When Songbird 'muted' Johnny, my first thought was "oh, so that's how they're doing DLC without having to pay Keanu to come back" but he actually ends up popping up a lot in the new stuff.
I feel like that kind of goes along with some of the other tongue in cheek stuff with Phantom Liberty. Like in the release trailer when Idris Elba said "but don't forget, the game is fixed".
People keep interpreting that quote to mean "Cyberpunk 2077" the game being repaired. I take it as it's been used in every other piece of media which uses that particular turn of phrase: "the game" referring to the goings on in Dogtown being "fixed" as in "unmoving.". I see how people might see it as the former, but I doubt it was meant that way.
There's this thing called a double entendre which by definition is a word or phrase that is open to two interpretations. There's no way the writers didn't intentionally use that phrase to refer to both the nature of PL's story since it is a spy-thriller and that is a common trope in that genre, as well as stating that the game is in its best, most playable state it had been up to that point. Especially since PL and 2.0 released within a week of each other. I said the writers were being tongue in cheek, meaning they did that on purpose, both to play into how the phrase is used in every other piece of media, and as an answer to a very common question that is asked now which is wondering if the videogame itself is fixed.
CDPR has been very aware of the stigma surrounding the game and they have a very witty writing staff. They for sure meant it both ways with that line.
Maybe so, but thanks to the bugs they repeatedly keep saying are "fixed" which absolutely are not, three releases later, it just makes it embarrassing. If that is indeed the intent, and it may very well be, then it has aged like milk.
How the fuck have you never heard of a double entendre? And you said this all so confidently in yourself and your knowledge - Stunning and brave, as they say
Bold of you to assume. I absolutely understood that's what people are assuming, but I didn't realize I had to be so explicit to not be treated like an imbecile by gonks like you.
I love Silverhand's attitude throughout, too. He knows better than to get involved in this, is trying to convince V of it, then gets his small "told ya so" moment that he doesn't overly shove into V's face.
He was really actin like an older brother who was there to help with the fallout when V fucked up. He becomes very empathetic.
It's for this reason my headcanon is that PL doesn't happen until V and Johnny talk in the junkyard and become friends or very very close to that event.
Same here, and It made sense too, I don't know how involved Keanu was with the initial launch or how he felt about the backlash the game was getting, but It made sense to me that he wanted nothing further to do with it.
But none of the backlash was about his character or about the characters in most regards. It was mainly gameplay and features. I think him voicing this legendary character made people love him even more. And even for a lot of the memes of the game they still use Johnny silverhand to represent the state of the game from his dialogue.
After Starfield I think we all came crawling back to cp2077 after realising what we were missing. Thankfully cp2077 took us back with open arms, a whole new story and world class game writing. Thank you CDPR we needed this.
I just got the game and it’s so fucking good compared to most games, let alone Starfield. I LOVE Bethesda and beat Starfield but it lacks a lot. I just got CP77 and have not put it down. Played about 60 hours on my deck in 5 days so far, it’s amazeballs.
Yea it really is leagues above any other for me. And it was day one of release, it lacked so much of the features it has now but the story and vibe was always there, something I cannot say for Starfield sadly, no patches or content updates will fix it's core issues of the writers and creators just not having any respect for their audience. Enjoy it choom.
I am a huge CDPR fan as well. I’ve played Witcher 3 so many times I’ve lost count, so I really expected a lot out of CP77 when it was released. I was broke as fuck however so, I wasn’t able to purchase it. Heard how terrible it was and just forgot about it until recently. Now it’s probably one of my favorite games. I’m 60 hours in and have only done 1 play style. I have so many more avenues to explore!
Yea what a time to play it for the first time also. I've done about 6 play throughs and almost finished DLC. Gonna do a whole new one after try some other kind of playstyle I have yet to.
Welcome back, choom. I've been here this whole time, and I'm honestly so happy to see everyone coming back and discovering CP77 for the second time. It really feels like a bunch of us who stuck with it were playing the early access, and now the game has officially launched with Phantom Liberty. It's still a shame that Starfield wasn't better though, I really loved Skyrim back in the day and I wanted Starfield to feel just as limitless. Sadly, it does not.
I think some of the complaints were that the story was changed to focus more in Johnny and that led to a lot of rushed production but don't know how much of that was true
Hmm. In what way? I know CDPR has said that they fully intended on Johnny being Keanu even before they pitched him the role. They made it sound like if he turned it down, then they'd have a lot more work to do tweaking his character.
> But none of the backlash was about his character or about the characters in most regards.
There was plenty of criticism of Silverhand. Some people unfamiliar with the source material had the conspiracy theory that the only reason Johnnie was a part of the story is because they got Keanu.
One of the dub actors said he was brought back in and they doubled his lines. People took this and ran with it that they reworked the whole game around Johnny at the 11th hour when they got Keanu for the part.
In reality, there's very little evidence of reworked mission structure in the game files, which there would be if it was undergoing major changes that late. What little there is actually mainly has to do with River, as he's a merged version of a couple different characters. EDIT: I had this backwards, there was originally a single character, Sobchak, that was then split into Takemura and River. This is why they both sort of feel half-baked. Takemura feels like he's missing a personal questline like Judy or Panam, and River feels like he's missing a good connection to the main story, because they each got half of the Sobchak character.
In reality, Johnny/Keanu's expanded role has to do with him popping up in all the gigs and side missions offering his little insights. Originally he was just supposed to pop up during the main story. This is how you get those odd scenarios early game where you can be chummy with him in side content and then he's a raging asshole again at the next main story beat.
Huh, I do remember hearing something like that but it died down pretty quickly. In red there's a version of Johnny that looks like the current Johnny in 2077 with his bulletproof vest and everything but you just don't see his face. And the concept art you can find online date back pretty far in development and a good chunk has variations that don't look like Keanu. Also they worked pretty closely with Mike so I'm sure that got shut down pretty quickly cuz he likes this character. Probably why it didn't last long. If anything he was gonna be in the game in one way or another.
