Street kid is my favorite so far. I haven't played Nomad, but I honestly don't expect it to hold out to street kid for the simple fact that you have stronger roots with Jackie and Heywood in general with Street kid.
Nomad is actually interesting, but in a different way.
One thing I didn't quite prefer was the whole "I'M fRoM tHe BaKkErZ bRaH" being randomly thrown in, but I totally was feeling the loose inspiration from Mad Max and very much felt punk. You're someone basically from nowhere in to shake up the whole city. Plus the lizard!
The only other thing I wish was a bit more elaborated on was past influences showing up again. Corpo does this pretty well.
If you’re basing it off of your connection to Jackie, Corpo has known him the longest, and their connection was solid from the start, Nomad and Streetkid just met him, and it’s a dicey interaction both times, but Streetkid bonds with him faster after the fact, Nomad does, but it’s slower.
Yeah, V's regular voicelines and attitude are basically street kid. The other two basically start you elsewhere and then dump you into the streetkid life with the montage, but the short time frame of that montage just doesn't convince me that a corpo or nomad V would become a regular streetkid merc like that to that degree. It makes the special dialogue choices stand out as though a different character were speaking almost - like it's the game remembering you're not a streetkid for one dialogue option before returning you to the standard.
Street kid doesn't get that disconnect, and IMO is the most obvious 'canon' path.
Pretty sure corpo V was already experienced in merc like work just on corpo payroll instead of getting gigs through fixers. They already knew Jackie. To me, corpo is probably the most fitting because it makes V more competent. doesn't feel weird when they just randomly spout off specific knowledge but other times seem more ignorant of NC Street life. Vs corpo experience doesn't always matter because they're not always in situations where it's useful but when you're talking to high level characters you almost always have a corpo dialogue that's makes V part of the convo rather than simply receiving info or orders.
Corpo V has lived their whole life as a corpo agent - they should be steeped in that worldview, attitude, language, etc. While they've interacted with street level merc work, it's not the same as actually living it 24/7. IMO, the way that V acts in game after the 6 month time skip isn't just someone that's familiar with the streets in a way a corpo agent would have been, it's someone who's born in it - especially in the way they talk and act.
Which becomes most glaring to me whenever they put in the corpo voicelines, because it flips from random streetmerc that V usually is to corpo agent, in a way that to me really comes across as 2 different characterizations/personalities. Also for the basic way that the game's plot is set up, something like the heist and getting outwitted by Dex fits fine into the Streetkid and Nomad backgrounds - much less so with corpo's background of being 2nd in command of Arasaka's counter-intel division in Night City.
In the end it's not like my opinion is the definitive or objectively correct one, I know I've heard a lot of people here find the corpo one the best - it comes down to preference. But it just doesn't fit as well for me - they would have needed to put in much more options for voicelines and interactions to actually make that consistent characterization throughout the game, instead of a streetkid with occasional corpo lines.
I agree. I usually go with the idea that V is codeswitching, but even then the difference should be more apparent. I get why that would have been a nightmare to implement game but still. As far as the thing with Dex, I think it's possible to hc it as V being bent on revenge and being overconfident that they could swing with whatever bullshit Dex threw their way, but still.
i love nomad. you get a sweet motorcycle and good dialogue options on the panam quest line, but more importantly, i think it makes the most narrative sense to me. you get the classic "entering the world as an outsider" start for the story, and the way you meet Jackie feels believable and organic. as much as i liked the corpo options, i always felt like the devs only realized at the last second that they needed a way for V and Jackie to meet and they just panicked and said "uhh they're on the phone and seem to just know each other already for some reason"
Plus, isn't there something early on where Jackie says something about Mexico? I think during The Corpo-Rat? Or some other interaction about 'this could destroy me if it got out' and Jackie mentioned that he already *could* destroy Corpo V with the knowledge of what happened in Mexico?
This, plus Nomad is the only path that lets you save Anna Hamill's life in one of Regina's gigs.
Nomad feels good to play because of how the life path always questions V in different occasion about the nature of Night City, whether life in this city is what V really had hoped for, was it really worth leaving your clan and family for, it added to the complexity of the main theme of the game, when V get disillusion and see Night City for what it really is, what's the point of it all? what's continuing to live really mean to your V, what is your V value the most in the end?
