Though Cyberpunk 2077 may have faced controversy at launch because of its many bugs and issues, rendering it so much as unplayable for some gamers, it still excels in the way of storytelling, which is due in part because of its complex characters. Players have become strongly attached to Takemura, Judy Alvarez, and Panam Palmer as some of the fan favorites. But even Cyberpunk 2077's less significant characters make its somber story shine.
Viktor Vektor, V's ripperdoc that they meet toward the beginning of the game, is a great example alongside others such as Misty, but his involvement leaves something to be desired. Vik is heartfelt and caring, and it's clear he's set aside time and resources for V and Jackie, and he's even significant enough to make his way into the end credits of Cyberpunk 2077, which is why it would've been even better to see him have a more thorough story arc to call his own.
Vik's Role in Cyberpunk 2077
Viktor is first introduced as V and Jackie's regular ripperdoc when the protagonist visits him to get Kiroshi optics and get a neurovirus out of their system but is unable to pay upfront, so the doc takes an IOU. This interaction implies that the two are somewhat close and have been working together throughout Jackie and V's career as mercenaries, though it's unclear when exactly they became acquainted. Still, Vik is initially just kind and generous toward the protagonist, but it becomes clear that their relationship is a bit deeper than that of a doctor and patient as Vik is the one who delivers V the bad news at the end of the prologue.
At this point, Vik has done quite a bit for V, not just in the way of the IOU and every service he's provided so far, but he's also saved V's life. However, from this point onward in Cyberpunk 2077's main story, Vik doesn't play a very significant role. The biggest quest surrounding the ripperdoc is Paid in Full, where V pays back the debt of 21,000 eurodollars to Vik but that's about all the quest entails. Unlike Cyberpunk's other side characters such as Lizzy Wizzy or Jefferson Peralez, he doesn't get an intriguing side story, and that's a shame.
Still, Viktor will attend Jackie's ofrenda and leave a pair of boxing gloves, hinting at their close friendship. And he appears in Cyberpunk 2077's end credits with a heartfelt goodbye that changes depending on the ending players chose. Because of this, not only is it a bit disappointing that Vik doesn't get a dedicated story arc like the many excellently written side quests in Cyberpunk, but it's also a bit sad. This means that after Vik saved V's life, they sort of forget about the ripperdoc like they weren't that close, to begin with, while previously known characters such as Misty and Mama Welles at least have some significant dialogue and meaningful quests following the events of the prologue.
It's clear that Vik had some kind of deep history written. In his database entry, it's stated that not only is he one of the best ripperdocs out there, but he's also a living legend of Night City. However, it also states that he wants people to forget this fame of his. Exactly how this fame came about and why he wants it to be forgotten is unclear, but it would have been great to explore some of Vik's monumental reputation in side quests.
Cyberpunk 2077 is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in development.