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Guest Column: Somebody Has To Say It | Your Wyoming News Source – Cowboy State Daily

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Another legislative budget session has finished up and legislators have now returned home to report to their constituents how things went.

This is where it gets interesting. The recent session seems to have had more fireworks than most.

From an outside perspective, it seems that the divide between members of our majority party is getting worse and distracting many away from the real reason they have been elected.

The recent discussion and vote of having a special session to override the Governors vetoes has once again exposed the divide that seems to be growing between our good ole Republican legislators.

With a super majority such as we have in Wyoming, we certainly have our disagreements among same party officials.This has always been the case.

But this time it seems different.A bit nastier and more direct.

When I see a Facebook post from current legislators, calling out the traitors or turn coats that voted against the special session, my skin begins to crawl.

Because Ive served in the Wyoming Senate, I wondered how I would react to such a public comment from a fellow legislator.

In my years of service, I saw more than my share of grandstanding moments from others that I worked with.

Most of the time I would ignore the attacks but the increase of these attacks and the trend of blowhards using social media to poke or stab at colleagues is starting to irritate me a great deal.

Heres why: it is self-promoting political grandstanding.

These caustic remarks are directed to politically hurt any opponent, while attempting to elevate the grandstander.

Now, Im a big boy and some may say its fair game or that it is politics, but what really irks me is when these same folks that make these attacks on fellow legislators cry foul when they are passed over for leadership positions in the body they serve in.

They tell their constituents that they are being mistreated because they dared to stand up to those in power or refused to kiss the ring.

The reality is that these folks can dish it out, but they cant take it.Much like the typical bully from school, when finally confronted they fold like a napkin. Sadly, the end game to all this poor behavior is nothing but wasted time.

Proof of this is the poorly crafted and passed bills that the governor elected to veto.

The logical person should ask themselves this question: if the governor knew that these vetoes would be political suicide, then why would he veto these bills?

Im sure he struggled with them and put himself on the line by using his veto power of bills that were supposed to be important to the citizens of Wyoming.

Yet he chose to apply his authority to provide a check and a balance by using his veto power.

Why would he do this unless he had valid concerns that he will now have to explain every time he is asked about his actions on these bills.

Having been in similar positions, I can tell you that his decision took a lot of thought and courage to make.

But rather than taking the high road, those that might disagree with their governor and these vetoes have taken to the social media outlets and labeled all those that opposed having a special session, with the usual banter, name calling while applying labels to any opponent that gets in the way of their efforts.

To those that have chosen to play to the crowd by slandering their fellow legislators, may I suggest a few ideas of how they may better respond to having a different opinion on a matter.

I cant speak for my colleagues that voted against having a special session, youll have to ask them why they voted as they did, I can only tell you why I voted in favor of having a special session.

Or maybe this, Ive tried to understand the concerns they may have with a special session but feel that the importance of these particular bills far outweighed the concerns that some had.

Its not that hard to say the right thing when you check your ego at the door and have a better understanding of mutual respect and honoring the position these people hold.

Words matter.Using correct language when speaking about colleagues such as my friendsor my good friends across the aisle.

As I served in the Senate, mutual respect was a constant practice. But this common decency among legislators seems to be more lacking with each passing session.

I attribute this downward trend to extremism, frustration, constant bombardment of violence from the world we live in with social media and 24-hour news and a tired and uninformed electorate.

We would rather get our information from a nasty Facebook post or blog that entertains us rather than asking the person directly.

We really dont want to know the truth of a matter but would rather assume the worst of an individual.Our standards have been lowered and we seem quick to judge or fight without getting the facts.

We assume that everyone is an enemy and we stand ready with gun in hand to shoot before asking questions.

There is no doubt that the differences between groups are magnified as we degrade ourselves by pointing out these differences rather than finding common ground.

It seems weve lost the art of compromise and substituted diplomacy with take no prisoners."

Some may think that its time we stood our ground and dig in if we are to save our values.

Sadly, the result of standing your ground is that nothing moves while the dead bodies continue to stack up, much like the trench warfare of World War I.

A great example of a futile exercise: when both parties are dug in and unwilling to move, the dead bodies will begin to stack up with little or no positive movement or effort.

I would point out to the reader that the attitude of these so-called true Republicans have set themselves up as the judge of who is a good Republican and who is not. It is nothing more than a mob mentality.

For a glimpse of the end game of this movement could be provided by a study of the extreme party in Germany that began much the same way.

They were looking for a change and the purists showed up promising reform.Their tactics were justified as a love for their country.

The tactics became more brutal as time went on and as the true extremists became more prominent.Justification and love for the country was the practice of the day.

Soon the radical ideas were casually accepted by the majority.

It came to an end when the rest of the world had seen enough and millions of lives were lost, bringing accountability to a power hungry few.

As we enter another election season, I would strongly recommend to the voters to ask your legislative candidates where they feel they stand on this important issue.

How will they be an effective legislator?What are their plans for leadership positions?

Do they have any experiences that would assist them while serving in this position?What ideas they may have or will work to introduce?

For the incumbent, you can ask them how they get along with their colleagues.Ask them if they feel they are being effective in representing us and our needs.

Ask them about the success theyve had in the bills that they have sponsored and gotten passed.Do they hold any leadership positions in the House or Senate?

Please do not let them off the hook with their typical answer such as, Well Im out-voted because conservatives like me are just few and far between.We are simply outnumbered.

Having served 13 years in the Senate, I can tell you that is only an excuse used by poor legislators.

How can any legislator come home after a grueling session and criticize other serving legislators by calling them traitors or turn coats or "RINOs" or just plain idiots and expect to be treated nice by them in return?

So why do they do these things?

Because they can come home and placate to the uninformed masses that they were the hero trying to do the right thing and the masses love them for it.

They become the poster child of fighting against the evil majority that are nothing but greedy, selfish, and power-hungry.

They will tell you how bad things are in Cheynne but, they, being the only purest in the group, are fighting an uphill battle.

And because we seem to be too lazy to discover the real deal in Cheyenne, we continue to elect these types because we think that the government is a bunch of criminals as well. When the real fact of the matter is that we elected an ineffective legislator.

Now thats tough talk but its real and its truthful.

I made many stands while serving for what I thought was right, but I never made enemies with those that I had to work with.

A good legislator knows how to make a stand without injuring fellow workers.

A good legislator knows that everyone is different and not everyone will agree with their positions and so they work to persuade others and to debate the issues with the goal of convincing others to see your view of things and to support your concept.

A good legislator also understands that many times they will fail in their attempts to get a great idea or cause passed because some may see things differently.

They dont take it personally.They dont allow themselves to be caught up in the get even" game.

This is what good legislators do.

When we elect folks that cant do these things effectively, or in the right way, we get to the point where we seem to be now, a we vs. them mentality.

The efforts to degrade the other position or the personal attacks to the opponents, are signs of a poor legislator struggling to elevate themselves by degrading another.

They cant run on their own merits because they dont have any to promote.

All they base their campaigns on are that they fight for freedom and liberty and are more conservative than the other person.

Personal integrity is gone as they allow the slander from extreme groups that happen to agree with them, to flood the mailboxes and commercials during a campaign against their opponents.

All of this because they are failing as a leader among their co-legislators.

When the campaigns start and we attend meetings to hear from our candidates, we should have a pretty good understanding of their views and positions before the meeting is over. If not, the meeting was a failure.

We need to ask the hard questions.

We need to see how fast the candidate can think on their feet, how they communicate their thoughts.Because those qualities will be required of that position.

We need to hold them accountable for their past record or lack of one.

