Cyberpunk 2077 is finally available and now that players are diving into Night City for the first time, they are immediately faced with a pivotal decision that shapes elements of the entire story: which life path to choose. The game features three unique life paths: Street Kid, Corpo, and Nomad. Each life path starts V somewhere else in or around Night City and introduces V to the main story line in a slightly different way. The Street Kid and Nomad lifepaths are considerably different from the illustrious Corpo lifepath, and players will see very different parts of Night City depending on which of the three paths they choose.
Here is how the shady Street Kid path compares to the rough-and-tumble Nomad lifepath.
Cyberpunk 2077: Street Kid Lifepath Explained
Living as a Street Kid means V is used to a life of shady jobs and action. V starts their journey sitting in the El Coyote Cojo Bar, making small talk with the bartender. During the discussion, V is asked to help the bartender settle a debt with a loan-shark. Pursuing this quest to help V's friend is what puts V on the path to meeting Jackie Welles. The loan-shark will settle the bartender's debt if V can steal an incredibly rare and expensive car from an Arasaka employee. Of course in the world of Cyberpunk 2077, nothing is ever that simple, and while attempting to steal the beautiful car, V is introduced to Jackie Welles who is holding V up at gunpoint for the car. During the commotion, the car's alarm brings the police, and Jackie and V get to spend some time bonding over their misfortune at the hands of the NCPD. From there, the lifepath converges to the montage of V and Jackie's Night City shenanigans.
The Streed Kid lifepath is for those who want their character in Cyberpunk 2077 to be born and bred in Night City, tuned in to the gangs and influences that are on the city streets. During the short introduction, the player is shown the rising tensions between some of the different gangs in Night City, and is introduced to one of the Fixers in town, Padre, who V is already close with. Choosing this lifepath opens up numerous dialogue options throughout the City, mostly pertaining to knowledge of Night City's gangs, districts, and illegal activities.
The Street Kid lifepath has arguably the most interactive dialogue options as it connects to a lot of different parts of the city and its history, so it's perfect for those who want to be in-tune with the underground and the goings-on in Night City while exploring to find all the iconic weapons hidden in the city.
Cyberpunk 2077: Nomad Life Path Explained
Unlike the Corpo and Street Kid lifepaths, the Nomad start actually has V outside of Night City in the Badlands. The Badlands are mostly arid wastelands, but small clans of people call the dusty roads and dunes their home, as V did before leaving their clan: the Bakkers. The lifepath starts with V getting their car repaired at a mechanic in a small town outside of Night City's border. V has recently left the Bakkers and is trying to make a name for themselves by getting into Night City. The ticket into the city is a smuggling job, where V and Jackie Welles are smuggling some lost Arasaka cargo into the city to be sold.
After some interrogation by the border customs agent, V and Jackie are "free to go" however it seems that the customs agent tipped Arasaka off to V and Jackie's scheme and the two are attacked by corpo soldiers. After some high octane drive-by shooting, V and Jackie escape Asasaka's goons and are free to offload the cargo to make some good money. From here, the game dives into the timejump that all three lifepaths see (though if players go through this path they will miss the Witcher 3 Easter Egg in Cyberpunk 2077).
The Nomad lifepath is perfect for those who want to experience all that Night City has to offer right alongside V, seeing it with fresh eyes and no outside knowledge. While the Street Kid lifepath is great for having dialogue open up when pertaining to gangs and the Night City underground, the Nomad is focused on honesty, integrity, and a love of freedom that is clearly absent from the other two lifebaths. Nomad V will have dialogue options open up later tying in those ideas, especially with characters who also believe in those ideals or follow a similar lifestyle to the Nomads out in the Badlands (though there is definitely such a thing as too much freedom in Night City these days). While the dialogue options for Nomad are more spread out than Street Kid's, they are by no means less useful.
Biggest Differences Between Street Kid and Nomad
At the end of the day, all the lifepaths lead to the same place: Jackie and V joining forces and working together to rescue Sandra Dorsett. All three lifepaths will see the same montage of V making a living in Night City prior to the start of the Dorsett job, and all players will start with the same apartment and options available to them. There are two major differences between the Street Kid and the Nomad: the first 30-45 minutes of the game, and the subsequent dialogue options. While Street Kid is more in-tune with the gangs and underground of Night City, the Nomad excels in conversations with idealists and those who respect freedom. The Nomad also has bonuses with those who hail from beyond Night City's walls.
Cyberpunk 2077 is first and foremost a roleplaying game, so both are great options to pick, especially if players are looking to really embody the roll of V during their time in Night City alongside Johnny Silverhand. Players are not missing too much by choosing one path over the other, but the lifepath will result in some quests playing out differently based on the dialogue options provided by the lifepath. But nevertheless, players are sure to enjoy Cyberpunk 2077's story regardless of where the starting point is.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, and later on PS5 and Xbox Series X.