently has as well, as Cyberpunk has been nominated in the People's Choice category at this year's BAFTA Games Awards. It joins such high-profile titles as Baldur's Gate 3, Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Lethal Company.

If you want to vote for your favorite out of the options, you can go to the website here. The winner wil??l be announced at the BAFTA ceremony, which i?s taking place on April 11.

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CD Projekt Red just dropped the latest update for Cyberpunk 2077, a?nd it makes a handful of visual updates to the game while also addressin?g some glitches that range from harmless to game-breaking. 

Officially, Cyberpunk 2077 is finished, and CDPR planned for patch 2.0 to be the last big u?pdate to the game, but things didn’t shake out that way. Ahead of the game’s Ultimate Edition release, patch 2.1 added a ton of new content, including a functional metro system and new companion side activities. After that CDPR shifted its focus to the Cyberpunk sequel, but the developer is still ironing out some details in 2077. 

The latest update is patch 2.12?, and while it brings a number of welcome changes, it isn’t adding any new content to the game. Ins??tead, 2.12 is aimed at making small adjustments to quests, fixing bugs, and improving the game's performance on some devices. You can read all the details below:

PC

• It will now be possible to properly rebind the Radioport and dropping bodies to a different key on AZERTY keyboards. Switching quest objectives will now be assigned to the T key on all keyboards.
• Fixed an issue where trying to bind the T key to actions in Exploration & Combat resulted in a "Binding Failed" error.
• Together with Intel we fixed the stuttering issue that occurred while the "Prioritize P-Cores" option was enabled.
• Together with Razer we fixed a crash that occurred when using Razer Chroma enabled devices.
• Fixed an issue where NPC hair could appear extremely bright inside vehicles when Ray Tracing is enabled.
• Fixed a crash that occurred on Steam Deck when playing with Ray Tracing enabled.

Xbox

• Addressed an issue where the game could enter an infinite loading state, hang up or crash on Xbox when using some saves.

All Platforms

• Fixed an issue causing the inability to access the menu, inventory, stash, holocalls and fast travel.
• Updated the description of the Sonic Shock quickhack so that it properly reflects the changes made to its behavior in 2.1.
• Improved visibility of the controller cursor in menus and when using computers or keypads. This change will primarily help Steam Deck users, but will also benefit consoles and PC when using a controller.
• New Dawn Fades - Fixed an issue where it wasn't possible to open the phone to read the notification from the Automated Delivery System.
• I Can See Clearly Now - Lowered the Body attribute check required to move the dumpster.
• I Walk the Line - Sasquatch's jump attack will now properly register as a hit and deal damage.
• Riders on the Storm - Enemy cars in the chase sequence will now shoot at Panam's van.
• Nocturne Op55N1- Fixed an issue where, after choosing to call Reed, the conversation sometimes wouldn't trigger, blocking progression.
• Sonic Shock will now be properly categorized as a Covert quickhack.
• Fixed instances where groups of immortal enemies could appear across Night City.
• Fixed an issue where some elements on the perk screen wouldn't change after switching to Colorblind Mode.
• BioDyne Berserk will now properly have increased Crit Chance from its Reflexes Attunement.

The post Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.12 notes appeared first on Destructoid.

Having sold millions of copies of the Phantom Liberty DLC since it was released in September, Cyberpunk 2077 is on a roll. Well, not quite, as developer CD Projekt Red is now tur??ning its attention to the follow-up, with the game's narr?ative director eager to get started.

According to a recent Twitter post from CDPR's own Igor Sarzyński, Cyberpunk 2077 was "just a warm-up," and the studio is now preparing to "officially kick-start our Orion journey." Orion is the working title for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.

The team working on the next entry began its first day in the new Boston office earlier this week. Sarzyński has said they'?re "excited for this project," while one person (who weirdly dubs themselves Abraham Lincoln on Twitter) asks whether they've been practicing their Boston access. Sarzyński replies: "I'm ??trying!"

Imagine Cyberpunk and Good Will Hunting in one

Towards the end of last year, CD Projekt Red unleashed one last big update for Cyberpunk 2077. For real, this time. The developer is now seemingly leaping into 2024 with hope?s for the future.

We don't really know anything about the upcoming game, but it's fair to say the studio will have learned some much-needed lessons from when the current game dropped like a ??hot mess back at the tail end of 2020.