Ask them about the issues of the day or their knowledge of state budgets and expenditures that will affect you.

By the time these meetings are over, the candidates should feel like theyve been run over because that is what a legislative session feels like.

If we have the desire to send our best candidate to Cheyenne, then we need to run these candidates through the mill and weed out the fake want-to-bes that fall back to the sound bites that seem to resonate with the majority of the voters.

That is the politician.Yet we elect them and then complain about the ineffectiveness of government. It might be a case of Ive met the enemy, and it is me.

Im getting crochety in my old age and I grow tired of the nonsense around us, especially from our so-called leaders that represent us.

I served my time in public service.I was in the ring.

For this reason, I have every right and the responsibility to call into question the lack of decorum of our state legislature and our state Republican party.

I served and I did my best to carry out that responsibility as a public servant and I grow tired of the backstabbing, and name calling that seems to control this divide we now have.

Wyoming is better than that and we deserve better than that.

Claiming to be more conservative than another is nothing more than a political stunt. Calling another Republican a "RINO" is not only short-sighted but smacks of arrogance and stupidity.

We need to go deeper into these candidates for office.

As for the other side, demeaning another for their position or labeling them a "rebel" or "hillbilly" is as ignorant as the other comments.

We all need to remember that everyone that serves was elected by the majority, and with that carries the representation of that area and that area deserves respect and opportunity to be heard and represented.

My suggestion is to leave the egos at home.Remember who you work for.

Bring honor back to the position and the entire body.Try to build the team rather than tear it apart.Listen more than you speak.

Understand that in Wyoming, we are all a pretty conservative bunch of folks with some occasional differences of opinions or ideas.

Remember that even though you may think it, you dont always have to say it.Understanding should be the key word and effort.All should have a place at the table and the opportunity to be heard.

My own photo is on the walls of the Wyoming Senate, and I remain proud of the product we made and how we made it.

I hope that those serving now will be able to say the same when they are finished.It does no one any good to say the ignorant things that Ive had to read about or listen to from supposedly the best of us and who represent us.

A legislator should not be surprised when they are not considered or supported by the very people that they poke or make enemies out of continually.

A good legislator builds bridges and friendships among those with a different position.A poor legislator digs in and lofts grenades into the supposed enemy.

Ive called for our legislators to pick up their game and make these improvements, the sooner the better.

I would also ask our voters to step up their game as well.Be engaged.Learn about the issues that affect our lives.

Do not accept the sound bites or one liner that fall short of real problem solving.

We need to send our very best. It is our responsibility to make sure we do.

Finally, to our Republican party leaders: be careful how you represent us.

We should never accept some of the practices of our partys leadership as they promote the divide that exists among us.

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Guest Column: Somebody Has To Say It | Your Wyoming News Source - Cowboy State Daily

Travis Kelce Talks About His Bahamas Trip With Taylor Swift, Says She’s Influenced His Music Taste – Cosmopolitan

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Travis Kelce is out here promoting something called the Kelce Jam (aka his music festival!!!), which means he's blessing everyone with a buncha interviews. And as much as we all want to know more about the Kelce Jam, we're obviously here for the Taylor Swift contentand Travis didn't hold back!

In response to Entertainment Tonight straight-up asking, Is it the Bahamian sun or the Bahamian love that has you just glowing right now, Travis said, You know what? Its just the lovely place down there, isnt it? You can get it all down there. All the love in the world.

Coy! But cute!

Meanwhile, Travis told the outlet that Taylor has hugely influenced his taste in music. Ahem: It's definitely been fun to experience her taste in music, for sure. She's so amazing at what she does. And to find that creativity to see where she likes to pull things from and just, really, how she listens to music is very eye-opening for me. It's been fun to hear her take on it.

I'll tell you what, I'm a real music lover and it goes all over the place, especially when it comes to a game day playlist because I go all over, he added. Things from my childhood. My high school pep band used to play 'SpottieOttieDopaliscious' from Outkast. On top of that, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz back in the day had a song called 'Duffle Bag Boy' and I loved that. I play everything, from the old school jock jams from being a little kid. It goes all over the place. It's definitely a variety of music. I just can't pick one thing.

And when it comes to Taylor Swift's tracks? That's my everyday playlist, he gushed. Not just my game day.

My heart? Just casually melting out here, NBD!

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Travis Kelce Talks About His Bahamas Trip With Taylor Swift, Says She's Influenced His Music Taste - Cosmopolitan

Palia studio Singularity 6 is the latest studio to suffer layoffs – PC Gamer

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Singularity 6, the studio behind the cosy MMO Palia, is the latest developer to suffer layoffs. Just under 50 developers, around one third of the company, have been let go according to Polygon reporter Nicole Carpenter.

Environmental artist Daphne Fiato tweeted "Whelp, I've been laid off," following up with "49 people Thanos snapped". Other Singularity 6 folk joined to reveal they'd also been laid off, including Brian Ernst who tweeted they'd been with the developer for five years. One developer revealed via LinkedIn that they'd been given the news while on vacation, according to MMORPG.com.

Singularity 6 is yet to publicly address the layoffs, with its last Twitter post happening on April 3, one day before they occurred. It's the same situation for the official Palia account.

Palia only just arrived on Steam on March 25, following a stint as an Epic exclusive. The free-to-play MMO has generated some praise for its cosy vibes and its stress-free cycle of farming and building, but it's also been criticised for its slow progression, reliance on timers and limited multiplayer elements. Its development status has also led to some confusionit's not in early access, and the store page implies a feature-complete game, when in reality it is still in beta. On Steam, it's currently sitting at just over 3,700 user reviews with a "Mixed" rating.

The studio joins a painfully long line of developers to have nixed a portion of its staff this year. Despite only being four months into the year, the number of layoffs are close to reaching last year's count. It was estimated that around 10,500 developers lost their jobs last year, according to the Game Industry Layoffs tracker. The number is already up to around 8000 estimated job losses right now, with more undoubtedly on their way given the volatility of the industry.

We compiled our own layoff chart earlier this year, showing the trajectory of 16,000 layoffs from January 2023 to January 2024. Since the chart was published, companies like Relic, Certain Affinity, Sony and Blackbird Interactive have joined the list.

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Palia studio Singularity 6 is the latest studio to suffer layoffs - PC Gamer

The Ally, a Play About Israel and Free Speech, Tackles Big Issues – The New York Times

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Before his audition for The Ally, a new play by Itamar Moses, the actor Michael Khalid Karadsheh printed out the monologue that his character, Farid, a Palestinian student at an American university, would give in the second act.

The speech cites both the Mideast conflicts specific history and Farids personal testimony of, he says, the experience of moving through the world as the threat of violence incarnate. Karadsheh who booked the part was bowled over.

I dont think anyone has said these words about Palestine on a stage in New York in such a clear, concise, beautiful, poetic way, said Karadsheh, whose parents are from Jordan and who has ancestors who were from Birzeit in the West Bank.

Farids speech sits alongside others, though, in Mosess play: one delivered by an observant Jew branding much criticism of Israel as antisemitic; another by a Black lawyer connecting Israels policies toward Palestinians to police brutality in the United States; another by a Korean American bemoaning the mainstreams overlooking of East Asians. These speeches are invariably answered by rebuttals, which are answered by their own counter-rebuttals, all by characters who feel they have skin in the game.

In other words, The Ally, which opens Tuesday at the Public Theater in a production directed by Lila Neugebauer and starring Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother), is a not abstract and none too brief chronicle of our times, a minestrone of hot-button issues: Israelis and Palestinians, racism and antisemitism, free speech and campus politics, housing and gentrification, the excesses of progressivism even the tenuous employment of adjunct professors.

