Cyberpunk 2077: Update 1.5

Cyberpunk 2077 was my GOTY 2021 which I guess might be a controversial pick for some but for me, 2077 delivered exactly the kind of game I wanted. Despite its many flaws and technical issues, the core story, characters, quests and gameplay were superb. I completed the game twice following its release, including an all-content run, clocking over 170 hours of play.

I wrote in my GOTY post that – ‘There’s still so much potential in Cyberpunk 2077, but even if the promised patches, updates and DLC don’t deliver on that potential, 2077 will still be one of the best games I’ve played in recent years. With fantastic visuals, a stunning world, great gameplay and a compelling story and characters, it’s a game that, despite its poor release and numerous little flaws, is still pretty damn special.’

And now, here we are with Update 1.5, the first major patch for 2077 released alongside the next-gen console upgrade. The question is, does this patch begin to deliver upon that potential? Is it worth jumping back in for? And if you’ve not played Cyberpunk yet, is now the time?

My answers to those questions would be sort of, probably not and yes. This patch does improve many areas of the game that needed work, although there’s clearly still a lot more work to do. But I wouldn’t say there’s enough stuff here for a player like me, who has already exhausted the existing content, to jump back in – especially not when Warhammer 3 releases tomorrow (at the time of writing). But if you’re a new player, then now is a great time to pick up the game and experience the world, story and characters of Cyberpunk for yourself.

So what’s actually in this update? There’s been a pretty extensive overhaul of player perks and a rebalance of the game economy, although I’d have to play a new game to really test these out. NPC behaviour has been improved in the sense that they don’t all duck and cover in unison, but now actually scatter and run and sometimes even fight back. Civilian drivers now also react in ways that help the world feel more alive.

A lot of the improvements in this patch may not seem particularly significant but they do stack in such a way that does begin – and I stress begin – to improve the weakest aspect of 2077 – the open world. In terms of new content, the best thing is the inclusion of new apartments to purchase throughout the city. It’s neat, but not really exciting enough for a new run.

I think this is probably the last big update we’ll see for 2077 prior to the first major expansion – assuming it doesn’t get cancelled. I’m sure there will be several minor patches and content updates along the way, but I just don’t see myself going back to 2077 until there’s more new – and substantial – content to get stuck into. I’m also thinking I might prefer to wait and play it on a new PC – when GPU prices finally come down . . . if they ever come down. This patch certainly hasn’t helped with performance on my system and I’d say it actually runs a little worse.

Overall, my opinion on 2077 still hasn’t changed. It’s a fantastic game that deserves to be played and it would be a shame if the developers eventually decide to give up on it. There’s still so many stories to explore in Night City. But for now, I’ll continue to wait and hope.