Things have certainly improved since then �to the point where it was one of the top-grossing Steam releases of 2023 �??but it's a memory that burns deep for some. As CDPR begins to make progress on the follow-up, we can only hope Sarzyński and the rest of the team knock this one out of the park the first time around.

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It's been a funny old time for Cyberpunk 2077. Upon launching at the tail end of 2020, it went down as one of the most negatively received games due to its unfinished state. Now, with Phantom Liberty's launch and being one of the top-selling Steam releases of 2023, CD Projekt Red's dystop?ian RPG has finally arrived.

Speaking of top-selling, a recent post on the Cyberpunk Twitter page shows that a lot of people have downloaded the expansion. In fact, since it launched in September, Phantom Liberty has ??shifted more than five million units, according to the developer.

As user KAMI says in a response below the tweet, that's a mighty achievement for DLC. Entire games can only? dream of achie??ving such lofty figures, especially in such a short span of time.

Can we say it's fully redeemed now?

The memory of that initial launch is fast becoming fade??d, I reckon. Sure, folks like me felt massively let down by a product that was by no means ready for ?release. I was only really able to play it more than a year later.

However, these days, it's a different story. The work CDPR put into rectifying as many errors and issues as possible has rendered the game worthy of praise. The fact that Phantom Liberty has been boug??ht so many times is further evidence of this.

As we move forward, the studio is going to be busy, especially now that there are no more plans to release big updates for Cyberpunk 2077. We can only imagine what we'll experience when the follow-up arrives, not to mention the new Witcher saga that's currently in development.

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As we see out the last few days of 2023, Steam gives? us the skinny on which games were the top sellers of the last 12 months. While the majority will be ones that most of you will be expecting, there are?? a couple of surprises in there. Or at least that's what I think.

You can see the full list of top grossing games of 2023 on the Steam website, which splits it into categories going from platinum to bronze, depending ??on overall sales. There are also different lists for best Steam Deck games, most played, best VR releases, and more.

As for the overall top sellers on the platform, the likes of Hogwarts Legacy and Baldur's Gate 3 were surefire winners. It's also nice to see Sons of the Forest in the platinum category. Hype for the indie horror game may have died down, but it selling two million copies in just one day evidently gave it a boost.

It was also quite surprising to see the likes of Starfield and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 as top sellers. Okay, the former maybe seeing as it's been one of the most anticipated releases of this generation, but MW3 seemed rather unexpected.

As we move further down

Getting into gold, Resident Evil 4 (plus its Separate Ways DLC) was no doubt a big hit, and Elden Ring has still been pulling?? in some impressive numbers, despite being nearly two years old now.

Fans of Lethal Company have no doubt been aware of the success of this small co-op title from relative newcomers Zeekers, evidenced by its place under the gold section. The fact that it's only just been knocked off the top spot on Steam gives some indicatio??n on just how huge the horror game has been in such a short span of tim?e.

Of course Skyrim makes it into the list. Admittedly under the bronze category, but th??at still means the 12-year-old Bethesda RPG is swimming smoothly through the harsh waters of the video game industry.

Check out the link above to see the full list of whi?ch Steam games were the crème de la crème of 2023. If I don't see you after this, have ?good New Year everyone!

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As we head into one of the last holi??day weekends of the year, we're wrapping up GOTY-related announcements with more nominees. This time, it's for Destructoid's best PC game of 2023, and I reckon yo??u already know it's a competitive bunch.

We've already hit the PlayStation and Xbox consoles, along with more specific categories like best indie and ongoing game. Looking back, I realize 2023 is one of the tou??ghest years for GOTY choices I've had in ages, and I'm thankful this was a staff-wide endeavor; otherwise, this list would've taken until next year to shape up.

As always, our platform categories don't mean the game only released on that platform. Plenty of the nominees here launched on both conso?le and PC, but our formula still keeps games limited to one nomination in any given category. In the spirit of PC gaming, we approached this with more of a "Is this the preferred way to play?" �same with consoles. Anyway, here's some really good games.