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The Ally, a Play About Israel and Free Speech, Tackles Big Issues - The New York Times

Don’t think of our AI future as humans vs. machines. Instead, consider these possibilities – Fox News

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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Imagine standing in a field over a century ago, a farmer in the 1800s, at a time when the worlds population had just crested one billion people. What if someone had told you that, by the year 2000, 95% of farm and agricultural labor would be replaced by machines and those machines would feed an additional seven billion people? What would you have thought about that prediction?

Fast-forward to today, and similar predictions are being made about artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on knowledge work. The difference is that now the time frame isnt 200 years but 20.

The thought ofAIreplacing human intellect and creativity in the workforce can indeed be unsettling. But, is this fear truly warranted, or are we on the cusp of a collaborative revolution that could amplify human innovation and creativity?

The apprehension thatAIwill replace human jobs mirrors past fears during significant technological shifts. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)

The apprehension thatAIwill replace human jobs mirrors past fears during significant technological shifts. Yet,history has shown us that technology often creates more opportunities than it displaces.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

The introduction of machinery in agriculture, for instance, didn't lead to the end of human labor; instead, it transformed it, enabling greater productivity and feeding billions more people.

So, why viewAI's role in the future of work with trepidation rather than optimism? Simply put, because we wont have the time to retrain all the workers that are replaced.

But what if we were thinking about this all wrong? What ifAIisnt a replacement but a means of amplifying human potential?

The conversation aroundAItoday is all too often framed in terms of replacement rather than augmentation and amplification. This perspective is a relic of industrial-era thinking, which doesn't apply to the nuanced waysAIcan complement human capabilities.

AI, particularly in forms like GenerativeAI, is not just about automating tasks but enhancing human creativity and efficiency. Companies like OpenAI, Google and Microsoft are pioneering this frontier, developingAIthat can write, create art, and even generate video content from text descriptions.

AI WILL CHANGE WORK LIKE THE INTERNET DID. THAT'S EITHER A PROBLEM OR AN OPPORTUNITY

This isn't about machines taking over; it's about machines enabling us to reach new heights of creativity and innovation.

Consider the rapid adoption ofAItechnologies. OpenAI's ChatGPT reached over 100 million users in just two months, a testament to the technology's appeal and potential. This enthusiasm forAIisn't just about novelty; it's a recognition of its ability to augment human capabilities in unprecedented ways.

Yet, the question remains: WillAIdisplace knowledge workers? The answer is nuanced. Yes,AIwill automate certain tasks, potentially displacing some jobs. By some estimates,AIwill be able to accomplish about 50% of knowledge work within 10 years.

However, this is only part of the story. The gap between wage growth and productivity in knowledge work has been widening, not solely because of technology, but also due to a failure to fully leverage technology to augment human work.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS BIG, BUT ARE COMPANIES HIRING FOR AI ROLES TOO FAST?

Knowledge workers spend a significant portion of their time coordinating disparate technologies, a task thatAIcould streamline, freeing humans to focus on more creative and strategic endeavors, rather than playing the game of spinning plates with the vast array of technologies they need to orchestrate and coordinate today.

Rather than this being a fight to the death between humans and.AI, what about an approach in whichAIcreates a multiplier effect that amplifies the value of human innovation and creativity?

The fear thatAIwill render human workers obsolete overlooks the potential for new value creation. Just as the mechanization of agriculture led to new industries and opportunities,AI's impact on knowledge work will likely spawn new realms of employment and innovation.

For example, in health care,AIcould alleviate the administrative burden on physicians, allowing them more time for patient care, ultimately improving outcomes and reducing costs. Today, primary care docs spend about half their time dealing with myriad administrative issues, from medical records to insurance claims.

HOW TO USE AI TO HELP YOU GET A BETTER JOB INSTEAD OF IT STEALING ONE

And yet, we know that a primary care doctor is among the greatest variable in reducing health care costs and increasing positive outcomes. Imagine what that would translate into if doctors had 50 percent more time to spend with patients.

The narrative thatAIwill simply replace human jobs is overly simplistic and ignores the broader potential forAIto enhance human work. The integration ofAIinto knowledge work promises to not only increase productivity but also to open up new avenues for human creativity and innovation. The real challenge lies not in competing withAIbut in leveraging it to augment our own capabilities.

As we stand on the brink of thisAI-driven era, it's crucial to shift our perspective from one of fear to one of opportunity. The question we should be asking is not whetherAIwill replace us but how we can useAIto become better at what we do. The potential forAIto amplify human innovation and creativity is immense, provided we approach this new frontier with openness and adaptability.

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The rise ofAIin the workplace is not a harbinger of obsolescence for human workers but a call to action to redefine the nature of work itself. By embracingAIas a collaborative partner, we can unlock new levels of creativity and innovation, propelling humanity forward in ways we have yet to imagine.

The future of work is not about humans versus machines but about how we can work alongsideAIto create a world where technology amplifies human potential. Let's not view the future with apprehension but with the excitement and optimism it deserves.

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Nathaniel Palmer is a pioneer in automation and digital transformation, serving as Chief Architect for some of the largest and most complex initiatives across government and private industry. He is the co-author of Gigatrends:Six Forces That Are Changing the Future for Billions.

ThomasKoulopoulosis chairman and founder of Delphi Group, a 30-year-old Boston-based think tank thatfocuses on disruptive technology innovation. He is also the founding partner of Acrovantage Ventures(which invests in early-stage technology startups), the author of 13 books, the past executive director of the Babson College Center for Business Innovation, and a professor at Boston University.

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Don't think of our AI future as humans vs. machines. Instead, consider these possibilities - Fox News

‘Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’ looks even more baffling than the original game – Engadget

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As expected, the PlayStation State of Play today featured an in-depth look at the latest from famed developer Hideo Kojima, in the form of an exceedingly creepy and cinematic preview of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Sam, played by Norman Reedus, is back in a trailer that makes very little sense if you haven't played the first game and even if you did, the contents of this preview might not make a ton of sense. Rest assured, you'll still be running around wildly impressive landscapes with your giant yellow backpack.

But it sounds like you won't actually have to run around delivering things, because bots are able to do that in this world. The real surprise is when Sam gets captured and runs across his brother, played by the ubiquitous Troy Baker... who pulls out a guitar/gun and starts shredding to take on some enemies? Sure. It'll still be a bit before we see what this all amounts to, as it doesn't arrive until sometime in 2025.

At the end of the stream, though, Kojima teased an all-new project in the works, though it won't be entering full production until after Death Stranding 2 is complete.

Correction, 1/31/24, 6PM ET: This post originally stated this was our first look at Death Stranding 2.We've updated it to say this is our first in-depth look, as the game was first announced in December of 2022.

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'Death Stranding 2: On the Beach' looks even more baffling than the original game - Engadget

Starfield Fan Discovers Early Starmap, Hints At Harder Space Travel – TheGamer

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Starfield's space travel is pretty simple. You open a map, select a dot, and zoom off. There's no fuel and you won't stumble into any obstacles, aside from the odd raider, but originally it was much more gruelling.

Todd Howard said in 2022 that, during development, "Your ship would run out of fuel and the game would just stop", pointing to more realistic intergalactic travel. The concept was scrapped, with the grav drive being used to limit how far you can go instead. But now we know a little bit more about that old system.

As reported by GamesRadar, a dataminer uncovered a pre-launch starmap with UI elements pointing to fuel consumption and potential hazards. You can see it in the Reddit post embedded below.