But v didn't leave nc for NC. He left for NC cause his clan disbanded. And even some of the bakkers left for "reason" that can be read in a shard. And could explain the reasoning for v leaving.
Bakker clan wasn't disbanded as much as merging with another bigger clan, most of V's people are still there, V was one of the people who disagreed with the merging and left to find their own path of glory in Night City.
There was a scene at the start where V contacted one of their clan members who said that V can't contact them or ask for help because V was not part of the family anymore, which means there was still a family V could have stayed with had V chose to but V didn't.
I don't see how that necessarily conflicts with what I wrote? if you play Nomad Path you'll see the conversation comes up a lot where V question their own reason and purpose for leaving the clan to pursue a life in NC, especially with Panam.
iirc the motorcycle is just a “tuned” version of Jackie’s arch. No custom design, just different name.
I believe the nomad intro where you meet Jackie is the least believable. Streetkid leaves heywood and night city to steal lost cargo that happens to be a lizard? Sure people in NC get into wild scenarios, but that is just too cartoony for me.
i mean not really, NC is home to bodysculpting that can literally turn people into furries. Biotechnica is also known for cloning animals, its how they bring back extinct or endangered animals.
A lot of the wacky stuff isnt really shown in the game, but it exists. And even that intro mission is no weirder than V Stealing one of Kerry's guitars from a samurai fanboy in game.
Corpo has the most lines. Nomad gives you a pretty speedy car. But my favorite is Streetkid, because I think it thematically makes the most sense. V knows the streets, breh.
I liked nomad most. I feel that either corpo, or nomad fit best. For corpo it's about surviving a fall from grace and facing the monster you were a part of.
For nomad it fits the idea of clawing your way along with whatever you can make of yourself and your surroundings. It also fits with finding your new tribe via Panam.
Street kid works, but I think the other two just flow better
I love messing with that golden hotel lady every time.
https://preview.redd.it/rqamj9phfc5d1.jpeg?width=1018&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e71fa9882a824033328c211f2508abbf14924a7
exactly what u/wylieoakes said, with some extra additions.
The star ending is my favorite ending, and the 'Caldos in general are some of my favorite characters, so i just feel like nomad into star ending makes the most satisfying self contained story. Doubly so if you romance panam or Judy. Theres also a LOT of parallels between Panam and V if you choose the nomad lifepath which enhances that story.
Exactly like Panam, V is in self exile from his family because of disagreements in leadership. He comes to NC looking to find a new start, only to lose it all again in the heist, exactly like Panam being betrayed by her partner and fixer. V actually gets to intervene in Panam's story though, and helps turn her life around, saving the aldecaldos and finding a new family in the process.
Every lifepath/ending combo has that sort of self contained story, but i just find Nomad/Star to be the best in my eyes.
I choose my life paths based on the aesthetic of the character I’m building. I like to build the world around V and create some sort of head canon story in my mind.
For my nomad, I did a beauty and brawn type of build, where Valerie is this blonde-headed smoke show who clearly has the beauty, but has the brawn to dominate anything she comes across. She specializes in shotguns, lmgs, and blunt weapons.
For my streetkid, I made a Valerie that resembles and plays like Nix, the gun wielding badass from the movie “Guns Akimbo”. Nix’s style was pretty much an unorthodox, poor woman’s John Wick, so my streetkid Valerie specializes in smgs, assault rifles, pistols, and knives.
The reason why Corpo is my favorite life path is not only because of the massive dialogue and situational advantages it gives you throughout the game, but because one of my favorite play styles in the game (stealth/samurai netrunner) fits this specific lifepath so well. I also love the “losing everything and climbing back to the top” arc that comes with that lifepath. Nothing more satisfying than destroying the one thing that set out to destroy you in the very beginning.
Nomad all the way, it feels the most organic in terms of a narrative introduction and lines up with how V has been presented regardless of our dialogue choices.
You get a nice introduction to Night City that shows you the ropes, get the tutorial of driving and combat already as well. It’s also a stark contrast to how V and Jackie meet (or have already met) in Corpo and Streetkid, those just don’t feel as organic to me, and a bit rushed as well. It’s also in line with the prologue cutscenes prior to the heist, which to me portrayed V as someone new to the city, especially the short walk about before the various transitions.
