Cover-Credits:
CDPR’s Cyberpunk 2077 has really stunning visuals that can sometimes make your jaw drop. The game is certainly aesthetically pleasing to look at, especially during the night when the entire city is lit up with vibrant and glowing neon light strips. However, you will find that the game becomes almost too dark, especially during certain night missions where you will have to sneak past and kill enemies. If you were in such a situation, you might be wondering if the game provides players with tools or equipment to illuminate darker areas. Let's dive right in and take a look at what it offers.
Does Cyberpunk 2077 Have a Flashlight?
Unfortunately, the game does not contain a flashlight or any other similar tools to illuminate the darker areas. There are no key binds in the menu which allow you to toggle on and off a flashlight nor are there any specific keys you can hold to turn it on. You also do not have the option to craft it in the Cyberware menu or buy it from any one of the local vendors in Night City.
The Lead Quest Designer of Cyberpunk 2077, Pawel Sasko, answered this question by saying that the addition of illumination tools would ruin the naturally produced lighting contrasts in the game. If your hardware supports it, you can also turn on raytracing to see real-time lighting effects, which might help as it will be far more realistic than the game’s default illumination.
Are There Any Other Alternative Methods to Brighten Darker Areas?
Fortunately, there are a few options that you have at your disposal, although they can be a bit unorthodox. If you are undertaking missions at night, you will find weaponry with night vision scopes that will help you spot your target clearly. If your weapons do not come with such an attachment, you can always purchase and equip one from the closest weapons shop.
Additionally, you can also tinker with the game’s brightness settings by offsetting the gamma correction, however, this would make the black look gray and it may not be very pleasing. It can also be quite a bit of a hassle to find the right balance without compromising the game’s aesthetic visuals.
The new Phantom Liberty expansion also does not come with any option to add flashlights. At the time of writing it is unsure whether the developers will add such an option to the game. Although not having a flashlight doesn't trouble you for the most part, it can be frustrating when you are playing through pitch-black areas where it will really come in handy.
