Cyberpunk Is A Marxist’s Nightmare

The cyberpunk genre blends punk culture and concepts of futurism to give us dystopian futures that deal with technology, society, and government. The most popular pieces of cyberpunk media tend to be set in societies dominated by powerful corporations, illustrating how unchecked capitalism erodes traditional values, creates wide class division, and dehumanizes us. Concepts such as transhumanism, capitalism, and enforcement of justice are also discussed in the genre in various ways.
By the way, there's going to be spoilers and mentions of the following media: Bladerunner 2049, Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Robocop, Deus Ex, Ghost in the Shell, and Altered Carbon
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#gaming #games #movie #film #ghostintheshell #anime #manga #scifi #bladerunner #cyberpunk2077 #cyberpunk #edgerunners #cyberpunkedgerunners #andrewtate #ozymandiasv2 #breadtube #left #leftist #liberal #libertarian #political #politics #woke

[@OzymandiasV2]

apologies for the harsh p’s and slight music cuts in the first 8 min. the first half of the vid was made while i was traveling and i didnt have the same set up. my cloud service failed to transfer from my laptop to my desktop when i returned, so i had to port the background music and the voiceover together 😭😭 anyways let me know anything i missed or just general comments. Thanks for watching!

[@evr4699]

Have you seen Mr. Robot and if so what are your thoughts

[@OzymandiasV2]

im on season 3 but i like it so far. Ngl though wasnt a fan of S2. The twist was cool but felt like a lot of filler

[@evr4699]

@@OzymandiasV2 Season 3 is one of my favourite seasons of television, it's genius on every possible level and while I agree that season 2 is the weakest i still think it's amazing, here's my ranking of the seasons 1. Season 3 2. Season 4 3. Season 1 4. Season 2 Also what do you think of the general plot so far

[@OzymandiasV2]

as an online person critical of the government and imperialism deffo some obv biases in my opinion lol but i think its a great show. Just havent found the time to watch 1 hour eps for entire seasons

[@evr4699]

@@OzymandiasV2 Yeah I get it, I had the time to binge the entire thing in a week cause I loved the story.characters and unique style too much however you're an up and coming youtuber so you have less time

[@Centuries_of_Nope]

"Cyberpunk isn't about saving the world, it's about saving yourself." - Mike Pondsmith

[@NeostormXLMAX]

Copied that from gibson i reckon

[@averygustafson4826]

I always hated that

[@jonahthejedai4973]

This game should be EVERYONE’s nightmare. Night City is so oppressively bleak that anyone able to crack a genuine smile is a Victor in their own right.

[@Wveth]

Nice wordplay. Cheers.

[@efxnews4776]

I take NC any day of the week, instead of the gulag world of 1984... At least in Cyberpunk i can still join with nomads and enjoy some degree of freedom, in 1984, there's nowhere to go, and even your mind is violated.

[@swifto12usedtobetaken]

victor is so real i want to be friends with him irl

[@ezyglide0909]

@@efxnews4776 Not to mention the cool futuristic tech you can do with. And in terms of aesthetics, cyberpunk genre is usually kind of cool and sexy.

[@Spartan1312]

@@swifto12usedtobetaken A ton of the characters were extremely well written... even the naïve and idealistic Johnny.

[@1x93cm]

Cyberpunk isn't even a genre anymore. It's just daily life.

[@Enjoyerofaks]

Daily life is a mix of a future dystopian cyberpunk universe and 1920s America with none of the cool shit from either

[@CYI3ERPUNK]

always was buddy XD

[@SirSayakaMikiThe3rd]

​@@Enjoyerofaks Online gaming and KZbin are pretty cool. The rest.... well.

[@6dragondaddy913]

shitty cyberpunk I call it because you can't get a cyberarm and throw cars cops. If you EVER got a cyberarm, it would be worse than you real arm and have a monthly subscription and built in ads.

[@1x93cm]

@@6dragondaddy913 real life is even more cyberpunk than cyberpunk. Just wait till your subscription for your enhanced penis runs out or you miss a payment.

[@AVClarke]

Cyberpunk seems closer to what could happen if Libertarianism achieved it's goal. No government regulation, no law enforcement, (unless it's paid for) as an individual, you have unlimited personal freedom provided if you can earn an income, but don't expect help if you get in trouble. You are solely responsible for your personal and financial security. If you fail, get into debt, get sick and can't afford the medical bills, lose your money, lose your home, well that's a skill issue on your part. Get better. There is no safety net.

[@oddsoup6407]

This story hits me because of the moment you lose Jackie. He passes away staring into your eyes. The last thing he saw was your fear and sadness and still he smiled. I lived through a similar moment like this and I always stay in the car with the choom for atleast 10 minutes lol

[@OzymandiasV2]

wish they fleshed out the flashbacks with him at the beginning or made it a secret choice to save him but have a minimal role. wouldve been cool it jackie was also somehow glitched into the Relic

[@OzymandiasV2]

also sorry for your loss

[@jayhovah5621]

​​@@OzymandiasV2doesn't this desire of yours fit into the point of your video? You got attached to a fictional character and in the fictional world you would be satisfied with an artificial intelligence copy of that character to not have to deal with the true weight of their loss. This seems like the basis of Corporation existence and promise, that you can pay for relief - that they will round off the sharp edges of real life. They give you an option away from dealing with natural absolutes. I honestly think Jackie's full death at this point of the game holds the weight of where we all got hooked on the story. Especially my own personal attachment to Misty.

[@OzymandiasV2]

wow. very good point

[@Bloodom1]

At least he is free.