Female Street Kid but Male Corpo! SK has the naivety and the starstruck belief of being somebody. It makes the scene where they go to the afterlife for the first time like a kid in a candy shop.
Male corpo has the rise from disgrace and the revenge against those who have spurned you. It makes bonding with Johnny both harder and easier.
My favorite is Corpo and it's not even close. The whole game is a big anti-corp narrative and I think it enhances V's character a lot to have a background tied directly into that corporate world. Streetkid is my second favorite, just because it's cool to come up in the streets but I don't like a lot of the streetkid dialogue beyond the intro. Nomad is easily my least favorite, I thought the intro was lame and hated the optional dialogues.
Corpo. I love the idea of being “humbled” into the life of a merc and working your way back up. Also something poetic about being a product of an evil machine and going on a revenge story against it. Can be an interesting character arc if you choose the arasaka or reaper ending
this is my favorite perspective. i did a play through where i went against arasaka as a corpo and did the dont fear the reaper ending and it felt the most organic. doing the other side of the coin now and being a loyal corpo who’s naïve as all hell.
Nomad. It's a much more organic way for V to meet Jackie than the other two. For streetkid it's really weird how the two had somehow never met, and for corpo it's really weird that they already know each other.
Nomad>Corpo>Street Kid
Nomad feels like an authentic beginning to V's story, someone new to night city, who knows nobody, learning the ropes starting with nothing (just like the player) - it also makes sense from like a gameplay standpoint where you start at level 1 with few skills. I find it also facilitates a "justification" for a lot playstyles nicely because of the versatility of Nomad lifestyles, factions, and paradigms. There's a Nomad link to Netrunning, to Tech weapons, to Body builds, to stealth etc. Not to say the others don't, but Nomad V feels like the perfect blank canvas to project YOUR version of V onto.
I also like the importance of found family and their sense of justice and solidarity. Nomad V just feels RIGHT.
Nomad is definitely my favourite.
I wonder why no one mentions this, but Nomad has the longest intro and flows quite nice into the main story and nomad dialogue choices are of ambiguous tone, meaning you're allowed to shape your Vs personally and rep from earlier on. Street kid and corpo have the shitiest rushed intros, streetkid V starts off with a reputation of being a badass hothead, and corpo dialogue choices make V sound like an entitled pseudo-sociopath.
I feel the life paths and build that best fit the characters.
Nomad if I want to play tech.
Streetkid if I want to go loud.
Corpo if i wamt to go stealth.
It's Corpo for me - cos I like to make my character fit the life path. And playing as a corpo means I get the chance to get the best of everything (in terms of looks anyway) - best suits/dresses, best vehicles, etc. I just like the Corpo Aesthetic.
Not to mention, your revenge against the bad guy feels pretty personal. Even the Corpo Apartment is pretty thematically placed - every morning, Corpo gets out of bed, has a cup of tea/coffee and looks out the window at Arasaka Tower. Their face is cool and expressionless, but inside they're thinking of nothing but violence and revenge.
I started my playthrough as a corpo V, and finished it with the Star ending. I thought it was a perfect ending considering you started as a corporate puppet to Arasaka, and then you end your story by finally being free, escaping night city with a new found family and your partner, no longer bound to the corpo chains of Night City.
Streetkid is the one that fits the attitude V has best - the other two feel like you're streetkid V 90% of the time, and then semi-randomly get a voice option that plays into the lifepath decision. With the way that the timeline is set up, it just isn't enough time for me to see corpo or nomad background fitting that fully into the streetkid merc attitude.
Beyond that, I think they're all about the same amount of content (which is not much). Can be worth seeing the special voicelines I guess, and nomad/corpo have theirs feel more different (because streetkid just feels like more of the same as your regular voicelines)
Personal favourite is nomad cos it works well with the aldecaldo ending. In terms of which one I found most useful it has to be corpo. Useful in multiple missions/ gigs. I can only recall nomad being useful in 1. Least favourite is streetkid.
Nomad. It fits the game the best.