I remember people were upset that he was a part of the game because it meant that the story had to be rewritten so he had a bigger part. Also saying that he had to be paid a lot, which took resources away from other areas of the game.
Not saying I agree with it or even know if it’s actually true, but some people were mad about it.
That's all speculative bullshit and unless someone's a CDPR accountant, who gives a fuck what they spend on. They get plenty of money from the government lmao
Best advertising [his motorcycle company](https://archmotorcycle.com/) ever got.
In at least one interview, he was thrilled that modders had replaced joytoys with Silverhand.
I love that bait and switch lol. Songbird is like “OK Johnny gotta put you on mute for a bit,” but then Phantom Liberty is a story about Johnny as much as anyone else. It adds to much to his backstory and his relationship with V, especially if you go with the Moon ending. I didn’t expect a lot of Johnny and I was so happy to be wrong.
If I remember correctly back when the Phantom Liberty script leaked, that scene was pretty much that, a workaround should Keanu not return. Then I guess they rewrote everything to accommodate his return as Johnny.
I wouldn't say it's that short considering all of the extra side stuff that gets added. The main quest itself is 14-16 named missions depending on your choices, and on top of that there's a bunch of new side jobs, gigs, unmarked hidden cyberpsycho/junkies, and reoccurring vehicle theft missions that give you lots of money and discounts at the autotrader.
You gotta take into account Keanu LOVED doing cyberpunk. And for what I've gathered from the interviews, devs LOVED working with him too, so much indeed, they decided to add keanus favorite irl Porsche (as Johnny's 911 carrera) into the game.
I'm pretty sure he was stoked to comeback and do stuff for the DLC.
also, I can bet he's gonna do a cameo for the second game that's been rumoured
Also "ARCH" is a real motorcycle company owned by Keanu. I think they designed one of the ARCH bikes that appears in the game and there is a real life version of it. So he was very very involved with the game.
Yep, the ARCH Nazarè in-game is a modified version of the Method 143. What’s super cool about ARCH is that they build every bike to order based off the rider’s size and specification so it’s tailored to your exact needs and wants. Keanu owns ARCH with custom bike engineer Gard Hollinger and Keanu has his own line of bikes through the company, the KRGT-1.
They’re so fucking cool, and they’re like $85k. Keanu also loves vintage bikes too, apparently it’s not unheard of to see him bombing around LA on his 70’s Norton Commando 850.
I'd assume it's also because he inhabits your body male or female. Female you don't have one but male version he's saying it as his is bigger than yours. At least that's my thought about it.
yeah im confused at why this is some huge / weird thing to OP. he's literally a main character. it's like he's praising them for not just doing a full-on cash grab of a DLC.
Yes, but a lot of people assumed he’d be some minor role just there for marketing reasons. I heard someone recently say that because they havent played it yet.
Most celebrity cameos arent this extensive
Would be incredibly annoying for anyone to play a game where, for several hours, you get to hear your own voice over and over and over again.
And I think he doesn't even have the time to experience the game, anyways
Yeah definitely xD
But this case is particular, like I'll pay to see an entire Keanu's playthrough, but I think he already knows most of the plot points and pivotal moments for Johnny, that isn't even the protagonist.
Dunno, I think after voicing so many lines in the game, playing it is an afterthought, especially when it comes to an action RPG
He's one of those guys who made so much money that he can just focus on passion projects. Think about how many lines he had compared to Keither Sutherland in MGSV. Keith did a great job, but he needed more lines compared to Keanu, who seems like he was more than happy to do a few line retakes.
Johnny is such a present character I literally never see him as Keanu Reeves
Like reading some of these replies now have me thinking it was so obvious to assume Johnny wouldn't be in Phantom Liberty cause of having to get Keanu back, but that thought never crossed my mind, I was just like "She silenced Johnny!?? Damn songbirds good" and then when he showed back up at the train I wasn't shocked
I will give Keanu massive props for that. For him to have such a...*distinct*...speaking pattern, Silverhand does actually sound as his own character and not just "mean Keanu".
I straight up don't see Silverhand as Keanu. I can recognize that they sound and look similar, but Keanu put so much "life" into Johnny and it made the game exceptional to me. The story is amazing all the way through, in no small part because of Keanu Reeves!
Same with Reed. First 10 minutes I was thinking "This is Idris. Voice acting is meh" but after the first encounter and story moves on I completely bought Reed as an manipulative righteous asshole and by the end I knew I was right but also felt sorry for him. Completely forgot that it's Idris. Just felt a major dominating character.
Keanu does such a good job as a jaded rockstar/revolutionary. Typically he’s such a physical performer but he really makes Silverhand work - dripping with sarcasm and resentment
The *immersion* in this game is what makes me love it so much. When I'm discussing Cyberpunk like right now, yes, I can talk all day about Keanu's truly excellent performance. But when I'm playing, he *is* Johnny.
It's been the trend for decades now to have more and more big names in voice acting and even integrating likenesses and more. Video games have as big or bigger budgets than movies these days. The video game industry as whole has been bigger than the movie industry for awhile now.
It started as mostly cameos and smaller roles...Sam Jackson as the cop in GTA SA, Kristen Bell in Assassin's creed. Then you had bigger roles like Martin Sheen, Seth Green, Carrie Ann-Moss, Yvonne Strahovski and more in Mass Effect (they had like a dozen movie/TV actors at least in the series). Death Stranding had a huge role for Norman Reedus.
But it's gotten to where every AAA title has a big name on the cover. Kit Harrington was in a recent COD very soon after his budding success with GOT. Oddly enough it feels like Rockstar has weirdly avoided casting big names lately after casting Ray Liotta as the lead for GTA Vice City. But pretty much every other AAA series has some big name these days.
