6 Toughest Bosses When Playing On Very Hard

Key Takeaways

• Cyberpunk 2077 has replay value with challenging bosses like Woodman, Matilda, and Royce.
• Woodman is easy to deal with, Matilda is tough, and Royce poses a challenge early on.
• Bosses like Adam Smasher and Sandayu Oda offer unique challenges in Very Hard difficulty.

Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably one of the best antihero RPGs of the last five years, as it combines a massive futuristic city with incredible graphics, a compelling story full of interesting side quests and characters, and combat mechanics that shine in almost every aspect. However, this wasn’t always the case, as the game had a rough first year that required CD Projekt Red to devote itself to optimization and bug patching.

Now that Cyberpunk 2077 is fully up and running and most of its major issues have been fixed, it’s an outstanding game that has a lot of replay value and a lot to offer to newcomers. While compared to other RPGs like Dark Souls, the game isn’t considered particularly challenging, playing it on the Very Hard difficulty can spice things up. Here are the 6 toughest bosses when playing on the Very Hard difficulty.

This article contains spoilers about
Cyberpunk 2077
‘s plot and bosses.

6 Woodman

A Pushover Who, Under The Right Circumstances, Can Be Dealt With Rather Easily

• Manager of the Clouds doll club
• Merciless, but easy to deal with in most cases

Serving as the talent manager of the infamous Clouds, Oswald Forrest, commonly called “Woodman” is an expert at taking care of business and dealing with “problematic” dolls. He’s known to be well-connected with members of the Tyger Claws gang, which earns him respect and makes him feel untouchable. Players can encounter Woodman after infiltrating Clouds in search of Evelyn Parker, a doll who worked at the club.

While talking to Woodman, players can try to either bribe him or intimidate him so that he reveals important information necessary for the mission. Once he reveals what he knows, players can choose to either kill him or spare him. If it’s the latter, V will be blacklisted from Clouds. All in all, Woodman is nothing but a D-list villain in a town full of more dangerous and prominent criminals than him, so dealing with him isn’t really an issue, especially if players have leveled-up enough. Whether players choose to kill or spare him, one thing’s for sure—he’s one of those characters who shouldn’t be part of a sequel if there’s ever one.

5 Matilda K. Rose (Sasquatch)

A Large Enemy With Swift Hammer Swings

• Mighty fighter and smart negotiator
• Matilda can swing her hammer with incredible speed

Meeting Matilda K. Rose, otherwise known as Sasquatch in Cyberpunk 2077, isn’t only shocking because of how difficult the fight can be at lower levels, but also due to her sheer size and massive strength. Sasquatch was well known in Night City due to her ability to draw the attention of large organizations such as NetWatch to work with her in multiple endeavors.

Commanding a group of elite fighters, Sasquatch is a force to be reckoned with, as she can not only swing her hammer with gargantuan strength, but also do it with much more speed than should be possible. In the Very Hard difficulty, dealing with her is very challenging, as a few missteps can be the difference between prevailing over her and being flatlined and nailed into the ground by her massive hammer, which can be used to create a few overpowered builds.

4 Royce

A Simple Challenge That’s Tough Because Of How Early It Appears

• Players can choose not to kill him
• He’s tough mainly because he appears early in the story

Simon Randall, often called Royce by his fellow Malestrom gang members, is one of the first bosses players encounter when they’re just getting started in Night City. Having taken control of the Malestrom gang’s leadership by force, Royce is a merciless individual who cares about nothing but himself and the profit he can make from his various criminal efforts.

Players will get to meet Royce and his fellow gang members after Dexter DeShawn asks V and Jackie to purchase a stolen Militech bot from them. When the duo walks into the Malestrom safehouse, things quickly become tense and every word uttered is extremely important, as it will determine the outcome of the situation. It’s possible to have a peaceful outcome where players don’t have to fight, and it’s also possible to kill Royce either during the negotiation talks, or near the end of the safehouse area. For players who have leveled-up enough, Royce might not be much of a threat, but given how early he appears in the game, most players will face him while still being unprepared, and this makes it harder to deal with him.

Players who are struggling too much might benefit from checking out some beginner tips for the game.

3 Sandayu Oda

A Silent Assassin That Will Give Players A Run For Their Money

• Personal bodyguard of Hanako Arasaka
• Swift and often unpredictable attacks

As far as intimidating, neat-looking enemies go, few in Cyberpunk 2077 can match Sandayu Oda, as his character design is amazing, and his red blades give him an overall epic appearance. As a cyberninja, Oda was tasked by Arasaka to be the personal bodyguard of none other than Hanako Arasaka, the daughter of business magnate Saburo Arasaka. Players first meet Sandayu Oda after discussing the events at Arasaka Tower with Takemura. Oda warns them against trying anything and says he will not show them mercy if they meet again.

Sandayu Oda is extremely challenging due to the various attacks he has and how quickly he moves—especially in the Very Hard difficulty. Luckily, there are some weapon attachments that players can use to make the fight easier and dispose of Oda much quicker.

2 The Twins

Arguably The Hardest “Beat On The Brat” Encounter

• Using Gorilla Arms can help shorten this fight
• The twins are actually a single person controlling two bodies

While not a boss per se, The Twins are likely responsible for more than one rage-quit and a few broken controllers among fans of Cyberpunk 2077. As part of the “Beat on the Brat” set of side quests in the game, which feature several fistfights with a wide range of enemies that vary in difficulty, The Twins will put players to the test more than once. What’s interesting about these fighters’ concept, is that they’re not really two individuals, but rather one controlling two separate bodies.

While other fights in the “Beat on the Brat” side quests are also considerably tough, nothing compares to having to deal with two attackers at once while focusing on blocking and throwing punches when there’s a window of opportunity. Cyberware like the Gorilla Arms is ideal for dealing with The Twins, as it deals considerable damage, shortening the duration of the fight and leaving little to no time to make mistakes.

1 Adam Smasher

The Ultimate Cyborg Menace

• Arasaka’s ultimate killing machine
• Over the decades, Smasher has undergone various Cyberware augmentations

Adam Smasher has, without a doubt, one of the best character designs in Cyberpunk 2077. Not only is he the ultimate killing machine and Johnny Silverhand‘s nemesis, but he also has a very interesting backstory that shows how he’s, slowly but steadily, been replacing his real body with Cyberware over the decades.

When players face him in the last stages of the game, he poses a considerable challenge, especially in the Very Hard difficulty. On top of his inhuman strength and abilities, there’s just something about his appearance and how he’s presented throughout the game that adds a layer of psychological horror that can get under most players’ skin as they fight him.