The Psychology of Songbird in Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty - Therapist Analizes and Reacts! 

Do one with Solomon Reed, he is just as interesting to analyse

I genuinely like how gray the characters are in Phantom Liberty and Songbird is by far one of the most complex. It's easy to be angry at her actions, but you completely *get* the lengths she would go to. She's so used to backstabbing because she's felt like that's the only possible way for her to survive. Her and Solomon, including V, are an interesting trifecta of personalities.

Reed describes Songbird in terms of being a chessmaster -- an incredible player with a mastery of elaborate strategy, but who tends to lose out in the end because of her impulsiveness in the moment.

I chose to send So Mi to the moon, after all the work and destruction, leaving her with Reed knowing that she would become a tool was not an option.

There is a shard that can be found in the game and it contains what I assume is a psychiatric report on Songbird, and as soon as I read it, I immediately thought of this channel and hoped that Georgia would do a video on Songbird, and wow it came true :) I'm a veteran of Night City. Been playing since launch, so I know how it goes. I expected some form of betrayal from her, but when I got to know her more and her motivations, I just set out to help her. I helped her all the way and sent her to the Moon, in Tycho City, where she could escape from everything she wanted to escape. Depending on the dialogue options you choose, there's a line where V would say to her something like "I would have helped you anyway, you didn't need to do this back handed thing" and I love that very much. And to those who are interested in reading the shard, here it is: Preliminary report no. 473 Subject: Song So Mi "Songbird" Compiled by: Prof. Susan Baehr Key notes & observations: Agent Song does not fall into any category of disorder that would disqualify her from service. That is because, as things stand, we have no appropriate category for her ailment. Right now, So Mi's symptoms do not seem to have an effect on her ability to carry out her duties. It is difficult to tell how long this will remain the case. Observations: Having analyzed the recordings provided by the Agency over the course of many years, I can only surmise Song So Mi's overall well-being is at risk. The agent's micro-expressions reveal moments of panic, which currently do not affect her ability to hold a conversation, nor do they hinder her ability to carry out her duties. It has been ruled out that these fleeting moments of panic are the result of Avoidant Personality Disorder. My working theory is that given the colossal amount of cognitive processes the agent is constantly subject to, she had to develop a strategy to mitigate the inevitable cognitive overloads. This leads to the agent cutting all processes at once, temporarily leaving her in a void, thoughtless. An average onlooker would be oblivious to these moments. what is most concerning is the visible increment in the duration of the aforementioned episodes of panic, paired with subtle personality shifts. A report detailing the personality shift will be sent out within a week. On their own, these could be attributed to the simple fact of growing older, yet in my opinion, they warrant undertaking a more thorough diagnosis of the agent in a laboratory setting. Conclusion: I believe that in Song So Mi's case we can ill-afford to deviate from the mandatory protocols. At this stage, my professional opinion is as follows: agent Song So Mi requires care as well as additional, extensive research into her ailment. I recommend she be suspended from service effective immediately, and to send her to one of our research facilities, where we will be able to conduct an official diagnostic process. Only then will we be able to issue an official medical opinion and recommendation for future treatments. To reiterate - I fully believe handling Song So Mi's case according to official protocol is the best way forward.

I was already suspicious of So Mi from the word go. Never really believed in her promise of a cure. But I saw in her a lot of V from the corpo life path. Wrapped up in a world designed to burn your life like an expendable resource. Then trapped in a deadly situation with only the faintest glimmer of hope, not unlike V with the relic. If there were two emotions I felt in the moment of helping her escape, it was vicarious freedom, and not letting another choombata die like Jackie. Reed was about the only man who could make me second guess my decision to help her, but for the character I was playing... It was like watching a man desperately hold on to multiple incompatible realities as they tear him in half. In his own way, I felt like he wanted to die for his principles, an eternal champion, an inevitable martyr.... And I granted that wish so that song bird could be free.

The funny thing is, i would've sided with song if she was honest from the start. I would've saved her because i hate what was done to her by the NUSA and i believe she deserved her freedom. I still saved her but not for the right reasons. I saved her because betraying her after her confession would be proving her right in believing that she shouldn't have trusted me. That and i wanted her to live with the guilt. I hope V's death haunts her.

I'm so happy to see you cover So Mi. She is a fascinating character

13:30 She cares for him so much that she was never going to use the cure with him knowing that you can only use it on one person... herself.

This is terrific! As far as so mi goes, I helped her out. At the start of the whole thing I was basically doomed from the start. She promised a cure and I didn’t think I’d ever get it, so I just went in to rescue the president and so mi while I was there. Im here for a good time, not a long one. So when she asked how I was handling, I told her, “hey, look; that chip is going to kill me but I’ll get you guys out first.” Once I found out the government blackmailed her and turned her to a weapon I was over the Nusa. To hell with with myers what they did to her and made her do was wrong. Reed just had the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I played cyberpunk back when it was cyberpunk 2020 (the ttrpg) so I’m kinda used to getting zeroed in night city. But if someone makes it out? Escapes? And I had a hand in that? Yeah, yeah it was worth it. I celebrated when Judy left night city and I wept when songbird flew away. They got out. I couldn’t be happier for anyone that does.

I was a Corpo Netrunner so So Mi and my own background was so similar I connected with her on such a deep level. Even knowing she lied to me, I recognized how hard she fought to also keep me alive. And being in the same boat I forgave her. I put her on that rocket and sent her to the moon. Even if it turns out grim for me, I wanted to save Songbird. On a side note, I believe Songbird gave you a litmus test of sorts during your 1st entrance into Dogtown when she asks you about why you did the heists.

