idk man the script for this video is like 5 million+ subscriber channel quality, the intro alone was so well spoken and the delivery was amazing. fantastic video
In film school they taught me that you can always spin the visuals of the film as creative liberties, but what you can't fuck up on is Sound, pacing and your motif. You hit all 3 so well I didn't notice that until I read the comment (just my opinion/experience).
@@michaelkaduck1915 Me finding out recently though lore-dumps and the Cyberpunk RED book, that just about EVERYTHING that makes CBP the way it is... started all the way back in the 1850's with the Arasaka family.
I’m a recovering alcoholic 12 years sober. When my drinking got really bad there was a weird sense of freedom in knowing “this is how I die”. It felt inescapable, so I resigned to that death. With that resignation came a relief from worrying about my future because I didn’t have one anymore. Ultimately I witnessed my self destruction putting the people who cared about me through hell so I found the strength to quit. Thank god. But now, I do indeed worry about my future again. The allure of Night City is no responsibility for anything because you can’t change anything anyway in that world. Highly relatable feeling to many in our current real world.
Congratulations! That shits tough but I'm glad you found your way through it. And yeah, truth be told there is some relieving about not forcing yourself to plan like you have to make it to 80 years old or whatever, but as you say, there's a cost
I dont like how the game refuses to allow earnest resistance. The story just doesnt understand that the alure should be a mirage, that can be seen through to the real horror of the city
“I don’t fucking care anymore” is the essence of a punk. If the world were different, if you felt like you actually belonged, you’d care more than anyone else ever could. The show makes it clear that David just doesn’t care anymore. His reason to start caring was the allure of becoming a merc and having good friends. But, in the end, he couldn’t leave. His last words were “like I give a shit.” He’s truly content here because he got to be himself. It’s enough.
I agree with you about the world of Cyberpunk, and it's spin-off materials. A lot of people were upset that David Martinez was doomed, but many failed to notice that he was doomed not when he put on his first piece of chrome. He was doomed long before he was born, even long before his mom was born. Mike Pondsmith has described the world of his tabletop RPG, and by extension the anime and the video game, as followed: "Cyberpunk isn't about saving the world, it's about saving yourself." And as sad as it is, that is the truth of Night City.
Yeah I think having unhappy endings is the best way to send home the thesis of a world that is designed to put you down. David dies at the end, but it's hard to deny that he had a good run. He had some good friends, and in the end I don't think he regrets any of it. Like you said he was doomed before he had any say in the matter, but he still went out on his own terms, a luxury most in NC can't afford
David had 2 options besides being a mercenary: become an overworked corporate slave being forced to implant themselves or be homeless and inevitably die from a mugging or starvation.
@@cynicalmemester1694 All three outcomes not being good ones. The only way for David to have survive or might have had a happier ending is that he could have left Night City. Judy leaves Night City (as one of the outcomes of the actions the players makes), and she seems happier being away after the events of Evelyn's suicide and the events of the Clouds dolls. There are no happy ever after in that town. There's only misery (and Johnny is right about one thing: the city is a meatgrinder of despair).
@@DanielS2001 The thing is Night City is actually one of the better places to live in, the whole world of 2077 is just horrible. The middle east is uninhabitable nuclear wasteland, entire continents were ravaged by climate change and pollution etc.
“This city’s like quicksand. The more you try to get out, the more it pulls you in. Once you’re in up to your knees, you’re never getting out.” - Judy Alvarez
@@insertname9736well I’m sure night city isn’t representative of the entire country. There are probably peaceful and chill parts of the United States, and the rest of the world. They probably just all have varying levels of corporate influence.
that ending wrecked me so much that i couldn't sleep that night. i had to take a break in the middle of it because i had an errand to do, but i did it with this sense of sadness and hopelessness that surrounded me. it still persisted the day after. maybe i'm just a huge pussy to feel this way for a videogame, but to me it just means that the writing of this game is phenomenal if it manages to move you in so many ways
@@yokiweyy4770 I felt the exact same way after experiencing it, just utter emptiness. The missions leading up to it as well as the ending itself really does a phenomal job of expressing that survival in it of itself isnt a happy ending, when the price you pay for it is so much higher than you imagined. Also maybe this was just me but honestly i wanted V to just take the job offer from Reed, just to finally get the fuck out of NC, but that wouldnt really have fit with the idea of cyberpunk as genre sadly, so i get why V is still obsessed.
@@yokiweyy4770 that's what Edgerunners made me feel like it's all good. It's only natrual to feel like that from good story's with likeable character and a tragic ending
CDPR perfectly dials into the careful dichotomy that is late-stage capitalism and social decay contrasted with legitimate beauty and a sense of community and acceptance and possibility that all great cities engender. The living standards are low, class divides vast, but people continue onward. It's one of the strengths of the cyberpunk genre -- it isn't just about destroying the corps, it's about surviving and keeping on for your own sake, holding onto what you can in the face of so many bleak moments. Maintaining your health, your empathy, and individuality regardless of what the corps or the gangs or the police want. 2077 really nails this imo
Totally agree, the hope is such an important piece of the genre, and I think cyberpunk media that misses out on that just feels lacking. Most of the major characters are just surviving at the beginning of the game, but you can help them thrive, and its such an effective rhetorical tool to simply show the possibility of thriving, and enjoying life, without having to counter the oppressive themes of the main narrative.
@@skyloftgames Im back again a month later to say that I'm now writing my University dissertation on Romanticising Fatalism in Cyberpunk 2077 because your video inspired me to do so and because I love the game so much. Hopefully i'll be able to articulate why the game is so good a bit better than I have been before
That's the thing that struck me about the game and which will always be its #1 defining quality. Even when the game was a broken, unfinished, buggy mess; even though the NPC's are hollow and the impression of a living world is a thin veneer of illusory window dressing. Night City is so perfectly realized as a "place", it is a seductive, addicting delight to simply "be there". I spent as many hours wandering around taking in the sights and the vibe, or posing photos and scenes, as I did "playing the game". Whatever else the game may be, I credit the team at CDPR for really *getting* Cyberpunk (one key element Pondsmith always praised them for), and their art department for so perfectly encapsulating it in what I consider to be the most engrossing open world environment ever built for a video game.
