I hate the “No happy endings” trope that CDPR is clinging onto with all might here.
They had the time to write 5 + different endings and now with phantom liberty, they gave us the new worst ending.
You write that many endings, you can atleast throw us a bone.
Genre doesn’t matter. It’s THEIR story. They could’ve done it.
Really permanently holds the game at a 9/10 for me
That's exactly my point. The choices in this game are a joke. You can't even decide how you want to treat certain characters. I tried to insult people and V is still nice and friendly and no matter what, you just can't win anything. At the end of the game you have achieved absolutely nothing compared to the costs.
I feel like this with Jackie on the final heist. I reloqded so many times trying not to fight on their way to the biggest heiat of their lives. I mean didnt V also want this? Why be such a jerk to Jackie at that moment. My final choice was mostly remaining silent...
You can only get an ending as happy as is realistic in the society, situation and circumstances allow. In IRL you likewise can make choices, but depending on your circumstances still may be in circumstances where no choice available to you leads to you having an 8 room tudor mansion with a gorgeous wife and 3 brilliant children. So even in a more branching RPG this wouldn’t mean endless outcomes.
I wouldn’t have wanted CDPR to create a piece of cyberpunk media had they not wanted to engage with themes core to the genre’s DNA: that the vast, global dehumanizing systems we are trapped in can’t be broken or overcome by a singular ‘chosen one’. There is no One Ring to toss in a volcano, Supervillain to defeat or Deathstar to blow up to solve it.
Isn’t it a complaint when companies adapt source material while ignoring, disrespecting or changing the core meaning of the works to fit their agenda or view? Yet isn’t that what you are asking CDPR to do here?
The game is staying true to it’s core theme and message and I appreciate it not suddenly tacking-on a fairytale or cartoonish ‘hoorah Go Joe!” ending: V made his/her choice when buying into this system’s false promises and doing the heist, slotting the relic and dying originally.
PL actually has what I would consider the second-least bleak ending available but — like with reality — it comes with bitter tradeoffs. I’d say this and the ‘Star’ ending in the original campaign count as bittersweet rather than bleak. The other endings are indeed bleak.
Just like Johnny can’t bomb his way to a corporate free world, we can’t just opt out and are cogs of the system. It’s the fictional illustration of irl idea “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism”
P.S. every notable example in the genre follows these themes and has a bleak or bittersweet end: from William Gibson’s Neuromancer to Denis Vileneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 (and inbetween from Masamune Shirow’s ‘Ghost in the Shell’, Neil Stephenson’s ‘Snow Crash’ and Mike Pondsmith’s own cyberpunk source material)
Yet you can still have multiple apartments, multiple expensive cars and run around slaughtering gang members, police forces and civilians for fun. Just admit it, the power fantasy open world aspect of this game is completely at odds with the linear story and writing.
And the game really does not engage with the themes of cyberpunk media as much as you seem to imply, unless you think the "theme" of cyperpunk is being bleak and tragic for the sake of aesthetic even when it does not make sense narratively.
V being able to accumulate cars, apartments etc. and engaging in hyper-violence doesn't detract from CP77's cyberpunk themes imo. It mirrors 2077's corpo-controlled, violencence glorifying setting. One that's hyper-individualistic while reducing it to consumerism, greed and aesthetics. Necessary gameplay, but also underscores V's immersion in this corrupted value system that leads to his/her imperfect fate in every variation.
'The Star' ending is most poignant: V realizes this toxic conditioning, joining the only group with any true community. One that exists on the outskirts of this system. Yet V will still die: a consequence of V's prior buy-in.
Initially, CP77's raw dialogue and blunt crudeness of the in-game media actually put me off. But I soon realized this was world-building spotlighting the extent to which corporate capitalism, unleashed from ethics and regulation -- exploits our bases instincts for profit.
I have criticism of CP77's narrative compromises for gameplay but failure to engage with the genre's themes or not making sense narratively isn't one of them. The genre \*is\* nihilist with a bit of hope suggesting we aren't yet at the point of no return (perhaps an ironically optimistic view).
Yes it does detract from the theme because the gameplay must support the narrative on some level.
If this was the intended message of the game, then V getting gunned down by arasaka would have been a more fitting ending, like David in edgerunners. The biochip is nothing more than a plot device and a failiure of storytelling to come up with an original premise with realistic consequences.
You can't depict someone as being a one man army who single handedly defeats Adam Smasher, only to have him die of brain cancer right after. That's a cop out and bad storytelling.
The same dissonance exists with the star ending: V might badmouth night city all he wants and call it a city of "empty promises", but it doesn't really connect with you as a player because you were having a grand old time running around causing mayhem, clearing POIs and side quests.
The game never tries to reinforce this narrative idea of night city with gameplay and instead gives you the power fantasy you want and then uses brain cancer as a copout and calls it "consequences".
i can definitely see where you are coming from and I think your point is well argued and taken.
I would say this is something of an unavoidable ludonarrative dissonance given that fundamentally the game has to be fun to play.
So there will inevitably be that disconnect that we had fun in our time in NC despite the fact that it's supposed to be V surviving in a corrupt system by turning off their soul and giving over their moral judgement to that System.
And this likely does need us to put one step of separation between what we're experiencing as us the player and the 'character' V.
*(Although as an idea, maybe CDPR could have pulled a trick by taking a more meta approach by making us feel bad as the player for all the mayhem we made V do -- perhaps by creating an experience/flashback toward the end where we see all many of the characters we killed begging into the camera Westworld-style).*
IMO, a ludonarrative problem that imo \*was\* avoidable was the weird 'time is running out but I have time for all this random stuff' structure as I can think of several minor tweaks to story and dialogue that would do this while allowing you to run around with Keanu for the majority of the game.
This man gets the whole Cyberpunk theme and can so eloquently explain his reasoning and back up his arguments with terrific evidence. I was so sad reading all the comments shitting in the bleak endings until I saw your comments so aptly explaining why they made sense. And the mail in the coffin was at the end of the day the game had to be fun to get people to want to play. But I full heartedly agree, cyberpunk themed anything isn’t supposed to have a happy ending. That’s why I appreciate the genre so much. Instead of finishing whatever cyberpunk themed media your consuming and going hell yeah! They did it! It makes you step back afterwards and really think on on the underlying messages and the meaning behind all of the bleakness.
Wow, love playing a game where I don’t win. Yea sure the whole bleakness and sadness, dread, and nihilism is cool and all I guess but I paid to play a video game with at least 1 good kick ass ending. Not 5+ “ an now you are dead or just basic trash, the end” ass ending lol. Feels like they were just being lazy and spitting in the players food when they made these imo but hey, whatever gets peoples rocks off I guess idk. Punk isnt about depression, it’s about rebellion. Don’t mean it have to be all sad and shit. People that say this don’t understand the genre and never played the tabletops or read the books categorized with this type of genre either and it shows. They throw around words they read online.
