Belly Of The Beast Walkthrough - Cyberpunk 2077 Guide - IGN (2024)

This page is part of IGN's Cyberpunk 2077 Wiki guide and details everything you need to know about completing the Belly Of The Beast Main Job.

From entering Arasaka Tower with the Panzer to navigating Arasaka's Manufacturing level as you attempt to reach Mikoshi, we have you covered in our complete Belly of the Beast walkthrough.

Belly of the Beast Walkthrough

After exiting the Panzer, join Mitch and Saul by the large set of stairs. As you join them and watch as the group of Aldecaldos argue about Mitch returning to the site to help Carol and the rest of the clan - essentially running himself straight into danger, risking his own life.

Despite Panam's pleas, Mitch agrees to leave and can be seen running towards the Panzer.

Climb onto the SERC

With Mitch gone, Panam agrees with Saul to continue on with the mission, as time isn't on V's side. Following Panam up the set of stairs, as she leads you onto the SERC.

As you reach the control room, jack-in to the nearby control panel as you attempt to start the drill.

As the drill begins picking up speed, the system will start to malfunction, causing the room to fall to pieces. As the system continues to malfunction, V will be knocked off her feet as she falls to the ground. As more items in the room begin to fall, the screen will fade to black.

Waking a short while after, Panam can be seen laying in the corner, unresponsive to V's calls. Eventually coming too, take her offered hand to stand.

Talk to Saul and Panam

Following Panam out of the control room, speak with her and Saul as they discuss the lack of communication they've had with Mitch and the rest of the clan. Agreeing to continue onwards, follow Saul and Panam as you enter the Arasaka building.

Look Around for a Maintenance Shaft

Still below the basem*nt, explore the room for a maintenance shaft. As you near the center of the room V's Relic will begin malfunctioning again.

Taking a quick moment to recover, you'll soon notice a large group of patrolling soldiers coming your way.

Using the seismic dampers as cover, wait for the patrolling group of Arasaka soldiers to pass and then return back. Once the coast is clear, make your way to the other side of the room.

Using the new set of seismic dampers as cover, continue following the wall until you eventually come across a maintenance shaft.

Climb up the ladder and follow the stairs through a nearby door that leads to a small room with another door.

Tip: Before continuing through the grate, you'll find a Shard on top of the console by the door.

Once you're ready to continue, open the door and climb up the ladder found in the room's center, followed by the small shaft.

As you open the shaft, V's Relic will start malfunctioning again, causing V to have another seizure.

With the help of Panam, stand up and get ready to take out the guards in the next room.

Neutralize the Guards to Access the Terminal

Still slightly dizzy from the Relic malfunction, continue through the newly opened door and hide behind the nearby crates.

Waiting for the two guards to finish their conversation, wait for the guard lending by the desk to walk over to the window.

With their backs turned, continue towards the guard using the access terminal - silently taking her out as you near her. Before you go worrying, Panam will deal with the extra guard.

• Tip: While you're waiting for the Aldecaldos to regroup, you'll find two Shards on the desk by the Access Terminal, along with several other supplies.

As Saul arrives at the desk, he'll hack into the access terminal and will begin explaining the path to Mikoshi won't be easy.

Before the group can even think of getting to Mikoshi, they will need to disable the current lockdown first.

Reach the Security Room

This is where things start to get tricky, as you'll find there are several paths that can be taken to reach the Security Room. To make things easier, we have listed the two best possible paths that can lead you to the security room without drawing any attention to yourself.

Stealth: Entering Through the Door - 13 Body Attribute Requirement

Should you have the required Body attribute (13), you'll have the option to force-open the door that leads outside of the control room.

This option is, without a doubt, the shortest and safest route possible to take. With only one soldier blocking your path, you should have no issues taking them down and reaching the Security room without being seen.

It's important to note that you will need to ensure that the Netrunner is alone before jumping down, though, as a heavy soldier often frequents this area during his patrol.

Stealth: Follow the Left-Hand Wall Without Being Seen

If you don't happen to have the Body attribute needed to force open the door in the control room, head down the nearby stairs as we'll take an alternate path.

Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, head through the door on your left - you'll want to start crouching at this point.

Follow the corridor to the end and open the door. Quietly walk inside, and you'll spot a soldier working away by a nearby desk - take him out silently.

Before continuing through the door, scan the security guard facing the door and reboot his optics.

Once the hack is running, exit the room and use the machinery as cover as you head up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, look inside the glass door that leads to the small server room.

Once the security guard has moved to the window, enter the room, and silently take him down. With the guard dealt with, climb the nearby ladder.

Once you reach the top, crouch along the walkway and use the crate as cover until the guard moves to a new position.

As soon as he has moved, continue towards him and enter the small duct in the wall. Crouching through the duct, you'll be given a chance to sneak up behind him, allowing you to take him down.

Tip: You'll find a Breach Protocol point right in front of the guard that requires 7 Intelligence to jack-in.

Once you're ready, continue along the walkway until you reach the end. Now, there's just one guard left that's blocking your path to the Security Room access point.

To take out the guard, simply jump down behind him and take him out silently.

With the coast clear, head towards the nearby exit hatch and climb down it. You must remain crouched while inside this room, as it is still possible for patrolling guards to spot you.

Having reached the access point, slot the shard into the terminal, allowing Alt full control over the building's security.

With Alt now in full control, V will thank her for helping with the plan. Once you're ready to continue, follow the waypoint marker as you leave the manufacturing level.

Upon opening the door, you'll be greeted by a large Mech; however, with the help of Alt, she is able to fry the Mech's system before it launches an attack.

Reach Mikoshi

As you enter the room next room, you'll watch as Alt begins killing everyone in your path - taking no prisoners.

With an eerie silence taking over the room as Alt works her way through the Arasaka forces, continue forward as you follow the waypoint to Mikoshi.

Upon reaching the final door, Saul will speak up and let V know that she's one of them, and the Aldecaldos will be with her to the very word, as they always keep their word. Once you're ready to continue, head towards the waypoint marker and open the door.

With the help of Saul and Panam, V will begin to open the heavy door. However, things quickly take a turn for the worse as a sudden blast will take them all by surprise, pushing them to the ground inside the next door. Still dizzy from the blast, it's revealed that Adam Smasher - the guy responsible for Johnny Silverhand's death, has found them.

In an attempt to stop him, Saul will shoot him with his shotgun. Failing to make any effect, Adam Smasher will turn to Saul and take his life.

How to Defeat Adam Smasher

When trying to infiltrate the bottom of Arasaka Tower, you'll encounter Adam Smasher, a large heavily modified mercenary that's known for having defeated Johnny Silverhand.

It's important to mention that this is the final boss battle that you will encounter in Cyberpunk 2077's main storyline, so as you can imagine it's not going to be a super easy fight!

Thankfully, we have you covered in our complete breakdown on Adam Smasher's three phase battle below.

Looking for something specific? Jump to...

• Adam Smasher's Weaknesses
• Tips and Tricks for Defeating Adam Smasher's Three Phases

Adam Smasher's Weaknesses

To no surprise, Adam Smasher features a number of weaknesses that can change the way that the battle plays out, as these weaknesses can significantly altar your damage output.

Before the battle begins, we highly recommend that you change up your loadout to include the likes of Frag Grenades, Tech Weapons, and even chemical based weapons as they'll give you with a huge advantage during the battle.
Cyber Heart

• That's right, even Adam Smasher has a heart - a cyber heart at that. Found on the right side of his chest, Smasher's cybernetic heart is arguably his weakest spot and managing to successfully inflict damage onto this spot will result in significant damage being dealt. Unfortunately, you will need to destroy his front plate in order to get a good view of it - a great way to do this is a Tech weapon!

Chemical Damage

• Before entering the battle, it is worth double checking your weapons, as Adam Smasher is weak chemical damage, however resistance to electrical damage. If you're out of luck and don't happen to have any weapons that deal chemical damage, definitely consider switching to a Tech based weapon.