I actively seek out creators that do Cyberpunk 2077 video essays. While many are similar, each offers a certain perspective based off the person who plays it. You've done a wonderful job, and I am now a loyal subscriber!
modern tobacco with all the chemical is super bad. grow your own the tobacco plants are super pretty smoking it is not so pretty smoking tobacco without the added chemicals is ok every once in a while
YES!!!! This is exactly how I feel about cyberpunk. It's dark and depressing but I too can't leave it behind, I always find myself coming back to Night City. There's just something so genuine to it that I think you captured perfectly. Also that hook about smoking was 10/10.
the thing is I really hate UA-cam when they bury such talented ppl like that this guy really deserve more recognition + love the vid if it ain't obvious already ❤❤
@@skyloftgamesplease cause that shit had me messed up the first time I played the dlc I hate how that dlc made me feel, like all the things you had a preconceived notion about, Judy just leaving you not trying to figure out about your survival she is a tech genius (idk if it’s a writing overlook but) it’s like she didn’t even try and you grow to care about these characters like Kerry and Judy and Panam and they all leave you high and dry and now you have nothing
I agree with everything you said. I put off playing cyberpunk because of the bugs but I ended up watching edgerunners just before update 2.0 came out and finally decided to give it a try. This game changed me, it became my fav game of all time and I found myself pulling all nighters to keep playing, exploring and learning about the world of cyberpunk. Never before has a game had such a profound impact on me. This is the most immersive and alluring game I've ever played.
It had a very similar impact on me at release, even with the bugs I couldn't tear myself out of this world. CDPR isn't perfect, but their ability to make these video games worlds that feel so rich and captivating is absolutely astounding
This is so well done. I find myself returning to Night City when I'm upset or having a rough go. Why would someone go to like the worst city ever to escape? It didn't make sense until you kind of spelled it out here. Feels like therapy
Unfortunately, Night City is the perfect analogy for the world at large, and the US in particular. The American Dream died a long time ago and to believe that it still exists feeds the corporations even more.
Thank you! Glad it resonated. It's funny, I've been toying with this script for a long time and for the last few weeks I just couldn't figure out how to tie the thing together, then I thought of this and it immediately made so much sense for me
the way you describe the majority of this game's city reminds me of addiction and really unhealthy coping mechanisms, in the sense of it being both something that will kill you and yet something you keep coming back to, being bad but still being unable to come to terms with it and move on/heal from it, like how judy does if you befriend her-- even building a sense of community over the shared struggle. cyberpunk 2077 is a great game either way-- but i think this underlying "appeal of self destruction" aspect of the game is why i got so attached to it during a hard time in my life. its dystopian and fascinating at the same time haha
I got 2077 a few months ago and have just become completely enraptured with it and the tabletop game's lore ever since. I couldn't quite put my finger on it as to why, but you've described it perfectly. Looking forward to binging my way through the rest of your videos, as this is the first one that I've found. Not really sure if I agree with the last bit, but I appreciate all of the time and work that you put into it and being as tactful as possible with it
Glad you enjoyed it! And I hope you enjoy my other videos, though some of them are pretty different. The before your eyes video, and the recent cyberpunk and xenoblade videos are probably most similar to this one vibe-wise. Regarding the end, totally fair! I'm not sure I ended up explaining my thought well because I didn't wanna get too personal, but it was so attached to my perception of the game that I couldn't just cut it, but I think the result has been something that lacks clarity and probably misrepresents my original thought. Hopefully at some point I'll take the chance to expand on it more. Thanks again!
the funny thing is, after i played it, i said that i wanted to live in night city so bad, even though i know i’d hate it. it’s the worst place to be, but if i had a chance to live there i’d take it
Incredible video, you hit the nail on the head. I've been playing Cyberpunk 2077 basically exclusively since I got it last December and just can't put it down. I'm not even finished the game proper but I just can't stop playing. I think you summed it up perfectly, in that, the CB2077 world is one we want to be in because it shows us just how bad it could be, and offers a bit of a power fantasy to grab a hold of our world and shake it to give us a feeling of control over both our digital and real lives. I suffer from chronic depression and I feel what you said in the final part. It feels like an escape from myself to go into this living, breathing world, unlike any other game I've ever played. Bravo. You earned yourself a sub.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah it's such a special game and the atmosphere is so engrossing because it goes beyond just being in interesting world and taps into some deep rooted human emotion
This popped up randomly in my watch queue and Im so glad it did. Marvelous presentation, great tone of voice, and the actual analysis? Based. Subscribed. Preem.
Finally someone created a video that explains cyberpunk really well! It is all about the experience this game is providing. You made a video of what I feel for this game and many more like us. I have felt a lot of times that this NC world can be a reality sometime in future. :)
The comparison of cyberpunk and a cigarette is perfect imo Another thing with cigarettes: the few times where V has a smoke in the game were very marking, when they sit down and they have to think instead of doing, you can feel that it’s uncomfortable for V to not do anything but be with their thoughts Night city is a place where you do things constantly, because if you sit down and think the weight of the city will crush you with its loneliness and oppression
Yeah I hadn't thought too much of it till making this video, but the narrative device of V not originally being a smoker is a really nice detail that lends some impact to the story beats in which they cave and have a smoke
This is a great vid, glad i stumbled onto it. I think what makes cyberpunk the game so special is, despite the bleakness, you will find and connect with some amazing individuals and have amazing experiences. It's the belief that we can find diamonds in the rough (the rough being night city as a whole) that ultimately drives us to see Night City as a positive rather than a negative.
I completely agree, and I think CDPR has done an excellent job with the characters in this game. I have so much fondness for V's friends and I don't even feel that way about the Witcher 3 cast
The beauty of Night City is meant to be an illusion, a trap, an attempt to blind one gazing up on it from the blood and misery dripping from the burning neon. And once it's grabbed you after becoming enticed with its beauty, it will never let go. Like a mouse in a mouse trap.
I’m glad someone mentioned the design of the city in one of these videos. The setting sucks, night city is riddled with crime and trash lines the streets. People are miserable, however when you strep back and look at it it’s beautiful. The lights shining, the designs of the buildings, everything is just amazing to look at it. The separation of unique areas with unique design elements is amazing, the ads riddles everywhere despite being overwhelming add something charming. The city is constantly towing a line between good and bad imo. One of my favorite things just in the design of the city is being able to drive and have a beautiful view surrounding you and all of a sudden it gets oppressively dark as you realize you’re under a mega building, and the sense disgust for the city rises again.