On the right-hand side of the starmap we can see the "Jump Data" tab which details how long it will take to travel the distance you've selected. Underneath, it lists how much fuel a jump will consume, with a handy little bar displaying how much you currently have and what will be left after.

Underneath all of these stats are the problems you can encounter on your journey. In this case, we see solar radiation which will result in "light hull damage" and micrometeoroids that "can cause catastrophic stop". It's unclear how you would counter these problems, but upgrading your ship would likely have increased your odds, making it more difficult to reach higher-level areas from the start as you'd be stuck with a scrappy little vessel.

We were playing that and it became very punitive to the player. Your ship would run out of fuel and the game would just stop. You just want to get back to what you're doing. So we recently changed it where the fuel in your ship and the grav drive limits how far you can go at once, but it doesn't run out of fuel.

Interestingly, Bethesda didn't just cut features that made travel tougher, but quality-of-life elements too. In the starmap, we can see a filter system that dataminer redsaltyborger says "appears to be an overlay for economy/trade". It would have also highlighted potential hazards, which is likely why it was cut, but fans are calling on Bethesda to return the feature so that they can see where star yards and trade authority vendors are.

As for whether Starfield will ever see such arduous space travel return as an optional difficulty mode, Howard did say that it could surface in a future update, perhaps akin to Fallout 4 and Skyrim's survival mode. He also said that a mod might bring it back, so it could be up to the community to restore these scrapped ideas.

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Starfield Fan Discovers Early Starmap, Hints At Harder Space Travel - TheGamer

Infestation 88 Has Already Changed Its Name Due To Nazi Connotations – TheGamer

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Earlier this week, indie developer Nightmare Forge Games announced its new title Infestation 88, wasting no time capitalizing on Steamboat Willie becoming public domain. The game blew up on social media for its use of Disney's beloved mascot as a huge hulking monster players have to avoid, but people began to raise eyebrows over the game's name.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, the number 88 is a "white supremacist numerical code" used by neo-Nazis to symbolize the phrase "Heil Hitler". The letter "H" is the eighth letter of the alphabet, which stands to reason that 88 equals "HH". After basking in its newfound attention, Nightmare Forge Games quickly addressed the Nazi connotations of its game's name, and has changed the game's name to Infestation: Origins.

In a statement to Inverse, Nightmare Forge Games claimed that it was "unaware" of the implications that the number 88 would give off, and that the game was previously titled Infestation 88 in reference to the year the game is set. When asked whether the team behind the game are neo-Nazis themselves, it simply claimed "No, we are not."

Unfortunately, when announcing the game, we were unaware of the additional implications associated with the number 88. Our game is set in the 1980s, with the year 1988 being chosen simply for its symmetrical design in our game's artwork.

That would usually be enough to put the situation to bed, but mysteries still surround the project regarding who is actually behind development. Nightmare Forge Games is supposedly made up of a team of "industry veterans" who have been making horror games for over a decade, but none of the staff is disclosed on the studio's website. When asked about this, Nightmare Forge Games said it was to "maintain privacy" due to the large amount of social media attention.

There are also claims on Twitter that the game's official Discord has "out/proud neo-Nazis" on its mod team, though there's little in the way of proof besides some tasteless "edgy" jokes. Others have pointed out that the number 14 (also considered a neo-Nazi hate symbol) appears a lot in the game's marketing, with the title "Infestation 88" being made up of 14 characters and the studio being made up of industry veterans that supposedly have 14 years of experience.

Another example that people have raised concerns over is the game's description, which claimed that the game is a 1-4 player co-op title (another reference to the number 14) that has you exterminating an "outbreak of vermin". It seems as though this description has since been changed, though another reference to the number 14 can be seen in the found footage section of the game's trailer, which was captured on October 13, 1988, meaning the game likely takes place on October 14.

It gets to the point where you need to start busting out the red string, but it's worth noting that potential Nazi dog whistles like these are usually deliberately obscure and confusing so those behind them can feign ignorance. It's entirely possible that people are seeing something that isn't there and that it's all just a huge misunderstanding, but the general feeling is that there are too many coincidences piling up for it to be just one minor mistake.

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Infestation 88 Has Already Changed Its Name Due To Nazi Connotations - TheGamer

Cyberpunk 2 Plans to Expand One of its Most Intriguing Features – GameRant

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Highlights

Cyberpunk 2077's narrative director revealed that he wants to expand the effects of starting life paths in Cyberpunk 2. Cyberpunk 2077 offered a trio of life paths for players to choose from, and while a player's chosen path affected the game's opening couple of hours, the choice became somewhat irrelevant as the player progressed further into the game's story.

Although Cyberpunk 2077 got off to a rocky start, the game has seen substantial updates, getting it closer to CD Projekt Red's original vision. Thanks to these updates, and the release of Cyberpunk 2077's Phantom Liberty expansion, the game has seen a resurgence in popularity. Currently, CD Projekt Red is hard at work on The Witcher 4, so while Cyberpunk 2 is already in its early stages of development, fans of the futuristic world are likely in for a long wait. However, CD Projekt Red developers shared some interesting details regarding their plans for the game.

During an interview on the AnsweRED Podcast, CD Projekt Red's narrative director, Philipp Weber, revealed that he would like to expand the effects of life paths in Cyberpunk 2. He explained that Cyberpunk 2077 might not have delivered on its original promise regarding the power of the game's life paths, a feature that many players were excited about. Weber further details that given more time, CD Projekt Red's experienced development team would have made the feature more expansive.

One of Cyberpunk 2077's quest designers, Blazej Augustynek, who was also part of the interview, explained that a player's chosen life path in Cyberpunk 2077 was more akin to a prologue for the game, with subsequent events allowing for the player to build their own story within its universe. Although this approach worked out for Cyberpunk 2077, it seems clear that the studio has much more ambitious plans for how life paths will affect playthroughs in Cyberpunk 2.

Details remain sparse on CD Projekt Red's next Cyberpunk game. In the meantime, Cyberpunk fans can enjoy Cyberpunks 2077's robust Phantom Liberty expansion. The game has seen plenty of fixes and additions since its release, which has helped it rebound from its poor state at launch.

Fans of CD Projekt Red's impressive RPGs are probably eagerly awaiting the studio's next game, The Witcher 4. The Polish game studio previously suggested that The Witcher 4 will be released in early 2025 at the earliest, and following Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch, CD Projekt Red might be more motivated than ever to take its time with this release.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an RPG set in a future dystopian world. Players take up the role of V, who works as a mercenary in Night City in California. Gameplay involves branching dialogue, open-world exploration, character classes, and combat.

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Cyberpunk 2 Plans to Expand One of its Most Intriguing Features - GameRant

2024 Will Be The Year I Finally Play Cyberpunk 2077 – TheGamer

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The history of Cyberpunk 2077 is fraught with disappointment, anger, and backlash. After years of hyping up the games release and overpromising on gameplay mechanics, CD Projekt Red launched an infamously broken version of the game in 2020 which led to Sony delisting the game from the PlayStation store until it was fixed. Since then, the studio has been fighting an uphill battle to mend its reputation, fix the game, and get it closer to what it was always meant to be.

This has given us one of the great video game redemption stories of the decade, though many are still disappointed that the end product wasnt the same game that they were promised from the start. The Phantom Liberty expansion has been generally praised by critics and fans both, but not as much as the Cyberpunk 2.0 update. The free update reworked the skill and perk systems, added vehicle on vehicle combat, updated police AI, and more.