Starfield

Look, as far as I'm concerned, until we get mod support on Xbox then Starfield is a PC-only release. I'm joking (kind of), but Bethesda's modding community is too damn good to ignore. But on that note, perhaps put the open-world RPG on your wishlist any way?? you can, as our swiss-army knife of a staff writer Steven Mills gave it the rare 10/10, making it one of Destructoid's "essentials."

In his review, Steven concluded:

"I wasn’t sure if it could be done, but Bethesda has managed to raise the bar for sandbox games even higher. In the end, Starfield is an epic sandbox open-world RPG with a beautifully immersive un??iverse, a captivating story, and fun and compelling gameplay the whole way."

Cocoon

Cocoon is among the year's major visual delights. Even as someone who long grew tired of more puzzle-focused titles, Geometric Interactive demands attention with Cocoon's bright pops of color and bizarre biomes. It's got this smooth balance in its gradual incline to the more difficult mysteries, and even for those?? of us who don't immediately rise to the challenge, it's satisfying to poke around and fail.

Perhaps it's no surprise, but the puzzler comes from the lead gameplay designer on Limbo and Inside Jeppe Carlsen. It's not near??ly as grim as the two of thos?e, but there's still a lot to the alien world that's hauntingly mysterious and loaded with "aha!" moments of brilliance.

Slay the Princess

What a damn good year for indies, doubly so if you're into cosmic horror and visual novels. Slay the Princess delivers on all fronts, with a premise and art style just as striking as its name. In hindsigh?t, my image choice makes this lo??ok like a very nice, to-the-point, Princess Peach rescue-style situation. It's not.

Usually, senior editor Eric Van Allen's tastes line up well with my own, so his word was enough for the sale. In Eric's review of Slay the Princess, he's got plenty of prai??se to offer, and sums it up with:

"It’s about the i?nterpersonal relationships that can wound us, make us versions of ourselves we never imagined, yet teach us. It is a damn good story, and one worth experiencing."

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

I'll say it right off the bat: I'm not in the camp of belief that you can't count Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty as its own thing or even as something that was ongoing. Expansions, add-ons, DLC �whatever, there's a whole valid debate there for next year on where we need to see new categories, but the RPG delivered on PC with more cleanup and intrigue in a "fitting swan song for Cyberpunk 2077."

Our senior editor's description fits, as CDPR's RPG, for real this time, just launched its last big update on December 5 with the Ultimate Edition. Whatever becomes of the series' future, Phantom Liberty was a good place to bookend our adve??ntures in 2077's Night City.

BattleBit Remastered

It's always nice to find another gem playable on my ancient relic of a laptop. BattleBit Remastered low-poly massive FPS battleground is easy to pick up and put down for some satisfying chaos with friends or just 200-something strangers. It's a nice change from some of its massively online genre cousins, and even in the chaos of having way too many people around you in a firefight, BattleBit plays keeps up just fine.

This was one of those games that hit big in the year and somehow missed until the very end, but the arsenal of vehicles, combat role focus, and destructible arena scratch an itch I'm not getting from the more mainstream. Bonus points here for keeping anti-cheat woes top of mind; when I get a new Steam Deck, it'll (hopefully) join my very short list of multiplayer games where?? EAC didn't rain on the portable experience.

Baldur's Gate 3

If there were a "game with most characters Andrea would like to kiss" award, it'd go to Baldur's Gate 3. And while I really don't want to put words in their mouth, I think the sentiment rings true for all two of us named Andrea at Destructoid. Contributor of excessively good takes, Andrea Gonzalez, wrote about how BG3 is a delightful dating sim. Andrea Shearon approves.

Okay, okay �outside of all the love-dovey stuff, BG3 is the incredible culmination of a CRPG that spent years in early access, w??ith developer Larian Studios tweaking the formula with fan feedback along the way and? delivering this massive, choice-driven adventure. It's also one I refuse to play on a console, so here we are.

Dave the Diver

I've always heard it's pretty damn hard to find success as a restaurateur, and Dave's experience here says as much. Developer Mintorocket's adventure RPG drops the pro Scuba diver into a cheeky journey with his friends opening a sushi business. At night, you'll deal with the restaurant. In the day, you'll fight u?nderwater creatures like a half-crab, half-tractor (?) abomination.

It's all to keep the business going. The juggle between grinding for fish and managing the sushi spot was one Destructoid contributor Christine Choi adored. In her review, Christine mentions how she "can't put it down" as Dave the Diver aces the balance be?tween gameplay styles and delivers something lighthearted, engaging, and easy to take at your own pace.

