Video Games
How to play Cyberpunk 2077
Guide V through Night City's story and side jobs, using combat, stealth and hacking according to your character build.
What you need
Cyberpunk 2077 on a supported platform; Phantom Liberty expansion is optional
Set up the game
- Create V, choose a lifepath and complete the opening jobs to learn movement, dialogue and inventory. The lifepath changes the opening and some dialogue, not the whole combat system.
- This guide refers to the modern 2.x-era base game; older 1.x skill-tree advice can be misleading.
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Playing Cyberpunk 2077
- Select a job in the journal and follow its objective marker. Scan the area for enemies, cameras and routes before deciding on direct fighting, stealth or quickhacks.
- Collect weapons and clothing appropriate to the current version and invest attribute/perk points in a coherent play style. Cyberware adds abilities but capacity and prerequisites matter.
- Use cover and healing as the encounter permits, then complete the job's stated objective and review any dialogue consequences.
- Move between main and side jobs at your own pace. Different story endings depend on later choices; there is no single point score or one compulsory build.
A guarded room with cameras
A job points you to a terminal inside a guarded room. Scan a camera and look for a side entrance before fighting. You may reach the objective quietly or decide to disable the camera and engage. The objective is the terminal, not necessarily eliminating every guard.
Build choices after version 2.0
Attributes and perks now work differently from the launch-era game. Before copying a suggested hacking or firearms build, inspect the current in-game tree and cyberware capacity. A coherent short-range build can be useful without pretending there is a universal best allocation.
Beginner decisions
- A camera can reveal an enemy route before you enter a room; scan first if planning stealth.
- Check a perk's actual prerequisites before spending points, since older online guides may describe obsolete trees.
Common rule mix-ups
- Assuming all dialogue choices are cosmetic or that every encounter must be fought.
- Following a pre-2.0 build guide without checking whether the current perk names and cyberware rules still exist.
Questions about this game
Does the lifepath lock me out of a character class?
No. It shapes V's beginning and some options; later attributes, equipment and choices determine the build.
Is Phantom Liberty required?
No for the base campaign; it adds its own story and content if owned.
Sources and edition notes
Cyberpunk 2077 modern 2.x base-game systems; Phantom Liberty is optional. Patch-specific perk and item values must be checked in-game.
Sources and stated format checked October 13, 2026. This records a document check, not a claim of hands-on testing.
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