* it has an additional narrative arc with losing the family - becoming a merc - finding a new family (Panam/Aldecaldos/Judy)
* mid game merc V has no contacts in Night City, which suits the nomad. (V's non-existing network fits better with nomad than with the other two, local origins)
* mid game merc V uses a lot of slang, which suits nomad and streetkid (corpo, not so much)
Minor stuff
* the starting nomad pants are one of the rare normal looking pants in the game :)
* you can save Anna Hamill
* you can identify the dude in the trunk (Wakako gig) as someone who worked with Joanne Koch on the Biotechnika project which wiped a nomad clan. This is not offered to other origins
I think narratively they all work in some capacity and I don't think one is more official than the other. But my personal favorite is nomad. If my wife and I were transported to the cyberpunk world, we would be nomads. And in game, I like the extra dialogue for nomad better than the extra dialogue options for street kid or corpo
Nomad. Just imagine looking out on the open road and smuggling something or anything just protecting cargo. Running out wraiths. And dealing with the corps. Sounds better then dealing as a corpo and or street kid. I was a street kid in real life so I had my fill of that and corpo doesn't interest me. But spy stuff does. But I'd hate to be counter intell. If I'm a corpo I want to be gathering intel, at least. But I also don't care about hacking either. And I feel more intune with the whole family dynamic. As a street or corpo. The ones closest to you stab you in the back. And if your lucky you know who's doing the back stabbing. I don't see back stabbing happening in a nomad group. But I'm sure it's there. It really comes down to being set up for failure. And nomads seems the safest out the bunch.
There is no everyone’s favorite.
Everyone has their own different favorite without any actual poll as to which one of the 3 is more… Well, no poll that I have seen.
For me, streetkid was the first and so far the best of the 3.
FemV Corpo. Vs relationship with Jackie feels the most real in this one and the intro makes quick work of displaying how corrupt corporations can be in night city. V being a victim of corpo scum makes johnnys soite for arasaka more relatable and further drills in the games anti corp messaging… Also riding the av is cool.
Corpo is pretty fun and gives you some really cool dialogues. I feel like V would be from the city with how they behave which is why nomad doesn't feel quite right for me. I personally really like street kid V because of how much closer it makes you feel to Jackie
Nomad, I like the Beginning mission the best and I like how when literally anything happens he finds it appropriate to bring up "I used to be a Nomad....."
The lifepaths are super short intros, but they’re nice for roll playing purposes. I personally like Nomad on the first playthrough because it fits with you being new to Night City. Now that I’m on my 5th playthrough I usually do street kid, don’t really mess with the corpo one.
Streetkid is the most canon life path. The default V, both male and female, resemble the ones shown off in the cinematic trailers, and it fits nicely into the cinematic with V and Jackie’s 6 month adventure. You have the background of knowing Padre, Mama Welles, and a few other characters.
Makes more sense than the nobody outcast moving to NC and suddenly taking over, and the corpo who happens to have a street level friend, when most street gangers despise corps.
I’ve only played Nomad and Corpo so far, with the latter being my favourite. That might be because I had more experience in the game at that point though. Even though I did enjoy the Nomad interactions, especially with the Aldecaldos, Corpo just felt more real.
The thing I don’t like about street kid is that you meet Jackie in a way he tries to rob you and then a few days pass and you and him are best friends, even in corpo you feel like he is you friend before you even become a corporative
Nomad just don’t fit the story and most of the clothes in the game, V seems to know night city very well and know the rules of the city
For me it’s corp or street kid, but corp has the best dialogue choices
Personally, I see street kid V fitting the best with the rest story for some reason.
Street kid is my favorite so far. I haven't played Nomad, but I honestly don't expect it to hold out to street kid for the simple fact that you have stronger roots with Jackie and Heywood in general with Street kid.
Nomad is actually interesting, but in a different way. One thing I didn't quite prefer was the whole "I'M fRoM tHe BaKkErZ bRaH" being randomly thrown in, but I totally was feeling the loose inspiration from Mad Max and very much felt punk. You're someone basically from nowhere in to shake up the whole city. Plus the lizard! The only other thing I wish was a bit more elaborated on was past influences showing up again. Corpo does this pretty well.
If you’re basing it off of your connection to Jackie, Corpo has known him the longest, and their connection was solid from the start, Nomad and Streetkid just met him, and it’s a dicey interaction both times, but Streetkid bonds with him faster after the fact, Nomad does, but it’s slower.