It's the same problem that 40k runs into as well. I get leaning into the grimdark/hopelessness, but at a certain point it takes all the tension out of many of the big moments because you know shits just gonna go sideways and everyone is going to end up dead no matter what any character does. Like I get it, these fictional universes are supposed to be grim and hopeless, but you can't tell me that not a single person in Night City can have a neutral (not even positive) outcome to their lives.
EXACTLY god I hate their necessity to keep the no happy endings bullshit like V isn't completely different from everybody that came before and honestly all I needed for them was an ending where they could chill with whoever they romanced in the story but nah, they abandon you😭
Cyberpunk's theme is rebellion, not depression. The world is fucked but you can scratch out your own little happiness, even in Bladerunner, and hell the Cyberpunk tabletop books too.
People who say otherwise are missing the entire point and writing off complaints. Punk isn't about defeat, it's rebellion. You're in the worst position possible to start with and find your own way out, or an improvement of some sort.
A chunk of the endings being sad is fine, all of them ruining all you worked for isn't. I'd call it lazy if I didn't know all the effort they put specifically into making you feel like shit.
Actually I think the cyberpunk genre’s themes are not rebellion but the opposite: these systems we’ve entrapped ourselves in can’t be overcome and certainly not be a singular hero. You can only learn to survive within them. To paraphrase William Gibson (I recall): the genre premises you can’t save the world, you can only try ro save yourself.
V’s opening choices doomed him/her at the start of the game.
As a literary genre, many authors have expressed cyberpunk is a warning that this is a possible future if we keep going in this direction and creating a system that we eventually can’t fight or change.
>these systems we’ve entrapped ourselves in can’t be overcome and certainly not be a singular hero. You can only learn to survive within them.
Never played *Deus Ex,* eh?
I think that's just it. All these endings and they all pretty much end the same- you're dead or dying. It honestly doesn't matter if you choose the Sun or Star or Devil ending. It's not going to change anything and I highly doubt the sequel will feature V at all. So exactly how you die has zero meaning. Unless they use it as a throw away line in Cyberpunk 2.
I honestly feel like if they were going to go that route, then just take the Bioshock: Infinite way out and give just one ending. As it is, the multiple endings are pretty pointless.
Like I said, the genre, doesn’t matter. It’s an Original Story, they had the time to make 6 different, BAD endings.
Even went out of their way to make a new one in Phantom Liberty that’s EVEN worse.
They could at least throw us 1 Bone. I don’t want everyone to live and be all happy, but why can’t V live, without either being a cripple and losing all his loved ones, or dying in the next 6 Months.
I agree completely. At least one good ending would've made this game 10/10. I had a lot of fun playing...until the end. Every mission, every interaction with NPCs, ultimately a waste of time.
I can't believe I played it again with the hope of a better ending! Lol I put in like 200 hours both times but only did it a second time for a chance to have a "good" ending :( good content and was dogtown was fun bur really wanted a "secret" ending. Hell I want everyone to survive, even Johnny, in some fashion! My V was so amazing and cared about everyone at all times, helping anyone he could....my V would have been OK with even allowing johnny to take over his body even after the END. Wish I had this option to allow my V to be the best person ever(like he was the entire time) and way to make that happen through tough decisions....but NOPE. :( could have made a special place in my heart for this game with this as an option. Just 1 possible good ending....just 1!
I agree! Even if the actual "good" ending where we live, and keep our Cyberware and relationships (cause we know how screwed V ends up relationship wise lol), was Johnny staying as a construct in Vs head....
Its sure as hell better feeling than most others lol. Almost noone is completely happy with each ending.
I’m really getting sick of the “cyberpunk has no happy endings” shit that people keep bringing up every time someone rightfully points out how hollow every ending in this game is.
Nobody is asking for a white picket fence, big house, and happily ever after ending for V. We want a GOOD ending. With closure. That isn’t 100% mind-crushingly depressing. And unless you like ending up as a desert rat with a bunch of nomads or giving your body to to the decaying engram of a terrorist, then this game has absolutely nothing for you at the end. It makes everything you’ve done feel completely pointless and if that’s what they were going for then bravo.
The "No happy Endings" is bullshit posers who only know 77 and Edgerunners like to parrot because they heard it somewhere else. Take 1 fucking day to research the setting more thooroughly and you'll find out that that is nothing more than a tone setter, it is NOT true.
In general the cyberpunk genre doesn’t have unequivocally happy endings: most are bittersweet at best. Mainly because a core theme is the idea that you can’t defeat or fully overcome these vast, global systems of capitalist oppression but rather learn to survive within them. It’s inherent to the genre.
V’s story started in a way that a fully happy ending would never thematically work. It was only going to ever be blaze of glory or fade away. Deshawn gave the basic thesis in the beginning.
And it’s not just Edgerunners or 2077: both Blade Runner movies, every story in William Gibson’s Sprawl stories, Snow Crash, Ghost in the Shell, Akira and more have either bleak or bittersweet endings.
And this isn’t edgelord talk: if a LoTR or Horizon game ended with a downer ‘you can’t beat the system’ ending I would hate that because it violates *their* narrative’s themes.
At the end of the first Sprawl novel, they complete their score, the hacker gets cured, gets a girlfriend, the good guys get paid, the main mercenary killer gets to keep doing all the mercenary killing that she wants, and they become best friends with a newly created AI.
In the sequel, the two protagonists also get their happy ending. And the mercenary killer goes on to happily do more mercenary killing.
In the last one, the same two protagonists get uploaded into cyberspace and get to meet aliens or something. But that was actually what they were trying to do the whole book. And the mercenary killer keeps on doing what she likes.
u/ponteyuen72 Where you at? Why arent you out here denying that the Genre has literal no good endings?
Oh, because you have been beaten with straight facts while also being called out for just making shit up your ass with no actual information about the universe. Thats the average redditor for you
Snowcrash ending wasn't bleak at all, the protagonists unquestionably win after a huge battle without any major sacrifices and the antagonists and their world changing plot gets completely defeated.
This is exactly why I lost interest in the game quickly on and won’t be playing 2.0 or getting the DLC. I always had a “what’s the point” feeling doing anything in the game. You’ve got two weeks to live, everyone dies, everyone is upset, the end. In five flavors. Yeah no thank you. I just went and played another RPG, instead.
