CD Projekt Red shocked everyone when it announced that a major new Cyberpunk 2077 update would be dropping around the same time as the Edgerunners 2 anime.

While I imagine some fans might have expected a small surprise to coincide with the show, the scale of Patch 2.5 is pretty crazy — it's far bigger than it ever needed to be.

I ain't complaining, though. Regular readers will know that I'll take an excuse to revisit Night City.

But is Patch 2.5 worth coming back for? That's the question I'll attempt to answer in this Hands On article, because when the release schedule's as manic as it is right now, not everyone will have the time to prioritise older games.

The New Gigs

2.5 features not one, but two new gigs to run through. And they're certainly not the kind of throwaway jobs that you might expect from a free update.

V's voice actors have been brought back for both of these missions; the stories aren't just a mishmash of reused lines and text-based exposition.

The first of these gigs, titled Clampdown, is the best. It ties directly into Edgerunners 2 by having V work with one of the new season's main characters, King.

Sadly, you don't get to see the big guy in action, but he talks to you throughout the mission via comms. It's a high risk job where V has to break King's buddy out of jail, and it takes place in Night City's big prison complex, which isn't utilised anywhere else in the game.

It's a solid 20 to 30 minute gig, well-paced with a mix of punchy dialogue and cop-blasting action. Plus, you get some really cool-looking clothes out of it, as well as a powerful new gun.

The second gig's more drawn out and ultimately more forgettable, but it's still pretty interesting. It takes V on a tour of Night City, as our favourite merc tries to track down a missing hacker who's obsessed with rebelling against the powers that be.

We get to learn a little more about the city itself, and what its founder, Richard Night, had in store for it before his untimely death. It's one for the lore-heads.

Are either of these gigs enough to pull you back to Cyberpunk 2077, though? Eh, maybe, maybe not. They're worth playing through, for sure — especially if you plan on watching Edgerunners 2 — but they're probably not going to prompt an entire new playthrough.

Double Trouble

There's something else that might inspire a new playthrough, however, and that's the introduction of dual wielding.

A new perk on the 'Cool' skill tree, Double Trouble — which can be unlocked fairly early — lets you equip two power-type pistols or revolvers at the same time. It's basically a totally new combat style.

And the good news is that it's great fun. There's just something so satisfying about walking into a room full of gonks and unloading two guns' worth of clips into anything that moves.

While damage is reduced across both weapons, and precise aiming isn't as accurate, you've got roughly double the number of bullets to play around with before reloading.

As such, Double Trouble encourages an enjoyably reckless approach to gunplay, and based on my testing, it seems really powerful — particularly if you're pairing up something like Johnny's Malorian with an equally deadly revolver, or perhaps a pistol with a much faster rate of fire.

A different approach to combat can quickly breathe new life into repeated playthroughs, and I think dual wielding has enough depth to warrant your consideration. The new animations are nice, too.

New Cosmetics

Despite being a first-person experience, plenty of Cyberpunk 2077 players love dressing V up.

If that's what you want from Patch 2.5, you're in luck.

The update adds what is, in my opinion, some of the best drip in the entire game. A total of five new outfits — spread separately across shirts, trousers, and shoes, as well as various colours — are all purchasable from the usual clothing vendors. Night City fashionistas are gonna go nuts for this stuff.

But that's not all. Something that many believe should have been in the game from the start, you can now customise V's arm cyberware. You can choose between different patterns as well as colours.

Honestly, it makes a bigger difference than you think, because you see V's arms and hands all the time thanks to the first-person perspective.

There are loads of options to explore, with five new 'Glamdocs' each offering their own brand-based designs. These new 'docs even have their own personalities and dialogue, making them feel like they were always part of Night City.

As someone who rocks a projectile launcher, I was able to colour V's left arm in an attempt to recreate Johnny Silverhand's iconic look. Meanwhile, gorilla arms and mantis blade users get to go ham by customising both limbs across different plates and individual fingers.

Again, if fashion is a big part of your Cyberpunk experience, then you're going to be visiting these money-hungry Glamdocs an awful lot.

The Mods

As it stands, the mod selection on PS5 is fairly basic. There are over 50 of the things to browse through at launch, but I think it's going to take a while before anything truly essential makes the jump from PC to consoles.

Still, if you're just looking for minor additions like new haircuts, or small gameplay tweaks that remove or smooth out some of 2077's rougher edges, then the mod menu's worth a look.

Conclusion

There's no doubt that CD Projekt Red's gone above and beyond (yet again) with Patch 2.5, but despite the relatively broad scope of this update, I'm not sure the headlines acts are quite enough to tempt most players into a new playthrough.

If you're just eager to set foot in Night City again, though? Then yeah, I think you'll get a kick out of the new gigs, and dual wielding handguns feels fantastic.

Having said that, if you're yet to play Cyberpunk 2077 at all, or it's been several major updates since you last got stuck in, then at this point, it's a game I can't recommend enough.

Has Patch 2.5 brought you back to Cyberpunk 2077? Burn this city in the comments section below.