Came into Phantom Liberty thinking I could save both Reed and Songbird, turns out Myers, the true villain of the story, won't let it happen and she's basically untouchable.

When given the initial choice between Reed and Songbird, I chose Reed because I trusted him to help her and did not trust her motives (she betrayed too many people and had no reason to think that she would not betray me). After the whole mind episode and her saying that she was losing every memory just to save me, I could not - despite my original plan - bring myself to capture her for my own benefit. I pulled the plug. It was heart wrenching, emotional moment, but I came out with a clear conscience and I'll give credit to the actors for their great performance that forced me into a though decision.

19:32 I chose to help songbird get to the moon even though she was lying from the very beginning. I guess I kind of understand why she lied, like if she would of told V that the cure was a one time use. She would've feared that V wouldn't have helped her. Fear can be a powerful motivator. I felt empathy towards So Mi, understanding that she was in a desperate situation and needed assistance. Despite her lies, I recognized her vulnerability and chose to extend compassion and support. I never really judged her actions as I ( and a lot of us ) would have done the same thing to survive.

Another interesting point regarding Songbird’s blackwall corruption is that when V sides with her she might still get sick to the point that she’s about to die but she never looses complete control over it. She can even use the power of the blackwall to straigh up save V’s and her life. And since what she’s going through is a form of cyberpsychosis and cyberpscychosis links back to mental illnesses like trauma, depression etc I think the connection and the trust that she has to V help her to somehow still keep her brain together. And I don’t think something like that can be faked. V was probably the first person in years who truly made her feel like she could have been not completely alone.

I sent her to the moon because: a) I wished to be better and keep on my word I gave to her. b) Show her that sometimes anyone deserve redemption despite one's deeds. c) I understood why she did what she did.

I feel like people often forget Alex and how she ends up dead if you don't side with So Mi. Even if you get better rewards and gameplay if you side with Reed. I feel like, to side with So Mi and get her to Luna is the only ending someone gets a chance in Life, even if its not V... someone got a second chance in Night City, and thats fine by me.

I'm a little confused as to when Songbird actually learned the cure was single-use, since it's not completely clear as to when she first delved into the AI. But when she first contacted V, she hadn't had access to Cynosure yet, so her offer right then was genuine. Something Reed said has great bearing toward understanding her - she is great at planning but terrible at judgement calls. So when she found that AI and realized she would have to either betray V or give up on her one hope to survive, she freezes. She hadn't decided to keep it from us, she just couldn't commit one way or the other, so she just followed the plan she had until it came down to the wire. And when you're on that train and she realizes it's now or never, she decides to come clean and surrender herself to V's mercy. Yeah, i saved her.

Therapist: was she deceptive? Character: literally deceives you

There is actually a video you can find pre-recorded by Songbird that confirms that she did legitimately trust V and that she was glad that she did in the end too. Personally I see her as someone who is a perfect example of being trapped and losing a lot of themselves trying to fight to survive - but deep down still having those core values, or at least moments where their true self shines through.

Believe that Songbird was really torn and absolutely remorseful. I also believe that she desperately wanted to survive. In the end, as you take her to the ship to send her to the Moon, I think she realized that she should have Trusted V and didn't. After what she had experienced, was she able to trust her life to anyone else, including Reed and including V? The answer ends up being no. I felt it was just fear in its purest form. She was afraid to die and thought that the moment she lost control, it would be her end. That's why she kept those important bits of information close to the vest. She knew she had a weak hand and thought that the people that cared about her weren't going to do what she wanted unless she compelled them with the omission of information. She really cared. She really regretted it. She just couldn't help but lie to survive.

Oh gosh, a few points! Spoilers obviously. 1) Re: the world. Yes it's oppressive and being guarded is a sensible trait but the game explicitly shows you that at the microlevel, trust isn't only possible but needed. Your relationship with Jackie or the Aldecaldos if you pursue it make it abundantly clear that the only way to survive this dystopia is having good friends. 2) Re: Endgame choices. Save Songbird! Ultimately everyone betrays or lies to you. For me it came down to intent and .. integrity (or not being a hypocrite). Put simply, Reed is a man that thinks being loyal to the organisation that sold him out is a good idea. When he has to choose between duty and doing what he thinks is right, he will defer to duty. He's a shambling corpse of what was once a decent man. Songbird is a more driven V. Throughout the game, V will murder loads of people, yes, but they don't get to lie or betray people the way Reed/SB/Myers do. But through Songbird, we get to ask ourselves to what lengths would we go to to save ourselves. I felt in that moment that I wouldn't have done it any differently than Songbird. I understood that she had no easy options out of the mess she was in. And so, if I could not forgive her for the betrayal, how would I ever be able to forgive myself for all the horrible things I'd done in an attempt to cure myself? If I handed her over to Reed, how was I any better? I'd be a hypocrite. And so I save Songbird. Because she's me, and if at least one of us can get out of this situation, well, that's a small victory. Let's be honest, in a world as hostile as Cyberpunk's, paying a kind act forward is one of the best things you can do. And it reflects back onto V, as they are unlikely going to be able to fix themselves without any help.

I finished Phantom Lib twice, both times I sent So Mi to the Moon. I just didn't feel any bitterness or anger towards her. I felt pity since the face-to-face meeting at the party, where we see she's barely human anymore.

I ended up protecting songbird solely because of how reed was behaving especially him and alex taking out the twins, i felt that reed was a dog on a leash that kept being enticed with treats to keep working for the FIA, alex got to live, the president is safe and song gets to live and be healed. This felt like the good ending with everyone having some way out. And i can continue my playthrough and leave with panam.

