There are so many moving parts in Cyberpunk 2077 that it’s easy to slam all of your perk points into your favorite attribute category and not give much thought to the effects as you level up across the course of the game.
However, given that the cost of a respec is 100,000 eddies at your local Ripper Doc, you may want to rethink that strategy and focus on the best upgrades in the game. Read on to consider our picks that will complement most builds and make your Cyberpunk playthrough smoother.
Breach Protocol - Advanced Datamine
This is the first upgrade you should gun for, right from the start of the game. If you don’t happen to have the Intelligence necessary to unlock it, fix that first and then grab it. This skill adds 50% and then 100% to the amount of money you get from using the Datamine Daemon on in-game Access Points.
Given that this is one of the main ways you earn money in Cyberpunk 2077, upgrading your take early is an easy way to make lots of money in the early game. There’s a similar skill in Breach Protocol that upgrades the number of components you receive from data mines too, which you should grab if you want to be flush with crafting resources over the course of your playthrough.
Street Brawler - Rush
Cyberpunk 2077’s melee combat is far from the game’s best system, but you will end up using it regardless as it’s very handy in a pinch, especially if you’ve got the Gorilla Arms cyberware upgrade. It’s also tied to one of Cyberpunk’s major side questlines, called ‘Beat on the Brat’ which is tremendously difficult without this melee regeneration skill, which lets you earn health back with every punch. You should pick it up early to reap the benefits, even if you’re not focusing on the Body attribute.
Crafting - Scrapper
In the early game selling junk can be a good way to earn money, but this doesn’t scale very well throughout the narrative, so it’s best to pick up this skill when it stops making you decent scratch. Once you nab this skill all the junk you pick up will be disassembled and turned into crafting components so you can build better weapons and armor. It’s one less thing on your mind in a game with lots to think about, so definitely don’t skip this one!
Stealth - Dagger Dealer
If you’re planning to use a Stealth build in Cyberpunk 2077, or you just want the option of dealing with enemies in a covert fashion, then Dagger Dealer is a fantastic early pickup. If you equip a knife weapon (and you’ll find loads on enemy corpses) then you’ll have the option to hold the left trigger and then use the right trigger to throw it at an unsuspecting goon. This trick deals tons of damage and is great for taking out enemies from afar when you run out of quick hacks or you’re at risk of getting revealed.