What’s next on Destructoid’s GOTY schedule

We're reaching t?he halfway point as Destructoid's nominee announcements draw to a close. Next week, on December 18, check in again as we reveal this year's winner??s.

Destructoid’s Best PC Games of 2023:

• Starfield
• Cocoon
• Slay the Princess
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• BattleBit Remastered
• Baldur's Gate 3
• Dave the Diver

The post Nominees for Destructoid’s Best PC game of 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Readers may know me as one of Destructoid's local Destiny heads, but right now, we need to talk about the Video Game Awards (VGA). Namely, how Cyberpunk 2077 stole a 2023 award from?? another game and studio.

On December 7, the VGA named Cyberpunk 2077 the winner of the ceremony's Best Ongoing Game award. This was in spite of the fact that Cyberpunk went up against actual live service titles like Apex Legends, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, and Final Fantasy XIV. 

As some may remember, Cyberpunk 2077 is not an "ongoing game." It's a single-player game and one that was released with disastrous initial results. The launch was so awash with issues that Sony would even quickly remove it from the PSN digital storefront. CD Projekt RED would go on to spend the better part of three years fixing the?? game.

As of 2023, the team has produced praise-worthy results with Cyberpunk 2077's 2.0 update. But the VGA's nomination logic seems flawed. So, the single-player Cyberpunk 2077 is an "ongoing game" because it was re??leased so broken it needed years of work to function as intended? I'm not buying it.

How is the VGA defining an "ongoing game?"

Cyberpunk's win doesn't make sense when considering the spirit of the award category. The award should have gone to a live-service title that defines itself as an "ongoing game" by nature rather than circumstance. If Cyberpunk 2077 can be considered in the running for ??the be??st ongoing game, what criteria is the VGA using? 

If Cyberpunk can be in the running, what about other games with updates still flowing? Warhammer 40K: Darktide, No Man's Sky, and Call of Duty: Warzone have all received game-changing updates after release. None of those games even received nominations. Hell, even a pick as out there as Team Fortress 2 still has more merit as an actual "ongoing game" than Cyberpunk 2077. So how could the obvious top-running candidates with nominations against Cyberpunk 2077 lose?

Don't get me wrong, what CD Projekt RED did was impressive. Many studios would rather take the L than spend additional years that could have been applied to another project fixing mistakes. I am in no way suggesting CD Projekt RED made the wrong decision there. The team's dedication to its product speaks for itself. However, I am saying that the VGA's evaluation of Cyberpunk 2077 as an "ongoing game" is wrong.

Another title missed out

With Cyberpunk winning this award, another deserving game missed out. The contenders for Best Ongoing Game, by nature, are unlikely to be nominated for many other categories. Sure, they may appear in less extravagant categories like Best Mobile Game or Best ESports Game. But the titles that end up in Best Ongoing Game are by nature rarely going to win the "big" awards like Game Of The Year. A game can't be Game Of The Year and Best Ongoi?ng Game the year ?it's released; it's just not possible.

So, Cyberpunk 2077's nomination pushed another deserving title out of the running. And its win only served to swivel the spotlight away from the other contenders excelling in the field. Let's hope there's better consideration across nomination categories next year. Less Gollum gets a well-received update an??d snags Best Ongoing Game in 2024.

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Despite version 2.0 supposedly being the last big update for Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red is bringing us one last hur??rah. As well as implementing a number of fixes, the latest p?atch brings with it fresh ideas to see things out before the studio moves onto new games.

To go with the Ultimate Edition that's also been released, update 2.1 has added a few changes today. You can check out the video below for an overview. Some of the things now in Cyberpunk 2077 include a?? metro system, hangouts with partners, new v?ehicles, better vehicle combat, improved boss fights, and more.

You can also read the full patch notes to see what else has been?? done in this latest version. As you can see, it's no small feat, encompassing a veritable laundry list of tweaks, fixes, and changes. T??he update should be rolling out as we speak.

Is this it for Cyberpunk now?

CDPR recently said it's ramped up the team size for the new Witcher saga. On top of that, Community Director for the studio, Marcin Momot, has said that 2.1 represents "one more patch" for the game. After this, the team will be focusing on futu?re ?projects, of which there are quite a few.