I chose to help Songbird all the way through to the very end. I think the biggest reason I did is because she really does trust V to a growing extent. Even though that trust can be a one-way street, it still means a lot that she puts her life in V's hands even if V chooses not to trust her. You don't really get this with any other character in Phantom Liberty (except maybe Alex? but she's only a supporting character). One thing that stood out to me is when I was helping Songbird and confronted Reed on the launchpad of the rocket, I tried to convince Reed to stand down. This didn't work, Reed shot me and I got a Flatlined screen. I find it interesting that even if you betrayed her at first, Songbird is willing to go to great lengths to protect V, whereas Reed kills V with little to no hesitation. That's when I knew I made the choice I wanted. It meant a lot to me that Songbird trusts V. Heck, I can't help but think that even if she told V everything from the start, including about the cure being a one-time use, I probably still would have wanted to help her, if at the very least because I don't think she deserves to be killed by Hansen or continue to be weaponized by the NUSA. Yes, she's lying to and manipulating V, but not much more than Reed is. And at least with Songbird, she shows a clear sense of remorse and I can find it in my heart to forgive her.

I decided i was gonna help song no matter what at one particular moment, seeing her in the Black Sapphire. I saw all the cyberware in (or more accurately, that had replaced) her back and was instantly reminded of David in the Cyberskeleton

I chose to save song, because at the very end... I couldn't betray her, I said I'd help her. And she deserved to live too, this was her only chance.

Helped Songbird fly on my first run. For me, she earned the freedom after everything that happened to her, even if she betrayed V and took V's surefire chance at surviving.

Going into Phantom Liberty having finished the game previously I knew So Mi couldn't help V even if she wanted , also as soon as they explained how the matrix worked (way earlier than in "the killing moon") the first thought that came to my mind was "it's a single use toy" and it couldn't help V and So Mi both , nevertheless I couldn't bring myself to betray her so I helped her get to the moon being as supportive toward her as I could. I find that personal satisfaction is more valuable than any rewards at times. One detail that sticks out to me ( might be overthinking it) is how often she touches V, she touches your arm , holds your hand , caresses you , not noteworthy usually but considering how often she does it feels like a pattern , it could be interpreted as a posturing intended to gain V's trust but I think it's a behaviour that speaks of her inner conflict , her plan always intended betraying you but her constant need to reach out feels like she's unwilling to let V go. Overall I think she's genuine character, a cinnamon roll.

I sided with Songbird in the stadium and walked with her to the shuttle. Seeing Reed there, making me make an ultimatum is what signed the deal for me. When I found out So Mi lied, I was pissed, totally fell for it. I knew she was lying but not about the cure being one time use. I was mad at her but I decided I would keep my choice, I decided to help So Mi before so I may as well save one of us now. Then Reed came out and I legitimately thought about giving her up. Maybe I should save myself instead, I thought. But as the conversation with Reed continued, I realized exactly what he was asking for and what the ultimatum was. The fact he made it all or nothing, I realized that’s probably what he and Myers had been doing to Songbird the whole time. And it made me pretty furious, I needed to help So Mi after that realization.

I absolutely handed her over to Reed and got my cure from the FIA at the end. A bit baffled by how all these people are saying they helped her even though she straight up lies and betrays us just like everyone else. She had a sob story for us, but everyone does. Empathy doesn't mean you have to enable someone. FIA custody (alive) is the best possible outcome for her. Just like becoming a normal person and having to leave the insane, violent life of crime, was the best possible outcome for V.

Everything that you stated in your video I agreed with. I was on the fence with Songbird, because Reed is a man of principle - as I am in real life, in that I will never compromise my morals for self gain. I strive to be genuine, and trustworthy. So while I had empathy for Songbird (and I am very empathic in my real life) I was leaning towards Reed because it felt like the right thing to do, and because I did feel that I could trust him. Until he sprung the ICE Cyberware on me, and I had no choice but to have it installed. Instantly I felt like he was intending to end Songbird, and not try to save her. Whether what she did warranted that kind of outcome was not important to me in that moment, it was that Reed did not maintain transparency with me - and by doing so, sowed a seed of mistrust with me that grew more when he and Alex then killed the twins after we klepped their vehicle. I can see both sides of this - however again, there was a lack of transparency - a simple "V, you do realise we have to zero them, right?". Instead, not only did they lie by omission, but then they also both were condescending when I protested. "What did you expect to happen" - essentially. Lastly, it was not until the Surprise Cyberware situation that Reed then started talking about providing a cure also. Keep in mind, up until this point I was leaning towards Team Reed without him promising a cure like Songbird. When he did, it felt way too convenient, so I was more mistrustful of him at this point. This sealed it for me, and I helped Songbird. When she revealed the truth that the cure could only be used once - I was taken aback, more than when I realised what she had done to put the entire series of events in motion (because I could still have empathy for her situation - how many people had I gone through at this stage to get where I am, what choices had I made to try save myself? Especially since I did an entirely new playthrough for this DLC) because by roleplaying as V, I felt that the cure was the main motivator for V to do *anytthing* - and I/they would have made very similar choices. Though - I also see V's situation as a chance to help someone with severe regret in Johnny have a chance to make things right, and become a better person (which he does, and the last moments with Johnny always hit me in the feels - he finally shows his growth by pleading V to *not* give up his body, to live what time he has left. I did have a moment of reflection then, wondering if I should hand her over to Reed - but I decided against it, because I felt that if she had told me that from the start I would have still helped her - I would have still not trusted Reed in the end. Nothing would have changed.

