Songbird is the true victim in Phantom Liberty // Cyberpunk 2077

A deep analysis of Songbird's character and story before and during the new Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC.
Enormous thanks to this creators, whose materials I used in parts of this video, because I started the DLC without recording anything:
Ernest Gamingway
Lamia Kitsune
Carnis Ad Machina
xxZEROULTYxx
Dan Allen Gaming
8bit MK
Great Scenes
Video Game Sophistry
And, of course, biggest thanks to CD Project Red for the wonderful story that inspired me to sit through sleepless nights and film and edit this video.

[@whitemanex]

Hey guys, thank you all for your reactions, totally wasn't expecting my second video to actually have some views, let alone this level of activity lol If you enjoyed this video, you probably will enjoy the new one about the Tower ending I just released and I'm preparing more stuff on Cyberpunk 2077's story (and not only Cyberpunk), so subscribe and stay tuned :) Much love to you all!

[@bekkison]

This is the exact thing I’ve been thinking! I’ve seen so many videos interpreting the new ending as enlightened and I couldn’t disagree more. The new ending is a good story wise, but it highlights why betraying Songbird is the wrong choice. If V is selfish, Songbird is either trapped or dead, Johnny is sacrificed, and V’s whole world turns for the worse. V, from the beginning is an opportunist so got in over their head and died for it, only to be resurrected because of the relic. Then,V spends the rest of the story trying to survive, no matter the cost and becomes a killer for hire so they can improve their ability to become a more effective killer. V has so many choices on their path and his best outcome is to elevate upload Johnny to join Alt and Delamain to tame the rogue AI’s and join the Aldecado family to experience the best of their remaining life. Songbird never had a choice after Reed gaslighted her into joining the FIA. She deserves the second chance way more the V whose had all the choices and mostly made the wrong ones.

[@weylinwebber4180]

you have a real knack for this and i'm sticking around so i have something good to listen to at work

[@thrustvectoring8120]

The FIA knew she was sick and they did nothing. You can loot her medical eval from the unification war in the reed's hideout and read it. The result of the eval is that her condition should not be treated if it is not hampering her ability to netrun. In the end, she is not really stopping functioning, she is just losing herself and her memories. The FIA would love to have an obedient doll that knows nothing about her past and can be programmed to do anything. And considering that after V's surgery he is unable to use implants and the surgery leaves permanent side-effects, I bet that she would also lose some of her abilities after her surgery. So in the end the FIA can, but wont help her.

[@whitemanex]

Unfortunately I think that if we turn her in, they find a way to turn her into some kind of obedient brain in a jar that only does netrunning like a supercomputer or whatever. They don't have any regard about her personality or anything, they just want her to do stuff they want, which is why they probably can find a way to somehow connect her to the net 24/7 and make her do their bidding without ever returning her to the physical world. Kinda like what happened with Rache Bartmoss who lived inside the Net for 2 years after his physical body died. But that's just a speculation based on what I can expect from an organization like the FIA, no hard evidence to that.

[@willbaggiins9441]

​@@whitemanexTo me it was best for me to let her die and not let Reed and the FIA to not have her... Reed is a puppet and FIA is well the FIA...I cant let Songbird go to the moon neither because Mr Bleu Eyes will have her which IS NOT GOOD if you know who/what Mr Bleu Eyes really is... so the best option is to complete the mission by sticking with Reed. Fight Hansen(bad ass bossfight) Fight the Maxtac(bad ass bossfigh) Run from the Blackwall Robot(metal Gear vibe) and free Songbird by letting her die.

[@AhmadWahelsa]

Interesting find, now it seems like the FIA purposely weakened V considering how big of the threat V is and the information, plus that way they can easily pull the "want a cure? work for us" card

[@JuliaJuanaAlvarez]

Yeah and Songbird knew V was sick and used that against V so that V helps her get a cure for herself and do her dirty work, with zero intentions to give V the cure she promised

[@lorkano]

@JuliaJuanaAlvarez of course she does, thats just shows how desparate she is and how scared she is to go back to FIA. At this point at the story she will do anything to be free, even would rather die.

[@vittxrio5198]

Reed is synonymous with Takemura. They are flawed characters, but deep down they can be genuine. Too bad, they are slave to their oppressors and their so-called beliefs and ideals.

[@devak45167]

So true, excellent point

[@radeksilar543]

This is reason, why I sided with Somi. In first playthrough I trusted Takemura, I wont do same mistake with Reed.

[@pedropierre9594]

They both represent one of the greatest plot building traits in our history as writers, blind loyalty.

[@jakobsrensen1684]

@@radeksilar543 you didnt side with Somi you sided with the daemons beyond the blackwall that inhabit the robot presenting as Somi

[@dusty3328]

@@jakobsrensen1684 No, she lost control if you side with Reed in The Firestarter because that shity device that Reed gives you, and even almost taken by the blackwall she saves you a few times in the Militech's bunker, if you side with her in The Firestarter she is almost dead but still have controll of her own body.

[@jacopobasso5457]

I really loved the tragedy behind So Mi's character, and I found somehow ironic how a literal cyborg, fully chromed up (even if this was against her will), living almost 24/7 in the net and with very little flesh remains, is the most humane character in this story full of "machine-like" people living by a command or a moral prejudice ignoring anything else, just like a program or a software works and exists just to fulfill his tasks. Even Alex, despite the situation she got in for following her orders, stayed in Dogtown waiting for the NUSA to give a sign while she could have just escaped with a new identity (not without complications for sure, as we learn in the spaceport, but still) anytime. Brilliant writing and character design, both visually and in an inner, deeper level; can't say anything more

[@charliebrown7393]

Putting songbird in that shuttle and following the Reaper solo ending feels like its a continuation of a story that has yet to be seen the fact that Us and So Mi are very much connected to space and Mr blue eyes tells me there is more to it

[@TheConCarlos]

Cheers mate, that's my favorite combination as well. If there is a canon ending, that's the one in my opinion.

[@alpha414]

I like to think that Mr blue eyes paying V is the cure like it did with Songbird.

[@aliceyagami8260]

I believe that after everything V did to send song to the moon. going into arasaka tower alone and going completely cyberpycho makes complete sense. V demolished the NUSA army arasaka is basically nothing. Even in gameplay I believe that Arasaka was easier

[@S1llyRaccoon]

Thats literally what I'm doing rn, I just wanna 100% the watson area because why not

[@davidduncan5897]

100% agree. I can't even believe it when I see a lot of people calling So Mi the "villain" of Phantom Liberty. They hyper focus on her going Cyberpsycho if you betray her and the fact that she lied to V. Reed lied to V too when he said he'd get So Mi a new identity and help her escape Myers. The difference is that So Mi comes clean about her lie BEFORE V puts her on the shuttle. Reed never fesses up to his lies. I'm not saying Reed is a bad guy. I like him a lot. He just invested his loyalty in the wrong person. Myers is the true villain of Phantom Liberty. Not So Mi. Not Hansen. Not Reed. Even Hansen's power is nothing but an illusion because he ends up just being another piece on Myers's chess board that gets knocked down, one way or the other.

[@whitemanex]

Spilling straight facts, my friend

[@carstenschops7797]

To me, she IS the villian in PL because it was her actions that prompted countless deaths, a lot being totally innocent bystanders. However her past explained her actions to my V well enough so that I had him decide to send her to the moon.

[@starlaixystar]

I like Reed as character but I hate him as person.

