Through the Lifepath system, Cyberpunk 2077, allows the player to shape V’s story in a number of ways. When you jump into creating your character, odds are you will ask yourself an array of questions. For example, which backstory fits my version of V?
There are a total of 3 options, including Corpo, Street Kid and Nomad, all offering their own unique stories. And all of which, will have an impact on how your V progresses as a character. This single choice, can have further implications into V’s dialogue and even the kinds of quests you receive in your playthrough.
So, in order to make that possibly difficult choice easier, here is a guide on all lifepath options in Cyberpunk 2077.
Corpo Lifepath
Selecting the Corpo Lifepath nets you some unique benefits. Here, V lives a life of luxury. A life that brushes shoulders with the highest class that Night City has to offer. As a Corpo, you will be fine dining and engaging in banal conversations with the best of them. Popping champagne and sipping tea with raised pinkies, is the life that awaits you.
You start off as another cog in the corporate machine that is the Arasaka Corporation, employed as a part of the counter intelligence division. Although the megacorp giant specializes in banking and manufacturing, business may not be running as smoothly as it appears on the surface. Greed and selfishness plagues every inch of these corporations, which explains why the denizens don’t care for Corpo’s. Quickly, V will find themselves tasked with a mission that goes against their beliefs. As such, it’s up to you to use your experience against the very company you’re so familiar with.
Specialty wise, the art of negotiation is the name of the game. If you follow the Corpo lifepath,you will be proficient in blackmail, the manipulation of secrets and doublespeak. In other words, violence is not the be all end all. Why shoot your way out of a jam, when you can talk and charm yourself out of one?
Talking to other Corpos who litter the city, will prove far easier, since V’s already well versed in that world. But speaking to people on the street, however, might be tougher to get what you need.
Nomad Lifepath
From the top of society, we now find ourselves at the literal bottom. The Nomad Lifepath, places V on the outskirts of Night City in an arid desert named The Badlands. The Badlands are inhabited by small communities run by local gangs stretching across the desert. One such gang, is breaking apart at the seams, ready to burst. And just so happens, that you are a part of this gang.
V is faced with a choice, which ultimately sees them leaving the dry wasteland of Southern California for the crowded, neon soaked and opportunity brim streets of Night City. Within the city, however, their reputation is not the best and you will find yourself shunned and treated like an outcast.
This lifepath, really hammers home the idea of a stranger in a strange land. As opposed to Corpo and Street Kid, you are completely unfamiliar with Night City. You are starting a new life forging new relationships, while possibly reigniting old ones. When compared to Corpo and Street Kid, Nomads specialize in making a profit from stolen corporate goods. In the second episode of Night City Wire, senior quest designer, Philip Weber showed how Nomad differs from its counterparts. Weber says, “Nomads would know more about how a gang stole a flathead robot, giving them an advantage.”
Being an outcast would lead to a steeper hill to climb though. Survival will prove difficult in this lifepath, since you’re starting with a clean slate in the city. But, the Nomad’s knowledge of car’s, thanks to The Badlands, should come in handy.
Street Kid Lifepath
Similar to Corpo, Street Kid places V in Night City from the jump, this time in Heywood. What is different however, here you are thrust into the belly of the beast, on the ground, crossing paths with the city’s scum and most violent denizens. Heywood’s nothing short of a tight knit community, where everyone knows each other and no secret is safe.
Despite this, there is still a sense of family and friendship found here. Loyalty rules the minds and hearts of the people on the streets. With the people at the top disregarding them, Street Kids trust only themselves and their community. And it is not hard to see why. More often than not, you will find yourself running jobs for the many gangs who dwell in the streets. Giving you a leg up and providing a network into the underworld of the city to tap into that Corpo and Nomad won’t have.
As a Street Kid, you will benefit from expanded dialogue options with people of the same origin. And, similar to both Nomad and Corpo, there are exclusive romance options depending on the lifepath you choose.
Knowing which lifepath in Cyberpunk 2077, you want to pursue beforehand, can save you time. Saying the choice is vitally important is an understatement. Nonetheless, hopefully this guide gave you a better idea of which lifepath is best for you.