Definitely helped Songbird. At first because I just trusted the NUSA a lot less. Then because she told me the truth on the launch pad, even though even though it would have been way easier for her to just keep quiet. Besides, people are WAY too cynical about V’s chances of survival in the base game. Hell two of the endings practically spell out that V will survive anyways.

In my first playthrough I sent Songbird to space. I helped her. I wanted to follow Mike Pondsmith's reasoning for Cyberpunk (that you're fighting to save yourself, not the world), so I went with Songbird instead of Reed. Just knowing what Myers (the president) was doing with the Blackwall (trying to breach it and use it and the AIs beyond to further her agenda) and how she just went berzerk at the spaceport... I couldn't trust Myers to cure V and let him live. Reed isn't the one calling the shots, even if you fully trust him. Given what happens to you if you go the NUSA way, I'd say that's a pretty accurate way of seeing things. But I digress. I took Songbird to the ship. When she revealed the truth, I still helped her. Even thought I didn't like I had to kill Reed. My reasoning was that ok, I made my choice (NUSA bad, Songbird may be honest), the fact that Songbird ended up lying didn't change the "NUSA bad" part. So that option was out of the window pretty much no matter what. As for why I saved her... well, why not? The thing with Songbird is that she never actually hurts you throughout the entire game. Sure, she lies, but I don't really see malice anywhere. She's just trying to do what you're trying to do, which is to survive. There doesn't seem to be an agenda beyond survival and a decent life... But there's also another reason why I let her live: strategic thinking. The next corporate war is just around the corner and Arasaka have taken a hit they may not recover from - it may just be that Johnny Silverhand and V do manage to pull it off. Their main rival, Militech, who are wholly owned by NUSA, would become far too powerful if they would get their hands on Songbird. Maybe that's not such a good idea, they're not exactly the good guys in any of this. But there's also an AI war coming. You have Netwatch trying desperately to keep the Blackwall intact, but they're definitely failing. Heck, you can even see the Maelstrom gang summon an AI from beyond the Blackwall and they're not exactly the evil geniuses among the gangs. Very few netrunners would be able to handle an AI from beyond the Blackwall - Edgerunners clarifies this topic through Lucy. Taking Songbird off the board eliminates one of the strongest human netrunners that may be able to decide the outcome of the war. If you keep her alive, she may just be able to tilt the balance when it matters. Or she may just join the AIs, but call me crazy, I think that sounds unlikely as hell.

I'm quite a hyper-independent person. I don't really trust anyone to fix me or help me. However, I understand that I do depend a lot on the people around me who care for me. It's always in the back of my mind that I believe I'd be alright if I were forced into isolation (I am lucky enough to have friends who care for me, nevertheless). I also have a streak of being quick to give up sometimes. I never cared about the fact that death might come, as long as it was in my freedom that my death came. So when I played as V in Cyberpunk, it was the same deal. I never cared about the relic, and I didn't care about my impending doom. I chose to help random citizens out, explore Night City, and fix some problems some people were having, etc. When Songbird reached out, I never 'trusted' her. Her attempts at emotional manipulation and pleas for trust to save her meant nothing because I was going to save her regardless. I knew what it was like to wish for freedom and independence, and I knew what it meant when your only logical action could be to use the people around you even though you really cared about them. Who I felt betrayed by, though, was Solomon Reed, who lied about caring about Songbird and his crew. The man who continuously chose loyalty to the NUSA, an uncaring corpo-state that messed over every single member without any care, who did it not out of desperation (like Songbird), but out of destructive ambition. I was carrying Songbird to the spaceship, and Solomon Reed greeted me. He told me to put her down and just leave it all behind. He was threatening me with a gun. The loyal dog who 'cared' about the people he led but would gladly put them back into the meat grinder for no apparent reason in my mind. Just blind loyalty. He threatened me with a gun as I was trying to save someone who should matter to him, someone I thought mattered to him more than NUSA did. I would have talked and found a way to convince him. But he stood there, his face in the path of my bullets and Songbird's freedom. Solomon Reed had a choice, and he chose NUSA, the most selfish and manipulative corpo-state, and all that corpo-bullshit that Johnny and I detest. Songbird had no choice, and despite that, she made sure that the NUSA president wouldn't get hurt as part of her deal with Hansen (except Hansen was always a slimy controlling fuck anyway). The person who was directly responsible for Songbird's physical state, and she chose to keep her safe despite every reason to have allowed Hansen to just kill her. So Johnny and I watched the launch, chit-chatting about how she betrayed everyone, and it ended with Johnny respecting Songbird in the end. I was happy with that.

Songbird: *Betrays everyone* Me: *Betrays Songbird* Songbird: *Pikachu Face*

By the time i had the option to help Songbird, my own V had seen so much death and destruction with countless bad endings for people around him. He knew that Night City chews people up and spits them out. He sent Songbird to the Moon because he needed to see someone beat the system. To escape the cycle with a chance at a full life away from the main antagonist of Cyberpunk 2077: Night City itself.

While I understand why So Mi did what she did... I simply don't believe that feelings always justify actions. So Mi always told me just as much as she had to share to keep me going. I felt incredibly manipulated in every interaction and everytime I helped So Mi there was a "but". And I see how many did help her because they disliked the FIA/NUSA too... Reed and Alex where pretty much always straightforward with me. With every step we've taken I had the feeling that I exactly knew what will happen and what could happen. That kind of transparency is something that I value a lot and so I did side with Reed and went all the way. It isn't even about all the people that found their end in the process... I mean I litter the streets with them. That's just how Night City is. But if you want me to call you my choom we gotta be honest with each other. (Interstingly enough there is only one character that I actually spared even though they betrayed me: Placide. For some godforsaken reason I remembered his mom from the chicken-scene and simply couldn't end him. Especially after seeing Mama Welles in the "Heroes" Quest)

Decided to forgive So Mi in the end and send her to the moon. That I was wearing David’s jacket at the time might have influenced my decision a little bit.

