The first Cyberpunk 2077 reviews for PS4 and Xbox One are not pretty
Reviews for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk 2077 are beginning to trickle out shortly after the game's official launch, and they are not looking good.
Console review copies of Cyberpunk 2077 were only made available to the press this week shortly after reviews of the PC version had gone live, so unsurprisingly final reviews are currently few and far between.
In most cases, reviewers of the PS4 and Xbox One versions are finding out how CD Projekt Red's ambitious sci-fi RPG runs at the same time as the public who unlocked their game on December 10. But the first written console reviews, coming from media outlets in Europe, do not paint a positive picture.
French website Jeuxvideo.com awarded Cyberpunk 2077 a score of 35/100. A translation of the review reads that "exploration in the open world is often laborious, even sometimes unplayable", citing a range of technical issues like textures not displaying, low resolution, frame rate issues, and crashes. It concludes, "These Fat versions are a striking proof that Cyberpunk 2077 should have never been anything but a next-gen game."
On Metacritic, GamePro Germany's score is recorded as 68, although that's not the whole picture. The German website seems to have downgraded its score by 20 points for the base console versions. A translation reads that "the fun of the game is extremely impaired by enormous technical defects such as frame rate drops, glitches, and graphics errors." When testing on next-gen consoles, that score is upgraded to 83, although it still mentions there are "technical impairments".
Metacritic requires at least four published review scores before it gives a Metascore. However, the current reviews in progress don't look promising either. This is not including the overwhelming unfavourable User reviews Cyberpunk is already receiving on PS4 and Xbox One.
Impressions from PlayStation Universe lament that "those playing on a base PS4 are going to struggle to find any kind of enjoyment in the game due to the blurry visuals, framerate drops, and muddy look the game has." Meanwhile, Push Square calls it "so far, a colossal disappointment".
Despite a host of bugs and technical issues, the PC version of Cyberpunk 2077 still currently holds a Metascore of 90. But if the poor reviews of the console versions continue on its current trajectory, we could be looking at the greatest disparity of review scores of a game between platforms.
This nonetheless doesn't look set to dampen Cyberpunk's commercial success. Based on its eight million pre-orders, it's not only already made back its development and marketing costs, but also beaten World of Warcraft: Shadowlands as the fastest-selling PC game of all time.
If the console performances have you worried, or the game's other list of development controversies have been a cause for concern, then there's also an alternative Cyberpunk indie bundle on itch.io you can opt to buy instead.
If you're undeterred and starting Cyberpunk 2077 this weekend, then here's a guide to which life path you should pick when you begin V's story in Night City.