For me Cyberdeck is the best I can’t imagine playing this game without it. Killing people without having to touch or shoot them making cars self destruct while chasing you is so much fun.
Without a doubt I think netrunner is the way to go. At the same time I've built a Sandy, Berserk and netrunner and used all three. All three are fun, but they all get old after awhile and you want to switch back and forth. I will say it's hard to go back from being a netrunner to a Sandy or Berserk build because there's so many things you can do as a netrunner that aren't options as a Cyber Ninja Sandy build or a Berserker.
@@khele2kI totally agree, I think the berserk/sandy builds can be pretty interchangeable, but Netrunners really run off of completely different skillsets!
The Cyberdeck is the easiest, most OP, and the most basic for sure. It's what the game starts with, and it's probably what most people will continue using because they don't want to branch out. Whether it's the best is definitely a matter of personal opinion, it's not very fun in my opinion. Sandevistan on the other hand is a lot of fun. A heck of a lot of fun. Sandevistan also makes stealth a lot more difficult, and you actually have to think it through.
I don't care what everyone says, berserk is some of the most ridiculous power tripping you can get in a game and is insanely OP with the invulnerability. Plus if you have a certain perk or cyber ware, you can basically stay in berserk the entire fight with each kill giving 20% more time
People underestimate how actually powerful it is. Take out the freakin fist or a blade and run at them as you are about to die, especially with the EMP blast in tech treee, it gets ridiculous
Yeah couldn’t agree more Berserk is so much better then Sandy with Byakko or anything really it’s comical I was using the X2 Chainsaw and just vaporizing Max Tac in seconds.
Except when theres no easy kills to fuel longevity. Sandy has extended duration on kills and can be used with axolotl cyberware on top, you can use ranged weapons/throwables, it can do stealth, and its not like you're in danger when you just slowed down time by 70~85% which makes the immunity on berzerk just as useless. You can also toggle sandevistans, you only need 2 seconds? turn it off when done and its immediately ready to use again. Berzerk is worse at literally everything when compared to Sandys and lets just ignore cyberdecks because that comparison would get embarrassing quick especially when OP brought up "power tripping".
@@joeallen7781 when it comes to melee the berserk is by far the better option and not the iconic one, the one that gives 100% crit dmg, you havent seen a max tac melt yet if you havent tried it
@@taks1993 No berserk characteristic is even close to "by far the best", if damage peaks is all there is to consider theres nothing in game that does more damage than a primed synapse burnout out of a rippler, and at melee range RAM cost is greatly reduced, can easily melt all 5 maxtac on the spot, faster than anything. That berserk you mention also only grants some damage reduction and not immunity, enough to drop dead yourself, keeping it up is another headache because unlike sandies it doesn't extend duration on kill plus without heavy slow, the npcs continue to spread out making it harder and harder to clear quick and get some duration on a OS that only allows melee, endresult is 50% of the time with OS completely out of action. Sandy = can be toggled, adds duration every single kill on top of the axolotl (apogee 17.5% with both), controls the whole area with slow, can throw gash grenades (the 3 of those do a number on maxtac alone, forget some extra crit damage), all at MELEE range. Berserk doesn't top anything and is an ultra situational OS, everybody that ever went even slightly more indepth with game mechanics knows this, the almost 0% votes is not accidental. Not even sure why i sit here explaining it, think i just felt like typing.
Compressor is really fun, not being able to press E and win every fight makes gameplay far more interesting. I'd like to point out that fast burst fire guns also work pretty well with Sandy, Raiju/Senko LX being the best example.
@karolswieboda1781 I have 1400+ hours on Cyberpunk, so trust me when I say that you won't get bored of it, but don't be afraid to experiment! I started as a Netrunner and didn't even try any other play style until I had beaten literally every single ending, side mission, gig, and NCPD hustle... and then I realized that this game is like 3 games in one, the playstyles are so different and unique... I'm still finding new things and ways to utilize different approaches to missions, so I continue to replay and replay! @lv83bloodknight you aren't wrong, turning the game into more of a traditional shooter is also pretty great, though I think it certainly ups the difficulty, especially on very hard, makes you appreciate how OP the other systems really are!
@@charlottegerken4477 yea I wasnt trying to dunk on people who like other OS, just saying that despite the apparent simplicity, Compressor's playstyle stands out well on its own.
Have to say I agree with you, even being able to scope out where people are via cameras even if I don’t plan on frying them with “magic” is sorely missed when sporting a Sandy/Berserk. Also Gorilla Arms + Berserk is hella fun, Superhero Landing into the thick of it and then tossing some poor soul into their remaining friends is epic.
IMO the Cyberdeck is the best OS simply because while the rest add to your build, the Cyberdeck IS your build. You can still slice people up without a Sandy or Smash people without a Berserker, but you can't be a netrunner without a deck.
Tough you need to invest a lot of perk points in netrunners builds, which basically removes like 30 perkpoints you can't spend otherwise on reflex, body or melee/shooting perks. Maybe you can get like most (important) netrunner perks with melee and dash perks. But than you're missing out on body.
@@thundereagle4130 I skip the smart weapon perks in the Intelligence tree as I find they are not needed, but you're correct that the rest of the intelligence tree takes up a lot of perks. I go 20 body on a netrunner build though because the regen and Adrenaline Rush perks in body make the Overclock perks from Intelligence go so much farther. Then you add in the health item boosts from tech and slap on a biomonitor and bloodpump and its just unstoppable. I'm willing to sacrifice air dash for this and I still find shooting and melee really good without all the perks from reflexes.
@@thundereagle413030? What are you using it on? A lot of the Intelligence perks become obsolete when you get enough cyberware to restore your RAM for you. You don't even need to put perks on damage increase because when you get higher tier quick hacks, the hacks themselves have upgraded damage already. Even the Damage Over Time bonuses from cyberware increase the damage of Over Heat because its a DoT. All you really need from it is Over Clock and at least 3 hack ques. And 1 perk point for car hacks.
@Will_14582 I actually went the opposite way, I went from having maxed out intelligence, tech, body and almost maxed reflex, to deciding to reset my points and max out reflex instead of body. I've found it to be even more powerful, because when you get to 50 shinobi skill, every time you air dash or slide whatever gun you're using gets 20% of its clip automatically reloaded. It's insanely useful, especially for guns that take a bit to reload. Combined with tailwind, you can basically keep shooting without ever needing to catch your breath or reload
I used to feel like I couldn't EVER let go of my cyberdeck 😂because I always showed up and started scanning enemies, pinging, tagging thru walls, checking cameras and disabling them, attracting enemies to gas cannisters or separating them, taking them out, etc. But using the Sandevistan made me appreciate the game more, because it forced me to re-think the way I approached enemy encounters and overall change my playstyle and be more careful. So I'm having a blast with it right now, it kinda feels like I have a "special power", like David Martinez. Running around with a sword, throwing knives, a heavy pistol, the projectile launcher, and the Sandie hits different.
@@ravingtac0896 great tip. With as much as I love Johnny's revolver, especially. I'd have to experiment with other pistols/revolvers though. Some of the tech perks look pretty cool, just not sure how well they work with tech pistols as opposed to rifles.
Sandevistan is also great for stealth! Just activate and then crouch sprint past all enemies, they almost never notice you as long as ur quick. It's inconvenient but workable in a pinch :)
Sandevistealth is the best kind of stealth. Just casually run up to someone, run behind, grab and kill them. If their back is against a wall, show yourself for a little bit and they will come looking for you. Who needs to hide when you're quicker than the eye?
I use the camo implant with my apogee sandy; works really well in succession. Using the sandevistan to eliminate as many enemies without being fully spotted then turning invisible and wiping the last few enemies from behind. really fun strategy, I’d recommend it.
Optical Camo + Sandevistan ( Tier 5 + Apogee) + Perk to gone invisible when sprint crouch. Use this on many gig and always got praised on how my character get it done proper.
Bro I've been completely visible ran up to someone's face ran behind them deactivated the Sandy then grab them without them ever seeing me also I fully believe that the camo is completely useless
I didn’t think I would like the compressor but I did a max body and armor build with a crap ton of cyberware and assault rifle perks-and I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s really held its own.
I always thought Cyberdeck was the only OS available in the game until 1.6. To me it feels like the ultimate Cyberpunk gameplay style and it’s how I’ve played both of my playthroughs. Though for my third one, I will force myself to use either the Sandy or the Beserk for a different gameplay loop.
The cyber deck is definitely what was intended for the majority of players. Especially for players that are just kind of along for the ride, not getting too into the finer details. It's the main OS the game gives you, and it doesn't do anything to encourage you to branch out or try something different. imo after doing multiple playthroughs with each OS, I find the cyber deck boring. It lets you do some cool things, but after a while you realize it's kind of too easy, and combat is way more fun. Slow motion running and dashing around enemies, slowing time with Kerenzikov, and Sandevistan. Even if you don't use the Sandy to dash between enemies with a melee weapon, it's still really useful for closing the gap. I use a Sandy with pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, pretty much any type of gun in the game.
@@DrivingGod21It helps reinforce a lot of the gameplay elements. With it you can stealth, scout, and even do nonlethal takedowns from afar (with the right hacks) and a bunch of quests have optional objectives like nonlethal or stealth. Berserk is obviously for combat, & Sandy keeps some versatility but takes away your wizardry.
@@kirbyis4ever I'm never one to choose the magic class in games, so it makes sense. Sandy can actually be really good for stealth too, if you have optics that can detect cameras, a silenced gun or blunt weapon, optical camo, and a Sandevistan, you can do great stealth-ninja style gameplay. Pretty much every stealth objective is possible, even with no OS installed. There are so many options to do stealth, non-lethal, or pacifist. Sandy and Cyberdeck are definitely the best for that, but you can accomplish those goals without any OS too.
@@DrivingGod21 Bingo. They just augment your gameplay cause at the end of the day your character will still have 2 arms and 2 legs to navigate and fight with unless you get blown up or otherwise flatlined.
Stealth Sandi is beautiful, you can headshot an entire room of Scavs without even triggering an alert. At times I thought that maybe I'd made the game too easy lol. Loved my first playthrough so much I'm looking to go back and do a Netrunner build.
okay, i have to say the LMG build got my interest. standing in the middle of the street and just spitting out bullets at everything looks so satisfying.
I understand why they don't want to allow full-on netrunner/sandevistan hybrid builds, but there should be something that makes at least basic camera hacking and maybe Ping available to other OSes (similar to how Kernenzikov provides some time slow ability to other OSes). Those basic utility hacks feel like an integral part of the stealth mechanics, and there'd still be plenty to make netrunners feel different.
