The Challenges of Navigating the Dark in Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 was touted as the ultimate role-playing game set in a dark future. And true to its name, the world of Night City is indeed shrouded in darkness. Exploring the shadowy corners of the city can be quite a challenge. This difficulty is only amplified by the recent Phantom Liberty expansion. Unsurprisingly, players are desperately searching for ways to illuminate their path in this dark world.
While your Kiroshi Optic implants help you identify threats and execute quickhacks, they don’t quite solve the problem of navigating Night City’s pitch-black alleys. Without a flashlight attachment, you’ll be stumbling around in the dark, even amidst the city’s vibrant neon lights.
Is There a Flashlight in Cyberpunk 2077?
Regrettably, there are no dedicated flashlights in the game, no matter how many ripperdocs you consult. The closest thing you’ll encounter is a flashlight attached to a diving suit during the linear missions Pyramid Song and You Know My Name. The latter mission is hailed as a highlight of the Phantom Liberty expansion and perhaps even the game as a whole.
Sadly, Phantom Liberty‘s new district, Dogtown, lacks essential amenities like power and streetlights. Consequently, you’ll often find yourself groping through dark ruins, trying to navigate your way. Nonetheless, there are a few workarounds. While scanning your surroundings with your Kiroshis won’t brighten the environment, it will highlight interactable objects like doors, buttons, or switches that can guide your way. And if all else fails, you can increase the brightness on your monitor or within the game settings to compensate for the atmospheric shadows causing you trouble.
For more adventurous players, there’s always the option to explore the modding community. The popular “Simple Flashlight” mod, with over 300,000 downloads at the time of writing, adds a basic flashlight function reminiscent of the game Dying Light. This mod is just one example of the many Cyberpunk mods that enhance and transform the gaming experience.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that an official flashlight will be added to the game. The Phantom Liberty expansion, along with Update 2.0, will be the final substantial new content for the game. The upcoming Patch 2.01 is expected to be the last update ever, unless there are any undiscovered bugs. Perhaps in Cyberpunk 2, if we’re lucky, flashlights will be included.