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- Updated on June 24, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra:
Cyberpunk 2077 is a game with truly incredible writing across the board, with the narratives present in this title being a downright masterpiece for obvious reasons. CD Projekt Red has shown just how great their quest design and storytelling are in The Witcher series, and it was clear that all of this experience was applied to make Cyberpunk 2077's narrative as engaging and personal as possible. One of these quests is Dream On which hides a sinister truth behind the brainwashing of Jefferson and Elizabeth Peralez. Ultimately, V will have a difficult choice to make: lie to Jefferson or tell him the truth. Here are the outcomes of both options, which influence the end credits of Cyberpunk 2077.
Following a successful investigation with V and River Ward, Jefferson Peralez and his wife Elizabeth hire the mercenary for a very disturbing sidequest in Cyberpunk 2077. This is easily one of the most messed-up quests in the entire game and shows just how mature the writing team is at CD Projekt Red. The side job Dream On is a harrowing example of what technology can do in the hands of the wrong people, with anyone in a position of power potentially being a target for brainwashing in the most unnerving manner possible.
UPDATE: 2023/06/26 22:53 EST BY JAKE FILLERY
Updated on June 24, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra:
Cyberpunk 2077 was a game that was understandably criticized for releasing in an unacceptably broken state, far earlier than it should have. The game was a disappointment to many, being absolutely littered with bugs and running on an almost unplayable state on the PS4 & Xbox One. It's a shame that CD Projekt Red was forced to release this game in such a broken state since there was something really special underneath the surface that many people simply didn't get to experience because their first playthrough was absolutely marred with unacceptable glitches and bugs that really bogged down the experience quite a bit.
However, over time, CD Projekt Red kept their head down and released patch after patch in a bid to make Cyberpunk 2077 as polished as possible, not wanting to give up on this game at all. The release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners changed things for the better, drawing more eyes to the game with the 1.5 Edgerunners Update fixing many bugs while adding new content to the game as well. One of the best quests in the game that many players owe it to themselves to check out is Dream On , a nightmarish side gig where V is tasked with figuring out the mystery behind a power couple slowly losing their identities while the husband runs for mayor of Night City.
The Events Of Dream On
While V is investigating the death of the ex-mayor of Night City, Lucius Rhyne, they end up interacting with the Peralez power couple. V's handiness clearly has an impact on the duo, who decide to contact the merc to solve a problem of their own while inviting them to visit their apartment. When V enters the apartment and sits down to talk with Jefferson and Elizabeth, they are briefed by the couple that they have been experiencing strange lapses in their memories and events such as an intruder in the middle of the night, that Jefferson shot, but there's just no proof. No fired bullet nor blood stains. Even after discussing it with their private security team, the team claims to have no footage of the incident and tells the married couple that it's just a dream.
Of course, Elizabeth and Jefferson suspect something different and bring V in to do their own investigation. The protagonist eventually finds a hidden room inside their luxurious apartment in Heywood, where the private security team SSI was seemingly doing secret surveillance. This turns out to be nothing more than a front, and the true intentions of this security firm are revealed once the player decides to properly investigate their acts.
After further digging (and a fair bit of combat), V discovers that the Peralez couple is being brainwashed, explaining the lapses in memory. Elizabeth suspected this herself as she saw her husband's personality changing before her eyes. It's a harrowing revelation that has major implications, especially given the fact that Jefferson himself is running for mayor around the same time! To make things worse, it's clear that getting rid of SSI won't do anything to stop this mysterious organization from figuring out their own ways to change the minds of both Jefferson and Elizabeth Peralez to turn them into political puppets who could shape key events in Night City.
Elizabeth's Dilemma
After figuring out the gravity of the situation, Elizabeth will ask to meet with V in private, ultimately requesting the merc to lie to her husband. V must meet with Jefferson, as he was the one who hired her, to explain what she found. But Elizabeth has been threatened by this mysterious group and fears their lives may be in danger if he finds out the whole truth. On the other hand, Johnny Silverhand believes living a lie controlled by possible rogue AI is wrong, and he deserves to know the truth.
Regardless, players will now be given a decision to make — either tell Jefferson the truth or let his mind rest by lying to him and making him think that everything is fine. Both these choices are extremely hard to make, showing just how tight and excellent the quest design of Cyberpunk 2077 really is. It's a truly harrowing decision that is understandably tough to make, given that both sides of the argument are sound in their own way.
What Choice Does V Make?
It seems that as far as the current version of Cyberpunk 2077 goes, this decision has no influence on the main campaign and V will not observe much change with the Peralezes afterward. Either way, V will receive some dark text messages and be blocked from contacting both Jefferson and Elizabeth, and this is the last they'll hear from either until the credits.
Of course, this doesn't mean that this decision holds no weight at all. Both Jefferson and Elizabeth are pretty great characters in the game, and the player would ideally want to make the best decision for these characters if they genuinely care about the fate of the Peralezes. There's also an epilogue cutscene that is changed based on which decision V takes, which can interest players in repeated playthroughs, if nothing else.
Lie To Jefferson
On one hand, if V lies to Jefferson and tells the story that Elizabeth came up with, he'll be satisfied with the case. This is perhaps the best choice to take if players want the couple to live a happy life, but it's hard to consider this a happy conclusion when players know the truth of what is happening to them... and the dire ramifications of the same.
During the final credits of Cyberpunk 2077, he'll seem cheery with a positive outlook, but V knows that he's likely still being brainwashed. Living a lie is something that doesn't appear to everyone, which is perhaps why this seemingly happy message rings hollow in the minds of many players. However, when compared to how his life turns out if he knows the truth, this may still be the better outcome of the two... depending on the viewpoint of players, that is.
Tell The Truth
Telling the truth is something that Elizabeth vehemently recommends against. She knows the kind of person Jefferson is, and she believes that the man will slowly become more and more paranoid once he becomes aware of this development. It's not a predicament that any person would want to deal with... but there's no denying that Jefferson also deserves to know the truth.
So, if V tells him the truth about being brainwashed, the credits will show Jefferson driven mad, no longer trusting the wife he once had a great relationship with. It's a pretty dark message that shows just how much the lives of the couple have been affected by the brainwashing activities of SSI. Their bid to control the very lives of two people who didn't deserve to deal with this kind of adversity makes for a harrowing end to one of the best side quests in Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The DLC Phantom Liberty launches on September 26, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.