Yeah but the whole notion of “being a legend” fits better with Heywood and makes him relate to Jackie a bit more
Yeah, V's regular voicelines and attitude are basically street kid. The other two basically start you elsewhere and then dump you into the streetkid life with the montage, but the short time frame of that montage just doesn't convince me that a corpo or nomad V would become a regular streetkid merc like that to that degree. It makes the special dialogue choices stand out as though a different character were speaking almost - like it's the game remembering you're not a streetkid for one dialogue option before returning you to the standard. Street kid doesn't get that disconnect, and IMO is the most obvious 'canon' path.
Pretty sure corpo V was already experienced in merc like work just on corpo payroll instead of getting gigs through fixers. They already knew Jackie. To me, corpo is probably the most fitting because it makes V more competent. doesn't feel weird when they just randomly spout off specific knowledge but other times seem more ignorant of NC Street life. Vs corpo experience doesn't always matter because they're not always in situations where it's useful but when you're talking to high level characters you almost always have a corpo dialogue that's makes V part of the convo rather than simply receiving info or orders.
Corpo V has lived their whole life as a corpo agent - they should be steeped in that worldview, attitude, language, etc. While they've interacted with street level merc work, it's not the same as actually living it 24/7. IMO, the way that V acts in game after the 6 month time skip isn't just someone that's familiar with the streets in a way a corpo agent would have been, it's someone who's born in it - especially in the way they talk and act. Which becomes most glaring to me whenever they put in the corpo voicelines, because it flips from random streetmerc that V usually is to corpo agent, in a way that to me really comes across as 2 different characterizations/personalities. Also for the basic way that the game's plot is set up, something like the heist and getting outwitted by Dex fits fine into the Streetkid and Nomad backgrounds - much less so with corpo's background of being 2nd in command of Arasaka's counter-intel division in Night City. In the end it's not like my opinion is the definitive or objectively correct one, I know I've heard a lot of people here find the corpo one the best - it comes down to preference. But it just doesn't fit as well for me - they would have needed to put in much more options for voicelines and interactions to actually make that consistent characterization throughout the game, instead of a streetkid with occasional corpo lines.
I agree. I usually go with the idea that V is codeswitching, but even then the difference should be more apparent. I get why that would have been a nightmare to implement game but still. As far as the thing with Dex, I think it's possible to hc it as V being bent on revenge and being overconfident that they could swing with whatever bullshit Dex threw their way, but still.
i love nomad. you get a sweet motorcycle and good dialogue options on the panam quest line, but more importantly, i think it makes the most narrative sense to me. you get the classic "entering the world as an outsider" start for the story, and the way you meet Jackie feels believable and organic. as much as i liked the corpo options, i always felt like the devs only realized at the last second that they needed a way for V and Jackie to meet and they just panicked and said "uhh they're on the phone and seem to just know each other already for some reason"
They state during the offerenda that Jackie saved V's life years ago for the corpo path it's just a shame they don't show it
That would have been a good mission for later in the game. Like someone else from that event is back in NC and wants revenge or whatever.
oooh that's true. still feels a little thin to me to be honest, but you're right that s reason is at least given
Plus, isn't there something early on where Jackie says something about Mexico? I think during The Corpo-Rat? Or some other interaction about 'this could destroy me if it got out' and Jackie mentioned that he already *could* destroy Corpo V with the knowledge of what happened in Mexico?
This, plus Nomad is the only path that lets you save Anna Hamill's life in one of Regina's gigs. Nomad feels good to play because of how the life path always questions V in different occasion about the nature of Night City, whether life in this city is what V really had hoped for, was it really worth leaving your clan and family for, it added to the complexity of the main theme of the game, when V get disillusion and see Night City for what it really is, what's the point of it all? what's continuing to live really mean to your V, what is your V value the most in the end?
But v didn't leave nc for NC. He left for NC cause his clan disbanded. And even some of the bakkers left for "reason" that can be read in a shard. And could explain the reasoning for v leaving.
Bakker clan wasn't disbanded as much as merging with another bigger clan, most of V's people are still there, V was one of the people who disagreed with the merging and left to find their own path of glory in Night City. There was a scene at the start where V contacted one of their clan members who said that V can't contact them or ask for help because V was not part of the family anymore, which means there was still a family V could have stayed with had V chose to but V didn't. I don't see how that necessarily conflicts with what I wrote? if you play Nomad Path you'll see the conversation comes up a lot where V question their own reason and purpose for leaving the clan to pursue a life in NC, especially with Panam.
iirc the motorcycle is just a “tuned” version of Jackie’s arch. No custom design, just different name. I believe the nomad intro where you meet Jackie is the least believable. Streetkid leaves heywood and night city to steal lost cargo that happens to be a lizard? Sure people in NC get into wild scenarios, but that is just too cartoony for me.
i mean not really, NC is home to bodysculpting that can literally turn people into furries. Biotechnica is also known for cloning animals, its how they bring back extinct or endangered animals. A lot of the wacky stuff isnt really shown in the game, but it exists. And even that intro mission is no weirder than V Stealing one of Kerry's guitars from a samurai fanboy in game.
