We Have To Talk About Sinnerman - Cyberpunk 2077

Spoilers for Sinnerman quest line obvs.

“A great opportunity? Well now it’s definitely a turd wrapped in crepe paper.”

As I explore the City, fixer Wakako Okada calls me up with a job. V is instantly suspicious, knowing that these jobs are historically bad. I should have listened to V, because things get WEIRD in this mission.

You are asked to assassinate a target, but this time the client wants to be there when you kill him. Alarm bells are already ringing at this point. V chases down the target in an NCPD armoured car (more alarm bells) and as they approach the target, the client is gunned down by the police officer. You’d think that would be that, but then the target requests you join him for the day. For me, sheer curiosity won out and I agreed, rather than gun him down on the spot and collect my cash from Wakako.

Joshua Stephenson admitted to me he had committed every crime he was charged of, but had found God in prison and wanted to make things right. You go with him to the house where the sister of one of his victims lived. Surprisingly, she welcomes him with open arms.

It is then revealed that Joshua wants to be crucified (literally) as penance for his crimes.

He faced the electric chair, but instead made a deal with a braindance studio so he could be crucified while they recorded it in graphic detail. Snuff BDs are usually the province of the darknet but this was going to be backed by a big studio.

I… did not know what to do at this point. I think CDPR knew that, giving you lots of opportunities to back out during the quest. I’m not particularly religious, but even I can tell when things may be going too far. A man asking to be crucified like Jesus and then for his experience to be recorded and packaged and sold… That is definitely too far.

And yet, I continued on with the quest. I had to know if he would go through with it. CDPR spare no detail in the execution, and Joshua asking V to nail him to the cross while quoting scripture was hard to watch. I went through with it, and watched as he died. Even my mouthy companion Johnny Silverhand fell silent.

In a city where anything can be bought and sold I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that such a thing would be created for a mass market. It really brought home just how little value is placed on concepts like dignity, mental health or a life when such a project is greenlit. It made me view Night City in a completely different way. It made me question whether anything V did to fight against the corps was even worth it. Any good I was doing in helping the citizens of the city would be worn away by this constant, addictive drive for profit.

I love that this quest made me think about just how far capitalism had been allowed to run riot in the city, and the dangers of a so called free market. It was difficult and downright disturbing to play through but I am really glad I did. Sometimes you shouldn’t look away. My V took some comfort in the fact that as Joshua died, he would have one face looking at him that didn’t have eddie signs in their eyes. He may have done some horrible things, but no one deserves a death like this.

I hope that CDPR continue to tell stories like this. I have to admire the balls they had to tell a story like this, especially with the Christianity element. I'm really surprised we haven't seen any backlash from various churches. Everyone has been curiously silent.

Sinnerman was controversial for sure, and made me lose faith in humanity, but a story worth telling. A life is worth so much more than the eddies it can make for you. As much as I love the technology and fashion of Night City, I sure am glad I’m in Scotland in 2021. Even with the pandemic.