Cyberpunk 2077’s latest update, 2.3, promises a suite of enhancements that ostensibly aim to revive a game that has long struggled with reputation and quality. Yet, beneath the surface of shiny new vehicles, autonomous driving features, and visual tweaks, the core issues remain painfully evident. It’s clear that CD Projekt Red’s approach is more about patching superficial symptoms rather than addressing fundamental flaws that have undermined Cyberpunk 2077’s potential from the start. While update 2.3 introduces novel content, it inadvertently exposes the game’s persistent identity crisis: is it a cutting-edge RPG or just a graphical showcase with some added fluff?
Adding Vehicles: A Distraction or Genuine Enhancement?
One cannot ignore the cherry-picked excitement around four new vehicles—the Yaiba ARV-Q340 Semimaru, Rayfield Caliburn “Mordred,” Yaiba ASM-R250 Muramasa, and Chevillon Legatus 450 Aquila. These additions appear strikingly designed, but the context matters more. They serve as breadcrumbs for players chasing side quests and in-game achievements, yet for many, they are unlikely to alter the gameplay experience meaningfully. They showcase fine craftsmanship but fall prey to a pattern of incremental content releases that seem to prioritize quantity over quality. Instead of fostering a more immersive and cohesive universe, these vehicles feel like band-aids on deeper issues of repetitive fetch quests and lacking narrative coherence.
AutoDrive and the Illusion of Autonomy
AutoDrive is perhaps the most ambitious feature in this update, championing the fantasy of autonomous vehicles within a city that still struggles with realism and depth. Its implementation—taking V on leisurely tours or to destinations—sounds promising, but it’s more cosmetic spectacle than a genuine innovation. The experience is marred by the reality that Night City’s AI-driven vehicles remain inconsistent, often breaking immersion when AutoDrive is abruptly disabled in combat or heavily damaged scenarios. The cinematic camera aims to elevate the experience visually, but it cannot mask the illusion that Cyberpunk’s world still feels detached from true living complexity. Instead of truly transforming how players engage with the environment, AutoDrive feels like a gimmick that offers moments of novelty before returning to the game’s core structural shortcomings.
The Promise of Customization and Visual Fidelity
Expanding vehicle customization and NPC spawning in Photo Mode is a double-edged sword. While these features allow for more stylistic freedom, they are, at best, cosmetic tweaks that fail to address the game’s lack of meaningful character connection or dynamic storytelling. The expanded customization options for vehicles and outfits give players a false sense of agency, but ultimately do little to elevate the game’s narrative depth or emotional engagement. Moreover, adding 27 new NPCs in Photo Mode does little to overcome the static, often uninspired character interactions that have dogged Cyberpunk from its launch.
The Technological Band-Aids
On the technical front, the update’s support for AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XeSS 2.0, HDR10+, and VRR on consoles appears impressive on paper. Yet, these features are increasingly expected standard in modern gaming. They don’t compensate for the fact that the core experience still suffers from bugs, performance issues, and a lack of genuinely innovative gameplay mechanics. The promise of pushing the technical envelope comes across as superficial when the game’s most glaring issues—lacking narrative engagement, weak AI, and repetitive missions—remain unresolved.
The Reality Check
Ultimately, Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.3 feels more like an apology than a revolution. A half-hearted attempt to placate fans and skeptics alike by adding shiny, new content on top of a foundation that isn’t that sturdy. Sure, the fresh vehicles, the self-driving cars, and the upgraded visuals are nice to see—but they are mere bandages on a production that still feels hollow. The issues that plagued the game at launch—boring side quests, shallow storytelling, and an underdeveloped universe—persist beneath the surface. No amount of cosmetic enhancements or technological gimmicks can mask the fact that Cyberpunk 2077’s true potential remains locked behind layers of superficial polish and missed opportunities. Until CD Projekt Red is willing to confront these deeper flaws with honesty and innovation, the game will continue to be a reminder that not all updates represent meaningful progress.