What really hurt was I think Solomon was sincere at first in helping Songbird dissapear, that until she went cyberpsycho….. I had no doubt in my mind she was too far gone when she said theyll die so we can live in the stadium, at that point I saw total disconnect from humaninty, sure everyone in the team are seasoned killers, but Ive never heard total disregard in this scale for collateral damage or the cheerful disconnected way she said it, something about that deeply disturbed me and I uploaded the virus.

when played phantom liberty i chose to side with songbird and then again, killing reed did so because songbird felt very relatable to me, one of the most relatable characters in gaming ever in fact and i felt like i would've done exactly same things as she did were i end up in her situation

On my very first playthrough, i sided with songbird since she gave us the highest chance at removing the relic. When we were on our way to the ship, i wasn't originally going to call reed until he came out telling us that we werent going without killing him. I didn't want to kill reed and since So Mi lied to us i turned her into reed on the catwalk. I cried so bad at the ending ong

I definitely helped her out from the start. I think it's because I wanted to believe in her and in the chance that V could be saved. I knew she betrayed Reed, and I knew that this was Night City, and innocence and grace doesn't really exist there. But Songbird didn't deserve to die. And if I could save her or at least try to, maybe that made my V's journey worthwhile.

Always knew Songbird wasn't worthy of trust, she's the kind of person who cries to convince you and create bonds with you to manipulate you, in top of that she's not even fully aware of that, we just needed to see her at actions,.

While I can see why some would be on Songbird’s side. I really can’t say the same for myself. Seriously forget lying to you. She lies and backstabs or attempts to backstab every person she’s in a room with. In just the course of the DLC and what’s clearly shown, not explained. She backstabs Myers, the SF1 attendants and originally planned them to be prisoners to Hansen. She then hired V to help Myers with a cure that only works once which she was planning on calling dibs on as a reward. She keeps leading you on with the possibility of a cure to both of your problems, and during her rescue mission was willing to sacrifice a whole stadium just so she’ll live. A stadium that’s filled with more civilians than there are barghest that would get caught in the crossfire. And if that wasn’t bad enough. If you side with reed. It seems like she was prepared to backstab you with Hansen if you didn’t have the icebreaker on you just in case you weren’t so loyal. The only reason it went beyond that was purley because of Reed having the icebreaker put into you. And to top it all off… she needed to do literally NONE of this scheming to begin with! If she told me “Hey, I’m a slave to the NUSA. Can you help me?” I’d do it. Not cause I like her. But because FUCK THE NUSA!

The reason for playing several different characters. You can choose all endings, each unique in their own ways.

I supported Songbird right from the beginning as I felt that V could see himself in her. As I was playing I kept thinking of Frodo's sympathy for Gollum -- Frodo understands Gollum and I feel like V understands Songbird's dilemma all too well. I was never under any illusion that the offered "cure" was going to come through, or if it did, that it would work as advertised. Perhaps that's metagaming, or perhaps its just my interpretation of V knowing his fate is pretty much sealed. V may not be able to save themselves, but they can save Songbird, and maybe there's a little bit of grace in that.

The moment I realised that there is a good reason why So Mi is doing what she's doing, I stopped questioning her path. Even Reed found out why all this is happeining and he still tried to take her to Meyers. That was too much off-putting and that's why I decided to get her to the starship. Shame there is only one path for Reed in this situation. And the alternative of getting cure from agency? Worst. Ending. Ever. Not in deregatory way. It's just.... Even throwing the pills ending was better for V. You've been remembered. And agency ending? Oof...

To fully understand her you have to do both paths and yes She use Everyone to try to save herself. Which as much as V wants to help , V has to take Songbird page and use it against her. The end is Survival for Songbird or for V it isn't one way to Win & save the other person it's to lose everything & Survive. Songbird: I can help you (This is how she Gets you onboard & you learn later it's just for her or a way out which is also what She wants again you have to think Sorry it's V first at the cost of Songbird even at the end you get her help or Go she lost everything she is for V to live on). My first time I turn her in for the Cure & watch the new Ending then turn around and gave her what she wanted.

12:00 kinda feels like this part describes Reed even more than Songbird. Guess she really did learn everything she knows from him lol.

I chose to try and capture and then eventually killed songbird. It was obvious she was infected by something extremely dangerous and she was either going to go off the leash and cause untold madness and chaos, or be trapped and weaponized for who knows what end by Myers and the FIA. At the end of the day she was just one person and I felt it best to bring a very dangerous situation to an end as soon as possible, before any other innocents are killed or hurt. I'm a "push the fat man" kind of person I guess.

My gut told me she was lying through her teeth. Its a mistake to believe that she's telling the truth when she said "I'm telling you the truth! Trust me!" when there is NO PROOF that she is telling the truth. In fact, it made me more cautious that she's hiding something. Meanwhile, Reed was bluntly honest.

To be honest by the end I disliked pretty much every character in the game. In the end everyone just uses V there. I did help Songbird though and sent her to the Moon. Just felt like a correct choice. She hired us at the very start, even though with the very intention to betray, so job had to be finished regardless. There is a better ending for V anyway.

