One of the most important events in Cyberpunk 2077 is your first trip to the Ripper Doc. These vendors allow V to augment their body with upgrades that have genuine ramifications for both combat and exploration in-game. However, upon first glance, there are so many slots and potential upgrades on offer that it’s easy to get lost in the sauce.
Upgrades are expensive and money is quite hard to come by in Cyberpunk 2077, so in this guide, we’re going to run through the most essential cyberware so you can make the right choices with your precious eddies.
Operating System
It’s not the most fun choice compared to ‘Mantis Blades’, but upgrading your Operating System should be your first big spend in Cyberpunk 2077. Having a better OS Shard will let you store more quick hacks, which open up multiple chaotic avenues in combat. This upgrade will also provide a significant boost to your RAM, which dictates how many quick hacks you can use at once, and how quickly they’ll recharge.
Reinforced Tendons
With your hacking capabilities sorted for the rest of the game, turn your attention to the double jump. Exploring is so much easier with this ability, found under the ‘Legs’ tab in the Ripper Doc menu. There are plenty of access points on building tops just out of reach that you can nab as soon as you grab this skill. On many occasions, it will also allow you to flank a group of enemies during difficult combat encounters.
Subdermal Armor
Found under the ‘Integumentary System’ slot in the Ripper Doc menu, Subdermal Armor does what it says on the tin. Depending on the rarity of the cyberware, it will add to your base armor by a significant amount. Pick it up early to make V even more of a tank in combat.
Smart Link
You can get upgrades that help buff Power weapons in the Hands slot, but if you don’t have Smart Link, you won’t be able to use any of the Smart Weapons you find in-game, so it’s the obvious choice in this particular augment category. Smart Weapons are incredibly powerful as you don’t have to aim — they have homing bullets that track and kill enemies quickly, even in cover. Fair enough if you don’t gel with Smart Weapons, but you may as well get this upgrade first to try them out before you drop the weapon category entirely.
Gorilla Arms
Some people may prefer the slashing and dashing of the Mantis Blades or the more covert ranged damage of the Monowire, but for our money, the best choice is the Gorilla Arms in the Arms slot. The reason for this is that beyond turning you into a terrifying pugilist, the Gorilla Arms have the added benefit of letting you force open doors, even if your Body stat is low. This is such a massive boon that will help you in almost every combat mission in the game, so consider the Gorilla Arms as one of your first major upgrades in Cyberpunk 2077.
