When players jump into Cyberpunk 2077 for the first time, they will be faced with 4 choices of difficulty. Each of these difficulty options may not have had much of an effect on the original Cyberpunk 2077, but with the release of Update 2.0, and all its breathtaking changes, there has been a notable increase in difficulty scaling, adding a new set of challenges for the players that seek hardship in Night City.
Players can enter a new game in Cyberpunk 2077’s Update 2.0 with the choice between Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. Each difficulty option has its own set of challenges for players to master, but if they are curious as to what each difficulty does, then they can see them listed below. It’s also worth noting that if Night City is too challenging, players can easily change the difficulty at any time.
How To Change Difficulty In Cyberpunk 2077
Luckily, players are not locked into the difficulty that they chose at the start of Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt RED allows players to change the difficulty at any time during their playthrough, whether that’s to make the game harder or easier, is up to them entirely. Players can easily adjust the difficulty of Cyberpunk 2077 by following these easy steps listed below:
- Pause the game.
- Select the Settings menu.
- Click the Gameplay Difficulty slider.
- Confirm the new chosen difficulty setting.
Players are never locked out of choosing their difficulty, so players should feel free to come back to this menu at any time to change the difficulty based on their preference of play. Sometimes players might want a more casual experience through Night City, whereas others might want to feel like the city is suffocating them, much like how V feels with the clock ticking ever more on their demise to Johnny Silverhand.
Easy
The right choice for players who want to sit back and enjoy the story. Combat will not pose a challenge.
Easy is a setting for players who want to experience Cyberpunk 2077 but without the challenges within. Players will find a more casual and easier stroll through Night City with this difficulty option, as enemies will seem to guide players in ways to actually kill them. Players can heal effectively, enemies have little health, and they will actively avoid going for cover and using their abilities.
Just because the Easy difficulty poses no threat to players, doesn’t mean it is not a fun experience. Sometimes, players don’t want to risk it all just to enjoy a game, and with this difficulty option in Cyberpunk 2077, players can enjoy everything that the game has to offer without the guise of simply not being good enough and left out of the fun that Night City has to offer.
Normal
Enemies will have all the tools at their disposal to take V on, but for the most part, only enemies at a higher level will prove a significant challenge.
At the Normal difficulty option, players will find the default Cyberpunk 2077 experience. The game is neither too easy nor too hard, and they will be able to see Night City as the developers intended. This default difficulty is great for those who want to experience Night City as it was for the first time and to try and learn the game as new challenges approach them with each mission and district explored.
The Normal difficulty for Cyberpunk 2077 is definitely one that players should try if they are new to the game and enjoy the fact that they might not win every battle, but they have the determination to try again and with something new. Enemies won’t restrict themselves, and they can pose a serious threat, especially the Cyberpsychos out there.
Hard
Combat will be a substantial challenge. The effective use of Perks, cyberware, combat gadgets and consumables will be essential to survival.
With the Hard difficulty, Cyberpunk 2077 offers players a chance to truly challenge themselves, where combat feels more like an attempt at survival than a simple shootout. Players will need to have a keen sense of Perks and cyberware to better understand the game before them and to try and bring Night City to its knees rather than being swallowed by the city itself.
Enemies will have a larger health pool, and their weapons will certainly hit harder than what fans might expect from Easy and Normal. Their guns don’t feel like they are shooting BB bullets, and they will actively seek out cover and ways to take the player out like they are in a tactical shooter.
Very Hard
Buckle up for a serious challenge. Careful character development and clever use of items, game mechanics and the environment will be necessary to help V make it on the streets of Night City.
Very Hard is no joke in Cyberpunk 2077 2.0. Players should only enter the Very Hard difficulty setting if they know how Cyberpunk 2077 works, and they have a keen eye for developing their character into a hardened merc that can take on the worst that Night City has to offer. Very Hard will throw everything at the player, as enemies will have the largest health pools possible, and their own weapons will feel like rubber-hitting metal.
If players are to survive the Very Hard difficulty setting, then they need to invest in the best skills in Cyberpunk 2077, as well as finely tune their cyberware into a killing machine. More often than not, players will need to use the environment for cover and protection during intense and long fights. Even the simplest of battles could see the end of V, and the displeasure of Johnny Silverhand.
Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.0 is available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Phantom Liberty releases on September 26 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.