Very well said! I think the fact that we keep flipping between disgust and awe really helps it cement itself in the mind and makes it hard to forget because you can't just settle on one, clear image or opinion of it. It's really multifaceted and that makes it so interesting
While cp2077 is my favourite game I can honestly say that even though Night City is beautiful as far as scabs (cities) go it's still ugly. I guess I'm a nomad at heart because I could happily go through life never having to visit any scabs, even though the world outside of the concrete and steel jungles is missing the nature that I feel is very important to life, not just for animals but for healing the human "soul." Without nature we are missing an important element of our existence, one that is slowly vanishing in our real lives.
Definitely true, especially when I spend time outside the city proper, it's just so barren and depressing. Really somber reminder that underneath all the fancy lights, the world is dying. Reminds me a lot of Midgar from final fantasy vii
Yes, so many ideas and feelings from my hundreds of hours with this franchise were worded so clearly here, thank you, liked and saved for rewatch again sometime
I'm so glad someone made this video because for YEARS I've been think and feeling this but it's impossible to explain and I never had the words. The closest I could come to explaining is that there is something beautiful about being insignificant. There is something reassuring about the drug addict on the street because you know whatever happened today doesn't matter. Tomorrow is a new day. Something about might city makes me feel so alive, crazy.
I just saw this video now and I am impressed with what was shared. I'd like to add that I see everything about Cyberpunk 2077 as tragic lives that even a senior Corpo executive would constantly live as if staring right into the barrel of a gun (as mentioned by Arthur Jenkins). However, Like Jenkins, there are those that choose to fight to "gain another week" and call that a win. Meaning that hope still lives. Even when you come across a fire fight in the streets, all the people around start running away. People without hope, wouldn't mind it and have the mentality that "If I die, I die" and I've seen that kinda tragedy in my life. There are some gigs that break my heart, seeing that same choice happening there... Overall, hope is the beauty that still thrives, even if the darkness seems too overwhelming and you can catch many glimpses of it throughout the story and whatever sense you get at the end of V's journey, hope is also still very much available. The perspective always falls to the individual that goes through the journey.
I would gladly live in night city tbh, even it not being so friendly. Night city is a free for all yes, but it gives you a sense of “you can do it if you’re lucky enough”
best thing that happpened for me in 2020, was the release of this game. For mroe then 3 years i play it ( not everyday :D). Apreaciate ur content dude. The intro, music, sound is on high, Ho[e that spme gameplay footage will improve in ur next videos:)
I've probably watched your video about 10 times by now. I too, thought about making somewhat of a video essay due to having no resolution or understanding as to why this game affected me so deeply. I've dealt with severe depression for my entire life, my brain constantly reminds me and tells me that I'll never be good enough, that no matter how hard or genuinely I strive to make myself happy, My own brains complete inability to produce seratonin will never let that be a reality. In short, it goes without saying why the self harm segment of this probably answers the "why" of my predicament. Cyberpunk makes me miserable and god is that misery intoxicating, I'm just glad that others share the same perverted sense of romance with that.
Yeah every political issue here is not new, it's just set in a setting that looks different enough from our own that we can recognize the problems more easily
Thank you! This script was a complete mess until I thought of that opening and immediately I was able to connect everything. It just communicates something that would probably take me pages to write out without the visual
Watching the anime Texhnolyze really set the nihilistic perspective for this game to me especially I see alot of similarities between V and Ichise. I also watched ghost in the shell and so many similarities with her and songbird almost as if Motoko belongs in cyberpunk
What you said about Night City feeling like a community hit me so damn hard. You’re right. Jackie, Judy, Vik, Panam, Takemura… Cyberpunk made me realize how shallow my real friendships are. I’d honestly rather go die in a blaze of glory with Jackie than finish college with people I know I have a surface level connection with but still hang out and talk to.
I get that. I'm graduating in a month and all of my good friends have either graduated already or live somewhere else. Trust the process though, deep friendships come from vulnerability
What I enjoyed the most about CP2077 was its blatant embrace of the "death before dishonor" mentality. The story seemingly starts with a "survive at all cost" objective. But along the way, you realize (or have the option to realize) staying true to yourself & what you believe in is much more important than survival or anyhting else. If you choose the options associated with prioritizing your survival, you end up with the most bleak outcomes overall. Instead, if you decide to face your impending doom head on, you become a legend & can land huge blows to some of the villains in the setting. I don't know if Pondsmith named the band SAMURAI with this idea in mind, but it fits so well. You don't have to risk death all the time, but we could all do with less cowering & conformity and more courage & righteousness in our real lives.
I truly enjoyed this video, great job. You are very good at storytelling and captivating the audiance, I found this very intriguing, something I definetely did not think about when I played through the game myself.
Man, I just wrapped up a manic depressive hyperfixation on the franchise- and you release this as I'm going through it. Maybe that was fatalistically predetermined too, choom. ;)
I've always found Night City so comforting and for years now I've considered CP77 as my home in gaming. I was never able to articulate why I felt that way in words, but I think what you said in this video perfectly sums it up. I'm glad I listened until the end. It made me realize a lot about why I love this game so much and also about myself and people in general. V: Sometimes wonder if I'll ever see anything more beautiful... Kerry: I have. Doesn't matter, though. Night City's not somethin' you ever forget. Just doesn't letcha. V: Think I know what you mean
I totally agree. There is a lot of cool and alluring things in Cyberpunk 2077. There is the whole V and Jackie wanting more than they have, and becoming "legends" of Night City. For what ever that would mean. There is the issue of being able to handle tough side jobs and gigs as we experience in the game. Having enough "cyberware" to be bad ass enough to be a merc in the first place. What get from the game(and the anime Edgerunners) is that trying to be the best merc or the best corpo is so draining, and hard, it is more important to have good friends and maybe someone to love. It's such a bleak, tough future world. I'm not sure I would make it in Night City if it existed and I live there, but it sure is fun to visit it occasionally and do things only can be done as V.
Can’t argue with a single word I’ve played through 4 and now my fifth… and yet I look at the world right now and see so many similarities in the city… suburbs not so much but we’re edging closer every day.
