Cyberpunk 2077 is a game filled with cybernetically enhanced psychos, super intelligent taxi A.I., and talking pistols. A vast number of whimsical, hysterical, and straight up disturbing side quests dot the graffiti-covered streets of Night City.
Players never quite know what they'll stumble upon around every neon-lit corner of the metropolis. There are countless Gigs and NCPD Scanner Hustles that require gamers to rid Night City of some of its most unsavory characters. But the best snippets of Cyberpunk 2077 are found hidden in between all of the title's repetitive optional missions.
There's an impressive amount of subtle storytelling to discover if users are willing to spend time inhabiting Night City. WARNING: There are main story and minor mission spoilers ahead.
Cyberpunk 2077: Happy Together
Gamers will encounter two of Cyberpunk 2077's Night City police officers banging on another tenant's door, only a short walking distance from V's apartment. They're trying to talk with their friend and former cop, Barry, who has recently retired and has been isolated. They ask V to help them get in touch with him and make sure he's okay.
Barry will eventually let V into his apartment and tell them that he's been grieving over the death of a friend named Andrew. V can then either investigate who Andrew is, which leads to a surprising discovery, or immediately speak to the two concerned NCPD officers.
Depending on the dialogue choices players make and how they choose to approach the quest, it can conclude in two very different ways. What starts as an incidental mission turns into an acknowledgement of depression and self-harm in a world where advanced technology has made human connection more difficult that ever.
Cyberpunk 2077: Heroes
Depending on where V sends Jackie Welles' body after he dies during The Heist main mission, the game will offer players a side quest. If V send him to his family or asks Delamain to wait, V will get a call from Jackie's mother asking them to attend a vigil for Jackie.
V will get the chance to go into Jackie's apartment, speak to his friends and family, and in the end acquire Jackie's motorcycle. It's a touching tribute and serves as immersive world building for the rest of the game.
Cyberpunk 2077: Epistrophy North Oak
The Epistrophy missions are glorified fetch quests where V helps Delamain retrieve A.I.-powered taxis. But the cab players will find in North Oak is the funniest of the bunch.
Once V runs into the A.I., it'll give them a call and tell them that it has become overwhelmed with driving and asks V to slowly escort it back to Delamain HQ. Players will need to very carefully maneuver their way back or else the car will forcefully break and yell at V. The irony makes this Epistrophy mission the most memorable of the quest chain in all of Cyberpunk.
Cyberpunk 2077: Machine Gun
Sidekicks come in all shapes and sizes in the Night City, like Skippy, the talking gun. V can acquire this intelligent firearm by fast traveling to College St. in the Haywood area.
Skippy is hidden directly south of the College St. station and the mission is indicated with a yellow exclamation point marker. Once V approaches the marker, players will see an alleyway blocked by stacks of cardboard boxes.
They'll need to climb over the piles where they'll find a corpse with a briefcase containing Skippy. The smart weapon will run V through a tutorial of its two different combat modes and it will scale with V's current level.
Cyberpunk 2077: Queen of the Highway
Adventuring through the desolate Badlands is a breath of fresh air after weaving through the claustrophobic streets of Night City for hours. Panam Palmer is V's guide through the area for the entirety of Cyberpunk 2077 and the final quest in her series is one of the most exciting sequences in the game.
Not only will V get to pilot a Basilisk tank to defeat a hoard of Raffen Shiv, but the game will also give V the opportunity to romance Panam after she has shut V down for a majority of the quest chain.
Cyberpunk 2077 is out on PlayStation5, Xbox Series S/X, PC, Google Stadia and last-gen consoles.