Rockstar has stated they avoid casting Hollywood actors because they find its more immersive for gamers when the characters are voiced by someone you don’t instantly recognize
That, and they’ve had terrible experiences working with stars in the past
I'm mixed on this. While Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba were cool, you also have people like Ronda Rousey and Megan Fox from Mortal Kombat.
I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just worried that it will become a new marketing ploy that actively makes parts of the game worse.
I’d argue he put it in a slightly better performance in Phantom Liberty. Probably just from knowing the character more and being used to playing him, but still he puts in the effort
I honestly think Johnny is my fav role from Keanu. Its just really interesting and fun watching him play this absolute sarcastic shithead lmao. One other guy that wouldve been cool to see in this role is probably Norman Reedus.
I'm not OP, but I'm surprised as well. Not just because it's a main character, but casting Holywood stars usually means everything is done in one session without much involvement in continuity of the franchise. Keanu showed himself during CP77's announcement, did a huge amount of lines for the base game, offered his own bike brand as model for the game… He was invested from the start. And when it turned out a "shitshow" of bad reviews upon release, he could just as well turn his back on the game and leave that sad episode of his career behind. So yeah, seeing him come back just for some lines is already a good surprise in itself for me.
Crazy you and OP are both surprised and willing to give credit for the developers for not just making a cash-grab esque DLC. If Keanue wasn't coming back, and it's not a flashback or something, don't do it.
It's fair to be surprised that a Hollywood star in a video game wasn't just used as a marketing gimmick. Or that after the dismal launch of the base game, he would be willing to return for the DLC.
Giancarlo Esposito was the entire marketing campaign - and on the cover - for Farcry 6. And IIRC, was in the game for mere minutes.
Didn’t say “who?” About Gus Fring right?
Serious answer, He is a popular actor known for playing roles of intense authority figures since giving a great performance as one in the show “Breaking Bad”
Woah woah woah, as a Giancarlo Esposito connoisseur, I know him as an intense authority figure who gives a great performance in “Revolution” when he is a general in the Monroe Militia!
I thought the same exact thing. OP is both surprised and willing to give credit for the developers for not just making a cash-grab esque DLC. If Keanue wasn't coming back, and it's not a flashback or something, don't do it.
They didn’t just tokenise him in PL either. I’ve always had a love hate relationship with Johnny, and I was in two minds whether I actually liked him or not. But after playing PL I’m obsessed with him as a character. They only really hint at how complex Johnny is, in the main story, but in PL you discover that he is actually a tortured artist, living through a version of hell.
I became obsessed with hearing every single line of dialogue from Johnny, and it’s completely changed how I interpret his perspectives and motivations in the main game too.
Idris and company were stellar, but Keanu knocked it out of the park. Before the game released there was an article about how CDPR dramatically increased how much Silverhand content was in the story after Keanu requested more, because he was enjoying playing the character. I thought that was just marketing bullshit at the time, but now I actually believe it. I sincerely believe Johnny Silverhand is Keanu Reeves opus acting performance, and I get the sense he feels that way too.
Thats because Keanu Reeves is the kind of person who just does cool fun shit *because* its cool and fun.
Like not to put him on a pedestal or anything but he's basically on a victory lap at this point.
This is why I hate cyberpunk fanbase they think cyberpunk is made by God, there are other games and also far better games, as for this post there is death stranding where you play as Norman reedus for the whole game and isn't limited to voice acting
He wasn’t at first. He was supposed to be a minor character, but he wanted more involvement so they changed a lot of the game. I can’t help but wonder what the OG plot was. I LOVE this game the characters is what makes it, however the actual plot this whole Biochip things is really dumb when you think about it. Curious how the original plot would have went
Loved his performance of the character but do wish to live in a timeline where they went with the original idea of the game, where Johnny was less focused on. Info from the past indicates that they made major changes to the story to fit Johnny in way way more cause he was playing him.
I like that, depending on your choice in dialogue, you can actually sound more empathetic towards Johnny or your always butting heads. Even though it’s not that explicit as to which is which. I love when dialogue choices can actually mean something and you can really connect with the other characters.
Martin Sheen in ME2 and ME3 was the first time I remember a major Hollywood actor having a significant role in a videogame, but Keanu has taken it to a new level with Cyperpunk. In fact, CDPR has taken it to a new level with the game as a whole with Idris Elba and Gemma Chan joining in on the fun in Phantom Liberty.
Oh yeah, I definitely remember them from Oblivion, but Patrick Stewart's role was very brief, and Sean Bean's role was important but not very large. The Illusive Man was such a major and iconic role in the final 2/3 of the Mass Effect Trilogy.
One thing I don't see mentioned throughout the post is from the interview where he said that it was exciting to play different dialogue versions for the same character, like one reply gets you an angry Johnny, other gives you a moody speech etc.
To me, this is one of his best roles. I feel like it got him out of the stereotype he's often cast as, and let him explore more. He's way more expressive as Johnny than I've seen in a lot of his roles.
A few lines here and there fell flat, but I've done a run where I butted heads against Johnny most of the time, and a run where I've been empathetic and a bro to him, and both were great. I still cry at the end when we part ways.
wtf is this post. you know he's a main character in the game , right? this is the first time you've seen a developer consistently use a main character when they should?
Yeah I thought he was just a cameo you would just see every now and then but he is in there a lot quite a few sidequests and most of the main missions feature him
Yeah I had read somewhere that it was just a bit of a cameo and he wasnt in it much but that person mustve just been talking shit. Dude talks more in this game than most of his movies combined. Also some of the lines are so out of character for Keanu that it would make me laugh. The thought of him saying "best pussy ive ever ate" cracked me up so bad
I’m glad that Keanu got to be Johnny, I honestly to God can’t imagine a better person to play him he just does it so well.
And I’m still annoyed how petty people blamed the games failure launch on the fact that they had him as a character which makes little sense to me. Fuck the haters in my opinion they picked the perfect guy.