Adam Srayi has a video called "Cyberpunk in a World of Ads" that makes an excellent parallel between Times Square in New York and NC. 2077 really isn't so far off
Driving around Nightcity is one of my favorite things to do, i rarely use the fast travel cause I enjoy just blasting music and going, the highways at night remind me of long trips across my home state. im the same way with destiny2 maps too, just love driving around enjoying the atmosphere
Funny how this how they descibe NC in the e3 back in the day "...the worst place to live in america, sky high rates of violence, more people living below the poverty line than anywhere else, but everybody still wants to live here..."
There is still something more to say about this subject: fatalism, attraction, self-harm and cyberpunk2077. I can't quite put my finger on it but this video does dance around it for me. When i played the game, i'd do so while in a dark room, lights off and with a vape. I'd vape pretty much constantly while playing. The air becomes misty, the sound of the vaporisation and the synthetic-ness of the flavour (peach ice for me), made me feel more engrossed. So why do this? Why enter into the self pleasuring / self harm world? ... i still dont know, all i know is that i fucking loved it! XD P.s) I've since given up vaping, been clean for over a year!
Definitely, I didn't know how much I could realistically talk about/wasn't super comfortable getting too personal about it, but yeah I danced around it a bit. Also congrats! That shits hard
I remember staring, stunned at the ads as I initially got into the game with the bleeding -oozung of explicit sexuality. Like most though, you just become completely densensitized as you continue through the game though on some level, that's horrifying.
oh my god I did not realise how awful the compression artifacting is on the filmed bits I cannot believe you guys have been watching it like this
I think it kinda adds to it lol
idk man the script for this video is like 5 million+ subscriber channel quality, the intro alone was so well spoken and the delivery was amazing. fantastic video
@6athory858 thanks man! I really appreciate that!
In film school they taught me that you can always spin the visuals of the film as creative liberties, but what you can't fuck up on is Sound, pacing and your motif. You hit all 3 so well I didn't notice that until I read the comment (just my opinion/experience).
The intro made me subscribe to your channel
To put it laymens terms. Cyberpunk is the literal definition of "Fuck it. We ball."
So true
Real @@skyloftgames
And if you take into account the saying ball is life the first saying fuck it we ball turns into fuck it we live
"Oh its raining razors, not as bad as most days."
the kids in pe class:
"😮 but coach wtf"
"In Cyberpunk, you're not trying to save the world.
You're trying to save yourself."
-Mike Pondsmith
Saburo is a real villain in that universe
The Arasaka Emperor: A man who was so rich and ruthless he could cheat death.
@@michaelkaduck1915 Me finding out recently though lore-dumps and the Cyberpunk RED book, that just about EVERYTHING that makes CBP the way it is... started all the way back in the 1850's with the Arasaka family.
"They call Night City the city of dreams because dreams are all you get".
Is that a spin on the American Dream quote from George Carlin?
@@MidTierVillain It is but I got it from another Cyberpunk video essay by ProbablyJacob.
@@cynicalmemester1694Doesn’t Johnny quote this in the game??
@@cynicalmemester1694Doesn’t Johnny quote this in the game? Or am I just hearing him say it😂
@@nectarnut9262 I don't think I remember him saying it. Regina says something similar in text after you do one of her cyberpsycho quests.
I’m a recovering alcoholic 12 years sober. When my drinking got really bad there was a weird sense of freedom in knowing “this is how I die”. It felt inescapable, so I resigned to that death. With that resignation came a relief from worrying about my future because I didn’t have one anymore. Ultimately I witnessed my self destruction putting the people who cared about me through hell so I found the strength to quit. Thank god. But now, I do indeed worry about my future again. The allure of Night City is no responsibility for anything because you can’t change anything anyway in that world. Highly relatable feeling to many in our current real world.
Congratulations! That shits tough but I'm glad you found your way through it. And yeah, truth be told there is some relieving about not forcing yourself to plan like you have to make it to 80 years old or whatever, but as you say, there's a cost
I dont like how the game refuses to allow earnest resistance. The story just doesnt understand that the alure should be a mirage, that can be seen through to the real horror of the city
Would love to hear more from you on this because I fundamentally disagree
We are already kinda in cyberpunk 2077 in a lot of ways just without the implants
every day we march further into it. most of the fucked up stories in the game could happen in real life today, for certain
“I don’t fucking care anymore” is the essence of a punk. If the world were different, if you felt like you actually belonged, you’d care more than anyone else ever could. The show makes it clear that David just doesn’t care anymore. His reason to start caring was the allure of becoming a merc and having good friends. But, in the end, he couldn’t leave. His last words were “like I give a shit.” He’s truly content here because he got to be himself. It’s enough.
I felt like this in 7th grade
I agree with you about the world of Cyberpunk, and it's spin-off materials. A lot of people were upset that David Martinez was doomed, but many failed to notice that he was doomed not when he put on his first piece of chrome. He was doomed long before he was born, even long before his mom was born. Mike Pondsmith has described the world of his tabletop RPG, and by extension the anime and the video game, as followed: "Cyberpunk isn't about saving the world, it's about saving yourself." And as sad as it is, that is the truth of Night City.
Yeah I think having unhappy endings is the best way to send home the thesis of a world that is designed to put you down. David dies at the end, but it's hard to deny that he had a good run. He had some good friends, and in the end I don't think he regrets any of it. Like you said he was doomed before he had any say in the matter, but he still went out on his own terms, a luxury most in NC can't afford
David had 2 options besides being a mercenary: become an overworked corporate slave being forced to implant themselves or be homeless and inevitably die from a mugging or starvation.
David Martinez was a dumbass - shown by your crew what happens when you overchrome, yet heed no warning and do it anyway. That or its bad writing.
@@cynicalmemester1694 All three outcomes not being good ones. The only way for David to have survive or might have had a happier ending is that he could have left Night City. Judy leaves Night City (as one of the outcomes of the actions the players makes), and she seems happier being away after the events of Evelyn's suicide and the events of the Clouds dolls. There are no happy ever after in that town. There's only misery (and Johnny is right about one thing: the city is a meatgrinder of despair).
@@DanielS2001 The thing is Night City is actually one of the better places to live in, the whole world of 2077 is just horrible. The middle east is uninhabitable nuclear wasteland, entire continents were ravaged by climate change and pollution etc.
