THE STORY BEFORE KEANU REEVES (THEORY)

[Memorex]

SPOILERS, do not read if you haven’t played through all the endings

Why I think the story wasn't always supposed to be like this?

It is known that in the E3 2018 gameplay demo, the radio reveals that Johnny Silverhand had his “last ride” in 2076*, it has been said already that at that point Johnny Silverhand didn't really have an important role in the story. Keanu Reeves probably joined the game around the second half of 2018 - first half of 2019, this is 1-1.5 years before the announced release date of April 2020. It is possible that this time wasn’t used 100% for QA but to redo/add big parts of the story, so Keanu Reeves could have a bigger role in it.

* proof: https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/27/cyberpunk-2077-gameplay-demo [8:35]

So, how was the story before Keanu Reeves joined the game?

My theory is that near the end of the prologue, you don’t steal Johnny’s Relic, you steal Saburo's, the CEO of Arasaka. This would have big consequences for the whole story, it would fill in some plot holes, and in my opinion, it would fix the endings.

During most of the game you wouldn’t know what personality construct you have in your brain; you just know that the chip saved your life.

Takemura saves your life because he knows you are Saburo’s container. That’s why assassins are sent to kill you and Takemura after he rescues you, that’s why you are important for him, not just because you can go into a meeting and say something nobody admits but everybody knows (as seen in Hanoko's ending).

Evelyn was hired by Yorinobu to get rid of his father's engram. This will allow Yorinobu to take over without his father resurrecting. It gives purpose to the whole Evelyn plotline and not doing it will prevent you from guessing the truth until it's too late. Much better than that red herring called Hellman.

Now let’s see the endings from this new point of view:

“Where is my mind?”. In Arasaka’s ending, imagine the moment you start speaking Japanese at the meeting at Arasaka Tower, imagine finding out at that moment that you are Saburo Arasaka. This is the bad ending, but at least a cool one, final speech on TV is given by V’s character with Saburo’s voice, while the player considers how treacherous corps are and how you have been played all along.
Doing Evelyn's quests and finding out more will open other endings, so you don't have to follow Takemura and Hanako into their trap. If you don’t trust Hanako my guess is that you can get rid of Saburo by uploading it back with the help of Soulkiller, maybe through the Voodoo Boys, maybe breaking into Arasaka's Tower with the help of the Aldecados.

You managed to eliminate the engram from your brain, but you now must make a decision:

“New Dawn Fades”. Run away with Panam and the Aldecados, knowing that Saburo will survive and Arasaka wins.

“Path of Glory”. You "go out with a bang", attack the space station where the engrams are stored, kill the copy of Saburo Arasaka you uploaded and make sure the whole project is destroyed, becoming a legend of the Afterlife. Much better than just abandoning Panam for a random heist in a space casino, and justifies why so many space-related assets are wasted in the original Rogue/secret ending.

What do you think? Was Johnny Silverhand central to the story from the beginning of development?

[Hidden Gunman]

Maybe Johnny Silverhand as an engram doesn't exist, and V is simply schizophrenic, and is simply perceiving people's reactions to him and living in a fantasy world.

[🐠🍑]

keanu and the mgmt ruined this game. i agree with you OP.

[Punished Rusty Shackleford]

RIP Jackie. Chooms 4ever

[Punished Rusty Shackleford]

Originally posted by C O R N:

keanu and the mgmt ruined this game. i agree with you OP.

Keanu did his job as an actor, I doubt he had any creative control apart for things that didn't affect the story. This is pure management being excited they got a hollywood star for their game.

[🐠🍑]

Originally posted by Brick Frog:

Originally posted by C O R N:

keanu and the mgmt ruined this game. i agree with you OP.

Keanu did his job as an actor, I doubt he had any creative control apart for things that didn't affect the story. This is pure management being excited they got a hollywood star for their game.

