Top 10 Must-Play Side Gigs in Cyberpunk 2077
Hidden Gems of Night City
In the sprawling metropolis of Night City, side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077 offer players richer experiences and deeper involvement with the game's vibrant world. Beyond the main storyline, these side jobs can greatly influence V's journey and unlock various rewards and storylines that otherwise remain hidden. With a total of 80 side quests, excluding Gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles, players have ample opportunities to explore different facets of Night City's culture and inhabitants.
Each district in Night City boasts its unique collection of side gigs, ranging from quick, straightforward tasks to intricate missions that span multiple chapters. Whether it's assisting fixers like Regina Jones or tackling specific cyberpsycho sightings, the variety ensures that there's always something new to uncover. Completing these tasks not only boosts street cred but also enriches the narrative, allowing players to experience the game in a personalized and immersive manner.
To navigate this intricate web of side activities, it’s crucial to pace the main story progression carefully. Some quests are missable and depend heavily on choices made throughout the game. By delving into these side gigs, players can encounter diverse characters, earn unique rewards, and gain insight into the city's dark secrets.
Understanding Side Gigs in Cyberpunk 2077
Side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077 offer players a variety of optional missions that provide experience, Street Cred, and Eddies. They are distinct from side jobs in terms of narrative depth and complexity.
What Are Side Gigs?
Side gigs are optional missions given by fixers or clients to the protagonist, V. These tasks are generally quicker and simpler compared to side jobs.
They usually involve objectives such as retrieving items, eliminating targets, or completing specific actions within a designated area. Side gigs are scattered throughout Night City and become available as V traverses different districts.
Types of Side Gigs
Side gigs can be classified into different categories:
Assaults: Engage in combat to neutralize threats.
Thefts: Steal specific items or data.
Recoveries: Retrieve stolen property or kidnapped individuals.
Rescues: Save hostages or important characters.
Investigations: Gather intelligence or evidence for fixers.
Each type provides a unique challenge and contributes to various rewards.
Benefits of Completing Side Gigs
Completing side gigs offers multiple benefits:
Experience: Helps V level up and improve skills.
Street Cred: Enhances reputation in Night City, unlocking new weapons, outfits, and vehicles.
Eddies: Monetary rewards that can be spent on upgrades and gear.
These rewards significantly enhance the player's progression and immersion in the game.
How to Access and Progress in Side Gigs
Accessing and progressing in side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077 involves understanding how to unlock them, determining difficulty levels, and efficiently navigating the map to locate them. These aspects ensure a seamless experience for gamers looking to maximize their rewards and Street Cred.
Unlocking Side Gigs
Side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077 are unlocked gradually as players progress through the main storyline and increase their Street Cred. Fixers, who act as intermediaries between clients and the protagonist V, provide these gigs.
Completing main missions and side jobs contributes to unlocking new gigs. Players should frequently check the Journal to track active and available gigs. Entering new areas and reaching specific Street Cred levels will also trigger new side gig opportunities.
Side Gig Difficulty and Recommendations
Side gigs come with varying difficulty levels, which are indicated in the Journal. Each gig displays a recommended level, helping players gauge whether they are equipped to tackle the challenge.
It's essential to balance between main missions and side gigs to maintain an appropriate level of difficulty. For newbie players, starting with low-difficulty gigs can help build up experience and Street Cred. More experienced players can target high-difficulty gigs for better rewards.
Map Navigation and Side Gigs
Efficient map navigation is crucial for locating and managing side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077. Players can use the in-game map to pinpoint gig locations, which are marked with specific icons.
Zooming in on the map can reveal more details, like potential obstacles and routes. Fast travel points are spread across the map, allowing quick access to distant gigs. Players should leverage map filters to focus on active gigs, ensuring they never miss out on any lucrative opportunities.
By mastering these elements, players can efficiently access and progress through side gigs, maximizing their rewards and enhancing their gameplay experience.
Night City's Fixers and Side Gigs
Navigating through Night City, players will encounter various fixers who provide side gigs crucial for earning eddies and enhancing street cred. Understanding the role of these fixers and identifying key figures in different districts is essential.