“This city’s like quicksand. The more you try to get out, the more it pulls you in. Once you’re in up to your knees, you’re never getting out.”
- Judy Alvarez
Cyberpunk is just what our world looks like if we lived in the cool timeline, Corpos rule the world without all the cool shit.
well not yet 😂
Nah, this "cool" world is much more dangerous and horrible to live in. Be glad we're in this "boring" timeline.
@@insertname9736well I’m sure night city isn’t representative of the entire country. There are probably peaceful and chill parts of the United States, and the rest of the world. They probably just all have varying levels of corporate influence.
@@Notimportant3737No, all of America is a total hellhole. It has a 53% literacy rate and 37% employment rate.
In this game the good endings are the ones you die, and then they launch a DLC with the promisse of a cure only to double down on it.
I'm honestly thinking about doing a whole video on the new ending
that ending wrecked me so much that i couldn't sleep that night. i had to take a break in the middle of it because i had an errand to do, but i did it with this sense of sadness and hopelessness that surrounded me. it still persisted the day after. maybe i'm just a huge pussy to feel this way for a videogame, but to me it just means that the writing of this game is phenomenal if it manages to move you in so many ways
@@yokiweyy4770 I felt the exact same way after experiencing it, just utter emptiness. The missions leading up to it as well as the ending itself really does a phenomal job of expressing that survival in it of itself isnt a happy ending, when the price you pay for it is so much higher than you imagined.
Also maybe this was just me but honestly i wanted V to just take the job offer from Reed, just to finally get the fuck out of NC, but that wouldnt really have fit with the idea of cyberpunk as genre sadly, so i get why V is still obsessed.
@@yokiweyy4770 that's what Edgerunners made me feel like it's all good. It's only natrual to feel like that from good story's with likeable character and a tragic ending
@@yokiweyy4770After finishing the game the first time I just sat in bed staring up at the ceiling for like an hour. PL did the same thing lol
"Hear the wish of the oppressed"
"To at least get to be oppressed in style"
You don't believe in no fate, uh
Every day diggin' a grave, uh
Step in the pit with the snakes, uh
City of dreams, city of gang
CDPR perfectly dials into the careful dichotomy that is late-stage capitalism and social decay contrasted with legitimate beauty and a sense of community and acceptance and possibility that all great cities engender. The living standards are low, class divides vast, but people continue onward. It's one of the strengths of the cyberpunk genre -- it isn't just about destroying the corps, it's about surviving and keeping on for your own sake, holding onto what you can in the face of so many bleak moments. Maintaining your health, your empathy, and individuality regardless of what the corps or the gangs or the police want.
2077 really nails this imo
Totally agree, the hope is such an important piece of the genre, and I think cyberpunk media that misses out on that just feels lacking. Most of the major characters are just surviving at the beginning of the game, but you can help them thrive, and its such an effective rhetorical tool to simply show the possibility of thriving, and enjoying life, without having to counter the oppressive themes of the main narrative.
always found it difficult to describe why i love cyberpunk so much and you just put it all into words great vid!
Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah it's really tricky to articulate why I love it so much, and even still I don't think I can ever fully explain it
@@skyloftgames Im back again a month later to say that I'm now writing my University dissertation on Romanticising Fatalism in Cyberpunk 2077 because your video inspired me to do so and because I love the game so much. Hopefully i'll be able to articulate why the game is so good a bit better than I have been before
Good luck man! Sounds cool asf
That's the thing that struck me about the game and which will always be its #1 defining quality. Even when the game was a broken, unfinished, buggy mess; even though the NPC's are hollow and the impression of a living world is a thin veneer of illusory window dressing.
Night City is so perfectly realized as a "place", it is a seductive, addicting delight to simply "be there". I spent as many hours wandering around taking in the sights and the vibe, or posing photos and scenes, as I did "playing the game". Whatever else the game may be, I credit the team at CDPR for really *getting* Cyberpunk (one key element Pondsmith always praised them for), and their art department for so perfectly encapsulating it in what I consider to be the most engrossing open world environment ever built for a video game.
This is a really key point that I didn't have the words for, youre so right that the people don't necessarily feel real, but the place itself does
I actively seek out creators that do Cyberpunk 2077 video essays. While many are similar, each offers a certain perspective based off the person who plays it. You've done a wonderful job, and I am now a loyal subscriber!
Thank you so much!
Don’t smoke. Smoke bad.
but....yummy?
Eh he could be drinking and that's significantly worse, faster.
Hey why not both?
@@skyloftgames heyO thats what im sayin!
modern tobacco with all the chemical is super bad.
grow your own
the tobacco plants are super pretty
smoking it is not so pretty
smoking tobacco without the added chemicals is ok every once in a while
YES!!!! This is exactly how I feel about cyberpunk. It's dark and depressing but I too can't leave it behind, I always find myself coming back to Night City. There's just something so genuine to it that I think you captured perfectly. Also that hook about smoking was 10/10.
Glad it resonated with you!
"the authenticity of our vices" really resonated
It's one of my favorite lines from the script, I think it really just captures the essense of the genres depressing attraction
I was gonna mention this myself
Really well said
the thing is I really hate UA-cam when they bury such talented ppl like that this guy really deserve more recognition
+ love the vid if it ain't obvious already ❤❤
Hey thanks man! Yeah it's a pain but hopefully one day I'll break through. Glad you enjoyed it!
@@skyloftgamesplease cause that shit had me messed up the first time I played the dlc I hate how that dlc made me feel, like all the things you had a preconceived notion about, Judy just leaving you not trying to figure out about your survival she is a tech genius (idk if it’s a writing overlook but) it’s like she didn’t even try and you grow to care about these characters like Kerry and Judy and Panam and they all leave you high and dry and now you have nothing
My only thought watching the end was "holy shit this *sucks*"
@@skyloftgames it was so bad I felt actual betrayal and heartbreak for my V
I have truly never been so devastated by any piece of media
Great video essay. It is patient, thoughtful, illuminating and argued with supporting evidence. Nice work and thankyou!
Very kind words, thank you!
These essays are so well-written and performed! May the UA-cam gods bless this channel.
Thanks man! Glad you liked it
Amen!