With that betrayal at the end, it killed any sympathy I had for her. Despite everything we were just a means to an end for her and she just was buttering us up to be manipulated

I felt the oversharing part. Like V/I barely knew Songbird, I am not emotionally invested in your character. You promised a cure, I am here to collect. Sure, I am sympathetic but wasn't about to get played

The problem is she’s probably getting sent to a clinic where most of the humans are controlled by AI. This probably sets up the next game if you save her as she’s going to destroy the Blackwall

Hi Georgia! Love your Cyberpunk analyses and videos in general 😚

Something to note is in those segments where you are with Song Bird in her memories, that is the result of betraying her and siding with Reed whereas the one in where you finally learn the truth is where you sided with her. You never get the full picture of events in a single path unless you decide to make multiple saves for each path. Its a very big divergence when it comes to deciding who to side with and the paths those result in.

Have a bunch of struggles and while being in freeze mode in real life I played this game and felt so much for So Mi, thank you so much for making this video!!! The Edgerunner series too, the world is grimy but very human, so watching your takes on them have a healing effect on me ❤ Also was a ride or die for So Mi.. I see a fellow struggler and want to help out

I also like that you give footage from multiple endings as it gives better perpective about character.

As a backstabbing, cowardly, selfcentered corpo I saw through her game from the very beginning and respected her for that. I helped her out because I felt it was like I was launching myself into space. Yeah, she will find no help in space, on the contrary, I am sure Blue Eyes will make her life hell but it was her choice. Devil Ending is the best for my corpo V.

Loved going through this! It would be really awesome to see you breakdown more of 2077's cast. There's a few that would make for some really interesting videos, I feel.

I found myself unable to connect with songbird after I found out she was using me and then she takes you to her special place and it just made me feel like someone was spitting in my face. Compare it to Alex’s and Reed I just felt more comfortable with those who were just loyal no matter what what even if for one’s shady country. I didn’t believe Songbird really had a cure of me and that influenced a lot of my decisions I figured she probably looked at me as disposable I mean she took a swipe at the president some merc isn’t that high up there.

I only helped songbird because i want to be alive. After she said there is only 1 cure she was done. I handed her to reed.

It was the moment that she mentioned her plan would lead to a lot of people's deaths so that her and V could survive, that I switched to siding with Reed. I felt like V wouldn't want that on their conscience even if they could survive.

Always fun when the player is being manipulated just as hard as the character. V is the Victim in an abusive relationship with virtually every character he or she meets. I play mine exactly like Songbird. Once I knew she couldn’t help me, Song became a bargaining chip and it was time to call Reed to see what he had to offer. I would have called the Russians, Chinese, and Arasaka, too. V was murdered. The soul is gone. This isn’t a redemption arc, it’s just survival.

I stood with songbird at the end. I took the manipulations she used as seeming as a neccessary evil to her, but everytime she seemed to be able to make that step towards honesty, she seemed to make it. But I do have a tendency to let people get away with shit, so maybe that's just me.

Song reminded me of Evelyn. Both trying to manipulate V to save themselves. Eve so she could leave life on the bottom and Song for life itself. And while I really hate to feel used I don’t think either of them deserved the position they’re in and I can see myself doing something similar if I needed to.

Phantom Liberty, and frankly all of Cyberpunk 2077 was an emotional rollercoaster for me. Similar to what you said about getting invested in the characters and the story, I a the same when I play games so was always trying to find the "best"/"happiest" outcome for everyone. Then with Phantom Liberty the choices you have to make in it, I have never had a game actually make me almost need to take a step back and think it through before making a decision. Every other game I have played there has always been a fairly obvious "good" choice, but with this, it was rarely ever clear what the best choice was, if there even was one depending on how you felt about the characters. I also found during my playthrough of Phantom Liberty that some personal trauma actually came back to the surface when it came to the choice at the station, previously I always put others first, but when Songbird reveals that she has betrayed and been lying to you, I found it brought up horrible memories of people I'd trusted in the past and been there for during horrible times, who then revealed their true nature when I needed them, and I ended up handing her back over to reed as I trusted Reed (not Myers) and prayed there was a good outcome because, as it turns out, I now really can't handle being betrayed or lied to to that level anymore, which was a really interesting feeling for me

Survival comes at a price, and in Songbird's case that price was one she was willing to pay in other human lives. Maybe it was learned from her own life being taken and spent by Myers, but it doesn't change the fact that for my V, that wasn't something he could go along with. In terms of cultural relativism, life is cheap and death sudden in 2077, but to me that makes the math even simpler: So Mi's life and a future for her that's far from guaranteed, can't be considered more valuable than the tens, hundreds, thousands of people she had killed or was going to kill in the pursuit of her own personal survival, or V's for that matter. That's not her decision to make, and not ours either. The contrast for me is strong with what I consider the canon ending to V's story in (Don't Fear) The Reaper. Faced with the prospect of asking others to die for him to get to Mikoshi and have a shot at survival, V decides that he alone bears the cost of his own survival. And that's with willing adults who are aware of the risks, not unknowing conscripts manipulated or straight up executed like they are to free Songbird. To me, the V that makes that choice couldn't stand by and help Songbird stage her bloodbath and grand escape.