[@oldsnake9520]

Mfs be talking about the specter of communism while the boot of capitalism is right on their throat. Y’all ready for cyberpunk 2077? Cause it’s already here; just without the “cyber” part.

[@OzymandiasV2]

real and MGS4 pilled

[@cybervoid8442]

It's sad how people think a cyberpunk future is something we should aspire to

[@efxnews4776]

@@cybervoid8442 we shouldn't but between cyberpunk and 1984, i stick with the apocalypse.

[@onpatrolforthejuice]

Oh yeah it would be terrible to be able to replace lost limbs, experience other people's memories, bring people missing organs back from the dead, and have pizza that is 1$ dollar a slice. What a nightmare. It would be so much better to be given breadcrumbs by the state office and to rat out your parents to the gestapo for wrong think. You can always tell a lefty simpleton by their pitiful understanding of wealth and innovation, let alone economics or capitalism (also known as choosing where you spend your own money and labor)

[@orange_turtle3412]

If we let them, the corporations may eventually overpower the government. And unrestricted capitalism is truly one of the most terrifying concepts in existence for any society.

[@guidedexplosiveprojectileg9943]

Deus Ex is more bleak and depressing rather than neon and depressing.

[@OzymandiasV2]

i agree. the yellow/orange washes a lot of things out 😂. Seems like the old deus ex’s may have been a bit more bluish/colorful

[@guidedexplosiveprojectileg9943]

@@danjoredd Honestly, I agree 100%. Well put.

[@Tarnished-bn5gq]

Oh the genre isn’t just a Marxist nightmare, it’s just a nightmarish concept as a whole. The anti-capitalist themes have the subtlety of a golf club to the skull, yes, but even without the consumerist themes/satire it still is a very bleak and horrific view of the future and humanity as a whole.

[@OzymandiasV2]

horrors beyond our comprehension indeed

[@Tarnished-bn5gq]

@@OzymandiasV2 manmade horrors, in particular.

[@efxnews4776]

It's not worst than a 1984 type of dystopia...

[@Tarnished-bn5gq]

@@efxnews4776 it’s equally as bad as an Orwellian dystopia, just in different ways.

[@mbnhiphopmusik6429]

The issue is who is capable of seeing it actually. You gotta be a fair bit left to see it for what it is and what it means for the real world and your very own life.

[@cheeki5280]

Don't come to Blackrock offices this August

[@OzymandiasV2]

we’re making it out of Pacifica with this one

[@cheeki5280]

@@OzymandiasV2 START. THE. FIIIIIRE! 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥

[@marcusrauch4223]

@@cheeki5280can I join you?

[@kagetsuki23]

We not fearing the Reaper this August.

[@melelconquistador]

Commenting to incase OC delivers this August.

[@mr.jayjay2401]

"If i need your body, ill fk it" - Johnny silverhand

[@OzymandiasV2]

real and brave quote

[@EnclaveSgt]

Daddy chill

[@ana_d_73]

The **real** canon romance of the game ❤

[@DreadNought0255]

In many ways I see the universe of Cyberpunk as the world where the counter-corporate rebellion has already happened and the punks lost. Johnny is a clear indication of this. He was part of an operation that literrally NUKED a city. Reduced the HQ of a major player to ruble and burned half a corrupt city to ashes. And at best he delayed the process, at worst he was a part of helping that process along.

[@OzymandiasV2]

many such cases unfortunately. probably led to arasaka getting even more powerful

[@orange_turtle3412]

Its too far gone. The divide in power between the corporations and the consumer class they prey on is far too wide for a revolution to even be fleetingly possible. Theres literally nothing that can be done to reverse the fucking up of cyberpunk’s world

[@jack-kl7kb]

How

[@dr_strangetea7908]

Sad thing is AHQ bombing wasn't even punks vs corpos thing, it was corpo vs corpo tussle, and in the end of it the only loser is people

[@VincentJ274stoicsoldier]

Mike Pondsmith, the creator of Cyberpunk tried to warn us not to view Cyberpunk as an aesthetic. But as a warning of a real dark future in the 21st century. Which we now are living in with rise of Mega corporations and technology. Especially now we have become so dependent on.

[@OzymandiasV2]

i agree. a lot of people obsess over his diversity blurb i put but even then thats not even anti progressive but moreso the dangers of tribalism/alienation through inclusion

[@NeostormXLMAX]

Dont worry solar punk has gotten popular, reminder that stuff like pokemon and ghibili films are solarpunk

[@schkullington7698]

The real point of cyberpunk is so i can kiss johnny silverhand

[@OzymandiasV2]

REAL!

[@NeostormXLMAX]

@@OzymandiasV2one thing to note, in philip k dicks original book blade runner is based on he unironically portrayed the replicants as pure evil and the corporations as just, he literally thinks that robots dont have souls and should be slaves and that we should obey authority, its very religious and human supremest book Its like starship troopers the original books was pro war pro nuclear war without any message but the movie changed it

[@luifernando4002]

Im glad you mentioned alienation and Bladerunner 2049. I see so few people talking about how Bladerunner 2049 depicts alienation. As a neurotic transwoman, I can really appreciate how the movie depicts him living a life completely alienated from himself and attempting to fill that void with his ai girlfriend and struggling for liberation. He leads a meaningless existence without any place for expression or self development or any of the things that give life purpose. I interpret the seen with the hologram girl as sort of a mockery of the one good thing he had in his former life, that it was just a commodity.

