Cyberpunk 2077 features an expansive world, and its main storyline can be completed within 20-30 hours. Despite that, this noir-themed dystopian reality videogame has over a hundred hours of gameplay. From the ever-awake metropolis of Night City to the sprawling arid deserts of Badlands, there are many missions to complete and things to discover.
This guide will look at the five best side quests that players can complete, either tying loose ends or learning more about the beautifully written characters. We’ll look at the tips for the best outcomes and discuss what makes them so heartfelt. Without further ado, let’s explore these standalone pieces of excellent writing.
Heroes (Jackie’s Ofrenda)
Accessing the side quest
The “Heroes” side quest involves hosting an Ofrenda, honouring Jackie Welles at the beginning of Act 2. This side quest can only be accessed after Jackie dies during “The Heist” quest. Delamain, the sentient cab, offers V a list of four options regarding the disposal of Jackie’s body. Selecting either the “Nowhere. Wait for me here” or “Take him home, to his family” options will result in this immersive side-quest unlocking.
Alternatively, sending Jackie’s body to Misty or Vik Vektor’s clinic will result in him being taken by Arasaka. Later on, this will result in Jackie becoming a very poor copied engram. This option will give Misty, Jackie’s girlfriend, less chance to say goodbye to her significant other. The Ofrenda side quest sheds more light on Misty and Jackie’s relationship.
Starting the quest
The Heroes quest will start with Mama Welles giving V a call. Players will have to head to the El Coyote Cojo, a bar in The Glen. The Ofrenda will be staged in this bar. After meeting Mama Welles, she’ll give us an objective to find something from Jackie’s garage to bring to the Ofrenda.
Heading to the garage, players will find Misty weeping outside the bar. This scene is pivotal as the player, V, will get to know her more. Apart from being a mystical tarot crystal girl, she’ll tell the story of how she is Jackie’s girlfriend. There’s a nice expositional backstory here, and players would want to take advantage of this.
Heading to the garage with Misty, players will find many things to scan and even find Jackie’s motorcycle parked neatly in the garage. Most items can be scanned and have a specific story tied to each item. The heart-wrenching moment starts when we enter the backdoor, and the same music plays earlier from the cab when Jackie dies. It’s an emotional moment, and Kudos to the CDPR team for sincerely developing and executing a melancholy moment.
The Offrenda
Although there will be a lot of items to scan, we can only take back the book to the Ofrenda, Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls. It’s a nice, poetic touch from the developers. Returning to the El Coyote Cojo, players will place the book on the table adorned with Jackie’s possessions.
The player then gets to hear speeches from people closest to him. Misty, Viktor, and Mama Welles all dole out emotional speeches commemorating Jackie. Lastly, V also has to make a speech, with various dialogue options available, depending on how we first got introduced to Jackie, considering the different life paths. Whatever our choice, we end the speech with a quote from the book mentioned above.
This quest also allows us to fix a rift between Mama Welles and Misty. A little backstory here as Mama Welles has consistently held one of Jackie’s exes as her favourite, and the player has to step in and tell her how important Misty was to Jackie. This intervention will result in Mama Welles putting aside her differences and forming a closer bond with Misty. Later on, Misty will tell us how Mama Welles keeps sending her chicken roasts even though she’s a vegetarian.
After the speeches, the final part consists of going over and having a small conversation and a drink with all the attendees. The player will drink to Jackie’s memory, and the attendees will reminisce about all the good memories they shared with Jackie. Completing this will end the quest and leave a bittersweet but wholesome feeling regarding Jackie Welles. Players can return to the memorial sometime later and acquire Jackie’s iconic La Chingona Dorada pistol.
Riders on the Storm (To Haboobs!)
The Aldecaldo quest line throws up some interesting and exciting jobs, but the pick of them has to be the Riders on the Storm. It’s an exciting side quest featuring infiltrating an enemy base, overwhelming odds, and some sensitive moments at its end.
Throughout the Aldecaldos questline, the player’s relationship with Panam grows and reaches a crescendo in this standalone side quest. It’s also one of the more challenging battles the player will face in Cyberpunk 2077 and is routinely used to test out builds and modifications by seasoned veterans.
The Side-Quest
After completing the “Life After Wartime” quest and capturing Anders Hellman, Panam will call you, asking you to rescue Saul from the Wraith Camp in the Badlands. As there are a lot of flirtatious moments between Panam and V, the player heads over there to help Panam recover Saul and build on the blossoming relationship between V and Panam. This action will trigger the side-quest “Riders on the Storm.”