I absolutely wanted to protect her. I understood and felt for her. She was like a little sister I wanted to save. I hated how Meyers used her to the point she couldn't take it anymore and yes she manipulated me but I still forgave her cause I get it. I didn't trust Reed, he was way too loyal to the NUS and Meyers even after knowing what So Mi went through. Being forced to approach the blackwall, forced to instigate the death of a friend and mentor. I wanted freedom for her.

i dont know why but but im gonna always side with So Mi or taking her to the moon, or by honoring her choice ( if for some reason i choose this ending), and even when i honor her choice i dont feel great because they will do horrors to her body just to extract the maximum they can from her. i think the doctor would make the same choice so im proud of my choice to save so mi and send her to the moon

I really enjoyed your analysis of this character whom I genuinely fell in love with and is perhaps the biggest reason that I enjoyed Phantom Liberty so much. All of the big story characters were great mind you, the voice acting, the rendering of their expressions and their body language really made for a powerfully emotional story. They were easy to pick up on and felt very natural and organic. Songbird is a character I supported from beginning to end and perhaps because I understood her feeling of anxiety and feeling trapped and used. I myself have felt that way before and not always because of others imposing themselves upon me but me genuinely wanting to help and oftentimes overextend myself. I had the feeling she was not sharing everything but not out of malice or to manipulate me. I felt it was more out of fear, desperation and not wanting to hurt someone else she was close to but was as you said backed into a corner. I chose to side with her in Firestarter and in Killing Moon right as I took the wheel of the van the song ‘I Really Want to Stay at Your House’ came on and it felt so appropriate that it felt scripted, I do not know if it is but that reminded me the anime and David pushing so hard for someone he cared about, going to very end if need be and I did. Even when she revealed the truth I stuck by her. I felt honestly hurt but I was not angry. I felt she was truly remorseful on the scene in the train and chose to wake her up with the kinder response. I honestly just wanted to give her a big hug. The scene with Reed where you must choose to give him Songbird or not was intense and I really wanted to save him as well. He was just doing what he felt was right, upholding his values and dedicating himself to something he had given up everything for already (in my mind) but I could not give up Songbird. I was upset that none of the responses I could give to Reed conveyed what I personally wanted to say so it made the whole situation feel so much more helpless like I had no control. So when push came to shove I hesitated to shoot but I did in the end for Songbird. I had to get her to the shuttle. I now know the results of all of your choices. RU-vid is great for unwanted spoilers. But I can't imagine not making the same choices in the other playthroughs. Watching that shuttle take off and getting the pin later on, knowing she made it on felt very gratifying. Phantom Liberty, CD Projekt Red and all the actors hit it out of the park. I am glad Cyberpunk got its redemption arc.

I'm sure this has been answered already but I played the end where you side with Song and she admits that the device can only be used once. You can discuss the details with her but you're given a choice, twice even, on what you want to do next. Hand her in to Reed/Meyers so you can be tested on to see if the device works on you, just walk away and let Song die alone, or push through and send her off anyway. The second choice comes when Reed ambushes you and demands you hand over Song or die. For me, it was frustrating being lied to by Song yet again but I also understood her reasons and felt she genuinely hated herself for lying. I pushed through to save Song and send her off with the device to heal herself. In that way, I knew the person who had been wronged the most in all of this mess had a chance at something better.

I didn't think you would make a video about the DLC. This is going to be good.

Yes i think what bonds V and Songbird in general is heavy emotional trauma and their shared "kick the door" approach to the situation mixed with the drama. They are both forced to brutal immediate changes that require immediate semi-impossible solutions. They have a similar approach emotionally as well, in some scenarios. They also share an A.I. provoked form of functional cyberpsychosis.

It sounds like Spngbird deals with denial and repression (the infamous "it is what it is" cliche) I mean she can deny her wrong doings all she wants, but there was kids on that plane Perhaps a dash of rationalizing too

Songbird could never earn my trust despite the ending I chose. As Kiwi said Trust no one in NC

I played through, I did chose to save her. However pissed I might have been regarding her not being up front about only one of us getting saved, like you mentioned she came clean when I could still choose to abandon her, also I just wasn't willing to turn her over and let her become a prisoner forever. Ultimately there are some choices you have to make purely because of your beliefs. If you have a certain level of integrity you do what you think is correct because you have to look at yourself in the mirror afterward.

Right from the start, seeing how Songbird resented Myers so much, you could tell she was somehow involved in the events that kicked off Phantom Liberty. But as far as I was concerned, she was justified in being caged (re: caged bird metaphors galore in her narrative metaphor). Killing a plane of people accidentally is probably one of the least violent things she had/would do for Myers (who is the ex-CEO of Militech let's not forget) so I don't see a utilitarian argument for keeping her locked up. I totally agree with the fact that you began as her tool, but then her isolation combined with faux trust turned to real trust and affection. By the end you're all So Mi has and before that she had no one. I read her as the type of person who would do anything to protect the ones she cares about -- AFTER she felt safe... and given that, it was quite obvious (at least to me) that she'd betray us eventually when she got scared because she, as the broken damaged bird that she is, could never trust someone enough to put her life in their hands when everyone else has used her. Despite knowing full well that, I poured my all into trying to comfort her and make her feel safe. I betrayed the NUS who had betrayed her first and had betrayed Reed and would betray me all the same given the opportunity. I didn't ask her to hack anything in the final escape in hopes of easing her suffering under the blackwall degeneracy and to get her her cure. I channeled her power for her when we were cornered. I shot Reed in cold blood when he came to put her back into her cage. and I set that bird flying free into space without a single mote of judgement for everything she did... because it was the right thing to do. She didn't deserve to be caged or be forced to slowly kill herself for Myers domineering pursuits, she was a good person put in impossible positions over and over until she saw her one shot to escape certain death at the hands of myers. No way could I condemn her to live out her final days as a living nuke for a warlord. Putting myself first before her would only prove how much worse I was than So Mi, and sacrificing my cure for hers was an act of penance and mercy and empathy. Loved this character and she was a perfect foil for V in so many ways imo (#Fem V!) 10/10

