Image via CD Projekt Red
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When Cyberpunk 2077 first launched in December 2020, it felt more like an early access beta instead of a full game. In case you’d forgotten, it even ended up pulled from the PlayStation Store and was only restored a year later. Years later, CD Projekt Red remedied issues and released an expansion, turning it around and into a title you’d want to play. Now Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition reemerged as a Switch 2 launch title and, like a phoenix, soared to new heights to become one of the most impressive games on the system.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition begins with each player customizing their protagonist’s appearance and background. It’s a first-person action-RPG with a sprawling open world and wide array of tackling opportunities. This starts by picking how your story even starts. I recommend going with a corporate background if you really want a revenge story, since you’re going from a rising Arasaka star to someone betrayed and able to get revenge. Streetkid is a close second, as you’re building yourself up and fighting back against the capitalistic society that held you back, and it has some really great opportunities to rise up. With Nomad, you’re coming from losing everything, your whole family, to potentially building a new life and family in Night City.
The story hasn’t changed, though it has grown with the Phantom Liberty addition and 2.0 additions. It remains an opportunity to explore individuality, capitalism, agency over our bodies, the role and dangers of technology, and an array of political themes. The expansion’s inclusion expands on these types of topics. This is my first time experiencing the additional storyline and, while I appreciated some of the twists and options in the base game, I felt like some elements were a little better executed. Some of the plot points might not hit for everyone, and there were some times I felt side quests could be a little more interesting than the main adventure. But there’s so much to do that you will probably find enjoyment following one of the plots or by just taking in Night City and creating your own fun as you explore.
Likewise, the gameplay remains the same, though at this point in Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition’s lifespan, it’s perfect and practically bug-free on the Switch 2. It’s a seamless, perfect experience that works wonderfully. This is a first-person game, with combat involving bullets and physical attacks. It is possible to also talk things out, hack, or use tech to overcome some challenges. You can also go with a pacifist run that doesn’t involve actually killing anyone. Your intelligence, technical ability, and cool (charm) can influence options available to you, and it is possible t handle situations in different ways. It’s satisfying to try new things or roleplay in ways that suit your chosen background.
What’s really impressive here is not just the progression that showed CD Projekt Red turning the game from a mess years ago to a prime example of an exemplary experience, but how fantastic Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is on the Switch 2. To start, it runs flawlessly. I primarily played with it docked mode, but I didn’t experience any lag or performance issues regardless of the mode I’d choose. It runs phenomenally well.
It also looks incredible on the system. We can choose between Quality and Performance modes. The latter is honestly one of the reasons why I focused on docked gameplay sessions for Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on the Switch 2. It runs at 40fps, which feels like a notable difference, and also can hit 1080p. I do prefer Quality for handheld sessions and recommend that, since I didn’t mind dropping to 30fps to ensure it is at about 810p. The visual different is more notable there, and the sacrifice is worth it. Textures display wonderfully, reflections honestly were better than I expected, and it is just generally great. It will eat up the battery though, so docked does mean longer sessions.
It also means you can test out the Switch 2 motion controls and, honestly, they’re worth at least trying in Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. There’s a shocking amount of care put into them, so much so that I would swap to them for a change of pace sometimes. The accuracy is fantastic, with the options also allowing you to further pin down the precision. I honestly prefer the dodging method with it, since it’s a flick of the wrist, and in a more frantic fight I appreciated being able to roll my right wrist to reload or pull my left back to use an item.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is also one of the best examples of well-implemented mouse controls on the Switch 2. You can use it for your aiming and shooting. I did prefer standard controls most of the time, but again in a gunfight I really liked being able to have that improved precision that allowed for faster reflexes. It’s so well handled that I felt like I didn’t need to do any additional tweaking in the options after heading to Mouse Patterns in the settings. It really just worked incredibly well from the start.
Given everything that happened with Cyberpunk 2077 at the start of its life, the fact that the Ultimate Edition is here, is exemplary, and works wonderfully on the Switch 2 is something of a miracle. But it is. The base game is great. The expansion is entertaining. It looks fantastic on the system both docked and undocked. It runs flawlessly. The mouse controls help showcase why that feature is such a wise option for the Switch 2 as a console. It even makes motion controls feel fun and worthwhile. It’s absolutely wonderful and worth playing on the Switch 2.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is available for the Nintendo Switch 2, and the game previously appeared on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.
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Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour, and body modification. Play as V, a cyberpunk mercenary, and take on the most powerful forces of the city in a fight for glory and survival. In the Ultimate Edition, experience the original Cyberpunk 2077 story as well as the acclaimed spy-thriller adventure in the Phantom Liberty expansion—a high-stakes tale of espionage set in the deadly district of Dogtown. Switch 2 version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.
Given what happened with Cyberpunk 2077, the fact that the Ultimate Edition is exemplary and works wonderfully on the Switch 2 is a miracle.
Published: Jul 14, 2025 09:00 am