Cyberware is an enormously significant element of Cyberpunk 2077 and, with any luck, it’ll hopefully be extrapolated on in its sequel, currently dubbed Project Orion. Cyberware can more or less blur indistinguishably between segmented body parts unless players have a favorite or if one is far more distinct as is, such as the Reinforced Tendons legs implant allowing players to double-jump or the Smart Link hands implant allowing players to successfully connect to Smart weapons. On the other hand, the assortment of Power and Tech firearms players obtain, much less the zany and inventive melee weapons they’ll accumulate, are equally exciting based on what players hope to achieve in combat and what they’d like their build to be.
Players will most likely be going out of their way if they wish to indulge in melee weapon close-quarters combat in Cyberpunk 2077 given how effective and efficient guns and quickhacks are. Nonetheless, skills and systems are definitely in place to reinforce a melee playstyle whether players equip Blade, Blunt, or Throwable weapons. However, arm cyberware throws a decent-sized wrench into that approach, at least in terms of what it contributes to melee combat itself. Indeed, while katanas, knives, baseball bats, and phallic instruments may be fun to wield, melee-oriented arm cyberware such as the Mantis Blades, Monowire, and Guerrilla Arms arguably eclipse them all.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Sequel Might Have to Rethink One Role-Playing Feature’s Lease
Project Orion has an opportunity to expand on what Cyberpunk 2077 did well and that includes one RPG feature it only scratched the surface of.
Melee Weapons Underwhelm in Cyberpunk 2077 with Arm Cyberware in the Picture
Just like any handgun, assault rifle, shotgun, or sniper players could hope for, Cyberpunk 2077 offers a wide range of melee weapons to brandish. Some are more eccentric than others, such as a Blunt weapon players can acquire after discreetly meeting with Meredith Stout at the No-Tell Motel.
Others are wild simply because of the Iconic traits they bear—the “Jinchu-maru” katana, for instance, which quadruples damage if an enemy’s health is greater than the player’s and increases critical chance by 100% when Kerenzikov is active. The names of some Iconics may be strongly preceded by relevant context, too; for example, where players find the cattle prod dubbed “Tinker Bell” makes an otherwise unassuming melee weapon extraordinarily creepier.
That said, melee weapons debatably fall short of any firearm when most enemies take cover at a distance and certainly fail to meet the true ‘cyberpunk’ aesthetic and rarity of Cyberpunk 2077’s arm cyberware. In this case, wielding melee weapons rarely feels as exhilarating as electing to dedicate arm cyberware to a melee implant.
Of course, players may find it just as compelling to run builds where they wield a melee weapon and swap to another melee option in either the Mantis Blades, Monowire, or Guerrilla Arms.
In defense of melee weapons, the gimmicks and status effects that can be ascribed to them with Iconic abilities may outweigh arm cyberware since the latter is restricted to a small variety between each type. Conversely, arm cyberware was made even more significant in Phantom Liberty via Relic skill perks.
Mantis Blades alone are remarkably chic in Cyberpunk 2077 as sharp implements that protrude from V’s arms and behave like dual blades themselves, and so to double down with a katana or throwing knife equipped seems superfluous. Unfortunately, there’s no wholesale solution to making melee weapons as intriguing as arm cyberware. Melee weapons are still terrific options in combat, it’s just that arm cyberware is far more novel and befitting of the cyberpunk genre.
Quickhacks are at least pronounced in that inflicting an enemy with Contagion before firing at them with a revolver is a fun way to balance two inherent playstyles, whereas balancing a baseball bat and a pair of Guerrilla Arms could be redundant. Project Orion will now have a tough challenge making both melee weapons and arm cyberware feel separate and individually engaging.
Cyberpunk 2077
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- December 10, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
WHERE TO PLAY
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-adventure from the creators of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red.
Set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification, you play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality.
Upgraded with next-gen in mind and featuring free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades.
The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be?
- Engine
- REDengine 4
- Cross-Platform Play
- ps, xbox, pc
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Cyberpunk
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
