We all have pieces of storytelling that we relate to, but I also imagine we have stories that feel like an interpretation of events in our lives. If one equivalent of what I'm currently going through in life is in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel (mainly Buffy S5/6 and Angel S2), then Cyberpunk is the other equivalent of what I've been going through the last few years.
I lost my Dad during the pandemic, kidney cancer, couldn't even see him in his last few weeks despite me living in university and being so close to his house. While everyone has their own allegory about V/Johnny (gender dysphoria, schizophrenia, etc), the cancer allegory is one of mine.
Two months back, my best friend, my soulmate died. And I don’t know how to feel whole again without him. I have other friends, but I don’t think I can have the same connection like I have with my soulmate.
My nan is diagnosed with vascular dementia. It's already hitting hard, with her dementia getting worse. If I had the cancer allegory for V/Johnny, then I've also got the dementia allegory to relate to.
And I never felt so connected until I experienced Cyberpunk, it's been, and will continue to be given how my life has been increasing for the worse, a dramatic interpretation of my life. It's been an outlet to finally let myself grieve and scream out into the abyss (both versions of Never Fade Away, Let You Down and Major Crimes have been a expression of my feelings, especially when driving). I won’t go into specifics but there is a reason why the Path of Least Resistance Ending and Evelyn’s fate have connected with me as hard as they have.
Jackie and his funeral, the loss of half of V’s soul in the Devil Ending, Evelyn’s outcome, Kerry and V's fear and need to not be forgotten, David's fear of having his own dream so he deflects onto other people's dreams often misinterpreting their meaning and spiralling through self-destruction as a result, have all meant so much to me because in some form, those events are me.
But there's also V at the bonfire with the Aldecaldos, FemV and Judy’s love for each other, V having dinner with River and his family, the mutual bonding V and Johnny have at the Oil Rig, V and Johnny riding a rollercoaster, V and Kerry smashing corpo shit up, V letting go by dancing with Alex, David having new happiness for a short while with a newfound family with the Edgerunners crew, and I'm there thinking what a portrait of joy Cyberpunk can be sometimes. I have the irl equivalent of Panam, Judy, Misty, Johnny, Rebecca, Maine, Dorio, Alex and I had a Jackie. All of which I never want to let go. Maybe that’s one of the great powers behind storytelling; to make one connect. And Cyberpunk is my connection.