For a game that is all about showing off cool tech in a gritty future, there is plenty of tragedy in Cyberpunk 2077 too. One of the biggest moments was spoiled in the E3 2019 trailer, but that won't be repeated here in case anyone missed it. The point is Cyberpunk 2077 is as much about loss as it is about having fun in an open-world city.
Then there are some missions that perhaps get too dark. These missions may keep players up at night. Some, more than others. There will be spoilers for large chunks of the game in here, so buckle up for a haunting ride.
Updated November 22, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: Cyberpunk 2077 may not have had the greatest launch, but it's received practically nothing but praise following its revamped 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty DLC. Intermixed with all the new content in Dogtown and beyond are some of the game's most disturbing quests – whether these disturbing missions see players escaping a terrifying Blackwall bot or simply seeing their best friend die, Cyberpunk doesn't shy away from horrors both science-fictional and realistic. This list of the most disturbing Cyberpunk quests has been updated to include one of the final missions of the Phantom Liberty DLC, as well as to more clearly describe what makes each mission so upsetting.
15 Somewhat Damaged
Disturbing Implications, And Disturbingly Scary – Like A Survival Horror
At the end of Phantom Liberty, during the Firestarter questline in which players take on the guise of two French netrunners meeting with Hansen, players face a choice: betray Songbird, or betray Reed. By betraying Songbird and turning her over to Reed, players will eventually reach the quest Somewhat Damaged.
Described by some as if Alien: Isolation was brought to Cyberpunk 2077, Somewhat Damaged sees players escape a Militech Cerberus bot infected with something from beyond the Blackwall. The sequence is straight out of a horror game, and if players aren't fast, V's journey through Night City can come to a premature end.
14 The Heist
Seeing Yorinobu Kill Saburo Is Just The Start Of It
The Heist marks a major turning point in Cyberpunk 2077 and marks the moment where the tone of the story shifts, for better or for worse. After planning out a major heist in the very heart of Arasaka itself, both Jackie and V enter Yorinobu's bedroom itself in an attempt to steal the legendary Relic.
However, things go completely out of hand as the quest goes on, with the two perps witnessing Yorinobu kill his own father, Saburo Arasaka. The chain of events that unfold are quite massive, with Jackie losing his life and V receiving a bullet in his brain for his efforts.
13 Where Is My Mind?
Siding With Hanako Has Serious Downsides
Near the end of the game, players who choose to side with Hanako and break into Arasaka using her help will essentially sign themselves up for the worst ending in the game. Players get sent to an Arasaka space station where Johnny is forcefully ripped out of V's body.
Not only does this lead to V losing facets of his personality as well, but it turns out that he is still on a timer before dying. As a result, the only choices left to him are to either sign up for Arasaka's Secure Your Soul program or go back to Earth and live out his final months on his own terms.
12 Disasterpiece
A Heist Gone Wrong, And A Doll Caught in The Middle
After the botched heist, V goes on a hunt to find Evelyn along with Judy. However, it turns out that Evelyn had also fallen in the trap of a bunch of vicious individuals in Night City, being forcefully sold off for illegal braindances.
After a long hunt, V and Judy finally find Evelyn... But the reunion is anything but a warm one. Evelyn was in the middle of a heinous illegal braindance and is traumatized to the point where she refuses to even talk to her rescuers after reaching a state of normalcy.
11 Both Sides, Now
The End Of Evelyn's Brief Questline
Most people hoped that Evelyn would slowly start dealing with her trauma and come back to normal... But the world of Cyberpunk 2077 is a vicious one. Unable to deal with the events that she was forced into, Evelyn decides to kill herself when Judy wasn't around for a while.
The quest Both Sides, Now starts off with V walking to Judy and seeing Evelyn dead in the bathtub. It's a truly harrowing scene that further cements the evil nature of this city and how it swallows and spits out the weak.
10 Pyramid Song
An Unsettling Look Into Judy's Unfortunate Past
This is both a sweet and messed up mission in the game. It’s the one taken to finalize V’s relationship with Judy if V is a girl. Why it’s sweet is because Judy takes V on a date underwater to explore.
What is messed up is the fact down below is her hometown that was flooded by Corpos. Plus it’s extremely dark down there and unsettling all the same.
9 Epistrophy: North Oak
One Of Delamain's Personalities Is Feeling... Sad?
The Epistrophy missions involve gathering Delamain taxi cabs that have gone haywire. They are all messed up in one way or another, but the strangest one can be found in North Oak as it is circling a roundabout endlessly.
It allows V to get inside to drive it home but only if V is gentle. The car doesn’t want to get damaged or go too fast. It’s a slow, sad, and creepy ride home.
8 Send In The Clowns
The Disturbing Part Is Ozob's Face
Ozob Bozo is an homage to a character made for a tabletop version of Cyberpunk. As the name might suggest it too is an homage to Bozo the Clown as Ozob also has clown-like features.
Anyway, all players have to do in this mission is drive him to get some food which ends up in a shootout. It’s pretty standard for this game. The disturbing thing comes with his face as there is a grenade lodged where his nose should be. This comes back in a later mission which might end in an explosion.
7 Sacrum Profanum
The Horror Of Forced Cyberware Installation
This is an early mission in the game involving running into a Monk that was kidnapped, tortured, and had a lot of his body replaced. His religion forbids his kind to get any kind of mechanical enhancement.
So basically, these gang members not only did a poor job at surgery, but they made him a blasphemer. Players can at least find solace in saving his brother before it is too late. Playing this one without killing anyone has a special reward by the way.
6 Burning Desire
Much Worse Than A Case Of Jock Itch
This mission is kind of funny while being disturbing at the same time. Players have to help a man screaming with his pants down as he had a bad experience with a private enhancement.
“It burns” is something he continuously screams in the game as V tries to rush him to the clinic. He even almost has V run down a gaggle of schoolchildren just to get fixed.