Panam will then take you near the base camp where Saul is being held, and there will be a Drone Briefing, looking at all the possible angles of attack and entry into the highly fortified Wraith Camp. Players should pay attention as there are ways to infiltrate and navigate the Wraith Camp.
Infiltrating the Wraith Camp
1st Method
Players can go one of three ways. The first way is to go guns blazing through the front door, recommended for seasoned players or those looking to test their combat builds and fighting ability. Be warned, as this is one of the most challenging camps to infiltrate and will test your combative mettle. It’s also a little loud and messy, as the player will be exposed and take lots of damage.
2nd Method
The second method involves stealth and cunning as the player looks to infiltrate the camp silently. Heading towards the camp silently, the player will notice a light to the right of the main gate around 100-150 meters. Coming closer to the light, the player will notice a makeshift iron gate between two walls. That’s the alternative way inside the camp. We won’t be using this approach.
Instead, a mini boulder should be to the right of the gate. Manoeuvring around the boulder, the player should move left in the direction of the boulder towards some tall bushes. Players will see another light, just a short distance. That’s the entrance to the Service Tunnel.
There’s steel grating, but it can be easily opened on closer inspection. There is a ladder of steps leading down into the tunnel. Making our way through the service tunnel, the player can rescue Saul and make their way back using the tunnel without crossing another living soul. This method is clean, precise, and ideal for players who value story above action.
3rd Method
The third method is this guide’s favourite. It involves using the alternate way inside the camp, stealthily taking out as many enemies with short-circuitry and a silenced Overture, rescuing Saul from his torment, and wreaking havoc on the entire base, killing everyone to avenge all the horrific things they have done.
The first and the third methods allow you to get a lot of levels and loot; most importantly, players can pick up the “Problem Solver” SMG from the camp leader. It’s the fastest-firing gun in the game, and with further modifications and enhancements, it’s simply unbeatable.
Getting in the van with Saul at the end will involve a car chase sequence unless players have silently infiltrated the camp and killed no one. This rare instance of vehicle combat is fascinating and thrilling and is one of the most difficult aiming experiences in the whole game. After the car chase, Panam, V, and Saul take shelter in a building amid a massive sandstorm.
Holed up in the Sandstorm (To Haboobs!)
The side quest’s best part is during this stage, where V is holed up with Panam and Saul. As Saul gets off to sleep, he tells V and Panam that In North Africa, they call sandstorms “Haboobs” and then sniggers off by saying, “Damn, I love that word.” The flirtatious tension between Panam and V is quite intense in this quest and reaches its crescendo when Saul leaves. V makes a toast and says, “To Haboobs!“
V and Panam Talk
The atmospheric music and cosy sheltering from the raging sandstorm provide a unique and romantic backdrop for V and Panam. There’s a playful dialogue, and CDPR flexes its writing skills to perfectly set up this tense yet highly provocative scene. One of the dialogue options for V is asking Panam to sit back and take her shoes off. She shrugs off the suggestion, joking it can be a “health code violation.”
Panam asks V what he is thinking. The dialogue option appears “[Touch Panam’s Thigh] Got a few ideas.” Selecting this option will lead to V leaning in, touching Panam’s thigh, but Panam hesitates and tells V, “No, it’s nice as it is. Let’s not spoil it.” Moments like this help us appreciate and feel V as a living, breathing human rather than a mercenary for hire, with developers adding vulnerability and longing to his character arc.
Closure
The game makes players think things are going well, only to make them feel like an idiot for overshooting their shot and missing. The following day, players get some closure to what happened last night with V apologizing to Panam, and she replies that it isn’t worth talking about and she’s not like that. V fires back with, “So what are you like?” She says seductively, “More like this,” and leans over and kisses him.
This outcome is only possible if V is a male. If V is female, then the leaning on the bike option isn’t available. She then says, “Take care of yourself, V,” and rides off on her bike. Dragging a romance arc across several missions with a slow, gradual development feels more natural and authentic, and kudos to CDPR for pulling it off.
Pyramid Song (Diving in Laguna Lake)
Pyramid Song is one of the side quests associated with Judy and undoubtedly one of the best-written standalone quests in the game. It can be accessed by progressing through Judy’s storyline. An exciting story quest, this mission involves V and Judy getting neurally synced, hearing each other thoughts and memories. This side-quest is essential as it allows the player, V, to romance Judy at the quest’s end. This romance will only initiate if V is a female and has a feminine voice.