Now, with patch 2.1, CD Projekt Red is finally putting Cyberpunk 2077 aside. This patch will be the games last major update, adding a usable metro system to Night City, allowing radio use when on foot, and adding new vehicles, among other changes and additions. The studio will now be focusing on the next game in The Witcher series, which has likely been somewhat neglected due to the studios campaign to redeem Cyberpunk 2077.

I had no desire to play Cyberpunk 2077 until update 2.0. When it first came out, I was freshly out of university, severely underpaid at a lifestyle writing internship, and had already heard all the discourse on how broken it was and how it wasnt all it had been hyped up to be. Already short on funds and even shorter on time, I decided Id skip it until a better time came. When I had more money to spend, and when I wasnt exhausted from being overworked, Id buy it and play it, I decided. Years went by, but I just never got around to it. It still wasnt that good, there were other, better games to spend my money and time on, and besides, they were still making changes.

Finally, Cyberpunk 2077 is as complete as it will ever get, and by all accounts, its a good game even if its not perfect. Plenty of people I know have finished it, plus the expansion, and enjoyed the experience. I get paid a living wage, and part of the reason I get paid that wage is that I know things about video games, so I can justify the time I spend on the game as me doing industry research.

Mercifully, the release calendar for next year is bare. Once I finish Yakuza 6 in preparation for Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and play that to completion, I have absolutely nothing else going on. Im not incredibly keen on any of the games coming out in the first quarter of 2024, which means I have plenty of free time to catch up on all the games Ive been dying to play but never got around to. That means I can finish all the Like A Dragon games, play tons of indies, and yes, finally play Cyberpunk 2077.

The fact that Im excited to play a game from 2020 that was panned across the board at launch is an achievement in itself on CD Projekt Reds part. I love an underdog, and I love a redemption arc Cyberpunk 2077 has gone from an industry meme to a respectable game that, at the very least, takes a decent swing at giving fans the game it was always envisioned to be. My hopes arent sky high, but Im looking forward to seeing just what it is that everybody learned to love about it. And, of course, Im looking forward to seeing Keanu Reeves.

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2024 Will Be The Year I Finally Play Cyberpunk 2077 - TheGamer

Wait, was Cyberpunk 2077 just quietly in early access for three years? – PC Gamer

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"A delayed game is eventually good," Nintendo legend Shigeru Miaymoto is falsely claimed to have said, "a bad game is bad forever." What about a game that I really liked but had some serious issues on launch, so nobody else liked it, but it gradually improved over the course of three years and now everybody kinda digs it?

I'm talking, of course, about Cyberpunk 2077. With its significant transformation since an initial launch in 2020, Cyberpunk feels like it was in early access that whole time, even though it never laid claim to the new-school release model.

But could it have benefitted from being deliberately presented as such, with an accompanying shift in development priorities and milestones? I aim to argue with myself until we don't have a clear answer either way.

The thing that made me write this is how much my carrying a torch for Cyberpunk during its long post-launch wilderness era felt like the dance I do with every early access game I've ever been into: play the hell out of it at launch, then constantly ask "is it time to jump back in yet?" every time it gets a new update.

Like with most early access games I follow, the answer with Cyberpunk was "no" right up until it got its transformative 2.0 update, here the equivalent of an early access game's full release.

Similar to games that release in EA, Cyberpunk got revenue flowing for CD Projekt while the Red team continued to work on the game. It's unclear from the outside how resources were distributed and when development on The Witcher 4 began in earnest, but it's clear that CDPR has devoted significant resources and manpower to Cyberpunk over the past three years.

The major differences, to my eye, are that CD Projekt invited a now-legendary reputational black eye with Cyberpunk 2077's poor state at launch, with the upside that it benefitted from the hype of a full release at that time, recouping the cost of development almost immediately. While CD Projekt's reputation has largely been restored, there still remains this question mark hanging over what it does next, as PCG senior editor Robin Valentine elaborated in a recent feature.

I'd like to caveat any speculation by saying I doubt a formal early access launch was ever in the cards for Cyberpunk 2077: it was too expensive, in development for too long, with too much riding on it for CD Projekt to have taken that strategy three years agonot to mention the difficulties of doing so with a multiplatform release. But I wonder if the company might be more open to the idea now, given how things played out.

The elephant in the room is Baldur's Gate 3, which was released in early access the same year Cyberpunk 2077 had its initial launch. While there are plenty of differences between the two (and vastly different external pressures on each developer), I think it's an instructive comparisoncould CD Projekt have found similar success with Larian's model?

I find myself thinking of how much Cyberpunk's first act, which only lets you explore a single district of Night City while the rest are closed off, could have been modified into an early access sandbox akin to Baldur's Gate 3's opening wilderness area. Huge gameplay changes and plot twistsincluding Keanu Reeves' performance as Johnny Silverhandcould have made for hype-building enticements to the final game.

Night City being a single, contiguous map complicates matters compared to Baldur's Gate 3's discrete areas and acts, but I still think it could have worked. I can imagine the invisible wall-defying mavericks releasing YouTube videos of their out-of-bounds explorations in like, 2021 or so, but with only an unpopulated city waiting to greet them I think it would have just served as an excitement-building exercise for the full game.

It feels like everything is getting released into early access now.

I also wonder how the more bounded, scaled-down goal could have alleviated the intense pressure CD Projekt Red faced in the final run to Cyberpunk 2077's initial launch. I don't think early access launches are a panacea in the face of crunch or anything, but a Cyberpunk build of this nature strikes me as a less daunting prospect for the team to have gotten out the door in December of 2020 or even one of Cyberpunk's earlier missed targets for a release date.

Moving forward, I wonder if this is a cost/benefit analysis CD Projekt will be making with The Witcher 4 and its myriad other projects waiting in the wings. Formal early access presents its own challenges, and it isn't the only way to release a game in an acceptable state, but the developer can't afford another situation like the initial launch of Cyberpunk 2077.

One other consideration, though, is that it feels like everything is getting released into early access now, no matter what it's labeled as. Even Baldur's Gate 3, which was in a perfectly acceptable state at its full launch in August compared to some of 2023's PC port disasters, has seen additions and changes above and beyond the usual bug fixes and tweaks in the months since its release. It's gotten multiple overhauls to its ending, hundreds of lines of new dialogue, and a harder-than-hard permadeath difficulty, all likely building towards a "Definitive Edition" in the style of Larian's Original Sin games.

Hell, maybe life's just early access, man: this existence a mere illusory "early access" to the cosmic full launch we can only know once we leave this mortal coil behind for a fifth-dimensional perspective.

Sorry, I got lost there for a second. Anyway, I'd still bet that The Witcher 4 won't get a Baldur's Gate 3-style early access release despite all that, but it certainly doesn't seem like the crazy idea it would have been before this year.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel May Give Greater Meaning to Players’ Life Path – FandomWire

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The latest update 2.0 and the DLC, Phantom Liberty, have breathed new life into Cyberpunk 2077 this year. The revival of the game that was hated after release due to the several glitches and bugs, has been one of the most successful stories in the gaming industry over the past three years. So much so, that gamers are already looking forward to the second title.

Until more details emerge about a follow-up from the developers, fans have been busy coming up with a wishlist for elements to be included in the Cyberpunk franchise. One of the oft-repeated enhancements fans have mentioned is an improved life path for characters.

Theres not much known about a Cyberpunk follow-up apart from a codename, Orion. With the last big update already out for the first title, the developers are said to be working towards a new Witcher title, which is not to say that a sequel isnt in the conceptual stage.

The titles Narrative Director, Philipp Weber, recently appeared in the Answered Podcast along with Lead Quest Designer, Baej Augustynek, to speak about quests in a game in general. Cyberpunk 2077 gives gamers a choice of three life paths to choose from right at the beginning, before players finalize their character.