You are right. 2 basic hacks like camera deactivation and enemy distraction are far more valuable than all the related stealth perks. Which means that you can can play in more stealthy efficient way with 3 Cool points and a cyberdeck than with 20 points and any other OS.
my last playthrough i did a melee sandevistan build with 20 points in tech. since i couldn't hack cameras, i would slow time and run to them to turn them off with tech ability (press f to turn off basically). optimal camo is helpful as well
You know how some characters carry a physical cyberdeck on them instead of having it implanted? I think a good compromise would be to let the player have one of those to perform very basic device quickhacks. It would take up a weapon slot or the grenade slot, and wouldn't be able to hack enemies, but would allow the player to hack devices like cameras, turrets, or vehicles if the player has that perk.
Sandy + Byakko is the closest thing you'll get to physically doing that thing in anime where the someone pulls out their sword, screen goes black followed by white slash lines and then enemy is suddenly in pieces. That's pretty much the reason why I love it so much.
Chrome Compressor is actually the best for Assault Rifles, the secret is that Quantum Tuner makes Kerenzikov recharge instantly like 20 times in a row, thus making it a 3-minute Sandevistan with almost-invulnerability from Defenzikov, and it also gives around 100 free Cyberware capacity.
One of the things I’ve always liked about CDPR builds is they are not afraid of letting players turn into gods. They understand this is a power fantasy, and let you fully immerse yourself in it
There is something profoundly awesome - and effective - about using throwing weapons with berserk, completely eliminating the range limitation of the OS. With the zero-g weapon mod, if you're just cracked enough, you can even be a berserk sniper!
I find the Cyberdeck to be a perfect addition to my more assassin type build. Couldn't imagine playing it without shutting cameras off, pinging everyone in the area to tell where they are and where to plan my next move, turning turrets on their masters, etc.
I personally switched to a Sandevistan from a Cyberdeck at around level 45-50. I have since reset my attributes and now everything is at 20 except for body at 18 and intelligence at 3, which was at 16 before I reset. I like the Sandevistan. Considering my loadout is Johnny’s pistol (though I can switch it for Her Majesty for stealth), O’Five (I can switch it to Overwatch for stealth), a Punknife, and Mantis Blades, I think me and the Sandevistan are a match made in heaven. There are things I miss like being able to disable cameras and turrets, but I can just enable Sandevistan and get out of a camera’s line of sight in time.
While I believe that Cyberdecks are the most powerful OS available, I can’t get away from Sandy’s. I normally prefer to use pistols and melee,the combo of a those weapons and a sandy work very well together. I also use optical camo, and it along with a sandy work well together, the sandy artificially extending the length of the camo, allowing a surprising amount of stealth.
I think if you want to actually experience a weapon based build you gotta go with something other than a cyberdeck, simply because otherwise the cyberdeck will just dominate whatever else weapon you are speccing into anyways.
I use a melee netrunner. People probably don't get how that works but it exists. Even at the start of the game, you can use Bait to lure enemies to you, use Sonic Shock on them when they come close and then just beat them to death with whatever weapon you got. Sometimes even just fists. Its so cheap. But when they added car hacks, it just got better. I would control Jackie's bike and move it around hostile areas then hack enemies through the bike's camera. No one ever suspects the self driving bike.
I went Netrunner stealth build in my last play through, as that's how I usually play such games, but now I'm running a Berserk build. Very different play style but very, very fun. I actually prefer it.
That's what I did as well. On my first playthrough went stealthy Netrunner, cause it felt like a cool new cyberpunk concept (at the time the game released anyway). But on subsequet playthroughs made a Sandy+Blades character, then Berserk+Blunt melee character, and after that started experimenting with other variations, like Sandy + Sniper, or combat Netrunner + monowire + pistols/revolvers etc. I have over 1200 hours playtime overall across multiple playthroughs and honestly non-Netrunner builds just feel more fun to play in terms of combat mechanics. No better feeling than slowing everybody else down to a crawl and dashing from one enemy to another slicing their limbs off before they even get alerted lol, especially fun with mantis blades, cause you feel like a total cyberpsycho (shame Sandevistan was nerfed so much in 2.1 though). So that's definitely my preference. But netrunner still feels good aesthetically in the Cyberpunk universe, being able to hack everyone and everything is great in terms of roleplaying.
Been playing cyberdeck for like 100+ hours and while it ras great I became oped and even at hard I was killing masses too easily .. switched to gorilla arms/ berserk and boy it’s insane fun this superhero slam with the gorilla you actually feel like Hulk I love it ❤
I am using the cyberdeck, because with the cox-2 optimiser simple overheat oneshots EVERYTHING except bosses, so i usually turn on overclock, jump into the middle of the enemies and give overheat to everyone. I am using biomonitor with blood pump so i have a lot of potencial ram. when my overclock runs out and i havent killed everybody i just headshot them with sniper rifle.
Sandy does have some trade off stealth value. If you don't need/want ping, then it can be good for being able to thread the tighter patrol detection windows. Meaning, you're better in the active part of stealthing (not counting cameras) instead of the stronger planning of a cyberdeck
Dude, I love Sandy stealthing in this game. Feels good to activate it, run or dash-hop past everything into a hiding space behind the guy you're trying to get, and then putting a throwing knife in the back of their head.
Chrome compressor is highly undervalued. I've been running a build with CC and quantum tuner focusing on kerenzikov, defensikov and high mitigation. This build gives you permanent 100% mitigation chance (as the cooldown time for kerenzikov is lower than the effect of the defensikov) for 80% mitigation strength, high armor and about 700 health. Pair it with a single punknife and you can kill unlimited max tac squads.
The problem with chrome compressor is that it's not good until late game when you have access to a lot of high level cyberware and by then you will be giving up one of your main abilities just to use it
For me Chrome Compressor. As of typing the first, second and third comments chose Berserk, Sandy, and Cyberdeck respectively so I didn’t want cc to feel sad. Also I hope we can have a assault rifle/ smg tier list in the future!
My last playthrough was a stealth netrunner with throwing knives. Right now I am playing a sandevistan samurai build using a katana and throwing knife. I just really like the knives
Stealth net runner with throwing knives is Batman lol corpo background and non lethal damage, focus cool and reflex and int. Body as well with Gorilla arms for your melee. Love this build
@@charlestalbotrice2007no it's not. It's allows for so many playstyles to use. Shotguns, handguns, rifles, SMGs, and melee. Stealth, aggressive, passive aggressive, spread, focus, cameras.... Long range, close range... Come on.
I’ve always used the cyberdeck, but I decided to use the sandy in my most recent run and a combo I don’t see many talking about is sandy + gorilla arms to unlock your inner JoJo protagonist
sandy + gorilla arms is my favorite combo. I've used all four in separate playthroughs and find myself always missing the sandy's versatility when I branch out.
the Sandy + Gorilla arms is a style of play I don't see people use for some reason, and I love every bit of it. I started using it back in 1.6 to easily clear the fights and realized how fun it was to just punch people do death at super speed
This is my main build lol. I call it the flash build. Focus on all the movement and electrical cyberware. Reflex, body and tech, with enough cool to crouch run.
I have to say guts with an apogee works really well because most enemies get 1 shot and the time between shots is fast enough that you aiming or moving to the next enemy is enough
I like using the DR-12 Quasar with sandevistan and the dead eye perk since it allows me to get super good headshot/crit damage and the DR-12 Quasar doesn't drain stamina while firing so you can have dead eye active at all time while firing it whilst having guaranteed bolt shots for the first couple of shots
I wouldn't say Sandevistans and shotguns are _totally_ at odds. One of my favorite builds ever was a "Speed Shotgun" build that relied on Microgenerators, the Sovereign shotgun, and good old Sandy. Sovereign has a unique feature that grants bonus reload speed when you hit an enemy in the torso, and it stacks multiple times, so by activating Sandy when I land a hit, I could run up to each enemy in a crowd and unload a point blank double-barreled shotgun blast to their chests, each of which not only did massive damage on its own, but also had an electrical explosion accompanying it thanks to the Microgenerator, with each shot coming quicker than the last. Battlefields were nothing but scattered piles of scorched meat and detached limbs by the time I was done with them. Good times, good times...
Anything other then Cyberdeck changes your gameplay sooo much. Missions get wayyyy harder if you run around without a Cyberdeck. Thats why I love this game. Changing your playstyle actually means something not just for "style" purposes. Its way harder to be stealthy in a base. You cant hack cameras nor doors or anything. You can miss certain optional mission objectives just bc you cant hack for sh*t. This makes the game 100 times better and each playthrough can be vastly different.
Just got done running a Pure Netrunner build and am now going Pure Solo. I’ll be honest, I’m having way more fun as a Solo than as a Netrunner. Hacking enemies and shredding bosses without touching them is pretty fun, but the gameplay can get extremely bland as the hours pass by. As a Solo, I’m just kicking in the door and blasting away with my shotgun. And certain shotguns are so insanely powerful, especially when paired with certain perks and cyber ware, that I almost feel like that cyberpsycho at the start of Edgerunners.
so basically, cyberdeck: you're a wizard V sandevistan: I AM SPEED, and I make sushi crome compressor: welcome to 'murica! guns go brrr berserk: 'if this game had destructeble enviorment, I wouldn't use the door, I'd go throught the wall... you know, a straight line from A to B'
For a single player game, I don’t believe anything needs to be nerfed. They nerfed stealth netrunners and Sandevistans. The only notable buff are beserk builds. Makes me wonder if they’ll buff Chrome compressor because its the most useless OS. At least Beserk can keep you alive during intense moments.
Once you said "cyberwizard", it just clicked for me. Each OS corresponds to a single classic DnD class: Each pair has the same flavor and pretty much the same pros and cons. Cyberdeck, Wizard: Tons of stuff of all kinds to send the enemies' way--the most cracked if you know what you doing. Sandevistan, Rogue: Cheat your way through while playing by the rules; stealth is always an option even if you don't need it. Chrome Compressor, Fighter: People think it's boring, but it's about having exactly what you want and making pretty much any weapon you use to do its job better. Berserk, Barbarian: "Hulk Smash!"
@@quartzskull8772 Oh, I know, my group is even planning to run Red sometime soon. Just never realized it found its way into the 2077 in the form of OSs like this.
Even with literally base 3 int (character's currently lvl 43), I can't give up the cyberdeck. It's so versatile and always allows me to enter into fights on my terms and the utility it offers even when not speccing into it is hard for me to concede. Being able to destroy enemy weapons, lock down quick enemies or disable cyberware, turn turrets on enemies etc, or completely scope out a place so I can stealth all the way through without getting surprised by an enemy in a blind spot - it can provide that and still provide dmg bonuses with higher tier quick hacks. I'd likely use a Sandy in another playthrough where I'm dedicated to just going in guns blazing at all times or something, but the cyberdeck just allows me to do missions or general fights according to what the quest might require and I really do treasure that. I imagine a very optimized build would favor a sandy or the other ones, but the cyberdeck will always have its uses and I think it's great that it can fit so many builds even if it's technically not the best in slot you could have. CDPR I think really did a great job with all the overhauls over the years, 2077 is probably one of my favorite games to come back to and that's saying something cause even when I LOVE a game, I very rarely go back through it (and I primarily play rpgs, so there's usually always a reason to replay them).
