Cyberpunk 2077’s most recent patch and next-gen update promise smoother gameplay, which means more exciting options for fans.
Cyberpunk 2077 fans finally get the changes and fixes they have been waiting for with the Next-Generation update. These tweaks and additions promise fans a smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience all around, with hopefully more like this in the future.
Patch 1.5 and the Next-Gen update brought fixes and improvements to the gameplay, including better AI mechanics and updated visuals. They added some all-new content for players to enjoy, such as character customization, new purchasable apartments, new guns and scopes, and more romantic interactions.
Something much anticipated by the fans was to customize their character mid-game. Mechanics like this are available in other games like this—such as Fallout 4 and others with barbers on the map—so it was expected to be included in Cyberpunk, and now it finally is.
Players can now re-customize their characters from their apartments by looking into their mirror. Along with changing facial expressions, they can now change their appearance. Along with this new feature, they also added in some new hairs and colors and other customization options for the players. Now fans can change their character as many times as they want and match their newly looted outfits.
Unpopular opinions on Reddit state Cyberpunk‘s open-world is just too boring, and they might make a good point considering the AIs seemed lifeless and non-responsive to the chaos happening around them. However, the Next-Gen update brought several improvements to fix that flaw hopefully.
The NPCs around Night City will respond more appropriately during combat, in traffic, and as they walk around the streets. Some NPCs can attack back based on their personality type or run away instead of cowering in a squat if provoked. They also will get behind cover, reload when needed, and react more realistically during combat. The multiple spawn glitches and deadpan AI problems will hopefully be less for players now.
At Wilson’s 2nd Amendment gun shop just outside of V’s original apartment, players can now find some new weapons and attachments available to purchase—the Umbra AR, Guillotine SMG, and all-new muzzle breaks.
Two new guns were added to the game—the power assault rifle, Umbra, and the power submachine gun, Guillotine. Both are scaled to the player’s level upon purchase but can be upgraded. There are also new scopes available, some with a fresh digitalized look. There are completely new attachments added to the game: the muzzle breaks. There are fifteen different kinds, but they are only available for certain guns and must be correlated correctly.
Along with cars, weapons, and clothes, players can now purchase their unique apartments in the game, allowing for a whole new level of immersive play. Whether they are a Street Kid, Corpo, or Nomad, V can have an appropriate styled house that fits their style.
There are four new apartments up for purchase, which players will receive a quest for after reaching a certain point in the questline or finding the site on their apartment computer. The apartment varies in cost, related to the location and type of apartment they decide to get. The cheapest apartment is a small space with neon lighting and an arcade machine, while the most expensive is a sleek, modern Corpo building. Players may also wish to upgrade V’s original apartment instead, which they can now do for a standard rate of 10k eddies.
Fans were promised a stunning game performance-wise and visually with Cyberpunk, but unfortunately, some of that had fallen a bit short with the game’s release. This Next-Gen update brings some of those expected graphics to the game at last—especially for those playing on the Xbox Series X.
Players on the new consoles can now switch between performance and ray-tracing modes. With ray-tracing activated, the shadows and lights in the game are more dynamic and realistic. The appearance of water and glass in the game has also significantly improved, allowing players to see reflections in them. Especially during the night, players will experience a more visually stunning experience with all the city lights and neon billboards.
Players found themselves getting interrupted at the least convenient times. Players didn’t have a choice whether or not they wanted to listen to a full, long speech of fixers or end of gig chit-chat. After many complaints, they can now choose to reject a call they don’t want to hear.
V would get phone calls at all the wrong or inconvenient moments. They could be driving past a certain area and get a random phone call from a Fixer introducing themselves or talking about a nearby gig. While players may want to be aware of those, most of the time, it’s at the worst times and just annoying to listen through. Now, they can choose to reject non-important phone calls and spare themselves from the long monologues.
Some of the best side-quests in the game allow players to create a romantic connection of certain NPCs and help them out with their struggles and engagements they are dealing with. Some players found the romance in the game was a bit too short, but now they have more extended interactions.
Helping certain NPCs and treating them kindly, Judy, Kerry, Panem, or River, will allow V to create a romantic connection to them. Players will experience a romantic moment between the two, which will affect the game’s ending. However, after the initial quests with the love interests, V hardly sees or interacts with them again besides the ending. With the new update, the romantic interactions have been extended, allowing V to have more texts and other options with their loved ones.
There have been so many hilarious glitches in the game, specifically related to the vehicles. They have been known to spawn in random places, spawn upside down, or glitch out players in third-person mode. They also can be a little hard to handle while driving, resulting in many NPC deaths.
The Next-Gen update brought a lot of improvements to the vehicle, allowing for better handling and easier navigating. Vehicles will behave more realistically when braking and accelerating. Players can also experience Burn Out mode, which can be activated by pressing on the gas and brake simultaneously. This mode allows players to experience a whole new drag-race style of driving, where they can perform donuts, drifts, and possibly wipe out their vehicles.
One of the hardest things to do seemed to collect enough money to buy vehicles and updated cyberware in the game. As many gigs and side quests players did, it was hard to get enough for those expensive items. Now, players can earn more eddies from gigs and other jobs around Night City.
It took forever for players to earn enough money to purchase the car or gear they wanted. With the new update, players can now earn a more appropriate amount for the intense jobs and gigs they pick up. Many gigs have been improved from glitches, allowing for a smoother and quicker grind for eddies in general. V can now drive the car of their dreams and suit up in style without completing every job in town first.
Since the launch, there have been so many changes to the game, but players finally see the updates and changes that matter. Perks make V a unique character for each player and give them the abilities to complete the hard quests. The developers are finally started dusting up the perks menu, making it easier to navigate and more appropriate to the game.
Players, more recently, can reassign their perks by buying back all the points and redispersing them. With the update, some perks have been improved and changed up a bit. The stealth tree in specific has seen the most improvements. It is now titled Ninjutsu, a skill that used to be available in the tree, which is now the complete theme. Players might also notice some of the perks with redesigned abilities and attributes, such as Bloodswell, Human Shield, and much more.
Abigail is a Full Sail Alumni with a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing. She enjoys writing short fiction stories mainly themed around suspense and horror. Some of her favorite authors are J.K Rowling, Jane Austen, and Caroline Kerpnes. She also enjoys playing video games in her free time.