Players can choose from a nomads path, a street kids path, or a corporate path. Whichever path the gamer chooses eventually merges into one storyline as the game progresses. Weber mentioned that he would make the life path a bit less mudded than how it was in the game.

The games Lead Quest Designer, Baej Augustynek, also chimed in with his thoughts about the life paths, which he mentioned as being a life that players leave as V. Augustynek added that the paths never really mattered in the game once the actual story kick-starts. At the moment, the path is designed in a way that it ends as early as in the prologue of the game. This is an aspect of the title that Augustynek mentioned requires more work for it to matter more in the game.

Fans on a Reddit discussion shared their views about improving upon that by having a lengthier intro that can let players get a deeper look into each of the life paths. Others called for the life paths to be more impactful and have better consequences in the end. Some even wanted the life paths to be scrapped completely.

Each of the three life paths could be improved with longer intros, as has been mentioned by fans on a variety of social media platforms. Many are saying the Street Kid Path should have brought Jackie and V together and set up connections. The corporate path with more involvement with Jenkins and more corporate espionage missions with V. This path could have also had an extended run where players made contacts early on to help out in later missions.

Nomad with a longer story about reasons behind leaving the Bakkers and making contacts within Aldecaldos. Missing out on what could have brought an interesting spin in the main campaign depending on the life path choices, was highly disappointing to fans. Choices made along the way had a high impact on consequences in previous Witcher games from CDPR. A similar approach here would have made things a lot more interesting.

There might be other elements as well that could drastically change in the sequel with the game switching to a third-person view either permanently or adding that as an option. Bringing in a morality system in the follow-up title could also make it more unique.

As seen in Red Dead Redemptions 2 where characters behave differently around NPCs for not killing everything that moves or if players choose to be an outlaw and gun down everyone and be hated and feared by the NPCs. This could bring in a more immersive experience for players as they stay wary of their approach.

It is still easily a few years away before the gaming community can expect anything related to the sequel to be officially announced by CDPR. Until then, Cyberpunk is sure to keep the fans engaged with its new update and DLC.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel May Give Greater Meaning to Players' Life Path - FandomWire

Cyberpunk 2077 Devs Want To Make Lifepaths "Matter More" In The Sequel – TheGamer

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Cyberpunk 2077's sequel may have much more complex lifepaths, as devs want them to "matter more" during the story.

Cyberpunk 2077 starts out with you choosing a Lifepath, which is essentially one of three backstories you get to pick from that will radically alter the beginning of the game. Each Lifepath eventually leads to the same conclusion, allowing you to play through the same story no matter which Lifepath you chose, but it's possible that this might not be the same when it comes to the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel that's currently in development.

This is according to CD Projekt Red narrative director Philipp Weber, who said during the most recent episode of the AnsweRED Podcast (thanks IGN) that he'd like Lifepaths to "matter more" in the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. Weber claims that Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't really deliver on the promise that you're playing different characters when you pick your Lifepath, and wants to improve on this aspect for future projects.

I do think that there are things with, for example, the Lifepaths, that kind of gives you a promise as being able to play more different kinds of characters. I think this is a thing where, in the future, that's, as an example, something we would like to improve.

Weber also expresses regret at how much the Lifepath aspect of the first Cyberpunk 2077 "goes away a little bit", and that he would make them a little bit more involved in the main story had he had a little more experience and time during development. He obviously now has that experience, so it'll be interesting to see how Lifepaths differ in the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel when it eventually does launch.

In fact, the sequel may look totally different to the first game, as CD Projekt Red was recently tossing up whether to stick with first-person, or make the series third-person, similar to The Witcher. With decisions such as the perspective of the entire game still to be pinned down, you get a good idea of just how far away Cyberpunk 2077's sequel actually is. How much Lifepaths are woven into the story is probably the least of CD Projekt Red's worries right now, though it's nice to know the devs are thinking about it.

CD Projekt Red is currently working on the next Witcher game, currently codenamed Project Polaris, but it was recently claimed that development on the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 is scheduled to begin in 2024. We don't have release windows for these titles just yet, though you can imagine the studio will take its time with them to avoid another disaster. You'd hope so anyway.

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CD Projekt Reveals How It Made Cyberpunk 2077’s Male and Female Protagonists in Equal Measure – IGN

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Cyberpunk 2077 lets players choose either a male or female version of protagonist V to play as, but developer CD Projekt Red made them both equally valid from the very beginning of development.

Speaking on the Answered Podcast, CD Projekt Red lead quest designer Baej Augustynek revealed an interesting tactic the developer used to ensure the character didn't have one particular world view.

"Funny story, when we were working on Cyberpunk we made the conscious decision that the quest designers were going to think of V as a female character, while the writers think of V as a male character," Augustynek said. "So we didn't want to have any kind of gaze, be it a female gaze or male gaze, and approach to the world."

Augustynek said that, for him, V will always be a woman, and he doesn't think of the man version as the real one. But other staff within CD Projekt Red will likely believe the opposite. The topic has been hotly debated since Cyberpunk 2077 was released, with players questioning which one is the canon character or who feels more authentic in the world. But it turns out, it's both.

CD Projekt Red narrative director Philipp Weber said it was a stark difference from working on The Witcher games too, as most of the studio, if not all, was very familiar with longtime protagonist Geralt of Rivia.

"It was a real conscious voice because we were used to Geralt," he said. "We were always used to writing for Geralt, making quests for Geralt, so when we knew, 'Okay, we're making a new character, and that character can also be a woman,' we just made it a rule when we wrote our quest design documents to always write 'she'. So we remind ourselves in our brain that this is a different kind of character, where now we actually have to consider more than maybe with Geralt."

Cyberpunk 2077's development is now all but complete, with CD Projekt Red releasing the final major update for it, Update 2.1, earlier in December 2023. Fans expected the game changing Update 2.0, which arrived alongside the Phantom Liberty expansion in September, to be the final big patch for Cyberpunk 2077 until CD Projekt Red announced a final one would arrive alongside the new Ultimate Edition.

Update 2.0 laid the foundation for the new Cyberpunk 2077 experience, completely revamping the game with features such as a new perk system and improved AI. It also brought closure to an Elon Musk fan theory, a reference to the late racing legend Ken Block, and bizarre additions to the game's biggest mystery.

In our 9/10 review of the expansion, IGN said: "Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty completes an immense turnaround for CD Projekt Red's future RPG kickstarted with the anime spin-off, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and its latest 2.0 Update."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

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CD Projekt Reveals How It Made Cyberpunk 2077's Male and Female Protagonists in Equal Measure - IGN

The best Cyberpunk 2077 builds and character classes – Gamesradar

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The best Cyberpunk 2077 builds are ways of mixing certain attributes, perks and skills to deadly effect, merging various qualities to create "classes". Sure, classes don't exist in Cyberpunk 2077 per se, but it's a helpful framework for what you're attempted to create and helps keep you focused. If there's a specific Cyberpunk 2077 build you'd like to make, then here are some things to try out.

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This Cyberpunk 2077 assault build is essentially an all guns blazing, soldier class that can be used for pretty much every encounter as long as it's loud. For this, you'll want to level up strength-related attributes and get perks that assist combat.

Best attributes:

Best perks:

Best weapons:

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A Cyberpunk 2077 hacker build is essential when hacking is such a crucial element of the game. While it lends itself to stealth, you can still win full on fights and kill plenty of enemies while hardly touching a weapon. (Although a good weapon is always handy if anyone gets too close.)