I very much look forward to the cyberdeck videos you mentioned. I have been racking my brain on how exactly I wanna play a netrunner since 2.0 and 2.1. Smart weapons? Pure netrunning? SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE SAM BRAM!
I love the gorilla arms/sande build. Literally tamed every cyberpsycho and KITR fight in one burst. You can still work in a stealth build without needing to hack cameras with engineering and good timing. Plus the sande can let you waltz past cameras and sentries. The versatility in this game is its saving grace.
Berserk is actually quite useful against Smasher because during the bossfight, he's really agressive and creates a counter to your build. He outmaneuvers the Sandi and hacks you back if you're hacking him long enough BUT he can't shut Berserk down, so as long as you can stay alive during the cooldown and as long as you've got yourself some really damaging weapons - you can outtank and outlive him pretty much face to face
My berserk build made the game quite trivial, with the only challenging parts being the stealth ones. But when I got to smasher he obliterated me. Couldn’t recover health by killing enemies and getting close would have him throw me to the ground in this wonky slow animation, by the time I recovered control, berserk had run out and he was already heavy hitting me.
@@LeonardoRibeiroLeo that's weird, he didn't use stomp attack at my playthrow, but used at second one (with cyberdeck and 20 cool because I wanted to try out pistols) maybe some build nuances + there's a perk, that makes you immune to being knocked over when adrenaline shield is on
Over 1k hours in -I cannot kick the Cyberdeck. I spent maybe a total of 20 minutes with the Sandi after watching the show, but i can't see myself doing a whole run without my cyberdeck. Also, I fell in love with magic/mage classes since playing skyrim for the first time. True, being able to neutralize enemies without touching them gets boring, but the grind to reach that status makes it worthwhile.
Having a huge amount of health, overclock and running the cyberdeck that causes quick hacks to spread and causing everyone to suicide is kinda fun ngl.
Cyberdeck, despite so many nerf, still strong af, with patient, you can clear a entire hideout with traps alone(e.g. CHOO2 tank), and with other benifit 1. Enemy AI usally have highest piority for distract enemy, so even body been found, they still will go to where you lure them. 2. Copy & Paste, this perk just insanely strong, entire network will been effective, and this can be acquired early. 3. Cripple Movement make so many BOSS fight become easy, boss just stand there doing nothing(e.g. sasquatch) 4. nerfed but still insane damage of synapse burnout. 5. Axolotol + Canto + blood pump + Quantum tuner is a very strong combo, u upload Ping + blackwall will upload a first blackwall(slowest) instantly, so basically the entire loop with axolotol is pretty much endless.
I'm doing a Sandy playthrough right now, using Apogee. I'm paring it with a Katana, the throwing Axe you get from the top of the pyramid and Fenrir. I tried Overwatch, but it's far too slow. I just like rushing enemies and slicing them 😂 I usually do a Netrunner build and love Contagion lol Wanted to try something different for once and I love the blade/sandy build.
@@gustavosanches3454 The Rip And Tear perk from shotguns feels a little clunky to use due to melee attacks locking you in place (for some reason), but learning how to toggle it on and off just in time makes for a LOT of fun Probably the closest thing to the Edgerunners experience we'll ever get
I think this is my favorite video of yours. Your points are solid even if I might rank differently. My favorite part is the discussion it opened. People aren't feeling attacked in the comments but are talking about their favorite styles. The love for how there really are wildly different play styles just hits so good to me. This game had an upward beat for me. I was briefly annoyed by 2.0 cause it changed so much. But now that I "get it" again, I'm so pleased. I stopped playing right when PL came out cause I was upset. But coming back, I'm so happy I did.
Beserk is just amazing, I know it’s somewhat less flashy compared to the others (obviously excluding the chrome compressor) but it can get you out of tight spots and feels hella cool to use; you literally see red when using it!
I loved the berserk only run I tried to do, it was fun. The only issue really is that cooldown and most of my deaths came from being overwhelmed between berserk activations on Very Hard.
I wish CDPR would explain their intent with cyberware capacity shards. I still think their spawning is bugged. If its not, chrome compressor makes sense but could also be used instead of grinding shards, but i want an actual answer here. Like are we supposed to have a capacity limit from shards? And if so, we need to know. If not, then tell us. Its such a drag, which is odd because capacity is a core mechanic.
is it really ? I'm satisfied with my capacity even though there are 2 more things I want to put in that take too much space. But taking them also replaces my two other cyberware that have decent effects. The capacity shards are there so that even if you reach max level, you prob don't have enough capacity to get all your fav stuff. The shards allow for maybe one or two more things you want and the compressor allows for all the heavy chrome to be put in.
@@ceshmate1953 There is a max amount of Cyberware capacity you can gain of 80. You can get 7 green shards with 2 cyberware capacity, 4 blue shards with 3 capacity, 4 purple shards with 4 capacity and 2 legendary shards with 6 cyberware capacity. After all of them are picked up, the game is hardcoded to stop spawning these shards.
I love my cyberdeck. My favorite "build," at the moment, is jumping into a group of enemies, activating Kerenzikov, activating Overclock, and making five or six enemies unalive themselves. Or making them all Cyberpsychos. With a high enough armor stat and investment into Adrenaline Rush, you are basically an unstoppable God.
I like your thinking! I haven't slotted cyberpsychosis or suicide quickhacks since the rework but this gives me ideas. Cyberdecks give you so many possibilities for gameplay.
My first play through was as a netrunner with the MK4 cyberdeck. In my current second run, I'm rocking the Apogee Sandevistan. I'm having more fun as a sword melee Sande build. Netrunning is fun, but it becomes too op.
The novelty of wiping out an entire room of enemies with the power of your mind sounds AMAZING in theory, but there's not enough imput from the player to make it mindlessly fun, imo Going full Dio and throwing knives at people during slowmo is both hard and insanely rewarding to get into, now that I'm getting good at it I just can't go back
sandevistan is my favorite bc I like to play combat heavy wrecking ball-type characters and it just offers so much utility mid-combat. You can fire it to dodge shots, reach high ground with less risk, get in and out of close range really well, regen stamina using Tailwind, and of course placing meatshots on enemies with a shotgun is a joy. It’s also great because it feels basically limitless, both falcon and apogee being able to be triggered at low charge makes it feel like it has all the utility of the Kerenzikov with a lot more damage utility.
Sandy is more fun, imo, but Cyberdeck is way more efficient in clearing missions stealthily. I can still do stealth with a Sandy, but the times I got detected were way more than with a Cyberdeck. I personally prefer a Sandy build because I like the combat too much.
Blade finishers are bugged currently. But funnily enough i think its better this way🤣. The animation is a lot quicker since its just a generic slash so you can make benefit of the health gain and attack speed buff more efficiently.
I agree. After awhile the finisher animations break up the action too much and you just want to slash the next enemy....but then before they broke the finishers they went and tied some perks and iirc, a few cyberwear items to the finishers which is annoying.
@@Will_14582 There are a few perks for blunt finishers and blades but they're pretty avoidable. I don't think it takes away anything from the people that don't want to use them. Between 1.0 and 1.6 finishers with katanas/ mantis blades were unavoidable. There were only two animations, but they always happened on heavy attacks when the enemies health was low. It was annoying, and forced you to use light attacks when finishing off enemies but even trying to avoid it, it happened all the time. On the other hand you could speed up your melee attack speed, which would also speed up the finisher animation to absurd levels, so that was kind of funny.
Its pretty cool to be a techy and be able to have conversations and do those things with a cyberdeck but when you do a physical build, you're practically cyber Hercules and damn near impossible to kill even for maxtac, a pure force of cybernetic nature and probably the most fun way to play
Cyberdeck > Compressor > Berserk > Sandy if we're talking purely about how good they are and not how cool they are. If you're using guns then compressor>sandy and if you're using melee then berserk>sandy so there's really no case (other than throwable i guess but even then I'd rather have a cyberdeck) where its the best option
Just finished a blind playthrough (7/24). I discovered the Arasaka deck, and was smitten by the RAM cost reduction. Overnight, I was crushing content. I grew bored eventually. I just started my second run. Gorilla Arms, Shotgun, Dash and Fury. That’s the plan. I very much heartened by your assessment of Berserk/Gorilla Arms’ fun factor. Off topic, one thing I plan to do differently, is buy up Cyberware I plan to use at the lowest possible rarity. Then use the Tech ability that gives 3 variations of bonuses when upgrading . The lower rarity means that I’ll have that many more times upgrading them, with more chances to pick a suitable bonuses.
I have the most fun with a sandy, but Cyberdeck is undeniably the best. The insane versatility is far above all the others. You can clear a building without being detected, you can infiltrate the most high security facilities, you can run in guns blazing and stop the enemy from fighting back, it’s unfair how much the Cyberdeck lets you do
Sandevistan is by far my favorite. Its super powerful, but its actually fun, unlike netrunner builds (I said what I said) plus going into a group of enemies activating it, amd shooting a grenade out of the sky is so fucking fun. Also activating it and slicing down a group of enemies is stupid powerful as well. Sandy builds are by far my favorite, with berserk at a close second.
I've been using both cyberdeck and sandy in my playthroughs and had the most fun using sandy with blades and double barreld shotgun builds. I could see my latest blade build switching from sandi to berserk or chrome compressor though since I hardly feel pressed to turn on sandy anymore anyway. At level 50+ you are virtually a god compared to the opposition (on "very hard"). I just wish the game was more challenging. It's really fun to play and the story and atmosphere are great, but starting at about level 25, if you keep upgrading your gear and adding cyberware, even "very hard" feels way too easy.
Going netrunner is the playstyle most unique to Cyberpunk and fits well in the world. Sandevistan is cool but quite a few other games have time slow mechanics. Used berserk for a few hours, but punching and throwing people got boring quickly. Couldn’t find anything fun with compressor.
New subscriber here. Great videos. Could also listen to you talk all day, very soothing voice. After watching this video, did leave me feeling rather basic for not experimenting in my own game. I'm inspired to do so now, though.
