How Cyberpunk 2077 DLC Could Redeem The Game's Treatment of Jackie Welles
Despite receiving generally favorable reviews on the platforms that can reliably run it, Cyberpunk 2077 has a lot of making up to do. There's no question that the game is an enjoyable entry in the Western RPG genre, but it would be a massive understatement to say that the game didn't deliver on all of its promises, especially for those on console. So, many of the game's features that were highlighted in its marketing didn't make it anywhere close to actually being in the game. While subsequent patches have come through to help fix a lot of its major issues, Cyberpunk 2077 still isn't what it was promised to be.
It's hard to say there was only one glaring omission from the marketing as so much that was promised wasn't capitalized on, but Jackie Welles seemed like he was going to be a much bigger character in the game than he ultimately turned out to be. Appearing in most ads for the game in some capacity or another, Jackie seemed like one of the main characters in Cyberpunk 2077 before it released. His swift exit from the plot felt a little unceremonious and left plenty of fans wondering if they had been duped.
There's nothing inherently wrong with changing things up from game trailers to the final product, but Jackie's death was disappointing because of how likable he was at the start of Cyberpunk when a lot of the cast initially came across as brash and unfriendly. He was a familiar face whose absence was felt throughout the game when the role of V's best friend was then given to Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand. It's worth noting that Johnny Silverhand is also an interesting character, but after Jackie's death, there wasn't much payoff for him in the overall plot of the game. Players get access to his bike, he's mentioned in a couple of quests, but that's all. It's a shame because Jackie proved to be a fan favorite who ultimately didn't have a whole lot of time to shine before he was killed only a few hours in.
Hopefully, CD Projekt Red will give Jackie the spotlight he deserves in the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 DLC. There's currently not a lot known about any of the DLC CD Projekt is working on, but focusing on Jackie Welles and his story might win over some fans who were disappointed by his general exclusion from the game. There's already a lot that the studio needs to make good on to win fans back, but in terms of major characters from the marketing, he was one of the big issues.
A DLC revolving around Jackie would go hand in hand with the Cyberpunk 2077 side job "Heroes." The mission plays out differently depending on where V tells Delamain to take Jackie's body at the end of the prologue. If his body is delivered to his mother, she has a funeral for him at El Coyote Cojo, his favorite bar. Before the funeral starts, Mama Welles gives V the keys to Jackie's garage which they then go explore to find a personal item of Jackie's to lay to rest with him. The mission ultimately ends with V receiving Jackie's motorcycle, but has wider implications about what a Jackie Welles-themed DLC could look like.
If V brings Jackie's girlfriend, Misty, into the garage with them, she tells them all about who Jackie was through his personal items. From his love of For Whom the Bell Tolls to his mini-shark, Taco, it's clear that CD Projekt was trying to paint Jackie as a character with a lot of depth. Based on everything the player learns about him through the mission, it feels like he was meant for something more than what his role ultimately boiled down to. DLC where V travels the city reliving moments from Jackie's life or trying to resolve some of the things he left undone would be really impactful based on how deep his character shaped up to be. Even playing sections as him in a similar form as the Johnny Silverhand flashbacks might be just what some fans are looking for in terms of a more fulfilled arc for the character.
While all of that sounds great, it seems unlikely that CD Projekt would focus its DLC on him. The funeral side job ties a nice enough bow on Jackie's story and it seems like there's still much more for the studio to explore in Night City in the upcoming DLC's. It's a shame that Jackie's story might already be completely told, but despite his limited screen time, he's still one of Cyberpunk's most memorable characters.
Cyberpunk 2077 is currently available for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S updates in development.
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