Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 on PC is a first-person open-world action RPG from CD PROJEKT RED, set in Night City, a metropolis shaped by corporate power, organized crime, celebrity culture, and body modification. The base game is still officially sold as Cyberpunk 2077; Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is the current complete package that combines the main game with the Phantom Liberty expansion rather than replacing the original title.

You play V, a customizable mercenary whose background, relationships, equipment, and decisions influence how the story develops. It is a single-player RPG first, but its strongest appeal comes from combining authored quests with flexible combat builds and a city designed for wandering between objectives.

How the Night City gameplay loop works

The core loop moves between story missions, side jobs, gigs, exploration, combat encounters, and character development. You can approach many situations with firearms, blades, stealth, quickhacks, dialogue choices, or a hybrid build, although not every encounter supports every solution equally. The game rewards experimentation more than it demands one fixed playstyle.

Combat is viewed from a first-person perspective and covers conventional shooting, melee weapons, throwable weapons, grenades, cyberware abilities, and hacking. Guns are divided into recognizable roles, while smart weapons, tech weapons, and power weapons encourage different approaches to targeting, cover, and enemy positioning.

Travel is part of the experience rather than a separate menu layer. V can move through Night City's districts on foot, use fast travel, or drive a range of vehicles. After the major gameplay overhaul, vehicle combat allows attacks from cars and motorcycles, while netrunners can use quickhacks against vehicles during certain encounters.

Buildcraft, cyberware, and meaningful combat choices

Character development revolves around Attributes, Perks, Skills, weapons, clothing, and cyberware capacity. The post-overhaul system places greater mechanical importance on cyberware, so implants are not merely cosmetic upgrades. They shape armor, survivability, operating limits, and the abilities available to a particular build.

The redesigned Perk trees use fewer but more influential choices. A player can specialize in stealth and precision weapons, close-range blades, heavy weapons, technical firearms, or netrunner quickhacks. Netrunners can queue hacks and use the Overclock ability to push beyond normal RAM limits by consuming health, creating a high-risk way to control encounters.

Phantom Liberty adds a separate Relic skill tree and introduces additional combat possibilities tied to the expansion's story. It also expands the overall equipment pool with new weapons, vehicles, clothing, and side content, making the complete package more than a simple story add-on.

A choice-driven story with several layers

Cyberpunk 2077 is structured around a central storyline supported by character quests, fixer jobs, NCPD activities, exploration events, and optional conversations. The main narrative follows V's struggle to survive after a dangerous experimental technology becomes entwined with their identity. The tone shifts between crime drama, corporate thriller, personal tragedy, and dark comedy.

V's three selectable Lifepaths, Nomad, Streetkid, and Corpo, provide different introductions and occasional dialogue opportunities. They do not create entirely separate campaigns, but they give V a distinct social background and alter how some conversations are framed.

Choices are most effective in the game's character-focused questlines. Decisions can change alliances, unlock or close outcomes, and influence which conclusions become available. The result is not a fully open-ended simulation of Night City, but a directed RPG with several carefully authored branches and consequences.

What the current editions include

The standalone PC release contains the base Cyberpunk 2077 campaign and the free systems introduced through major updates, including the overhauled Perk structure, revised cyberware, improved police behavior, vehicle combat, and related balance changes. These changes apply to the base game and are not locked behind Phantom Liberty.

Phantom Liberty is a paid expansion set primarily in Dogtown, a dangerous district controlled by the Barghest faction. It adds a spy-thriller campaign involving Solomon Reed, Songbird, and President Myers, along with new missions, the Relic progression tree, equipment, vehicles, and additional ways to develop V.

The Ultimate Edition bundles the base game, Phantom Liberty, all major updates, and the game's free additional content. On PC, the base game and expansion can also be purchased separately, so the correct choice depends on whether you already own Cyberpunk 2077.

PC features, controls, and mod support

The PC version supports keyboard and mouse as well as officially supported Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, DualShock 4, and DualSense controllers. DualShock 4 and DualSense support is listed for USB connection by CD PROJEKT RED. Steam lists full controller support, adjustable difficulty, save-anytime functionality, subtitle options, adjustable text size, HDR, Steam Cloud, and Steam Deck verification.

Storefront behavior differs by platform. Steam and Epic use their respective clients, while the GOG release is advertised as DRM-free and does not require activation or an online connection to play. The game remains a single-player experience, with no campaign co-op, split-screen mode, or persistent online world.

PC players also have access to REDmod, CD PROJEKT RED's official modding toolset. REDmod supports the installation and loading of compatible modifications and provides tools for creating content for Cyberpunk 2077. Community mods can change the long-term experience substantially, but they should be matched to the installed game version and managed carefully after major updates.

Who should play Cyberpunk 2077?

Cyberpunk 2077 suits players who want a story-heavy open-world RPG with first-person combat, extensive build experimentation, cinematic quests, and a dense urban setting. It is especially strong for players who enjoy moving between carefully scripted character stories and unscripted moments created by exploration, traffic, police responses, and combat systems.

It is less suitable for players seeking a traditional multiplayer RPG, a fully systemic immersive simulation where every citizen reacts deeply to the player, or a role-playing game with a completely blank protagonist. V is customizable, but V remains a defined character with a specific personal crisis and established relationships.

Related cyberpunk and open-world RPGs on PC

Players interested in the game's hacking, augmentation, stealth, and choice-based infiltration should also consider choice-driven cyberpunk immersive sims like Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut. Deus Ex is more focused on compact mission hubs and systemic problem-solving, while Cyberpunk 2077 emphasizes open-world travel, gunplay, and cinematic character quests.

For a broader open-world RPG with faction conflicts, exploration, crafting, and first- or third-person combat, post-apocalyptic sandbox RPGs such as Fallout 4 Complete Edition offer a useful comparison. Those who prefer CD PROJEKT RED's quest-writing tradition in a fantasy setting may find choice-heavy open-world adventures like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a natural companion, although its combat and perspective are fundamentally different.

Cyberpunk 2077 FAQ

Is Cyberpunk 2077 now called Ultimate Edition?

No. The base game remains Cyberpunk 2077 on PC storefronts. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is a bundle that includes the base game and Phantom Liberty, so it is the most complete purchase rather than a renamed replacement.

Does Cyberpunk 2077 include Phantom Liberty?

The standard base game does not automatically include the paid expansion. Phantom Liberty is included in the Ultimate Edition or can be purchased separately for the base game. The major gameplay overhaul associated with the current version is available to base-game owners as a free update.

Is Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer or co-op on PC?

No. Cyberpunk 2077 is a single-player RPG without campaign co-op, split-screen, competitive multiplayer, or an online persistent-world mode. Its replay value comes from alternative builds, different quest decisions, exploration, endings, and PC mod support.

Can you play Cyberpunk 2077 with a controller?

Yes. The PC version supports keyboard and mouse plus officially supported Xbox and PlayStation controllers. Steam also identifies the game as having full controller support, while CD PROJEKT RED notes that DualShock 4 and DualSense support on PC uses USB.

Does Cyberpunk 2077 support mods on PC?

Yes. REDmod is an official modding tool for Cyberpunk 2077 and supports compatible modifications on PC. Mod compatibility can change after game updates, so players should check each mod's requirements and remove outdated files when troubleshooting unexpected behavior.

Which version of Cyberpunk 2077 should PC players buy?

New players who want the complete experience should choose Ultimate Edition because it combines the main campaign with Phantom Liberty. Players who already own the base game can add the expansion separately. The base game remains a complete single-player RPG even without Dogtown and the Relic skill tree.