8.5 /10 28

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition represents the definitive way to experience CD Projekt Red’s divisive yet acclaimed action role-playing game. Originally launching in December 2020 to mixed reception, the game has undergone substantial overhauls through free updates and the Phantom Liberty expansion. The Ultimate Edition bundles everything together, delivering a narrative-rich open-world experience set in the neon-soaked megacity of Night City. This review explores what makes the game compelling for RPG fans and where it still has limitations compared to contemporaries like Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to Play Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

Cyberpunk 2077 is a first-person action RPG where you create a custom character (V) pursuing lucrative contracts and uncovering conspiracies in Night City. The core loop involves accepting missions from fixers, exploring interconnected districts, engaging in tactical combat encounters, and making dialogue choices that shape your story progression. Progression systems include character leveling, attribute development, and equipment upgrades that determine your combat effectiveness and dialogue options available.

1. Controls – Standard WASD movement with mouse-look camera control (PC). Controller support available for console versions. Learning curve is moderate; the game teaches mechanics gradually through early missions without overwhelming new players.
2. Progression – Advance through the main campaign by completing story missions from your character’s starting lifepath (Street Kid, Corpo, Nomad). Side content, gigs, and optional activities reward experience that levels your attributes (Body, Intelligence, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Cool), unlocking new perks and weapon proficiencies.
3. Combat/Mechanics – Encounters blend gunplay with hacking and melee combat. You can go loud with firearms, use quickhacking to disable enemies remotely, or take a stealth approach. Vehicle combat and environmental interactions add tactical depth. Update 2.0 overhauled combat AI and police systems significantly.
4. Tips – Focus on one character build (netrunner hacker, gunslinger, melee fighter) rather than spreading attributes thin. Complete side missions before story climax to unlock unique quests. Use quickhacking early; it trivializes many encounters once developed.

Who Should Play Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

Cyberpunk appeals to players seeking narrative-driven RPG experiences with player agency through dialogue and build variety. The game rewards exploration, character customization, and replayability across multiple playstyles. It demands patience with open-world systems and can feel railroaded at story checkpoints.

• Immersive Sim Fans – If you loved Deus Ex or the original Fallout games for their systemic approach to problems, you’ll find Cyberpunk’s approach to quest design rewarding. Hacking paths, stealth routes, and dialogue solutions exist alongside direct combat.
• Narrative RPG Players – The Phantom Liberty expansion and main campaign feature quality writing with genuinely impactful character relationships and moral ambiguity. Voice acting is stellar throughout.
• Character Build Enthusiasts – The attribute and perk system allows wildly different playstyles. Speedrunners go full reflexes; support characters focus on intelligence and coolness; tanks stack body attributes.
• Skip if – You dislike first-person gameplay, want traditional multiplayer, expect Skyrim-level NPCs with daily routines, or need turn-based tactical combat like Baldur’s Gate 3.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Platform Performance

Performance varies dramatically across platforms. PC offers the best experience with ultra settings, while Switch 2 achieves impressive portability despite hardware limitations. PS5 and Xbox Series X deliver locked-frame performance with ray tracing, though occasional pop-in occurs in dense areas.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition System Requirements

PC system requirements reflect the gap between playable and optimal experiences. Even minimum specs demand recent hardware. Recommended settings target 1080p 60 FPS high settings with moderate ray tracing. Ultra settings at 4K require high-end GPUs released in 2022 or later.

Similar Games to Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

Several titles offer comparable experiences with varying emphases on story, world-building, and systemic gameplay. Each brings unique strengths to the narrative RPG space, though none directly replicate Cyberpunk’s specific blend of cyberpunk aesthetics and player freedom.

• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Superior writing and branching narratives, but turn-based combat and fantasy setting differ fundamentally. More reactive NPC world than Cyberpunk’s scripted encounters.
• The Outer Worlds – Smaller-scale RPG with similar dialogue-focused gameplay; significantly shorter (15-20 hours) but tighter design. Obsidian’s spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas.
• Mass Effect Legendary Edition – Story-driven space opera with party-based combat instead of solo action combat. Better companion relationships; less exploration focus.
• Starfield – Similar sci-fi setting with exploration focus, but more MMORPG-like in world design. Less authored quest design compared to Cyberpunk’s curated missions.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition vs Competitors

Cyberpunk occupies a unique niche among 2025 RPGs. It delivers longer playtime than alternatives while offering more player agency than action-adventure titles. Price competitively undercuts full-price releases while matching content depth.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Story and World

Night City is a sprawling megacity of six distinct districts, each with political factions, rival corps, and street gangs competing for power and resources. You play as V, a mercenary drawn into a conspiracy involving Johnny Silverhand (a rockerboy terrorist’s consciousness embedded in your neural implant) and corporate intrigue that threatens the city’s balance. The main campaign explores themes of identity, mortality, and corporate exploitation. Phantom Liberty adds a separate spy-thriller subplot in the isolated district of Dogtown, where you must navigate between warring intelligence agencies and decide whose interests to serve. The narrative does not feature traditional good-versus-evil morality; instead, it presents competing agendas where every choice carries consequences. Voice acting from actors like Keanu Reeves (Johnny Silverhand) and Carrie-Anne Moss elevates dialogue scenes beyond typical video game standards.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Multiplayer and Online

Cyberpunk 2077 is exclusively single-player; no multiplayer modes, competitive PvP, or co-op features exist. CD Projekt Red has not announced plans for multiplayer components. This design choice allows for tighter narrative pacing and removes the balancing compromises that plague live-service games.

• Campaign – Solo narrative experience with 40-60 hours of story content plus 30+ hours of side content
• No Multiplayer – Fully single-player focused on personal narrative choices and character development
• No Online Features – No leaderboards, matchmaking, or persistent online world required
• Cross-Save – Save files are local to each platform; cloud saves available on console versions

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition DLC and Expansions

The Ultimate Edition already includes all post-launch content released through 2025. Phantom Liberty, the only paid expansion, is bundled in this edition. Free DLC has concluded as of 2024, though patch support continues.

• Phantom Liberty Expansion – $20 value standalone; 12-15 hour campaign set in Dogtown district with new characters and faction politics. Included in Ultimate Edition.
• Free DLC – Clothing items, vehicle cosmetics, and cosmetic weapons released throughout 2021-2023. All included in Ultimate Edition.
• Update 2.0 – Major free overhaul to skill trees, combat AI, police systems, and economy. Included with all Ultimate Edition copies.
• Ongoing Patches – Performance optimizations and bug fixes continue; Patch 2.3 released July 2025 with stability improvements

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Community and Support

The game maintains an active modding community and official developer support through patch releases. Developer communication has improved significantly since launch, with transparent roadmaps and regular update announcements.

• Official Forums – CD Projekt Red hosts community forums with developer participation in bug report threads and feature discussions
• Reddit/Discord – Subreddit r/cyberpunkgame has 1.5+ million members; active Discord community coordinates mod recommendations and playstyle discussions
• Mod Support – REDmod native modding framework allows community-created texture packs, gameplay rebalances, and QoL improvements. Nexus Mods hosts 4,000+ mods with active curation
• Updates – CD Projekt Red issues patches monthly average; transparent roadmap communicated in advance. Focus shifted to stability after Update 2.0