For anyone who has ever plunged into the neon-drenched dystopia of Cyberpunk 2077, the overarching premise is immediately familiar: V is running out of time. Driven by a stolen bio-chip that slowly rewrites their mind, the protagonist’s desperate search for a cure thrusts them into a sprawling underworld populated by fixers, rock stars, and corporate killers. Yet, despite the bewildering existential stakes of the main narrative, players frequently find themselves sidetracked by the sheer volume of optional content. Hours easily slip away clearing gigs, scanning Night City Police Department crime scenes, and wandering the buzzing alleyways of the metropolis. When the credits finally roll, it is a common experience to find yourself immediately drawn back to the character creator.
Whether returning to the game for a second, third, or fourth time, players continue to find fresh ways to experience CD Projekt Red’s futuristic epic. Alongside official updates—such as the recent Edgerunners 2 update, which introduces features like dual-wielding capabilities—the community has embraced a variety of self-guided roleplaying rules and strict playthrough constraints that make the familiar streets of Night City feel entirely novel.
Be a Dual-Revolver Cowboy
For players opting to start fresh as a Nomad—the rugged outsiders who live beyond the city limits in the harsh Badlands—the narrative immediately connects V to the Aldecaldos, the clan featuring fierce allies like Panam Palmer. This background provides a natural foundation for roleplaying an old-fashioned drifter whose philosophy centers heavily on family and open spaces.
Leaning into this persona involves sporting torn denim and hats, riding motorcycles exclusively everywhere, and building V’s capabilities entirely around handguns, with a particular emphasis on revolvers. With the mechanics introduced in the Edgerunners 2 update, players can utilize perks in the Cool skill tree to dual-wield power pistols and revolvers. For those playing on earlier versions, a single classic iron weapon still anchors the aesthetic. Maintaining this roleplay requires keeping the motorcycle close, treating non-player characters with neighborly respect, and letting the firearms handle the heavy lifting.
Clear Watson Before the Heist
The temptation to rush through the opening hours of Cyberpunk 2077 is often high, but players can drastically alter the pacing by intentionally delaying the game’s primary catalyst. Early in the narrative, V and their partner Jackie take on a high-stakes corporate heist at Konpeki Plaza commissioned by the fixer Dex, an event that permanently alters the trajectory of the story. However, the game imposes no immediate urgency to trigger this mission.
Instead of rushing, many players choose to completely clear the opening district of Watson before ever stepping foot near Konpeki Plaza. This comprehensive cleanup involves tackling every available gig, hunting down cyberpsychos, finishing NCPD scanner hustles, and completing side jobs, which can elevate V to around level 20 before the main plot truly accelerates. This approach can serve multiple roleplaying functions: it can act as a shopping spree to secure advanced cyberware like Mantis Blades or double-jump legs, function as a narrative safeguard for a savvy mercenary who refuses major work without favors banked, or simply provide a way to maximize Street Cred to unlock superior vendor gear early.
Do Less and Focus on Specific Narrative Threads
While completionism holds a strong appeal for many open-world gamers, focusing strictly on specific storylines or localized regions can offer a sharply contrasting experience. Players frequently decide to prioritize narrow objectives, such as removing the digital ghost of rock star Johnny Silverhand from V’s mind, treating that goal with the single-minded obsession it would demand in reality.
This focused mindset can mean bypassing major supporting characters entirely—such as Goro, Panam, Rogue, or Claire—and interacting only with select allies like Judy Alvarez. Alternative playthrough concepts include playing as a Valentinos loyalist who never leaves the district of Heywood, a Voodoo Boys netrunner confined strictly to Pacifica, or a dedicated Mox operative operating exclusively alongside Judy. Characters left behind in these focused runs simply remain available at the Afterlife for future playthroughs.
Go All-Natural With Zero Cyberware
Since the implementation of major gameplay overhauls in Update 2.0, the vast majority of armor and defensive capabilities in Cyberpunk 2077 are tied directly to cybernetic enhancements rather than clothing items. Attempting to navigate the perils of Night City entirely without cyberware turns conventional survival strategies upside down.
A no-cyberware run forces players to abandon advanced armor systems and a significant portion of their baseline mobility. Success under these severe limitations relies heavily on melee weapons like katanas, precise blocking, and stealth-oriented or sniper builds. On the bright side, this restriction grants players total freedom regarding fashion choices, as clothing returns to a purely cosmetic function. Nevertheless, encountering a hostile cyberpsycho without artificial enhancements serves as an immediate reminder of why most residents of Night City rely heavily on chrome.
Be a Netrunner Who Never Fires a Gun
For those who prefer a cerebral approach to combat, playing as a dedicated netrunner offers a vastly different rhythm of gameplay. By plugging directly into enemy local networks using a cyberdeck, netrunners deploy quickhacks to distract, disable, and neutralize targets from a distance.
While low-level code attacks can feel modest and restrictive during the opening hours, mastering the discipline eventually transforms V into a formidable presence capable of clearing entire rooms without discharging a single bullet. Advanced techniques allow players to remain completely undetected by chaining operations like Memory Wipe followed by Cyberware Malfunction, neutralizing threats without triggering alarms. In this playstyle, the cyberdeck effectively replaces conventional weaponry, directing attribute points toward resources that maximize RAM capacity.
Brawl With Gorilla Arms
Players who prefer to resolve conflicts up close and personal can lean entirely into physical altercations using Gorilla Arms. This style eliminates hacking and conventional firearms in favor of pure physical force, requiring attribute points to be funneled into the Body category to amplify blunt weapon perks that directly benefit the cybernetic fists.
Pairing Gorilla Arms with reinforced jump legs allows brawlers to rapidly close the distance on armed adversaries. Furthermore, aesthetic customization updates allow players to restyle their brawler’s physical enhancements at various locations across the city, bringing a personalized visual flair to close-quarters combat.
Turn Off the Minimap
One of the most effective methods for experiencing Night City anew involves removing the navigational aid from the corner of the screen. Without a minimap to direct every turn, navigation relies entirely on architectural landmarks, vertical district layouts, and an intimate familiarity with the city’s geography.
Drricts like Kabuki, Japantown, and Pacifica develop distinct identities when explored through physical orientation rather than GPS tracking. Using colossal structures like Arasaka Tower as a permanent compass helps players naturally learn shortcuts and hidden alleyways. Embracing this style encourages a slower, more deliberate pace, often expanding a playthrough significantly as players absorb environmental details, read in-game lore shards, and treat the environment like a living neo-noir novel.
Play as a Corporate Sellout
The branching origins of Nomad, Street Kid, and Corpo provide distinct narrative entry points that naturally complement specific playstyles. While players can mix and match approaches, leaning entirely into a self-interested corporate persona offers a distinct lens through which to view Night City’s cutthroat culture.
A "sellout" playthrough involves making strictly self-serving choices in dialogue, prioritizing profit, and consistently siding with whichever faction holds the upper hand. Choosing the corporate background grants access to exclusive dialogue options and specialized knowledge unavailable to street kids or nomads. For players who find discomfort in antagonistic roleplaying choices, adopting a ruthless corporate mindset offers a fascinating exploration of a city where every individual ultimately carries a precise price tag.
