The latest episode of Night City Wire detailed Cyberpunk 2077's lifepath backstories for each of the Nomad, Corpo, and Street Kid options, sharing new information about one of the central elements of the game's narrative - the title's protagonist, V. Cyberpunk 2077 is shaping up to be the biggest holiday release this year, with the full weight of an exciting marketing campaign accelerating fan interest in the game as developer CD Projekt Red continues to provide slow and steady details.
It hasn't all been perfect for Cyberpunk 2077, though, which has seen its fair share of controversies, ranging from its depiction of race and crime to its gender customization options - the latter of which experienced so much backlash that it was later changed to better appeal to a wider demographic of players. More recently, there was a divisive split in critics who have been able to preview the title, with some suggesting it looks as though it will deliver on the hype while others had some concerns over Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay.
While the latest Night City Wire didn't provide a lengthy deep dive on gameplay as a whole, it did provide a lot of information regarding the Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath choices: Nomad, Corpo, and Street Kid. Lifepaths in Cyberpunk 2077 are how players can choose to distinguish V as a character, giving him three unique options for a backstory that also influence how they will interact with the world and how it will interact with V. The demonstration provided new details on each of the three backstories, in addition to some breakdowns of weapon types and more.
Of the three, Corpo stood out as the most in line with what Cyberpunk 2077 lifepath expectations are: it gave a clear backstory, motive, and stakes, with a huge amount of pressure on V as someone who "cleans up" other people's messes in the corporate world. It also had heavy implications of espionage and made "trust no one" a huge motif in the brief preview. Comparatively, the Nomad lifepath is the most different from Corpo, with players taking on the role of a V who is essentially unfamiliar and uneasy about Night City life.
Nomads are outcast characters and will have knowledge other routes don't - in an example from senior quest designer Philipp Weber, he said Nomads would know more about how a gang stole a flathead robot, giving them an advantage. Finally, the Street Kid route seems most in line with what many associate with cyberpunk as a genre. This version of V will be well-acquainted with the Night City underworld, having a grasp of its colloquialisms and gang activity. They'll also be most at odds with the law in the traditional sense, giving this route a very anti-authority punk vibe.
Cyberpunk 2077 lifepaths will be crucial to the game's story and how players experience it, and the most recent episode of Night City Wire did a lot to create excitement over those choices. Each route feels unique and has its own strengths and weaknesses and, in a game as expansive as Cyberpunk 2077, that should further allow for a diversity in Cyberpunk 2077 choices that will make the title compelling to consumers.
Cyberpunk 2077 releases on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 19, 2020.
Source: Night City Wire Episode 2