Fixers and Their Role
In Cyberpunk 2077, fixers are intermediaries linking mercenaries with clients needing jobs done. Their primary function is to offer gigs, which can range from simple fetch tasks to intricate heists.
Fixers send messages to V as they enter new districts, detailing available gigs. Accepting these gigs boosts V's reputation, rewards eddies, and enhances Street Cred, opening doors to more challenging missions.
Prominent Fixers in Night City
Regina Jones operates in Watson, specializing in combat and stealth gigs. Her missions often focus on neutralizing threats within the district.
Wakako Okada, found in Westbrook, is known for her connections and provides a variety of gigs that often require diplomacy and finesse.
Mr. Hands manages the City Center, offering high-stakes gigs involving corporate espionage and high-profile targets.
Each fixer brings a unique flavor to their missions, aligning with the distinct atmosphere of their respective districts within Night City.
Side Gigs Across Different Districts
In Cyberpunk 2077, each district offers unique side gigs that provide rewards such as eddies, experience, and Street Cred. Players can find a variety of missions, each with its own distinct flavor influenced by the district's environment and culture.
Watson District Gigs
Watson District is known for its dense urban environment, making it a hotspot for varied and frequent gigs. Players may find themselves dealing with local gangs or helping out smaller businesses.
Types of Gigs: Hacking terminals, retrieving stolen property, and rescuing hostages.
Primary Fixers: Regina Jones often provides these gigs, focusing on cyber-espionage and sabotage.
Rewards: Quick financial gain and valuable experience points.
Westbrook and Charter Hill Gigs
Westbrook, including Charter Hill, stands out for its affluent areas and corporate residents. Gigs here often reflect the district’s upper-class society, with tasks involving corporate clients and high-stakes scenarios.
Types of Gigs: High-profile assassinations, corporate espionage, and protection details.
Primary Fixers: Wakako Okada, known for her deep connections and straightforward tasks.
Rewards: Higher payouts and valuable items reflecting the wealth of the area.
City Center and Corporate Gigs
The City Center is the heart of wealth and power in Night City, heavily influenced by corporate interests. Gigs here are often more sophisticated and involve intricate tasks.
Types of Gigs: Breaking into corporate headquarters, stealing high-end technology, and information warfare.
Primary Fixers: Mr. Hands or other corporate intermediaries often coordinate these missions.
Rewards: Significant Street Cred increase and access to cutting-edge cyberware.
Santo Domingo Industrial Gigs
Santo Domingo's industrial zone offers a gritty, blue-collar backdrop for gigs. Missions here typically cater to the working class and involve industrial sabotage or assisting local businesses.
Types of Gigs: Disabling security systems, destroying industrial equipment, and aiding local labor groups.
Primary Fixers: Contact primarily with Padre, who has deep ties within the community.
Rewards: Moderate financial gain and experience, with occasional unique items from the industrial sectors.
Pacifica's Gang-Related Gigs
Pacifica is characterized by its gang-dominated territories and volatile atmosphere. Missions here are often dangerous and involve dealing with the Voodoo Boys or other local gangs.
Types of Gigs: Gang warfare, asset retrieval, and conflict resolution.
Primary Fixers: Coordinated mainly by local gang leaders like the Voodoo Boys.
Rewards: High risk but substantial rewards in terms of both eddies and Street Cred.
Badlands and Nomad Gigs
The Badlands, known for its open spaces and sparse population, offer a distinct change of pace. These gigs are usually provided by Nomads and involve outdoor settings and vehicular action.
Types of Gigs: Smuggling, vehicle recovery, and defending nomadic camps.
Primary Fixers: Dakota Smith, a key fixer for desert-based operations.
Rewards: Functional and practical items suitable for desert life, along with decent payouts and experience.
Each district in Cyberpunk 2077 provides a distinct set of challenges and rewards, ensuring that players experience a diverse range of side gigs throughout Night City.
Side Gigs and Character Development
Side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077 play a pivotal role in character development by providing unique experiences that contribute to your character's growth. These gigs can influence various aspects such as abilities, relationships, and overall progression in the game.
Impact of Lifepaths on Gigs
The Lifepath you choose — whether Corpo, Nomad, or Street Kid — significantly affects the nature of the gigs available to you. Each Lifepath offers tailored side gigs that align with its thematic elements.