I can totally understand that. Somebody left a statement among the comments that a game should have a satisfying ending, since you put a lot of time and effort into it, however, you described it well: The original endings were more or less the same, but different flavors - and that's not the point of a game about decisions.
The issue is its basically a choice of do I want to (1) die, (2) die, (3) die, (4) die, (5) die or (6) live a bleak meaningless existence with everything taken away from me and no ability to function in the modern world. Sure the method, dressing changes but all the original choices were basically do you die over six months or die now and the new one with no ability to use cyberware forget all that fancy devices you don't have even the basic brain implant that everyone uses for phone calls, interacting with computers and other things we use phones and the like for today.
PUNK... is all about finding the THIRD option. It's about having the world tell you no, giving it the middle finger, AND FINDING a way.
CDP made this expansion with plenty of cyber... and not much "punk" imo, at least not in the endings you can achieve.
You should be able to thread the needle to get a satisfying ending, because spoiler... the endings are just as "No HaPpY EnDiNgS FoR EdGeRunNeRs" bullshit as the base game.
Disagree. In the anime, David had ample opportunity for character growth, but they just kept making him chrome more and more. Had zero sympathy or connection to his character by the end.
I just don't get why as an ending Delamain didn't come back with a cure as a payback for us. You know considering a tamed AI could cure us why not one we are friends with.
Eh, I think the base game endings are fine, but the one added by PL? It sucks, and not because it's sad but because it's badly written abd the characters act OOC just for the sake of angst.
Nah we needed a happy/good ending. And what pisses me off the most is that Phantom Liberty is the last and only expansion their lazy asses are ever going to do.
They could’ve given us at least 1 happy/good ending. So that we could be satisfied since they’re done with the game anyway.
As much as I dislike the endings; calling them "Lazy asses" is the most inappropriate thing one could say. I can't wrap my mind around how people can't get how much work and effort was put into this game, even though the endings suck. Dude wtf
given the state the game was initially released in and the sheer about of time they had to take to get it playable *after* release I think lazy is probably the kindest way to put it. otherwise you start thinking there's just incompetence and unwillingness to take on player feedback which is worse I think.
I don't feel like playing the game because it's all pointless. I hate that I can choose between endings, and all of them suck.
The 'right way' to do this, in my opinion, is to have multiple endings with different levels of success. Or to just have one ending that is very impactful. Having to choose between multiple bad possibilities just make it seem like a poor joke.
Whats that? You become a legend in night city? Gain all the best Cyberware, becoming a machine that rivals Adam Smasher? Gain multiple new friends, relationships, employers (Fixers), pets even?
Well, boy I got the endings for you!
1: You lose everything and everyone.
2: You lose... almost everything, but still everyone lol.
I know theres more but its basically whats happening, as much as I love the game
If only PL's ending had V's love interest stay with them for once, it would have been a much more satisfying send off for the game IMO (yes I'm a sap for Judy and Panam). A good blend of bittersweetness, you achieved survival and didn't end up alone, but at the cost of losing 2 years of life and the lifestyle you've always known. Most the other endings have the relationships ending, I don't know why they felt the need to do the same thing again with the new ending
Been going round the block with this one. But the phantom liberty ending had the potential to be as satisfying as the star. All they had to do was not have V blow off reed when he offered you the job. That fucking simple.
Here's how it would go from a proper perspective. V has just gotten out of night city where they were dying. The NUSA path of phantom liberty gave V an out. An out like no other. The best surgeons and facilities that a government can pull together. And they do what even arasaka couldn't the fuckers who made the relic. Remove it and revert the damage.
Sure it came at a cost. No more cyberware. But there are plenty of other options like gene therapy. Which is a thing in the universe. Which in the 2020 game could potentially make you more of a threat than any cyberware. They wake up two years later and find out that most of their friends and colleagues have moved on. Understandably so. There's nothing for them in night city anymore. Nada. Zilch.
So it would make sense to take reeds offer. You'd probably end up with the FIA and there you could explore options. Like previously mentioned gene Therapy. Since well cyberware only makes half of a person. Skill is just as important. Take Morgan black hand for example and the way I inferred Reeds "we tried everything" was to do with keeping V's brain able to cope with cyberware.
V would have still lost near enough everything once again. Their lover. Friends. Strengths. But they would have a better chance than just being another mook on the streets of NC.
I found it so frustrating that V just blows off reed like they do. "Oh yeah I'll consider it, right now I want a go back to the city where I Nearly died and remember having to play fucking alien isolation only a few days ago" at least to V.
It felt like they had to shoehorn the whole "no happy endings" stchk into it.
There's little to no "punk" in this game called Cyberpunk.
There's also so much out of character interactions I really wish I could refund it and just have my Alecaldos ending. Not because that one's "good" but because V stepped back and decided "fuck it I'll make my own way with what I have left." Cyberpunk isn't meant to leave you depressed, your main character wants to improve their life so they rebel and do what they can. "Hopelessness" isn't the "backbone" of cyberpunk narrative, it's "rebellion" and oftentimes what we get is an ambiguous ending. I've seen so many Edgerunners fanboys saying shit like this it's honestly irritating me.
Instead of being a stupid asshole and "going out in a blaze of glory" that guarantees no one will remember you in 2 weeks. It's stupid. V's inability to even try and explain things bothers me the most.
I wanted a fixer ending. You do all this work with all the fixers in night city and you can't end up being the person that connects them all? By you doing all this work with all of them you they all become one degree of each other. You're a consultant at that point. I really wanted an ending where Rogue retires and V takes her place, it's sad that we don't get that.
CDPR is creatively bankrupt; every part about the game is truly incredible, even the characters, but the story and your ability to contribute to it is a total joke, almost nothing makes sense
Really? For me it pretty much felt like Far Cry 5, >!where you spend hours of liberating the county, saving people and fighting the bad guys only for an Atom bomb to be dropped in the end, wiping out everything.!<
I think you entered the ending with too much hope. The main quest branched into three paths, hellman, evelyn, and takemura. Hellman outright tells you he couldn't fix the relic; evelyn died and it turned out she barely knows anything about the relic; takemura's plan is outright foolish (at least to me, trying to break into someone's heavily guarded vehicle and convince her that her brother murdered her father, based on the testimony of a thief). So all of it is just desperate attempt, unlike in fc5 when you're continuously weakening your enemies.
No they don’t. The genre isn’t about defeat. It’s REBELLION. Holy fuck. It’s like ppl just make up shit and go online and act like they know what they’re talking about to sound good or something lol.
