What is Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077 is CD Projekt RED’s first-person open-world RPG set in Night City, a Californian megacity where corporations write the laws and chrome is the real currency. You play V, a mercenary chasing an experimental implant rumoured to hold the key to immortality — a job that quickly becomes a fight for your own mind. Shooter combat, deep character builds and branching narrative choices are packed into one dense, neon-soaked world.
Getting started
First, pick a Lifepath: Nomad, Streetkid or Corpo. It changes your opening hours and unlocks unique dialogue options, but it does not cap your long-term potential — choose the flavour that appeals to you instead of chasing an “optimal” start.
Then plan your starting attributes. Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence and Cool each gate different skills, cyberware and dialogue checks, so decide early whether you want to shoot, hack, sneak or talk your way through the city. Perk points can be respecced later; attribute points are effectively permanent, and spreading them too thin will lock you out of the best gear.
The prologue in Watson is a long tutorial in disguise. Push the main story until the city opens up, then start mixing in fixer gigs and NCPD scanner hustles — the fastest route to eddies, gear and street cred.
Tips for beginners
- Do the gigs. Fixer jobs pay well and frequently out-reward the critical path.
- Upgrade cyberware early. A good Kiroshi optic or subdermal armour changes your survivability far more than a new gun.
- Don’t hoard weapons. Sell or dismantle anything you don’t use at the nearest drop point.
- Read your perks. Some are build-defining, a few are near-useless. Sketch a rough build before spending points.
- Learn to disengage. Night City punishes overconfidence — break line of sight, heal, and use cover instead of trading shots in the open.
- Save often, in multiple slots. Choices ripple through the story, and you may want to revisit one.
- Don’t rush the main quest. Sprinting through it burns the best content; wandering is its own reward.
Is it worth playing?
Yes, with realistic expectations. After years of patches, Cyberpunk 2077 is a genuinely strong RPG with one of the most atmospheric open worlds in the genre: combat feels good, builds vary meaningfully, and the character writing lands. It is not a perfect sandbox — some systems stay shallow, and the tone is deliberately grim. If you want a story-driven RPG with real build depth, it is well worth your time, and its 83.2 rating reflects that mix honestly.