When it comes to generics/templates and expressivity, there are some arguably better languages around. But the range of having access to absolute low level control at the same time as highly abstract generic programming is virtually unmatched.

But the footguns are also impressive and formidable. And one of the unique powers of the language is that it allows the user to build constructs that improve the power of those footguns by several orders of magnitude. And teams can happily build footgun force multipliers without individually recognizing what they are working on.

I still write lots of C++, and the overall reason has more to do with the ecosystem (which is unmatched for what I do) than the language itself. I like it, but learning other languages made me yearn for features that C++ won't likely get before I retire a few decades from now (curse you, Walter Bright, for your awesome ideas! ;) ). In some ways, I feel about C++ like a child who saw ads of awesome toys, but they aren't available for purchase.