Right at the outset of Cyberpunk 2077, you’re made to choose between 3 Lifepaths: Nomad, Streetkid, and Corpo for the player character, V. You might figure it’s three games for the price of one! Or that your choice would limit your experience of the game. But neither of those could be further from the truth. Lifepath simply provides V with a backstory revolving around their relationship with Jackie Welles – a street dude and merc, who is V’s mentor in Night City. But he gets killed so soon and by then, whether you started out as a Nomad or Corpo, he’s made you a Streetkid whose only way of leveling up is gaining Street Cred! The game, though, is built around V’s relationship with Johnny Silverhand, who replaces Jackie as mentor – more like tormentor in Johnny’s case. And because V’s journey with him is predetermined, regardless of Lifepath, you’d get the same exact missions, rewards, and endings! Although there are plenty of dialogue options as well as a few items and events exclusive to each path. They’re what we’ll consider in order to pick the best Lifepath.
3. Corpo
Terminated by your corporation, and conflicted about your prospects as a Corpo with a target on their back, you’re forced to turn to the streets – with Jackie’s help – to survive
Corpos are mostly parasites that are in the business of enslaving citizens, and backstabbing each other. In megacorporations’ spy games, you win or you die; few get to leave the viper pit with their lives. Corpo V is a counterintel officer at Arasaka Corporation, who’s caught in the crossfire between two higher-ups. V hopes there’s a way to survive the situation, with the help of their old contact, Jackie; but ends up losing their job while barely escaping with their life. Thus, as V hits the Corpo rock bottom, their awkward transition to Streetkid begins under Jackie’s supervision. He continues to watch V’s six, as a brother in arms, to the end.
Features
- Opening Mission
The Corpo-Rat
- Exclusive Mission
War Pigs
- Exclusive Rewards
Apparition – an iconic pistol.
- Default Gear
Outfit
V's office blazer
V's office slacks
V's office pumps / shoes
Weapons
Unity
Why Choose Corpo
- You get to start the game with an aborted spy thriller starring Jackie. V’s boss decides to settle the score by taking out his rival at Arasaka counterintel; he orders V to do it, despite their serious concerns. V then sets up a meet with Jackie in order to subcontract the job to him. But just when it’s starting to get interesting, the whole thing blows up in V’s face. Realizing it’s a dangerous mistake, Jackie declines the job; and V is ambushed by Arasaka agents, who make them give away the assassination plot; they revoke V’s access to corporation networks, and seize their bank account; they even try to take V away, but Jackie intervenes and so, outnumbered in hostile territory, the agents are forced to give up. That’s all there is to it.
- It’s the only Lifepath where Jackie saves you more than once; the only one in which you already know him when the game begins. During the meet at Lizzie’s bar in the opening mission, you admit that Jackie saved your butt once before. He most definitely saves your life again at the bar, by scaring off the Arasaka agents who intend to finish you for a higher bounty. It actually makes a lot of sense for you to know Jackie from before. Otherwise, he would in all likelihood ignore your situation with the agents, or worse, put you all down; because that’s how sicarios deal with Corpos who cause trouble on their turf.
- It’d be a walk in the park infiltrating Arasaka Industrial Park, in Gimme Danger – a main job. As their recently terminated spy, you know Arasaka Corp inside and out; so, you manage to trick a guard into letting you in the park, by posing as a counterintel agent conducting an unscheduled inspection. Once you’re inside, you get to walk past all the guards undetected, and access their servers. A total cakewalk! Although if you’d prefer to infiltrate the compound while having your way with an army of Arasaka guards, it’s more of a missed opportunity.
- You’d get a great Tech pistol, Apparition, for doing the exclusive side job War Pigs; you’re contacted by an old friend, Frank, from Arasaka counterintel, who’s suffered the same fate. He plans on serving you up to his old boss to get a second chance at his job. The poor thing obviously has a death wish, which he manages to fulfill by making you put him down. It’s not a total waste of your time, though, as he drops the iconic JKE-X2 Kenshin for you as a parting gift; Apparition has awesome handling and fire rate, a high-capacity mag, as well as a death wish – much like its previous owner; meaning that as your health drops to a critical level, the sadistic pistol gains speed and damage!
- It’s the most natural path for a romantic relationship with Kerry Eurodyne; also for the one-night stand with Meredith Stout. Kerry – former Samurai lead singer – is a corporate sellout that leaves his band for more eddies, and Meredith is a Corpo agent; so it’s only natural that you get involved with them. After helping him do a bunch of impulsive, idiotic things during side jobs, Kerry and you go all the way in Boat Drinks; it goes down on Kovachek’s yacht as he sets the yacht on fire to get square with him; but not before playing you a mesmerizing riff, and ripping the boat to shreds! Although Kerry’s into dudes, and so only male V gets the chance. With Meredith, it happens in No-Tell Motel during Venus In Furs; you get to loot her toy, Sir John Phallustiff, as well, which is a powerful blunt weapon – despite the hilarious name, and the dirty shape.
2. Nomad
Disowned by your clan, you forge an unlikely partnership with a client from NC – Jackie. In order to survive, you have to start doing things his way – the street way
Nomads are the wildlings of Cyberpunk 2077, living in their nomad tents on the outskirts of megacities. The free folk of NC scavenge a living from junkyards, fuel depots and such, doing their best to avoid Night Citizens. They’re known to always stick to their pack. Nomad V, though, starts out as an outcast from the clan, trying to make it on their own. Jackie’s a client, hiring V for their smuggling skills. They meet someplace in the Badlands for the first time; but by the end of the eventful trip to NC, they’re partners. Thus, V’s conversion to Streetkid begins.
