Create Your Own V & Choose a Lifepath
Before you can venture into Night City, you’ll first need to create your very own V. For those who aren’t up to speed, this is the main character you’ll be playing throughout the entire game.
There are a ton of different character creation options to choose from to enable you to customize V to your tastes, from fair color to facial and body appearance. There are even genitalia sliders, for those of you that are into that!
On top of tweaking V’s aesthetic, you’ll also need to choose their background from one of three different Lifepaths — Corporate, Street Kid and Nomad.
Each one of these Lifepaths has its own introductory sequence, making your adventure feel that little bit more personal and tailored to you. These Lifepaths will also open up unique dialog options when speaking to certain characters, which can also change the way you approach a mission.
Get Through the Intro
Things to Do First in Cyberpunk 2077
With V created and their Lifepath chosen, you’ll now finally be able to begin your quest for immortality, and that requires running through the introductory section of Cyberpunk 2077.
As we noted above, your choice of Lifepath will determine how Cyberpunk 2077 starts. Corporates will begin in the boardrooms, Street Kids will already be on the streets of Night City, while Nomads will be heading into the towering metropolis for the first time from the Badlands.
These sections are fairly linear, as they’re ultimately just setting the scene and bringing you back to a point where all three Lifepaths converge onto the same questline.
Take in the sights and sounds of Night City, gawk at the stunning cutscenes, and enjoy the beginning of V’s journey. It’s just the beginning.
Plan Out Your Playstyle
Cyberpunk 2077’s a role-playing game, and one of the very best that you can get your hands on right now. There’s a ton of freedom to approach missions and certain scenarios in whichever way you want thanks to different dialog options and character builds that can be made.
That’s why it’s worth spending the time at the beginning of the game to plan out where your version of V is going to be most proficient, and how they may converse with other characters within Night City. For example, if you’re a Corpo, you may want to take a no-tolerance approach to gangs and Nomads, but lean on your wealthy connections to get your way.
You’ll also want to take a look at the ‘Character’ screen breaking down the four different skill trees and the perks they contain. The more you use one of the core attributes like Intelligence or Cool, the more you’ll level it up, unlocking more perks as you play.
As such, it’s very beneficial to plan out your build and then focus on using those specific attributes, moreso than in other RPGs.
Get a Feel for the Different Weapons
Things to Do First in Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 has some of the craziest weapons you can get your hands on. From firearms that can hit enemies through cover to weapons that fire auto-targeting rounds that’ll arch and bend around obstacles to hit the enemy.
Oh, and lest we forget to mention the awesome Mantis Blades, the built-in melee swords that extend from V’s arms and are perfect for slicing and dicing enemies in quick succession.
While you won’t have some awe-inspiring arsenal available to you right from the get-go, you’ll still be able to dabble in a variety of weapons. Take the time in the early stages of the game to get an idea as to what you enjoy using the most. That way you can further plan your build and future perk points and Cyberware upgrades around that.
Plus, variety’s the spice of life. Live a little. Slice someone in half with Mantis Blades…
Mantis Blades… we really recommend them, if you couldn’t tell already!
Grind Out Money & Invest in a Good Cyberdeck
One of the early story missions in Cyberpunk 2077 is gated by a significant amount of money. As such, it’s well worth spending some time grinding out money by completing some of the side activities, of which there is an absolute shit ton in Night City for you to pick and choose as you please.
On top of grinding out the required money for the story mission so you can dive into it as you please, we’d also recommend grinding out that little bit extra so you can get a good Cyberdeck.
Cyberdecks are what you’ll equip your various quickhacks and Cyberware to, so the better and more expensive it is, the more you’ll be able to equip at any given time. This gives you that additional bit of freedom when playing through the remainder of Cyberpunk 2077, and lets you really lean into a specific playstyle, moreso than you would if you stuck with the standard Cyberdeck.
Time to get that paper!
Play Around in Photo Mode
Things to Do First in Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a very, very pretty game. From the neon-soaked streets of Night City to the muzzle flashes and particle effects as V gets embroiled in a shoot-out, there are a ton of moments you’ll want to just pause the action and appreciate the level of detail CD Projekt Red has painstakingly poured into the game.
That’s where Photo Mode comes into play, as it has done in most AAA releases over the past five years or so. At any moment you can pause the action and begin tweaking a ton of different settings, effects to perfectly encapsulate your antics in Night City in a single image.
There’s nothing quite like snapping a shot of a momentous occasion in the early stages of your adventure so once you reach the end you can nostalgically look back at it, or share it on your socials to flaunt your photography skills.
Take on Some Side Quests
Much like in The Witcher 3, some of Cyberpunk 2077’s best stories and moments come from the smaller side quests that can be picked up around Night City. Some citizens may call you as you head to one quest, others you may need to stumble on for yourself, either way, take the time to complete some side missions and other activities during the early stages.
Given Cyberpunk 2077’s main storyline takes around 30-40 hours to beeline through, but CD Projekt Red QA lead Łukasz Babiel stated he’d taken over 175 hours to do a thorough playthrough, it’s fair to say there’s a ton of side content for players to dive into.
It can be easy to ignore a lot of this content in favor of beelining through the main story to avoid any spoiler drops online, but that’d be doing yourself dirty. Appreciate and enjoy every facet of Night City, as the developers intended, you won’t regret it.
Just Explore Night City
Things to Do First in Cyberpunk 2077
As you’ve probably already figured, Night City’s a big ol’ place teeming with things to see and do. Whether it’s the main quest, a side quest, or some other activity, you’ll find it difficult to head down a street without finding something that piques your interest.
If you follow the main storyline though, there are areas of the metropolis you’ll seldom even go into during the opening stages, if at all. Do yourself a favor and go exploring for a little bit once you’ve got a few quests under your belt. Not only will this open up a number of activities you can then do as you see fit, but you may stumble upon some familiar faces or other easter eggs that are sure to put a smile on your face.
Plus, it’s great to just watch Cyberpunk’s NPCs go about their daily lives, as if they’d continue on regardless of your presence.
Venture Out into the Badlands
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with Night City’s intricate maze of claustrophobic streets, give yourself a break from all the neon signs and seedy sights and head out into the vast nothingness of the Badlands.
The Badlands is the empty desert area that surrounds Night City, and is home to the Nomads. It’s essentially the home of these outsiders, and few ever venture out of the confines of Night City to explore it.
Not only is it nice to have a change of scenery, there’s also some cool stuff to explore out here. As soon as you’re given the opportunity to do so, venture out into the Badlands and see what you stumble upon.
Just Take Your Time & Enjoy It
Things to Do First in Cyberpunk 2077
I know this might sound weird in a list of things to do first in Cyberpunk 2077, but there’s a good chance you’ve been waiting a mighty long time to get your hands on it. Now that you have, savour it, don’t blitz through the main storyline in a Red Bull-fueled, sleep-deprived daze.
Savour it. Enjoy it.
Given the relatively quiet few weeks ahead during the holiday season, there’s plenty of time to really explore Night City and enjoy all the little secrets, surprises and easter eggs that CD Projekt Red have rammed into the claustrophobic streets of Night City, and the vast nothingness of the Badlands.
Do yourself a favor and make sure you see as much of it as you possibly can.
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