Corpos experience gigs that delve into corporate espionage and manipulation. Nomads have tasks that often involve their vast knowledge of the Badlands. Street Kids typically navigate the city's underbelly, dealing with gangs and street-level deeds. These paths not only define the types of missions but also the approaches and resources available.
Building Relationships with NPCs
Side gigs also offer opportunities to build and deepen relationships with various NPCs. Certain gigs are linked to specific characters, allowing you to interact with them repeatedly. This engagement can lead to more profound narrative experiences and sometimes even unlock additional quests or story elements.
For instance, completing multiple gigs for a fixer can increase their trust in you, leading to more lucrative and challenging missions. Likewise, developing connections with side characters can open romantic paths or unique dialogue options, enriching the character's personal story.
Gaining Experience and Skills
Completing side gigs often rewards you with XP, Street Cred, and unique items which are crucial for leveling up and augmenting your abilities. XP contributes to increasing your character's level, unlocking new skills and attributes. Street Cred, on the other hand, enhances your reputation in Night City, unlocking new opportunities, better gear, and missions from higher-level fixers.
Gigs also frequently offer rare weapons, cyberware, and powerful enhancements that can significantly impact your combat effectiveness and overall gameplay. By prioritizing these side activities, players can maximize their character's potential and adapt more effectively to the diverse challenges of Cyberpunk 2077.
Combat and Stealth in Side Gigs
In Cyberpunk 2077, handling side gigs effectively requires a balance of combat proficiency and stealth tactics. Players will encounter activities like facing cyberpsychos, utilizing advanced weaponry and cyberware, and employing stealth approaches to outsmart enemies.
Facing Cyberpsychos
Cyberpsychos are formidable enemies in side gigs, often involving the "Cyberpsycho Sighting" missions. These foes are heavily augmented and extremely resistant to damage. Engaging a cyberpsycho mandates a solid strategy—relying solely on brute force may lead to quick defeat.
Using EMP grenades can disable their cyberware temporarily, giving players the upper hand. Furthermore, targeting weak points and using quickhacks like "Overheat" can chip away at their health strategically. These encounters often require a blend of offensive and defensive tactics.
Utilizing Weapons and Cyberware
Weapons and cyberware are crucial for surviving side gigs. Players must choose weapons that match their playstyle—ranging from sniper rifles for long-range combat to katanas for close-quarters. Upgrading these weapons with mods increases their effectiveness.
Cyberware enhancements such as Mantis Blades or the Sandevistan Operating System can offer significant combat advantages. Mantis Blades allow fast, devastating melee attacks, while Sandevistan slows down time, giving players a tactical edge. Balancing weapon choice and cyberware upgrades is essential for overcoming diverse enemies.
Stealth Tactics and Approaches
Stealth is often the best approach in side gigs that require subtlety. Techniques such as using the environment for cover and disabling surveillance cameras can keep the player undetected.
Hacking plays a vital role in stealth; quickhacks like "Ping" reveal enemy locations, while "Short Circuit" can silently take down foes. Equipping silencers on firearms ensures that shots do not alert nearby enemies. Utilizing perks from the "Ninjutsu" skill tree can further enhance stealth capabilities, making it easier to move undetected and execute silent takedowns.
Iconic Side Gigs and Questlines
Cyberpunk 2077's side gigs and quests offer deep storytelling, interesting characters, and impactful choices. These quests often tie into the main narrative, providing greater depth to the world of Night City.
Rogue's Jobs and Plot Impact
Rogue, an iconic character in Cyberpunk 2077, offers several pivotal side jobs. Ghost Town is one such quest where players ally with Rogue to locate Anders Hellman.
Collaborating with Rogue often leads to uncovering significant plot points about Johnny Silverhand's past. Queen of the Highway is another memorable mission that ties in Rogue's history with Panam Palmer's personal story, offering players significant narrative depth and thrilling combat sequences in the Badlands.
Investigating the Peralez Affair
The Peralez Affair, involving Jefferson and Elizabeth Peralez, is another intriguing questline. In Dream On, players help the political couple investigate a mysterious surveillance situation.