[@OzymandiasV2]

yeah exactly. thats his absolute rock bottom along with learning the truth that hes not the first Rep/Human offspring. Past that point he does his best to do the right thing and in turn becomes arguably just as important as Deckers daughter. Thank you for the comment and support! The alienation was something that wasnt in the original script but clicked into my head while editing

[@NeostormXLMAX]

@@OzymandiasV2nah read the original book its played straight the robots are evil and should be slaves philip k dick was a religious nut, do androids dream of electric ship wasnt anti capitalists it was pro capitalist with no self awareness

[@NeostormXLMAX]

@@OzymandiasV2also starship troopers the original book advocated for nuclear war and the author was a war nut who wanted to use nukes on the soviets the bugs were ment to be chinese him personally said this Of course the movie changed it

[@julliantorres6621]

at 4:16, when Johnny was young he was also a corpo soldier that defected, its likely that he saw things while deployed that radicalized him and made him hate the idea of corporations destroying families and the world for profits

[@OzymandiasV2]

good addition thanks

[@Jamhael1]

He was a US Ranger in the Second SouthAm Wars, and part of the program that created the first cybernetic soldiers.

[@JL32506]

I think it's really cool that Johnny, even before becoming a Punk, was still a fucking badass. Ranger school is not easy, and I can't imagine being a Ranger in a world where Cyberware was becoming commonplace.

[@Jamhael1]

@@JL32506 Rangers, from what I see, are the most terrifying type of special forces, because while Army is good in hold territory, and Marines are good in take territory, the Rangers are the ones who KILL NATIONS FROM THE INSIDE.

[@pointedmammal29]

good video, I forget sometimes how uncomfortable the idea of transhumanism is to really think about in depth but you did a good job explaining it

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you! i think with despite how much fearmongering and hate is tied with the trans identity that its acc a testament to technology/medical progress. Media like Altered Carbon shows that even in a world where actual bodies are basically made entirely customizable down to hormones, thought process, etc., there will still be people who want to reject it and embrace tradition. Glad i articulated it well 🙏

[@lonewolf646]

@@OzymandiasV2 The issue with Transhumanism in media is that, even when authors try to depict it as something good, it usually devolves by accident in to physically stronger "ubermensch" and eugenics. Usually to the detriment of the story, like almost all story's in the Gundam franchise, where the transhumans (Newtypes) are supposed to be the next stage of Human evolution. Adapted to live in space and capable of instantaneously understanding each other, through psychic communication. Which was supposed to lead to an end of all war. But this never really works out, as what ends up being more important about them is their improved spatial navigation, making them super soldiers/ pilots. Later story's in the franchise even acknowledge this. With even the "end of all war" angle being twisted in to the motivation of multiple antagonist of the franchise, with their believes usually being that newtypes should be the leaders of humanity or that newtypes should replace humanity, which would in their believe: end all wars. My favorite depiction of transhumanism, and the only actually good depiction i can think of, is "Armored core 6: Fires of Rubicon". Where there are two different kinds of Transhumanism depicted. One is the more standard cybernetically enhanced "augmented humans", produced through dangerous surgery, making them better wage sl*ves/ soldiers, seemingly un aging and giving them some form of brain damage. The other form of transhumanism is depicted in the games third and final ending. In the form of symbiosis between Human, coral and AC. What i really love about it, is that there might not even be anything physically different about the player character after the symbiosis. Completely avoiding the ubermensch stuff, instead making it about the mindset and the ability of humans to live with their environment without exploiting it.

[@CYI3ERPUNK]

@@lonewolf646 well said , AC6 is 100% a masterpiece story and well orchestrated , especially timely within the context of the dawn of the era of AI that we are living thru

[@rabibnaim843]

This reminds me of (and sometimed overlaps with) people misunderstanding sigma male movies. Ignoring the themes, lessons, and morality concerns of the stories and just appreciating the cool aesthetics.

[@OzymandiasV2]

lol check my most popular vid on this channel. think youll like it 🙏

[@rabibnaim843]

@@OzymandiasV2 I've seen them all haha

[@_gold_eye_2656]

Things can be cool as fuck and deep. But if you ignore the deep something will come out of it.

[@KristoferBaker-bg8uj]

Dystopian was a huge genre filled with depictions of the downfall of capitalism. This doesn't hold true as much now as when it was popular, but george orwell destroyed peoples perception of what dystopian genre was, with awful world building similar to ayn rand's writing. Western culture of consumerism has a stranglehold on real world ideologies and dictate many peoples preconceptions of them.

[@OzymandiasV2]

agreed. same with YA fiction. it seems like dystopia translated into “censored police state with people in categories” instead of societies that are rich in history and have clear real world elements turned to the 10 and used as warnings and predictions. I doubt anyone read Hunger Games and saw something like that happening versus something like Bladerunner or Robocop (which now we have robotic drones and patrols albeit v simple and harmless)

[@vylbird8014]

@@OzymandiasV2Robocop reflect the time it was made - the 80s. It was an era when there was widespread fear of crime stirred up by excessive media coverage, and politicians reacted to this by promising many "tough on crime" policies. More prison time, harsher penalties for minor offences in order to get the criminals locked up before they can escalate, more police brutality - with the promise to voters that only the 'criminals' are going to be beaten and imprisoned for being caught with a joint or graffitiing a wall. Robocop carefully depicts both the fear of crime - in the form of violent criminal gangs taking over - but also shows that if the response to this is just to give the police bigger guns and licence to to whatever it takes to win the gang war without regard for due process or public safety, they become just another gang among many - stronger, better funded, but in no way on the side of the people.