[@thrustvectoring8120]

@@carstenschops7797 this fact that the game constantly brings up "ooooo nooooo my npcs dieeedeeed" is extremely cringey. The game is literally about murdering your way through the arasaka tower and kompeki plaza killing innocent bystanders and people that just did their job. You spend half the time befriending a mass murdering terrorist who detoneted a nuke in the city center and this terrorist is considered a hero and now they start to moralize... Like seriously... V is an extreme hypocrite.

[@iboofer]

@@starlaixystarSame. Despite him giving a presentation of great physical strength and mental fortitude, he's literally a government dog--no matter how many times he gets kicked in the ass, he always limps back to be at the government's call when summoned. Hell, he didn't even get PAID for the time he was a sleeper agent post getting capped by Arasaka thugs at the government's permission and he STILL goes back to serve with barely much of a protest. He hems and haws and looks pensive and pained, but still does the same wrong shit over and over again. Getting people he loves killed, acting like he knows what's best when he's basically in the dark as much as anyone else (as shown when he can't even get updates on So Mi's status) and he straight up lied about intending to help her get out of the restraints of the government when you go to his contact's clinic for the facial implant. He's a person who was *once* good, but his rigid adherence to his principles has led him to do horrible things and lead a lot of people to an early grave. And the worst thing? Even if you work with him to get his plan off without a hitch, in the end he is STILL unhappy. The guy basically trips all over his -bleep- much of his government career and still gets surprised/pained when he's just stuffed back in the kennel. Really made me realize Hansen/Barghest wasn't the only dog metaphor in the DLC.

[@MobiusPrime2028]

I was disappointed that So Mi lied about my cure, but after the moment passed i could understand why she did it since we were practically on the same boat. I’ll take my chances elsewhere while ensuring she gets her best shot at freedom and salvation. Edit: Oh, and it’s the best middle finger I could stick to Myers. Her conversation with Reed at the spaceport proved her a two-faced tyrant.

[@iboofer]

If you ask her for payment at the end, you can see her true contempt and disgust in the amount--$5000. After saving her life and securing her safe passage out of Dogtown. Angie from THE ANIMALS gives you twice that amount if you let her fix the match with Aaron. Sure, what you did really inconvenienced Myers, but she's still immensely powerful even without access to So Mi's skills. She just basically puts out her cigar on your forehead and says you were the worst ashtray ever.

[@NaregChakhbasian]

​@@iboofershe's the nusa president... what did you expect

[@iboofer]

@@NaregChakhbasian I dunno, I just found that chump change amount hilarious.

[@Swistak65]

@@iboofer Strange. I received a solid 120k for saving Mayers

[@iboofer]

@@Swistak65 kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4GXnGCqo5ykn80 Here she's both curt AND cheap with you (spoilers if you haven't completed the DLC).

[@user-on9bh1ep5k]

The saddest part is that Songbird isn’t actually a monster even if she could have easily turned into one. She could have easily fried Myers,Reed and the rest of the world for what was done to her and not give a damn. Yet she still shows compassion like when she yells in her memories at Hansen for killing her crew on the Space Force 1 for no reason. Or when she still tries to protect V even after she has been betrayed by them.

[@Arcane6745]

⁠@@GamfluentShe never helped V? Who do you think saves them in that bunker? She killed and lost control after she had gone literally cyberpsycho and was hit with ICE what do you think would have happened? The inability of some people to actually read between the lines in those comments is scary. Also she never says she will kill innocent. V and her talk about people dying. Hansen’s soldiers are people too. And most of the stadium was on lockdown that day. So Mi knew that and so did V since you are being informed about that the moment you enter with Alex. It would be silly to say “How many will die” And mean the 5 civilians that happened to be sneaking around. If you side with her she will specifically say that defense systems have been primed to go against Hansen’s forces.

[@star4326]

Song only ever used V as a tool. She says she cares, and that she’s helping him, but her actions show that she was lying the whole time about everything. She literally put V’s life at risk over and over again, and made him become an enemy of the FIA just to let him die in the end.

[@user-on9bh1ep5k]

@@star4326 I don’t know why people are so obsessed with this whole “enemy of the FIA” narrative. Because Johnny says so? Well he is wrong even V tells him so. Myers doesn’t care she has way more important problems. If she took V as serious as everyone likes to imagine she wouldn’t just send Alex after them and Alex wouldn’t just drop the case and be “Whatever see you in Monaco”. But even if the FIA did care why should V? V literally goes and klepts Arasaka’s most valuable tech and that whilst they live in NC that is through and through Arasaka turf. Goes and blast Mikoshi, runs gigs against Netwatch, Biotechnica, Militech etc The NUSA doesn’t even hold any power inside the free states. Not to mention all the gangs that you piss off during you have pissed off. You are literally on everyone’s death list already And she put V’s life at risk? Really? Dude you are a merc that’s your daily bread and butter

[@star4326]

@@user-on9bh1ep5k the daily bread and butter of a merc does not involve going up against the NUSA military, or invading a rocket port

[@user-on9bh1ep5k]

@@star4326 okay bro go klept some divorce data for wakako if she the NUSA nerfed you so much and you don’t wanna understand what V actually has done or does.

[@jacksonwilliams5399]

I love hearing people’s rationals for the paths they take the first time. I personally sided with reed during first big choice since song had been dishonest at the start and I recognize the dangers of using the blackwall the way she did, and I ultimately let her die in the end becuase if she’s being honest about what living on would mean, the fate worse than death, then I wouldn’t want to put anyone through than and let Meyers abuse it. It’s so good.

[@NaregChakhbasian]

That's the only good ending

[@Zakrovik]

I agree. I let her die as well, but more so because if she lives the AI will still remain a danger to humanity.

[@JuliaJuanaAlvarez]

But she deserves a fate worse than death. She lied to us from the beginning and never intented to give us a cure. She used us and manipulated us into helping her with lies. And all along the way her actions killed many innocent people. She is just as bad as Myers and Reed are. The only difference between them is that Myers/Reed don´t miss use us and actually give us the cure they promised. Giving her back to Myers is excactly what she deserves

[@miguelitomarques8]

That's the 'good ending' of the whole DLC. Even Reed thanks you soon after for having the balls to do what he couldn't.

[@fhrizo]

i spoiled myself on the endings and planned during the Reed path up to the twins. Something clicked in me then that my would never believe V would honor his deal. He says "They're just criminals" and my V just went inside "huh, both so am I". It hammers the point home how disposable you are to the agency. If they will burn Reed, they will most certainly burn you when you stop being useful. It makes 0 sense to trust them on the first run, and handing So Mi after she confesses and you see what the NUSA is exactly about seems so petty. The question is not who you trust, but who you distrust less. It's painfully obvious that both sides are scheming. Misty tells you that. Johnny tells you that. Alex tells you that.

[@ellie_vargr]

Handing Militech a WMD and condemning Songbird to spending the rest of her life in a cage in one fell swoop. All to save your own skin, while Johnny gets erased.

[@prasunkumar1125]

sucks but she lies to us and takes the cure for herself while stringing us along. Johnny was already dead and his copy is in your head.

[@JuliaJuanaAlvarez]

That´s what Songbird deserves. She used V from the very beginning and lied to us the entire time. She never intendet to give us a cure and to get her own, her actions caused many innocent people their lives. She doesn´t deserve a good ending

[@greed0599]

I'd rather a netrunner of that capacity be kept on a tight leash by the NUSA instead of running around free, especially when she proves how many innocent lives she's wiling to take just to dig herself out of a pit of her own making, all while lying to V, manipulating them, and wasting precious time V doesn't have for to save HER own skin. Also, Johnny was never entitled to a second chance. At least with his deletion, he's granted the right to die that Arasaka took from him. Besides that, Songbird tried to play V, and my V always bites back against gonks who try to play him, dont matter who

[@chriscormac231]

@@greed0599 also the only reason she wound up on their radar was because she fucked up when she *TRIED TO BREACH THE BLACKWALL*, she was on their radar because she could've caused the apocalypse!