It was funny seeing so many comments of players that fell for songbirds manipulations, it’s even physically manifested in her digital avatar which appears and the younger innocent street kid netrunner she was in Brooklyn-this was also to manipulate your sympathy and trust. It was obvious to me from the start that she wasn’t telling us everything and using us, particularly as she refused to talk to Reed-because she can’t use him, she needs your naïveté

“Social engineering skills” what a sanitized way to describe manipulative behavior. 😂

I'd like to believe So Mi, due to the blackwall, is slowly becoming a high functioning cyberpsycho, but you know, it's not completely her anymore, it's the rogue AI's who controlling her body now mostly, posing as her, merge with her, slowly corrupting her, replacing her. I think only when we choose to betray her (spoiler alert) we get to see the true So Mi, begging us to end her. She knew what is happening to her and she knew what awaits her. Basically she's looking for a way out in this whole DLC. Even I still skeptical when she brought us (again spoiler alert) to her special place in dogtown, I would rather think of it as yet another manipulation tactic by that heart-to-heart conversation.

Songbird gas lit V, bottomline. She is manipulative and keeps telling V "you understand me, right?" I gave her up as soon as I learned she lied from the very beginning. People who lie and manipulate others (even at the cost of others lives) to get what they want do not deserve sympathy in my world.

Aside from the illuminating discussion I love what’s going on with your hair!

I saved Songbird, sent her to the moon. It was the right thing to do. She had one shot, V's got many.

My first run, I chose to "save" her by taking Reeds side. After it was all done, I felt terrible...Like I doomed her to a fate worse than death. It didn't sit right with me the more I thought about it. I know she lies to you, betrays you, and manipulates you...But I still felt so bad turning on her and not giving her the death she wanted. Going through it a second time from the start of Phantom Liberty to right my wrongs. I've already seen the ending but I just want to go through that path myself to see it to the end.

My favorite quote about Songbird is from the Gnome Overlord himself, the Mighty Jingles. “If her mouth is moving and making sounds, she’s lying”

I saved songbird because whether she lied or not, she’s still a victim. Me stopping her from reaching the moon wouldnt have saved V, it would’ve just killed her

it‘s so cool to understand why people do things. These analysis of game characters are very eye opening, please do that as well with the main game.

Honestly, when I reached that conclusion in my playthrough & I was staring down Reed while holding So Mi I was done. Not with the game (fantastic story) but done with the NUSA, FIA, Myers, Reed, and So Mi. V fought that hard only to find it there’s only room for one to get fixed. So my V gave her up, not out of spite but just to break free from the whole mess. Wasn’t until the credits that I realized that from Song’s point that was her 3rd strike & with me giving her to Reed it seems like “If I (my player) can’t have a chance, then no one gets a chance.”

@16:17 "Even see patterns that don't even exist, try to solve problems that aren't there." omg OMG that's me!

I helped So Mi bail. I wasn't crazy about being manipulated and led around by the nose, maybe under normal circumstances I'd have just fed her some bullets for the inconvenience, but the feds can kiss my cyberdeck, and I gave her my word besides. I think in general, it's easy to tell when someone is being willfully malicious versus merely desperate, sometimes you gotta realize when someone needs a break, and Songbird clearly needed one.

Doc you've been quite the choom, dropping all these cyberpunk vids. Word in Night City you're becoming a legend like Adam Smasher, David Martinez and V!!!!

The "V you not you anyone but you I trusted you" hurt me LIKE THOUSANDS DAGGERS

Hmm, Im currently playing the Phantom Liberty dlc atm. And this video would be a good help as to decide if I should trust Solomon Reed or Songbird , to see the outcome of the endings 🤔. Good video btw , lov3 theses brekdowns

I had no clue how to take any of these characters and that was the strength of the writing, even though I went into it, sure, absolutely sure, that I'd not side with songbird because we saw in the trailer she betrayed Reed. I still was unsure until the last moment what to do. I tried my best to navigate it in such a way that both Reed and songbird were helped, and in so doing got what I consider a terrible ending. And the end credits song and cinematic really cleared up for me some of the choices I could have made. And if I play it through again I'll have to pick a side, duty or freedom.

this is incredible

Great assessment. The way I look at it is if you must side with a person that you know will most likely betray you, you might as well go with the one with best intentions/justifications. So Mi was in a position much like V where she made mistakes and got sucked into a situation that was way bigger than her with seemingly no escape. After going through all that hell trying to help her be free of the FIA only to hand her over for them to treat her like a lab rat did not sit well at all for me. Also the way Reed acted if you honour So Mi's decision in the other path is really gross. He has such an obsession with trying to control everything regardless of the pain it causes and at the end of the day his loyalty lies only to Myers and the FIA. He's much like Takemura in that regard. Both So Mi and Reed did terrible things but So Mi came from a place of purely survival and desperation. Reed does it out of some misplaced sense of loyalty to an organization that only cares about gaining and maintaining power. I can definitely sympathize with people that just want V to finally be cured though, even if it means giving up everything. I guess it just comes down to what kind of person your V is and where their priorities lie. I would really love to see a react video on Reed though!

I had multiple playthroughs with various choices. The choice I think that seems best [from what the game gives] is to betray SongBird because she tends to overestimate her ability to control a situation and continuously fails to take important factors into account. Song was clearly willing to kill a stadium full of people to get out while Reed's plan was likely somewhat more surgical in nature. When Song is captured by the police I worked with Reed to get her away from the police. At the end Song seems to be loosing WHO SHE IS to the blackwall AI so the final decision I made was to allow her to die .. hopefully knowing that a friend was by her side at the end before it all went dark.