Cyberpunk 2077: 5 Similarities It Has To Deus Ex (And 5 Differences) makes quite a few points that Cyberpunk 2077 has little philosophy.

Cyberpunk 2077 is less about philosophy and more about doing whatever you want in a futuristic simulation of spliced up Los Angeles or Las Vegas. It’s like virtual tourism in that regard except the chances of death and getting double-crossed by everyone are higher

Cyberpunk 2077 seems to enjoy more of its vibrant neons and electrifying sounds more than anything where almost everyone is oblivious to the bigger picture and innocence as well as wholesomeness has little value.

They made me think that the author perhaps didn’t understand or didn’t get deep enough to see the fundamental part of Cyberpunk 2077. There is plenty of philosophy. But you wouldn’t see all of it in the trailers or if you play it only as a looter-shooter rushing through the content. You even won’t get it from the Cyberpunk 2077 lore book, which primarily describes the political arena.

The only way you discover Cyberpunk 2077 philosophy is by carefully listening to dialogs on the street, in some quests, etc., and then analyzing it by contemplating on the following and similar questions:

  • Why did the world come to be this way?
  • What choices humans made to make it possible?
  • Do they enjoy this world or not?
  • Can they do anything to go back and redesign it?

Here are a few interesting quotes from the game for your consideration. Let’s see if you can spot peculiar philosophy.

Johnny: Tired of assholes saying there are good and bad people in this world. There are no good or bad people. There are only good choices and shitty ones.

V: Always wanted to take one of these suckers for a spin.
Johnny: Which is exactly how all those naive gonks lended at the front. Didn’t even need to be recruited. They just showed you the tech.

Tyranny of biology
Listen. I’m not here to talk about the philosophical nature of what we do in augmentation science, That’s not to say I don’t understand the ramifications of my work – just that I feel there are better thinkers than I more suited to the task. My prowess, my genius – if you’ll forgive me for calling it that – is in the creation of these engines of human improvement. … at no other time in our history as the dominant species on this planet have we, as human beings, had as much power over our own bodies as we do now. We are on the threshold of an age where the tyranny of biology can be defeated.

Comparing these two games from a philosophical standpoint is almost impossible. Deus Ex series excels at displaying power struggle in a political arena, but it has little to offer concerning the philosophy of mind and morals. And on the other hand, Cyberpunk 2077 almost completely forgoes discussion of the struggle of power on society’s higher tiers to concentrate mostly on the personal motives, meaning of life, and moral valuations.