That's not to say Cyberpunk will be abandoned entirely. At least not for the immediate future. The game is about to turn three-years old, and CD Projekt Red will probably want to keep things ticking over for a bit longer. However, the developer is now thinking about what's coming next, which includes working on a sequel to Cyberpunk.

For now, we at least get one last crack at some new changes in Night City. Make your next playthrough count, as it's almost certainly the last major upd??ate the game will be getting. For real this time.

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Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 update was supposed to be the las??t major addition to the game. But now CD Projekt Red is adding Update 2.1 to Cyberpunk, with some ?features that fans have been asking for since the game was first released. 

In a REDstream event hosted on Twitch, quest director Paweł Sasko and producer Monika Janowska laid out some of the changes that are coming in Cyberpunk Update 2.1 on December 5, many of which seem to be inspired by the most popular Cyberpunk mods. 

The most notable addition to the game? is a functional metro system that includes five different fully functional metro lines spanning the entire city. The Night City Area Rapid Transit System provides functional fast travel in addition to some interesting role-playing options. Players can enjoy the view of the city while riding NCART, and the team also hinted at NPC interactions and other surprises hidden within the system.

On the Night City airwaves

Another role-playing focused feature coming to the game is the Radioport that lets players wander the city while liste??ning to their favorite station. The Port will automatically turn off during conversations and moments when the game’s score comes to the forefront, but it’ll flip back on when player?s return to exploration. 

Update 2.1 is also going to add some gameplay elements centered on vehicles. The game’s car races will now be replayable opportunities to earn eddies and Autofixer discounters. Motorcycles are also getting a m??inor overhaul. Five new bikes are being added, and players will now be able to use throwing weapons and perform various tricks while driving. Along with that, Sasko hinted at new car chases that can emerge from interactions with various Night City gangs in the base game. 

I Really Want to Stay at Your House

Those seem to be the biggest additions, but they aren’t the only ones. The team hinted at options to hang out with characters you've romanced, and one gameplay clip revealed a Judy-centric mission called "I Really Want to Stay at Your House" in the HUD. Bosses have apparently been reworked, and the team specifically pointed out that Adam Smasher has been made stronger, will respond to player builds, and has his signature Sandevistan from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

The Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1 will also support DualSense controllers on PC and will offer new accessibility features, including colorblind modes, font size options, and some HUD customiza??tion. 

In the stream, the team said that even more changes will be found in the upcoming patch notes and the game itself when Update 2.1 releases alongside the Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition on December 5. 

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Cyberpunk 2077 keeps adding reasons to get lost in Night City. Now that everyone’s had time to settle in with 2.0 and Phantom Liberty, a new Update 2.1 is going to add some new gameplay elements to Cyberpunk 2077 next week. 

Today CD Projekt Red announced that the free Update 2.1 for Cyberpunk 2077 will drop on Dec. 5, to align with the release of the Ultimate Edition on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Ahead of the release, CDPR is hosting a REDstreams event on Twitch at 10a.m. EST on Dec. 1. The stream will feature members of the Cyberpunk 2077 team, including quest director Paweł Sasko and producer Monika Janowska, talking about new features coming to the game. In its event listing on Steam, the company wrote, “We have a few nice surprises in this patch so don’t miss it!�/p>

It’s hard to say exactly what features we can expect to see in the update. Cyberpunk 2077 just recently got a slew of new content and features. The 2.0 update overhauled the game’s skill trees, changed police interactions, and added vehicle combat, and Phantom Liberty added a new district and story line.

CDPR has previously stated those were “the last big updates�/a> for the game, so whatever is coming probably won’t be too earth-shattering. Then again, adding onto the game is a great way to build excitement for the Ultimate Edition and future Cyberpunk projects like the live-action series and the inevitable sequel. Mayb??e we’ll luck o??ut and those surprises will be bigger than we think.

We'll learn more when Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.1 drops on December 5.

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Can you believe we're coming up to three years since Cyberpunk 2077 released? What a rollercoaster it's been for CD Projekt Red's non-Witcher game, and soon you'll be able t??o own a special Ultimate Edi??tion version of the dystopian RPG.