As the investigation unfolds, it reveals a dark conspiracy involving mind control and raises ethical questions about autonomy and manipulation. The depth of this questline not only provides a gripping mystery but also questions the nature of control in Night City.
River Ward's Family Matters
River Ward, a dedicated NCPD detective, provides a series of engaging missions. The standout questline is I Fought the Law, where players assist River in investigating the death of former Mayor Lucius Rhyne.
The questline later transitions into The Hunt, focusing on River's personal life, particularly the disappearance of his nephew. These quests blend combat, detective work, and emotional storytelling, showcasing the game's ability to balance intense action with personal stakes.
Judy Alvarez's Personal Quests
Judy Alvarez, a talented braindance technician, has a series of personal quests that delve into her backstory. In Ex-Factor, players assist Judy in confronting her troubled past with the Mox gang.
This storyline progresses through Both Sides, Now and Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution, culminating in Pyramid Song. Judy's quests explore themes of loss, redemption, and hope. Completing these missions can significantly impact the player's relationship with Judy, making her one of the most relatable characters.
Each of these questlines enhances the game, providing players with unique experiences and deeper connections to Night City's characters and stories.
Rewards and Outcomes of Side Gigs
Side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077 offer a variety of rewards and outcomes that can impact both your character's progression and the game's narrative. These benefits include monetary compensation, new equipment, story progression, and unique trophies or achievements.
Monetary Rewards and Equipment
Completing side gigs frequently rewards the player with Eddies (Eurodollars), the in-game currency. Players can use Eddies to purchase weapons, cyberware, and other essential items.
In addition to monetary rewards, side gigs often provide unique equipment such as specialized weapons and cyberware implants. For example, completing "The Gig" can reward you with the Tyger Claws Dermal Imprint cyberware, enhancing your character's abilities.
Story Progress and Content Unlocks
Side gigs can also affect the main storyline and unlock additional content. Meeting certain characters or achieving specific side gig milestones can result in new dialogue options and story branches.
For example, completing the gig involving Wakako Okada in Japantown not only rewards you with Eddies but also enriches your understanding of the game's world. This can lead to additional missions and deeper engagement with the narrative.
Unique Trophies and Achievements
Players can earn unique trophies and achievements by completing side gigs, adding to the game's replayability. Achievements often celebrate significant milestones or showcase the player's dedication to exploring the game fully.
Achievements might include tasks like rescuing specific characters or completing a set number of side gigs. These rewards provide a sense of accomplishment and enhance your profile both in-game and on external platforms like Steam or PlayStation Network.
In summary, side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077 provide an array of benefits that enhance both gameplay and narrative experience, ranging from monetary rewards and new equipment to impactful story development and unique achievements.
Optimizing Side Gig Completion
Efficiently addressing side gigs in Cyberpunk 2077 can greatly enhance your experience by maximizing rewards and gaining critical experience points. Timing and strategic planning are essential.
Strategic Walkthroughs for Efficiency
Approaching side gigs with a well-thought-out strategy can save time and minimize frustration. One effective method is to group nearby gigs and complete them in successive order. This reduces travel time and allows for better resource management. Players should also utilize the in-game map and journal to prioritize gigs that offer significant rewards such as high-level gear or large sums of eddies.
Using guides and walkthroughs can provide insights into potential challenges and optimal strategies. Players may avoid unnecessary combat by choosing stealth techniques or leveraging Act 1 and Act 2 skills enhancements. Quickhacks and a well-equipped arsenal can also contribute to a more efficient completion.
Completing Side Gigs Before Main Story
It is advisable to complete side gigs before advancing too far into the main story. Early completion of gigs such as those in Act 1 can provide essential resources and boost Street Cred, which unlocks better weapons and cyberware. This can make later stages of the game more manageable.
Some side gigs are directly tied to main story characters or events. For example, completing "I'll Fly Away" before completing "Queen of the Highway" is crucial because certain quests may become missable due to changes in the game's world state. Managing these timelines carefully ensures that players do not miss out on valuable quests.
Efficiently managing quests and recognizing the importance of timing can maximize the benefits and enjoyment of Cyberpunk 2077's vast and dynamic world.