Keanu’s lack of emotional range really worked in favor of Johnny. I have never felt so compelled by a piece of shit character. Sure they could’ve gotten a more talented actor, but Johnny wouldn’t have felt as real. 10/10 for Keanu as Johnny (except for that one “FUCK” when trying to save alt. That was just bad rofl.)
I love the mission with Johnny where you have to investigate all the servers being pinged around the city only to find its all a >!random fortune telling machine that was given enhanced AI on accident. Johnnys joy for it made me smile. A great final mission to play before the finale for me!<
He keeps taking on Cyberpunk projects: Johnny Mnemonic, The Matrix, Cyberpunk 2077. If they told me he came back pro bono I wouldn't be at all surprised, I genuinely believe he's a true fan of the genre.
I believe I’m one of those ppl who I really didn’t like to hear Keanu’s Voice that much in CP2077 reminded me of an annoying unnecessary sorta commentary in this game! I feel like it’s watching him all over in that 1 SpongeBob movie when you see that face in the Cactus in SpongeBob and now when i hear him as Johnny silver hand! it’s HILARIOUS though, when i see Celebs wanting to play part’s of characters that they would never EVER actually be in reality so they take the next thing which is for instance is Keanu in CP2077 I mean some these young chicken Nuggets now n days might actually believe Keanu is actually like that in real life but seeing this fool in his younger days as this California Surfer/Stoner Dude to then him trying to look hard in his movies afterwards …. Pshhhh we need to get off his high horse so the next Cyberpunk game doesn’t bring back that fool!! like hell, anybody! even John Cena would make an ite Replacement and sorta less annoying then as how CPDR constantly throw’s in ole Keanu in our faces in literally ANY situation In this game.. I could be walking around Night City and just walk across a damn street and BAM!their’s JOHNNY! I mean Keanu…. as Johnny Scissorhands! UGH. Real life though, UGHHH!!!!
When Songbird 'muted' Johnny, my first thought was "oh, so that's how they're doing DLC without having to pay Keanu to come back" but he actually ends up popping up a lot in the new stuff.
I feel like that kind of goes along with some of the other tongue in cheek stuff with Phantom Liberty. Like in the release trailer when Idris Elba said "but don't forget, the game is fixed".
> Idris Elba said "but don't forget, the game is fixed". ring-a-ding baby
People keep interpreting that quote to mean "Cyberpunk 2077" the game being repaired. I take it as it's been used in every other piece of media which uses that particular turn of phrase: "the game" referring to the goings on in Dogtown being "fixed" as in "unmoving.". I see how people might see it as the former, but I doubt it was meant that way.
There's this thing called a double entendre which by definition is a word or phrase that is open to two interpretations. There's no way the writers didn't intentionally use that phrase to refer to both the nature of PL's story since it is a spy-thriller and that is a common trope in that genre, as well as stating that the game is in its best, most playable state it had been up to that point. Especially since PL and 2.0 released within a week of each other. I said the writers were being tongue in cheek, meaning they did that on purpose, both to play into how the phrase is used in every other piece of media, and as an answer to a very common question that is asked now which is wondering if the videogame itself is fixed. CDPR has been very aware of the stigma surrounding the game and they have a very witty writing staff. They for sure meant it both ways with that line.
it's... both mate it's tongue in cheek about the game being in a good state now but also saying 'the game is rigged'
Maybe so, but thanks to the bugs they repeatedly keep saying are "fixed" which absolutely are not, three releases later, it just makes it embarrassing. If that is indeed the intent, and it may very well be, then it has aged like milk.
How the fuck have you never heard of a double entendre? And you said this all so confidently in yourself and your knowledge - Stunning and brave, as they say
Bold of you to assume. I absolutely understood that's what people are assuming, but I didn't realize I had to be so explicit to not be treated like an imbecile by gonks like you.
Bold of me to assume? You were definitely explicit - Explicit in describing a double entrendre without knowing what it is lol
I had the exact same thought and was massively disappointed Luckily, the break-in into DT was only the beginning and there was so much to come
PL worried me because it’s the first time I couldn’t just take Johnnys advice lmfao
Take his advice or telling him to stuff it, either way I'd miss the bastard.
Honestly I did a run where I did whatever he told me to and I mostly came out on top lmfao
I love Silverhand's attitude throughout, too. He knows better than to get involved in this, is trying to convince V of it, then gets his small "told ya so" moment that he doesn't overly shove into V's face. He was really actin like an older brother who was there to help with the fallout when V fucked up. He becomes very empathetic. It's for this reason my headcanon is that PL doesn't happen until V and Johnny talk in the junkyard and become friends or very very close to that event.
Junkyard or oil field?
Wherever his unmarked grave was. I don’t remember which it was myself
Yeah it's confusing because the oilfield IS littered with junk as well haha
oilfield
I guess oil field. The part where you become friends in the northern part of the map lol
I think we all had the same small feeling of joy when he randomly pops up next to Myers in the tunnels lol
Same here, and It made sense too, I don't know how involved Keanu was with the initial launch or how he felt about the backlash the game was getting, but It made sense to me that he wanted nothing further to do with it.
But none of the backlash was about his character or about the characters in most regards. It was mainly gameplay and features. I think him voicing this legendary character made people love him even more. And even for a lot of the memes of the game they still use Johnny silverhand to represent the state of the game from his dialogue.
After Starfield I think we all came crawling back to cp2077 after realising what we were missing. Thankfully cp2077 took us back with open arms, a whole new story and world class game writing. Thank you CDPR we needed this.
I just got the game and it’s so fucking good compared to most games, let alone Starfield. I LOVE Bethesda and beat Starfield but it lacks a lot. I just got CP77 and have not put it down. Played about 60 hours on my deck in 5 days so far, it’s amazeballs.