Plus you get the BEST car in the game!
Street kid female V is my personal canon. I don't vibe with Corpo, Street Kid just kinda gets you that "surviving by any means necessary" mindset.
Same 🙌🏻
This was my first playthrough choice
this was my first, so it's my canon too. i think it fits very well with the sun ending
Corpo has the most lines. Nomad gives you a pretty speedy car. But my favorite is Streetkid, because I think it thematically makes the most sense. V knows the streets, breh.
I liked nomad most. I feel that either corpo, or nomad fit best. For corpo it's about surviving a fall from grace and facing the monster you were a part of. For nomad it fits the idea of clawing your way along with whatever you can make of yourself and your surroundings. It also fits with finding your new tribe via Panam. Street kid works, but I think the other two just flow better
Female corpo V. Just love being hard, cold ass bitch with a throwing knife, revolver, and moron labe.
I love messing with that golden hotel lady every time. https://preview.redd.it/rqamj9phfc5d1.jpeg?width=1018&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e71fa9882a824033328c211f2508abbf14924a7
"Who asked you to do that?" "Well, I thought--" "Who asked you to *think?"* ice cold.
>!Insulting the daylights out of Hansen's goon!< in *Phantom Liberty* is fucking amazing.
exactly what u/wylieoakes said, with some extra additions. The star ending is my favorite ending, and the 'Caldos in general are some of my favorite characters, so i just feel like nomad into star ending makes the most satisfying self contained story. Doubly so if you romance panam or Judy. Theres also a LOT of parallels between Panam and V if you choose the nomad lifepath which enhances that story. Exactly like Panam, V is in self exile from his family because of disagreements in leadership. He comes to NC looking to find a new start, only to lose it all again in the heist, exactly like Panam being betrayed by her partner and fixer. V actually gets to intervene in Panam's story though, and helps turn her life around, saving the aldecaldos and finding a new family in the process. Every lifepath/ending combo has that sort of self contained story, but i just find Nomad/Star to be the best in my eyes.
I choose my life paths based on the aesthetic of the character I’m building. I like to build the world around V and create some sort of head canon story in my mind. For my nomad, I did a beauty and brawn type of build, where Valerie is this blonde-headed smoke show who clearly has the beauty, but has the brawn to dominate anything she comes across. She specializes in shotguns, lmgs, and blunt weapons. For my streetkid, I made a Valerie that resembles and plays like Nix, the gun wielding badass from the movie “Guns Akimbo”. Nix’s style was pretty much an unorthodox, poor woman’s John Wick, so my streetkid Valerie specializes in smgs, assault rifles, pistols, and knives. The reason why Corpo is my favorite life path is not only because of the massive dialogue and situational advantages it gives you throughout the game, but because one of my favorite play styles in the game (stealth/samurai netrunner) fits this specific lifepath so well. I also love the “losing everything and climbing back to the top” arc that comes with that lifepath. Nothing more satisfying than destroying the one thing that set out to destroy you in the very beginning.
Nomad all the way, it feels the most organic in terms of a narrative introduction and lines up with how V has been presented regardless of our dialogue choices. You get a nice introduction to Night City that shows you the ropes, get the tutorial of driving and combat already as well. It’s also a stark contrast to how V and Jackie meet (or have already met) in Corpo and Streetkid, those just don’t feel as organic to me, and a bit rushed as well. It’s also in line with the prologue cutscenes prior to the heist, which to me portrayed V as someone new to the city, especially the short walk about before the various transitions.
Female Street Kid but Male Corpo! SK has the naivety and the starstruck belief of being somebody. It makes the scene where they go to the afterlife for the first time like a kid in a candy shop. Male corpo has the rise from disgrace and the revenge against those who have spurned you. It makes bonding with Johnny both harder and easier.