Prerequisite
Prerequisite
To access this quest, players have to comply with one pre-condition. In the quest “Pisces,” the player has to not side with Maiko, and if they do, they don’t have to accept money. Accepting the money will remove this quest forever. This quest will also appear if the player fails to follow Maiko’s plan.
The Quest
After Pisces is completed, wait 24 hours in-game time for Judy to call you. She’ll ask to meet you at a location by Laguna Lake in the Badlands. This will initiate the side quest “Pyramid Song.” After talking to her, Judy and the player will dive into the lake.
After a quick diving calibration, the player must follow Judy and look for clues in the submerged city (optional). Underwater levels are usually terrible in games, but Cyberpunk 2077 delivers a stand-out performance, veering away from the conventional Subnautica quests found in other games. Players get a uniquely presented window into Judy’s past here, and since both characters are neurally synced, Judy can even hear Johnny Silverhand’s voice inside V’s head.
As the quest continues, the divers scan objects from one underwater location to another until the player enters the church. After a small cutscene, both divers emerge, and Judy asks V if she wants to stay the night with her at the bungalow. Declining her request would prevent the romance with Judy from happening.
Romancing Judy
To romance Judy, the player first has to turn on the generator and then kiss her in the bungalow’s bathroom when given the opportunity. If the player fails to do so, there’s one more chance at this romance by hugging her after missing the chance to kiss her. This action will initiate V’s spending the night getting intimate with her.
To lock in the romance with Judy, the player must select the dialogue option stating, “The night the two of you spent was the start of something amazing.” If the player leans away in the bungalow bathroom or the night before was a nice distraction, the romantic path with Judy will conclude, and she’ll eventually leave Night City.
By locking in the romance with Judy, she’ll shelve her plans for leaving Night City and instead choose to stay with V. Subsequently; the player can visit Judy’s apartment and share it with her, even having more conversations with her.
The romance with Judy is even more incredibly written than with Panam. It builds subtly and naturally and is more of an unspoken thing until it isn’t. The player has a lot longer to build a friendship with Judy first, having seen tonnes of character development of both characters. This quest’s well-written, subtle romance makes it an un-missable side quest, and players should play this to check it out.
Dream On (Peralez Conspiracy)
Dream On is one of the game’s most terrifying and mysterious quests. It’s an unnoticed and easily missable side quest involving the Night City’s Mayor. The quest starts with Judy passing our details to Elizabeth Peralez, the Mayor’s wife, who passes them to her husband.
The Quest
Shortly after completing “I Fought The Law,” V will get a call from Jefferson Peralez, the Mayor, to come to their apartment and investigate an incident. Heading to one of the nicest and most fashionable apartments in Night City will trigger the quest “Dream On.” Upon sitting with Jefferson, he starts telling V about his altercation with an intruder in the middle of the night.
According to Jefferson, he shot an intruder only to pass out and wake up in bed the following day with no sign of a break-in or any evidence of a shooting ever having happened. He’s hopeful that we can find out more. After Jefferson leaves for a critical election campaign, the player can investigate the apartment.
Investigating the Apartment
Upon investigation, it becomes apparent that the Mayor’s idyllic lifestyle is far from ideal. The player will learn that Elizabeth’s memory is chaotic as she wrongly remembers the colour of flowers at her wedding and says her husband never smokes. There’s also an incident where Jefferson fired someone and had no memory of it the next day.
Investigating the apartment, the player will find bloodstains on the wall in the room to the left of the door that leads to the stairs. More importantly, players must find a hidden door inside their apartment.
It’s in the middle of the upper floor, and upon finding mysterious messages from their security detail, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary security detail. Scanning the hidden room will lead the player toward the roof, where all this information is being beamed via a Satellite Dish to a Signal Tower nearby.
Tracking the Signal
After talking to Elizabeth about this discovery, the player has to exit the apartment and head towards the Signal Tower, transmitting information in a “spy” van. After the player gets close to the van, it speeds away, resulting in a chasing sequence. It’s vital that the player keep up with this van, and players are recommended to drift on tight corners, as losing the van leads to the mission failing.
The van will eventually enter a compound owned by Maelstrom. Players can infiltrate the compound by sneaking through the roof and neutralizing all the enemies before approaching the van. There are about 12 enemies in total.
Upon entering the van and hacking the database, the player learns that the Peralez isn’t just being spied on; they’re having all their memories rewritten. It is evidence of the severe memory loss that both Elizabeth and Jefferson are facing. Trying to download this date leads to it mysteriously being deleted.