3 origins 3 endings 3 builds. Chrome compressor head hunter (needs refinement) group massacre stealth build (current play through) slow mo berserker (vice versa) for the last playthrough
As always Sam, your videos are very well made and very informative. While much of what you discuss is subjective, the info you share always works and usually solves my build problems. My first play through was a nomad using a cyberdeck. Now at level 60, with the chrome I've installed, the perks and attributes maxed out V can pretty much stealth through anything. Delivering cars for El Capitan is as easy as hitting the pursuers with Emergency Brake followed by Self Destruct. V is also pretty good at absorbing damage. Second play through was a Corpo, played around with other builds but went back to cyberdeck because I found the other systems too lacking through at least the first half of the game. Especially when quest givers would get up in arms about not doing it quietly. But my third build, I wanted to go Sandevistan. I already had Phantom Liberty (had played through it with my nomad). I couldn't get it to work like I did pre-PL release, so I went looking for a tutorial. Found yours, regarding the Sandy/Byakko build. I worked my Street Kid up to that build and they are amazing and so much to play! I love hitting a group with the arm launcher, hitting the sandy then leaping into them with Byakko; flying body parts ensue! So thanks for that video. I've always turned my nose up at the Chrome Compressor because, well, no abilities in it. But just this afternoon I was thinking how none of the cyberware really suits a gun fighter (I think Berserk did before PL dropped). Then I saw this video and now I'm thinking, I need to swap the Corpo onto the CC, find him a good LMG, maybe a shotgun and have it!
After i saw those badass shorts on RUclips where people are destroying literally everything in slow motion with sandevistan just blew my mind. After that nothing comes close to it, cyberdeck feels boring but again with a perk you can get both
I'm surprised you didn't mention how amazingly useful the sandevistan is for stealth, avoided so many enemies doing slow mo parkour with those bouncy tendons
I'm a cyberdeck person all the way. Nothing makes me happier then sitting three buildings over, hacking the cameras, tagging all the enemies, then luring them away with objects to drop them one by one with system collapse. Also, races with Claire are a breeze when I can hit the breaks on all the other racers.
My favorite is the Cyberdeck: being able to control the battlefield-and damn near everything else-is priceless. Plus, you can’t hack _at all_ without it, whereas you can use melee weapons, guns, and whatever else you want to use with it. Even if you don’t want to go for a full netrunner build, a little hacking can enhance any play style: to use your own example, using Ping to mark your targets for sniping. All that said, you’ve inspired me and I might try out the Chrome Compressor on a future run-and-gun playthrough!
My favorite build uses the tetatronic rippler, pariah tech pistol, & optical camo. Int + cool + tech, focus on stealth and handguns. Blinds all nearby enemies when overclock is activated, with invisibility, penetrative silenced gunfire, and debilitating quickhacks.
Cyberdecks are powerful and fun for a bit but it basically leaves you with menu based combat which I've had my fill of when I played mostly jrpgs as a teen... or at least that's the felling I end up with when using them. Most of my playthroughs start out using cyberdecks just so I can hit that skill progression level for the second perk point then the rest of the game is spent with either berserk of sandy.
I first played the game with a cyberdeck and loved it then I played a Sandy and that is my current favorite but now I think I'll try the compressor as I like the idea of being a mobile weapon platform.
Still need to do a 2.1 netrunner build, but I’ve found sneaking up to a group activating the Sandy, cloaking and letting loose with headshots from Her Majesty to be a lot of fun.
You don’t know the feeling of walking into a room and seeing some gonks blowing up with their own grenades while others putting a gun to their head just at the sight of you. Cyberdecks are beyond phenomenal
hybrid is my way to go, I usually get scared by FPS but the fact that I can scope the whole area, ping and mark targets and check out cameras to see what's going on and plan is why I love this game. Also I never saw cyberhack as "magic" and mana ha I can scope it all, get all the intel or almost all cuz I sometimes still miss a few, and then go in - either full stealth (grab takedown) - sonic shock stealth with a throwing knife or muzzled gun - stealth isolated enemies with cyberhacks untraced - or if there are just a few in an open area, will use Kerenzikov with my gun and dash and shoot slow motion (also have focus mode) or throw grenades and shoot in real time, sometimes cyberhacking as I go
I like the fact that all those builds offer a different style of playing the game. Most extreme are maybe the Netrunner just sitting somewhere safe cleaning the whole area via cameras, and the uttermost messy close combat berserker. The Sandevistan blade I played on weaker levels mainly as sneaky knife/axe thrower. Only at level 60 with full Relic I could go comfortably full blade melee soloing Arasaka Tower on normal difficulty. The main difference here was the armor, 730 first try vs. around 1300 the second try. Armor is essential for soloing Smasher or MaxTac'ing.
My main build is netrunner stealth edgerunner with specialization in smart and tech weapons, pariah, yinglong crimestopper and widowmaker are my favorite weapons, of course I use overclock and optical camo, my approach is causing havoc with quickhacks such contagion and cyber psychosis, then highlight other enemies who survived and kill them while undetected. Cyberdeck is absolutely the most versatile and fun way to play stealth characters in cyberpunk imho I love this game.
I did a sande build run and while I really liked it , the cyberdecka are just so much deeper and feels like ur missing out on a big chunk of the game because of how much there is to them (cyberdecks) not to mention there are parts in the main story that are pretty much made with using the cyberdeck in mind a good example is the parade sequence where u hunt down rhe snipers when you get to nest each one will have tripmines blocking the way protecting them and since the mission heavily guides. You to doing this mission stealthy it becomes impossible with out havibg the cyberdeck so you xan hack and disarm as shooting will obviously blow your cover you can jump over the 1 st one heavily exposing yourself but the next 2;are in a small space you cant jump over I think it would really help if they made some basic hacks basekit or at least available in like another cyberware all you would need is distract ping and turn off cameras and mines
I do flat out *love* how many game dev studios are now following along this gameplay path: 1. Play game as one build type. Approach with one set of solutions. Beat game with pride. 2. Play game again as another build. See new solutions to problems allowed by different build. Beat what amounts to a totally different game. Feel even more pride, coupled with wonder at how much entertainment this *one* game purchase entertains. 3. Repeat step 2 as many times as you like. 4. Play game with a wild experimental build, based on the experience you have gained previously. Feel like an utter *boss.* 5. Love game completely.
i was actually just thinking about doing a Body/Technical build with wrist rockets, LMG, n shotguns but i didn't even think twice about the chrome compressor until now. def gonna give it a look at least!
Im having alot of fun with a sandevistan brute (shotguns, the malorian and some blade work) and its been fairly good on very hard throughout the whole game (having a different pistol obv)
I did a chrome compressor shotgun build. one of the most fun builds i have ever done. having so much extra cyber capacity turns you into a walking tank, thro on defensnikov and you are immortal
I have plated 3 playthroughs of cyberpunk, and each one I ended up playing the exact same type of build. It’s become my cyberpunk version of stealth archer 🙄🙄🙄. I passionately call the build “Corporation Killed V” but it’s more of a lone wolf commando/jack of all trades type. Pistol, AR, and Sniper for weapons to tackle ant range, arm launcher or regular grenades for arm mods, kerenzicov and cyber deck, fill deck with combat quick hacks with the exception of ping, investing mostly into intelligence and reflex, split rest amongst cool and tech to upgrade weapons and allow surprisingly great stealth. Makes my V this mind bogglingly versatile and adaptable killer. One that could silently assassinate a target or entire building one at a time, or go guns blazing and take on an entire army at once, or be in and out without touching anyone and leaving no trace whatsoever. The commando, the spy sort of, the jack of all trades perhaps, the corporation killer.
my favorite build is a stealth gunslinger. I find pistols/revolvers incredibly fun to use in combat (and you can use Johnny's gun), and stealth is challenging especially when you get more stealth perks unlocked, and I always have my cyberdeck as a backup. Personally, I think it's key for effective stealth play, and also really helps in combat to manage large groups of enemies. HOWEVER, I am going to try some of these other builds!
Cyberdeck is the best, but I am midway through a sandevistan run and it is extremely fun. They didn’t do enough to Sandies to make them an even tradeoff for Cyberdecks, though. Cameras are just too good.
I remember how I just randomly walked into some organized crime gig not even trying to hide, and 3 minutes later walked out of it with 30 corpses behind. I didn't even have to draw a weapon and not a single person was alive long enough to even notice I was there, cyberdeck is hands down the most overpowered OS and I absolutely love it
Looking forward to this because I took one look at Chrome compressor and thought "???" At first glance I cant fathom why you'd pass on the most game-changing cyberware for more run-of-the-mill stuff but then there's the iconic cyber to think of
My first playthrough was pure cyberdeck. So OP. Second playthrough I picked up a berserker as soon as I could and holy cow was that a blast. Got the Clever from Placid and became the butcher of Night City. It was a great early game build until I could get a good Sandi.
For me Cyberdeck is the best I can’t imagine playing this game without it. Killing people without having to touch or shoot them making cars self destruct while chasing you is so much fun.
Without a doubt I think netrunner is the way to go. At the same time I've built a Sandy, Berserk and netrunner and used all three. All three are fun, but they all get old after awhile and you want to switch back and forth. I will say it's hard to go back from being a netrunner to a Sandy or Berserk build because there's so many things you can do as a netrunner that aren't options as a Cyber Ninja Sandy build or a Berserker.
@@khele2kI totally agree, I think the berserk/sandy builds can be pretty interchangeable, but Netrunners really run off of completely different skillsets!
I have now done 4 characters full playthroughs and net runner is almost OP and the best but boy oh boy sandy and a katana is so fun
The Cyberdeck is the easiest, most OP, and the most basic for sure. It's what the game starts with, and it's probably what most people will continue using because they don't want to branch out.
Whether it's the best is definitely a matter of personal opinion, it's not very fun in my opinion. Sandevistan on the other hand is a lot of fun. A heck of a lot of fun. Sandevistan also makes stealth a lot more difficult, and you actually have to think it through.
@@DrivingGod21 Sandevistan trivializes stealth when you can just stop time and crouch sprint wherever you need to go.
For revolvers and high damage pistols, Sandy is badass to have for an "It's high noon" moment and shoot everyone at once
deadeye in red dead 2
@@nothanks1508fr fr
My fav build is the “chrome cowboy”
Sandy plus Johnny silverhand gun go brrrrrrr
@@quakzl I did this with archangel as an alternative for robots and smasher
I don't care what everyone says, berserk is some of the most ridiculous power tripping you can get in a game and is insanely OP with the invulnerability. Plus if you have a certain perk or cyber ware, you can basically stay in berserk the entire fight with each kill giving 20% more time
People underestimate how actually powerful it is. Take out the freakin fist or a blade and run at them as you are about to die, especially with the EMP blast in tech treee, it gets ridiculous
Yeah couldn’t agree more Berserk is so much better then Sandy with Byakko or anything really it’s comical I was using the X2 Chainsaw and just vaporizing Max Tac in seconds.