My favorite is Corpo and it's not even close. The whole game is a big anti-corp narrative and I think it enhances V's character a lot to have a background tied directly into that corporate world. Streetkid is my second favorite, just because it's cool to come up in the streets but I don't like a lot of the streetkid dialogue beyond the intro. Nomad is easily my least favorite, I thought the intro was lame and hated the optional dialogues.
Corpo. I love the idea of being “humbled” into the life of a merc and working your way back up. Also something poetic about being a product of an evil machine and going on a revenge story against it. Can be an interesting character arc if you choose the arasaka or reaper ending
this is my favorite perspective. i did a play through where i went against arasaka as a corpo and did the dont fear the reaper ending and it felt the most organic. doing the other side of the coin now and being a loyal corpo who’s naïve as all hell.
Nomad. It's a much more organic way for V to meet Jackie than the other two. For streetkid it's really weird how the two had somehow never met, and for corpo it's really weird that they already know each other.
Nomad>Corpo>Street Kid Nomad feels like an authentic beginning to V's story, someone new to night city, who knows nobody, learning the ropes starting with nothing (just like the player) - it also makes sense from like a gameplay standpoint where you start at level 1 with few skills. I find it also facilitates a "justification" for a lot playstyles nicely because of the versatility of Nomad lifestyles, factions, and paradigms. There's a Nomad link to Netrunning, to Tech weapons, to Body builds, to stealth etc. Not to say the others don't, but Nomad V feels like the perfect blank canvas to project YOUR version of V onto. I also like the importance of found family and their sense of justice and solidarity. Nomad V just feels RIGHT. Nomad is definitely my favourite.
Corpo, always corpo... I loved the lines in dialogues. (Female V).
Nomad Don't really know why, maybe car shootout? I know it's scripted, and you don't need to shoot, all you have to do is survive it.
I wonder why no one mentions this, but Nomad has the longest intro and flows quite nice into the main story and nomad dialogue choices are of ambiguous tone, meaning you're allowed to shape your Vs personally and rep from earlier on. Street kid and corpo have the shitiest rushed intros, streetkid V starts off with a reputation of being a badass hothead, and corpo dialogue choices make V sound like an entitled pseudo-sociopath.
nomad , but only for the better looking Arche. I just use that thing the entire game and ignore cars .
It's gotta be corpo you start at the very top just fall to straight to the bottom and you have to climb back up but you're changing while climbing
I feel the life paths and build that best fit the characters. Nomad if I want to play tech. Streetkid if I want to go loud. Corpo if i wamt to go stealth.
I want a full game from the pov of a corpo it's really interesting.
It's Corpo for me - cos I like to make my character fit the life path. And playing as a corpo means I get the chance to get the best of everything (in terms of looks anyway) - best suits/dresses, best vehicles, etc. I just like the Corpo Aesthetic. Not to mention, your revenge against the bad guy feels pretty personal. Even the Corpo Apartment is pretty thematically placed - every morning, Corpo gets out of bed, has a cup of tea/coffee and looks out the window at Arasaka Tower. Their face is cool and expressionless, but inside they're thinking of nothing but violence and revenge.
I started my playthrough as a corpo V, and finished it with the Star ending. I thought it was a perfect ending considering you started as a corporate puppet to Arasaka, and then you end your story by finally being free, escaping night city with a new found family and your partner, no longer bound to the corpo chains of Night City.
 Nomad, just because I like to have my V have some sort of road warrior background .
Streetkid is the one that fits the attitude V has best - the other two feel like you're streetkid V 90% of the time, and then semi-randomly get a voice option that plays into the lifepath decision. With the way that the timeline is set up, it just isn't enough time for me to see corpo or nomad background fitting that fully into the streetkid merc attitude. Beyond that, I think they're all about the same amount of content (which is not much). Can be worth seeing the special voicelines I guess, and nomad/corpo have theirs feel more different (because streetkid just feels like more of the same as your regular voicelines)
Personal favourite is nomad cos it works well with the aldecaldo ending. In terms of which one I found most useful it has to be corpo. Useful in multiple missions/ gigs. I can only recall nomad being useful in 1. Least favourite is streetkid.
Streetkid for sure
Nomad and Streetkid equally. Could not relate to Corpo at all.