[@alexis_texas7183]

​@@JuliaJuanaAlvarezsaying that as if V doesnt do the exact same stuff for her own sake

[@Blue_Lunacy]

I wish there was a dialogue to call Reed out for recruiting So Mi and was the catalyst of this, when Reed contacted V after helping So Mi escape the first time.

[@astrohimseIf]

agree

[@Rumx1412]

There kinda is actually but you will have to hand her in to the NUSA first sadly

[@Retrolian1000]

You actually can do this to Reed kind of when you talk to him at the ripper doc. If you call him out as a liar you can bring up the fact that he used to manipulate people into joining the FIA, obviosly alluding to how he recruited Songbird. He actually gets pretty surprised and caught off guard by it. That was one of the few moments where he loses his composure throughout the DLC, it seemed like a real sucker punch to him.

[@wdkywmyak696]

cyberpunk writing in general is very very good, but So Mi, is a masterpiece of a character. and maybe im just too sentimental but i didn't even feel angry when she betrayed me. mostly because she admited it at her most vulnerable state, straight up says shes going to die, its like to me shes giving V an option - you're free to take the cure if you want. she can't stop you. that reveals bravery and care for V on her part. But the vibes of just you and her against the freaking NUSA, their most talented agents, and V just helping this woman who is suffering, has no one on her side while risking it themselves, just to save a friend? Thats V in a nutshell to me. The only flaw in her path is when she admits she lied, I wish we had an option to tell her we already knew but helped her out anyway because we wanted to. There's hints in her phrasing and body languange when you're talking about the cure, I knew something was up. And frankly to me it all comes down to this - So Mi lies so she can have freedom and escape a fate worse than death, Reed may be a bit more truthful with you but his goal is to control her and keep her caged, even if hes in denial about it. He cares but its a possessive, unhealthy sort of caring.

[@arctodus8536]

Beautifully laid out, choom. This is pretty much how I feel about Phantom liberty and So Mi's story.

[@tauanwerneck3197]

I have seen some people defending the idea that an AI is controlling song and I will elaborate here on why I don't think that is the case: The idea that it is an AI controlling Song is a huge misconception because when data is being transferred to the person it shows through eyes, when Song is using the Blackwall and being in touch with it her eyes glow red. It is why we even speculate that it is AI controlling Blue Eyes because he is constantly in a state of Data transfer. That does not happen with Song.

[@cygmoid]

Couldnt agree more, So Mi was always the victim. Amazing storyline by CDPR and Nice Video

[@KnightOfResignation]

The sad truth is that it is very on brand for Cyberpunk that there isn't any truely good ending for So Mi. There is good evidence that her entire escape idea is really just a ruse by the rogue AIs to obtain her and the matrix. So realistically, her outcomes are to be turned into a weapon on the human side, to be turned into a weapon on the AI side, or death.

[@whitemanex]

Yeah, it's sad, but it's what the whole game is about, in the world like this there is no lasting "happy ending" thing. We don't get a perfect ending for V either and are left to speculate and discuss what ending is the best one, which is totally fine with me from a story standpoint. I guess that's why the DLC is called Phantom Liberty, cause in any case there isn't much of it left for So Mi. But the reason why I advocate for helping her is because it's a right thing to do from a moral standpoint and it's her own decision to play it this way. Maybe she'll find someone who will help her get out of whatever she signed for on the Moon.

[@KnightOfResignation]

I guess what I was trying to get at is that it is likely not truely her choice, but simply what the AIs are making her believe. I think it's important to recognize this, as it adds some validity to Reeds perspective, who believes he is saving her from herself (and potentially also mankind from an AI apocalypse).

[@whitemanex]

I don't think it's AIs, cause we do see her perspective in her memories and she's talking to us in full honesty when we are linked to her (or whatever it was in the Cynosure finale when we see her memories an her Brooklyn apartment). It's her speaking to us, and yet she still asks us why we didn't let her do what she planned like she really wanted that and that wasn't something she was manipulated into. And the fact that after sending her to the Moon we get a package from her with a Lunar colony pin is a good way to show that the human So Mi is still there. So I don't think she was influenced by AIs in this particular case. It may be a case for her releasing the AIs to the Cynosure facility, but for her Moon voyage. In any case, just my opinion.

[@desertdude8274]

​@@whitemanexI thought it was an A.I the moment Slider gave a revelation about Black Wall routing. Also if you talk to Alt or Hellman after this DLC it will confirm that when So Mi accessed your relic that Rouge A.I is indeed present and that they see the relic as a way into the new net. Reed said that what's left of her might be a rabid A.I and he's worried. He would have no reason to say this unless this was always a potential problem to begin with. So Mi also when telling you to kill her isn't just talking about the NUSA but also that wherever she goes she's being used. She probably realized that there was no chance to escape being used one way or another and wanted to opt out of that fate. The killing Moon involves Mr Blue Eyes who seems oddly involved in space and mind control along with A.I being an issue.

[@Arcane6745]

The media illiteracy in some of those comments is scary.

[@berjerky]

Remember that fate "Worse than death". There is one instance where it's mentioned beforehand, when Johnny got hit by Soulkiller. Probablity of that happening to Song as it can make her skills recycle continously. FIA and Myers are the true villains

[@sebastiangarcia555]

i wouldn’t call them true villains, reed and myers are twist villains

[@sillylittlesheepjax6009]

If u pick Reed side then Somi goes total cyberpsycho. Even if he wanted to help Somi get to Europe and hide her from Myers this plan goes out of the window the moment Songbird kills Alex and gets captured by Maxtac. Reed knows he cant risk ppl finding out abt Myers blackwall thing. It is logical why he goes Nusa route now

[@Afterthought_]

Yeah I think it’s really interesting you only see the ugly side of the characters and their true motivations when you choose the opposite path.

[@willbaggiins9441]

To me it was best for me to let her die and not let Reed and the FIA to not have her... Reed is a puppet and FIA is well the FIA...I cant let Songbird go to the moon neither because Mr Bleu Eyes will have her which IS NOT GOOD if you know who/what Mr Bleu Eyes really is... so the best option is to complete the mission by sticking with Reed. Fight Hansen(bad ass bossfight) Fight the Maxtac(bad ass bossfigh) Run from the Blackwall Robot(metal Gear vibe) and free Songbird by letting her die.

[@user-lz3tc9mj8m]

​@@Afterthought_TES, and even in reverse, if you helping Reed, you have ability to see songbirds past and she really saves you from Cerberus, acts like a friend. If you chose to betray reed, she lied to you all the time, and reed just became hound dog to Myers

[@Verendrye]

Reed's plan was never to save So Mi, set her free. The plan was to lie to V so that they could capture So Mi. If you pay attention to the mission at the Black Sapphire, when Reed talks to you before meeting the Cassel brothers, he says "we suspected Songbird was behind this, now we got the confirmation". Who's the "we", since we just got Alex on board? It's Myers and the FIA. Secondly, why give V an ICE breaker if the plan was to "save" So Mi?

