a real man oughta be a little stupid…

I keep listening to music but it's not enough

yarr i lost all me treasure fuck me salty sea dog life im gonna walk me own plank

one of the most underrated but brilliant parts of cyberpunk that i have been admiring as i get close to the end of my second playthrough is how v's dissolution into johnny is so innocently integrated into the gameplay as a series of fun silly or mechanically powerful loot drops. on a gameplay level its a fun incentive to do side quests! look! you can get johnny's super powerful and sleek gun! how fun! you can get his unique custom paint job car! how cool! you can get a samurai replica jacket like the one v wore in the game's promotions! how silly! you can find his pants and shoes and glasses and look just like him! how sweet! he gives you his dog tags! you might not think twice about it as the player. it's just a bunch of cosmetic quest rewards, after all. but... in world? on a story level? what does it look like to vic? to misty? when v shows up for some cyberware upgrades driving johnny's car, in johnny's pants, in johnny's jacket, in johnny's glasses, in johnny's shoes, with johnny's gun at their hip and johnny's name around their neck? is that still v in there? do they even know what it looks like? do they even care? is that still v in there? is that still v in there? it seems like just a fun little easter egg but what does it look like to the people who are watching their friend dissolve into someone else in front of their eyes?