A braindance, often referred to as a "BD" in the game, is essentially what it sounds like - a lap dance, but for your brain. BDs are digital recordings of a person's perspective, often involved in something illicit. Instead of being a passive observer of pornography, you can be a participant, and feel all of those same emotions and anxieties. But, of course, thrill-seekers want something a bit more hardcore, and as a result, you can find BDs in Night City where participants were in some truly harrowing situations.
Some residents of Cyberpunk 2077's Night City weigh pain and pleasure in equal measure, but to you, BDs can be far more important. As they are exact recordings of everything a person saw and felt, with optical implants no less, these BDs contain a lot of precious information that can help you find what you need in any given mission. Navigating a BD isn't obvious at first as there are several modes and views to see your surroundings from, but we're going to break down everything we can for you here.
NOTE: You should be warned that the Braindance sections of Cyberpunk 2077 contain flashing lights that have been reported to cause seizures. Avoid these missions if you believe you may be at risk.
First-Person BD Mode in Cyberpunk 2077
This is the default BD mode, from here you'll see everything as the person in the BD did, every experience, every sight, every sound. This is decent preliminary information, but it's also quite shallow. People in BDs often see things in their peripheral vision or hear things that are unclear, and by examining the BD in more detail we can uncover secrets. You can change your view modes on a controller by using the shoulder buttons.
3D View BD Mode In Cyberpunk 2077
The first of the alternate BD view modes in the 3D view - in this view you will be able to move the camera around the room like a drone, and you will be able to clearly see things that were in the subject's peripheral vision. In this mode, you should look out for objects that might not have been obvious or out of sight, such as clothes, documents, bloodstains, and more.
Thermal BD Mode In Cyberpunk 2077
Thermal mode is exactly what it sounds like. Most advanced optical implants include thermal vision, and as such, you will be able to see a more dynamic take on what's happening in the room. You will be able to easily see people, for sure, but you'll also be able to see unusually hot or cold spots in the room, which could indicate something hidden. Maybe even the temperate of food or corpses can be a hint you need to progress.
Audio BD Mode In Cyberpunk 2077
Audio mode allows you to pinpoint audio signals in a BD, and while this might just be anyone nearby that's talking, it can also be more than that. The whirring of hidden motors, cars driving by, or a muffled conversation coming through a vent, all of these can be vital hints and clues as to where you should be searching next. Thanks to 2077 technology you can enhance these muffled audio signals to give you a clear indicator of what's happening in a BD.
Finding Secrets In BDs In Cyberpunk 2077
You have four different modes from which you can view BDs, but the first-person mode is, frankly, not amazing for investigative purposes. The others are vital, however, and the bar at the top of the screen is important for giving you a hint as to where to look next.
At the top of the screen you have bars representing each of the three investigative view modes, and if you use this mode while using the triggers to quickly move through the BD timeline it will highlight on the timeline bar that you can investigate something at this moment. Pause the BD on the points highlighted and look carefully around the area for something that could be useful, and if you're finding yourself stuck make sure to scan through the entire BD timeline with each view mode enable, and look closely at things that may not even be directly in the scene.
The three investigative modes are key here, and as long as you focus on scanning through the BD timeline with each of these modes you are assured to find secrets - though optional challenges in BDs may require a sharper eye.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available for PC on GOG.COM, Steam and Epic, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Stadia from December 10, 2020. When you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on GOG.COM, 100% of your money goes to CD PROJEKT Group and supports their future projects.
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