Except when theres no easy kills to fuel longevity. Sandy has extended duration on kills and can be used with axolotl cyberware on top, you can use ranged weapons/throwables, it can do stealth, and its not like you're in danger when you just slowed down time by 70~85% which makes the immunity on berzerk just as useless. You can also toggle sandevistans, you only need 2 seconds? turn it off when done and its immediately ready to use again. Berzerk is worse at literally everything when compared to Sandys and lets just ignore cyberdecks because that comparison would get embarrassing quick especially when OP brought up "power tripping".
@@joeallen7781 when it comes to melee the berserk is by far the better option and not the iconic one, the one that gives 100% crit dmg, you havent seen a max tac melt yet if you havent tried it
@@taks1993 No berserk characteristic is even close to "by far the best", if damage peaks is all there is to consider theres nothing in game that does more damage than a primed synapse burnout out of a rippler, and at melee range RAM cost is greatly reduced, can easily melt all 5 maxtac on the spot, faster than anything. That berserk you mention also only grants some damage reduction and not immunity, enough to drop dead yourself, keeping it up is another headache because unlike sandies it doesn't extend duration on kill plus without heavy slow, the npcs continue to spread out making it harder and harder to clear quick and get some duration on a OS that only allows melee, endresult is 50% of the time with OS completely out of action.
Sandy = can be toggled, adds duration every single kill on top of the axolotl (apogee 17.5% with both), controls the whole area with slow, can throw gash grenades (the 3 of those do a number on maxtac alone, forget some extra crit damage), all at MELEE range. Berserk doesn't top anything and is an ultra situational OS, everybody that ever went even slightly more indepth with game mechanics knows this, the almost 0% votes is not accidental. Not even sure why i sit here explaining it, think i just felt like typing.
Compressor is really fun, not being able to press E and win every fight makes gameplay far more interesting.
I'd like to point out that fast burst fire guns also work pretty well with Sandy, Raiju/Senko LX being the best example.
I have been using Sandy for 50 hours now and still loving it, so to each their own, shit's badass
@karolswieboda1781 I have 1400+ hours on Cyberpunk, so trust me when I say that you won't get bored of it, but don't be afraid to experiment! I started as a Netrunner and didn't even try any other play style until I had beaten literally every single ending, side mission, gig, and NCPD hustle... and then I realized that this game is like 3 games in one, the playstyles are so different and unique... I'm still finding new things and ways to utilize different approaches to missions, so I continue to replay and replay!
@lv83bloodknight you aren't wrong, turning the game into more of a traditional shooter is also pretty great, though I think it certainly ups the difficulty, especially on very hard, makes you appreciate how OP the other systems really are!
@@charlottegerken4477 I have a netrunner playthrough planned actually, after I beat the game as a street kid :)
@@charlottegerken4477 yea I wasnt trying to dunk on people who like other OS, just saying that despite the apparent simplicity, Compressor's playstyle stands out well on its own.
Wait till you try a problem solver.
Have to say I agree with you, even being able to scope out where people are via cameras even if I don’t plan on frying them with “magic” is sorely missed when sporting a Sandy/Berserk. Also Gorilla Arms + Berserk is hella fun, Superhero Landing into the thick of it and then tossing some poor soul into their remaining friends is epic.
Haha!
Savage sling is so funny, especially when it puts the next target in finisher range? And you clear out a whole army with their own men
IMO the Cyberdeck is the best OS simply because while the rest add to your build, the Cyberdeck IS your build. You can still slice people up without a Sandy or Smash people without a Berserker, but you can't be a netrunner without a deck.
Tough you need to invest a lot of perk points in netrunners builds, which basically removes like 30 perkpoints you can't spend otherwise on reflex, body or melee/shooting perks. Maybe you can get like most (important) netrunner perks with melee and dash perks. But than you're missing out on body.
@@thundereagle4130 I skip the smart weapon perks in the Intelligence tree as I find they are not needed, but you're correct that the rest of the intelligence tree takes up a lot of perks. I go 20 body on a netrunner build though because the regen and Adrenaline Rush perks in body make the Overclock perks from Intelligence go so much farther. Then you add in the health item boosts from tech and slap on a biomonitor and bloodpump and its just unstoppable. I'm willing to sacrifice air dash for this and I still find shooting and melee really good without all the perks from reflexes.
@@thundereagle413030? What are you using it on? A lot of the Intelligence perks become obsolete when you get enough cyberware to restore your RAM for you. You don't even need to put perks on damage increase because when you get higher tier quick hacks, the hacks themselves have upgraded damage already. Even the Damage Over Time bonuses from cyberware increase the damage of Over Heat because its a DoT. All you really need from it is Over Clock and at least 3 hack ques. And 1 perk point for car hacks.
@Will_14582 I actually went the opposite way, I went from having maxed out intelligence, tech, body and almost maxed reflex, to deciding to reset my points and max out reflex instead of body. I've found it to be even more powerful, because when you get to 50 shinobi skill, every time you air dash or slide whatever gun you're using gets 20% of its clip automatically reloaded. It's insanely useful, especially for guns that take a bit to reload. Combined with tailwind, you can basically keep shooting without ever needing to catch your breath or reload
In my latest play through I went in as a netrunner, but with a twist.
Throwing knives + stealth + quickhacks = Fun
I used to feel like I couldn't EVER let go of my cyberdeck 😂because I always showed up and started scanning enemies, pinging, tagging thru walls, checking cameras and disabling them, attracting enemies to gas cannisters or separating them, taking them out, etc.
But using the Sandevistan made me appreciate the game more, because it forced me to re-think the way I approached enemy encounters and overall change my playstyle and be more careful. So I'm having a blast with it right now, it kinda feels like I have a "special power", like David Martinez. Running around with a sword, throwing knives, a heavy pistol, the projectile launcher, and the Sandie hits different.
Hot tip, use a revolver with sandy, I dub it the “chrome cowboy” and it’s the most fun I’ve had in this game
@@ravingtac0896 great tip. With as much as I love Johnny's revolver, especially. I'd have to experiment with other pistols/revolvers though. Some of the tech perks look pretty cool, just not sure how well they work with tech pistols as opposed to rifles.
Sandevistan is also great for stealth! Just activate and then crouch sprint past all enemies, they almost never notice you as long as ur quick. It's inconvenient but workable in a pinch :)
Sandevistealth is the best kind of stealth. Just casually run up to someone, run behind, grab and kill them. If their back is against a wall, show yourself for a little bit and they will come looking for you. Who needs to hide when you're quicker than the eye?
I use the camo implant with my apogee sandy; works really well in succession. Using the sandevistan to eliminate as many enemies without being fully spotted then turning invisible and wiping the last few enemies from behind. really fun strategy, I’d recommend it.
T5 Cloak does the same thing and allows you to sprint normally.
Optical Camo + Sandevistan ( Tier 5 + Apogee) + Perk to gone invisible when sprint crouch. Use this on many gig and always got praised on how my character get it done proper.
Bro I've been completely visible ran up to someone's face ran behind them deactivated the Sandy then grab them without them ever seeing me also I fully believe that the camo is completely useless
I didn’t think I would like the compressor but I did a max body and armor build with a crap ton of cyberware and assault rifle perks-and I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s really held its own.
I always thought Cyberdeck was the only OS available in the game until 1.6. To me it feels like the ultimate Cyberpunk gameplay style and it’s how I’ve played both of my playthroughs. Though for my third one, I will force myself to use either the Sandy or the Beserk for a different gameplay loop.
The cyber deck is definitely what was intended for the majority of players. Especially for players that are just kind of along for the ride, not getting too into the finer details. It's the main OS the game gives you, and it doesn't do anything to encourage you to branch out or try something different. imo after doing multiple playthroughs with each OS, I find the cyber deck boring. It lets you do some cool things, but after a while you realize it's kind of too easy, and combat is way more fun.
Slow motion running and dashing around enemies, slowing time with Kerenzikov, and Sandevistan. Even if you don't use the Sandy to dash between enemies with a melee weapon, it's still really useful for closing the gap. I use a Sandy with pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, pretty much any type of gun in the game.
@@DrivingGod21It helps reinforce a lot of the gameplay elements. With it you can stealth, scout, and even do nonlethal takedowns from afar (with the right hacks) and a bunch of quests have optional objectives like nonlethal or stealth. Berserk is obviously for combat, & Sandy keeps some versatility but takes away your wizardry.
@@kirbyis4ever I'm never one to choose the magic class in games, so it makes sense. Sandy can actually be really good for stealth too, if you have optics that can detect cameras, a silenced gun or blunt weapon, optical camo, and a Sandevistan, you can do great stealth-ninja style gameplay. Pretty much every stealth objective is possible, even with no OS installed.
There are so many options to do stealth, non-lethal, or pacifist. Sandy and Cyberdeck are definitely the best for that, but you can accomplish those goals without any OS too.
gayyy
@@DrivingGod21 Bingo. They just augment your gameplay cause at the end of the day your character will still have 2 arms and 2 legs to navigate and fight with unless you get blown up or otherwise flatlined.
I think the Chrome Compressor would make a viable and fun option if it opened up a new cyberware slot for each body part apart from the capacity buff
'Each' is a bit extreme imo... But a couple..? I could definitely see that.
Way too OP. It'd be just like with the cyberdecks - you only pick the alternative for the novelty value.
@@kikosawathats what we want, no? a viable choice besides a cyberdeck that makes it a difficult choice on which to do
Stealth Sandi is beautiful, you can headshot an entire room of Scavs without even triggering an alert. At times I thought that maybe I'd made the game too easy lol. Loved my first playthrough so much I'm looking to go back and do a Netrunner build.
okay, i have to say the LMG build got my interest.
standing in the middle of the street and just spitting out bullets at everything looks so satisfying.
I understand why they don't want to allow full-on netrunner/sandevistan hybrid builds, but there should be something that makes at least basic camera hacking and maybe Ping available to other OSes (similar to how Kernenzikov provides some time slow ability to other OSes). Those basic utility hacks feel like an integral part of the stealth mechanics, and there'd still be plenty to make netrunners feel different.
I mean the oracle eyes do a limited version of ping with how it can show enemies in a certain range
You are right. 2 basic hacks like camera deactivation and enemy distraction are far more valuable than all the related stealth perks. Which means that you can can play in more stealthy efficient way with 3 Cool points and a cyberdeck than with 20 points and any other OS.
my last playthrough i did a melee sandevistan build with 20 points in tech. since i couldn't hack cameras, i would slow time and run to them to turn them off with tech ability (press f to turn off basically). optimal camo is helpful as well
You know how some characters carry a physical cyberdeck on them instead of having it implanted?
