Refined Driving Experience
Cyberpunk 2077 1.5 & Next-Gen Update Changes
One particular gameplay element that was lambasted at launch was the driving. Prior to launch, Cyberpunk 2077 made a big deal of the various rides that players could get behind the wheel of in Night City. They’d feel distinctly different, and above all else, they’d just be enjoyable to drive. After all, this was the primary way of covering ground quickly in the sprawling metropolis. It should be satisfying to get behind the wheel, especially when you’re in Johnny Silverhand’s beloved Porsche.
Unfortunately, what we got were floaty, unrealistic and frankly frustrating driving controls. Motorbikes fared even worse, handling like their larger, four-wheel counterparts on the road, rather than how a lightweight and nimble motorcycle should. In other words, it was all rather disappointing.
Cyberpunk 2077’s 1.5 update makes some massive changes to the driving and traffic systems. New braking and ABS models have been introduced to ensure consistent performance across all speeds, making for a more realistic response when you slam your foot on the brakes. Engine and gearbox simulations have been refined, improving resistance forces when shifting up and down gears, as well as the transmission realistically and smartly shifting to keep the engine revs in the right spot and reverse shifting has been reworked entirely so you can perform J-turns effectively.
Handling across the board has been reworked, ensuring that vehicles now generally feel distinctly different, and those pesky motorcycles have received all of the above improvements, as well as additional steering improvements and retuning fixes that make them feel suitably agile.
The traffic around Night City also reacts to you more realistically, too. Drive like a maniac, and NPCs will perform evasive maneuvers to try and get out of your way. Passengers can die (a bit morbid, but we move), and other vehicles on the road drive around more realistically generally with improved steering and suspension models.
