Agreed. It seems like a good 90% of the game was just removed.
The world itself is empty and lifeless. Sure, there's "kill some guys" missions every five feet... but nothing really to DO in the city. No dancing. Bars and restaurants are pointless because you can't sit and eat or enjoy ambiance. There's no gambling or races or little side things to enjoy. 99% of buildings are just cardboard facades that you can't interact with in any way. You can't steal cars for your collection or customize the ones you have. NPC's are lifeless and the AI is just downright horrific (NPC's don't react well, have barely any interaction, and the traffic AI is pathetic, cars just follow a straight line or stop if something is remotely close to blocking them, and cars disappear when you're looking away).
Now compare this to a game like Yakuza, or Saints Row, or WatchDogs... where there's STUFF TO DO everywhere... and the AI actually reacts well to what's going on. If you watch WatchDogs for example, the traffic makes sense. The AI will honk at something blocking them, then drive around it and continue on their way. If there's gunfire, many cars will back up and take off, some NPC's will bail out of their cars and run. It feels ALIVE when you're playing.
Cyberpunk doesn't have any of that.