Best attributes:

Best perks:

Best weapons:

A Cyberpunk 2077 stealth build is a good choice thanks to all the different ways you can complete missions. For this, you'll want decent hacking ability because distracting enemies will be key, along with strong silenced weapons for taking out targets.

Best attributes:

Best perks:

Best weapons:

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PlayStation Plus Just Quietly Added the Most Captivating Cyberpunk RPG – Inverse

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Like putting pineapple on pizza, sometimes it takes mixing two things that absolutely werent meant to go together to discover something great. Thats the case with Shadowrun, except in this case pineapple is magic-using elves, and pizza is a cyberpunk sci-fi RPG. Debuting in 1989 as a tabletop RPG with the most 80s cover art possible, Shadowrun has gotten a few video game adaptations in the decades since. But none captures its ludicrous-sounding but somehow great blend of gritty sci-fi and fantasy as well as Harebrained Schemes Shadowrun Trilogy, now available on PlayStation Plus.

Released between 2013 and 2015, Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong is a trilogy only in the loosest sense of the word. Yes, there are three of them, but they all tell completely unconnected, standalone stories. Each spotlights a different important city in the futuristic world of Shadowrun: Seattle, Berlin, and you guessed it Hong Kong.

Youll spend a lot of time in combat in Shadowrun, but its the characters that make it a must-play.

To get it out of the way: if you start playing Shadowrun Returns and its not clicking, you might just want to skip ahead. Shadowrun Returns certainly has its charms, and it deserves credit for getting Harebrained Schemes trilogy going, but the other two games in the series are massive upgrades.

Compared to its predecessor, Shadowrun: Dragonfall has a better interface and changes that make combat a better experience, but where it really shines is in its story. In Shadowrun Returns, youre a lone agent investigating your friend's disappearance, recruiting generic NPCs to help along the way. From the very start of Dragonfall, youre embedded in a team. The game starts in the middle of a mission that goes horribly wrong, leaving you in charge of a ragtag gang of mercenaries. While the central mystery of Dragonfall is already far more captivating than the plot of Shadowrun Returns, its the characters that really set it apart.

A mysterious street medic with surgically implanted claws, your old boss terrifyingly devoted best friend, a punk rocker turned anti-fascist shaman these are the core members of your crew, and each has a deep personal mission to play through, reams of interesting dialogue throughout the game, and a hell of a lot of baggage.

Your companions skills come into play during missions, so bringing a hacker along can help you shut down turrets, and a character who used to work for a megacorp might be able to talk you past security. But the main cast is so compelling that I constantly found myself leaving behind more useful characters to make room for the ones I just wanted to spend more time with.

Shadowruns version of Hong Kong is gorgeous and gritty.

Maybe its because it has a tough act to follow, but Shadowrun: Hong Kong isnt quite the step up that Dragonfall was. Its story and characters are still wonderful, but theyre not quite as memorable as in the previous game though it also features a shaman who keeps pet rats in her coat pockets, so thats pretty hard to beat.

But its an unquestionable improvement when it comes to its art. Berlin and Hong Kong are both fascinating settings, but in Shadowrun: Hong Kong, the city is brought to life with the series most vibrant art. Every corner of its gigantic maps is filled with detail, from the pulsing neon of shopping districts to the supernatural gloom of the walled city.

The Shadowrun games captivating characters and stories are their greatest strengths, but its tactical combat is uniformly excellent as well. Given its sci-fi and fantasy mashup premise, you can use a huge array of abilities in battle. Having one party member summon a water spirit from a rain puddle while another hacks into a security door and a third picks off enemies with a katana feels a bit like dumping out a box of random action figures to play with as a kid. But its as fun as it is jarring. While theres not as much room for character customization and creative skill use as you get in some other RPGs, the relatively straightforward combat is nonetheless satisfying.

Even when things are more or less on rails, the Shadowrun games do a great job of letting you direct the story. Decisions you make in missions whether to help a side character or steal corporate secrets for yourself wont dictate the greater plot, but they offer a way to develop your characters place in the world.

And in Shadowrun, the world is at least as interesting as any character. Megacorporations run by dragons, deals with demons, and spirits haunting the internet are all part of its strange tapestry, and your characters are caught in the middle. As with much of great cyberpunk, the Shadowrun Trilogy absolutely sells the us against the world mentality of its scrappy band of anti-heroes. And though its grim world often feels like its just about to crush your gang, surviving job by job with them is a thrill every time.

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PlayStation Plus Just Quietly Added the Most Captivating Cyberpunk RPG - Inverse

When you think about it, Cyberpunk 2077 was the 2020 game of the year after all – VG247

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For better or worse, in the year of our lord two-thousand and twenty-three, video games are now seldom complete products. They grow, evolve, and change over time - and in many ways, challenge the traditional wisdom of giving out end-of-year awards. Is there a better example of this than Cyberpunk 2077?

Even Baldurs Gate 3, as mind-bogglingly good as it was from the moment of release, has changed tremendously over the last couple of months - tweaking, changing, adding. It had several years of early access, too. My personal game of the year for 2023, Street Fighter 6, is released with the explicit understanding that it will grow in size - probably as much as double - over the course of its lifetime.

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Cyberpunk 2077 originally released in 2020, and, well you all know how that went. I was one of the people who was hoodwinked, to put it mildly, by CD Projekts approach to the review process. I played it on my high-spec PC and thought it was pretty great, with classic open world launch bugs that I figured would be ironed out over time. I ended up giving it a positive review on my other website.

On VG247, James was even more glowing, and gave it a 5-star rating that instantly attracted a wave of abuse once it became clear how broken it was on the console versions CD Projekt never let us see. I even ended up writing a review addendum warning people not to conflate a positive PC score with the PlayStation and Xbox versions; something Ive never done before.

But three years later, its fair to say that its a very different game. And, heres the thesis of this article: I think if you look at all the games released in 2020 now, and think about which I recommend somebody play above all others Cyberpunk 2077 is, indeed, 2020s game of the year.

Nobody wouldve argued it back then, obviously. The bugs and problems were too apparent, even if one could see the great game behind them, keen to burst forth. But even if we put 2023s new addition, expansion Phantom Liberty, to one side I think this is the best game that was released in 2020. With Cyberpunks version 2.0, the game is finally fulfilling its full potential. That realization allows it to outstrip my 2020 game of the year Final Fantasy 7 Remake and other contenders like Streets of Rage 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Last of Us Part 2, and Animal Crossing New Horizons.

None of this entirely absolves CD Projekt RED of the sins of 2020, obviously. The truth is, this game shouldnt have been released at all on the last-generation consoles - and the company has to live in the knowledge that, had it owned that, it may have released to be one of the most beloved games around, much as The Witcher 3 did. Thats likely a bitter pill to swallow, especially when combined with the ritual humiliation that followed the games release. We should forgive, but not forget. Its an important lesson for developers, publishers, and even media everywhere. Its a cautionary tale for some fans on the dangers of hype, also.

But it is to CDPRs credit that it didnt just ride off into the sunset with its tail between its legs and return straight to The Witcher for a quick shot of goodwill. The company wanted to rescue its reputation, and the Cyberpunk IP - and so they put the hours in. The end result is undeniable.

In the pantheon of video game turn-arounds, this stands tall. Its up there with Final Fantasy 14, except I dont really think that counts, because the release of FF14: A Realm Reborn was not fixing an old game, but instead building an all-new game in record time and simply replacing the old with the new for free. The only remotely similar case of a launched game benign repaired in real time around a player base I can even think of is that of No Mans Sky - a similarly towering achievement.