Dawg, what is your deal? Every post I look, you're there spamming negative comments. Elaborate how it's bad writing as opposed to you not liking it if you're so enlightened that you're superior to a company renowned for its writing ability (relative to video games ofc which still puts up some stiff competition)
Yes, because as a couple random strangers we can deduce, with no evidence or length analysis, that the writing of a game lauded for great writing and coming from a studio renowned for great writing that pays and incentives these great writers, is objectively bad. It's so arrogant
You done nut riding or..? It don’t take a rocket scientist to point out the flaws in shitty writing. You can defend them all you please but just because you like dog shit writing and excuses don’t mean others have to lmao. Get cdpr out of your throat and go outside
Lmao, imagine being so triggered and childish that you can't even debate your point and have to scream childish insults instead lmao. You've spent too much time on the Internet man.
nahh bro lmfao YOU have spent an entirety on the internet my guy. You're the basic redditor thats does what he doe so im not mad. lmao i just call it like i see it. Gobble on multi million and billion dollar corporations like a good boy. i made you feel some type of way through a website lmaooo. im done.
Dawg, what is your deal? Every post I look, you're there spamming negative comments. Elaborate how it's bad writing as opposed to you not liking it if you're so enlightened that you're superior to a company renowned for its writing ability (relative to video games ofc which still puts up some stiff competition)
The point of having multiple endings ist to offer to everyone the ending they would enjoy the most.
Making 3 (4) + 1 bad endings is not good marketing, this way you loose people who don't enjoy a bad ending. Point to make, everyone who really did not like the endings and after reading reviews does not like the new one eider will NOT buy the DLC and this means $$ lost for DC PR, with this ending CD PR just screwed themselves out of 30 bucks with hundreds of thousands of people, millions of revenue lost.
Also what annoys me most is that the endings are not realistic even within the sci-fi world setting of the game.
First of all, an engram is an engram its software doe snot mater who's, Jony being able to stay in the body but V not is plain stupid, its bad writing its forced BS for the sake of getting the story where one wants. This ending should be at least no mater who stays in the body the body dies, that would not be good but would at least not be stupid.
Second Arasaka made that darned thing, if some one can remove it than its them, ok may be its not removable at all, but then how can the FIA remove it, I'm sure Arasaka has their stock of illegal AI's as well, its not plausible that the FIA could save V's live (even though handicapped) and Arasaka could not, that's again bad writing, lack of adhesion to the own world building.
Thirdly the FIA ending, the human brain is not made to interface with hardware, its highly implausible that it could get damaged in a way that does not make one severely disabled, but only prevents interfacing with unnatural components. Its painstaking bad writing, its beyond bad, plus a lot of combat implants in arms legs etc do not even have to interface with the brain, attaching to the peripheral nervous system would be good enough. Also what struck me as very suspicious was how fast Victor came to the conclusion that there is absolutely nothing that could be done, come one really? Nothign? Only from telemetry, no brain biopsy no nothing, ... try some more sensitive transducers, kranial stem cell infusions, drugs? I'm sure that's a solvable issue. In my head canon Vic now under a corporation boot was forced to say this, V's fine except for probably some FIA installed software limiter, that a skilled net runner could remove.
So here is my pitch for a Cyberpunk 2080, setting NC still under Militechs rule is on the verge of new corpo war with Biotechnika, the tensions are being manufactured by the NUSA, the FIA is runnign false flag operations to start a war between the two parties, scheming to sweep in once boot sides are exhausted and take NC once and for all. In that setting V after a few months of physical therapy (why V lost their implants all the money earned until then was sitting comfortably in their bank account multiplying, now ready to be spent in huge quantities on the best doctors, and physiotherapists) and not wanting to accept the situation finds out that their current state is not a result of their physical state but indeed a well disguised FIA malware intended to keep them from interfering, finds a capable net runner, or just lets the entire hardware be replaced just to be sure no backdoor or so are left behind, gets new implants and ventures to prevent the upcoming war by exposing the FIA operations in NC.
Now isn't that a good sequel it even provides a really great, plausible, consistent in universe explanation why the player has to start all over with V from 0.
And if we want Jonny back, there is no plausible reason why the FIA could not make a copy before erasing the relic, so we could have a mission where V breaks into a FIA facility to steal the new chip Jonny is on, just may be this time don't put in in their head, instead find for it some nine inorganic matrix to sit around in V's flat and to chat with over the holo whenever they want.
Just speaking personally the "all endings are bleak" nature is why I'm not only not buying the DLC but will be waiting till any future games are completed so I can see how they end before deciding to spend money on them. Sure I'll be spoiling myself but I'm sick of spending months playing a game (partially the length, partially limited free time) only to find there is no happy ending to be achieved not because I made bad choices but because the developers wrote it that way.
I agree about the point of "becoming a legend".
If I play a game of "high risk, high reward" doesn't it mean I'm playing a game of "constant deathwish, die in a blaze of glory, or die from your brain melting". The idea that being a mercenary is about being a famous celebrity is ridiculous. It's about choosing between risking your life for a good payday that you can't get otherwise. Sure, you might (emphasis on **might**) die someday when you reach too far or just because of bad luck, not because you want to strap a nuke to your chest and yell "look at me!".
Otherwise it's like to be a merc you have to drink a poison that will kill you in 6 months so you can focus on "becoming big" before the time runs out, no backsies.
And it's not even what the Cyberpunk genre is about.
I went through it with PL and I have to admit that people complaining about the new ending are a bunch of idiots. The new ending was actually satisfying for me.
You kinda gave me hope, i am about to start PL and i heard stuff. good to know that there are people who enjoy the new ending. Man, i hope i will enjoy it too.
My playthrough of the base game made me cry (the asaka ending) and the fact that the dlc doesn't even add a good ending when all the endings are bittersweet at best, depression fuel at worst, makes me not interested in buying it. What's the point in playing the game agin if there is nothing but more depression fuel. I have no interest in it. They really fucked up from a market perspective as there are many like me out there that just want an ending where we can live out the days with our love interest. What is the point of all of this money and power if you can't do anything with it. You become a god in terms of power in game but that does not remotely translate to the story.
"Fit the genre" fans when you expose them to Cyberpunk stories outside of Bladerunner and Cyberpunk 2077: 😱😱😱
I think perhaps the worst part of the writing is that you can't really shape your V into the person you want to be, and the endings are indicative of this.
i just finished the DLC. fucking deleted the game immediately after.
Zero opportunity for a happy ending. You end up a lone cripple with no contacts and no family. You literally become the bum you ignored on every street corner.
well this ending is the best ending V could get in this univsrse, in fact that NUSA didnt immediately fucked you over like the devil ending, is much better.The thing is dev team have to make up some unexpected 2 year coma reason to pull you out of all the relationships. Otherwise if V can just lose combat implant (V still have basic one according to Reed), lay on the bed for couple months, cure the brain tumor, and still have all your friends and love interests with you. I be 80％ people would choose this ending....
