‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Walked A Long Road To Redemption

Welcome to The Backlog, a series in which we will take a look back at 12 games from 2020 that, in one way or another, had a lasting impact on the video game industry.

When I first started ruminating on a video game series for Defector, I was playing Cyberpunk 2077. This wasn't a departure from my usual habits or some great coincidence, because I'd been returning to the game often since its 2020 release. (At the time of writing this, I am almost done with what will be my fourth lengthy playthrough of the game.) I have been fascinated with CD Projekt Red's follow-up to the world-conquering The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt since before it even existed. Given all of the hype, the delays, the embarrassing launch, and how much I'm still playing it deep into 2025, I think Cyberpunk 2077 has been the game I have thought about the most this decade.