Cyberpunk 2077, once celebrated as a groundbreaking game that suffered from disappointing execution, continues its rocky journey toward legitimacy with the release of Update 2.3. While CD Projekt Red claims this update marks a new chapter filled with vehicle additions, autonomous driving, and polish, it’s hard not to view these changes through a skeptical lens. Are these improvements truly a sign of genuine progress, or are they superficial band-aids masking underlying flaws that stubbornly persist? In a gaming industry plagued with hype cycles and corporate lip service, transparency and intention become the real measures of worth—and in this respect, Cyberpunk 2077’s latest update leaves much to be desired.
Illusions of Innovation: The Vehicles and AutoDrive
Adding four new vehicles and side quests may seem like noteworthy progress, but it highlights a glaring issue: the scarcity of meaningful content. The new cars—Yaiba ARV-Q340 Semimaru, Rayfield Caliburn “Mordred,” Yaiba ASM-R250 Muramasa, and Chevillon Legatus 450 Aquila—offer players temporary excitement, but do they genuinely redefine the experience? Not quite. These additions feel more like cosmetic cherry-picks to appease players craving variety, rather than foundational improvements that address core gameplay limitations.
The auto-driving feature, AutoDrive, is perhaps more emblematic of the shallow promises made to players. While it offers a glimpse into the future of gaming—autonomous navigation within a sprawling city—it ultimately feels like a gimmick. Taking V on leisurely cruises through Night City with cinematic camera angles sounds appealing until you realize the feature disintegrates under the reality of combat and damage, stripping away any sense of true reliability. It’s a belligerent reminder that such features are more about style than substance. Instead of forging a genuinely immersive and autonomous experience, this addition feels like a hollow simulation meant to distract from fundamental flaws.
Superficial Customization and Visual Fluff
The expansion of vehicle customization options via CrystalCoat technology and the new NPCs in photo mode underscore a troubling trend: content for content’s sake. While players may enjoy customizing their rides or snapping pictures with a new cast of NPCs, these are peripheral bells and whistles that do little to resolve the game’s pervasive issues—such as repetitive missions, shallow character development, and technical bugs.
The new NPCs introduced into photo mode feel like window dressing designed to create the illusion of depth in a world that remains fundamentally shallow. The ability to switch outfits is a minor charm but does little to mitigate the lack of compelling storylines or meaningful interactions. It suggests that the developers are more interested in superficial aesthetic upgrades than addressing the meaningful gameplay experience that underdelivered at launch.
Technical Enhancements or Just Fancy Cosmetics?
While the update touts support for more advanced PC technologies, including AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XeSS 2.0, and HDR10+ support, these are primarily under-the-hood improvements that most players will seldom notice. Console players enjoy VRR support, a feature that enhances visual fluidity but does little to overcome the game’s core criticisms: bland environments, monotonous side activities, and an overhyped narrative that never quite lives up to expectations.
This focus on optimizing visual fidelity and performance feels like a distraction from the issues that really matter—story depth, gameplay innovation, and meaningful player agency. If the game’s core remains lacking, then these technical upgrades are merely cosmetic enhancements, not solutions. They serve to mask a game that still feels incomplete, a patchwork masterpiece pieced together just enough to keep the façade alive.
The Real Question: Are These Changes Enough?
Ultimately, CD Projekt Red’s Update 2.3 symbolizes a trend many gamers are weary of—expedient patches that add shiny objects without fixing the fundamental problems. The promise of a thriving, dynamic Night City feels increasingly hollow when the core experience of Cyberpunk 2077 remains riddled with repetitiveness and superficiality. While there is undeniable talent behind these improvements, their impact is diminished by the pervasive sense that they are mere cosmetic bandages rather than meaningful strides toward redemption.
In the grand scheme of things, one has to wonder whether such updates signal genuine remorse and a commitment to accountability or are simply calculated moves to salvage reputation and maintain player engagement. For those who endure through the game’s rocky history, these enhancements can provide temporary relief, but they do little to challenge the underlying narrative: that Cyberpunk 2077 continues to be a game caught between its potential and its shortcomings—a mirror to the broader realities of modern gaming where surface-level polish often supersedes meaningful content.