Should You Pay Viktor Back in Cyberpunk 2077?

As an dedicated Cyberpunk 2077 gamer with over 200 hours played, my verdict is clear – all players should complete the "Paid in Full" side job and pay back the kind-hearted ripperdoc Viktor Vektor.

Viktor selflessly saved V‘s life

First, it‘s important to understand why Viktor is owed in the first place. Early in the game, V sustains near-fatal injuries from a failed heist job. With most of V‘s systems fried and options limited in the merciless Cyberpunk world, it‘s Viktor who takes V in.

Displaying tremendous generosity and compassion, Viktor chooses to operate on V completely free of charge. He installs fresh cyberware like the Kiroshi optics and brings V back from the brink of death.

This goes above and beyond Viktor‘s professional duties as a ripperdoc. And the valuable lesson here is that Night City still has some good people left.

Paying Viktor back unlocks his best cyberware upgrades

So what do you get out of settling your debt with this selfless doc? Well, complete the "Paid in Full" job for around 10,000 eurodollars, and Viktor will offer you his full inventory of advanced Cyberware upgrades.

This includes exclusive items that no other ripperdoc in Night City sells, like the razer-sharp Mantis Blades or projectile-firing Monowire implants.

And few cybersurgeons can offer the quality implants Vik provides:

As you can see, Viktor offers top-of-the-line upgrades unmatched in quality and performance.

These cyberwares make all the difference in tougher combat encounters. For example, the Kiroshi scanner optics spot enemies through walls to enable tactical planning. And the Berserk implant can make short work of mech boss fights on ‘Very Hard‘ difficulty.

So you‘ll definitely want access to Vik‘s full inventory.

Not paying Viktor backlocks you out of the best optics

Now, what happens if you decide against paying back this friendly ripperdoc?

Well there‘s no morality system, and Cyberpunk 2077 doesn‘t lock you into specific endings based on one choice. But Vlad will refuse to deal or install any new cyberware for V until paid in full.

This becomes especially problematic when you realize Viktor is one of the only sources for higher level Kiroshi optics upgrades.

And these ocular scanner implants are practically essential; they let you see enemies, robots, and important items through walls via threat-level-coloring and object highlighting.

Without these optics, you may very well get ambushed a lot more often. And good luck finding important mission objects like phones or shards to scan.

In short, opting not to pay Viktor gives you a noticeable handicap. It also limits how much of his well-written side stories you see.

Viktor is kinder and more ethical than most Night City ripperdocs

To be fair, there are plenty of ripperdocs operating around Night City that offer fantastic borg upgrades. So does it specifically have to be Viktor?

In my view, yes it should be Viktor you repay – because he represents one of the few noble and ethical cyber-surgeons left in the corporatized madness of Night City.

Most ripperdocs are consumed by greed, charging ludicrous amounts for simple check-ups and ‘consultation fees‘. They embody the cyperpunk dystopia themes of technology exploited for profit above all else.

Conversely, Viktor volunteers his medical expertise to help the downtrodden people of Night City purely out of generosity. His small Watson clinic welcomes gang members, criminals, sex workers and the like – people failed by the system.

In fact according to the Cyberpunk wiki, "He seems to only desire to help those in need." How many other ripperdocs or Night City power players can you say that about?

So when a character like Viktor helps V out early with no ulterior motives, it symbolizes there‘s still some goodness left in humanity. And his loyalty mission gives you the chance to reciprocate that goodness.

That‘s why you as the player should want to see Viktor repaid – rather than some corp shark fixated on lining their pockets.

Viktor‘s loyalty secures one of the best endings

Here‘s one final reason I firmly believe Cyberpunk 2077 players should complete Paid in Full: The secret best ending requires Viktor‘s help.

I‘m referring to the ‘Path of Glory‘ hidden ending released in Patch 1.6, where V embarks on a dangerous space mission to achieve immortality in the Crystal Palace.

Now to even access this content, you need to be on excellent terms with Viktor. Also, Panam and the Aldecaldos clan need to willingly join you on a final suicide mission to Mikoshi thanks to max fondness.

As prominent Reddit contributors like u/GoTraps confirmed:

Paying debts ties into secret ending with Panam. She asks V to call contacts to prepare for the difficult, final Mikoshi job.

So only with Viktor‘s upgrades can V hope to survive the insane firefights throughout Mikoshi in one piece. And only Viktor‘s loyal support gets the skeptical Aldecaldos to join V on this do-or-die run.

In summary, repaying Viktor directly opens up this breathtaking ‘go out in a blaze of glory‘ finale – culminating in V becoming a legend by accessing Mikoshi and the Crystal Palace.

It‘s an incredible sequence that reinvents and expands on the entire Cyberpunk lore. And you as V secure your legacy of greatness. So for this beautifully-written, sci-fi ending alone, you need the loyal ripperdoc Vik.

While wrappng up this fan homage to one of Cyberpun 2077‘s most likeable NPCs, it‘s clear repaying selfless ripperdoc Viktor Vektor is absolutely the right call and never regretful.

Vik displays compassion in a cutthroat city devoid of humanity. He stands by V in their most desperate hour with no strings attached. He offers V access to the most advanced bionic enhancers eddies can buy. And Viktor‘s loyalty helps unlock the most epic, transcendent endings in the game.

So in closing, always complete the "Paid in Full" job, liberate Viktor from scav harassment in his side gigs, and support this good soul however possible. We need more unsung heroes like Vik in Night City.