Highlights
- Night City steals the show in
Cyberpunk 2077
, impressing all gamers with its living, breathing atmosphere. - Unforgettable characters bring the game to life, interacting with V in meaningful ways that stick with players.
- Atmosphere is crucial in making or breaking a game, and
Cyberpunk 2077
‘s environment was expertly crafted over eight years.
There isn’t a gamer alive who should not be impressed by Cyberpunk 2077‘s Night City, a living, breathing metropolis that makes for a backdrop to the story. Yet one of the keys to success has been how this background steals the show and takes center stage. That’s no accident, the environment has been developed for eight years by people who understand that atmosphere can make or break a game.
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A lot of tragic moments exist in Cyberpunk 2077. Unfortunately, these characters met sad and untimely ends.
But Night City is not just a fancy piece of artwork crafted by graphic designers. What really brings Cyberpunk 2077 to life is the population that is walking, eating, laughing, and talking. As V, players will interact with a variety of unforgettable characters that lend their advice, criticize others, and make conjectures about the nature of the universe. Whether funny, clever, wise, or blunt, these words will be written on the minds of the listeners long after the controller has been set down.
Updated on March 5, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Cyberpunk 2077 is a goldmine of quotes, and every character seems to have something to say. Whether it’s on philosophy, trauma, or even just something to hilarious to ignore, the best quotes in Cyberpunk 2077 are plentiful, and part of that is in thanks to Johnny Silverhand, who through his time in the base game and the Phantom Liberty campaign, offers some much-needed humor and words of wisdom, cementing himself as a poet for Cyberpunk 2077’s best quotes.
27 “Know What? You’re Starting To Remind Me Of Me… Fifty Years Back. Minus The Charisma… And Impressive ####.”
Johnny Silverhand Brags About Himself To V
Johnny Silverhand, ever so vulgar and hateful of corpos, boasts in the back of Panam’s car about his escapades when it came to kidnapping corpos and getting everything out of them. Yet, his compliment to V’s plans cannot go without an ego check, as he finishes it off by saying how uncharismatic V is compared to Johnny, and how he’s much more well-endowed.
26 “Not Askin’ You To Never Give Up. Sometimes You Gotta Let Go… Just Don’t Let Anyone Change Who You Are, ‘Kay? G’night, [Vincent/Valorie]. Today Was A Good Day.”
Johnny’s Heartbreaking Last Words To V
Cyberpunk 2077 is an emotional journey, and V will do anything they can to save themselves, even if that comes at the cost of Johnny, the sole reason they are in this mess. By the time players manage to help Solomon Reed, they should have grown close to Johnny, developing a friendship thanks to the fact that they share each other’s every thought. V’s decision to have Johnny surgically removed is steeped in tragedy, as it may well be the only way to save their life, but at the cost of Johnny.
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Johnny dies, and he’s accepting of that. He’s actually okay with it because he wants V to live. Yet, he doesn’t want to leave his friend, his only real friend, and he parts on good terms, offering one last tidbit of advice, to never change for anyone, to always be true to yourself.
25 “Before It All Goes Dark… For One Last Second, I’ll Know I Wasn’t Alone.”
Songbird Finds Comfort In Her Last Moments By Being With V
Songbird’s story is nearly identical to V, both characters are fighting to stay alive, drowning underneath the weight and pressure of everyone around them, constantly demanding more, using them until they can no longer breathe. Songbird’s been corrupted beyond repair by the Blackwall, and she knows she’s dying, losing her mind to corruption by rogue AIs that will leave her with nothing, not even her memories. She pleads to V to let her die and to spend her last moments with her so that she doesn’t have to be alone, as alone as she felt for her entire life.
24 “I Just Wanted The World To Know I Was Here. That I Mattered.”
V Opens Up To A Doll About Their Worries Of Mortality
When V becomes a sleuth looking for Evelyn Parker, they take to Clouds and converse with one of the Dolls. In this session, V doesn’t get pleasure, but instead, what they need, which is basically just a therapy session. Here, V talks about what they want, that they want to matter, that they need to feel like they exist amongst the chaos and bustle of Night City. It’s a gut-wrenching feeling to feel non-existent, and V shows just how human their emotions are, especially with their own mortality weighing them down.
