Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.5 – Review
Finally, CD Projekt Red has released the long-awaited Update 1.5 for Cyberpunk 2077 on PC, which includes a revamp of the perk trees, AI improvements, the ability to change V’s appearance, new apartments, and much more. Also in Update 1.5, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Xeriex XS owners will get the long-awaited next-generation version.
When Cyberpunk 2077 was released in December 2020, it was riddled with obvious bugs and undercooked systems. Even though CDPR has fixed many of the game’s most annoying bugs, the game still has an unfinished feel to it. I’m glad to see that some of these issues will be addressed in Update 1.5.
So! In order to make NPCs more intelligent and active, as well as to make faction members behave differently, the combat AI has been improved. NPCs should feel more alive as well, with some carrying weapons and ready to join in on the fighting when V turns around. Crowds should also have less of a preference for despawning when V returns. With the addition of the ability to panic and flee in the event of danger, NPC drivers have become more dynamic as well.
The perk trees have been reworked to remove or rebalance some of the less desirable perk options. It is Commando, a perk that prevents enemies from spotting you when you’re underwater—in a game where you might only spend 30 seconds underwater in a full 100-hour playthrough. Stealth has been renamed Ninjutsu to better reflect its focus. You’ll get all of your points back when Update 1.5 comes out because of the perk changes.
After a period of time, V will automatically receive the less-than-useful throwing knives, with the rarer ones returning sooner. Good. Alternatively, you can do it by hand.
With new messages and interactions, as well as the possibility of sleeping together in bed, romances have been widened a tad.
At apartment mirrors, players will be able to change V’s hair, make-up, and piercings in the middle of the game. New hair and makeup styles, as well as new shades, have been introduced. DLC that’s given away for free.
Even V’s house can be made more opulent. As well as allowing her to purchase four new properties in Night City, it provides her with the option to upgrade her Megabuilding H10 home. Also in the apartment, they’ve added things like incense, a guitar, and a cigarette to help set the mood. People of all ages can benefit from apartment activities. Nibbles, the cat that V begs to live with her, appears to have some new…whatever? With Nibbles, CDPR has kept mum about exactly what they’ve added.
It includes two new rifles, scopes, and an attachment type called muzzle breaks in the third free DLC doodad. Wilson’s, the gun shop in V’s building, carries them, as well as plain old drops.
Let’s see what else we can come up with. A benchmark mode is being added to the PC version, allowing you to test your system’s performance. If you’re a video game tourist, you’ll appreciate the new option to walk rather than run everywhere. A new equilibrium has been achieved in the economy, with higher cash rewards and lower prices for vehicles and computer software. And there are many more. A lot has changed since the last patch.
Cyberpunk 2077’s latest patch sounds more like what the game should have been 14 months ago, even though I’m unlikely to play it again until CDPR releases a full-scale expansion. However, I don’t expect it to ever be the game CDPR originally promised. However, I do enjoy the current state of the game.
As we wrote in our review of Cyberpunk 2077 at launch, the game is “huge, sprawling, complex, and deeply flawed.” “As a single-player action game, it excels thanks to the endearing characters and exhilarating adventures that take place in a richly detailed open world that looks better than anything else before it. If you want it to be an RPG, an approach-as-you-please Deus Ex sequel, or a polished piece of software, it’s at its worst. Even though I’ll spend years bemoaning its shortcomings, I had a great time with it and would like to have more time with it. I’m looking forward to the whining as well.”