In a recent post on CDPR's website, the developer has said it will be launching the Ultimate Edition of Cyberpunk 2077 for Xbox Series?? X|S, PS5, and PC. It's releasing digitally and as a physical purchase, both of which wil?l be available from December 5.

As for what's in it, well, you'll get the OG game (natch), along with the free 2.0 update that overhauled a lot of stuff, and the one and only DLC, Phantom Liberty. It's basically an all-in-one ?package, i?f that's what you're after in time for Christmas.

We can forgive, but can we forget?

As time goes on, it becomes easier to talk about Cyberpunk without having to remind ourselves of the bad old days. However, I'd wager it's a sting that's still felt by many, especially for those of us who tried to play it on console when it relea??sed.

Things are, thankfully, much different now. The aforementioned 2.0 update was just one of the ways CD Projekt Red made some key changes to the game, improving things along the way. Before that was the rather substantial patch 1.5 that rolled out in February 2022.

In short: we've finally arrived. However, it's at a time when the studio is looking to move onto new things. While we're getting a Cyberpunk follow-up and a new Witcher saga, CDPR has also said that 2077 is getting no more major updates.

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We're all very much familiar with the rocky star Cyberpunk 2077 had when it launched nearly three years? ago. Fortunately, CD Projekt Red has been able to turn things around, an??d the studio wants the game to have a successful evolution going forward.

According to a recent interview with PC Gamer, narrative director for CDPR Igor Sarzyński hopes Cyberpunk will enjoy a "similar evolution" to the Witcher series. By this, they're referring to th??e significant ways each subsequent entry changed for the better.

What that means going forward, we can't be certain. However, with the developer now working on the follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077, the team will no doubt be taking on-board lessons learned for both this and the new Witcher saga that's currently in development.

A mended reputation.

Despite the differences between the two IPs, CD Projekt Red were able to (eventually) pull off a successful RPG in something more futuristic than The Witcher. There were certainly new things for the developer to learn, and Sarzyński explains that while some aspects worked "out ??of the box," others required a bit more work.

Now with all the game elements iterated and working well, we’ll fo??cus on connecting them ev??????????????????????????en tighter and creating a coherent, total immersion experience.

With the recent 2.0 patch and Phantom Liberty DLC only improving things further, the game is now in the state that some would argue should have been the case at the start. Either way, CDPR is looking to evolve Cyberpunk 2077 as it moves forward with the franchise.

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It's no secret that I'm in love with Cyberpunk 2077. I'm closing in on nearly 200 hours of playtime, and that's just one run. However, one thing that could ?make this experience even better is being able to play a multiplayer version with my wife.

While Cyberpunk 2077 was initially going to ??have a multiplaye??r component, it vanished like a fart in the wind. However, that hasn't stopped me from fantasizing about what could have been. Plus, I also need to justify my obsession by getting her into this universe.

A story that needs to be experienced together

For me, the biggest draw to getting her into the world of Cyberpunk i?sn't just spending time together but exploring a story together. Sure, we watch movies and shows together, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and discuss everything ment??ioned afterward. However, being able to actively determine a compelling narrative together? That sounds amazing.

While I understand this could be done with one of us playing while the other watches, this creates a disconnect, however slight, with the person not playing. I want her to see and feel Night City as I have. I want her to stumble across side missions and characters, build relationships, and take on the mighty corporations. I want her to come to her own conclusions about mysteries like the Peralez family or who Mr. Blue Eyes could be.

It's akin to showing someone your favorite movie. This time, though, they're taking a starring role. By taking a page from the TTRPG, I could drop in as a random merc and back my lady's V as she works her way up from Watson to the top of Arasaka Tower. Ultimately, it's her story. I just want to be there, taking down cyberpsychos along the way? as she navigates the various di??lemmas this world has to offer.

Opening up a new genre of games to others

Cyberpunk 2077 isn't one of those games that my wife would normally play. She's into your 2D platformers like Super Mario Wonder and relaxed retreats like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. As such, sitting her down in front of the TV and hoping for the best with Cyberpunk, which is a serious investment, might not yield the b?est returns for her.

However, if I could take her hand akin to playing through the various Halo campaigns, I could almost guarantee she'd see the same appeal for Night City and ??its?? inhabitants that I do. There's just something about losing yourself in another world with your best friend that isn't quite like anything else.