23 “Apologies For The Precautions. I Only Ever Risk So Much. Sometimes It’s Just Safer To Shove The Barrel Of A Malorian Between A Choom’s Ribs, Even If He Is On Your Side. It’s Nothing Personal.”
Solomon Reed Makes A Strong First Impression By Meeting V With A Gun Pressed To The Merc’s Ribs
Given that players got to see what happened to Reed in the introductory cinematic, it’s hard to blame him for being abrasive. This is a man who knows which guns are worth keeping around and which ones are worth letting go of. He knows a thing or two about discarded assets.
22 “This Is Why You Don’t Bring Back Fallen Warriors. Sooner Or Later, They’re Going TO See Everything They Fought For’s Turned To S###.”
Johnny, A Former Soldier, Is Disappointed At The State Of The World In 2077
Hard to believe a guy who was so focused on wrecking a city would be disappointed that the city got wrecked. Johnny seemed to believe a blank slate would have given people the opportunity to do better. Instead, they did worse. The vendors are more useful but the poor are as oppressed as ever.
21 “They’d Say You’re Taking Too Big A Risk. Poetically Speaking, Flying Toward The Sun To Burn Up.”
Mr. Blue Eyes Speaks On The Importance Of Making Safe Bets
Mr. Blue Eyes is one of the game’s most cherished mysteries. His motives are unknown and his story is never resolved. Blue eyes are typically a sign of receiving money from a transaction, however, his are always blue. So taking monetary wisdom from him is one of V’s better ideas.
20 “Oh, V… F###### Pathetic.”
Johnny Silverhand Is Not Impressed With V Taking The Oath To The New United States Of America
Even though everybody already knows how Johnny Silverhand feels about pledging oaths to politicians and overlords, it won’t stop him from chiming in anyhow. If V pledges allegiance to the NUSA, he’s disgusted almost beyond words. Almost. This is Johnny Silverhand, after all.
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He’s better off cheering V on while conquering the fistfights than making nice with elected officials.
19 “They Sought It With Thimbles, They Sought It With Care; They Pursued It With Forks And Hope; They Threatened Its Life With A Railway Share; They Charmed It With Smiles And Soap.”
Spider Murphy Quotes Lewis Carroll
When it comes to creative writing, it’s hard to give the crown to anyone other than Lewis Carroll. Although Night City isn’t usually a setting for poetry, Spider Murphy quotes The Hunting of the Snark by Carroll while hacking. In a very strange way, this actually applies to her situation, it’s just so unexpected to hear in a game about builds and perk points everyone can use.
18 “Good F###### Riddance. ‘Safeguarding The Nation,’ My A##…”
Rosalind Myers Is Unimpressed With The Deadly Chimera
When a top-tier automated war machine is on the president’s side, it’s a lifesaver. When it goes haywire, it almost kills V, Myers, and perhaps all of Night City if it is allowed to continue. After finally bringing down the bot, the president decided to sarcastically recite its motto that, to say the least, the Chimera did not live up to. Hopefully, V carries some vital consumables to survive the fight.
17 “Actually, I Wasn’t Gonna Pay You At All.”
Jackie Confesses His Merc Strategy To A Rookie V
Well, at least his honesty is refreshing! Jackie Welles and V don’t necessarily start on the right foot, though they become partners rather quickly. It turns out that Jackie was planning on snubbing V on their very first job together. Sensing a new future, Jackie comes to his senses. V pays him back later by deciding whether to side with Dex or Evelyn without his input. It’s not exactly a partnership founded on trust which is the way things work in the dystopian world of Cyberpunk 2077.
16 “I Just Gotta Be Careful Not To Pull The Pin When I Wanna Pick My Nose.”
Ozob’s Grenade Nose Can Be Quite An Issue
The grenade embedded in the face of Ozob has been a source of laughter and fear. He hardly seems to notice at all unless V decides to talk about the obvious. Ozob is surprisingly casual about the deadly device and dismisses most legitimate fears with a gruff sense of humor. Both V and Ozob need a ton of luck, as the former needs to survive the endings of Phantom Liberty, and the other needs to watch out for the live grenade on his face.