I think he asked for a central role and they gave it to him. Both are responsible imho. He deserves a role no larger than a side quest imho

[Memorex]

it's not Keanu's fault. I think he was very nice to CDPR and offered more than CDPR expected so they used him to the max.
And made game for him not for us

[Ruben_101]

"What do you think? Was Johnny Silverhand central to the story from the beginning of development?"

No, it was one of many wrong decisions but it led to the highest preorder and releasday sales ever. strange

[zacharyb]

Originally posted by C O R N:

Originally posted by Brick Frog:

Keanu did his job as an actor, I doubt he had any creative control apart for things that didn't affect the story. This is pure management being excited they got a hollywood star for their game.

I think he asked for a central role and they gave it to him. Both are responsible imho. He deserves a role no larger than a side quest imho

If he asked for a bigger role and CDPR then decided to make the whole story about him then that would be CDPR's fault. Even if he demanded a bigger role CDPR could've still told him no and just replaced him.

[Stumpy]

putting aside whether or not the story changed after Keanu's involvement. Did you guys really care that he was in the game? I personally never gave a rats ass. If he at the last minute had his likeness swapped out for somebody else and all his dialogues re-recorded i wouldn't of even batted an eyelid.

[Mansen]

Originally posted by Nobody:

My theory is that near the end of the prologue, you don’t steal Johnny’s Relic, you steal Saburo's, the CEO of Arasaka. This would have big consequences for the whole story, it would fill in some plot holes, and in my opinion, it would fix the endings.

Had this been the case, you would have been on the receiving end of a neverending manhunt of the ages. Arasaka have leveled entire cities before and if you happen to steal something they actually care about, you're not going to live long.

[Miden]

You know we have concept arts for Johnny Silverhand before Keanu take the role, right? Maybe the story wasn't so focus on Silverhand but I doubt we will get something diferent... Maybe if they stick with the original 3 Lifepaths we saw on 2018 gameplay trailer, it's possible one of the constructs was to be Morgan Blackhand... We have nothing about him in this game and he is THE ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ legend of Night City, more than Silverhand

[Shift]

"The story that unfolds in that world, however, will be entirely of CD Projekt Red's creation — a rise-to-power story about "someone who rises from a filthy gutter to stand against a hostile world." The game will be a story-driven experience set in an open world environment, which will be driven throughout by player choice."

What they said in an interview back in 2013 and said again in 2015 before going silent until 2018. Keanu said in an interview he was contacted by CDPR somewhere in 2018.

Remember the game was originally set to be released between 2016/7.

Originally posted by Miden:

You know we have concept arts for Johnny Silverhand before Keanu take the role, right? Maybe the story wasn't so focus on Silverhand but I doubt we will get something diferent... Maybe if they stick with the original 3 Lifepaths we saw on 2018 gameplay trailer, it's possible one of the constructs was to be Morgan Blackhand... We have nothing about him in this game and he is THE ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ legend of Night City, more than Silverhand

Inside the files, the model used by Blue Eyes have the tag 'blackhand' on it, same as the files for the cabbie on VTMB had Cain on it.

[zacharyb]

Originally posted by Stumpy:

putting aside whether or not the story changed after Keanu's involvement. Did you guys really care that he was in the game? I personally never gave a rats ass. If he at the last minute had his likeness swapped out for somebody else and all his dialogues re-recorded i wouldn't of even batted an eyelid.

Nope I don't watch Movies or TV shows so any celebrity in a game means basically nothing to me. Though hearing about how Keanu is supposedly a really nice guy in person but him being a ♥♥♥♥ in-game is pretty funny.

[Memorex]

Johnny Silverhand's quest was more appropriate for a DLC.

[Minty]

Originally posted by Stumpy:

Did you guys really care that he was in the game?

I'm sure his presence was orgasm-inducing for turbonerds who can't believe they're standing next to Johnny Neo Constantine Mnemonic Arctor (you know, the bland protagonist he always plays in cyberpunk movies), but he's basically just another dude in the room.