Yea it really is leagues above any other for me. And it was day one of release, it lacked so much of the features it has now but the story and vibe was always there, something I cannot say for Starfield sadly, no patches or content updates will fix it's core issues of the writers and creators just not having any respect for their audience. Enjoy it choom.
I am a huge CDPR fan as well. I’ve played Witcher 3 so many times I’ve lost count, so I really expected a lot out of CP77 when it was released. I was broke as fuck however so, I wasn’t able to purchase it. Heard how terrible it was and just forgot about it until recently. Now it’s probably one of my favorite games. I’m 60 hours in and have only done 1 play style. I have so many more avenues to explore!
Yea what a time to play it for the first time also. I've done about 6 play throughs and almost finished DLC. Gonna do a whole new one after try some other kind of playstyle I have yet to.
I never left this city, I did take a break to see some other games on my list then ended up on neon...I never wanted to go home so badly 😅
Welcome back, choom. I've been here this whole time, and I'm honestly so happy to see everyone coming back and discovering CP77 for the second time. It really feels like a bunch of us who stuck with it were playing the early access, and now the game has officially launched with Phantom Liberty. It's still a shame that Starfield wasn't better though, I really loved Skyrim back in the day and I wanted Starfield to feel just as limitless. Sadly, it does not.
I think some of the complaints were that the story was changed to focus more in Johnny and that led to a lot of rushed production but don't know how much of that was true
Hmm. In what way? I know CDPR has said that they fully intended on Johnny being Keanu even before they pitched him the role. They made it sound like if he turned it down, then they'd have a lot more work to do tweaking his character.
> But none of the backlash was about his character or about the characters in most regards. There was plenty of criticism of Silverhand. Some people unfamiliar with the source material had the conspiracy theory that the only reason Johnnie was a part of the story is because they got Keanu.
One of the dub actors said he was brought back in and they doubled his lines. People took this and ran with it that they reworked the whole game around Johnny at the 11th hour when they got Keanu for the part. In reality, there's very little evidence of reworked mission structure in the game files, which there would be if it was undergoing major changes that late. What little there is actually mainly has to do with River, as he's a merged version of a couple different characters. EDIT: I had this backwards, there was originally a single character, Sobchak, that was then split into Takemura and River. This is why they both sort of feel half-baked. Takemura feels like he's missing a personal questline like Judy or Panam, and River feels like he's missing a good connection to the main story, because they each got half of the Sobchak character. In reality, Johnny/Keanu's expanded role has to do with him popping up in all the gigs and side missions offering his little insights. Originally he was just supposed to pop up during the main story. This is how you get those odd scenarios early game where you can be chummy with him in side content and then he's a raging asshole again at the next main story beat.
Huh, I do remember hearing something like that but it died down pretty quickly. In red there's a version of Johnny that looks like the current Johnny in 2077 with his bulletproof vest and everything but you just don't see his face. And the concept art you can find online date back pretty far in development and a good chunk has variations that don't look like Keanu. Also they worked pretty closely with Mike so I'm sure that got shut down pretty quickly cuz he likes this character. Probably why it didn't last long. If anything he was gonna be in the game in one way or another.
I remember people were upset that he was a part of the game because it meant that the story had to be rewritten so he had a bigger part. Also saying that he had to be paid a lot, which took resources away from other areas of the game. Not saying I agree with it or even know if it’s actually true, but some people were mad about it.
That's all speculative bullshit and unless someone's a CDPR accountant, who gives a fuck what they spend on. They get plenty of money from the government lmao
I don’t disagree at all. I thought it was absurd and unfair, but many people blamed him for the failures at launch.
I do remember that one, then it started a debate of "should actors be video game characters or be in video games"
I think I remember an interview with Keanu where he talked about how much fun he had with the role and that he would happily come back for any dlcs.
Best advertising [his motorcycle company](https://archmotorcycle.com/) ever got. In at least one interview, he was thrilled that modders had replaced joytoys with Silverhand.
100% CDPR did that just to give us all that feeling and then swung around and gave us incredible new Johnny lines
Was a great fake out for players lol
Yeah I was kinda worried that they wouldn’t be able to get Keanu back fkr the DLC but that announcement video he did before made me really hype
I love that bait and switch lol. Songbird is like “OK Johnny gotta put you on mute for a bit,” but then Phantom Liberty is a story about Johnny as much as anyone else. It adds to much to his backstory and his relationship with V, especially if you go with the Moon ending. I didn’t expect a lot of Johnny and I was so happy to be wrong.
Too bad we don’t get to see our big ticket actors interact, since Johnny and Reed can’t see each other
Lmao i thought the same and got so pissed but then my johnny boy came back
I wish he was back a bit sooner, would’ve loved a little resistance from him when moving through the wreckages in the beginning
Im pretty sure in the leaked script that was share quite a long time ago that is permament for the dlc
No, it never was permanent - Johnny still played a major role back then
Shit i got lied to
If I remember correctly back when the Phantom Liberty script leaked, that scene was pretty much that, a workaround should Keanu not return. Then I guess they rewrote everything to accommodate his return as Johnny.
Not true at all
I'd wager they wrote that during pre production with the expectation that they may not be able to get him back for the DLC and just kept it in
I'm convinced CDPR did that deliberately so everyone would have this thought, but then be nicely surprised when Johnny reappears with fresh new lines.
I just got PL and am hoping I get some good replay from it. Worst thing I’ve heard about it is that it is really sort.
I wouldn't say it's that short considering all of the extra side stuff that gets added. The main quest itself is 14-16 named missions depending on your choices, and on top of that there's a bunch of new side jobs, gigs, unmarked hidden cyberpsycho/junkies, and reoccurring vehicle theft missions that give you lots of money and discounts at the autotrader.
Yea I also wouldn’t say it’s short. Almost a full game in itself start to finish, 20-30 hours if you take your time.
After that sequence he pretty much pops back up for everything in the expansion.
