Did Cyberpunk 2077’s Next Gen Update Save the Game’s Reputation?

Last week, Cyberpunk fans (and haters) finally saw the 1.5 update arrive – but Can Cyberpunk 2077’s Next Gen Update Save the Game’s reputation?

The hype train for Cyberpunk 2077 was traveling at an unmatched pace when the game was announced in 2012.

Then they showed Keanu and that train was moving at the speed of light. 

But when it launched, they went right off the rails. Broken, buggy, and seemingly unfinished – CD Projekt Red’s latest title failed to function well, let alone live up to the hype created along the way. 

Many still tried to enjoy the game, and held out hope that with enough care, it could become a fully fleshed out title worth playing. After being made fun of for over a year – those bastions of the Cyberpunk hope get the “Next Gen Update”. 

An update with a long list of patches, reworks, updates and redesigns aimed at making the entire game a better experience. 

But is it enough to save the game’s reputation? 

There’s been a lot of discussion across the industry on that very question – and we’ve curated a few here to reach a fair verdict on if Cyberpunk 2077’s Next Gen Update Save the Game’s reputation.

Before that, we should look at what’s actually inside this monstrous update.

What’s in the Next Gen Update for Cyberpunk 2077

There are a lot of changes bundled under this big update, but here’s an overview of the ones you’ll see talked about a lot.

• Added ray-tracing
• Added 2 graphics modes on PS5 and Xbox Series X (Performance Mode + Ray Tracing mode)
• Performance fixes to smooth out FPS hiccups
• DualSense features for PS5
• You can now buy more apartments throughout the city
• Character customization available throughout the game, not just at the beginning
• NPC improvements to like crowd reactions and natural movement
• A ton of driving improvements to help that feel better
• Redesigned parts of the skill-tree (and reset existing players skill trees to reassign)
• Throwing knives are on a cool down now instead of just being gone when you use it
• Added secrets to discover
• Music in clubs is now louder
• NPCs are more varied
• Improved water animations (Call of Duty Ghosts eat your heart out)
• Free trials available [TK]

With all of that – and a lot more – to consider, let’s take a look at the notable reviews.

Eurogamer

This review from Thomas Morgan at Eurogamer is heavily focused on the visual upgrades, the ray tracing and comparing the different console versions. It makes for a great read.

However, it wraps up with a lovely and succinct point that is the most interesting development of this new chapter in Cyberpunk’s history:

But to my mind, Cyberpunk’s latest patch does one great thing: it creates a more stable base to build on for future updates and patches.

Another article from Eurogamer, written by Chris Tapsell has a strong point in the opposite direction:

I’ve read through these notes a couple of times, had a tinker on a new save with a Series X, and fired up my old endgame one on a fancier PC. But thinking about them really only gets me to one conclusion: I simply do not care.

Mobile Syrup

The title of this article from Steve Vegvari says a lot as well:

“Cyberpunk 2077’s Patch 1.5 was worth the wait but doesn’t demand immediate attention”

Screen Rant

Kyle Gratton from Screen Rant came to similar conclusions:

Cyberpunk 2077 may not be for everyone, and it’s certainly not the game that was promised in its early promotional period years ago, but the 1.5 update has helped make it a game much more worthy of time than it was when it first launched.   

A Fair Verdict

Cyberpunk 2077 was not ready to be released when it first launched. Most can agree that this “Next Gen Update” puts the game into the condition that would have been nice to see on release day. 

But that didn’t happen, and a lot of people were burned by CD Projekt Red and gave up on Cyberpunk. If you lost complete faith, and still hold that grudge – this update may not be enough for you.

But if you thought the game had the right bones, and still hoped for a fun experience – this update will make things even better. The enjoyment of the game seems to be up across the board in reviews. Held back (and maybe protected?) by the very busy release schedule in February, and still haunted by the ghost of their own hype – the next gen update for Cyberpunk 2077 may very well be enough to save the reputation of the game.

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