[@krystalneko4094]

Tbf Orwell was mocking/showing the public Soviet style "socialism“ in a time where the USSR was growing massively in reach and power, had almost every major international socialist party in its grip, and constantly lied about being a worker's democracy. Orwell himself only knew this because he saw firsthand what they did to socialists that didn't just repeat the party line in Spain and ended up sacrificing the country anyway just because they couldn't totally control it and it was just lucky timing that he survived the purges and made it out of the country. When he wrote 1984, Soviet red fascism was a real and present threat. It's not really his fault that mass consumer media (which was nowhere near as ubiquitous as today) stripped off the actual point of the book in favor of just using it as a template for generic dystopian fiction That's like blaming Tolkien for LOTR's shadow looming over basically everything in the fantasy genre, which often literally just copy + pastes almost everything with slight tweaks here and there to make it legally distinct. At the time both of these were written they were new and fresh ideas in fiction, which is why they became popular. When Orwell wrote 1984 there were only like 2 other dystopia novels, both with very different tones and very sci-fi, and Tolkien pretty much created fantasy as a genre by himself.

[@krystalneko4094]

Also Orwell was the guy that popularized dystopian fiction since 1984 is a relatively grounded and realistic depiction of authoritarianism, everything prior is high concept sci-fi (like Brave New World and We), and most work after it that isn't derivative of it takes 1 concept and turns it into the centerpiece that the rest of the worldbuilding revolves around (like book burning in Fahrenheit 451)

[@SpecimenX-9000]

Orwell warned us that socialism is just a pretty wrapper made to lure fools into accepting totalitarianism and slavery.

[@LivelyGhost42]

We are experiencing an alarming amount of cyberpunk themes currently and have been for awhile. To start, Corporations have been recognized by law as an single individual since the 1970s and was cemented by the United Citizens act in 2010. We’ve been living in Night City for too long already.

[@Nevirate]

It’s ironic that people only play Cyberpunk 2077 to live vicariously through the game for the romance options, which is a dystopian theme within the genre and real life of refusing to face the pain of reality. And frankly, the romance options are poorly written.

[@OzymandiasV2]

yeah plus a lot of the romance options have a lot of trauma thats made worse by the seemingly inevitable death of V. Its kind of selfish in game to romance anyone but I see the Panam option as the best because its the “happiest” even with the Mr. Blue Eyes one

[@Nevirate]

@@OzymandiasV2 Even Panam’s character is poorly written as she only exists as a sexual object for the player’s self insert of V, because V is barely a character as is which feeds into the player base’s delusions. Sure her character provides an ending to V, but it’s still extremely shallow.

[@Jod5nn]

romance options were overrated as hell

[@Nevirate]

@@Jod5nn And cringe.

[@Jod5nn]

@@Nevirate 💯

[@5232chaos]

You're the first person who shares my sentiment about Deus Ex Human Revolution being a cautionary tale about how late stage capitalism will sell you your own limbs back to you

[@OzymandiasV2]

beautifully put! thank you for the comment! most people think about all the cool augmentations and tech but not the money/exploitation of them. even edgerunners kinda hints that cyber psychosis drugs keep you coming back for more

[@ZainAhmad-jl4vt]

i really wish they explored that left-rebel side of johny silverhand a little more in the game, these monologues are some of the best part of the writing in the game.

[@OzymandiasV2]

yeah i also think the questline of getting the band back together couldve had more overt reactions from johnny. All of his friends (besides the one who turned into the journalist who gives you Killing in the name) basically turn into miserable rich people ruined by fame

[@tiberius8390]

@@OzymandiasV2 Slightly altered from the original: "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become what you hate." Could be a line from Silverhand about his old friends. Actually I'm not even sure if a line like that is in the game. haha.

[@sarahverissimo4656]

The intro goes so hard. Nice video and cheers from Brasil. 😊🇧🇷

[@OzymandiasV2]

Glad you like it! having viewers worldwide is a crazy thought. cheers back

[@spartanspartan-ss5sz]

you real af for this

[@OzymandiasV2]

somebody had to put on the “uhm akshually” glasses

[@fazefobba1248]

Another banger as usual Ozy❤

[@OzymandiasV2]

regime W

[@LucasUrlacher54]

Really enjoyed your vid man! Excellent editing and concepts. Would love to get a part 2 that’s even more in depth. Go crazy.

[@OzymandiasV2]

my media analysis vids seem to do well so chances are I might! ill have to play and watch more cyberpunk media or branch off haha. thank you for the comment 🙏

[@LucasUrlacher54]

@@OzymandiasV2 there is an excellent three part cyberpunk documentary by Indigo Gaming that may provide some inspiration if you haven’t seen it! Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

[@silat159]

Thanks for this Ozy

[@OzymandiasV2]

np glad to have worked on it!

[@Hofimaniac]

Great video, but what I find myself wondering after watching it is why some people who consume this kind of media miss the point or even respond with a "hell yeah"

[@OzymandiasV2]

bc entertainment and games are fun to experience

[@azizbrownkuwindacorp]

That intro was amazing. Johnny + Dune Music, awesome.

[@ana_d_73]

I love that you included Robocop in this video, series like that and Judge Dredd are sometimes overlooked because of their "pulpier" fare like violence and drug use. Which is pretty silly in a genre where people are basically exterminated like vermin across the board and the expensive bits collected to resell. The violence and drug content make complete sense. I'd love to see a part two of this series, maybe touching series like Psycho-Pass and movies like Paprika, where mental health and even dreams are up for grabs. Maybe even your take on post- and post-post apocalyptic cyberpunk media like Blame!, Appleseed, and Love, Death, and Robots (heck, even Bebop and A Certain Scientific Railgun fit in here). I always love when series tackle the question of what can happen after society falls under these systems.