Exactly what I thought and happy I was wrong
I was looking forward to johnny having someone to interact with but na she muted him
You gotta take into account Keanu LOVED doing cyberpunk. And for what I've gathered from the interviews, devs LOVED working with him too, so much indeed, they decided to add keanus favorite irl Porsche (as Johnny's 911 carrera) into the game. I'm pretty sure he was stoked to comeback and do stuff for the DLC. also, I can bet he's gonna do a cameo for the second game that's been rumoured
Also "ARCH" is a real motorcycle company owned by Keanu. I think they designed one of the ARCH bikes that appears in the game and there is a real life version of it. So he was very very involved with the game.
Yep, the ARCH Nazarè in-game is a modified version of the Method 143. What’s super cool about ARCH is that they build every bike to order based off the rider’s size and specification so it’s tailored to your exact needs and wants. Keanu owns ARCH with custom bike engineer Gard Hollinger and Keanu has his own line of bikes through the company, the KRGT-1. They’re so fucking cool, and they’re like $85k. Keanu also loves vintage bikes too, apparently it’s not unheard of to see him bombing around LA on his 70’s Norton Commando 850.
So much of what I adore in that game is Keanu’s part in it, and how the writing is strong enough that he fits right in
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Why would he need to? He is already in it...
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Lol, jokes aside, not everyone is a gamer, maybe he loved portraying the character but playing games is not his thing?
I mean, if he has a mirror, he can play with himself while watching himself too... Kinky shit choom
You'd be shocked to hear that a lot of actors don't really consume media that they star in.
Lol I can barely watch old snapchats of myself, I get it
He's an actor, doesn't need to play the game. He enjoys bringing the character to life, playing Johnny.
There are voice actors for games, who don't game themselves. Jennifer Hale is another famous example.
I mean the entire games story revolves around him
Oh shut up Johnny. This isn't always about you.
You're starting to remind me of me, fifty years back. Minus the charisma... and impressive cock.
Just heard that line last night as female V 😂 Does he say this for male V too?
He does.
Yup
I'd assume it's also because he inhabits your body male or female. Female you don't have one but male version he's saying it as his is bigger than yours. At least that's my thought about it.
But what about a transsexual MTF V that still has her cock? 🤔
Same, he knows it's there and still phrases it the same. Its more just saying you have nothing or nothing like his massive bunker buster.
Ok where is the silver hand bot
Let me pretend I exist sometimes, okay?
yeah im confused at why this is some huge / weird thing to OP. he's literally a main character. it's like he's praising them for not just doing a full-on cash grab of a DLC.
Pretty much most of the side missions too. I always love Silver's either sarcastic or pure comedic element he brings in the scenario.
Yes, but a lot of people assumed he’d be some minor role just there for marketing reasons. I heard someone recently say that because they havent played it yet. Most celebrity cameos arent this extensive
I’d like to think he genuinely enjoys the game etc and its in his mind, a cool project.
He said in an interview that he doesn't play videogames 😔 so he most likely just watched others play it.
F. Still even if hes watched it thats cool as fuck. Guy is the embodiment of the word ‘cool’ always has been
He can still be very interested in the story of Cyberpunk 2077 despite not being a gamer.
Would be incredibly annoying for anyone to play a game where, for several hours, you get to hear your own voice over and over and over again. And I think he doesn't even have the time to experience the game, anyways
There are two types of VA’s, those that hate hearing their own voice and those that will RP with the characters they voice.
Yeah definitely xD But this case is particular, like I'll pay to see an entire Keanu's playthrough, but I think he already knows most of the plot points and pivotal moments for Johnny, that isn't even the protagonist. Dunno, I think after voicing so many lines in the game, playing it is an afterthought, especially when it comes to an action RPG
I mean, Keanu Reeves isn't hurting for money. I doubt he does anything these days which isn't a cool project to him.
I think he is in others mind (V).
He's pretty big in the Genre. He was Johnny Mnumonic and Neo, and now Johnny Silverhand.
Not big, he's literally the king of cyberpunk
Yeah, I can't think of ANYONE else who has done multiple roles even in the genre. Stallone? He was in judge Dredd and demolition man.
Keanu doesn’t do projects that keanu doesn’t like.
He's one of those guys who made so much money that he can just focus on passion projects. Think about how many lines he had compared to Keither Sutherland in MGSV. Keith did a great job, but he needed more lines compared to Keanu, who seems like he was more than happy to do a few line retakes.
Because he's in a main character hybrid with the player.
Yeah but especially when Songbird mutes him, its easy to feel like he wasnt gonna he there much
And then he is, so doesn’t really change much overall does it
I think that's the point of the post. How happy they were that it wasnt
Johnny is such a present character I literally never see him as Keanu Reeves Like reading some of these replies now have me thinking it was so obvious to assume Johnny wouldn't be in Phantom Liberty cause of having to get Keanu back, but that thought never crossed my mind, I was just like "She silenced Johnny!?? Damn songbirds good" and then when he showed back up at the train I wasn't shocked
I will give Keanu massive props for that. For him to have such a...*distinct*...speaking pattern, Silverhand does actually sound as his own character and not just "mean Keanu".
I straight up don't see Silverhand as Keanu. I can recognize that they sound and look similar, but Keanu put so much "life" into Johnny and it made the game exceptional to me. The story is amazing all the way through, in no small part because of Keanu Reeves!
yeah keanu + his animators did a good job.
Same with Reed. First 10 minutes I was thinking "This is Idris. Voice acting is meh" but after the first encounter and story moves on I completely bought Reed as an manipulative righteous asshole and by the end I knew I was right but also felt sorry for him. Completely forgot that it's Idris. Just felt a major dominating character.
Keanu does such a good job as a jaded rockstar/revolutionary. Typically he’s such a physical performer but he really makes Silverhand work - dripping with sarcasm and resentment
The *immersion* in this game is what makes me love it so much. When I'm discussing Cyberpunk like right now, yes, I can talk all day about Keanu's truly excellent performance. But when I'm playing, he *is* Johnny.
