Near the end of Cyberpunk 2077’s DLC you’re presented with a big decision that dramatically alters the course of the story. Phantom Liberty is full of tough calls and gray morals, but nothing’s harder than choosing to side with either Songbird or Reed.
The “Firestarter” quest asks you to betray one or the other, and your choice will send you down one of two paths to the conclusion of the DLC. Depending on how you’ve played through Phantom Liberty, you probably already have thoughts on which character is more trustworthy. When it comes to working out the morality of this decision, you’re on your own, but there are other things to consider.
Your choice in “Firestarter” has a huge effect on the rewards you can earn from Phantom Liberty’s endgame. It’s worth setting aside all the story and roleplaying considerations for a moment to look at what you actually get from either path.
Should you side with Reed or Songbird?
Even if you’re just focused on the quest rewards, choosing who to side with at the end of Phantom Liberty is tough. Siding with Reed is easily the best choice for Netrunner builds because it’s the only way to gain access to the Militech Canto cyberdeck and the Blackwall Gateway quickhack. That path might also be tempting for players running submachine gun builds because it unlocks the Midnight Arms Erebus crafting recipe.
Siding with Songbird, on the other hand, is the best option for Sandevistan-heavy pistol builds or really any other build with a focus on cyberware. It’s the only way to get Reed’s pistol and the Cyberware Tuner that reduces the cooldown of all your cyberware abilities.
As far as the moral implications of each path are concerned – you’re on your own.
Betraying Reed
If you choose to betray Reed, you’ll have to escape the stadium with Songbird. Once you’re out, you’ll need to spend a few days waiting for Songbird to contact you before starting “The Killing Moon,” one possible finale for Phantom Liberty. That mission will present you with its own set of moral quandaries. You’ll have a chance to switch loyalties and side with Reed, which will grant you access to the new main game ending, but fully betraying him nets its own rewards.
Killing Reed might hurt, but walking away with his gun should make the pain a little easier to bear. Pariah is an Iconic Tech pistol that fires a three-round burst and can be charged for some added accuracy. The real kicker is the weapon’s silencer, which can help you dish out some serious damage without being detected by enemies.
A few days after sending Songbird to the moon, you’ll get access to two quests that act as epilogues to the story of Phantom Liberty. “Unfinished Sympathy” will let you meet up with Alex and get some closure on what’s happening with her and the FIA. “From Her to Eternity” will give you the final rewards for the DLC: a pin from the moon that apparently confirms Songbird’s survival and a piece of Iconic cyberware called the Quantum Tuner. The Tuner reduces the cooldown for all cyberware effects by 12%, and once every 60 seconds it can fully restore the cooldown on a used cyberware effect.
Betraying Songbird
The rewards for siding with Songbird are pretty great, but there’s still a case to be made for betraying her in “Firestarter.” If you side with Reed, you’ll still be in for a big fight, but this time you’ll get to face off against Kurt Hansen as one of the game’s few bosses.
After defeating Hansen, you’ll head straight into the final two missions of the DLC, “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos” and “Somewhat Damaged.” This route is arguably cooler than Songbird’s, as it will have you fighting MaxTac and going through a Cynosure facility while being hunted by a terrifying AI-controlled bot.
As you make your way through “Somewhat Damaged,” you’ll be able to find the crafting specs for the Midnight Arms Erebus and the Militech Canto Cyberdeck. The Erebus is a Power submachine gun that fires bullets infused with the Blackwall. The gun is guaranteed to crit on low-health enemies, and it uploads a Blackwall virus to them, killing them instantly. The Canto has 10 units of RAM and 4 quickhack slots, and it lets you upload the Blackwall Gateway virus directly. The virus deals massive damage and automatically spreads to more and more enemies at an increased RAM cost. The Erebus and the Canto both require the Cerberus’ decoded behavioral system component, so ultimately you’ll have to choose to craft one or the other.
Finally, if you fully commit to betraying Songbird in “Somewhat Damaged,” President Myers will pay you $30,000 eddies and give you a new apartment. Plus, you’ll get access to the new main game ending.
Published: Nov 13, 2023 02:02 pm