[@OzymandiasV2]

Havent gotten around to Psychopass but i love LDR and Cowboy Bebop! I actually had to look it up to see if its considered cyberpunk because I was thinking about putting it in the vid. But with all the varied eps I couldnt collect one big concrete theme on capitalism. I started BLAME! and never finished though

[@user-tr6fw8yo2t]

"You always loose the coin flip" -Soma (videogame) To think otherwise is just fairytales.

[@Aussboi]

“You best start believin in cyberpunk dystopias, you’re in one” - Cyberpunk Captain Barbossa probably

[@Ton_Tonn]

Its interesting looking at genres like this as a disabled person. I have a pretty tenuous connection to any physical sense of self as it is. And the idea of transhumanism excites me. While the capitalist dystopia aspects of cyberpunk genuinely scare me. The technology, and the sheer control over your own body that becomes possible is so exciting. Like your essay. Have a sub!

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you! i think theres a lot of reactionaries with tech like i mentioned in Altered Carbon or even ted k types but i think the technology can be great when used correctly

[@Mmogurl]

I really enjoyed this a lot.. Thanks for putting it together. Am a big fan of cyberpunk in general and have pretty much watched/ played all things reference except deus ex, which I really need to just play. I'm probably gonna download it now because I own it, but it's sometimes hard getting into an older game that I didn't actually play when it first came out! But so many people have told me how good it is.. I need to bite the bullet! God knows.. I even use the 'I never asked for this' meme all the time xD

[@OzymandiasV2]

no problem at all! you dont NEED to play the old games to play the modern ones with Jensen. Even with the twist in Human Revolution its a great game. Especially because it gives you choices

[@covenantexecutioner5894]

nice vid ozy, i liked the intro

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you so much ‼️🙏

[@JMoore-vo7ii]

Have you covered any of Mark Fisher's essays on Cyberpunk? Might be worth looking into as a follow-up to this project. Well done! Thanks

[@OzymandiasV2]

i still have capitalist realism on my reading list so havent gotten around to Fisher but ive heard great things about him

[@JMoore-vo7ii]

@@OzymandiasV2 must-read, even if you don't fully support or accept his ideas. It's a seminal leftist work for the 21st century

[@Jod5nn]

great video man I love cyberpunk another vid would be sick Just started reading Neuromancer and I’m curious to see how it explores these ideas also im not sure how anyone could play through 2077 and not think johnny is a leftist

[@OzymandiasV2]

youd be surprised there was a popular video essay on here saying Johnny hates leftists and Cyberpunk is “anti corporatism”

[@dmitriyivanich1088]

Dude rockerboy is anything but leftist. Because main Johnny's agenda is "fuck the system" and in particularly fuck 'saka. He basically wants to destroy one certain corporation and thinks it will solve all the worlds problems. He's blinded by his anger and frustration. That is not a mindset of a reasonable Marxist. I would say Johnny Silverhand himself is a nightmare for a marxist.

[@blackcrust330]

I liked this a lot so i took a look at the rest of your upload catalog and in short, you earned my sub. Great content.

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you! im doing a vid on sex tourism and passport bros that will hopefully be out next weekend!

[@Mo_2077]

Beautiful video I love Cyberpunk 2077 and the intro was amazing

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you im glad you liked it! the intro is deffo one of my peaks so far 😁

[@Infinite_Mortis]

Very well designed video summary and analysis yearn my sub. Surprise this doesn’t have more likes really enjoy which you have to say.

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you so much. makes editing and scripting a lot more worth it. stick around and watch my other stuff i have a variety of content 🙏

[@ripHalo0002]

Ona cyberpunk note, have you seen the anime 'Genocidal Organ' ( Gyakusatsu kikan) and/or are you familiar with the US Disposition Matrix?

[@OzymandiasV2]

havent heard of either are they good?

[@ripHalo0002]

@@OzymandiasV2 They're quite thought provoking together. Interesting commentary on warfare and automation

[@Maschera_duale]

Great movie! Loved It

[@Ellimist000]

8:55 "This describes a lot if you" by God the SHADE, man, the shade 😂

[@pedropierre9594]

I really love Cyberpunk 2077’s way of showing you a story instead of telling you it, for example, they tell you Mercs, the biggest source of trouble for the corps in Silverhand’s time have been reigned in, even going as far as Rogue doing jobs for Corps, what does this tell you? That the Corps won, so who better to balance the field than V and Johnny, and this is your story to show

[@AeneasReborn]

My favorite writer is Julius Evola and this is by far the most dystopian and disgusting future I have ever seen in every way.

[@GabrielSoares-qp1he]

I've been GMing a Cyberpunk RED campaign for a while now, and recently i was talking with a player who was enjoying the current plotline, about how everything i do politically ingame (and everything in cyberpunk is more or less political) is lensed through a historical materialism angle. As in, the material conditions of individuals are the biggest influence in their actions and necessities.

[@OzymandiasV2]

nomad/street kid/corpo is basically a reflection of this same with the first episode of edgerunners

[@Oppetsismiimsitsitc]

The Deus Ex sequels and prequels didn't bring anything new thematically, that the original Deus Ex didn't already have. Sadly, this rings true of Blade Runner 2049 and Cyberpunk 2077 (in respect to Neuromancer). At least they're all enjoyable, though.

[@OzymandiasV2]

sadly i havent played the original DE 1 and 2. Only the Jensen ones

[@merrickpremont2341]

good video, thank you mr.ozymandias

[@OzymandiasV2]

any time glad u enjoyed it!

[@plzzz]

what filter did you use for bladerunner? it felt like a game than a movie.