Telling Elizabeth and Jefferson
Players then have to call Elizabeth, and she’ll ask to meet V in a ramen shop. Elizabeth confirms this harrowing information. She explains how her husband’s behaviour changes overnight, from having different music tastes to forgetting he had a brother. She also notices how she is changing into someone else. Harrowing.
Finally, the player has to make a decision. Either tell the truth to Mayor Jefferson and tell him he’s being controlled by an entity he can’t possibly defeat, or lie to him and downplay the event, saying it was a political rival who staged the break-in and let him continue his day-to-day life.
It’s a tough decision as telling him the truth will lead him to develop crippling paranoia, or lying to him will make him remain blissfully ignorant as he slowly loses his identity. Cyberpunk 2077 pulls no punches, and no matter what the player chooses to do, in the words of Johnny Silverhand, “He’s fucked, V!” aptly sums it up.
This quest merely scratches the surface of something way more profound and has enormous implications regarding who controls and runs this dystopian reality. Humans or A.I.? It’s a fascinating dive into the lore of Cyberpunk 2077, and players can grapple with these questions themselves while playing this brilliant standalone side-quest.
Blistering Love (Rogue Drive-In Date)
The final side quest on this list is Blistering Love. It has a great premise and one of the most extraordinary pieces of soundtrack in the entire game. It is quite an accomplishment considering Cyberpunk 2077 is already filled with stunning and musically vibrant soundtracks. A piece of good music can be amplified tenfold when paired with the perfect scene.
Not a long or hard quest by any stretch of the imagination, Blistering Love is a simple enough quest involving a Drive-In Movie Date with Rogue. Initially, Johnny’s idea, this quest becomes available after the “Chippin’ In” quest. To unlock this quest, the players need to select a specific piece of dialogue with the Rockerboy in the Northern Oilfields during the last phase of Chippin’ In.
The quickest method is selecting “A hard road, but it looks like we made it.” or “Johnny, no need to bare your soul to me.” Selecting either of these dialogue options will prompt Johnny Silverhand to ask you to call Rogue on his behalf to ask her out on a date to try and make up for never taking her out properly in the past.
The Quest
The player must call Rogue to set a date to start the quest. She’ll say to come by the Afterlife Club in the evening. A top tip for this side quest is to arrive at the club in Johnny’s prized Porsche 911. If the player fast travels to the Afterlife, they won’t get the chance to pick up the vehicle, so make sure that the last vehicle the player summoned is the 911 Turbo.
Choosing this car has sentimental value, as Rogue will comment on all the times she and Johnny had in this car. Next, drive to the Silver Pixel Cloud drive-in theatre. Unfortunately, over 50 years have passed since Rogue wanted to go here, and the place has closed. That won’t stop this date from happening.
The player has to access the computer in the front office and find that the door code is 0000. Enter the code into the I.D. scanner and head upstairs to the projector room. The projector terminal has a few easter eggs, such as “The Nightmare on Jig-Jig Street” and “A Song of Ice and Chrome.” Interact with the terminal and put on the movie Bushido X. Once Johnny stops talking, give him the keys and take the pills, allowing Johnny to take over.
Johnny and Rogue
Johnny and Rogue will reminisce about the old times and talk about what they would change if they were back in 2015. They talk about their past versions and how young they were back then. Rogue chirps, “How’d you imagine this date going?” The player can select either of the dialogue options.
After Rogue says, “But all we’ve got is this one night,” Johnny leans in for a kiss by saying, “More than I Expected.” The music, the atmosphere, and the genuinely justified context all come together to execute this scene flawlessly. It’s a brilliant scene with Johnny Silverhand, against all odds, having managed to return from the dead and the first glimpse of a guy wanting to right his wrongs.
On the other hand, it’s a closure for both characters as Rogue can tick off something from her bucket list that seemed impossible 50 years prior. Also, props to CDPR for not delving into an entire romance scene, maintaining Rogue’s strength of character, and bringing things back to the stark reality of Cyberpunk 2077.
The game breaks any illusion of this teenagers-in-love dynamic by reminding us that it’s a dead man in a borrowed body reuniting with an old flame who must be in her mid-80s. This is perfectly depicted by Rogue walking away after kissing Johnny. Overall, it’s a fantastic side-quest, giving closure to both these characters, brilliant character building, and underlined by a magnificent soundtrack.
That’s all from this guide. There are many side-quests, each richer in character backstories and the lore surrounding Cyberpunk 2077’s brilliant and stunning universe. Thanks for reading this through. Have fun playing this game to completion and learning more about the dystopian, alive, and exhilarating world of Cyberpunk 2077. Adios!