[@sillylittlesheepjax6009]

@@Verendrye ice breaker to capture songbird, did you miss the fact that she is a top netrunners that can kill everybody and reed knows it

[@D3humaniz3d]

I wish there was dialogue from the start where V could've called So Mi's BS and proceed to help her anyway - I knew from the start that the cure So Mi offered was bogus. And the ending where you side with the FIA is cheffs kiss - V becomes Myers's meat puppet through and through.

[@therearenoshortcuts9868]

"Myers gets away in all endings" nope, if you go for the "funny ending" - where you let her plane crash and then just walk away she will die, and Songbird lives LOL

[@heyguyslolGAMING]

Yep I did that on accident because I was trying to backstep to go buy my perk point from the vendor in the stadium only to find out its blocked off but then Myers dyes, rofl. Best ending for sure.

[@botep5529]

I see so many comments along the line of "waaa she lied to me so I handed her over to the FIA" and I just want to yell THINK CHOOM THINK. Everyone is lying to everyone in this story. She has one line where V asks her why she lied to him and she responds something along the lines of "Because you're strong V, stronger than me... you will find a way" Its kinda shitty justification for betraying you but it makes sense from her point of view. And you know what? She's goddamn right. This is V we are talking about. The legend of Night City. So Mi is the protagonist of PL but V is the protagonist of the base game. His story begins and ends with Arasaka and he does not fear the reaper.

[@captainziggy82]

You’re a simp lol

[@lorkano]

One of the arguments for betraying Songbird I can't shake of my mind is why did she sacrifice innocents at the stadium. I understand that it just shows how desperate she was and that she will do anything to get free & not go back to Mayers, but outright saying "innocents will die so we can live" was really a hard to swallow and feels a little bit out of character. Other than this one sentence that I can't stop thinking about, this video describes perfectly why I picked Songbird.

[@AnimaVox_]

She technically didn't. The NUSA were the ones who stormed Orbital Air and indiscriminately slaughtered people. Song never really intended for anyone to get hurt, and no one would have if her plans had all gone off without a hitch. It's just what Reed said: she's good at planning ahead, but not good at improv. However, I do agree that her line feels ooc, especially since we see her angrily shout at Hansen in her memories about downing Space Force One with an RPG and the collateral that resulted from that.

[@lorkano]

​@@AnimaVox_I meant stadium, not airport - It was when you made a choice to help songbird and betray reed - she turns all of the defenses against people making them shoot civilians as well.

[@AnimaVox_]

@@lorkano Ah, okay. I inferred that the stadium had more or less been evacuated by civilians at that point since I only saw combatants, but I could be wrong; I don't remember much about that part, so I'll have to take your word for it.

[@Rumx1412]

First of great video my friend. I just think a lot of people have a hero complex and just need to see the character they are playing win under any circumstances. Ignoring how similar V’s actions are to So Mi’s a lot of times. Understandable to some extent but cyberpunk isn’t really the genre to feel like that. Also a lot of people play the game on a very superficial level to say it mildly. The misinterpretation and headcanons regarding the story I have seen so far are wild. Songbird is the most fleshed out character in the whole 2077 universe. Her reasons and events that have happened to her are right there. CDPR even went so far to put hints in their official Phantom Liberty soundtrack and MV. “I’m just tired of looking the other way.” Gets repeated again and again and there’s a scene were Myers pushes Songbird of her chess boards like a pawn. I mean yeah come on 😅

[@Divinemakyr]

Not everything needs to exist under a single label, especially in character writing as morally complex as Phantom Liberty's is. So Mi is both a villain and a victim. She's much like V, except she betrayed everybody, whereas V did not. However V had help, support, people who loved him. Support nets that allowed him to achieve what he does. So Mi never really did, and was rather held down by the powers around her.

[@kittycat1887]

I assumed anyone who's got more than one working braincell should understand Song is the victim

[@Lucifer-bn1fz]

It’s actually scary how many people on here commend without having understood half of the story and will make olympic stretches to justify their own half baked theories and headcanons

[@gdbalck]

True liberty is having the freedom to choose your path in life and accept the consequences. The inability to choose is the absence of liberty. Take it from someone born and raised in a totalitarian country who was able to escape at great cost - haven’t seen my father in thirty years - it’s worth making that sacrifice and then some. Let the bird fly.

[@darkflower]

Thank you sm for this beautiful video. Once again I am convinced that sending So Mi to the moon was the best decision possible. She didn't deserve all the suffering that her service to the FIA and Myers personally condemned her to

[@postaled]

Damn it, the music choice really hit at the perfect moment! Great vid!

[@rhodan74]

I helped So Mi as a corp because she was just a reflection of myself. We were both bitches bent on selfpreservation that did horrible things and ultimately cowards. I respect her/understand why she lied to me (a thing I suspected all along). I knew that her new "life" on the moon would be shit but she so desperately wanted it, it was like I launched myself into space. Also that last fight holding out at the launchpad was absolute carnage and so fun. Reed like Takemura is just a brainless dog licking the boots of their masters. Chose the devil ending and followed SoMi into space.

[@cyber7en]

So Mi is the best girl in cyberpunk and one of the best characters, apart from the romantic lines (which are worthless as we see in the PL finale), the connection between Songbird and V is much deeper than the others, you believe it because they are both doomed and damned, and when she tells the truth just before flying away, it's a very strong act of trust that shows how much she believes in V, and when she saves V from rogue AI ​​even after the betrayal. A very tragic and beautiful person. Helping her is the only solution for my character, to show care and kindness to someone who almost never received it

[@Suicynic]

Incredible work!!! 🎉

[@citizenvulpes4562]

yeah I betrayed songbird in firestarter, felt REALLY guilty about it, realized what exactly they were doing to her, and then unplugged her. Peak DLC was crying the entire ending.

[@wolfsmoonlight9872]

I would even go that far that Netwatch would've recruited her but the FIA most likely knew this and took advantage of that knowledge and acted first.

[@damokay254]

27:36 i agree with you here i cant get that mr blue eyes got her this flight and watched you the whole mission just for her to live a happy life

[@Scuffkin412]

I'm so glad KZbin recommended this video to me. 100% agree with the points you made here too. On my first playthrough i obviously chose to side with Songbird over Reed, eventho she lied to V. Going through the DLC again and going to side with Reed this time, it's gonna suck cuz i really liked So Mi as a character and it's not like i don't like Reed he's a cool character aswell but it's unfortunate cuz he licks NUSA's boot. Ace video, made me think about how amazing and nuanced the writing is for this peice of media.

[@DEViL_X1612]

for fucking real i saw chooms saying " oh so lied , she is unfaithful ,she betrayed" but no of them want to understand how she felt when her grave was on ground and she was alive in one convo reed says her grave is already at some place meaning 19 year old energetic girl gets only 1 choice leave your everything be dead for everyone and come with FIA. FIA never cared about her they wanted her skills thats it even there is line "song bird is reflection of v just more desperate one" there is no doubt both fighting for their lives. she deserved new life its no simping just bit kindness towards her the kindness she deserves

[@jamesdoe4515]

I knew from the start especially when Reed connected the dots,but I truly could not stand him the FIA,the NUSA,or Myers from the get go,apart from having a Flag Pole shoved so far up his ass that he for a second couldn't imagine that she at least deserved a shot at true anatomy,and a potential cure for her disease everyone sans maybe Alex from indifference wanted power,and to control her.I felt like as she slowly opens up to you a bit,and ultimately when in her most vulnerable moment when she admits the full truth that if everyone's using her then I might as well give her that shot I wouldn't want to be alone plus especially if that was to potentially be her final moments I wasn't about to consign her to a life of torture,and being Myers Personal pet weapon until she eventually dies that truly felt horrifying. A lot of people choose to ignore that she's literally a mirror image of V at the start of the game,and it never ceases to amaze me at the comfort at which people feel giving her up to a fascist lap dog even if you have the chance to put her out of her misery it just feels wrong.