Tech Weapons

• Look no further than Tech based weapons when it comes to defeating Adam Smasher, as they have the advantage of being able to pierce through his front armor plate that is other relatively difficult to destroy. Another added advantage of Tech weapons is the fact that they have the ability to strike targets through walls or other positions of cover, making them ideal for defeating any incoming reinforcements that may make their way to the battlefield.

Frag Grenades

• Got some spare Frag Grenades? Consider equipping them, as they are perfect for dealing large amounts of damage, while also damaging his cyberwear.

Quickhacks

• Throughout the battle, you'll have the opportunity to launch several quickhacks upon Adam Smasher. Here are the best quickhacks to use:
  
  • Weapon Malfunction
    • Arguably one of the most helpful quickhacks available, the Weapon Malfuction quickhack allows you to reduce the efficiency of Adam Smasher's bullet storm attack during the first phase, which many will consider one of the more challenging aspects of his attack.
  • Cyberware Malfunction
    • Perfect those looking to take on the stealth path, the Cyberware Malfunction quickhack will cause Adam Smasher to take huge amounts of damage, so much so that it will often take you to a brand new phase.

It is important to note that this method takes quite a bit of time for the hack to upload and eventually activate. So, it may not be suitable for everyone!

Tips and Tricks for Defeating Adam Smasher's Three Phases

Whether you're looking to tips on how to avoid his bullet storm attack, melee combos, or even his missile rain, we have you covered in our complete Adam Smasher guide below.

Phase 1:

To start off the battle, Adam Smasher's first phase is very focused on performing melee combos, jump attacks, and a projectile attack that's know as the Bullet Storm.

As you'd expect, Adam Smasher is at his strongest during this phase, so it's important keep your distance as letting him get his hands on you will result in you taking quite a bit of damage.

With a heavy focus on melee combos, Smasher will likely be all up in your face during the majority of the first phase, however, you may be surprised at just how easy it can be to dodge his incoming attacks.

To avoid taking melee damage, it's important that you begin backing up as soon as you see him charging in your direction. As he begins to swing his arms, evade the melee combo by spamming the dodge button as you continue to back up - this is the same technique that used to defeat Oda during Act 2, Gimme Danger.

Dodging Smasher's jump attack is pretty straightforward, simply sprint away from your current location when you notice him jumping in the air - getting hit will knock you down.

Don't run too far though, as you'll want to take advantage of his kneeling composure once he lands, as he'll be rendered in a state where he can not attack for several seconds. As he begins to regain functions, you'll want to book it straight out of his melee range to avoid getting hit.

Lastly, we have Smasher's bullet storm attack, which is arguably one of his more annoying as it's rather challenging to dodge at times. In order to combat this attack, we found two very viable methods to be quite effective, as we found that using the dodge method mentioned earlier during his melee combo was a decent option should you lack the ability to get behind cover in time.

Alternatively, if you're quick and able to dodge Smasher's attacks fairly easily, we highly recommend using the area around the center of the room to your advantage. While you'll often be face-to-face with Smasher, you'll have the opportunity to use the pillars as cover.

As he launches his bullet storm attack, simply duck behind the cover of the pillar! Just be warned though, these pillars can take damage and you'll likely need to use a new pillar for each bullet storm attack that he launches.

Phase 2:

Phase 2 of Smasher's encounter is all about long-range! Having received significant damage to his body's right side during phase 1, he will change up his tactics to account for his damaged body.

Similar to phase 1, Smasher will have three brand new attacks that include calls for Reinforcements, Missile Rain, and Fleeing Tactics.

When facing Smasher during phase 2, he'll frequently call for reinforcements that range from soldiers, heavy soldiers, and even mechs!

It is highly recommended that during this phase that you focus most of your attention on taking out any reinforcements that can be found in the area. Taking out these forces as quickly as possible will be your best bet, but don't take your eyes off Smasher for too long, as his long-range attacks can still pack a real punch when caught off guard.

Next up, we have Smasher's missile rain attack, which can be launched at any time throughout the phase. The biggest tell-tale sign of this attack is the large circular red dots that will appear!