[@FlameSkull95]

This video is a pretty good display of how sobering it can be living in a society with corporatism spiralling out of control, where the individual is just another rodent in the large hamster wheel that is such a dystopian future, questioning their own existence in the first place. This sub genre has managed to be possibly the most cautionary kind of tale about our days moving forward, and is also a good example of how fiction can at times comment on, and even mirror real life events.

[@fanfan9554]

You’re so right‼️‼️‼️

[@OzymandiasV2]

a regime classic!

[@davidagcole]

When you realize capitalism (private ownership of commerce) isn't corporatism (public ownership of commerce with roots in Fascism through corporate alliance with the state/government) suddenly everything is clear.

[@CertifiedSunset]

Yeah people often conflate them as the same because the majority of people think "Evil CEO has lots of money, money must be the problem. Corporatism is very easily corrupted and used to exploit the poor which people often attribute to capitalism solely. I think of it like saying Communism is the same as Marxism which it isn't, hence why we have different names for it.

[@MizcSmijd]

Corporatism is the inevitable end result of capitalism, unless you can provide a clear explaination otherwise. If you look at countries that embraced capitalism wholesale like the US and compare them to socialized European counties, you'll see what I mean.

[@davidagcole]

@@MizcSmijd it seems you don't understand the difference between private and public ownership of commerce or the corporation's role in the socialisation method of Fascism. The idea that Western European countries are socialist because they have some social services such as national healthcare (which doesn't work btw) is utterly absurd. I live in one. I'm betting you're a young American to believe that claptrap.

[@tinygrove7623]

@@MizcSmijd all countries in Europe are capitalist, capitalism is a economic system the only way what you said or at least what i think you mean would make any sense would be if "capitalism is when bad things happen"

[@MizcSmijd]

@@tinygrove7623 All countries are a mix of capitalism, socialism, and some other stuff. Some countries have more capitalism, some have more socialism, some have more other stuff. It goes by degrees. Capitalism is better than feudalism, but capitalism leads back to a technologically driven feudalism. Anyone who attempts to "check" it and make it "real capitalism" instead of "crony capitalism" becomes corrupted by it. Capitalism has its benefits but it slowly destroys itself and its host, and reverts back to feudalism. They tried to check it with socialism about a century ago but that failed and that dream has died. Or, sure, capitalism is when bad things happen. Whatever.

[@grayel4315]

Goated

[@OzymandiasV2]

🫶 love yall

[@fazefobba1248]

Btw just wanted to say some tips for video making. I think you and your videos have lots of potential but I think they would improve a lot by focusing more on the delivery. When you’re recording your lines, dont do it all in one take. Cut them up into smaller chunks to preserve the energy in each line. Also clearing your voice by doing vocal warmups helps but I think most benefit would come from talking a bit slower and focusing on the punctuation. Im a singer and I work with audio tools quite a bit so I think these would help a lot. Thanks for making these vids they’re great❤

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you so much definitely something im working on 🙏

[@hengoku7]

serious question do you believe we live in a spiritual world and also do you think the world will come to an end

[@OzymandiasV2]

i think theres most likely a supernatural/unseen element of reality but i dont thino the world will come to an end anytime soon due to that. If anything a nuclear apocalypse or the gradual depletion of our planet will happen first

[@sidd_123]

PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE do a part 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASEEEEEeeeee

[@xTD-ld1vh]

is it worrying that i get goosebumps from jhonnies speech?

[@TroyTheCatFish]

Based as always

[@OzymandiasV2]

another TroytheCatfish classic

[@Tekkaman1994]

Cyberpunk is one of my favorite genres ever, despite how dark, bleak, depressing and corporation controlled as it is. I truly enjoyed Deus Ex: Human Revolution the first time I played it. Adam Jensen is a very interesting character; a corporate security lead who got killed by terrorists while was doing his job, but was brought to life by the very company's scientists. He doesn't want to die, but he doesn't chose to be become a cyborg. He being a cyborg with so many weapons can activate, allows him to defeat enemies and get the truth of the conspiracy. I also enjoy Cyberpunk 2077 as well, despite the horrible future society it depicts. It takes being a killer cyborg theme more the other way, where it's accepted to be a cyborg, and that fact that "ripper docs" exist at every district in Night City! Getting a cybernetic implant is sometimes a small medical procedure with some anesthetic and then wake up and go one's way. This being the case for player character V, and while it's supposed to be "cool" that V can do this, it's also a bit disturbing, but that is that point with him or her being a merc.

[@OzymandiasV2]

great write up and thank you for the comment. i think the concept of someone being brought back against their will (esp by a company) is a plot line used a lot in cyberpunk media

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

Based title. I would definitely say Cyberpunk is very much a "woke" genre.

[@OzymandiasV2]

the urge to title it that just for the salty clicks still hasnt escaped me

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

@@OzymandiasV2 Haha

[@ZrodyApo]

I will go further and say that Cyberpunk is the wokest genre ever

[@OzymandiasV2]

@ZyadApo might change this to the title lol

[@lonewolf646]

@@ZrodyApo i would say that mecha (particularly real robot) is even more woke. But most of them are basically just cyberpunk, with the punk aesthetic being replaced by other counter culture movements like techno, surfer.

[@Gmh4158]

Now do mgs

[@OzymandiasV2]

BIG BOSS IS WOKE VIDEO ESSAY‼️

[@SlippyE]

I second this

[@Gmh4158]

@@OzymandiasV2 this is wokequod arriving shortly at LZ

[@LoneWolf-ud5jx]

I'm literally Adam Jensen

[@OzymandiasV2]

he never asked for this.....

