CD Projekt RED showcased its next-gen update for Cyberpunk 2077 in its dev stream this month, with the patch adding a decent amount of new content to the game while fixing the countless bugs that have afflicted it since launch. There were quite a few big reveals in the dev stream, showcasing improved AI mechanics to brand new, interactive apartments in Night City Cyberpunk 2077 players can purchase for their character. As of the update's launch, many fans have reacted positively to the improvements, with many believing that this is the first step in CDPR making the game that was originally promised to players.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a massive RPG video game developed by Polish developer, CD Projekt RED. Featuring a massive open world and a branching storyline, the game is about V, a mercenary working in the futuristic metropolis of Night City who gets the consciousness of rebellious punk rockstar, Johnny Silverhand stuck in his head. Originally released in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 was littered with bugs on PC and consoles, to the point that the game was removed from the PlayStation Store for a good chunk of 2021. The game has since received many updates to resolve these issues, with Cyberpunk 2077's Next-Gen update being the biggest one to date.
As revealed in a Twitch stream from Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt RED, the Next-Gen update has brought numerous improvements to the game, patching a ton of bugs while adding many quality of life adjustments. It also has added some extra story content to keep the main game going until the next DLC arrives later this year or 2023. The game has been optimized to play a lot better on new-gen consoles, even providing features for the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller. With a ton of new fixes and upgrades to the original game, now is possibly the best time to give Cyberpunk 2077 a second chance.
New Interactive Apartments Have Been Added To Cyberpunk 2077
One of the most notable additions to feature in February's dev stream was the new apartments players can buy for V across Night City. These apartments are in different areas of the game and have interactive environments that allow for some roleplaying. Some of these interactions were showcased in the dev stream, which showed the Japantown apartment featuring a Japanese style of interior design. In the dev stream, the interactions shown were V playing some tunes on his guitar and burning incense. Each apartment also includes a mirror for players to customize V's appearance.
Players must first finish the quest "Playing for Time" in order to purchase new apartments for V in Cyberpunk 2077. They can purchase these apartments via V's computer or head to the complex through a side quest. The prices of these apartments vary, with the Corpo Plaza apartment in City Center being the most expensive at a whopping 55,000 eddies, although it does provide plenty of space. These apartments each have different designs and layouts, with different interactive stations the player can use. On top of the new four apartments, V's default apartment can also be customized, with CD Projekt RED adding plenty of new reskins for the room.
Change V's Appearance Using Mirrors In Cyberpunk 2077
Another huge addition that players have been asking for is the ability to customize V's character after the start of Cyberpunk 2077. Many fans were annoyed at the fact that the game never allowed players to change their character's appearance after the initial customization screen. Now, however, players can customize V anytime to their liking. All they need to do is find an interactable mirror which can be found all across Night City. This will allow the player to open the customization menu and change their character once more.
Interacting with the mirror allows players to customize any aspect of V's appearance, from hairstyles to tattoos. The dev stream also showcased some new hair colors, styles, and makeup for V. What's more, is that in new-gen versions of Cyberpunk 2077, the character's appearance has seen graphical improvements. Now that players can freely customize their character whenever they want, it's safe to expect a possible expansion for cosmetics in a future update. This could add new tattoos and hairstyles and possibly build upon the game's character customization.
Cyberpunk 2077's Update Rebalances Combat, Perk, & AI Systems
The last of the major reveals comes with some quality of life improvements, as well as enhanced AI and combat mechanics. Starting off with combat and AI, many NPC animations and decision-making were improved, creating smarter and tougher opponents for the player to face off against to make the game more challenging. There was also a rebalance of the weaponry and gear in the game, allowing for better level scaling and a better loot system. As seen in the dev stream, enemies also tactically position themselves behind cover, promoting more aggressive gameplay for the player.
Cyberpunk 2077's perk tree system was also completely revamped, ditching some useless perks like the infamous "not detected underwater" perk and adding some more useful ones. One of the most notable was a new knife throwing perk, which was a big feature shown in the dev stream. Players can now throw their knives and retrieve them like a boomerang after a few seconds. Alternatively, they can get their knife back by running over to the spot or enemy it landed on. The throwing knife perk is called "Dagger Dealer" and can be found in the Ninjitsu perk set, which was formerly known as the Stealth set. Other perks such as "Cold Blood" and "Epimorphosis" were changed to be more useful, as well.
Cyberpunk 2077 has seen its first major update of improvements, with the Next-Gen update proving to enhance the game to make it much better than how it was originally released. Positive user reviews of Cyberpunk 2077 may increase after this update, as it fixes tons of bugs, enhances NPCs and AI, and adds some new mini DLCs. Players can now acquire four more unique apartments with their own unique environments, customize their character freely whenever they want, and test out some brand new, awesome perks. With this being one of the last major updates in optimizing the game, players can hopefully expect some possible new DLC expansions for Cyberpunk 2077 to be announced this year.
Source: Twitch/CD Projekt RED