As such, with me acting as backup, I can help smooth out any speedbumps she might encounter. Not a fan of combat? Sit back while I clear these Maelstrom out. Don't like dealing with quickhacks or minigames? Cover my six while I get my Neo on. Disgusted by the way Brigitte is talking to you? I will quickhack t??he hell ??out of her so you can plant a boot through her chest.

Much like playing the Nabbit in Super Mario Wonder can make me less of a deadweight in her games, I want to be able to introduce her to things outside her wheelhouse without making the learning curve too steep. By b??eing the?? Sam to her Frodo, we can play through one of gaming's most engrossing stories.

Whatever happened to Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer?

Leading up to Cyberpunk 2077's release, developer CD Projekt Red was hyping up a multiplayer mode. In March 2013, CDPR's Chief Creative Officer, Adam Badowski, said in an interview, "It [Cyberpunk 2077] will be a story-based RPG experience with amazing single-player playthroughs, but we're going to a?dd mult??iplayer features."

As development progressed, the CDPR Twitter account made a post linked to their careers page in regards to the multiplayer mode that was "?in the w?orks." It appears the initial plan was to release the single-player mode in April 2020, followed by additional content and then release the multiplayer portion once that was done.

However, as the initial and subsequent release dates came and went due to delays, many not only worried about the single-player component but also the multiplayer version, which wa?s indicated to have been a standalone game.

Following the first delay from April 16, 2020, to September 17, 2020, CDPR was asked by an investor during a Q&A session if they should expect the multiplayer component in 2021. Chief Commerical Officer Micał Nowakowski responded, "Given the expected release of Cyberpunk 2077 in September, and frankly speaking of the series of events we expect to occur after that date, 2021 appears unlikely as a release date for the Cyberpunk multiplayer."

In another investor call (translated by Seeking Alpha) in November 2020, Chief Executive Officer Adam Kiciński fielded a question regarding multiplayer coming in 2022. "Regarding multiplayer, we haven't announced any date so far, and actually, right now, it's not the... I mean, it's not the moment to talk about any business model for multiplayer, even though we had discussing before, but to avoid any fast in our gaming community, we... I will skip it because we'll share our thoughts about next year once we update our strategy. It will happen in Q1 next year, and that will be after releasing Cyberpunk and that will be the right moment to discuss deep?er or all key aspec??ts around future releases. (sic)"

In March 2021, the CD Projekt IR YouTube account posted a strategy update that included information regarding the state of the "online elements." Essentially, the developer planned to release updates and free DLCs in?????????????????????????? 2021, a Next Gen release and free Next Gen update in H2 2021, further expan?sions, and finally, the addition of the aforementioned online elements. It appears that the developer's plan was to build a solid foundation in their games using the REDengine and then develop an online component that could be integrated into existing games.

The developer remained quiet regarding multiplayer for over a year as it worked to undo the damage that was the arguably catastrophic launch of Cyberpunk 2077. In an interview with Eurogamer, former Senior Quest Designer and Coordinator Philipp Weber said, "The priority was that the main experience will run for the people in a really good state, and essentially, the switch of priorities meant that other R&D projects had to go away. With Cyberpunk, we wanted to do many things at the same time, and we just needed to really focus and say, 'Okay, what's the important part? Yeah, we will make that part re?ally?? good.'"

At this point, it would appear that any hopes or chances of Cyberpunk 2077 gett??ing a multiplayer component or standalone release are dead in the water. It took CDPR nearly three years to push out Update 2??.0, which abandoned the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, which was released on September 21, 2023. This is two full years after the initial timeline.

Since then, the Phantom Liberty DLC was released on September 26, 2023. CDPR continues to push out updates in support, but there don't appear to be any official plans to expand further on Cyberpunk 2077 as it stands.

Holding out hope for Cyberpunk multiplayer

On October 4, 2022, the CDPR Twitter account made a post stating that Orion is a codename for the next Cyberpunk title. This was followed up with a tweet by Quest Director Paweł Sasko, stating that he would be moving the core team to Boston and working with d??evelopers from bo?th the Vancouver and Warsaw branches on the next title.

Since then, the CD Projekt IR YouTube account has posted another investor call on October 5, 2023, wherein Adam Badowski said that the sequel was still in the "conceptual design" stage. This means that it is likely going to be years until we get further information on the title, as hopefully, CD Projekt Red has learned its l??esson about abusing the hype train.