[@Asynthetic]

Awesone video 👍 and explanation.

[@Titus873]

Several things people usully skip when choosing between Reed or SoMi. First: So Mi is honest at the end while Reed is the opposite. Second: Reed and Alex kill in cold blood the 2 belgium metrunners. They lie to V in the process. Third: i killed Reed, and will do it again but a small detail must be explained: i DEFEND myself against him, its him who tries to kill me. Basically you give SoMi to him or he will kill you. Comeon, its very clear who to save in Phantom `liberty.

[@Queen_of_Elfhame]

Not only did he and Alex kill the Netrunner twins without a single sign of remorse, he even gets angry when it's pointed out to him, and one mustn't forget how he reacted to Slider's death. At that moment I learned everything I needed to know about Reed. (He also has the nerve to mention Jackie if you choose Songbird's side, and that was really the last straw for me.) And don't forget the conversation with Myers during the Killing Moon Quest... (So disgusting, especially considering he and So Mi were actually friends. Aside from the fact that he wanted to kidnap her to "talk" to her. Yeah, there's no way I would trust that shit, especially in night city) He's literally the American equivalent of Takemura (I didn't like Goro at all, but even I had more sympathy for him than Reed). Every time I see someone hating on Songbird, they point out that she betrayed V and is the reason so many innocent people had to die. But none of them magically remember how cold-hearted Reed kills people even when he could let them live (like the twins mentioned earlier). Somehow no one seems to understand that Myers, not Songbird, was responsible for the airport massacre. Myers literally ordered So Mi to be "killed" because she no longer had control over Song and can no longer use her (the fact that she even tells Reed not to shoot her in the head makes it even more disturbing). And Reed doesn't mind, not even for one damn millisecond. It doesn't even matter if you choose to betray Reed or Song when meeting Kurt Hansen, because either way you'll have to fight your way out of the stadium (and if you choose Reed, Alex will die too). So how is this all only Songbirds fault? I get it, So Mi also plays an unfair game with V, but in the end she is at least remorseful, she questions her actions and tells us the truth, knowing that her life is at stake, she hasn't achieved her goal yet and V could still dump her after that confession. While Reed lies to us and himself to the bitter end, showing not a single sign of guilt or remorse, but is just a blind, deceived loyal government dog. Reed also knows that Myers used So Mi, and I refuse to believe that he actually believed that Myers would take good care of Song (or care about her at all and not just her netrunning skills), that he truly believed that So Mi wouldn't end up as a brainwashed, lifeless netrunner puppet for Myers and her agenda. And if he really believed that, his brain damage is a lot worse than V's. Actually, Song and Reed reminded me a little of Alt and Johnny, but in the end Johnny really cared about Alt and he really wanted to save her, no matter what. I don't think I can say the same for Reed. Johnny may not be right on everything, but he's always right when it comes to things like blind loyalty to a government or corporation that doesn't care about you because he's experienced it first hand. But unlike Reed, Johnny has learned his lesson. And I'm glad I learned enough from Johnny to agree with him from the start that taking the oath is a really bad idea (even if it has no real consequences in the end). Finally, all I can say is that I felt so much sympathy for Reed in the cinematic trailer. Before playing Phantom Liberty, I even thought that I would end up having to make a difficult decision between Reed or Johnny (or something like that), but when I first met him in the game, I knew immediately that he and at least my V won't be best friends. He gave me the same uncomfortable feeling that Dex had made me feel when I first met him. I'm a little sad that Reed turned out this way, but at the same time he made the otherwise difficult decisions easier for me.

[@benjaminfenasse1963]

Fourth : SoMi kills the entire stadium (I guess a couple of Netrunners with bounty on their heads put by a criminal organization and who come out of prison which is by the way one of the worst prison in France, not Belgium deserve to live way more than all those other people do !)

[@marcundtim]

your Netrunner pals are criminals and not even small ones they would die eventually anyways

[@marcundtim]

So Mis Actions always leaves burned earth......

[@YouWantIt1Way]

Songbird kills in cold blood

[@vevuvish]

This video is so good and you can see the parallels with how the US operates in real life, banger video

[@mkmfan3197]

I want Dark Skippy gun. So yup selling her to the FIA 😂

[@whitemanex]

Plus Hansen's knife, it looks soo cool. But I refuse to be an asshole for a few nice looking items lol

[@MobiusPrime2028]

@@whitemanex Well said.

[@willbaggiins9441]

​@@whitemanexyea Hansan knife is OP

[@DEViL_X1612]

@@whitemanex can you believe i added militech canto erebus everything from save editor just because i didnt wanted to look like asshole who can survive that much painful memories of so mi and i have played 10 to 15 times phantom liberty and always helped her

[@genericallyeazy]

Time to JFK Myers (great vid mate)

[@clarencewalters338]

Just don't save her ass from the crash lmao

[@NaregChakhbasian]

If only there was an option to side with Hansen

[@mota6]

i love these vids

[@ShadowPrower]

I really think that in The Tower ending the NUSA intentionally sabotaged V's treatment. Song tells us that the Neural Matrix can only be used once and why would Myers waste it on V some random merc when they could use it to prevent losing their most useful tool for utilising 'The Blackwall'. After using it on Songbird and seeing how it fixed her they experimented on V to see if it could be replicated without the use of the Neural Matrix's AI and in the end saved V's life but left them unable to use any cyberware. If the Neural Matrix left the person in question unable to use cyberware or netrun then what use would Songbird be to Mr Blue Eyes on the moon, especially since she is mostly chromed now and surely it would leave her as little more then a vegetable unable to move or do anything but think.

[@devak45167]

Excellent video! I’m doing the “side with Reed” path now for my 2nd run and it’s painful, even knowing So Mi is lying to us, to deceive and betray her. Siding with Reed is the expansions equivalent of siding with Arasaka. I fully empathize with what’s been done to her and even knowing how siding with her ends for V it’s clearly the right path to take.

[@filipsacha6980]

IMO, if you let Songbird die it's the most anti-arasaka route as you are not helping Rogue AIs by letting SoMi escape to the moon, and you deprive NUSA of their significanf asset

[@FenixFireborn]

That is a such a "great" idea to give someone like Myers a WMD that has potential to destroy humankind or covering Myers crap by killing So Mi. Some people really confuse me. Imo game put a mirror in front of V and asked. "Your psyche gets erased after thievery job went wrong. To fight it you did all kinds of criminal and amoral things (kill, lie, steal), yet you justify everything. Now you can decide fate of someone who also got also gets deleted after a break-in that went bad. Are you going to use same standards as for yourself or are you going to be a hypocrite?"

[@NashiHeartSoulSpirit]

In the world of Cyberpunk, everyone’s a victim of something until they take control of their life. If you’re afraid of being assertive or agressive, you’ll always be a victim.

[@trashynecromancer1155]

I made the decision to save Songbird on my first run of Phantom Liberty. Even after she admitted I would never get *my* cure, I could at least save her.

[@FoNgThOnG]

I knew she lied, manipulated, and betrayed us but I still wanted to help her out. The only reason I chose to side with Reed was due to being too far into that side to change now. Re-doing Phantom Liberty and siding with her this time cause that scene where she asked you to kill her, is just heart breaking.

[@lokischeissmessiah5749]

it's called being a simp. If the character was a dude who did the exact same stuff as So Mi you'd have no probs betraying them.

