Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (Nintendo Switch 2)

My interest in Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition was really quite lukewarm. I felt done with V's adventures for quite some time and the idea of a scaled-down version didn't appeal to me at all. But then came the first reports that the game would actually be really good, and even flowed better than with a Steam Deck.

And... all of a sudden I got the urge to play as Corpo, which I actually hadn't had time to do yet. Now I'm well into Cyberpunk 2077 for Switch 2 and have tried both the main adventure and the Phantom Liberty expansion. So how does it stand up?

Cyberpunk 2077, as you know, had an absolutely horrendous premiere, perhaps the worst ever, and performed terribly on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In fact, Sony even cancelled sales of the game. Then CD Projekt Red set out to right the ship, which they managed to do after years of hard work, and a really nice version was released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X.

So where does Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition end up? That will be the focus of this review, and if you want to know more about the game itself, you should read our review of the base title and the expansion. But before we get into the technical stuff, there are some unique features to consider. Most notably, these include new ways to play. One is gyro aiming, which can be combined with Motion Patterns for those who want to play the entire adventure this way. With the latter, you attach movements to everything, which to me in most cases feels more of a hassle than just pressing a button.

It also comes with a mouse control, which some experienced PC gamers will certainly appreciate. Joy-Con 2 works great as a mouse, of course, but I note that the design is worse for long-term gaming than a 'real' mouse, so I think the ergonomics suffer a bit. In addition, the game runs at 30-40 frames per second (in theory but in practice lower) and mouse pointers with such a low image update do not work very well. So there are options, but apart from the gyro for shooting, I think the more traditional ways of playing will dominate for most people - although that's not perfect either as I really miss trigger buttons that contribute to the feeling of using a trigger.

Gliding around Night City is still a joy, especially at night when the neon lights come on and create that futuristic charm that for many is the hallmark of this type of scifi. Compared to how the game is on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it feels like a step in the right direction, and I'm not talking about the deplorable condition they were released in. It's simply a really good-looking game that feels technically impressive in a way few other Switch 2 titles do. It runs at 30 or 40 frames per second depending on the graphics selection, but unfortunately it's not completely smooth. With VRR support, I also think it looks almost surrealistically gorgeous on a portable, and I couldn't help but terrorise my surroundings during the review period and promptly want to show off the graphics-heavy spectacle.

That said, a slightly deserted city is the clearest sign that Switch 2 isn't as powerful as Microsoft and Sony's top consoles. There simply isn't as much hustle and bustle, either on the streets or in traffic. If you want to compare it to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, it won't be as impressive, of course, but they're still different formats with different strengths, and as skewed as comparing a worst-in-class PC to a PlayStation 5 from 2020.

The adventure is otherwise the same as when it started, revolving around V getting an experimental chip implanted in his head. The only problem is that a madman called Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves) starts to take over your mind and puts your body at risk of belonging to someone else. This journey is still powerful and extremely well worth playing through. Also included is the Phantom Liberty expansion, which adds a good 20 hours of extra cyber-adventure with Idris Elba. The expansion's storytelling is actually better than in the main game, with more nail-biting thrills as you're thrown into a tangle of spies, conspiracies and high-stakes deception.

If you haven't played Cyberpunk 2077 before and are curious about the game, this is a version you will have fun with and be impressed by. If you have played it before and are eager to run through it again, I would say that the entertainment value will vary depending on your tolerance for graphical downgrading. It certainly doesn't look like it does on a top-tuned PC, but there's nothing quite as eye-catching about Switch 2, and CD Projekt Red has done an impressive job of bringing it all together. This summer, I'm looking forward to completing my adventure as Corpo lying on a beach.