I think a good compromise would be to let the player have one of those to perform very basic device quickhacks. It would take up a weapon slot or the grenade slot, and wouldn't be able to hack enemies, but would allow the player to hack devices like cameras, turrets, or vehicles if the player has that perk.
@@JF-vz1juthis. I want a chunky cyberdeck item in the grenade slot exactly as you said. Just for basic hacks. 10/10, no notes.
Sandy + Byakko is the closest thing you'll get to physically doing that thing in anime where the someone pulls out their sword, screen goes black followed by white slash lines and then enemy is suddenly in pieces. That's pretty much the reason why I love it so much.
Try the berserk + Byakko. In my opinion it is honestly so much more funner than Sandy + byakko. You literally turn into Hayabusa from ninja gaiden
Chrome Compressor is actually the best for Assault Rifles, the secret is that Quantum Tuner makes Kerenzikov recharge instantly like 20 times in a row, thus making it a 3-minute Sandevistan with almost-invulnerability from Defenzikov, and it also gives around 100 free Cyberware capacity.
One of the things I’ve always liked about CDPR builds is they are not afraid of letting players turn into gods.
They understand this is a power fantasy, and let you fully immerse yourself in it
There is something profoundly awesome - and effective - about using throwing weapons with berserk, completely eliminating the range limitation of the OS. With the zero-g weapon mod, if you're just cracked enough, you can even be a berserk sniper!
I find the Cyberdeck to be a perfect addition to my more assassin type build. Couldn't imagine playing it without shutting cameras off, pinging everyone in the area to tell where they are and where to plan my next move, turning turrets on their masters, etc.
I personally switched to a Sandevistan from a Cyberdeck at around level 45-50. I have since reset my attributes and now everything is at 20 except for body at 18 and intelligence at 3, which was at 16 before I reset.
I like the Sandevistan. Considering my loadout is Johnny’s pistol (though I can switch it for Her Majesty for stealth), O’Five (I can switch it to Overwatch for stealth), a Punknife, and Mantis Blades, I think me and the Sandevistan are a match made in heaven.
There are things I miss like being able to disable cameras and turrets, but I can just enable Sandevistan and get out of a camera’s line of sight in time.
So you got dumber :D
While I believe that Cyberdecks are the most powerful OS available, I can’t get away from Sandy’s. I normally prefer to use pistols and melee,the combo of a those weapons and a sandy work very well together. I also use optical camo, and it along with a sandy work well together, the sandy artificially extending the length of the camo, allowing a surprising amount of stealth.
I think if you want to actually experience a weapon based build you gotta go with something other than a cyberdeck, simply because otherwise the cyberdeck will just dominate whatever else weapon you are speccing into anyways.
I use a melee netrunner. People probably don't get how that works but it exists. Even at the start of the game, you can use Bait to lure enemies to you, use Sonic Shock on them when they come close and then just beat them to death with whatever weapon you got. Sometimes even just fists. Its so cheap. But when they added car hacks, it just got better. I would control Jackie's bike and move it around hostile areas then hack enemies through the bike's camera. No one ever suspects the self driving bike.
I went Netrunner stealth build in my last play through, as that's how I usually play such games, but now I'm running a Berserk build. Very different play style but very, very fun. I actually prefer it.
“Your a fking cyberpsycho”
That's what I did as well. On my first playthrough went stealthy Netrunner, cause it felt like a cool new cyberpunk concept (at the time the game released anyway). But on subsequet playthroughs made a Sandy+Blades character, then Berserk+Blunt melee character, and after that started experimenting with other variations, like Sandy + Sniper, or combat Netrunner + monowire + pistols/revolvers etc. I have over 1200 hours playtime overall across multiple playthroughs and honestly non-Netrunner builds just feel more fun to play in terms of combat mechanics. No better feeling than slowing everybody else down to a crawl and dashing from one enemy to another slicing their limbs off before they even get alerted lol, especially fun with mantis blades, cause you feel like a total cyberpsycho (shame Sandevistan was nerfed so much in 2.1 though). So that's definitely my preference. But netrunner still feels good aesthetically in the Cyberpunk universe, being able to hack everyone and everything is great in terms of roleplaying.
Been playing cyberdeck for like 100+ hours and while it ras great I became oped and even at hard I was killing masses too easily .. switched to gorilla arms/ berserk and boy it’s insane fun this superhero slam with the gorilla you actually feel like Hulk I love it ❤
I never thought you would utter the words "Gorilla Fisting" on a video... :D It was a pun worthy of BFC 9000.
I am using the cyberdeck, because with the cox-2 optimiser simple overheat oneshots EVERYTHING except bosses, so i usually turn on overclock, jump into the middle of the enemies and give overheat to everyone. I am using biomonitor with blood pump so i have a lot of potencial ram. when my overclock runs out and i havent killed everybody i just headshot them with sniper rifle.
Bloody fantastic analysis of all these, top notch work
Sandy does have some trade off stealth value. If you don't need/want ping, then it can be good for being able to thread the tighter patrol detection windows. Meaning, you're better in the active part of stealthing (not counting cameras) instead of the stronger planning of a cyberdeck
Dude, I love Sandy stealthing in this game. Feels good to activate it, run or dash-hop past everything into a hiding space behind the guy you're trying to get, and then putting a throwing knife in the back of their head.
Chrome compressor is highly undervalued. I've been running a build with CC and quantum tuner focusing on kerenzikov, defensikov and high mitigation. This build gives you permanent 100% mitigation chance (as the cooldown time for kerenzikov is lower than the effect of the defensikov) for 80% mitigation strength, high armor and about 700 health. Pair it with a single punknife and you can kill unlimited max tac squads.
The problem with chrome compressor is that it's not good until late game when you have access to a lot of high level cyberware and by then you will be giving up one of your main abilities just to use it
For me Chrome Compressor. As of typing the first, second and third comments chose Berserk, Sandy, and Cyberdeck respectively so I didn’t want cc to feel sad.
Also I hope we can have a assault rifle/ smg tier list in the future!
My last playthrough was a stealth netrunner with throwing knives.
Right now I am playing a sandevistan samurai build using a katana and throwing knife.
I just really like the knives
I’m trying a throwing knife play through right now and while I’m not the best with them they are really fun
They're so OP once you upgrade the tree. I've cleared whole missions just with knives and nades.
I've found that somehow I'm better at aiming with throwing knives that I am with guns
Stealth net runner with throwing knives is Batman lol corpo background and non lethal damage, focus cool and reflex and int. Body as well with Gorilla arms for your melee. Love this build
I wanna see you make a build around the Tetratronic Rippler - just stacking quickhacks and doing biblical amounts of damage to enemies.
Feel like every netrunner guide on youtube already does that
Use it with Ying long it's broken
Nah cause it’s boring asf
@@charlestalbotrice2007no it's not. It's allows for so many playstyles to use. Shotguns, handguns, rifles, SMGs, and melee. Stealth, aggressive, passive aggressive, spread, focus, cameras.... Long range, close range... Come on.
I’ve always used the cyberdeck, but I decided to use the sandy in my most recent run and a combo I don’t see many talking about is sandy + gorilla arms to unlock your inner JoJo protagonist
sandy + gorilla arms is my favorite combo. I've used all four in separate playthroughs and find myself always missing the sandy's versatility when I branch out.
the Sandy + Gorilla arms is a style of play I don't see people use for some reason, and I love every bit of it. I started using it back in 1.6 to easily clear the fights and realized how fun it was to just punch people do death at super speed
This is my main build lol. I call it the flash build. Focus on all the movement and electrical cyberware. Reflex, body and tech, with enough cool to crouch run.
I have to say guts with an apogee works really well because most enemies get 1 shot and the time between shots is fast enough that you aiming or moving to the next enemy is enough
Got to love the fact they pair extremly well togeter
Wow, this plus gorilla arms is actually my build. How about that
I like using the DR-12 Quasar with sandevistan and the dead eye perk since it allows me to get super good headshot/crit damage and the DR-12 Quasar doesn't drain stamina while firing so you can have dead eye active at all time while firing it whilst having guaranteed bolt shots for the first couple of shots
I wouldn't say Sandevistans and shotguns are _totally_ at odds. One of my favorite builds ever was a "Speed Shotgun" build that relied on Microgenerators, the Sovereign shotgun, and good old Sandy. Sovereign has a unique feature that grants bonus reload speed when you hit an enemy in the torso, and it stacks multiple times, so by activating Sandy when I land a hit, I could run up to each enemy in a crowd and unload a point blank double-barreled shotgun blast to their chests, each of which not only did massive damage on its own, but also had an electrical explosion accompanying it thanks to the Microgenerator, with each shot coming quicker than the last. Battlefields were nothing but scattered piles of scorched meat and detached limbs by the time I was done with them. Good times, good times...
You sure can paint a picture with words
Anything other then Cyberdeck changes your gameplay sooo much. Missions get wayyyy harder if you run around without a Cyberdeck. Thats why I love this game. Changing your playstyle actually means something not just for "style" purposes. Its way harder to be stealthy in a base. You cant hack cameras nor doors or anything. You can miss certain optional mission objectives just bc you cant hack for sh*t. This makes the game 100 times better and each playthrough can be vastly different.
My favourite quickhack combo goes as follows:
Sysytem collapse
lol cyberpsycho is ridiculously OP too
Just got done running a Pure Netrunner build and am now going Pure Solo. I’ll be honest, I’m having way more fun as a Solo than as a Netrunner. Hacking enemies and shredding bosses without touching them is pretty fun, but the gameplay can get extremely bland as the hours pass by. As a Solo, I’m just kicking in the door and blasting away with my shotgun. And certain shotguns are so insanely powerful, especially when paired with certain perks and cyber ware, that I almost feel like that cyberpsycho at the start of Edgerunners.
so basically,
cyberdeck: you're a wizard V
sandevistan: I AM SPEED, and I make sushi
crome compressor: welcome to 'murica! guns go brrr
berserk: 'if this game had destructeble enviorment, I wouldn't use the door, I'd go throught the wall... you know, a straight line from A to B'
Sandevistan: 🎵 tiiiimmmmeee in a bottle 🎵
For a single player game, I don’t believe anything needs to be nerfed. They nerfed stealth netrunners and Sandevistans. The only notable buff are beserk builds. Makes me wonder if they’ll buff Chrome compressor because its the most useless OS. At least Beserk can keep you alive during intense moments.
Ty for all your wisdom. CP can be really intimidateding at first for noobs like me. Appreciate the vid, new sub, bet.
Once you said "cyberwizard", it just clicked for me. Each OS corresponds to a single classic DnD class: Each pair has the same flavor and pretty much the same pros and cons.
Cyberdeck, Wizard: Tons of stuff of all kinds to send the enemies' way--the most cracked if you know what you doing.
Sandevistan, Rogue: Cheat your way through while playing by the rules; stealth is always an option even if you don't need it.