[@buddyzf]

Reed loyal to NUSA like Takemura loyal to Arasaka, they bow down to the authority despite knowing the flaws and corruption in them. The believe these authority will bring order to the broken world.

[@sebastiangarcia555]

NUSA is arasaka’s relection reed = takemura’s reflection myers = saburo/hanako’s reflection songbird = rogue/evelyn’s reflection

[@Namtaskic]

Honestly, what a great video. You had great points to show that Songbird and Reed were used by Myers to progress in her political agenda. So Mi deserves to be free and live her own life. I will definitely go back and watch your New Ending video as well!

[@MrBl4ckY]

The true victim is Kurt Hansen. He was an NUSA lapdog, he WAS discarded for lack of utility, but he decided to fuck it and build his own thing, only for random songbird crashing his entire enterprise on accident. He got out of the game but the game didn't let go.

[@MillieIsTired]

everyone saying that’s what she deserves for lying , but she is stuck in a cage , and wants a way out without killing everyone , yes she could have been truthful but she who says V just won’t go tell myers and fuck everything up even more , you gotta remember she just met V , she is desperate to have freedom , myers forced her to do war crimes and tons go crazy shit , also if you turn her in they reprogram song’s personality and memories to make her a fia puppet , overall betraying song is just morally wrong and you’re a horrible person if you do

[@nothde9865]

You're a horrible person if you helped Songbird, she has managed to escape every single consequence of her action. She wasn't forced into using the Black Wall, she used it voluntarily without turning it on Myers even though she could because she was all right with her position until she started to die.

[@Arcane6745]

@@nothde9865What a braindead comment

[@DaddyRhulk]

Something interesting that I think gets overlooked in this DLC is when you are going to Farida for the face surgery, reed talks about having contacts in Europe that will be able to help V and Songbird once they have the cure. Yet unless these contacts are brought in to help with either V or Songbird's cure depending on your choices, these contacts are never brought up again to the best of my knowledge. Pretty sure in the main game Hellman also says something about some place in Europe that can make the relic situation less painful. Obviously the NUSA will just resort to their own specialists for V/Songbird no matter what, but it seems very purposeful that the clinics in Europe are brought up twice and then never mentioned again afterwards.

[@tonmoytalukder4232]

Everyone living in Night City is a victim in one way or another.

[@xNatxe]

Oh man, it's like you read my mind. My first ending was sending So Mi to the moon. Then I did all the other endings which convinced me that my 1st ending was the best.

[@osbellgarcia7065]

Bro, the scene where female V holds So Mi face and she is begging for being killed is so heartbreaking, I couldn't betray So Mi even if she does it, she doesn't reserve that. I'm glad that I save her. She cares in someway about V, So Mi reserve a second chance.

[@printezstroman]

Is it a different scene from Male V?

[@rschana100]

This DLC was soo good

[@lordofchaosinc.261]

(spoilers) I'm split as true she's a victim and I helped her because I said so and actually the Reed route is the betrayal. I never tell him I'm gonna backstab Song explicitely so it's not a lie or anything. Watching a replay though yeah she's using you every step of the way as a tool and lies at every interaction up to the ending stretch. Offing the twins makes Reed just very calculated and you can assume Alex murdered the previous barkeeper then. And Reed is portrayed as the faithful slave of Myers who is the villain in my book.

[@radeksilar543]

Only real Reed enemy is himself.

[@user-eq5qh2mh3i]

Live by the sword- die by the sword. I don't think any character has any high moral standing after knowingly working with FIA. Like what the fuck did you think was gonna happen? Sell So Mi to the glowies every single time.

[@fullfildreamz]

You know it's a good game if people have to discuss which ending is the morally right one. God I fcking love cyberpunk.

[@lycusmungus51]

I saved so mi on my first run and after betraying her the second time it felt wrong to do and the ending felt like my character had his identity erased regardless of being saved from the relic

[@aliceyagami8260]

I believe that V idependent from his past would never leave a friend behind. I feel sad about songbird lie on V but she could tell the truth that V would help the same way again. I like to imagine that songbird would never forget V, especially every time she looks at earth. make the difference gave her hope.

[@lizabit7]

you get it. ❤

[@warman3096]

My mother is a professional tarot card reader she started to learn when she was 9 and has been practising it ever since she's 42 now and the tower card is one of the worst cards you can draw no matter the context as the tower symbolizes the destruction of self and everything that you knew and held dear it's a card of irretrievable loss as when the tower falls nothing will be the same.

[@Trekiros]

She's definitely in a bad situation, but the moment she decided that using V to get herself out of that bad situation was an acceptable option, she opened herself up to the possibility that V would do the same. V is also in a bad situation. V can also use her to get themself out of that bad situation. Maybe being selfless towards someone who acts selfish would have been the more heroic thing for V to do, but this isn't a game about heroes. "Wrong city. Wrong people."

[@vexed_v]

Thats what I thought. V isnt a hero, hes a good person to people he views as friends not to associates.

[@starlaixystar]

I understand why people can hate her but I can't hate her. I feel sorry for her and Reed sorry for saying this but he is a bastard. Scumbag. In the end I really hated him and saving So Mi is the only good ending in my eyes.

[@bluewings2]

I just finished Phantom Liberty and I'm so pissed at myself. I chose to help Reed, but killed So Mi. I'm so pissed I feel like I need 10 showers to wash my regrets. My biggest regret ? That we don't have the option to spit at Myers, even if telling her to "fuck off" felt good at the moment.

[@abraxasvirus2218]

this is very valid analysis and reason but you see... Canto Militech Erebus tells me i must give Songbird

[@Sleepylll]

It’s sad but there is no happy ending in the cyberpunk world.even if Somi got send to the moon she might just become a AI or just fell in to another trap(controlled by Mr.blue eye)where she can never get out. Like she said, death might be her only way out. But I really hope she can have a life she really appreciates on the moon, she deserves it,even tho that’s unlikely to happen :(

[@DEViL_X1612]

she sends us gift from moon i believe nr blue eyes do have big motives but he wont torture her mentally or whoever they are so mi learned from mistake and she knows whats awaits her on moon so safe to say she decided her fate

[@wintervampire7027]

One thing that particularly annoys me is that Reed and Songbird's experience within the FIA is similar, if not parallel, yet so many people are completely unempathetic to Songbird but are towards Reed. The biggest difference is, and emphasized multiple times during the dlc, is that Reed just takes being treated like shit by the FIA (doesn't mean he's deserving of it btw) while Songbird has finally reached a breaking point and decided no more. Of course you can be mad at her for lying to you, I certainly wasn't happy about it and I'm sure V as a character is tired of being promised help over and over just for it to amount to nothing. Her lying is understandable though. She couldn't have known you would help if you knew the truth from the beginning. I'm glad I initially sided with her but the questline through Cynosure shows exactly who she is, a vulnerable girl who was taken advantage of and abused by a powerful system, to the point where it is costing her mind, body, and soul. If her experience with the FIA wasn't so bad she would have not been begging V to kill her when you reach her at Cynosure. The fact that she is says a lot, imo This comment is a lot longer than I was planning for it to be but I just have a soft spot for characters like Songbird 😞 for anyone that's a Twin Peaks fan, she reminds me a lot of Laura Palmer

[@Icy-be5vl]

Reed is a coward. Psychopath. Murderer and traitor. People can call So Mi a snake but Reed is a true snake here..

