Why Cyberpunk 2077's Night City Still Feels Like a Beautiful Shell

Man, I've been wandering through Night City since 2020, and let me tell you - it's been one hell of a glow-up journey. CD Projekt Red has absolutely leveled up the game over these past five years. We're talking major performance fixes, visual enhancements that'll make your jaw drop, and even NPCs that don't just stand around like cardboard cutouts anymore. But here's the kicker - no matter how many times I dive back in, something always nags at me. The city looks like a million eddies from afar, but get up close and personal? That's when you notice the cracks in the chrome.

The Great Interior Drought

Honestly, Night City's biggest issue isn't the glitches or combat - it's that 90% of those gorgeous skyscrapers are just... empty shells. I mean, come on! You've got this mind-blowing vertical cityscape, but most doors might as well be painted on. Here's what grinds my gears:

• 🏢 So many buildings are just window dressing with zero access

• 🛒 Street vendors everywhere but hardly any actual stores to enter

• 🚇 Public spaces like subway stations feel underutilized

It's not about having every single building accessible - that would be cray-cray. But throwing in more interactive spots? That's the sweet spot. Imagine stumbling into:

Location Type	Current State	What It Could Be
Corporate Lobbies	Static decor	Security systems to hack/avoid
Apartment Complexes	Inaccessible	Random neighbor interactions
Maintenance Tunnels	Rarely used	Alternative navigation routes

When Facades Kill Immersion

Man, I remember first booting up Cyberpunk back in 2020 thinking it'd be like GTA V on cyber-steroids. But here we are in 2025, and Night City still can't match that living, breathing chaos. The trauma team responses? Basically scripted animations on repeat. NCPD blockades? Same old song and dance every time. It's like they built this gorgeous aquarium but forgot to put fish in it!

Reddit homies like WARHAMMERXOXO have been screaming about this since day one. And I get it - patching in proper immersion is like trying to upgrade a car's engine while it's racing down the highway. But damn, when you compare it to:

• The random madness in GTA V's streets

• How Watch Dogs: Legion nailed interactive environments

• Even Skyrim's ability to make every cave feel unique

...you realize Night City's still playing catch-up. CDPR's working on better crowd simulations, which is dope, but without meaningful environments to interact with? It's like serving gourmet food on paper plates.

The Silver Lining in the Chrome Clouds

Don't get it twisted though - when Cyberpunk 2077 gets interiors right, it's pure magic. That prison mission? Chef's kiss. The metro systems? Brilliant when they actually let you explore. What we need is more of that energy spread across the map:

• 🔍 Hidden speakeasies behind unmarked doors

• 💻 Hackable corporate archives with unique loot

• 🍜 Actually enterable ramen joints with mini-games

Honestly, I'd trade half those same-y street vendors for one properly fleshed out mega-mall. Quality over quantity, you feel me? The framework's already there - they just gotta go all in on making Night City feel lived-in rather than staged.

At the end of the day, I'm still hopelessly in love with this beautiful, broken city. But until CDPR fixes this interior design crisis, it's like dating someone gorgeous with zero personality - eventually, the spark fades. So here's my call to action: next time you're cruising through Heywood or Watson, really stop and notice how many doors don't open. Then tell me - does Night City feel alive to you in 2025? Hit me with your thoughts, choomba!