Once you see these red dots on the floor, you will want to begin sprinting away from your current location! Don't be fooled, though; this attack will follow you, so avoid stopping until you hear that the explosives have stopped.

If you're caught by this particular attack, it could very well be game over as the explosions cause some hefty damage.

Last but not least, the finally attack that Smasher can perform during this phase is as flee! That's right; after taking a certain amount of damage, Smasher will begin to run away. During this 'attack,' you'll have the perfect opportunity to unload your bullets onto him.

Phase 3:

Having caused Smasher significant damage throughout phase 1 and phase 2, you'll learn that's he's really rough shape and will spend the majority of his time in the center of the room, firing off shots with his machine gun.

Despite these shots becoming notably slower, we still found that it was best to stick to the second floor, as pillars and railings provided to great cover that allowed you to mainly remain damaged should you get your timing right between his shots. With the right weapon choice, it shouldn't take too many shoots to finish him off for good.

Once you have defeated Smasher, you'll find him on his knees and will have the option to let him live or to take his life. This particular choice will have no effect on the story and is a choice that is left entirely up to you to decide.

How to Defeat Adam Smasher With Stealth

That's right, you'll be surprised to learn that Adam Smasher can actually be defeated purely by stealth!

As you'll be well aware, you are automatically thrown into combat with Adam Smasher at the beginning of the battle. But, this is where things can get a little tricky when trying to use the stealth method, as you'll need to spend quite a bit of time setting up the process that is needed to successfully kill Adam Smasher through stealth alone.

To get started, your main focus when starting out will be to escape his attention, which can be done by using the countless barriers and cover options all throughout the area.

Simply hiding won't be enough to draw his attention away though, as you'll also want to be using the likes of your quickhack options such as Reboot Optics and Distraction. These two quickhacks alone will significantly help aid you in drawing his attention away.

With Adam Smasher's attention finally drawn away, use your quickhacking abilities to distract him. Once distracted, sneak up behind him and perform a stealth takedown attack. After each attack, you will need to hide and drawn his attention away.

You will need to repeat this step on three separate occasions - once for each of his three phases - in order to successfully take him down using only stealth.

Get to the Mikoshi Access Point

Having defeated Adam Smasher, follow the waypoint marker as you head towards the Mikoshi Access Point.

Along the way, V will begin experiencing yet another Relic malfunction.

Struggling to make to the Access Point, Panam will offer her assistance, in which V can thank her for everything she's done for them.

After saying your 'final' goodbye, connect to the Mikoshi Access Point, in which they'll awake in a rather familiar elevator.

Once the elevator stops, you'll find yourself at the roof above Vik's shop, the same location that Misty had brought you to make your final decision during Nocturne Op55N1.

As you reach the roof, you'll be greeted by Jackie, who's acting very strange. Despite V's pleas for answers, Jackie will ignore her questions, simply repeating the same lines over and over again. Not able to take anymore, V will say their final goodbye to Jackie, which prompts them to black out.

Awakening in Cyberspace, walk along the bridge as you head towards the large yellow light. Once you reach the top of the staircase, make your way towards Johnny, who can be found looking at the large yellow beam in the distance.

Having greeted Johnny, follow him to a nearby table, and speak with Alt as she'll begin discussing the process that was taken to perform the split. However, despite successfully separating the two psyches, Alt reveals that V's body was damaged beyond repair due to the extended exposure to Johnny's construct.

Meaning that should Alt transfer V's construct back into their body, they will eventually die. Alt estimates that V will have approximately six months to live should they return.

Following even further conversations with Johnny and Alt regarding the situation, V will be left with two choices:

• Cross the bridge and head into Cyberspace with Alt, allowing Johnny to return to V's body as the sole inhabitant.
• Return to your body via the well, spending Johnny into Cyberspace with Alt, accepting that death will come in the following months.

Once you have decided your path, click or tap the following links to continue to the final mission.

• V Returns to their Body: All Along The Watchtower
• V Enters Cyberspace with Alt: New Dawn Fades