[@Icy-be5vl]

Too be fair when first time I met So Mi I thought that she will be one of many females characters but no. She is special. After I learned about her story I started to feel really bad for her and even despite using V, I still I am on her side. She is indeed a victim and she is one of only two females characters I felt bad for. North from DBH and So Mi are the only females character with tragic story I feel bad for. Games had many females characters who were supposed to have tragic story but I never felt any sympathy or bad to them. On ice most of these characters I hate. For example Ellie Williams from the last of us 2. She is supposed to be tragic character I am suppised to like and feel bad for her just because she lost her father? She was killing people for revenge. She never felt any remorse and she blamed everyone else expect herself about her bad life. Not only. She killed and tortured dying. Innocent woman to death and because of her lost I am supposed to feel bad for her? Ellie is a monster and people who likes Ellie tries to excuse her actions that she tries to survive. She lives in apocalypse world but she was killing people for revenge. She tortured innocent woman to death so no. She din't tried to survive. She is evil psychopath who is beyond redemption and she will never change. And people who hates So Mi are hypocrites. Not all of them but some of them. If you hate So Mi for things she did but you like Ellie despite the fact that she betrayed Dina and used Dina. People still will say that Ellie is victim. So Mi is evil. This is hypocrisy of people I truly hate and that's why I hate the last of us 2 fanboys. About Reed. I feel how people don't understand the point of his character. Did he is grey character? Maybe in some way but he is definitely evil as well and he is a psychopath. Not always was like that but he became a psychopath and also a coward who will never say no Meyrs. He will betray Alex if only Meyrs will give him order to do it. If we choose Reed route then Alex will die because Reed used her to kill Hansen. If she is alive in Songbird route then Reed will betray her if only he will have order to do it. On the other hand what he did to So Mi is unforgivible. He is insane. He is ready to turn So Mi into a living machine who will be tortured and trapped forever in Blackwail just to keep his job and it only shows how evil he is. What he wanted to do is much more evil than raping her or brutal killing her. I truly hated him when I played Cyberpunk and he is easily one of the most evil characters from Cyberpunk. I don't believe that people really thinks that he cares about So Mi. He doesn't care. All his kind words are just manipulation to make us players like him. Well Reed in my case it doesn't work. I hate people like Reed and the reason why I truly felt emotions in this story, I hate military and CIA people. I hate what they do to people and how they handle things. I respect everyone to are ready to fight against corrupt people like Meyrs. Disgusting traitors like Reed. I don't only feel bad for So Mi. I respect her because she was ready to fight for her life. Reed is a coward who will never change. Killing him is the only good solution. Otherwise he still gonna betray people. People are insane. This game is gray of course but Reed is 100 times worst person than So Mi. So Mi just wants to survive. Reed will betray and hurt everyone to keep his job. Unlike Reed So Mi is not a coward and unlike Reed So Mi actually regrets her actions and she wish she could change the past but she realizes that this is not possible. Really good character with tragic story. We need more female characters like her in the future. No more Ellie. No more characters like some stupid Kate McRearry from GTA 4.

[@nicksavage2401]

I absolutely love this dlc. A++!!! That's what I did. Save song with no spoilers watched. Such a great game!!

[@mattstansbeary3068]

If you keep looking it's the Same as when V becomes Legend and gets a Mission in Space to go to the Crystal Palace from Mr. Blue Eyes Himself where Songbird make a Deal of her own to get cured. She in the Hands of Mr. Blue Eyes which is either Good or Bad since we know little about Him & the others like Him. Besides He the one Backing the Want to be Mayor by Changing both Him & his Wife to be nothing but Puppets.

[@ArlenKeshabyan]

Sending Songbird to the moon means you handing her over to the blue-eyed man. I hope you all noticed him at the airport during the mission. The blue-eyed man is eager to get her and the technology she possesses. Songbird and Son Mi are two different persons. I believe, complying to Son Mi ask to kill her is the right ending. Especially later, Reed liked this decision and called it the right thing to do.

[@stipy5916]

Yeah, Mr Blue eyes will just put here in a cage like Nusa would.

[@TheConCarlos]

@@stipy5916 the main difference is - sending her to the moon is what SHE wanted. We shouldn't decide for her. Besides, we know myers is evil, we don't know that Mr. B is.

[@DEViL_X1612]

@@TheConCarlos yah like first time she fallen into wrong hand second time with kurt after all that she knew whats awaits her on moon also mr blue eyes is mystery could be AI who is good one and dont wanna hurt humanity ( if he wanted to do anything so bad he didnt needed much time to become threat he is just big mystery just like black wall)

[@TheGamer-fz6gy]

Once lier always a liar she should have just told us the truth for the start and she had zero intentions and helping us from the start she even tells you that she wasn't and then the only reason she's telling you is because she no longer has choice

[@Paragon231]

Very easy to say that when you haven't spent 13 years surrounded by nothing but liars.

[@TheGamer-fz6gy]

@@Paragon231 she knew from the start that v had the relic and that v would be desperate enough to help her get her cure the same cure that a one way use the cure that kills AI the same cure that they use on v to "safely remove the relic".

[@TheGamer-fz6gy]

@@Paragon231 she literally played you from the start.

[@slugma1054]

​@@TheGamer-fz6gyso did reed and Myers

[@TheGamer-fz6gy]

@@slugma1054 yeah it's obvious if you're working for the government and the secret service in cyberpunk

[@michawawrzkiewiczmicha7073]

I honestly regretted that I didn't have a chance to shoot Myers with her own rifle in the game

[@meatbagkiller7174]

I thought sending her to the moon was the best outcome. But as mentioned in the video she is a blackwall time bomb. And the one helping her is Mr Blue eyes speculated to be a rogue AI. So in freeing her you are helping him who we've seen what he's capable of. Maybe a better choice is to end her suffering with reed path. This fits with the whole theme of there being no good endings in Cyberpunk. Even what seems like the best outcome has severe consequences. There are simply no ideal outcomes in Cyberpunk.

[@nicksavage2401]

Wish we could get a dlc that we could take down Myers!

[@conecrazy]

I don't think she was lying about the cure at the party. i don't think she knew it was one time use until V plugged in the code into the cynosure.

[@b_krasowicz]

You can ask her that on the train- she knew from the beggining.

[@conecrazy]

@@b_krasowicz When V asked her, she said she found out when they went into the Cynosure. That's why V asks Song if she was ok. Cause she looked like shit. That's when Song found out it was one dose.

[@Verendrye]

​@@conecrazySo Mi went alone to the Cynosure facility? I actually wonder what she does in those 3 ingame days, because her health rapidly goes down after the Stadium mission

[@conecrazy]

@@Verendrye Sorry I meant when V plugs in the Cynosure code into the neural matrix. That's when Song found out that it was only one dose. You can see her agonizing silently. Then V asks, "are you alright? you look like shit."

[@conecrazy]

Actually. I watched it again. You're right. I had it wrong. She knew from the begining. That sorta changes things for me. Did she still have a redemtion arc? I think she did.

[@heyguyslolGAMING]

I played out all endings and the first was the worst by giving So Mi back to Myers FIA. I hated myself for choosing that path but I stuck w/ the oath which I felt was important but then I realized that made V no better than Reed, yuck. So I replayed by siding w/ So Mi and sending her off on the Shuttle which is my preferred ending. I agree 100% So Mi deserved her own life not to just exist but to live. Myers is an evil narcissistic b!tch and I so wish we had the opportunity to zero her but I had to settle for Reed instead.

