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Is this what passes for "gaming press" these days? Cyberpunk is not supposed to be some watershed philosophical masterwork. It's a game, bro. And from everyone I've talked to it sounds like it's really fun if you have the hardware to run it, bugs and all.
Is anyone else weary of dystopian sci-fi? I'd love to see a setting where technology has made the world a practical utopia, and people generally don't have to be wary of each other. It would be tricky to introduce interesting conflict and challenges into such a setting, yes. There are some anime/manga like that, for example Aria [0], which is basically Venice on Mars and the main characters are aspiring gondoliers, w…
Honestly, I found Cyberpunk really underwhelming and basically stopped playing. Apart from 1 or 2 moments (spider bot is cool,hotel theft job alright.) It's just very run and gun. And uniteresting. I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I'd love it to be a mix of syndicate (if you know that game), Detroit, and something like a point and click game. Something with a ton of interaction and only a bit of fighting.
Of course, I occasionally screw up and end up lobbing grenades until I stop getting shot at, but so it goes.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe the gaming press wants games to be philosophical/political works because it gives them something to write about.
There's the word punk in the title. Why not analyze the game relating to the punk culture (including its philosophy and politics)? There's enough space on the Internet for "is this game fun?" reviews and "is this game epistemologically sound?" reviews.
Honestly, I found Cyberpunk really underwhelming and basically stopped playing. Apart from 1 or 2 moments (spider bot is cool,hotel theft job alright.) It's just very run and gun. And uniteresting. I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I'd love it to be a mix of syndicate (if you know that game), Detroit, and something like a point and click game. Something with a ton of interaction and only a bit of fighting.
There is nothing sadder or more impotent than corporate (cyber-)punk. The irony of the save file corruption issue being tied to "too much crafting" given the DIY ethos of punk is palpable.
Is anyone else weary of dystopian sci-fi? I'd love to see a setting where technology has made the world a practical utopia, and people generally don't have to be wary of each other. It would be tricky to introduce interesting conflict and challenges into such a setting, yes. There are some anime/manga like that, for example Aria [0], which is basically Venice on Mars and the main characters are aspiring gondoliers, w…
- After Life, Simon Funk: https://sifter.org/~simon/AfterLife/
- Most of Ted Chiang, but particularly Liking What You See: A Documentary: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vSPLnv...
- Also Ted Chiang: The Lifecycle of Software Objects (not really pessimistic or optimistic, just thoughtful)
- Her (Movie), melancholy but ultimately hopeful
- HPMOR (Harry Potter and The Methods of Rationality): http://www.hpmor.com
- True Names, Vernor Vinge: http://www.scotswolf.com/TRUENAMES.pdf
- Permutation City, Greg Egan (accurately predicts AWS 20yrs early along with a host of other super interesting ideas)
- Star Trek TNG is the classic example of optimistic Sci-Fi, but the more recent Enterprise is also good.
- The San Junipero Black Mirror episode
- I wouldn't call The Expanse optimistic, but it's probably the best sci-fi show on today.
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For some contrarian anti-recommendations which can be just as useful:
- I thought the culture series was bad, in plot/characters/writing - I found it tedious and kind of dumb.
- I disliked the three body problem for similar reasons.
The sheer amount of hatred being thrown at this game is really something odd. It feels artificial, especially when practically every media outlet has the same vitriolic tone. I don’t play games much anymore, but I did pick Cyberpunk 2077 up (via Stadia) and I’ve found it to be a blast. Certainly not perfect, but absolutely a world worth exploring. My favorite part are the details; there are tons of little stories and…
The game’s vitriolic reaction only really came about as a direct followup to possibly one of the most hyped up games this year.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There's the word punk in the title. Why not analyze the game relating to the punk culture (including its philosophy and politics)? There's enough space on the Internet for "is this game fun?" reviews and "is this game epistemologically sound?" reviews.
The people who whine about games not being taken seriously as an art turn around and whine about how it’s just a game whenever actual, even faintly critical critiques of the art get published.