[@LoneWolf-ud5jx]

@@OzymandiasV2 maybe you should try getting a job

[@cerberusserberus8488]

daaaayamn i just played an unemployed corpo doing freelance while doing whatever to live. never had any anti corp leanings and told johny to stop crying in my ear most days. i had every intention of not only getting back into the corp world but reaching the top id say my vibe was "oblisse noblige"

[@OzymandiasV2]

you got betrayed in the intro and still wanted to come back 😭

[@cerberusserberus8488]

​@@OzymandiasV2if I remeber correctly me and my boss (against my will but that's the job) made a power play and lost. "The company" didn betray me we lost a power struggle. I coulda just as easily been hoed by my street gang or sacrificed by my nomad tribe. If everyone has to take a risk at least my risks hold a chance for those sweet sweet highrise apartments and industrial lofts 🤤🤤🤤

[@McScruffie]

What a great essay!

[@Embassy_of_Jupiter]

what is a murk cyst?

[@trentthehehim3936]

The Dialogue after “The ballad of Buck Rivers” contradicts your video. It literally isn’t about capitalism at all. It’s about the individual losing their humanity through the cyber ware itself. Not the capitalist selling them the cyber ware.

[@EirikHFD]

I think it's worth mentioning that games like World War Z kinda filled the gap that L4D left. Me and my friends still pay WWZ and don't want to switch it up.

[@svendtang5432]

It would be the worst society to live in… it’s just an extreme capitalism system that some are (USA) unfortunately unaware they are heading to or already living in

[@Sumoniggro]

It isn't extreme capitalism, it is the worst combination of leftist policies and neoliberal economics which incentivized corporations to control the government for their benefit. When companies control the entity with the monopoly on force because it is beneficial for them to since the government can regulate and legislate away their competitors they will do so.

[@angel8fingers]

New sub! Great fn content my man!

[@OzymandiasV2]

Thank you so much for the sub! Going to do a vid on sex tourism and passport bros next!

[@McK9999]

well done. i enjoyed watching this.

[@gcanaday1]

Johnny silverhand is a more buff keanu reeves?

[@OzymandiasV2]

always has been

[@gcanaday1]

@@OzymandiasV2 didn't know, not a gamer

[@OzymandiasV2]

@gcanaday1 ah im just joking then i thought you were joking also. Keanu Reeves does the mocap and character model for Johnny. The tabletop game the video game is based off of has a diff design prob

[@jumpingmoose5554]

The biggest thing i hate about the cyberpunk genre is the constant nihilism. it gets annoying.

[@OzymandiasV2]

agreed. i think cyberpunk 2077 stuck out because besides the sad relic ending you can basically do a bunch of last “fuck you”s to various people and corporations

[@henryfleischer404]

Yeah. I'm very, very early in the development process of a sort of cyberpunk FPS, where the core story conceit is that the player is working for a far-left government, to provide military aid to a revolution in a cyberpunk society. I'm not sure how much of that will end up in the game, but I figured any military sci-fi is going to be political, so I want it to agree with my politics.

[@Ellimist000]

​@@henryfleischer404that sounds interesting!

[@CyberpunkF]

I mean the second a broken someone can put upgrades freely and become a fast strong armored tank there are only 2 types of people Eat or be Eaten...

[@ultrasolar5228]

@@henryfleischer404 That's a cool concept, but I hope the main character doesn't mindlessly follow their governments orders and actually questions the underlying politics

[@beige_projection]

"We fought for beauty. Not knowin' what was good or true, was only the beautiful that meant a damn thing to us." -Johnny Silverhand Cyberpunk 2077 "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." -Wilhelm Stekel, psychoanalyst (featured in Ghost in the Shell SAC ep 22)

[@RobespierreHadItComing]

Great content. There is another angel you could look at, Bohemian Values. Silverhand is really on the nose for a disenfranchised Bohemian romantic. ex-rocker, anti-establishment, concerned with poetry and beauty above truth. "Truth and good are values proven to cause division, whereas beauty is universal.” There a hot take in there.

[@Strix1912]

Fax brother, spit your shit indeed. 👏🏼👏🏼

[@OzymandiasV2]

regimer stock up 🪲🌕

[@Strix1912]

@@OzymandiasV2 jokes aside, excellent analysis as always, as is the case with your videos. One more thing I wish was sort of discussed/elaborated upon was the “recent” commodification of the aesthetics of this genre. Although I can see why that would not be in this video as it’s simply about the leftist ideologies present within the genre. As always, loved it, keep up the great work brother.

[@muthashimalam5486]

less gooo ozy

[@OzymandiasV2]

#THEWAITISOVER

[@JordanJumpin]

When Johnny says ‘I’m not doing this because capitalism is a thorn in my side’ he’s saying capitalism is not JUST a thorn, but a giant machine consuming humanity instead, even if he is not explicitly a communist he is definitely a left wing anarchist of some type

[@OzymandiasV2]

i can agree with that interpretation too. i see so many people latch onto that one line when its not a disqualifier of him hating the entire system

[@RED_Theory038]

Easier for them to imagine the end of the world rather than the end of capitalism. Anti communists cope and roll their eyes at that line.

[@burnt_ramen9757]

It's really annoying how people look at cyberpunk and just see neon kanji while ignoring everything it's actually saying and expressing.