Chrome Compressor, Fighter: People think it's boring, but it's about having exactly what you want and making pretty much any weapon you use to do its job better.
Berserk, Barbarian: "Hulk Smash!"
Cyberpunk was originally a dnd like game
@@quartzskull8772 Oh, I know, my group is even planning to run Red sometime soon. Just never realized it found its way into the 2077 in the form of OSs like this.
For tech weapons, activating your sandy at the end of the charge can actually be amazing for hitting headshots or collaterals
Even with literally base 3 int (character's currently lvl 43), I can't give up the cyberdeck. It's so versatile and always allows me to enter into fights on my terms and the utility it offers even when not speccing into it is hard for me to concede. Being able to destroy enemy weapons, lock down quick enemies or disable cyberware, turn turrets on enemies etc, or completely scope out a place so I can stealth all the way through without getting surprised by an enemy in a blind spot - it can provide that and still provide dmg bonuses with higher tier quick hacks. I'd likely use a Sandy in another playthrough where I'm dedicated to just going in guns blazing at all times or something, but the cyberdeck just allows me to do missions or general fights according to what the quest might require and I really do treasure that.
I imagine a very optimized build would favor a sandy or the other ones, but the cyberdeck will always have its uses and I think it's great that it can fit so many builds even if it's technically not the best in slot you could have. CDPR I think really did a great job with all the overhauls over the years, 2077 is probably one of my favorite games to come back to and that's saying something cause even when I LOVE a game, I very rarely go back through it (and I primarily play rpgs, so there's usually always a reason to replay them).
Awesome video as always
For a sandy build my favorite weapons are daggers equip 3 and it auto switches...enough perks you can "rapid fire" them.
I very much look forward to the cyberdeck videos you mentioned. I have been racking my brain on how exactly I wanna play a netrunner since 2.0 and 2.1. Smart weapons? Pure netrunning? SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE SAM BRAM!
I love the gorilla arms/sande build. Literally tamed every cyberpsycho and KITR fight in one burst. You can still work in a stealth build without needing to hack cameras with engineering and good timing. Plus the sande can let you waltz past cameras and sentries. The versatility in this game is its saving grace.
Berserk is actually quite useful against Smasher
because during the bossfight, he's really agressive and creates a counter to your build. He outmaneuvers the Sandi and hacks you back if you're hacking him long enough BUT he can't shut Berserk down, so as long as you can stay alive during the cooldown and as long as you've got yourself some really damaging weapons - you can outtank and outlive him pretty much face to face
My berserk build made the game quite trivial, with the only challenging parts being the stealth ones. But when I got to smasher he obliterated me. Couldn’t recover health by killing enemies and getting close would have him throw me to the ground in this wonky slow animation, by the time I recovered control, berserk had run out and he was already heavy hitting me.
@@LeonardoRibeiroLeo that's weird, he didn't use stomp attack at my playthrow, but used at second one (with cyberdeck and 20 cool because I wanted to try out pistols) maybe some build nuances
+ there's a perk, that makes you immune to being knocked over when adrenaline shield is on
Over 1k hours in -I cannot kick the Cyberdeck.
I spent maybe a total of 20 minutes with the Sandi after watching the show, but i can't see myself doing a whole run without my cyberdeck.
Also, I fell in love with magic/mage classes since playing skyrim for the first time.
True, being able to neutralize enemies without touching them gets boring, but the grind to reach that status makes it worthwhile.
Having a huge amount of health, overclock and running the cyberdeck that causes quick hacks to spread and causing everyone to suicide is kinda fun ngl.
Cyberdeck, despite so many nerf, still strong af, with patient, you can clear a entire hideout with traps alone(e.g. CHOO2 tank), and with other benifit
1. Enemy AI usally have highest piority for distract enemy, so even body been found, they still will go to where you lure them.
2. Copy & Paste, this perk just insanely strong, entire network will been effective, and this can be acquired early.
3. Cripple Movement make so many BOSS fight become easy, boss just stand there doing nothing(e.g. sasquatch)
4. nerfed but still insane damage of synapse burnout.
5. Axolotol + Canto + blood pump + Quantum tuner is a very strong combo, u upload Ping + blackwall will upload a first blackwall(slowest) instantly, so basically the entire loop with axolotol is pretty much endless.
I'm doing a Sandy playthrough right now, using Apogee. I'm paring it with a Katana, the throwing Axe you get from the top of the pyramid and Fenrir. I tried Overwatch, but it's far too slow. I just like rushing enemies and slicing them 😂
I usually do a Netrunner build and love Contagion lol Wanted to try something different for once and I love the blade/sandy build.
Try Rebecca's shotgun, its perfect for Sandy, just activate it, facehug an enemy, explode them, rinse and repeat.
Try problem solver, I way prefer it to fenrir
@@gustavosanches3454 The Rip And Tear perk from shotguns feels a little clunky to use due to melee attacks locking you in place (for some reason), but learning how to toggle it on and off just in time makes for a LOT of fun
Probably the closest thing to the Edgerunners experience we'll ever get
I think this is my favorite video of yours. Your points are solid even if I might rank differently. My favorite part is the discussion it opened. People aren't feeling attacked in the comments but are talking about their favorite styles.
The love for how there really are wildly different play styles just hits so good to me. This game had an upward beat for me. I was briefly annoyed by 2.0 cause it changed so much. But now that I "get it" again, I'm so pleased. I stopped playing right when PL came out cause I was upset. But coming back, I'm so happy I did.
Beserk is just amazing, I know it’s somewhat less flashy compared to the others (obviously excluding the chrome compressor) but it can get you out of tight spots and feels hella cool to use; you literally see red when using it!
I concur choom! Your choice proves that you are probably pretty fucking cool irl!!👍🏻
I'm just upset they limited it to only melee, ruined my shotgun berserker build 😢
I love it mainly because i dont forget to use it. For some reason i always forget to use sandy
I loved the berserk only run I tried to do, it was fun. The only issue really is that cooldown and most of my deaths came from being overwhelmed between berserk activations on Very Hard.
Also slept on, but throwing weapons still work in berserk, giving a ranged option besides throwing someone.
Just got cyberpunk around Christmas.. ik im extremely late.. but for me it’s nothing like going berserk with the gorilla arms.
I wish CDPR would explain their intent with cyberware capacity shards. I still think their spawning is bugged.
If its not, chrome compressor makes sense but could also be used instead of grinding shards, but i want an actual answer here.
Like are we supposed to have a capacity limit from shards? And if so, we need to know. If not, then tell us. Its such a drag, which is odd because capacity is a core mechanic.
is it really ? I'm satisfied with my capacity even though there are 2 more things I want to put in that take too much space. But taking them also replaces my two other cyberware that have decent effects.
The capacity shards are there so that even if you reach max level, you prob don't have enough capacity to get all your fav stuff. The shards allow for maybe one or two more things you want and the compressor allows for all the heavy chrome to be put in.
@@ceshmate1953 There is a max amount of Cyberware capacity you can gain of 80. You can get 7 green shards with 2 cyberware capacity, 4 blue shards with 3 capacity, 4 purple shards with 4 capacity and 2 legendary shards with 6 cyberware capacity.
After all of them are picked up, the game is hardcoded to stop spawning these shards.
I love my cyberdeck. My favorite "build," at the moment, is jumping into a group of enemies, activating Kerenzikov, activating Overclock, and making five or six enemies unalive themselves. Or making them all Cyberpsychos. With a high enough armor stat and investment into Adrenaline Rush, you are basically an unstoppable God.
I like your thinking! I haven't slotted cyberpsychosis or suicide quickhacks since the rework but this gives me ideas. Cyberdecks give you so many possibilities for gameplay.
My first play through was as a netrunner with the MK4 cyberdeck. In my current second run, I'm rocking the Apogee Sandevistan. I'm having more fun as a sword melee Sande build. Netrunning is fun, but it becomes too op.
The novelty of wiping out an entire room of enemies with the power of your mind sounds AMAZING in theory, but there's not enough imput from the player to make it mindlessly fun, imo
Going full Dio and throwing knives at people during slowmo is both hard and insanely rewarding to get into, now that I'm getting good at it I just can't go back
sandevistan is my favorite bc I like to play combat heavy wrecking ball-type characters and it just offers so much utility mid-combat. You can fire it to dodge shots, reach high ground with less risk, get in and out of close range really well, regen stamina using Tailwind, and of course placing meatshots on enemies with a shotgun is a joy. It’s also great because it feels basically limitless, both falcon and apogee being able to be triggered at low charge makes it feel like it has all the utility of the Kerenzikov with a lot more damage utility.
Justice for chrome compressor ❤❤!!!!. Love ur video Sammy boy
Sandy is more fun, imo, but Cyberdeck is way more efficient in clearing missions stealthily. I can still do stealth with a Sandy, but the times I got detected were way more than with a Cyberdeck. I personally prefer a Sandy build because I like the combat too much.
Blade finishers are bugged currently. But funnily enough i think its better this way🤣. The animation is a lot quicker since its just a generic slash so you can make benefit of the health gain and attack speed buff more efficiently.
yeah, I never liked the finishers.
I agree. After awhile the finisher animations break up the action too much and you just want to slash the next enemy....but then before they broke the finishers they went and tied some perks and iirc, a few cyberwear items to the finishers which is annoying.
@@Will_14582 There are a few perks for blunt finishers and blades but they're pretty avoidable. I don't think it takes away anything from the people that don't want to use them.
Between 1.0 and 1.6 finishers with katanas/ mantis blades were unavoidable. There were only two animations, but they always happened on heavy attacks when the enemies health was low. It was annoying, and forced you to use light attacks when finishing off enemies but even trying to avoid it, it happened all the time. On the other hand you could speed up your melee attack speed, which would also speed up the finisher animation to absurd levels, so that was kind of funny.
Its pretty cool to be a techy and be able to have conversations and do those things with a cyberdeck but when you do a physical build, you're practically cyber Hercules and damn near impossible to kill even for maxtac, a pure force of cybernetic nature and probably the most fun way to play
TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!
Cyberdeck > Compressor > Berserk > Sandy if we're talking purely about how good they are and not how cool they are. If you're using guns then compressor>sandy and if you're using melee then berserk>sandy so there's really no case (other than throwable i guess but even then I'd rather have a cyberdeck) where its the best option
yeap, in my professional opinion, this is a video
Just finished a blind playthrough (7/24). I discovered the Arasaka deck, and was smitten by the RAM cost reduction. Overnight, I was crushing content. I grew bored eventually.
I just started my second run. Gorilla Arms, Shotgun, Dash and Fury. That’s the plan. I very much heartened by your assessment of Berserk/Gorilla Arms’ fun factor.