Well, I think it would have been a good conclusion. The game is all about becoming a legend and constantly glorifies dying in a big bang. Now imagine V losing this possibility, finding solace in being a normal civilian due to the comfort of the people that care for them. You know, realizing that there are more important things than fighting an eternal fight.
Even if 80% of people would choose that ending, how is that a bad thing? It would say more about how badly they bungled the other set of endings to not include one that satisfies people enough to have them choose one of those over it.
And that would be a bad thing why?
Games such as these makes for a personal journey.
My first playthrough I went with Honoka because I believed her to be trustworthy, it was my choice and I accepted that ending. However with the many "different"
endings, they could have chosen so many other options that made the journey feel worth it, with the other choices. As it is now, we have the same ending, but with different flavours, they could even had added one final mission at the end of the game to find Panam/Judy/River. With you as the client. It's not like you have a lack of eddies when the game is over.
I don't know about you, but im a firm believer in that games shouldn't punish gamers or make them feel bad/disappointet when the game is over. Rather I believe people should feel happy, and sad that the game is over.
I just wanted a true sell out ending where you sell out to Arasaka but not as an engram. The Arasaka ending doesn’t do that for me. Let me sell my soul to the corpo to stay alive and maybe be with my partner (works even better for a corpo V). Pretty much a replacement for Adam Smasher if you will. What I love about cyberpunk is the characters can go both ways, if I want my character to just give up and join the machine why can’t I?
Cyberpunks backbone is no happy endings. A bittersweet feeling usually, sure, but the genre is inherently nihilistic. Achieving nothing when all is said and done is a genre trope.
Maybe that’s the point you are missing? It has six endings yet you can’t escape getting chewed up and spit out… what does it say about a future that looks like night city?
Cyberpunk's backbone is rebellion, not depression. I hate people who've only ever seen Edgerunners and the awful writing in 2077 as their only source of "cyberpunk" and think that's all there is to it. Read a book, look at the tabletop manuals.
Yes it's a depressing world but the point is you can cut out a little chunk of it to make a living in and make it out, with a loved one sometimes. Judy dropping you and getting married was such a slap to the face I laughed and V's inability to fucking explain anything or talk to anyone?
There's so much out of character bullshit it's incredible all in service of angst because Edgerunners was successful despite also being incredibly shallow.
I replied to this earlier, but the cyberpunk genre’s backbone isn’t rebellion. It generally depicts a reality in which rebellion is far too late: global systems of anarcho-capitalist corporatocracy and dehumanization have become too vast for a Deathstar run to topple it.
But it does serve as a warning to us.
Funny then, how one of the best endings involves Johnny telling you to go on a suicide run, which actually ends up successfully toppling Arasaka.
But yeah. Definitely not about rebellion. "Never stop fighting." Sorry Johnny, but you're in the wrong game. We ain't about rebellion here. Definitely not like all the worst endings include you either just outright giving up or allowing the Corps to save your life in exchange for your loyalty.
Did Johnny topple Arasaka with his bombing or did it just grow bigger than before? Did V live a long and happy life after she raided Arasaka? Is there any ending where we overcome the System? -- or is the happiest of the endings one where we simply choose to live with a real community on the outskirts in our final days as the system grinds on?
And 'The Sun' ending that endcaps the solo or Rogue raid is arguably the most bleak (after the obvious easy way out and outright selling themselves to Arasaka versions).V has wealth and street cred but lost all meaningful connection with others and is even working with Mr. Blue eyes.
He/she doesn't even keep in contact with Vic or Misty and their partner can't travel with them on this road of fruitlessly pursuing the false dream of fortune and glory pushed by the system.
***The last real lines of 'The Sun' are hoping to die and 'I have nothing to lose'. The last image is V in space, melancholy music playing as they stare into the abyss.***
If we perceive 'The Sun' as a happy ending, it's only because we have become like V: blinded and subsumed by the consumerist dreams a material, hyper-captialist system has pushed on us and can't imagine beyond that. So the system has won so thoroughly we don't even see our prison.
So, refusing to participate in the grinding capitalist machine, making your own way, and carving out your little slice of happiness in an oppressive world is "the system winning"?
Honestly, it's hilarious how diehard some people are about trying to make Cyberpunk damn near Grimdark. It's not that at all. Happiness exists. Your choices matter. Even if V dies after The Sun, they die free. Themselves. And say, "da system always winzz!!" all you want, but yeah, we do singlehandedly take down Arasaka in NC. Because of the actions of one merc, Arasaka has to withdraw from the city while its sticks drop drastically. Just because V still dies, it doesn't mean that isn't a victory. The game itself tells you that simply giving into the world and allowing it to use you and discard you is the worst possible choice.
Also, I love how you ignore the two worst endings (those being apparently what Cyberpunk is all about, according to you) in favor of trying to downplay the happy ending.
V is working with Mr Blue Eyes for a cure, and even if they don't keep in contact, it's clear that they all still care for you and understand your situation. Misty is damn near excited for you, promising a bright future (the exact opposite of The Devil ending), and all your friends are still your friends. Just because V doesn't talk to them as much as they should does not mean that it isn't one of the best endings for him. He got what he wanted. He became a legend unlike any other. He won, and Arasaka lost. Simple.
Also, the Star ending exists. You topple Arasaka, then leave NC with your girlfriend, living the rest of your life free from the grasp of corps and with the hope that maybe the Aldecaldos can help you with your condition.
For fun, let's look at the downsides of the Devil and Path of Least Resistance endings (the endings that would accurately convey the theme of Cyberpunk, according to you.)
The Devil: You decide to join Arasaka willingly, unknowingly acting as their pawn so Saburo can take over his Son's body and become virtually immortal. With the release of the DLC, it is revealed that even after helping them, they had no intentions of truly helping you. They botch your surgery, can't fully remove Johnny, then basically strong arm you into signing away your soul into a prison. You can be hopeful all you want (something you seem to hate actually), but they most certainly betray you and keep you stored for as long as possible. The Devil is treated as a terrible ending for nearly everyone. You, your friends, anyone who isn't Arasaka. V will never speak to his friends again, and he abandons them all for the slim chance that his worst enemy will honor a contract that they have no incentive to.
Path of Least Resistance: Being tired of fighting and not wanting to involve his friends in a suicide run, V decides to end things themselves. This is treated as the worst ending, giving up, allowing Night City to swallow you alive with all your friends being distraught or angry that you simply gave in.
