As a mercenary who's navigated Night City's chrome-plated hellscape since the 2.0 overhaul, I've learned that your cyberware choices mean the difference between bleeding out in an alley and sipping synth-beer at Afterlife. Two years after Phantom Liberty reshaped our implants, these neural upgrades remain as vital as oxygen in a megabuilding fire. Cyberware Capacity forces brutal prioritization – one wrong pick leaves you as helpless as a glitched drone in a sandstorm. From my bloody experience across Watson and Pacifica, here are the implants worth every eddy.
10. Kiroshi "The Oracle" Optics – Face Cyberware
These optics transform V’s scanner into a sixth sense, painting threats like an augmented reality Jackson Pollock. Within 17.5m, it highlights enemies behind cover – crucial when scavs ambush you near Japantown ramen stalls. The 35m camera detection saved me during the 'Sinnerman' gig, spotting turrets before they shredded my cover. People also ask: Does it detect landmines? Absolutely – 28m explosive detection makes minefields navigable as Sunday strolls.
9. Reinforced Tendons – Leg Cyberware
Your mobility becomes as fluid as mercury rolling downhill with this double-jump upgrade. Beyond combat evasion, it unlocks vertical shortcuts – I've bypassed six Maelstrom checkpoints by rooftop-hopping. Synced with Reflexes, each point adds 0.1% Crit Chance. During the 'Gig: Serial Suicide' mission, it turned a 15-minute infiltration into a 90-second parkour sprint.
8. Memory Boost – Frontal Cortex Cyberware
Every kill injects RAM into your neural pathways like espresso for a netrunner. Paired with a top-tier cyberdeck, it creates infinite quickhack loops – I once dropped 12 enemies in Charter Hill without reloading. One frequent question: Does it work with melee kills? Yes! Gorilla Arms takedowns refill RAM faster than a BD junkie reloads.
7. Cellular Adapter – Integumentary System Cyberware
Requiring the Built Different perk (15 Technical Ability), this implant makes V tankier than an Arasaka convoy. Benefits scale with Tech Ability:
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⚡ +1% Explosion Resistance per point
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🔫 +0.5% Tech Weapon damage per point
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⚕️ 0.5% faster Health Item recharge
It’s like grafting a Militech APC onto your epidermis – essential against bosses like the Chimera.
6. Epimorphic Skeleton – Skeleton Cyberware
Pure survivability – Tier 5 grants 190 Armor plus health scaling with Body stat. When MaxTac cornered me near Corpo Plaza, this implant absorbed bullets like a black hole swallowing starlight.
5. Atomic Sensors – Nervous System Cyberware
Your speed increases as detection meters fill – at 80% detection, you move 56% faster. Combined with Cool stat, it adds 0.2% headshot damage per point. I’ve cleared entire 'Suspected Organized Crime' sites without triggering alarms, moving like a ghost through smoke.
4. Heal-On-Kill – Circulatory System Cyberware
Each kill drips health back into your veins – the ultimate sustain tool. Works universally: my netrunner build regenerates while contagion spreads, and my sandy katana build heals during blurs. People wonder: Does it stack with other heals? Yes, creating health-fountain synergies.
3. Monowire – Arms Cyberware
Post-2.0, this whip slices through crowds like a laser through synth-butter. Variants add elemental damage:
| Type | Effect |
|---|---|
| Thermal | Burn |
| Electrifying | Shock |
| Toxic | Poison |
With Jailbreak Perk, charged attacks deploy free quickhacks – I’ve spread cyberpsychosis to 5 enemies in one swing.
2. Chitin – Integumentary System Cyberware
This subcutaneous armor provides 200 Armor plus 10% health regen per attribute point. During the 'Don't Lose Your Mind' mission, I tanked sniper shots that should’ve flatlined me – it’s like wearing Adam Smasher’s discarded chassis.
1. Maxtech Mantis Blades – Arms Cyberware
The iconic arm blades now feature lunging finishers that turn combat into a ballet of dismemberment. Paired with Sandevistan, I’ve cleared entire trauma teams faster than a rogue AI corrupts data. Their synergy with Blades perks makes them deadlier than ever – my record is 23 kills in 8 seconds during an Arasaka warehouse raid.
These implants transform V from street meat to urban legend, but here’s my burning question: When every upgrade demands sacrificing flesh for chrome, what piece of humanity would you refuse to replace?