Despite a lot of controversy and criticism, Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt Red is a memorable game. The fight is fun and frenetic, the characters that the player meets on his journey are a diverse team of unique personalities, and there are many interesting elements in the gameplay to interest gamers. But one of the best parts of Cyberpunk 2077 is its thriving, multifaceted main location — the Night City.
As the beating heart of the game, Night City had to be original and attract attention, and the setting of a sci-fi role-playing game certainly meets these requirements. In fact, this is a different character in itself, with its warring gangs, stratified social structures, rampant crime and neon streets full of secrets. One aspect of Night City that may not seem very important at first in the main story is the Tarot cards that players can collect from the map. These intriguing pieces of graffiti may just look like great street art, but they actually have more connections to the narrative than players might think.
Tarot Cards Cyberpunk 2077
After Vee has a mind-altering encounter with Johnny Silverhand and the anarchist rocker settles into his brain, they can start collecting various Tarot-themed wall paintings that have appeared all over the city and in the Badlands. These cards follow the archetypes of the Senior Arcana – 22 cards in a traditional deck of 78 cards, which can be considered “trump” cards. The design of these cards is based on the influential images of the Smith-Waite deck, created in the early twentieth century, where each card has its own prescribed meaning and significance.
Although players can encounter these cards in almost any order while exploring the vast areas of Cyberpunk 2077, only 20 cards can be found in the game naturally. The last two, the Devil and Justice, can be found in different endings of the game, and they are mutually exclusive due to the choices that players will need to make. Each card reveals something about the overall story and has a special meaning depending on where it is located, using images filled with symbols and references to the original values of the cards to add layers of esoteric depth to Cyberpunk 2077.
How do they relate to history
In whatever order the players encounter the Tarot cards, they will still matter in the story because of their location and significance in the life of Vi. One of the first that players are likely to encounter is on the wall near V’s apartment, and it’s a Fool. This is an ideal way not only to start the side quest “Fool on the Hill” (where players need to collect various Tarot cards), but also a way to sum up V at the beginning of the game. The Fool card speaks of the beginning of the journey when the traveler is energetic and ambitious, but his lack of experience means that he has no idea where the road can lead him.
Other maps also have interesting hints about characters or places and their roles in the story. Another early map that players may encounter is the Wizard, which can be found on the highway pillars opposite Lizzie’s Bar. The Braindance Club and the headquarters of the Mox gang is a place where gamers will come back again and again, and where they meet the fan favorite Judy Alvarez. The Wizard Card represents a self-confident, adaptable person who has at his disposal a variety of tools to create everything he wants. Given the history of the Mox gang and the legacy of Lizzie’s Bar, this seems particularly appropriate, and also related to Judy’s experience in the field of brain dance.
Tarot cards scattered across Night City and the Badlands, as well as the layouts that players can do with Misty, help give context and additional meaning to the characters, locations and plot points in Cyberpunk 2077. However, using Tarot cards to characterize the various endings, summarize their importance and how everything V did led to this moment. The Tarot cards associated with each ending can also give an idea of which ones are “bad” and which are “good”, although Tarot cards are much more nuanced than these simple descriptions. A player who chooses his fate with Arasaka receives the achievement “Devil” — a card symbolizing temptation and destructive behavior — while a Star is earned for leaving the Night City in favor of new pastures, which is associated with the associations of the card with hope and a new start.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