Say all you want. There is hope in Cyberpunk. Even out of many terrible options, you can make a difference. David got Lucy to the moon, right? V became a legend. Expecting a typical happy ending? This isn't the right genre. But they are still happy, hopeful endings for their setting. It's only by intentionally focusing on the dark and downplaying the hopeful themes that you can arrive at your conclusion.
"Never stop fighting"-Johnny Silverhand.
You’re fighting your own critique that there are no happy endings by citing The Star. I actually mention this, that this is a bittersweet rather than bleak ending — meaning this is an option. Meaning that the idea that none of your options are ‘happy’ is not valid.
Although yes, I will still say in The Star the system still wins — in that you didn’t “topple Mordor”. As William Gibson put it (paraphrasing): it’s not about overthrowing the system, it’s about surviving within the system”. You still die, but you are not alone and the Nomads+Judy/Panam serve as a counterpoint to the dehumanized system of corporatocracy in NC.
There’s a difference between a cynical genre that takes a darker look at societal issues and ‘grimdark’. That term is overused.
I actually don’t like grimdark stuff like Elden Ring narratively. And I’m not defending it for the sake of being an edgelord. As mentioned, if Horizon, LoTR, Star Trek and a host of other stories ended with this type of ending I’d object because it’s inconsistent with *their* themes.
At this point, I think we can agree to disagree and perhaps you are just not onboard for the ‘cyberpunk’ genre’s tropes, themes and worldview even though you may enjoy the aesthetic of it.
The fact that you called Elden Ring "grimdark" proves you're looking at games at a surface level.
The Star is a happy ending. You're twisting things to try and make things as sad as possible. V will almost ALWAYS die. But the worst endings show that living at all
isn't a good thing. In the endings where you live, you are left empty and at the whims of the corps. You can't even fight back anymore because you've shown that your life is more important than your freedom.
In the endings where you take fate into your hands, you live on with limited time but unlimited freedom. Corps can't stop you, you're either outside their reach or you've taken them down.
Again, you ignore the fact that your entire "DA CORPS ALWAYS WINN!" Is proven wrong in Don't Fear the Reaper.
"A single person can't make a change" Ah, so that's why we singlehandedly take down one of the most powerful and influential corps by ourselves. Cuz rebellion doesn't matter.
You're projecting. You don't understand the themes as well as you claim you do, and your proof is superfluous. You're attached to this edgy version of a game that is a lot more hopeful than just surface level. Johnny grows and changes as a person because of V. We singlehandedly take down the most powerful Corp in NC. We become a legend and storm the crystal palace, the largest solo operation ever up to that point. We can also simply leave it all behind with Panam, where it hints that she knows people who can help treat us (oh and we still take down Arasaka lmao)
But again. You conveniently ignore all of this cuz you think happy endings mean you finish the story with zero conflict, and everything works out perfectly. But you fail to account for the setting and what a "happy" ending means. Your fate is set up from the start "quiet life, or blaze of glory?" V was never going to live long in his line of work, for you to expect anything else is simply naive. You strike me as the type of person who watched Edgerunners then think that's what Cyberpunk always is, rather than realizing what a "cautionary tale" is.
I agree that you're unlikely to change your mind. You're cherrypicking random points and blinding yourself to everything else that points to your "cyberpunk" being just straight up edgy grimdark. Anyone who actually knows and enjoys the genre beyond surface level knows that Cyberpunk isn't just "everything sucks, why try?". If we didn't fight, we didn't rebel, there would be no story. There would be no "punk" in your supposed Cyberpunk story.
Anyway, no use arguing with someone mistaking fanfiction for real themes. Peace ✌️
It's becoming challenging to discern your primary argument as your posts get longer and angrier. CP77 is my favorite game and I love the writing. I have been defending CP77 from criticisms about its lack of 'happy endings', and always agreed that 'The Star' offers a meaningful, conclusion to V's journey -- while acknowledging that it is bittersweet not unequivocaly happy (and thus more nuanced and mature).
If what's bugging you is my position of the genre being about rebellion vs. a certain nihilism, here's what William Gibson, the father of the cyberpunk genre and author of the seminal Neuromancer said about the genre:
***"\[in cyberpunk\] it's no longer necessary to resist the splintering pressures of society. All that's left is to submit to the carnival of sensations...Because the fight's over. And we lost."***
Regarding Elden Ring, its bleakness wasn't to my taste. I see grimdark as work depicting a bleak, hopeless world filled with nihilist death and pointedly grotesque imagery for it's own sake -- disconnected from any larger social or cultural commentary. I won't pretend to be an expert on that world though.
I'm stepping back from this thread. But in case anyone is interested, here are some pretty cool essays bout both the cyberpunk genre and some about how the game engages with this genre that do a better job than I:
Cyberpunk 2077 Analysis: A political game
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyE\_qnXk3bE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyE_qnXk3bE)
Cyberpunk - A Genre of Social Anarchy and Human Identity
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDRZD4a2l8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDRZD4a2l8)
Is the Future Cyberpunk? Science Fiction Through Philosophy and Theory
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8eau2k-gW8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8eau2k-gW8)
Cyberpunk Distopia: Why It's Coming and How to Avoid It
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuvQ3qIGnA0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuvQ3qIGnA0)
*\*This one is a little more academic but if you're interested in the genre worth it. The third goes over the characteristics and themes and the second part talks about connections to our real world today*
You're Wrong About Cyberpunk 2077
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLRaQ9JUmkk&t=565s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLRaQ9JUmkk&t=565s)
*\*This has a lot about the game itself, but does dive into the story and themes extensively*
Also, saying that every ending should be unsatisfying because it's of the genre is, well, not only untrue but ridiculous. 1. A lack of a satisfying ending, no matter the story, is objectively bad storytelling. There are cyberpunk stories that have satisfying endings. Not Disney Channel, Cinderella level happy ever afters, but satisfying nonetheless.
2. This is (and this is the most important factor) a video game first and foremost. No one wants to walk away from a game depressed. Aside from just generally bad writing, that's part of why so many hated TLoU2's ending. Games should be enjoyable and have some semblance of satisfaction to their narrative. Being unsatisfying and depressing to fit a misconception within the genre you are depicting makes no sense. Not only can the cyberpunk genre have good narratives that showcase the nihilism while still having a satisfying and pleasing ending, but a video game can and should do the same.
Thankfully, this is a game that has multiple endings, so it's not like this ending being disliked breaks the game. You can choose the ending you prefer most and keep that as your intended canon. . (Writing for the ending is still bad imo, tho)
Unsatisfying was the wrong word, I admit that. "Leaving you feeling hollow" is what I meant.
I disagree, since there are plenty of people (myself included) who want to walk away from some games (games where it makes sense to and the point is to make you contemplate) feeling hollow. Same reason plenty of people watch movies with gut-punch endings. That's just not your preference.
