Ultra Buggy Releases in 2020 Are Inexcusable

Another major gaming release has been devastated by bugs. Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest victim as arguably the most anticipated launch of 2020 has been marred by an assortment of bugs and technical issues. In some cases, it is being reported that the problems on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles have made the game basically unplayable. Marvel’s Avengers also had its share of issues when it was released in September. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs Legion also possessed many bugs. Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War certainly had its fair share. In 2020 and as far as we have advanced in the gaming industry, how in the world are games able to be released that aren’t in a proper playable state?

I understand that a great deal of work goes into these games. But it takes away from the hard work of those who create the games when they are released with so many flaws. Could you imagine if an artist such as Vincent Van Gogh allowed his work to be displayed before his paintings were completely finished? Or if the great aqueducts of the Roman Empire were declared complete even though there were a bunch of parts missing? It would be insanity. Yet, video games continue to be published in the present day that shouldn’t see the light of day until they have been properly tested and quality assured.

While I applaud CD Projekt Red for recognizing Cyberpunk 2077’s issues, this is something that should not have occurred in the first place. The game had already been delayed multiple times. If it was not ready, it should not have been released.

I purchased the PC version last week and although I have not experienced many of the bugs that I’ve read about, I still have seen proof that the game needed more work before launch. In my nearly four hours of playing time so far, I have seen people walking through walls, people walking on air, objects appearing out of nowhere, and my car appearing in perfect condition one second only to explode for no reason the next. One other thing of note, which was more prevalent in the earlier version of the game was that there were some conversations with characters where you could hear their voices but there were no mouth movements.

This is not a good look on what has been a stellar reputation for CD Projekt Red due to its work with The Witcher series. I have only played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt but what I played was extraordinary. That is why when the developer/publisher was working on a cyberpunk-themed game, I had huge expectations. Cyberpunk 2077 has the potential to be a great game but the bugs hold it back significantly. Even if the bugs didn’t exist, I don’t feel it would have eclipsed the Witcher series because Geralt is such an iconic main character and the Witcher world has more intrigue than Night City. Yet on its own merit, Cyberpunk 2077 has outstanding potential if it is fixed.

In no way am I dissatisfied with my purchase of the game. There is plenty to like about Cyberpunk 2077 and I look forward to continuing forward with the story. Furthermore, when I make a Day One purchase, I take responsibility for knowing that I will experience some level of bugs and glitches when I play it. But when the game is unplayable, that is completely unacceptable. For those experiencing this, my heart goes out to you. The question that we as gamers need to consider is whether it is wise to make Day One purchases at all? I personally only buy Day One for a small percentage of my gaming purchases. Because I bought Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Watch Dogs Legion the first day they were released, I was able to at least see some of the flaws that other gamers were talking about. It is making me consider not to buy any game until at least one or two months after it is released.

I would love to read what you all think about this glaring issue in gaming. There are too many games being released prematurely and the companies are taking the approach that they can just patch it up later. Yet when a consumer is coming out of pocket, it should be on a product that is the very best it can be. At least CD Projekt Red has stated that they will offer refunds to customers. Yet why did it have to get to that point in the first place?

-TVGA