If you’ve delved into the gaming Internet within the past few of weeks, they you’ve probably caught wind of Cyberpunk 2077’s “redemption arc” with its 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty DLC release. I admit that I was paying close attention, not so much for the DLC, but for the 2.0 update – the “thing” that was supposed to fix CP2077’s many woes. When I first attempted to play the game a year and change ago, I thought the experience was…okay. At that point – CP2077 had just received its “next gen” update – the game still seemed unpolished. I really liked the main characters, but the game’s biggest character, Night City itself, felt lifeless. Combat was so-so, and some quests simply meandered before fizzling away. I dropped CP2077 with my corpo, punky V heading into the endgame, and didn’t really look back. I booted up the game a time or two in the interim to no avail. I felt removed from that initial playthrough and figured it would be better to start over. The 2.0 update, plus me harboring a bit of frustration with Starfield, gave me the perfect excuse to do just that.

My second playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 began with a new streetkid V toughing her way through loads of shadiness to eventually meet up with good pal Jackie. From there, the game set off as before. V participated in a (botched) heist that would bring rocker and revolutionary Johnny Silverhand into her life. From there, through love and loss, she’d work to take down one of Night City’s most vile corporations. This time, I witnessed the end, or rather, an end, to V’s chronicle. Her epilogue was…odd, to say the least. But, in order to get to the game’s credits, I streamlined my efforts. In my roughly 30-hour playthrough, I focused solely on the main story, only did sidequests when the game forced me to wait, and I didn’t pursue a romance. I snubbed most side characters and didn’t even come across a few. I also went the route of V despising Johnny (rather than accepting and even liking him, as my corpo V had), which led to fewer interactions between the two, and is probably why I received a less-than-optimal ending.

The 2.0 update didn’t change the game’s story, however; that was never really at issue. What the 2.0 update did was make the game into what it probably should have been when it first came out – a more expressive, stable, vibrant, and exciting game. The game’s perks and skill trees were made much easier to understand (though they remain dense with choice). My corpo V ended up with a cobbled-together melee build, because, at that time, gun combat leaved much to be desired. This latter issue was fixed in 2.0, with ballistic weapons feeling steadier and more accurate. But with the new skill tree, I was able to turn my streetkid V into a stealthy and deadly netrunner who attacked from afar and cleaned up later…maybe. Admittedly, it was not the greatest build for boss battles, but regular battles were a whole lot more fun and sneakier!

CP2077’s 2.0 update list was lengthy and comprehensive, but the best changes made, the ones that altered my opinion the game for the better, were those made to Night City itself. In CP2077 2.0, Night City truly felt alive. Oh, there were still plenty of shuffling, zombie-like NPCs, but they weren’t all so “living dead.” Some now liked talking and provided some interesting conversations upon which to eavesdrop. Some actually stopped to do “human” things, like eat, drink, smoke, wave hello, avoid strangers, and talk on their phones. There were buskers and loafers, fancy folks in fancy duds, and, of course, gangs a’plenty. Heck, there were also children! Yes, Night City suddenly had a small, random kiddie population, though what they did for fun I couldn’t say.

While watching Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 credit rolls (for a good 30 minutes, at least!), I reflected upon the notion of redemption. I’ll certainly grant that the game as it stands now is a much better one than what players were given in December 2020, but did CD Projekt Red atone for its mistakes with this update? I can’t help but think of the way V’s ending went – and maybe some portion of what I saw is true to all of the game’s endings – in which, essentially, she lost, and her previous efforts had, to an extent, been in vain. This she angrily accepted. My household paid for the Cyberpunk 2077 in its original state, and it was disappointing. We lost. That our $70 investment paid off three years later doesn’t make it better. It only feels more disappointing, actually, because the corporation is still winning – they get to be heroes now, because they “made it right.” But, V’s still going to die, y’know?

Hmm. Maybe on my next CP2077 playthrough, I’ll try for a happier ending.

All images, including lede, were captured by author during PS5 gameplay of Cyberpunk 2077 (© CD Projekt RED).