[@skanderbeg682]

Great video, its really interesting how all of the cyberpunk genre bundles 3 dichotomy, capitalism vs socialism, centralization vs decentralization and traditionalism vs trans humanism. this is why these games are not only popular among left wing politics but everyone who has some political bone to pick. libertarians (left or right) will point how society seems to be more and more centralized in hands of the few if it be a mix of corporate and state actors. conservatives will point to the lost of traditional morality to trans-humanist hedonist that dissolves social unity. These 3 dichotomy in cyberpunk genre really are the exaggerated problems of today ever increasing corpo/government control, the market ever intruding on everything and one, technological progression outpacing morality and ethics. The nomads in cyberpunk the game represents the synthesis of all these opposition being anti-corpo, freedom loving and valuing family and social unity. Whats really interesting though is what not included as problem in the cyberpunk genre. As expressed in the video intersectionality seems to be problem that does not exist as the material which make up these differences can be altered invalidating their important. here the liberal vision of the cosmopolitan citizen has won out. The decoupling of identity and essence has resulted in this. anyway these be my 2cents.

[@jmordan2154]

so unbelievably based

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you! 🫶

[@jeremiahshields6712]

Yeah I just want to create a cool cyborg badass

[@OzymandiasV2]

many such cases

[@Minnesota_Fatts]

5:41 I’m a little confused here. Do you maybe mean “corporatization” when you say “corporatism”? Corporatism is a way to organize society where different groups, like businesses and workers, sit down with the government to talk about decisions that affect everyone; think of it as a big negotiation table where different groups where these groups have a say in how things are run. Corporatization is about making these public services operate more like businesses, focusing on making money and efficiency. The two are used interchangeably, but they are distinct from each other. Let me know if I’m wrong here, I’m just clarifying your point here, great and insightful video otherwise.

[@user-yb2dc5ev3g]

I like Deus Ex: Human Revolution because it doesn't have that boring liberal agenda about mega-corporations that control everything, and the emphasis is shifted to the world government represented by the old aristocracies and cartels. In fact, in Deus Ex we literally play as a corporate man who defends the interests of a private company.

[@OzymandiasV2]

admittedly its been a while since i played but Adam seemed to be super grumpy about doing it with the “i never asked for this” and whatnot but yeah Deus Ex is a great series because it combines all the conspiracies into one universe regardless of politics

[@Chill-mm4pn]

Johnny is against corpos and the system they operate he's a war vet, angry rockerboy. I fw Johnny. 😂

[@OzymandiasV2]

exactly. people ignore that hes legit cyberPUNK. he doesnt have to overtly state his ideology if hes still anti gov anti cap etc

[@vizari9570]

fire

[@OzymandiasV2]

common Vizari W

[@vizari9570]

Fax my brother! Spit your shit indeed!@@OzymandiasV2

[@DDuffy143]

Great! Very nice.

[@yaser_sr4sr432]

Great video

[@a3a2_m]

very nice video!

[@OzymandiasV2]

tysm!

[@lordpoundcake2317]

The cyberpunk genre or theme of extreme leftist ideology is new to me but make sense once you brought in the idea of a consciences being able to choose a body...sounds like modern times if you ask me.

[@zarzick]

Blame would’ve been a another great example.

[@OzymandiasV2]

i havent finished it unfortunately but had a phase where i read it. would prob be a bit complicated to explain the plot

[@Aki-kh2qe-StreetKidZZZ]

Make no mistake, we're almost there unless we channel our inner Jhonny Silverhand. And that comes from a guy that used to be and still is at times a pro order guy

[@mcjcave18]

❤

[@ProAZZeater]

Based

[@yeheyuan]

fantastic video

[@OzymandiasV2]

Thank you! 😃 if you enjoy metal gear solid keep an eye out for my vid tomorrow :)

[@Sumoniggro]

Correction corporatism is the result of Keynesian economics, government intervention and regulation on the market and corporations taking advantage of the situation to essentially buy politicians, many leftwing economic policies actually lead to corporatism, syndicalism or fascism, none of thses systems exist in an Austrian economic system, or in a handsoff style government in regards to the private sector and the economy removing the incentives for rich people and business owners to inject money into the government and "buy" politicians since there is no advantage or reward to gain based on favorable legislation. Leftist economic and political policies are the cause of the very situation they claim to oppose and then they point the finger at right-wing economic and political policies as the the cause when in reality it is just the centralization of power mixed with businesses being incentivized to take advantage of this centralization of power. Ultimately leftists believe they can regulate and legislate human nature out of humans rightoids know that humans are going to human so the policies they endorse prevent as much of the damage through decreased incentives and opportunities to abuse power by weakening the potential of the power.

[@ruvanefriebus-cv6td]

If Chaz/Chop was a reality

[@PixelPusher1]

Some constructive criticism, pls don't take offense 😶🙏 Your conclusion... could have been worded better. It was vague and disjointed, ngl: 13:40 I'm trimming the fat here, but you said _"we need to heed the lessons of cyberpunk and dare to imagine beyond the status quo and its warnings of capitalism"_ The status quo's warnings? We need to imagine beyond the status quo's warnings? Could you clarify or rephrase? Without paraphrasing it was a word salad, tbh... and you faded to black on that unresolved confusion, which is why I couldn't let it go lol Anyway happy Easter lol

[@OzymandiasV2]

thank you just realizing i shouldve rearranged the order. Was honestly frazzled during some of the editing/rerecordings. Thanks for the pointers and happy easter!

[@PixelPusher1]

@@OzymandiasV2 Ha your name is Ozymandias. That's cool. A fitting name in this decline we're witnessing

[@maiz53]

banger video

[@plasticelephant1969]

radicalization is bad, neither radical communism or capitalism benefit the people the way they should. there should be a balance, with aspects from both ideologies so things to get out of hand, and johnny is just fed up with how far things have gone, and he wants to balance the scales by detonating one side of it

[@aleksisiltala8405]

No it's not. But surely it's not particularly nice. But extremely interesting and surely potentially useful.