Summary
There is plenty of danger on the streets of Night City.Cyberpunk 2077is chock-full of missions that will test players of all skill levels, whether they are playing as a bulky shotgun-wielding techie or a more nimble and stealthy netrunner. But there are always harder difficulties for those with the perfect build who are up to a mightier challenge.
Playing on ‘Very Hard’gives the enemies more powerful guns, more cybertech, and more tactical AI. Playing through the game on this difficulty can be intimidating, but these missions in particular pose a challenge for even the most experienced gun-for-hire.
5Cyberpsycho Sighting: Letter Of The Law
Arena of Deadly Traps
While traveling around Night City, V is likely to get texts from all sorts of quest-givers. Regina Jones is one such character who tasks V with finding and stopping rampaging enemies all across town. Cyberpsychosis is mentioned a lot throughoutCyberpunk 2077, but it is only in the ‘Psycho Killer’ missions that players get the chance to get up close and personal with characters who have made themselves more machine than human. ‘Letter of the Law’ takes V to a seemingly abandoned garage in Heywood where they will quickly discover landmines, tripwires, and - waiting at the end of the gauntlet - Gaston Phillips.
The data shards around the garage tell the story of a man who was used by one of the megacorporations and forced by overwhelming debt into becoming a monster, but by the time the player arrives, all they encounter is corpses and a tricky boss fight. Gaston can blink around the arena using his cybertech and wields a brutal SMG. Players will need to find cover and avoid being rushed by him, all while trying to avoid the explosives. Juggling RAM management to hack devices at the same time can prove too much to handle, especially if V isn’t equipped with alate-game cyberdeck.
4The Heist
Low-Level Gear
Despite being one of the earlier missions inCyberpunk 2077, ‘The Heist’ is surprisingly tricky on Very Hard. The quest is the climax of the very first act, given by Dexter DeShawn with 2 missions of preparation for the big job. But, as those who have played the game will know, things quickly take a turn for the worse.
Playing on Very Hard forces the player to use all of the tools at their disposal, but this early in the game those tools will be few and far between. Thebetter quick hacksand cyberware are locked until players begin Act 2 andthe perks that can make V effectively invisibleare hours of gameplay away. Pair that with swarms of armored enemies on high alert, destructive environments for the guards to shoot through and a boss fight against a powerful mech and this mission has the makings of one of the hardest in the game.
3Beat On The Brat: Arroyo
Two-Hit KO Boss, Who Starts a Firefight
Another ongoing quest throughout the dystopic Night City sees V entering a series of fistfights with local champions in each district. While most of these are a walk in the park, especially for any players usinga build focusing on the Body stat, these trials can be tougher on higher difficulties.
The Arroyo champion in particular can give V a hard time on Very Hard difficulty. The opponent, Buck, can take V out in just a few hits while being just as tanky as all the other boxers that players can scrap with. ‘Beat on the Brat: Arroyo’ proves itself harder still though; if the player persuaded Buck to gamble with his prized gun, then he will be furious. He and his gang will start to shoot at the player right after their fight, barely giving them any time to recover. V will only get their winnings by looting Buck after defeating him. The sore loser is certainly a Very Hard challenge.
2Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
Four Minibosses, at Once
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertywasreleased to positive reception, but it includes one of the most chaotic and infuriating missions in the whole game. ‘Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos’ is part of the DLC, and sees V facing off against the forces of MaxTac - a police division made up entirely of cyberpsychos. Playing on Very Hard, the conclusion to this mission becomes a terrifying task.
After busting open a transport that is holding a very special character from the DLC, 4 members of MaxTac burst out. Each has its own unique attacks and can dodge and dash through bullets and up close to the player. Any one of these would be a difficult fight but amidst burning wreckage, V has to destroy all 4 before they can continue their rescue mission. Solomon Reed, portrayed by Idris Elba, will try to cover V from above, but the player will have to have fast reflexes and a good build to be able to survive the onslaught. For anyone needing help,this guide could be of use.
1(Don’t Fear) The Reaper
Slowly Taking Damage
The final mission of the game is certainly difficult. But by choosingthe right dialogue options when considering who will storm Araska with V,and staying on Johnny Silverhand’s good side, players can choose to make it a much tougher fight. This is widely considered to be the most challenging mission in the game on any difficulty.
V’s health is lowered as soon as they enter Araska Tower and will continue to drop over time as the Relic malfunctions. So players have to fight through some of the hardest enemies in the game including mechs, samurai and hordes of guards - all while on a time limit. If V survives, they then have to defeatthe final boss, Adam Smasher, which is already a hard enough fight when the odds aren’t so stacked against the player. But this mission comes with the tantalizing promise of a secret ending, a reward for all of the hard work. Try not to die during this mission though, if V dies they are dead for good. No checkpoints or respawns, just the credits.