I missed you my sweet summer child
I agree with everything you said. I put off playing cyberpunk because of the bugs but I ended up watching edgerunners just before update 2.0 came out and finally decided to give it a try. This game changed me, it became my fav game of all time and I found myself pulling all nighters to keep playing, exploring and learning about the world of cyberpunk. Never before has a game had such a profound impact on me. This is the most immersive and alluring game I've ever played.
It had a very similar impact on me at release, even with the bugs I couldn't tear myself out of this world. CDPR isn't perfect, but their ability to make these video games worlds that feel so rich and captivating is absolutely astounding
This is so well done. I find myself returning to Night City when I'm upset or having a rough go. Why would someone go to like the worst city ever to escape? It didn't make sense until you kind of spelled it out here. Feels like therapy
Genuinely so comforting to know Im not the only one who does that
It’s the city of dreams, but no one ever said they come true.
Unfortunately, Night City is the perfect analogy for the world at large, and the US in particular. The American Dream died a long time ago and to believe that it still exists feeds the corporations even more.
Amen to that
Well it literally is seen in the NUSA
Can’t stop diggin’ Night City. Thanks for the vid!
Thanks for watching!
That opening commentary, instantly followed. Very powerful statement.
Thank you! Glad it resonated. It's funny, I've been toying with this script for a long time and for the last few weeks I just couldn't figure out how to tie the thing together, then I thought of this and it immediately made so much sense for me
the way you describe the majority of this game's city reminds me of addiction and really unhealthy coping mechanisms, in the sense of it being both something that will kill you and yet something you keep coming back to, being bad but still being unable to come to terms with it and move on/heal from it, like how judy does if you befriend her-- even building a sense of community over the shared struggle. cyberpunk 2077 is a great game either way-- but i think this underlying "appeal of self destruction" aspect of the game is why i got so attached to it during a hard time in my life. its dystopian and fascinating at the same time haha
Yeah it's a very bizarre relationship, but I'm comforted to know that it seems like a fairly common experience (at least in this comment section)
I got 2077 a few months ago and have just become completely enraptured with it and the tabletop game's lore ever since. I couldn't quite put my finger on it as to why, but you've described it perfectly. Looking forward to binging my way through the rest of your videos, as this is the first one that I've found.
Not really sure if I agree with the last bit, but I appreciate all of the time and work that you put into it and being as tactful as possible with it
Glad you enjoyed it! And I hope you enjoy my other videos, though some of them are pretty different. The before your eyes video, and the recent cyberpunk and xenoblade videos are probably most similar to this one vibe-wise.
Regarding the end, totally fair! I'm not sure I ended up explaining my thought well because I didn't wanna get too personal, but it was so attached to my perception of the game that I couldn't just cut it, but I think the result has been something that lacks clarity and probably misrepresents my original thought. Hopefully at some point I'll take the chance to expand on it more. Thanks again!
It feels good to give up and indulge. To give up on all responsibilities and focus on selfish pleasures. A slave to impulse.
Bro, you only have 570 subs?! This video was an amazing analysis, you deserve more views!
Haha thanks! Here's hoping 🙏
subscribed :) no 619
Great video. Thank you for making. Great message.
" Never stop fightin."
Thanks!
great video, got to the end and saw the thumbnail of enjoying games while depressed and said "i like this guy"
Haha thanks!
the funny thing is, after i played it, i said that i wanted to live in night city so bad, even though i know i’d hate it. it’s the worst place to be, but if i had a chance to live there i’d take it
Real asf
This genre of UA-cam is too good, thanks for sharing your ideas and making a great quality video
And thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed it
Incredible video, you hit the nail on the head. I've been playing Cyberpunk 2077 basically exclusively since I got it last December and just can't put it down. I'm not even finished the game proper but I just can't stop playing.
I think you summed it up perfectly, in that, the CB2077 world is one we want to be in because it shows us just how bad it could be, and offers a bit of a power fantasy to grab a hold of our world and shake it to give us a feeling of control over both our digital and real lives. I suffer from chronic depression and I feel what you said in the final part. It feels like an escape from myself to go into this living, breathing world, unlike any other game I've ever played. Bravo. You earned yourself a sub.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah it's such a special game and the atmosphere is so engrossing because it goes beyond just being in interesting world and taps into some deep rooted human emotion
Great video. The Panam part caught me so off guard, that i just started laughing my ass off.
Got a new sub.
Glad you liked it! Gotta change things up every now and then to make sure youre paying attention lol
This popped up randomly in my watch queue and Im so glad it did. Marvelous presentation, great tone of voice, and the actual analysis? Based. Subscribed. Preem.
Hey thanks man glad you enjoyed it!
Finally someone created a video that explains cyberpunk really well! It is all about the experience this game is providing.
You made a video of what I feel for this game and many more like us.
I have felt a lot of times that this NC world can be a reality sometime in future. :)
Glad it resonated!
I'm so glad this was the first video I found of your channel.
Happy to have you!
The comparison of cyberpunk and a cigarette is perfect imo
Another thing with cigarettes:
the few times where V has a smoke in the game were very marking, when they sit down and they have to think instead of doing, you can feel that it’s uncomfortable for V to not do anything but be with their thoughts
Night city is a place where you do things constantly, because if you sit down and think the weight of the city will crush you with its loneliness and oppression
Yeah I hadn't thought too much of it till making this video, but the narrative device of V not originally being a smoker is a really nice detail that lends some impact to the story beats in which they cave and have a smoke
This is a great vid, glad i stumbled onto it.
I think what makes cyberpunk the game so special is, despite the bleakness, you will find and connect with some amazing individuals and have amazing experiences. It's the belief that we can find diamonds in the rough (the rough being night city as a whole) that ultimately drives us to see Night City as a positive rather than a negative.
I completely agree, and I think CDPR has done an excellent job with the characters in this game. I have so much fondness for V's friends and I don't even feel that way about the Witcher 3 cast
The beauty of Night City is meant to be an illusion, a trap, an attempt to blind one gazing up on it from the blood and misery dripping from the burning neon.
And once it's grabbed you after becoming enticed with its beauty, it will never let go. Like a mouse in a mouse trap.
Well said!
Beautiful video, deserves more recognition. Thanks for this!
Much appreciated!
