Cyberpunk 2077's best questline is also the one that features its best pop culture references, marrying some exquisite gameplay design with equally compelling nods to famous robots over the years. Cyberpunk 2077's open world is full of Easter Eggs and references to other properties, whether they're obvious or hidden on a data shard. Those who take the time to explore Night City long enough will almost assuredly find something they're familiar with from another video game, as even prominent side quests feature some pretty brazen crossovers at times.

While Cyberpunk 2077 can be chaotic, it's also another example of CD Projekt Red's longstanding quest design philosophy that sees nearly every task undertaken in Night City have some sort of payoff, even if it's small. The result is a game that features a handful of side quests that rival the main story in terms of depth, emotional impact, or level design, and it makes it all the more tantalizing to sink dozens of extra hours into a title that has a remarkably short main campaign.

Related: Cyberpunk: Can You Change Hairstyle, Piercings, & Tattoos Later?

Somehow, Cyberpunk 2077's best questline, which features all of the qualities listed above, centers around a taxi service with a mostly emotionless AI at its head. The Delamain HQ questline that sees players tasked with wrangling seven rogue taxi cabs, each with their own AI personality that's a fragment of what makes up the Delamain persona, is immaculately implemented. It's both memorable in its own right and features some of Cyberpunk 2077's best pop culture references all under one - well, seven - taxi cab roofs.

Cyberpunk 2077's Best Quest Explained

Cyberpunk 2077 GlaDOS Reference Delamain

Cyberpunk 2077's Delamain questline - labeled under the umbrella of the "Epistrophy" series - is available right after the title card sequence and subsequent main story exposition. Players need to retrieve their car from the underground parking lot, where V will suddenly be crashed into by a Delamain taxi yelling expletives. Delamain will then contact V stating they're entitled to a refund at Delamain HQ, and upon arriving there, Delamain will speak with V privately about wrangling the seven rogue taxis that are scattered across Night City.

This Cyberpunk 2077 questline is so well-designed because, by its nature, it acquaints players with all of the major locales in Night City and, in the process, gives them fast travel points to get there when they need to. It does so through a variety of different tasks, whether it's car chases, being led into a trap by a taxi, or simply driving a depressed Delamain splinter home. All of the tasks are different, showcase a new facet of Delamain's personality, and get the player familiar with new areas of Night City. It's likely the de facto best Cyberpunk 2077 questline to pick up for new players.

Where to Find Cyberpunk 2077's Best Pop Culture References

The Ciri From The witcher 3 Easter Egg in Cyberpunk 2077

The Delamain questline also introduces the player to Cyberpunk 2077's best pop culture references in the form of Delamain's splintered personality, which takes on forms familiar to those who know famous sci-fi robots. The most obvious reference is the Delamain cab that takes players on a ride for a "test" that ultimately culminates with the cab trying to kill them using cyberpsychos. When that fails, the cab belittles the player, and throughout this quest the cab's voice is another obvious nod to its inspiration - GlaDOS from Portal.

Related: Cyberpunk 2077's PS5 Launch Upgrade Explained

Some of the other AI nods in Cyberpunk 2077 are a little more subtle, and the best one involves a depressed Delamain AI splinter that's simply driving in circles on a roundabout when V finds it. Upon tracking it down, it wearily bemoans existence and the nature of driving itself before also stating its afraid of its task now. Eventually, the AI asks players to drive it home, even though it's fully capable of doing that by itself. On the drive home, the Delamain AI will frequently ask players to slow down, even pausing in the middle of a busy street to take a breather after being emotionally taxed by the journey. This nod feels like it's close to Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame, especially in the early stages of it describing the pointlessness of everything.

Of course, some of the other AIs have equally engaging personalities, but they're worth digging up and being surprised by them wherever possible. The Delamain Epistrophy series is Cyberpunk 2077's best questline and also the home of its best pop culture references, so it's essential players check out these optional quests as soon as possible.

Next: Worst Cyberpunk 2077 Bugs & Glitches Reported So Far