How Cyberpunk 2077 Tricked Me Into Loving My Own Mortality

Five years ago, I booted up Cyberpunk 2077 expecting to become a chrome-plated legend cruising Night City for eddies and fast cars—basically GTA with more neon and existential dread. Boy, was I bamboozled! CD Projekt Red’s lead quest designer, Paweł Sasko, admitted it to me straight: "We were trying to trick you." The whole "become a legend" shtick? Pure smoke and mirrors. Everything changed the moment my V took a bullet to the noggin. Talk about a reset button! 😅 Mechanically, the 2020 launch was a dumpster fire compared to today’s polished gem, but its soul? Oh, it always knew what it wanted to be—a story about staring death in the face while wearing fishnet stockings. Mortality, legacy, and the desperate urge to not fade away? That’s the real cyberware here.

Voice Acting: When Your Character’s Death Becomes Your Therapy

Cherami Leigh (female V’s voice) hit me with the realness: "As V worked through dying, I had to too. I lived in her shoes." She didn’t even know if V would survive Act 1! Recording that first "death" felt like a breakup with a character she adored. Suddenly, Leigh was channeling V’s panic: "Is this it? If I could die tomorrow, am I happy?" It forced her—and by extension, me—to live in the present. Wild how a game about digital ghosts makes you question your IRL life choices, huh? Gavin Drea (male V) felt the same. Every recording session was a gift wrapped in existential uncertainty. "Is today the day they kill me off?" they’d wonder, especially with celebs like Keanu Reeves popping in. Speaking of which...

Johnny Silverhand: The Rockstar in Your Head (Literally)

Keanu’s Johnny wasn’t just a cool hologram—he was V’s chaotic brain roommate. Leigh described voicing scenes with him as "harmonizing with three actors at once." CDPR intentionally kept her and Drea’s performances wildly different. No copying allowed! Leigh laughed: "They didn’t want one ‘right’ V. Made it harder for them, but bless their hearts." Figuring out who "controlled" V’s voice when Johnny hijacked the mic? A logistical nightmare. Was it:

• 🧠 V mimicking Johnny’s swagger?

• ☠️ Johnny puppeteering V’s vocal cords?

• 💥 Or pure, unhinged fusion?

They’d get scripts like "V’s headspace in Johnny’s body" and pivot on a dime. Reeves would sometimes record first, letting Leigh riff off his Keanu-ness. My takeaway? Acting in this game was like solving a Rubik’s cube blindfolded.

Night City: Where Cultures Collide (No Fax Machines Allowed)

Sasko spilled the tea on adapting the 1988 Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop. Some things aged like milk—like "personal fax machines." 🤦‍♂️ "Too dated," he groaned. CDPR kept the soul but ditched the retro cringe. The payoff? A world bursting with authentic diversity. Unlike The Witcher’s limited scope, Night City let them weave in Haitian Creole for the Voodoo Boys without lengthy explanations. "That blend just exists here," Sasko beamed. Finally, a game where my character could:

• 🗣️ Chat in Creole

• 🔮 Dive into vodou lore

• 💥 Punch corpos

...all before breakfast. Take notes, other RPGs!

Romance in 2077: Love, Loss, and River’s Awkward Flirting

Ah, romance—the true endgame. CDPR aimed for "organic" love stories, but oof, River Ward. Players roasted him for being "too pushy." Sasko looked pained: "He’s just a guy who’d protect you!" Designed by a woman, no less! The lesson? Romance is messy. Some adored:

• 😍 Panam’s nomad passion

• 💖 Judy’s tender techie vibes

• 🎸 Kerry’s Johnny Silverhand-fueled tension

But River? His "knight in shining armor" act fell flat for many. Sasko philosophized: "Love is personal. Players bring their baggage." Meanwhile, Leigh was recording romances blind: "Scripts were still being written! I’d ask, ‘How guarded is V today?’" No wonder my date with River felt like a hostage negotiation.

Endings: Why ‘Happy Ever After’ Doesn’t Compute

Let’s talk endings. Sasko revealed the game has two three-act structures:

1. The fake "become a legend" arc

2. The real "you’re dying" gut-punch

My "favorite"? Temperance—giving Johnny your body. Sasko’s too! "Johnny wouldn’t want it," he whispered. "A terrorist learning redemption? Poetry." But most players chose the Nomad ending—less sacrifice, more hope. "Natural for humanity," Sasko shrugged. Then there’s The Path of Least Resistance (AKA the "self-delete" option). CDPR handled it respectfully—post-credit calls show your friends’ grief. "We wanted to say it’s not a solution," Sasko stressed. And that Phantom Liberty "cure" ending? Bittersweet af. V survives but loses everything. Some called it "happy." Sasko, a psychologist, mused: "Players see what they want. If you need a fresh start, it’s valid—even if the price was your soul."

Farewell, V: Passing the Torch in 2025

Will V or Johnny return in the sequel? Unlikely. "2077 was their story," Sasko implied. Leigh got emotional reminiscing: "There was so much love between them." She never met Keanu but saw him ride off on a motorcycle—"appropriate," she giggled. His kindness bled into Johnny, who often sacrificed his second chance for V. "They gave us little bittersweet hints," Leigh smiled. "Like an ellipsis..." So yeah, Night City broke me, rebuilt me, and made me ponder death while dual-wielding katanas. Not bad for a game that tricked me into a GTA clone. Thanks for the existential crisis, CDPR. 😉👏