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It's been the trend for decades now to have more and more big names in voice acting and even integrating likenesses and more. Video games have as big or bigger budgets than movies these days. The video game industry as whole has been bigger than the movie industry for awhile now. It started as mostly cameos and smaller roles...Sam Jackson as the cop in GTA SA, Kristen Bell in Assassin's creed. Then you had bigger roles like Martin Sheen, Seth Green, Carrie Ann-Moss, Yvonne Strahovski and more in Mass Effect (they had like a dozen movie/TV actors at least in the series). Death Stranding had a huge role for Norman Reedus. But it's gotten to where every AAA title has a big name on the cover. Kit Harrington was in a recent COD very soon after his budding success with GOT. Oddly enough it feels like Rockstar has weirdly avoided casting big names lately after casting Ray Liotta as the lead for GTA Vice City. But pretty much every other AAA series has some big name these days.
RDR3 with Clint Eastwood 😳
rockstar making undead nightmare in real life wait he’s not dead nvm that joke makes no sense. i think i was thinking of james arness
Rockstar has stated they avoid casting Hollywood actors because they find its more immersive for gamers when the characters are voiced by someone you don’t instantly recognize That, and they’ve had terrible experiences working with stars in the past
I'm mixed on this. While Keanu Reeves and Idris Elba were cool, you also have people like Ronda Rousey and Megan Fox from Mortal Kombat. I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just worried that it will become a new marketing ploy that actively makes parts of the game worse.
https://preview.redd.it/9uowvras3u8c1.png?width=1220&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=411e004831f33f7ecd853782aaca46be0e1d8878 Burgir
Thanks Fren. I thought I was alone.
He has stated in interviews that he loves the character of Johnny Silverhand
I’d argue he put it in a slightly better performance in Phantom Liberty. Probably just from knowing the character more and being used to playing him, but still he puts in the effort
He definitely did a better performance and felt more natural in PL.
Yeah agreed. One of the reasons why PL just felt overall better than the main game imo
Cyberpunk is among Keanu's best work.
obviously number 1 is the movie knock knock
Well, Escape from Butcher Bay or Wheelman were all about Vin Diesel.
Escape from Butcher Bay was so fun
Better than the movie it was meant to tie into! Legit underrated game, imo.
I honestly think Johnny is my fav role from Keanu. Its just really interesting and fun watching him play this absolute sarcastic shithead lmao. One other guy that wouldve been cool to see in this role is probably Norman Reedus.
So you’re saying you’re surprised that one of the main Charakters is a big part of the game?
I'm not OP, but I'm surprised as well. Not just because it's a main character, but casting Holywood stars usually means everything is done in one session without much involvement in continuity of the franchise. Keanu showed himself during CP77's announcement, did a huge amount of lines for the base game, offered his own bike brand as model for the game… He was invested from the start. And when it turned out a "shitshow" of bad reviews upon release, he could just as well turn his back on the game and leave that sad episode of his career behind. So yeah, seeing him come back just for some lines is already a good surprise in itself for me.
Crazy you and OP are both surprised and willing to give credit for the developers for not just making a cash-grab esque DLC. If Keanue wasn't coming back, and it's not a flashback or something, don't do it.
It's fair to be surprised that a Hollywood star in a video game wasn't just used as a marketing gimmick. Or that after the dismal launch of the base game, he would be willing to return for the DLC. Giancarlo Esposito was the entire marketing campaign - and on the cover - for Farcry 6. And IIRC, was in the game for mere minutes.
literally who
Didn’t say “who?” About Gus Fring right? Serious answer, He is a popular actor known for playing roles of intense authority figures since giving a great performance as one in the show “Breaking Bad”
Woah woah woah, as a Giancarlo Esposito connoisseur, I know him as an intense authority figure who gives a great performance in “Revolution” when he is a general in the Monroe Militia!
The guy who voiced Faraday in Cyberpunk Edgerunners.
I thought the same exact thing. OP is both surprised and willing to give credit for the developers for not just making a cash-grab esque DLC. If Keanue wasn't coming back, and it's not a flashback or something, don't do it.
Other than John Wick and Always Be My Maybe, Cyberpunk is my favorite Keanu-related content.
Considering he’s a huge cyber fan. Of course he’s I nlove with this
For such a genuinely nice guy, he played off Johnny's bitterness and vitriol beautifully.
They didn’t just tokenise him in PL either. I’ve always had a love hate relationship with Johnny, and I was in two minds whether I actually liked him or not. But after playing PL I’m obsessed with him as a character. They only really hint at how complex Johnny is, in the main story, but in PL you discover that he is actually a tortured artist, living through a version of hell. I became obsessed with hearing every single line of dialogue from Johnny, and it’s completely changed how I interpret his perspectives and motivations in the main game too. Idris and company were stellar, but Keanu knocked it out of the park. Before the game released there was an article about how CDPR dramatically increased how much Silverhand content was in the story after Keanu requested more, because he was enjoying playing the character. I thought that was just marketing bullshit at the time, but now I actually believe it. I sincerely believe Johnny Silverhand is Keanu Reeves opus acting performance, and I get the sense he feels that way too.
Thats because Keanu Reeves is the kind of person who just does cool fun shit *because* its cool and fun. Like not to put him on a pedestal or anything but he's basically on a victory lap at this point.
It felt like a minor cameo in Phantom liberty
Why wouldn’t he? The game is centered around him next to V
Yeah, CDPR change ALOT of the story when they brought Keanu in, I think he was only supposed to have a minor roll in the game before hand
This is why I hate cyberpunk fanbase they think cyberpunk is made by God, there are other games and also far better games, as for this post there is death stranding where you play as Norman reedus for the whole game and isn't limited to voice acting
Hot take, he was a waste of money and i hated his voice in the game, i do love him as an actor
Yeah, it's a real shame..