Add on the fact that expansion Phantom Liberty is legitimately one of 2023s best video games all on its own, and the strength of Cyberpunk can no longer be denied, I think. When I look back on 2020 in the years to come, this will be its most stand-out game - but only with an understanding of what came after.

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When you think about it, Cyberpunk 2077 was the 2020 game of the year after all - VG247

Fallout 76 pulls a Cyberpunk 2077, is better than ever with 17 million players – GAMINGbible

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It seems as though 2023 is the year of the redemption arc. With Cyberpunk 2077 finding its feet three-years after release, it now appears that Fallout 76 is following suit with recent figures showing it's garnered 17 million players.

Despite a rocky start when it was first released in 2020, regular updates and the arrival of the expansion Phantom Liberty mean that Cyberpunk 2077 has gone on to become one of the most successful games in recent years. So much so that fans recently agreed it would have won Game of the Year if it was released today in its current state.

Check out the Fallout 76 trailer below!

Now, it seems as though Bethesda is following in CD Projekt Reds footsteps with its 2018 Fallout instalment Fallout 76. When it was first launched back in November 2018, it was criticised for its game-breaking bugs, shabby performance, and lifeless world to explore.

Since then, Bethesda has been working hard on improving it. This included the 2020 Wastelanders update which saw fully voiced NPCs added to the game which became a catalyst of change for Fallout 76.

Now, five years on from launch, Fallout 76 sits at a mostly positive rating on Steam and it was recently revealed that the game had reached over 17 million players. The news was shared by Bethesda art director Jon Rush who posted a blog post detailing the Fallout 76 roadmap following the recent release of the Atlantic City - Boardwalk Paradise update.

Over 17 million players have experienced new Fallout tales and characters with Wastelanders, he wrote.

Despite the good news, Bethesda is still not done with Fallout 76. Early 2024 will see the arrival of the Atlantic City - Americas Playground DLC which will include a new mission where players take on the legendary Jersey Devil. This will come alongside new quests, new areas, and more.

After that DLC, Fallout 76 will get an expanded map later in 2024 which will see the wooded heartland of Shenandoah added to the game.

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Fallout 76 pulls a Cyberpunk 2077, is better than ever with 17 million players - GAMINGbible

Should you choose to kill or spare Grayson in Cyberpunk 2077? – Gamesradar

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The Cyberpunk 2077 Grayson kill or spare choice in Chippin' In is one that can prevent you from getting a reward - or rather, prevent you from getting the info that tells you where to find the reward, as Johnny Silverhand's car is hidden somewhere nearby and Grayson can tell you where it is. Of course, losing that info isn't so much of a penalty when, say, you have a guide to tell you where that car is hidden, and can just stumble across it anyway.

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The whole reason you've found Grayson is because you and Rogue are hunting down Adam Smasher. Unfortunately, you find Grayson instead, because Smasher has become the Arasaka's best pal now. You can exhaust all dialogue options with him including learning where Johnny Silverhand's body is kept but ultimately, you need to decide whether or not to shoot him.

If you spare Grayson, two things will happen. One of these is that he'll give you an old access card, and the second is that he'll tell you where to use it. Of course, this is great, because the reward you find through that access card is absolutely excellent, but the downside is that Grayson gets to live.

If you kill Grayson, he doesn't tell you where to use the old access card, but that ultimately doesn't matter because you're reading this guide. You can still find the loot if you know where to look. So you can appease Johnny and Rogue, shoot Grayson in his face, loot the old access card, then go and grab the loot.

To find it, climb the ladder to the platform on the left-hand side of the boat when you're looking past where Grayson is sat. Interacting with the control panel up here will lower a shipping container. Go down to it and use the access card to discover Johnny's Porsche 911 inside! It's yours to keep from here on and is easily the best looking car in the game. Another item to add to the list of Johnny's things you can own, on top of the pistol you picked up when initially interacting with him.

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Should you choose to kill or spare Grayson in Cyberpunk 2077? - Gamesradar

Should you call Reed and agree to the deal or kill Reed in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty? – Gamesradar

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With the Phantom Liberty agree to Reeds deal or kill Reed choice, you need to decide if you'll try and make amends with Reed and the NUSA, or see Songbird's journey through to the end. It's a complicated choice that presents itself at the end of one of the expansions story paths, especially due to Reed's dedication to his mission and what Songbird reveals just before, changing the whole context of V's journey through Phantom Liberty. Whichever option you decide on will determine the ending you get for the expansion too, and might even let you reach the new ending for the main Cyberpunk 2077 story. Here are the consequences of choosing to either call Reed and accept his deal or kill Reed and save Songbird in Phantom Liberty.

Obviously, big spoilers below as this is the final choice in the Help Songbird path of Phantom Liberty!

If you choose to help Songbird in the Firestarter mission, you will help her get through the spaceport terminal to reach the train that leads to the Moon rocket. During the train journey, So Mi will reveal that shes been lying to you the whole time and that the Neural Matrix can be used only once. This leads into the first choice of this Phantom Liberty ending deciding whether to call Reed. After that, youll be confronted by Reed while carrying Songbird and will need to decide how youll deal with them both, ending Phantom Libertys story.

When the train pulls into the rocket launch area, youll have to choose whether youll simply pick up Songbird and carry her to the rocket or call Reed to strike a deal to get the Neural Matrix cure. Choosing to pick up Songbird just means you can walk straight to the rocket pod and face Reed you are not locked out of any of the endings by not calling him.

If you do call Reed, hell ask that you give up Songbird and in return, youll get the cure you were promised. Youre then faced with these responses to Reed:

So, however you get through this choice, youll always carry Songbird over to the rocket pod where Reed will emerge and face you on the walkway. You must put Songbird down, otherwise Reed will eventually just shoot you and youll have to reload your checkpoint.

The option to kill Reed, or draw weapon, isnt available to you straight away, so you need to talk to Reed a bit first. If you did not call Reed or rejected his deal when calling him, V will draw a revolver after putting Songbird down and youll be presented with some dialogue options. Choose either Songs dyin or cant let you take her, and youll then get more dialogue options after some chatter, with one of them being draw weapon. You can keep talking with Reed and this option will keep coming up, but eventually youll get to a point where you can only holster or draw your weapon.

Choosing to draw your weapon causes the game to slow down and you need to shoot Reed in the head before he does the same to you. With Reed dead, you can pick up Songbird and place her in the rocket, then watch it blast off while you chat with Johnny Silverhand. After this, the credits roll and then youll be looking at the spaceport the next morning while talking to Johnny. There are no missions after this, and Phantom Libertys story is over if you get this ending.

There are a few ways you can reach this ending in Phantom Liberty. The easiest method is to call Reed on the train and agree to the deal as mentioned, you are locked into this ending once you do this. Alternatively, if you did not call Reed, or rejected his deal, make sure you choose the holster weapon when available to deescalate and strike a deal with Reed.

Once you agree to the deal, Reed takes So Mi, then the credits roll. Afterwards, youll speak to Johnny and then youll get a call from Reed. This eventually leads into a mission called Through Pain To Heaven, where youll have one final talk with Reed at a gas station, then hell give you details on the new Cyberpunk 2077 ending for the main story.

If you decided to agree to Reeds deal but refuse anything in return (this can be done when calling Reed or after holstering your weapon), you wont be permanently locked out of the new story ending either. After the credits, Reed will message you and youll get one last chance to either accept or reject the promised surgery. Based on my testing, rejecting the cure here seems to permanently lock you out of this ending while accepting leads you into the Through Pain To Heaven mission like normal.

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Should you call Reed and agree to the deal or kill Reed in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty? - Gamesradar