There is no question that Cyberpunk 2077 had a bumpy launch when it was released. Ever since, CD Projekt Red has sought tirelessly to improve the game and meet the expectations of fans all over the world. Most recently, Cyberpunk 2077 received update 1.5 that added a slew of new fixes and features, including population behavior and vehicle driving changes.
Update 1.5 has many features that make Night City feel like a living, breathing city. The most important part of an open world is that players feel like they are a part of something, and their surroundings change as they progress through the game. While many factors can influence this, it's usually the small details that players notice on the dangerous streets of Night City.
9 Population Diversity
One of the things that truly stand out in Night City is the people that populate the metropolis. From place to place, wherever players travel, the NPCs that occupy that specific area accurately represent it.
From the high-class suits of City Center, to the graffiti-ridden hard knock streets of Santo Domingo, and all the way to the desert plains of the Badlands, each population is as unique as the last. Going from thousand-dollar pumps to combat boots is only a short trip in any direction.
8 Flying Cars
Traveling through Night City can feel like being trapped in a cage. Whether players start out as a Street Kid, a Corpo, or a Nomad, there's one thing to constantly remind players that they're on the bottom being looked down on from the top.
Players looking toward the skies of Night City will see swarms of airlift vehicles soaring through the air, carrying the city’s elite from place to place. Hover vehicles are a constant reminder of the wealth gap, and give off the feeling that the city is alive and filled with the rich who don’t have to worry about the everyday struggles of those stuck on the ground.
7 Side Missions
Cyberpunk 2077's main story is a winding maze of choices and consequences. Throughout the game, players will tackle multiple missions that place them up against the legends of Night City, but what gives the city a pulse are the dozens of side missions scattered throughout the world.
Each side mission, long or short, is connected to the world in a way that not many other games have been able to accomplish. Each character has a role to play in the jobs that fixers send to V, like helping a Corp agent escape a mob of Tiger Claws, or helping a civilian whose prosthetic implant has gone haywire. Each thorough storyline helps the player feel that there are thousands of lives in Night City, walking along with players throughout the game.
6 The News Broadcast
This new addition reflects a game design element that not many games adapt: When players complete monumental accomplishments, the world takes notice and changes environments according to the player's actions. One of the ways Night City handles this is via the local news.
From the very begging, when an Arasaka transport docks in Night City, players feel like the city is evolving when they hear about it on the radio or on television. When players cause a gunfight in the middle of an Arasaka parade or storm a Malestrom stronghold, it's a great detail when the news reports on the antics the player is involved in. It helps create a sense of presence for the player character.
5 Interesting NPCs
All NPC’s in Night City are unique, to say the least. There are all types, from lone wolf cops fighting against the system to eccentric hackers just trying to do the right thing.
Players will meet all types of interesting and personalized characters, whether it be the local ripper doctor or the leader of a nomad family. Night City lacks no personality, as with every step, players can find a character with a unique story that breathes more life into the setting.
4 Megabuildings
The first location players will explore in Night City will be V’s apartment building, inside megabuilding H10. This location is filled with numerous NPCs complaining about the service, boxing in the halls, and selling self-defense items from top to bottom.
There are several locations like this throughout Night City that have their own type of environment and population, utilizing the tools integrated into the game that makes it feel like a living, breathing community.
3 Different Environments
Night City is the main attraction of Cyberpunk 2077, and while the entire map falls under this umbrella, the different sections of the City can make players feels like they’ve traveled cross-country. For example, the industrial area of the City gives a very grungey, Blade Runner-esque feel, but travel out of the City to the Westbrook slums and its country, trailer park environment, and the atmosphere drastically changes.
Having so much variation in location goes a long way to making players feel like they're not walking in place. Every corner they turn leads to a different destination.
2 Data Shards
Lore is a crucial aspect of any game; equally important is how a game makes it available to players. It is not enough to mention a historical event in a cutscene, or name-drop a location where a gate to hell opens up and nearly destroys the world. A tome, a painting, or a note left behind by a fallen warrior all hold more weight than flashing a special event or character in the player's face.
Cyberpunk 2077 handles this is in the form of data shards scattered throughout the game, which the player will come across as they explore. These shards can contain secret codes or evidence of secret meetings with characters in the game, or sometimes they simply shine a light on some of the dealings that go on in the city.
1 Scanning
NPCs hold a lot of weight within Night City; fully recorded voice lines, actions, and unique designs make each one feel special. But along with all the major details, there is a minor one that shines above the rest when players gloss over NPCs in scanning mode or while Netrunning.
When highlighting a character in Cyberpunk 2077, a small bio will appear, giving the player minor data on that specific NPC. This includes their background, rap sheet, and affiliations. This feature gives life to Night City more depth for players while they explore.