I borrowed a copy of cyb/erpu/nk which I know might be surprising to people who read my very strong assertion that I wouldn't hate play it, but:

1) it's free to borrow things so I'm not supporting the company which is really the thing I hate in this scenario, and

2) I'm trying to go in with an open mind and loving heart for the devs who didn't have the seniority to decide things and just tried their best to execute things well; and at this point I kind of feel bad hating on it without trying to engage with it.

first thoughts under the cut? the tl;dr of it is that I'm sure there's a fanfic writer out there doing a better job, but the game isn't really interesting enough yet to even be controversial.

along those lines, the biggest problem so far besides the very obvious yellow peril that was just totally and uncritically added from a piece of media with the sensibilities of a society that doesn't exist anymore (not to say people aren't racist anymore but this specific white anxiety has evolved to the point where it's just integrated in a way that I don't think is saying anything more dynamic than "original cyberpunk had it"), is that the game is hilariously prioritized: it's unfocused and bloated, with so many interesting processes just needlessly grinding to a halt showing a serious lack of respect for QA.

there are some things I like, but like I play with controller on PC which is so poorly integrated that I had to google how to make it feel less like I was trapped in a corpse that was actively dying. and it's so frustrating to have interesting lines to follow that are just.....antiquated. take regina: she's a cop you can do jobs for (and there's no real way to not do these jobs besides ignore them, and there's not a lot of other people in the prologue to do work for, which is contrary to your goal to raise around 31k for cool uncle doctor and please don't kill me gang). her jobs are actually pretty solid: one was a little sketchy, but there's a line of quests where you pursue people whose implants have made them unstable (if I'm reading right but a lot of these quests are hidden in long ass codexes which is also funny because codex is the worst way to convey information) and regina theorizes that they can be saved and that the cops aren't allowing that to happen for some reason. with that logic in mind, regina didn't have to be a cop. she could have been a cyber vigilante who monitors police scanners and things like that. she's not, because mainstream media had a more starry eyed view of cops when cyberpunk was conceived. it lacks imagination and the will to actually update their source material.

as far as things I like, as many people have pointed out it's visually very beautiful, very put together. I like how casually people are animated to move: it feels more like they're moving around a city versus AI on a predetermined track (this is mostly wrt to named npcs, although I don't hate the people on the street). I like the clothes V can wear, although mind you I'm playing a male V atm (their gender system is so backwards that it's not only wildly transphobic but also just regular sexist: they really should have eased up the fucking marketing around that because it's ridiculous; also the transphobic ad they got shit for is still in the game) and AAA designs their shit for men.

so far it seems strongest in its montage portions: the getting to know jackie montage is more personality than V is ever really able to assert, even in casual conversation.