What To Do First In Cyberpunk 2077 Complete Beginner Guide For Starting The Game

Stepping into Night City for the first time in Cyberpunk 2077 can feel overwhelmingly dense due to its massive scale and complex gameplay mechanics. New mercenaries often find themselves unsure of which attributes to prioritize or how to effectively navigate early combat scenarios. Establishing a solid foundation during your first few hours ensures a much smoother transition into the sprawling urban underworld.

Selecting the Ideal Lifepath and Initial Attributes

Your journey begins with choosing a lifepath, which defines your background story and opens unique dialogue choices throughout the campaign. While Nomad, Streetkid, and Corporate offer distinct introductory missions, none of them restrict your access to end-game abilities or playstyles. Focus instead on allocating your initial attribute points into Body or Technical Ability to enhance early survival and hacking access.

Investing early points into Technical Ability is especially beneficial because it allows you to unlock doors and craft basic equipment. Meanwhile, Body increases your health pool and stamina, giving you extra leeway during intense firefights. Balancing these two traits early on creates a versatile character capable of handling sudden threats.

Mastering Combat Basics and Cyberware Upgrades

Before diving into high-level side gigs, take time to familiarize yourself with the basic combat loop during the tutorial phase. Combining firearm encounters with quickhacks allows you to disable enemy weapons or overheat their optics from a distance. Utilizing cover dynamically keeps you alive while your health items recharge during challenging early missions.

Visiting a Ripperdoc early in Act 1 is crucial for installing essential cyberware upgrades like basic optical implants and armor plating. These enhancements improve your targeting precision and passive defense without requiring massive amounts of eddies. Prioritize functional cyberware that directly supports your preferred combat style over expensive cosmetics.

Managing Economy and Early Equipment

Money drives progression in Night City, making loot management an essential skill from the very beginning. Always search defeated enemies and containers for weapon drops, medical consumables, and valuable junk items. Selling unwanted gear to local vendors or drop points quickly builds up your bankroll for crucial upgrades.

Instead of purchasing costly weapons early on, rely on looted gear that scales naturally with your level. You can easily upgrade iconic weapons at crafting benches to keep them relevant throughout the early stages of the story. Managing your inventory efficiently prevents you from becoming encumbered during long exploration runs.

Navigating Watson and Handling Side Gigs

During the opening chapter of the game, the district of Watson is placed under lockdown, limiting your movement to a specific region. Use this restricted period to complete local NCPD Scanner Hustles and minor gigs assigned by Fixer Regina Jones. These quick tasks provide steady experience points, attribute progression, and extra currency before the full map opens up.

Pacing yourself through main story quests allows you to accumulate necessary gear and skill perks before facing tougher opponents. Taking time to explore Watson reveals hidden hidden caches, atmospheric details, and useful lore that enrich the overall experience. Approaching Night City systematically guarantees that your mercenary is fully prepared for the chaotic events ahead.