Features
- Opening Mission
The Nomad
- Exclusive Mission
These Boots Are Made For Walkin’
- Exclusive Rewards
Thorton Galena Rattler – kind of tiny, but cool car.
Jackie’s tuned Arch – a beast of a bike.
- Default Gear
Outfit
V's vest (with Bakkers patch)
V's vest (without Bakkers patch) – the same vest minus V’s former clan’s patch.
V's tattered crop top / old tank top
V's Nomad pants
V's Nomad shoes
V's Nomad boots – nothing fancy, you just couldn’t walk around barefoot in the desert.
Weapons
DR5 Nova – the revolver you start out with.
Why Choose Nomad
- You’d get an 80s-inspired, boxy car for free. The compact 4-door sedan is a modded Thorton Galena called Rattler. It’s the same car you drive to smuggle Jackie’s iguana into NC, in the opening mission; but you have to abandon it after Jackie crashes it into the wall on Biotechnica’s lot. Later during These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ – a side job – you get a chance to retrieve it. Navigating NC’s roads and alleyways in Rattler is a cakewalk, because of its small size and great handling; so it’s definitely worth coming back for.
- You’d get Jackie’s Tuned Arch – his bike – which is a significant upgrade over the regular Arch you get as Streetkid or Corpo. During The Pickup – a main job – Jackie shows up on his new bike; Nomad V, being huge on Tech and all, gets to recommend that he swap out the tailpipe, tinker with fuel injection, and mod the exhaust, all of which Jackie does at some point – as a result, it gains speed while losing the mean growl. Little do they know that Jackie’s going to die soon, and his mama’s going to want V to have it.
- You get to explore NC from an outsider perspective. Both you and V – by leaving the clan – experience the city’s mayhem for the first time; this gives you a unique advantage storywise, triggering plenty of dialogues about interesting details of your previous life. Although it also means that you’re treated as an outsider by most of NC, since Nomad V is an outcast among outcasts, that is Nomads.
- It fits the Panam/Aldecaldos ending best. Having been genetically invaded by their biochip, it makes perfect sense for you to spend your final hours getting square with the Corpo masters, Arasakas; especially when it gives other Nomads – who’ve had their share of Corpo oppression – the chance to settle the score as well. Besides, a Nomad by definition doesn’t belong in the city; and thus, things come full circle when you turn your back on NC to be with Panam and the clan.
- You’d have the most special connection with Panam Palmer – the ultimate Aldecaldo leader, and one of the love interests – particularly as male V. You and her have so much in common; you both leave your clans to become mercs, only to miss the Nomad life and rejoin in the end. She’d use her sway to rally the clan behind you at a moment’s notice, which makes her the only one of her kind, that is love interests, that you can ask for help in the final mission. A true friend with benefits! Regardless of path, you get to make love to her in Queen Of The Highway – as male V; but only if you keep loving on her and taking her side throughout! Or else you can kiss goodbye your precious 60 seconds with Panam in the hover tank.
1. Streetkid
You survive your encounter with a fellow merc, Jackie, with whom you go on to become buddies. The two of you have big dreams, but they’re shattered when Jackie dies and you get shot in the head soon after
This Lifepath is what Cyberpunk 2077 set out to be; it’s the one its contagious jargon: choom, gonk, preem, etc. was invented for; the only one of three that embodies the game’s name. V starts out as a punk from the streets of Night City, a small-time merc with no family or real friends; stumbles onto Jackie, who watches over V, like a guardian angel, to the end when he bleeds to death before V is betrayed and shot in the head. And thus, survival begins.
Features
- Opening Mission
The Streetkid
- Exclusive Mission
Small Man, Big Mouth
- Exclusive Rewards
Semurai Crystaljock Bomber – a cheap Samurai jacket knockoff
- Default Gear
Outfit
V's tattered crop top – looks cool, doesn’t give you any superpowers though.
V’s stained tank top
V's streetwear pants
V's street tongues / kicks
Weapons
Unity – the pistol you carry when the game begins, the same one you’ll use to take yourself out in the tearjerker ending.
Why Choose Streetkid
- You get to live your character from start to finish. In the other two paths, you’re basically turned, which is the one way you’re going to make it in the streets of NC; because only a Streetkid can make a good Cyberpunk!
- You get to have the most authentic relationship with Jackie. You’re both a product of the streets of NC; Jackie’s a proud son of Heywood whose people he regards as family; and since you happen to be Heywood-born-and-bred as well, he treats you like family right from the outset. That’s why he’s willing to let you walk, despite having the drop on you in the opening mission; something you, as Nomad or Corpo, wouldn’t live to see from a former Valentinos thug!
- You’d easily connect with NC gangs; since you’re already in the life, you speak their language – the precious Cyberpunk slang. Your street smarts also help you cut through their nonsense when dealing with Corpos.
- You’d have the deepest connection with Judy Alvarez – the game’s street love interest – especially as female V. You recognize the song she hums during Pyramid Song right before you and her are synced, since you’re both made in the streets of NC. Regardless, you get to date her and share a bed with her, among other things, if you pick a female V; you’ll even get the key to her apartment, as well as the full MaxTac gear – which you can loot from her bedroom – but only if you play your cards right; in other words, suck up to her throughout the side jobs involving her, or else she’ll slip away along with the rest of the goodies, because Jude is unreachable like that.
- It fits your carjacking ability best. Especially when you force rich Corpos out of their luxury cars – because if there’s one thing a Streetkid cannot stand, it’s a Corpo; also, because they don’t charge you with felony auto theft in NC.