[@MrSingularity2]

It's a great video and the only logical conclusion if you consider all angles. Reed standing in the way of So Mi's liberation is unfortunate. There is sadly no option to change Reed's mind. It doesn't become apparent what the NUSA really has over him, but I guess he is just living a lie, and it's costing him dearly. If we only learned more about his backstory, we could maybe have more sympathy for this man, next to being a token James Bond-esk figure. His actions say enough, though, and So Mi's behavior and history are clear as day. Reed could have been an incredible friend to V if he chose to be honest with himself and help liberate So Mi. It could have been a happy ending (sort of), and it would have been nice to stick it to Myers if this scenario was an option. They could've even started their own crew with Reed, Alena Xenakis, and So-Mi. Kinda like how Ethan Hunt operates in the Mission Impossible franchise (on the run from everyone yet saving the world multiple times). Choosing to help Song So Mi looks ironically similar to Lucy and David Martinez but without the romance part. I hope V's story will continue in Cyberpunk code name Orion. I would like to delve deeper and see where the rabbit hole leads to.

[@megetmorsomt]

Nobody can tell ya There's only one song worth singin' They may try and sell ya 'Cause it hangs them up To see someone like you But you've gotta make your own kind of music Sing your own special song Make your own kind of music Even if nobody else sings along You're gonna be nowhere, The loneliest kind of lonely It may be rough goin' Just to do your thing The hardest thing to do But you've gotta make your own kind of music Sing your own special song Make your own kind of music Even if nobody else sings along So if you cannot take my hand And if you must be goin' I will understand You gotta make your own kind of music Sing your own special song Make your own kind of music Even if nobody else sings along

[@TimesFM4532]

Tbf I would want to save songbird but unleashing the blackwall/ creating a direct route out of the old net seems dangerous. Once songbird went atomic reed said he cant help her like before since the black wall had taken over completely, she either needed to die or put in FIA "care" otherwise the nets fucked. If you kill her Reed says it was the right choice and at last shes free. Also songbird needed the matrex to heal herself which reed was going to uses to help her. Reed makes it clear he doesnt trust Meyers and doesnt actually tell her songbird betrayed her

[@Cat_in_The-Box]

My favourite part is when people do spoiler warning in conments for video full of spoilers

[@alexgriffin2732]

Theyre definitely not gonna go off the v getting cured ending in orion. In every other ending V becomes a legend and mikoshi is destroyed. I think militech's cynosure (or what the project evolved into) and the blackwall AIs will have the spotlight

[@bobbychybik1493]

Wow, phantom liberty story was great, endings...well ill admit i took the route of handing So Mi in and getting the cure and well i cant help but feeling... empty. Phantom Liberty was meant to bring about solution to V's impending death but ends up costing him more than he actually gains. He loses a lot of his friends because they think he ghosted them when he was in a coma, he loses his girlfriend, he loses his ability to use cyberware and all the things to become so well known and feared by gangs etc aand the one that cuts deep for me is losing Johnny.. an engram sure hes only an engram a jerk of one for at the start but he ends up growing on you and becomes your best bud. So in reality sure you survive the op, but at great cost vulnerable and alone. Eurgh it put such a bad taste in my mouth. To be honest i did hand So Mi in, but after watching this and another video theres a little regret. Sure she lied to you and hurt you but she was probably just as much a victim of this situation as you if not more... too bad there wasnt an option to expose Myers and all her actions it would of been great to see it.

[@Me10manKa]

I love how different all of us think and how different the reasonings are. I strongly agree that Songbird is not the villain, at least not more than the others. There are no good guys in Night City. However, in my opinion, there is no justification for letting her live. She is pure selfishness and is willing to do anything to stay alive. Even trusting Mr blue eyes. (Which is also y mystery, she seems so logical but trusts him without any doubt? Remember, she said something like "yeah, there was a random dude, she offered me the ticket". Without any reason. I guess she did hide some more important information from us...) My V kills a hella ton of people but never the innocent. Our V is also dying and desperate. I feel sorry for Song and for all she has been through, however, we don't have so much choice. Even if Song survives there will be no happy end for her, but we can make it as we did at the beginning of the game. Our friends may come back or we might find new ones. With our knowledge and skills we will be able to make a successful career even without tech. The only thing that I deeply regret is loosing Johnny. That ending where we get the surgery feels like we didn't even try saving him. His panicking face on the roof when we make the final decision will probably hunt me forever.

[@MagicEye117]

my first playthrough i sided with NUSA. For my second playthrough i sided with So Mi. My heart says side with my So Mi, but my brain says side with NUSA. When i sided with the NUSA, i get why So Mi wanted to die, but I couldnt pull the plug.

[@fragr33f74]

I gotta say this was a very enjoyable video, even tho I disagree with some points. For me, the ending where you kill Song is probably the least fucked up option, because you have to consider Song is essentially a walking WMD at this point and capable of great damage. Which, tbf, you actually allude to in the video. Giving Song back to the FIA is also fucked up because as she says you're sentencing her to a fate worse than death. All in all, I think CDPR did a great job with the endings. After all, great stories will always spark conversations.

[@shad3slay]

The best ending you can have in Night City is the David Martinez ending.

[@EyeCandryMovies]

HOLYSHIT WHITEMANE SAID THE THINGG!!1!!3!

[@willbaggiins9441]

To me it was best for me to let her die and not let Reed and the FIA to not have her... Reed is a puppet and FIA is well the FIA...I cant let Songbird go to the moon neither because Mr Bleu Eyes will have her which IS NOT GOOD if you know who/what Mr Bleu Eyes really is... so the best option is to complete the mission by sticking with Reed. Fight Hansen(bad ass bossfight) Fight the Maxtac(bad ass bossfigh) Run from the Blackwall Robot(metal Gear vibe) and free Songbird by letting her die.

[@Paragon231]

I will always put her on that shuttle.

[@amadeuszjankowski9212]

Songbird lied to V, betrayed him from the start. I like her character too, but in the end, she is the person that used V to her own ends right until the last minute, so the only right ending js when she goes back to FIA and they all deal with their own problems.

[@Wolf_Ghost]

I always saw her as a bad person but I haven't finished the game yet. So far, I just see that she talks shit about everyone she knows and stabs them in the back for her own gain.

[@Aisenheim]

Amazing work mate. Guess I am off to delete Reed. Makes me sad, but that dude is also begging to exit the stage. Even Johnny says it if you hand over Song Bird. Dude WILL hang himself.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

The true victims are all the innocent people that were killed due to her. Especially the civilians, but potentially some of the Barghest and FIA agents as well. She was selfish to the point that she didn't care how many corpses she stepped on in order to achieve her victory. She is the same as Reed, or Myers, or Hansen, or Johnny back his day (or yourself, depending on how you play V). And every one of those has "justifications" for the atrocities they commit: lies they feed to other people - and lies they feed to themselves.

[@Lucifer-bn1fz]

It’s funny how all the corps on the Space force 1 or all the dodgy people in the stadium that deal highly illegal stuff that you can only get in dogtown for a reason. And throughout the game are being slaughtered right and left or labeled as bad and no one ever baited an eyelid over that. Become all of sudden innocent because someone that lied to you is the one that does it.

[@IThrewDucks]

I agree that So Mi is the true victim of the story but wouldn't go so far as to say that siding with her is the best/true way for V. V's interest in the DLC is to find a cure for themselves, they are in *very* similar position to So Mi. This decision comes down to selfishness and whether or not to sacrifice your own chances of survival for a (small) moral victory. I can't fault V for choosing themselves over So Mi, he who fights by the sword dies by the sword and all that, so if they choose to go that route siding with Reed is just a safer option because NUSA and Miers are motivated strictly by greed while So Mi is in a full do or die mode.