Off topic, one thing I plan to do differently, is buy up Cyberware I plan to use at the lowest possible rarity. Then use the Tech ability that gives 3 variations of bonuses when upgrading . The lower rarity means that I’ll have that many more times upgrading them, with more chances to pick a suitable bonuses.
Cyberware-EX mod 😏
I have the most fun with a sandy, but Cyberdeck is undeniably the best. The insane versatility is far above all the others. You can clear a building without being detected, you can infiltrate the most high security facilities, you can run in guns blazing and stop the enemy from fighting back, it’s unfair how much the Cyberdeck lets you do
Sandevistan is by far my favorite. Its super powerful, but its actually fun, unlike netrunner builds (I said what I said) plus going into a group of enemies activating it, amd shooting a grenade out of the sky is so fucking fun. Also activating it and slicing down a group of enemies is stupid powerful as well. Sandy builds are by far my favorite, with berserk at a close second.
I've been using both cyberdeck and sandy in my playthroughs and had the most fun using sandy with blades and double barreld shotgun builds. I could see my latest blade build switching from sandi to berserk or chrome compressor though since I hardly feel pressed to turn on sandy anymore anyway. At level 50+ you are virtually a god compared to the opposition (on "very hard"). I just wish the game was more challenging. It's really fun to play and the story and atmosphere are great, but starting at about level 25, if you keep upgrading your gear and adding cyberware, even "very hard" feels way too easy.
Going netrunner is the playstyle most unique to Cyberpunk and fits well in the world. Sandevistan is cool but quite a few other games have time slow mechanics. Used berserk for a few hours, but punching and throwing people got boring quickly. Couldn’t find anything fun with compressor.
New subscriber here. Great videos. Could also listen to you talk all day, very soothing voice. After watching this video, did leave me feeling rather basic for not experimenting in my own game. I'm inspired to do so now, though.
3 origins 3 endings 3 builds. Chrome compressor head hunter (needs refinement) group massacre stealth build (current play through) slow mo berserker (vice versa) for the last playthrough
As always Sam, your videos are very well made and very informative. While much of what you discuss is subjective, the info you share always works and usually solves my build problems.
My first play through was a nomad using a cyberdeck. Now at level 60, with the chrome I've installed, the perks and attributes maxed out V can pretty much stealth through anything. Delivering cars for El Capitan is as easy as hitting the pursuers with Emergency Brake followed by Self Destruct. V is also pretty good at absorbing damage.
Second play through was a Corpo, played around with other builds but went back to cyberdeck because I found the other systems too lacking through at least the first half of the game. Especially when quest givers would get up in arms about not doing it quietly.
But my third build, I wanted to go Sandevistan. I already had Phantom Liberty (had played through it with my nomad). I couldn't get it to work like I did pre-PL release, so I went looking for a tutorial. Found yours, regarding the Sandy/Byakko build. I worked my Street Kid up to that build and they are amazing and so much to play! I love hitting a group with the arm launcher, hitting the sandy then leaping into them with Byakko; flying body parts ensue! So thanks for that video.
I've always turned my nose up at the Chrome Compressor because, well, no abilities in it. But just this afternoon I was thinking how none of the cyberware really suits a gun fighter (I think Berserk did before PL dropped). Then I saw this video and now I'm thinking, I need to swap the Corpo onto the CC, find him a good LMG, maybe a shotgun and have it!
After i saw those badass shorts on RUclips where people are destroying literally everything in slow motion with sandevistan just blew my mind. After that nothing comes close to it, cyberdeck feels boring but again with a perk you can get both
I'm surprised you didn't mention how amazingly useful the sandevistan is for stealth, avoided so many enemies doing slow mo parkour with those bouncy tendons
I'm a cyberdeck person all the way. Nothing makes me happier then sitting three buildings over, hacking the cameras, tagging all the enemies, then luring them away with objects to drop them one by one with system collapse. Also, races with Claire are a breeze when I can hit the breaks on all the other racers.
My favorite is the Cyberdeck: being able to control the battlefield-and damn near everything else-is priceless. Plus, you can’t hack _at all_ without it, whereas you can use melee weapons, guns, and whatever else you want to use with it. Even if you don’t want to go for a full netrunner build, a little hacking can enhance any play style: to use your own example, using Ping to mark your targets for sniping.
All that said, you’ve inspired me and I might try out the Chrome Compressor on a future run-and-gun playthrough!
My favorite build uses the tetatronic rippler, pariah tech pistol, & optical camo. Int + cool + tech, focus on stealth and handguns. Blinds all nearby enemies when overclock is activated, with invisibility, penetrative silenced gunfire, and debilitating quickhacks.
Cyberdecks are powerful and fun for a bit but it basically leaves you with menu based combat which I've had my fill of when I played mostly jrpgs as a teen... or at least that's the felling I end up with when using them. Most of my playthroughs start out using cyberdecks just so I can hit that skill progression level for the second perk point then the rest of the game is spent with either berserk of sandy.
I first played the game with a cyberdeck and loved it then I played a Sandy and that is my current favorite but now I think I'll try the compressor as I like the idea of being a mobile weapon platform.
Still need to do a 2.1 netrunner build, but I’ve found sneaking up to a group activating the Sandy, cloaking and letting loose with headshots from Her Majesty to be a lot of fun.
You don’t know the feeling of walking into a room and seeing some gonks blowing up with their own grenades while others putting a gun to their head just at the sight of you.
Cyberdecks are beyond phenomenal
hybrid is my way to go, I usually get scared by FPS but the fact that I can scope the whole area, ping and mark targets and check out cameras to see what's going on and plan is why I love this game. Also I never saw cyberhack as "magic" and mana ha
I can scope it all, get all the intel or almost all cuz I sometimes still miss a few, and then go in
- either full stealth (grab takedown)
- sonic shock stealth with a throwing knife or muzzled gun
- stealth isolated enemies with cyberhacks untraced
- or if there are just a few in an open area, will use Kerenzikov with my gun and dash and shoot slow motion (also have focus mode) or throw grenades and shoot in real time, sometimes cyberhacking as I go
I like the fact that all those builds offer a different style of playing the game. Most extreme are maybe the Netrunner just sitting somewhere safe cleaning the whole area via cameras, and the uttermost messy close combat berserker. The Sandevistan blade I played on weaker levels mainly as sneaky knife/axe thrower. Only at level 60 with full Relic I could go comfortably full blade melee soloing Arasaka Tower on normal difficulty. The main difference here was the armor, 730 first try vs. around 1300 the second try. Armor is essential for soloing Smasher or MaxTac'ing.
My main build is netrunner stealth edgerunner with specialization in smart and tech weapons, pariah, yinglong crimestopper and widowmaker are my favorite weapons, of course I use overclock and optical camo, my approach is causing havoc with quickhacks such contagion and cyber psychosis, then highlight other enemies who survived and kill them while undetected. Cyberdeck is absolutely the most versatile and fun way to play stealth characters in cyberpunk imho I love this game.
I did a sande build run and while I really liked it , the cyberdecka are just so much deeper and feels like ur missing out on a big chunk of the game because of how much there is to them (cyberdecks) not to mention there are parts in the main story that are pretty much made with using the cyberdeck in mind a good example is the parade sequence where u hunt down rhe snipers when you get to nest each one will have tripmines blocking the way protecting them and since the mission heavily guides. You to doing this mission stealthy it becomes impossible with out havibg the cyberdeck so you xan hack and disarm as shooting will obviously blow your cover you can jump over the 1 st one heavily exposing yourself but the next 2;are in a small space you cant jump over
I think it would really help if they made some basic hacks basekit or at least available in like another cyberware all you would need is distract ping and turn off cameras and mines
I do flat out *love* how many game dev studios are now following along this gameplay path:
1. Play game as one build type. Approach with one set of solutions. Beat game with pride.
2. Play game again as another build. See new solutions to problems allowed by different build. Beat what amounts to a totally different game. Feel even more pride, coupled with wonder at how much entertainment this *one* game purchase entertains.
3. Repeat step 2 as many times as you like.
4. Play game with a wild experimental build, based on the experience you have gained previously. Feel like an utter *boss.*
5. Love game completely.
i was actually just thinking about doing a Body/Technical build with wrist rockets, LMG, n shotguns but i didn't even think twice about the chrome compressor until now. def gonna give it a look at least!
Im having alot of fun with a sandevistan brute (shotguns, the malorian and some blade work) and its been fairly good on very hard throughout the whole game (having a different pistol obv)
I did a chrome compressor shotgun build. one of the most fun builds i have ever done. having so much extra cyber capacity turns you into a walking tank, thro on defensnikov and you are immortal
I have plated 3 playthroughs of cyberpunk, and each one I ended up playing the exact same type of build. It’s become my cyberpunk version of stealth archer 🙄🙄🙄. I passionately call the build “Corporation Killed V” but it’s more of a lone wolf commando/jack of all trades type. Pistol, AR, and Sniper for weapons to tackle ant range, arm launcher or regular grenades for arm mods, kerenzicov and cyber deck, fill deck with combat quick hacks with the exception of ping, investing mostly into intelligence and reflex, split rest amongst cool and tech to upgrade weapons and allow surprisingly great stealth.
Makes my V this mind bogglingly versatile and adaptable killer. One that could silently assassinate a target or entire building one at a time, or go guns blazing and take on an entire army at once, or be in and out without touching anyone and leaving no trace whatsoever. The commando, the spy sort of, the jack of all trades perhaps, the corporation killer.
my favorite build is a stealth gunslinger. I find pistols/revolvers incredibly fun to use in combat (and you can use Johnny's gun), and stealth is challenging especially when you get more stealth perks unlocked, and I always have my cyberdeck as a backup. Personally, I think it's key for effective stealth play, and also really helps in combat to manage large groups of enemies. HOWEVER, I am going to try some of these other builds!
Great video! Keep up the good work 🔥
Cyberdeck is the best, but I am midway through a sandevistan run and it is extremely fun. They didn’t do enough to Sandies to make them an even tradeoff for Cyberdecks, though. Cameras are just too good.
I remember how I just randomly walked into some organized crime gig not even trying to hide, and 3 minutes later walked out of it with 30 corpses behind. I didn't even have to draw a weapon and not a single person was alive long enough to even notice I was there, cyberdeck is hands down the most overpowered OS and I absolutely love it
Looking forward to this because I took one look at Chrome compressor and thought "???" At first glance I cant fathom why you'd pass on the most game-changing cyberware for more run-of-the-mill stuff but then there's the iconic cyber to think of
My first playthrough was pure cyberdeck. So OP. Second playthrough I picked up a berserker as soon as I could and holy cow was that a blast. Got the Clever from Placid and became the butcher of Night City. It was a great early game build until I could get a good Sandi.