After considerable controversy, Cyberpunk 2077 dropped in December 2020 to a mixed critical reception. While some outlets reviewed the game postively, many consumers were left incredibly frustrated by game-breaking bugs and glitches, alongside gameplay and narrative choices that disappointed many. This consumer upset led not only to an unprecedented demand for refunds, but also to several online stores pulling the game, and even threats of a lawsuit from CD Projekt's investors.
Whenever a new Bethesda game releases, there are often day one mod patches from fans that fix huge portions of the game. The same has proven true for Cyberpunk 2077, with plenty of modders stepping in to fix as much of the game as possible. Some of these early mods even changed central mechanics completely, such as the driving system. Nearly ten months after the game's release, modders are still working tirelessly to support the game, even after CD Projekt Red's continued efforts to update and fix prominent bugs, such as the recent 1.3 patch.
RELATED: Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.3 is Still Full of Bugs
What Did The 1.3 Patch Miss?
In short, the Cyberpunk 2077 1.3 patch did not really provide comprehensive fixes that many players were expecting. Thankfully, some issues like the phone booth bug are now solved, and some fans can actually complete core quests without hours of backtracking. While CD Projekt Red did fix several quest-breaking bugs in this latest patch, the game still has some core problems not addressed by the patch.
Most notably, the bugs and glitches in the game still saturate the experience. The free DLC included in patch causes Johnny Silverhand to turn invisible, V will now occasionally contort bizzarely into Stretch Armstrong-esque proportions, and NPCs will appear out of of nowhere. The game is still suffering from terrible vehicle bugs, including a brand new floating car glitch in Cyberpunk 2077.
Many fans, although happy that some major bugs have been somewhat addressed, felt that this patch came both far too late, and still did not deliver what the community was expecting. In what seems like a perfect encapsulation of Cyberpunk 2077's many issues so far, even the announcement stream for patch 1.3 did not go smoothly. During the stream, the development team interacted with an NPC getting some food, prompting the character to briefly T-Pose before resetting position.
So, regardless of the company's best efforts, Cyberpunk 2077 still badly affects CD Projekt Red's reputation. Loads of fans may still love the game, but many do so in spite of the glaring issues that permeate its world. Thankfully for those players, it is in this kind of environment that modding communities thrive.
Cyberpunk 2077's Full Gameplay Rebalance Mod
Unfortunately for Cyberpunk, its much-anticipated 1.3 patch did not quite deliver in all the ways fans expected. As such, Full Gameplay Rebalance mod creator Scissors123454321 advises that users make sure their game is properly updated before downloading their gameplay mod.
Alongside numerous bug fixes, this comprehensive mod also alters the game's balance to make the its progression feel more natural. It currently sits at 22 thousand total downloads since its August 21 release, demonstrating the desire from many players to see a thorough rebalance of Cyberpunk 2077.
Mods like Full Gameplay Rebalance are essential to the longevity of ambitious RPG titles. Loads of modern RPGs have gameplay mods that drastically switch up the experience of the game. Some of these work like Cyberpunk 2077's mods, where they switch up a few numbers and mechanics to make the game function more efficiently or fluently. It's a good sign for Cyberpunk 2077's future that modders are so willing to work on the game, even when official support does not live up to expectations.
RELATED: Cyberpunk 2077 May Never Be Completely Bug-Free and That's OK
Mods Make Cyberpunk 2077 Fun To Drive In
Among the game's persistent issues was the driving mechanics. At launch, players were being flung across the map after rounding a corner, six wheeler trucks only needed two functional wheels, and since the 1.3 patch, some cars even grant invincibility in Cyberpunk 2077. While these made for incredibly entertaining Reddit threads, Cyberpunk's broken driving was a huge problem for many fans, as a majority of the game is spent driving around Night City.
Hot on the heels of the Full Gameplay Rebalance mod on Nexus' trending page is Cyber Vehicle Overhaul. Arguably, this mod is even more comprehensive than the Gameplay Rebalance mod, as it takes every vehicle in Cyberpunk 2077 and individually alters the handling of each. The mod comes from creator Erok, who initially made waves in the Cyberpunk modding scene with an 'ini tweak' file that provided a general fix to vehicle handling shortly after the game's launch.
Interestingly, Erok's continued development of vehicle mod fixes is a perfect example of how mods could save Cyberpunk 2077's legacy. Not only do people keep modding the game, but there are already dedicated creators who will keep returning to the game — proving that a strong, creative community has evolved around the title.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on Google Stadia, PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.