15 “Ooh, I Love This Town” Love It Like You Might Love A Mother Who Popped You Out On The Steps Of An Orphanage And Now Stops You To Task If You Got A Smoke For Her!”
Stanley Media, Describing Night City With Charisma Over The Radio
As V wakes up from that meme-worthy, awkward position, the radio comes on and the player gets to listen to the news of the day with Stanley on the default radio station. It’s crass, but a pretty good metaphor, there’s a lot to love and resent in Night City. The DLC is following a strange trend but the anchor on TV helps set the quirky trajectory.
14 “I Don’t Know If God Left The Meeting Happy, But I’m Pretty Certain Jackie Did.”
Padre Muses On What Jackie Welles Is Doing In Heaven
If ever there were a personality that got under God’s skin, it might be Jackie. Still, he died a faithful man and Padre feels that God must have honored that commitment, however begrudgingly.
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Tasked with explaining spiritual encounters that transcend understanding, maybe Padre could help explain what his feelings are about taking oaths for those of the faith.
13 “V, V, V… If You Don’t Have A Titanium Skull Lining, You Are Gonna Have Memory Problems In No Time.”
Coach Fred Speaks To V About Boxing
Now maybe V got the Mantis Blades early on and feels ready to enter the boxing ring with the rest of the world, but all it takes is a couple of misplaced blows to get brain damage and V can thank Coach Fred for that reminder. It’s good to know that, in this future mixed with great progress and disappointment, at least science has figured out a way to keep athletes from getting frequent concussions.
12 “I Have Found That People Lie, Most Often Deceiving Themselves. not So The Dead. The Dead Are So Very, Very Loud. And Yet, Lying Is Not In Their Nature. It Is So… Humbling, To Listen To The Dead Speak.”
Saburo Arasaka Speaks On Learning From Mistakes
Saburo Arasaka stands out as a huge detail, even with extremely limited screen time. The man has shaped Night City and his family. Hearing that he learned humility is surprising, but hearing that he learned it from the dead is terrifying. Arasaka may be on screen for only a brief time but his presence is felt throughout the game, especially if players encounter everything for the 100% trophy.
11 “Save The President… Sure, No F###### Problem.”
V, After The NUSA President’s Shuttle Crashes Into Dogtown
Phantom Liberty‘s campaign has an increased intensity compared to the game’s standard main story. It’s clear that, from the beginning, the team wanted to let players know that the stakes were raised. After a gripping cutscene and a harrowing journey into Dogtown, V utters this line right as the words “CD Projekt Red presents Phantom Liberty” appear on the screen. This is an expansion designed to destroy any sense of security V has.
10 “Once Upon A Time, People Were Talking To Graves & Nobody Batted An Eyelid, Right?”
Judy’s Morbid Conversation To V Over The Holo
Judy Alvarez is a techie with custom equipment that is short on casual conversation but heavy on philosophy. At first, she’s skeptical of V, but after getting into her inner circle, V becomes a trusted friend and confidant. This includes listening to her reflections on how people handle life and death with her knowledge of history coloring her beliefs on how to handle it.
9 “Give Yourself Time. Ideas’ll Come. Life’ll Shake You, Roll You, Maybe Embrace You. The Music’ll Find You.”
Johnny & V Speak Together On The Importance Of Music & Creativity
V doesn’t strike anyone as a natural musician, but after Johnny Silverhand joins up with the protagonist’s mind, V learns a thing or two about how to rock out. Johnny and V both know that changing the culture of Night City is going to take more than traditional weaponry. Musicians need guidance and, while Johnny can’t be trusted with much, he’s good for a quip about how to really jam.
8 “Now, As That Ol’ Greek Dawg Says, Life’s A Banquet – So Don’t Go Thirsty, But Don’t Get Drunk, Either.”
Dexter DeShawn Offers SOme Quasi-Intellectual Teachings To His New Merc, V
Dexter is making a quote about a quote here, but he’s not doing the best job of it. The quote, attributed to the fictional Mame Davis from Auntie Mame, is “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!” The quote is profound, even if Dexter did put a misguided spin on it.