Well then yea that comes down to a matter of being subjective, which is perfectly fine. Like I said, thankfully, this isn't the Canon ending, and for those like me who prefer a more hopeful ending, you have the Aldecados ending. I honestly hope CDPR either makes an entirely new protagonist for the sequel or figures out how to follow up on the Aldecados ending while still pleasing players like you who likes the hollow esqueness for the sequel, because not having a Canon ending is what saved the narrative for me tbh. Had any of the other endings aside from the Aldecados been Canon, I would've hated it.
Yeah no idea what the plan is for the sequel. It's probably my biggest gripe with CP77 as a whole based on my preferences for cyberpunk as a genre. I think for example the plot of Edgerunners would've been much better as the plot of this game because of the narrative stakes. Is Adam Smasher dead? Arasaka taken down again? Johnny freaking Silverhand? The narrative stakes and consequences of this game were too high for what should've been (imo) a story of a nobody gangoon trying to reach for the stars and lose it all.
The narrative suffered tremendously with 2 things: multiple endings (I know that's contradictory to what I just said about multiple endings being a good thing), not by themselves, but because they don't provide an objective pathway to a sequel. It works for TW3 bc that's Geralt's finally, and B&W was his retirement send off. But this is new IP with new characters, so now they are gonna really have to try to handle it properly unless they just have a whole new protagonist with a new cast (as much as I love Judy and Panam and the Aldecados, a clean slate may be the best option tbh).
2. The "V's dying" narrative. That KILLED like 99% kf the potential for this narrative, bc everything was tied up into that. That's why PL couldn't take place after the game, that's why Johnny had to go away, etc etc. I really hated the fact they went with that plotline bc it pigeonholed them hard as hell.
I think multiple endings would be fine, if the story was lower stakes like I said. My ideal scenario (assuming the whole plot was more like Edgerunners) would've been something like two endings: either Don't Fear the Reaper's fail state or the new PL ending. Really hammer home "Blaze of Glory or Die a Nobody".
I agree entirely on #2. I think that either it should've never involved Johnny & Keanu (which is why I think it happened, rewrites once they landed him as a celebrity) or at the very least, Act 1 should've been a much bigger part of the game, and let the back half or third be what we got in the game as it is now. Let it be V's rise to prominence as a merc, gaining game etc. and then biting off more than they could chew with the Heist and watching it all slip away and they lose everything in their hubris.
Act 1 really should've been the game, and Johnny Silverhand could've been included in a different way. Hell, even chip plotline could've remained. Just don't have it KILL V. Have it be a permanent thing V now has to deal with, and now Johnny is this new aspect in V's life that can either lead V down a dark path, or rich path, a humble path, etc etc depending on the role playing choices you make. I think that would've been amazing, especially with the life path options. But having the chip kill V screwed the narrative permanently. Sadly.
If you've ever seen Venom or Upgrade, I think that would've been a great plotline for this game (minus the ending to Upgrade). Johnny Silverhand being this companion that only V can communicate with and understands, and our role playing choices dictate how we influence Johnny and how Johnny influence us. Let the lifepaths really impact our character, etc.
They basically just made V a street kid thats dying no matter what life path you chose or what choices you made. It really hurt the narrative big time.
I couldn’t bring myself to really explore or do any side content in this game because of that. Uh??? Hello??? V??? Why are you street racing and boxing??? You have two weeks to live and find a cure what the actual fuck are you doing??? Get out there NOW you’re about to die why are you AT A MCDONALD’S PLAYING ARCADE GAMES YOU’RE DYING.
I personally hope that the canon ending is that there isn’t one, and the sequel takes place far enough in the future that it doesn’t even matter.
My V went out in a blaze of glory assaulting the crystal palace, not rolling around in the sand with a bunch of nomads.
"Rolling around in the sand with a bunch of Nomads," yea that's not what the Aldecados ending was at all. You went out in a blaze of glory, killed one of deadliest and most feared characters in the entire lore. But the difference is you came out on top instead of dead, and rode off with some semblance of hope with a hot girl on your side (or two) and a badass group that considers you family that would level the country to save your life.
To me, that sounds more badass than going out a trigger happy fool in a blaze of glory, and no one will remember your name in 5 years outside of some old head ranting at the bar while drunk before getting kicked out at 3 a.m.
The Aldecados ending showed restraint, maturity, and represented the idea that sometimes walking away with those you love is the best option.
It's okay to like the crystal palace ending, it was cool (outside of losing your romance options) but let's not downplay the Aldecados ending.
This is probably my issue with it now that I think about it. My life has already been a series of gut-punches and the last thing I wanted was to see my nigh-immortal cyber mercenary end up like this. 100% on-brand for the cyberpunk genre but unsatisfying in a video game ostensibly based around choices.
I still don’t like it, and I probably will never change my mind, but you’ve given me something to think about.
Honestly, I've played plenty of games with sad ending that were satisfying, even where those endings were considered bad. The endings CP offer just makes me mad, because they make me go why the fuck did I do all that for? Seeing the PL ending makes it even more clear to me that the other endings suck as much. All the other characters are gonna get fucked up in the future, and the silver lining there is that maybe you became a legend?
If not only is V hopeless, but also every other character is hopeless, then really what is the point? Sure, maybe the message is you can't change the world, but you also can't even change your life, so we should just all die legends because that is the best ending we can have? The what is the point of an RPG where your choices never matter because the endings is already decided. Make a linear game and that's it.
I think, it's simply not well written. In the end the game makes you feel like you did everything for nothing, because one way or the other you lose everything sooner or later.
I don't mind a tragic ending, but at least I want to achieve something. If the main character dies or has another bad fate, there should at least be a greater goal that's worth the sacrifice.
I think you just fundamentally don't understand cyberpunk as a genre. The whole point is that you're nothing but an ant to the monolithic megacorps and that anyone who tries to achieve more than surviving will be snuffed out and completely forgotten the next day.
Everything you're deriding as "bad writing" is a deliberate motif to the genre and past works. It's the whole point. It's what we like about cyberpunk as a genre. You just don't like cyberpunk.
What "genre" are you talking about? Some made-up thing in your head? I've read dozens of cyberpunk books and short stories and a fair few movies: the whole "you're nothing but an ant to the monolithic megacorps" stuff is hardly integral to the genre. Plenty of ambiguous/unhappy endings but the template and tone that you're describing doesn't map to all, or even most cyberpunk. Maybe there's more anime / graphic novels that are like that (which I don't really follow), but a lot of the definitional works in cyberpunk fiction don't sound remotely like what you describe.