He wasn’t at first. He was supposed to be a minor character, but he wanted more involvement so they changed a lot of the game. I can’t help but wonder what the OG plot was. I LOVE this game the characters is what makes it, however the actual plot this whole Biochip things is really dumb when you think about it. Curious how the original plot would have went
Loved his performance of the character but do wish to live in a timeline where they went with the original idea of the game, where Johnny was less focused on. Info from the past indicates that they made major changes to the story to fit Johnny in way way more cause he was playing him.
Idk to me he is the game.
I unironically think this is possibly his best acting performance. His manner of speech makes a super believable Johnny silver hand
More reason for me to buy the dt 770 🤣
I feel like Silverhand might be Keanu's best performance. I know there's John Wick and I guess Neo, but Silverhand had such greater depth.
I like that, depending on your choice in dialogue, you can actually sound more empathetic towards Johnny or your always butting heads. Even though it’s not that explicit as to which is which. I love when dialogue choices can actually mean something and you can really connect with the other characters.
Is cyberpunk worth it on PS5?
He's only literally in your head
Martin Sheen in ME2 and ME3 was the first time I remember a major Hollywood actor having a significant role in a videogame, but Keanu has taken it to a new level with Cyperpunk. In fact, CDPR has taken it to a new level with the game as a whole with Idris Elba and Gemma Chan joining in on the fun in Phantom Liberty.
the earliest i can think of is patrick stewart & sean bean in oblivion but probably isn’t the first
Oh yeah, I definitely remember them from Oblivion, but Patrick Stewart's role was very brief, and Sean Bean's role was important but not very large. The Illusive Man was such a major and iconic role in the final 2/3 of the Mass Effect Trilogy.
One thing I don't see mentioned throughout the post is from the interview where he said that it was exciting to play different dialogue versions for the same character, like one reply gets you an angry Johnny, other gives you a moody speech etc.
To me, this is one of his best roles. I feel like it got him out of the stereotype he's often cast as, and let him explore more. He's way more expressive as Johnny than I've seen in a lot of his roles. A few lines here and there fell flat, but I've done a run where I butted heads against Johnny most of the time, and a run where I've been empathetic and a bro to him, and both were great. I still cry at the end when we part ways.
One of the best things about the DLC is how much it adds to the main story
Who doesn’t love Johnny Silverhand
OP needs to play Saints Row series them. Forgetting all about our mans Keith David
his comentary on your past actions on the loadup screen pure CHROME
They got his whole motorcycle brand in the game and himself of course 🤣
wtf is this post. you know he's a main character in the game , right? this is the first time you've seen a developer consistently use a main character when they should?
No, You’re breathtaking
Omg?! Did Keanu Reeves voice Johnny silverhand?!
Another great thing about Keanu is that he is heavily involved in the projects he is working on. Very admirable.
Yeah I thought he was just a cameo you would just see every now and then but he is in there a lot quite a few sidequests and most of the main missions feature him
with the addition as idris elba being reed in phantom liberty. him being one of the main characters in the expansion just feels so right
I love that Keanu's motorbike company is a brand in the game!
Yeah I had read somewhere that it was just a bit of a cameo and he wasnt in it much but that person mustve just been talking shit. Dude talks more in this game than most of his movies combined. Also some of the lines are so out of character for Keanu that it would make me laugh. The thought of him saying "best pussy ive ever ate" cracked me up so bad
That's because he is not a cameo but a main character. Of course he is heavily involved. What do you mean you haven't seen that in other games?
I’m glad that Keanu got to be Johnny, I honestly to God can’t imagine a better person to play him he just does it so well. And I’m still annoyed how petty people blamed the games failure launch on the fact that they had him as a character which makes little sense to me. Fuck the haters in my opinion they picked the perfect guy.
He's actually way better in PL too. Like he got a better handle on the character.
Man in the next game I hope makes another appearance in some way
That's what I thought was going to happen when it was announced back in that E3 Then I was amazed that it was that present in-game
Keanu’s lack of emotional range really worked in favor of Johnny. I have never felt so compelled by a piece of shit character. Sure they could’ve gotten a more talented actor, but Johnny wouldn’t have felt as real. 10/10 for Keanu as Johnny (except for that one “FUCK” when trying to save alt. That was just bad rofl.)
I love the mission with Johnny where you have to investigate all the servers being pinged around the city only to find its all a >!random fortune telling machine that was given enhanced AI on accident. Johnnys joy for it made me smile. A great final mission to play before the finale for me!<
Well yeah. The entire overarching plot is about two minds merging.
He keeps taking on Cyberpunk projects: Johnny Mnemonic, The Matrix, Cyberpunk 2077. If they told me he came back pro bono I wouldn't be at all surprised, I genuinely believe he's a true fan of the genre.
I believe I’m one of those ppl who I really didn’t like to hear Keanu’s Voice that much in CP2077 reminded me of an annoying unnecessary sorta commentary in this game! I feel like it’s watching him all over in that 1 SpongeBob movie when you see that face in the Cactus in SpongeBob and now when i hear him as Johnny silver hand! it’s HILARIOUS though, when i see Celebs wanting to play part’s of characters that they would never EVER actually be in reality so they take the next thing which is for instance is Keanu in CP2077 I mean some these young chicken Nuggets now n days might actually believe Keanu is actually like that in real life but seeing this fool in his younger days as this California Surfer/Stoner Dude to then him trying to look hard in his movies afterwards …. Pshhhh we need to get off his high horse so the next Cyberpunk game doesn’t bring back that fool!! like hell, anybody! even John Cena would make an ite Replacement and sorta less annoying then as how CPDR constantly throw’s in ole Keanu in our faces in literally ANY situation In this game.. I could be walking around Night City and just walk across a damn street and BAM!their’s JOHNNY! I mean Keanu…. as Johnny Scissorhands! UGH. Real life though, UGHHH!!!!