I’m glad someone mentioned the design of the city in one of these videos. The setting sucks, night city is riddled with crime and trash lines the streets. People are miserable, however when you strep back and look at it it’s beautiful. The lights shining, the designs of the buildings, everything is just amazing to look at it. The separation of unique areas with unique design elements is amazing, the ads riddles everywhere despite being overwhelming add something charming. The city is constantly towing a line between good and bad imo. One of my favorite things just in the design of the city is being able to drive and have a beautiful view surrounding you and all of a sudden it gets oppressively dark as you realize you’re under a mega building, and the sense disgust for the city rises again.
Very well said! I think the fact that we keep flipping between disgust and awe really helps it cement itself in the mind and makes it hard to forget because you can't just settle on one, clear image or opinion of it. It's really multifaceted and that makes it so interesting
While cp2077 is my favourite game I can honestly say that even though Night City is beautiful as far as scabs (cities) go it's still ugly. I guess I'm a nomad at heart because I could happily go through life never having to visit any scabs, even though the world outside of the concrete and steel jungles is missing the nature that I feel is very important to life, not just for animals but for healing the human "soul." Without nature we are missing an important element of our existence, one that is slowly vanishing in our real lives.
Definitely true, especially when I spend time outside the city proper, it's just so barren and depressing. Really somber reminder that underneath all the fancy lights, the world is dying. Reminds me a lot of Midgar from final fantasy vii
I routinely use this game as some sort of twisted therapy, and this video was so on point and HiQual, nice work!
Thanks man! Glad to know I'm not alone lol
wonderful video dude, in every way imaginable. you will blow up pretty soon im sure
Thank you man! Glad you enjoyed it
Yes, so many ideas and feelings from my hundreds of hours with this franchise were worded so clearly here, thank you, liked and saved for rewatch again sometime
Thank you!! Glad you liked it so much
I love this..nicely executed from start to finish.
Glad you liked it!
I'm so glad someone made this video because for YEARS I've been think and feeling this but it's impossible to explain and I never had the words. The closest I could come to explaining is that there is something beautiful about being insignificant. There is something reassuring about the drug addict on the street because you know whatever happened today doesn't matter. Tomorrow is a new day. Something about might city makes me feel so alive, crazy.
i remember contemplating picking up the game thinking i wouldnt play enough to get my money worth... plot twist its become one of my favorite games!
Glad to hear it!
Great vid! NC is such an awesome place. Can’t wait for my from the cyberpunk universe.
I just saw this video now and I am impressed with what was shared. I'd like to add that I see everything about Cyberpunk 2077 as tragic lives that even a senior Corpo executive would constantly live as if staring right into the barrel of a gun (as mentioned by Arthur Jenkins). However, Like Jenkins, there are those that choose to fight to "gain another week" and call that a win. Meaning that hope still lives. Even when you come across a fire fight in the streets, all the people around start running away. People without hope, wouldn't mind it and have the mentality that "If I die, I die" and I've seen that kinda tragedy in my life. There are some gigs that break my heart, seeing that same choice happening there...
Overall, hope is the beauty that still thrives, even if the darkness seems too overwhelming and you can catch many glimpses of it throughout the story and whatever sense you get at the end of V's journey, hope is also still very much available. The perspective always falls to the individual that goes through the journey.
Dude some of those gigs are painful. CDPR remains the goat of "side" quests
@@skyloftgames That's the point CDPR was targeting. For us to find the beauty in the pain.
I would gladly live in night city tbh, even it not being so friendly. Night city is a free for all yes, but it gives you a sense of “you can do it if you’re lucky enough”
They got ur ass
best thing that happpened for me in 2020, was the release of this game. For mroe then 3 years i play it ( not everyday :D). Apreaciate ur content dude. The intro, music, sound is on high, Ho[e that spme gameplay footage will improve in ur next videos:)
Thank you! What do you mean by the gameplay comment? The fact that im always crashing the cars or was it something else?
Dude that was so good! I could listen to your voice for hours talking about this kind of things... You deserve much more 🙃 keep up the good work! 😄
Haha thank you!
I've probably watched your video about 10 times by now. I too, thought about making somewhat of a video essay due to having no resolution or understanding as to why this game affected me so deeply. I've dealt with severe depression for my entire life, my brain constantly reminds me and tells me that I'll never be good enough, that no matter how hard or genuinely I strive to make myself happy, My own brains complete inability to produce seratonin will never let that be a reality.
In short, it goes without saying why the self harm segment of this probably answers the "why" of my predicament. Cyberpunk makes me miserable and god is that misery intoxicating, I'm just glad that others share the same perverted sense of romance with that.
We already live in a cyberpunk dystopia, it just isn't cool like in the games and movies. Which is why we'd rather live in their worlds.
Yeah every political issue here is not new, it's just set in a setting that looks different enough from our own that we can recognize the problems more easily
now that is something i always knew but never thought about. thank you. great video
No, thank you!
IDK why, but David Nix's Speech from "Tomorrowland" always comes to mind when I listen to this.
I'm not familiar with it, I'll have to give it a look
that was the most genuine and impactful intro I've ever watched.
Thank you! This script was a complete mess until I thought of that opening and immediately I was able to connect everything. It just communicates something that would probably take me pages to write out without the visual
Well done on the writing you did for this
Thank you so much!
Watching the anime Texhnolyze really set the nihilistic perspective for this game to me especially I see alot of similarities between V and Ichise. I also watched ghost in the shell and so many similarities with her and songbird almost as if Motoko belongs in cyberpunk
Haven't been into much anime in a while but I might have to go check it out!
holy shit. only 1k subs?!? this was a masterpiece. big things to come for this channel
Haha thanks! Glad you think so and I hope you're right
Bringing back the youtube video essays like a champ!
Thank you!!
The beginning of the video with cigarettes really got me, I've been looking for a mod that allows you to smoke in this game forever :')
What you said about Night City feeling like a community hit me so damn hard. You’re right. Jackie, Judy, Vik, Panam, Takemura… Cyberpunk made me realize how shallow my real friendships are. I’d honestly rather go die in a blaze of glory with Jackie than finish college with people I know I have a surface level connection with but still hang out and talk to.
