While there’s plenty to do in the main quest of Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, there are also activities to check out on the side. One notable side quest you can run into is “Dazed and Confused,” a story in Cyberpunk 2077 that will see V encounter the real dangers of braindance usage.
The side quest starts with a notification from Mr. Hands. Up-and-coming braindance star Lina Malina is apparently being held hostage, and V needs to help her out. Well, let’s not keep a star waiting. Head over to map marker to start the adventure.
As you’ll soon discover, it’s not Lina Malina being held against her will, but a fan named Tool. This Tool was scrolling one of Lina’s virtus, some electricity went haywire, and now Tool thinks he is Lina Malina.
His partner Shank, who operates the BD store you find them in, offers a deal: find Lina Malina and convince her to make a braindance with this fan-turned-impostor. It’ll make bank, and he’ll split some of the profits with you. Dazed and Confused does keep with Cyberpunk 2077’s penchant for moral quandaries, after all.
Should you help Tool out in Dazed and Confused?
At this point, your ever-present conscience Johnny Silverhand appears and points out that you should probably get Tool some help. While you might be able to cash out a bit if you choose not to, I’m going to recommend that you help Tool out. It’s an extra step, and is overall the nicer thing to do here.
To wit, before setting out to find Lina Malina, head back down to the glass BD booths and look in the one on the right-hand side. You’ll find a letter on the ground that Tool wrote to Lina Malina, thanking her for her work. You can’t use it now, but you’ll need later.
You can also call Judy or Viktor to learn that yes, being stuck in a different personality is bad for your health. Now, follow the waypoint to Lina Malina’s place. Outside, a few tough-looking gang members are hanging around, and you’ll need to make them disperse.
There are a few ways of going about this. You can obviously just take them out, and then have to hide the bodies before Lina shows up. I’ve also heard you can pass a check to get them to leave; it seems to be a Street Kid option, if you chose that lifepath. Or you can sneak into Lina’s place and discover the thugs are hired help, and then pretend to be a producer and shoo them off. Just don’t get detected if you go that route.
Eventually, Lina will show up. Convince her it’s a good idea to partake in the BD, even if you plan to break Tool out of it. I used a Corpo option to convince, but remember, it’s about the fame and money for her.
How to bring Tool back to his senses
Once everything is set, Shank will text you. Head back to the BD store and the shoot will be underway.
Take a seat in the director’s chair, and if you want to help Tool break out, choose the option to send Lina the letter as her lines. This will have Lina read the letter out loud to Tool, creating a cognitive dissonance that breaks him free.
With Tool out, Lina will leave and you’ll still get some cash. It might not be luxurious, but it’s a nice reward for doing the right thing. More importantly, you’ll gain Johnny’s respect for not messing everything up (again). What else could you want in Phantom Liberty?
