Alright, this has been really weighing on me and I can’t possibly keep it a secret any longer, all blame for the delay and recent botched launch of Cyberpunk 2077 can be placed firmly on my shoulders. Actually, my Xbox probably deserves most of the blame. You see, I have spent most of this console generation using a white original model Xbox One that only has 500GB of storage, regular controller syncing issues and came bundled with a copy of Sunset Overdrive (a game I have still yet to play). Six years time would likely put stress on any piece of hardware, but considering all the clouds of vape smoke that have twisted through the air vents, it isn’t exactly surprising that my console is on its “last legs”. These are the lowest of the low end settings that CD Projekt RED had to make sure their masterpiece could run on and while I haven’t had a chance to personally play the game, the initial reception leads me to believe they missed the mark by quite a bit. Cyberpunk 2077 was a game I had considered pre-ordering, but now I worry if my Xbox could even get past the title screen without melting into something Kylo Ren would worship.
The last time I bought a game on launch day was Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. EA was finally using the Star Wars license without placing large scale battles at the forefront of the title and with episode IX on the horizon, I was frothing for any modicum of content. What ended up getting released satisfactorily satiated my appetite for wars amongst the stars, but in many ways began sounding the death knell on my ol’ reliable Xbox One. I can’t recall any specific part during the story when the main character, Cal Kestis, drinks to the point of intoxication, but some of the visuals I encountered playing the game nearly had me fooled. With a fair amount of consistency, I could whip Cal around 180 degrees and make a “Drunk Simulator: Jedi Edition” or “Jedi: Fallen Down” joke about all the graphical pop-in and slow-down that at first had me laughing, but as the game progressed became more bothersome and concerning. Near the finale, the experience was starting to feel like playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on my dad’s work PC right after that game came out. Sure I finished the game and was satisfied with its conclusion, but these clearly weren’t the ideal conditions to maximize my enjoyment that the design team had in mind.
After each of the three times it was announced that Cyberpunk 2077’s release was being delayed I was wracked with guilt. Many would blame an overly ambitious development schedule or the fact that a global pandemic is currently gripping the world, but I knew the truth. The fans of my Xbox were engaging more with each passing day and the sound could, at times, rival that of a jet engine. As I ejected Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from my console for the final time, the once effortless glide had been noticeably reduced to a sputtering cough. These were the telltale signs of an aging warrior. My Xbox was not-so-gracefully entering its Old Man Logan era and it appeared to have no intention of going out alone or quietly.
While there has been a PS4 at every place I’ve lived since it was released and I’m fairly familiar with the console’s library, in fact maybe because of that, I have never actually bought a PS4 of my own. Trust me, I am the first to point out that this was a serious mistake on my part. In retrospect, if the console wars were fought by exclusives alone, I’m not sure if Microsoft brought their A-team for the 8th generation of the bout. To be clear, I am not counting Microsoft Windows titles, only games that can be exclusively played on Xbox One systems. It could be debated that the number of console exclusive titles is an archaic way of gauging a piece of hardware’s impact, but when stacked up to the PS4’s library, Halo 5: Guardians alone simply can’t measure up. It wasn’t until one of my roommates got a PS5 and let me borrow his PS4 Pro that I finally had an opportunity to really dig into modern classics like God of War, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Spider-Man and most importantly Bloodborne.
As I nestled the new-to-me console next to my battered anti-hero, it was clear that there was no animosity between the two. Each served their purpose and whether justified or not, were confident in their own limitations. Quickly my Xbox transitioned to more of a streaming service launcher and most of the gaming I found time for was done on the Playstation. Something about playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 with a Sony brand controller just feels right in ways that even Microsoft’s Elite controllers can’t compete with. It isn’t really fair to compare an Xbox One that came out within the first year of the system’s life and a Playstation 4 Pro, but to say the difference wasn’t stark would be dishonest. Over the years I had grown accustomed to a myriad of inconveniences that never seemed to present themselves on this loaner console. For the first time in recent memory, it felt like I was experiencing these games exactly as their creators intended. Albeit, at a slightly lower resolution because my TV only outputs at 1080p.
In order to be considered successful, CD Projekt RED had to walk the fine line of making Cyberpunk 2077 a revolutionary new step for the medium that could also run on consoles similar to my Xbox. Some people only ever own one version of a console. It isn’t just supply shortages that have stopped some people from purchasing a Playstation 5 or an Xbox Series X. As the end of the 8th console generation looms, my Xbox is starting to feel more like a PC with insufficient specs or a runner who is perpetually stuck in sixth place, rather than a piece of truly revolutionary hardware. Based on the reviews (and memes), it would appear Cyberpunk 2077 is making tougher consoles than mine sweat and because of that, a deluge of refund requests have been filed. The more I hear about the game, the better I feel about choosing not to purchase it, but after spending time with Bloodborne I’ve forgotten why I even cared about Cyberpunk 2077 in the first place.
Bloodborne has been one of my favorite games of all time since it was first released, but only in the last month (due to reasons highlighted above) have I finally gotten the chance to sink my teeth into it. Pardon me as I presumably preach to the choir, but whoa damn, what an excellent video game! Even within the familiar framework of a Souls-like, Bloodborne is able almost immediately to subvert expectations and carve its own path. Stepping foot in Yharnam for the first time felt like receiving the warmest, but also eeriest hug that had ever been bestowed upon me. Every time it seemed like I was getting a handle on this new environment, some conniving creature or trap would catch me off guard and it was exhilarating. My thumb sweat as it hung anxiously above the circle button and my eyes never stopped darting around for fear of missing some sort of cue. Blood-soaked hours flowed by as I completely immersed myself in the hunt.
The first thought I had after powering the PS4 Pro down following my first multi-hour session with Bloodborne was “Oh, what a fool I have been!”. This game had come out nearly six years ago at this point and I clearly should have gotten my hands on it much sooner. I began to resent my Xbox for depriving me of these opportunities. The admittedly crude feeling quickly passed however and I was left wondering what I really had to be upset about. Sure, knowing what I know now, I would probably have never gotten the Xbox at all, but it’s not like there weren’t good times. In the end, I think this is part of where my hesitation to pre-order Cyberpunk 2077 and even the new consoles stems from. I didn’t end up waiting long enough during the last generation to make a decision I felt was well informed and was left with slightly more regret than happy memories because of that. Hilariously, while I’ve been having the purest fun I have had all year with Bloodborne, many PS5 owners are getting their first taste of Demon Souls which even with a fresh coat of paint, is still over ten years old. If right before I bought that used copy of Demon Souls for my PS3 a decade ago, someone flashed in from the future to let me know that the game would be remade for the PS5 in 2020, truth be told, I probably would have just waited and saved myself the twenty dollars.
Alright so maybe this whole mess isn’t really all my fault and maybe patches will eventually help bring the current gen console versions of Cyberpunk 2077 closer to what was advertised, but that’s the point I’m trying to make here. It took a couple years, but Hello Games ended up turning No Man’s Sky (another much hyped title that also suffered at the hand of great expectations) into a much more intriguing and worthwhile experience that has livened up many of my evenings over the last few months. Features that enhanced the experience, like crossplay, were not readily available at the game’s launch and have more recently made it possible for two of my friends and I to explore the universe using a junker Xbox One, Gaming PC and VR Headset respectively. Honestly, that felt more like Star Wars than Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order ever did. It may not be what the developers originally had in mind, but it sure was worth the wait.