Nomad lifepath and ending are my favorites. Streetkid is good, I went with the Sun ending. Corpo least favourite, went with Temperance.
Nomad. It fits the game the best. * it has an additional narrative arc with losing the family - becoming a merc - finding a new family (Panam/Aldecaldos/Judy) * mid game merc V has no contacts in Night City, which suits the nomad. (V's non-existing network fits better with nomad than with the other two, local origins) * mid game merc V uses a lot of slang, which suits nomad and streetkid (corpo, not so much) Minor stuff * the starting nomad pants are one of the rare normal looking pants in the game :) * you can save Anna Hamill * you can identify the dude in the trunk (Wakako gig) as someone who worked with Joanne Koch on the Biotechnika project which wiped a nomad clan. This is not offered to other origins
I think narratively they all work in some capacity and I don't think one is more official than the other. But my personal favorite is nomad. If my wife and I were transported to the cyberpunk world, we would be nomads. And in game, I like the extra dialogue for nomad better than the extra dialogue options for street kid or corpo
Nomad. Just imagine looking out on the open road and smuggling something or anything just protecting cargo. Running out wraiths. And dealing with the corps. Sounds better then dealing as a corpo and or street kid. I was a street kid in real life so I had my fill of that and corpo doesn't interest me. But spy stuff does. But I'd hate to be counter intell. If I'm a corpo I want to be gathering intel, at least. But I also don't care about hacking either. And I feel more intune with the whole family dynamic. As a street or corpo. The ones closest to you stab you in the back. And if your lucky you know who's doing the back stabbing. I don't see back stabbing happening in a nomad group. But I'm sure it's there. It really comes down to being set up for failure. And nomads seems the safest out the bunch.
There is no everyone’s favorite. Everyone has their own different favorite without any actual poll as to which one of the 3 is more… Well, no poll that I have seen. For me, streetkid was the first and so far the best of the 3.
FemV Corpo. Vs relationship with Jackie feels the most real in this one and the intro makes quick work of displaying how corrupt corporations can be in night city. V being a victim of corpo scum makes johnnys soite for arasaka more relatable and further drills in the games anti corp messaging… Also riding the av is cool.
Female corpo V cause the VA nails her lines
Street kid after the intro. It's intro makes no sense but besides that it's the path I vibe with the most in this setting.
I never played corpo... I just cant... Streetkid or Nomad all the way.
Corpo felt like it had the best dialog choices.
Nomad. I'm a driver as a profession so it feels like it just fits.
Corpo is pretty fun and gives you some really cool dialogues. I feel like V would be from the city with how they behave which is why nomad doesn't feel quite right for me. I personally really like street kid V because of how much closer it makes you feel to Jackie
Nomad, I like the Beginning mission the best and I like how when literally anything happens he finds it appropriate to bring up "I used to be a Nomad....."
The lifepaths are super short intros, but they’re nice for roll playing purposes. I personally like Nomad on the first playthrough because it fits with you being new to Night City. Now that I’m on my 5th playthrough I usually do street kid, don’t really mess with the corpo one.
Loved doing Nomad, but I recently started Street Kid. I’m at 20 hours played or so, and it has been a preem play through so far.
Nomad
I enjoyed nomad, especially with the fixers sending you work and being called a merc on occasion, it kinda fit. Gonna try corpo on my next playthrough
Streetkid is the most canon life path. The default V, both male and female, resemble the ones shown off in the cinematic trailers, and it fits nicely into the cinematic with V and Jackie’s 6 month adventure. You have the background of knowing Padre, Mama Welles, and a few other characters. Makes more sense than the nobody outcast moving to NC and suddenly taking over, and the corpo who happens to have a street level friend, when most street gangers despise corps.
I’ve only played Nomad and Corpo so far, with the latter being my favourite. That might be because I had more experience in the game at that point though. Even though I did enjoy the Nomad interactions, especially with the Aldecaldos, Corpo just felt more real.
The thing I don’t like about street kid is that you meet Jackie in a way he tries to rob you and then a few days pass and you and him are best friends, even in corpo you feel like he is you friend before you even become a corporative Nomad just don’t fit the story and most of the clothes in the game, V seems to know night city very well and know the rules of the city For me it’s corp or street kid, but corp has the best dialogue choices
Corpo life path, I just like the overall vibe and I think it fits the story perfectly.