As CD Projekt Red said to do, I started a whole new Cyberpunk 2077 game in order to get the full experience of the 2.0 benefit. The journey of Cyberpunk 2077 from 2020 to today has been… an eventful one, to say the least. However, I was willing to give Cyberpunk 2077 another go. A fresh, clean slate to see if CDPR actually improved the game or if it was all just smoke and mirrors. So, has Cyberpunk 2077 gotten better with the 2.0 update? Let’s find out together, shall we?
Starting a New Game
It was a humbling experience to start a new game realizing that I’d have to redo the entire prologue, but I wanted to really get the dry-clean fresh Cyberpunk experience. So, it was back to Arasaka in the Corpo life path because it’s the only logical option for a finance student.
Oh, by the way, I’m playing Cyberpunk 2077 on an Xbox Series X and I am using the Ray Tracing mode!
Now, I wanted to ensure that my V looked as Cyberpunk-y as possible. Which is exactly what I’ve done. As you can see.
Already from the onset, I feel like the game just *feels* smoother and it looks somehow much, much better.
Gunplay Impressions
One of the biggest issues I had with Cyberpunk 2077 at launch was the gunplay. For a game where guns are the primary weapon of choice, the gunplay was abysmal on console. I have no clue how it is over on the PC version of the game, but at launch, all I wanted to do was launch my Xbox controller into my TV out of frustration.
However, I must say… CDPR gets a big thanks from me for fixing the gunplay. It feels soooo much better now. The gun aim assist actually works. The bullets feel like they have impact. The enemies don’t just start ragdolling into the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. They actually get hit by bullets and get downed.
Also, the healing and grenade has changed quite a lot. Now, you have an infinite amount that recharges after two times. So, you don’t have to worry about running around like a cyberpsycho just to find healing material. It’s great and it’s really changed the gameplay loop for me.
Visual Quality
WOW! Just WOW!
I dunno, Cyberpunk 2077 has always impressed me when it comes to the visuals from the moment I first loaded it onto my Series X. It really does look like a great game and it always has. I have no idea if CDPR changed the visuals in the 2.0 update much, but the Ray Tracing mode does make a difference.
This is another scene where I think the visual quality stood out a lot in the prologue:
Driving Mechanics
The driving could be better, but honestly, it does feel like I have more control over my vehicle this time around. I definitely also think the driving is smoother and more agile.
I might just be a bit too much of a reckless driver tho…
There’s also vehicle combat, but I haven’t gotten that far yet in my playthrough to try that out. There are new radio stations too. I actually really like the radio in Cyberpunk 2077. They’ve got some insane tunes on Ritual FM, which is my personal favorite station to blast out of my cars while I’m driving so carefully.
Perks and Skills
CDPR basically overhauled the entire skill tree and perk system. Here are the patch notes below on this point:
- A complete Perk tree overhaul. These trees now contain fewer perks, but impact gameplay in a more meaningful way. Progressing in a given Perk tree will allow you to unlock special abilities such as Overclock mode for netrunners, Bolt shots for Tech weapons, the Adrenaline Rush ability for Body-focused character builds, and so on. Because the devs introduced extensive changes to the Perk system, your spent Perk points on existing playthroughs have been refunded. You can also choose to reset your Attributes once. Feel free to redistribute these Perk and Attribute points to suit your preferred playstyle before you continue playing
- The devs have merged the previous Skills into five new ones – Headhunter, Netrunner, Shinobi, Solo, Engineer. These are not restricted by their corresponding Attribute’s level. On existing playthroughs, your progression on old skills has been transferred to their new counterparts. Skills unlock new passive buffs every 5 levels, and can be leveled up to a max of 60
- Removed the option to reset all Perks at once. Instead, it is now possible to refund each Perk individually for free
- Introduced new kinds of progression shards: Attribute Shards, Carrying Capacity Shards and Cyberware Capacity Shards
Yeah, this is a whole lot better to use and it is WAAAAY easier to navigate than it was before. I definitely felt the change a lot. Upgrading makes a ton of sense now and I can pretty much figure out which paths I want to value taking first. Good on CDPR for fixing this thing.
Improved Police AI?
Yeah, the police AI is actually a lot different this time around. If you play GTA V, you probably have seen something similar to this employed. Police now actively chase you for committing crimes and you can engage in shoot-outs with them. As you can see below, that’s precisely what happened with me. It was inadvertent, but maybe my reckless driving in Night City finally caught up to me.
You can also lose the cops by driving away and staying out of their line of sight. I did that by committing another crime which is stealing a car and then driving aimlessly around until they lost me.
The police are definitely much better in the 2.0 update. It’s like a totally different game now.
Cyberware and Clothing
Clothes are now totally cosmetic so they don’t have levels to them anymore. I think that this was the best decision CDPR could have made. I personally have a very strong opinion regarding game fashion and I like to look my best, you know? So, I appreciate being able to rock anything I want to now without fear of needing different levels.
The only thing that really matters level-wise now is the Cyberware and the Rippderdocs take care of that as they did before. There are some more changes, which you can read below:
- Armor is now provided primarily by cyberware. As a result, clothing’s purpose is mostly cosmetic. Clothing items no longer have mod slots, and only some items provide bonuses.
- The number of cyberware implants your body can handle is now determined by your Cyberware Capacity.
- Cyberware implants are now Attuned to specific Attributes – the higher the Attribute, the stronger the stat bonus.
- You can now upgrade cyberware on the ripperdoc screen.
- Some Cyberware slots can be unlocked by acquiring specific Perks.
- Added multiple new kinds of Cyberware.
- Visiting ripperdocs is now more immersive. When getting cyberware installed, you sit on an operating chair and experience different animations depending on the type of implant.
- Added a side quest introducing the new cyberware system for players who load an older save on the 2.0 update.
Overall Thoughts?
There is a lot of stuff CDPR fixed with the 2.0 update. I personally recommend reading the patch notes, which I’ve linked right here. This should give you a much wider range of knowledge and you will definitely see all of the patch notes in action in the game. I’m planning on also making a video showcasing all of the changes in action soon, so stay tuned for that.
I can’t believe it, but Cyberpunk 2077 feels like a totally different game now. I’m impressed, CDPR. I’m impressed. And I’m also glad that CDPR didn’t abandon Cyberpunk 2077. I really like this game and I’m glad it’s getting the attention and work it deserves.
But seriously, I was right when I said in 2020 that this game really needed a few more years in the development oven.
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Zainah Yousef
Zainah Yousef is the author of The Fallen Age Saga and specializes in gaming, social media advice, and reviews. She's been writing all her life and she probably won't stop anytime soon.