I get that. I'm graduating in a month and all of my good friends have either graduated already or live somewhere else. Trust the process though, deep friendships come from vulnerability
@@skyloftgames Thanks, I appreciate that. I'm trying
I liked for the amazing writing and points, I subbed for the exquisite use of the Yes Yes meme
You're in luck because that was a super last minute addition bc I forgot to film myself for that bit
YES! YES!
What I enjoyed the most about CP2077 was its blatant embrace of the "death before dishonor" mentality.
The story seemingly starts with a "survive at all cost" objective. But along the way, you realize (or have the option to realize) staying true to yourself & what you believe in is much more important than survival or anyhting else.
If you choose the options associated with prioritizing your survival, you end up with the most bleak outcomes overall. Instead, if you decide to face your impending doom head on, you become a legend & can land huge blows to some of the villains in the setting.
I don't know if Pondsmith named the band SAMURAI with this idea in mind, but it fits so well. You don't have to risk death all the time, but we could all do with less cowering & conformity and more courage & righteousness in our real lives.
Well said UA-cam user breastmilkenjoyer
I love your channel’s content
Video essay’s keep it up ❤
Thank you! Will do!
2 minutes into the video and I already subscribed. Love your style, man. You're cool as f***
Thanks man, really appreciated!
I truly enjoyed this video, great job. You are very good at storytelling and captivating the audiance, I found this very intriguing, something I definetely did not think about when I played through the game myself.
Thank you!!
Ngl if the video was just smoking with commentary i would have still watched it
Haha thanks!
Man, I just wrapped up a manic depressive hyperfixation on the franchise- and you release this as I'm going through it. Maybe that was fatalistically predetermined too, choom. ;)
Honestly so good to know I'm not the only person who does that with this game, sorry you're going through it though king
@@skyloftgames I appreciate that big time. I'll be okay! 🖤
When the ISOMETRIC air Hits
Isometric air got me thinking about everything that has ever gone wrong
I've always found Night City so comforting and for years now I've considered CP77 as my home in gaming. I was never able to articulate why I felt that way in words, but I think what you said in this video perfectly sums it up. I'm glad I listened until the end. It made me realize a lot about why I love this game so much and also about myself and people in general.
V: Sometimes wonder if I'll ever see anything more beautiful...
Kerry: I have. Doesn't matter, though. Night City's not somethin' you ever forget. Just doesn't letcha.
V: Think I know what you mean
Excellent quote choice
Recommendations cooked great video man :D
Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks!
I totally agree. There is a lot of cool and alluring things in Cyberpunk 2077. There is the whole V and Jackie wanting more than they have, and becoming "legends" of Night City.
For what ever that would mean. There is the issue of being able to handle tough side jobs and gigs as we experience in the game. Having enough "cyberware" to be bad ass enough to be a merc in the first place. What get from the game(and the anime Edgerunners) is that trying to be the best merc or the best corpo is so draining, and hard, it is more important to have good friends and maybe someone to love. It's such a bleak, tough future world. I'm not sure I would make it in Night City if it existed and I live there, but it sure is fun to visit it occasionally and do things only can be done as V.
Speaking of, going for a smoke now.
Amazing video! Thought it would be a much larger channel just going of quality great job!!
Thank you I appreciate it!
Im using this video to everytime i get asked "why do you like cyberpunk and night city so much?"
Haha, high praise, thanks!
Good essay bro. Enjoyed it. Love the game.
Thanks man!
This video was so chill I love your style you've earned a sub :)
Glad you liked it!
awesome video essay, instant sub
Thanks! Happy to have you
Can’t argue with a single word I’ve played through 4 and now my fifth… and yet I look at the world right now and see so many similarities in the city… suburbs not so much but we’re edging closer every day.
Adam Srayi has a video called "Cyberpunk in a World of Ads" that makes an excellent parallel between Times Square in New York and NC. 2077 really isn't so far off
7:45 came outta nowhere, had me dying laughing lmfao. Good vid
Glad you liked it and thanks!
This video gave me goosebumps. Cyberpunk is my soul
Joy to watch. Great music, narration and thesis
Thank you! Glad you liked it
Driving around Nightcity is one of my favorite things to do, i rarely use the fast travel cause I enjoy just blasting music and going, the highways at night remind me of long trips across my home state.
im the same way with destiny2 maps too, just love driving around enjoying the atmosphere
Same, I hardly ever use fast travel. The city isn't *that* big and its so pretty, and the radio is so good, I never want less of that world
4:42 i love the culture of cyberpunk and i love the Music, cyberpunk 2077 is the reason i found out about hardwave and cyberpunk music as a genre...
Its so so good
Bro, well done. You got a new sub.
Hey thanks man! Glad you liked it
this video is amazing you deserve way more subs you are mad underrated
Thanks man! This video has been doing numbers for me so hopefully that momentum keeps up
no matter how much I cry listening to "I really wanna stay at your house" I'd still risk it all to live in NC
Even before edgerunners came out I've been obsessed with that song, it makes me feel so many things
Funny how this how they descibe NC in the e3 back in the day
"...the worst place to live in america, sky high rates of violence, more people living below the poverty line than anywhere else, but everybody still wants to live here..."
Excellent video. Instant subscribe!
Thank you!
There is still something more to say about this subject: fatalism, attraction, self-harm and cyberpunk2077. I can't quite put my finger on it but this video does dance around it for me. When i played the game, i'd do so while in a dark room, lights off and with a vape. I'd vape pretty much constantly while playing. The air becomes misty, the sound of the vaporisation and the synthetic-ness of the flavour (peach ice for me), made me feel more engrossed. So why do this? Why enter into the self pleasuring / self harm world? ... i still dont know, all i know is that i fucking loved it! XD
P.s) I've since given up vaping, been clean for over a year!
Definitely, I didn't know how much I could realistically talk about/wasn't super comfortable getting too personal about it, but yeah I danced around it a bit. Also congrats! That shits hard
This..this is putting all my feelings about the game into words. I can’t put my feelings about it in words other than it’s perfect
Thank you!! It took me a long time to find the words, but I'm glad it's resonating
I remember staring, stunned at the ads as I initially got into the game with the bleeding -oozung of explicit sexuality. Like most though, you just become completely densensitized as you continue through the game though on some level, that's horrifying.
I've gotten so used to hearing the ads that I forgot how crazy it sounds if you don't have the context
Well said brother. Very well made video. Will be showing to some bros.
Thanks man!