Will we see multiplayer in whatever Orion turns out to be? There's no way to know, and it's best to be skeptical about what CDPR says until the game is actually out. In the meantime, I can only drop subtle hints that my darling wife should install some cyberware and show some Animals the business end of her smart pistol.

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CD Projekt Red's Colin Walder had a discussion with Inven Global, and he spoke at length about his career and his time at CD Projekt Red. He also gives some insight into what was going down around the time of Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch ??which resulted in it being pulled from the PS Store. The interview isn't all sour, however, as he also discusses the lessons the studio learned and ??the changes that occurred.

Wh??en asked whether the studio knew things weren't looking good before the game's launch, Walder argues that during game development, "no one can predict everything that's going to happen until it actually happens." Hen??ce, it's only with hindsight that you can determine what went wrong.

Fortunately, the studio has been able to turn the situation around, and the game's latest DLC, Phantom Liberty, has had a successful launch. According to Walder, Cyberpunk 2077 taught them about working with consoles and ensuring games run smoothly on them from day one. Hence, for their next project codenamed Polaris, the studio is "already running our demos and internal reviews on the console f?rom the ver??y beginning."

A new world for CD Projekt Red

During the interview, Walder reveals that team members took a hit to their morale following the catastrophic launch of Cyberpunk 2077. To overcome the hump, they had to acknowledge and accept what had happened. Internal changes were necessary, and they needed to encompass more than mere ?promises. "Actions speak louder than words," he claims.

Walder also discusses how the gaming world has change??d and how this impacts development. The shift toward a work-from-home culture has conveniences many employees, though it can make communication harder.

Furthermore, when everyone's at home "it's easy to lose that personal connection and rapport you naturally build when physically together." According to Walder, while remote work has value, there are some irreplaceable asp??ects of having a team physically together. Consequently, he argues that there needs to be a balance.

He briefly touches on artificial intelligence and its role in the future of gaming. He stresses that "ethical considerations are paramount, especially with technology capable of replicating human voices." The studio had to contend with these ethical considerations when it decided to recreate the v??oice of a deceased Polish voice actor using AI. Though it can be exploitative, the technology also has the "potential to be inclusive in a respectful manner," such as when it's? used to help voice actors who can't perform for health reasons.

It appears there have been some changes at CD Projekt Red, and the studio is ready to prove itself to the world again. We'll get to see what the studio is capable of soon, as there are several projects in the works, including a new mainline The Witcher entry.

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To craft Cyberpunk 2077's immersive world, plenty of voice actors were necessary. CD Projekt Red ran into a problem when Miłogost Reczek, a Polish performer who did the Polish voice acting for Viktor Vektor, passed away in 2021. As revealed by Bloomberg, t??he studio overcame this setback with the help of artificial intellige?nce.

In a statement to Bloomberg, the studio explained that when developing the Polish language release of the Phantom Liberty DLC, it considered a few options regarding Vektor's voice. The studio mulled over replacing Reczek and re-recording his lines in the base game, but as CD Projekt Red localization director Mikołaj Szwed states, this idea was rejected in favor of AI which would k?eep Reczek's "performance in the game and pay tribute to his wonderful performance as Viktor Vektor."

How AI recreated Miłogost Reczek's voice in Cyberpunk 2077

To recreate Reczek's voice, CD Projekt Red first hired a new voice actor to record all the necessary lines for Phantom Liberty. Following this, a Ukraine-based voice-cloning software called Respeecher created an algorithm to alter the dialog to sound like Reczek. The use of AI in Phantom Liberty was done with permission from the Reczek family. According to Szwed, Reczek's sons were very supp?ortiv??e.

This isn't the first time Respeecher has been used in major AAA games. When developing God of War Ragnarok, Santa Monica had to use the software to keep Sunny Suljic's voice consistent throughout the development proc?ess. Suljic (born 2005) is the voice behind Atreus, and his changing voice was the consequence of a long development cycle extending across his growth spurt.

Though AI can be exceptionally useful in game development, it does come with the possibility that it could permanently replace human voice actors. This has been a concern for SAG-AFTRA, which also represents?? performers in the gaming industry.

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