Cyberpunk Effect: Games that were completed after launch

We're no longer in the PS1 and NES era, much less the era when we had fun on the PS2 and GameCube. Back then, games needed to be released fully finished: no internet, no patches, no hotfixes. And over the years, this ease removed major bugs from high-investment projects—perhaps many survived thanks to it. However, not all companies used this in the best possible way.

We're talking about top-tier titles. Games that promised a rich, immersive experience and mechanics, but when they launched, in addition to below-par performance, they arrived almost as a mistake. In today's article, we cite excellent cases where these games recovered, even leaving a possible stain or lesson for renowned studios.

No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky was made by a small British studio called Hello Games. Despite being on a shelf below the big projects of 2016, the community embraced everything that was promised. As a consequence, hype was created, expectations arose, and so on. On launch day, a shock: very few promises were fulfilled.

With many sales already at the beginning, the pressure was enormous. Criticism surrounded the studio, but time was crucial for the company to turn things around. The creators released patch after patch, fixing the main complaints of fans and regaining the trust of those who believed in this odyssey from the start.

Subsequently, many DLCs were released for free. No Man's Sky's relevance grew, and expectations were met. With coffers full and many ideas to deliver, expansions simply didn't stop coming. Currently, No Man's Sky has multiplayer, virtual reality mode, building modes, and much more. Redemption defines it—and the game is still receiving new features!

Crimson Desert

Perhaps the most recent of the "broken" games released that caught attention. Those who watched the trailers know: Crimson Desert promised worlds, backgrounds, open skies, and dragons for players. Well, the dragon is there, even if only at the end of the game and available for flight for a limited time. However, everything involving mechs, some Zelda-like features, and so on, doesn't communicate well.

As highlighted in the reviews, the final experience wasn't all that great. It's possible to have two conflicting spells in the protagonist's arsenal; for example, there's a pair that simply lifts objects. Was that necessary? Obviously not. However, the biggest problem here has been performance: on consoles and PC, some settings still leave something to be desired.

Since sales took off in the first few hours, Pearl Abyss was just as quick to address this negative feedback. The controls, responsible for serious frustrations from the community and even a reason to turn players away in the early stages of the campaign, will receive attention. The range of spells will also be revised, and the mechanics continue to be adjusted.

While the highly anticipated Crimson Desert received overwhelmingly negative reviews on its platforms in its first few hours, that chapter is turning quite quickly, as the scenario is now much more favorable.

Cyberpunk 2077

When this kind of thing happens with No Man's Sky and an indie developer, the player can understand it. But CD Projekt RED, oh my god, we'll never forget the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. It all started with that teaser promising subways, wall climbing, and everything else. It was a futuristic GTA made by the people who gave us the beautiful The Witcher 3. It went wrong.

While PC gamers still had an "acceptable" experience, things got ugly on consoles. So ugly that the game was unavailable on the PlayStation Store for months due to performance issues. During that time, it was only possible to purchase the game on physical media. And the months went by until the release of Cyberpunk Edgerunners.

Even though things started off on the wrong foot, CDPR listened to the community patch after patch. With the arrival of the famous 1.6 version, the futuristic RPG was finally ready. A turning point that translated into sales, brought back fans of the IP, and invited those who had already completed the story to revisit it all.

Subsequently, the Phantom Blade expansion was released only on current-generation consoles and PC. The update cycle closed, but the brand remained with CDPR. As a consequence, the company adopted development methods in which production will be optimized and pre-release testing will be intensified. It hurt, but the studio dealt with the consequences, absorbed the damage, and will soon deliver The Witcher IV.

And what about you? Has any other game gone through this? Is there still hope for MindsEye? Tell us!