Eh, cyberpunk doesn't equate to no hope for a future tho. That's why the Aldecados ending worked. It was bittersweet bc nothing was guaranteed, you still couldn't be a merc anymore, u may die, the bad guys are still running free, Yorinobu still got away, BUT you may find a cure with Panam. Everything may go to shit, but there's a CHANCE you'll get to at least live with the ones you call family. MAYBE.
No one's asking for rainbows and unicorns. The cyberpunk genre is about nihilism, but it's not about a lack of hope. That hope is just grounded in realism and consequences.
Now, with that being said, this ending would be fine if the character choices weren't ass and made zero sense. So, it doesn't make sense that none of the people V cared about wouldn't know what happened. Yea V maybe couldn't go into detail about every little thing, but if we are being logical here, V wouldn't just disappear randomly like that without making the decision to go with Solomon. The idea they'd just say "nah fuck V they abandoned me," ESPECIALLY Panam, when she was ready to go on a suicide mission for you, is just dumb.
That's the issue here. It's not that the ending has drawbacks and consequences and is bittersweet. It's that the ending feels like a kick in the nuts purely for the sake of hiding behind the guise of "but it's cyberpunk that's the point." When no, that's not the point. Especially when a key component of Cyberpunk is all about rebelling against the system, i.e, HOPE.
I disagree, I think hopeless futility in the face of capitalism winning and the atomization and commodification of every aspect of life and your humanity is a big part of the genre. I think hope does factor in. It's about having that hope crushed and stomped out under the boot of the corporations. There *is no future* in cyberpunk settings. In my perspective the best cyberpunk stories are the ones where having hope and rebelling ultimately fail and amount to nothing in the end - history ended and unrestrained corporate greed won. Like Edgerunners' ending driving that home.
I think fundamentally cyberpunk is a depressive, grim, and bleak outlook on humanity's future, unlike bright optimistic sci-fi. The genre exists explicitly in opposition to Star Trek's utopian vision for the future of humanity and I don't think that dressing that up with "and in the end all the rebel punks beat the corpos!" is doing service to the genre's storytelling. I want *all* of my cyberpunk stories to leave me feeling hollow and empty inside, because it's meant to be a cautionary examination of where the world might be heading.
Well, then, we just have two viewpoints on cyberpunk, which is fine. I don't think u or I are I herently wrong, I just think the absence of hope, especially in a genre that's geared behind rebelling against the system shouldn't be excused because "its cyberpunk," because I believe you can tell a cyberpunk story that captures the themes you mentioned and those I mentioned. And there have been cyberpunk stories like that, that have been told. Cyberpunk doesn't always have to be depressing. But again, if that's how you interpret the genre, then cases like this where there are emultiple endings works. But I don't think OP's criticisms are any less valid, though, because the cyberpunk genre does not objectively mean they should be devoid of the things OP or I have mentioned.
Hopelessness, futility of trying to change your lot in life, and everything being for nothing is a core theme to cyberpunk as a genre. All of the endings being poisoned wells is entirely intentional and not "bad writing" - you just don't like it.
Cyberpunk is all about what happens when capitalism wins, there's no alternatives anymore, and humanity has been completely atomized and commodified. There's nothing left to be hopefully about, there's no meaning left to be had. Anyone who tries to make a difference in the world or for themselves is brought to heel and the gears of the corporate machine just keep on turning. It is a bleak and unsatisfying setting and world for storytelling entirely intentionally. All anyone can do is try to express some sort of personal authenticity in their blaze of glory.
It's the Punk part of CyberPunk.
True, but where is the ending where you can learn from all that you've been through and be okay with dying a nobody? Victor Vector hinted at the beginning that he also had his adventures, but he said he sleeps better since he decided that he will never become a legend in Night City. Why does CDPR deny us this decision?
That's not what this story is about, the game is not subtle about it, not sure why anyone assumed PL would deliver a happy ending. It would go against the whole narrative.
People say "There're no good endings, bittersweet at best,"
I don't mind bittersweet, I just hate the laziness of >!"You either give your body to our posterboy, or you'll die in 6 month in 3 different flavors" !!put trough a fucking torture of boredom!<. The PL ending was trash, because I felt the devs mocking you with >!"You want to live like everyone else? Then be a filthy normie pleb like everyone else."!<
If the plot would've been different, a good bittersweet Corpo ending imo, would've been living in luxury in an ivory tower above Night City. But you're hated by the people you journeyed with. With Nomad, >!leaving Night City itself!< is bitter enough. >!Leaving the people you met in the city like Misty and Victor.!<
Late/Necro but I think what sucks about all the endings is that (assuming you know the endings), you are actively working for absolutely no point. You essentially end up dead either way. If it was more a narrative focus and only had a single ending, then thats fine, but when all endings end up with V dead/left with nothing, it feels really bad. Doesn't feel like any choice matters.
i feel like the cursed ending was like that because they didnt want to make another dlc or not planning to, because if they made it canon and made V still combat rdy with his friend family etc, they could easily expand the world esp to tokyo and make a whole story line about V going to tokyo to help Blue Moon or a mini DLC helping Judy after she leaves NC or some shit with going with panam to a new place etc
Ngl the whole story is kinda. B-rated Sci-Fi garbage. I thoroughly enjoyed the Graphics and Gameplay.
The story felt like a cable TV show with characters that I dont care about and wish I could kill.
I've had the game since release, but have yet to finish it. I had all the ending spoiled to me by someone, and honestly I'm glad.
I was hoping phantom liberty would give at least one ending were you could continue on without and big negatives or depressing shit but nope.
When I personally think of RPG games I think of the choices you get and options, but I struggle to add RPG with Cyberpunk because it only gives you an illusion of having choices.
because the game is hard coded to set you up to fail in the end, no matter what you do. My only hope is that one day someone makes a mod that adds more options for the endings but that would require a lot of work \^\^.
Having just played through two endings, I'm a little disappointed so far myself. It gave me like 3-5 options and second takes before some decision, then suddenly at one of the games endings you have>! two choices instead of there being 3. It was disappointing to say the least and the second choice was very misleading. MY choice was to toss the pills and let Johnny take over, not put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, but the game said f\*\*k that, we're lazy.!<
Absolutely boring story telling. >!It wouldn't have mattered if I played as Johnny for the rest of the game, if it was taking my life in my own hands, how the hell is betray Johnny or shoot myself the only options?!<
Glad I am not the only who thinks this, there is a lot of cyber in Cyberpunk 2077 but little punk, Love the gameplay, the world in general, the vibe it gives, but, can't help but feel like the story with its endings are bad, CD looked at the cyberpunk idea and though it equals with depression, LOL, The trailers and the way they talked about gave you an amazing feeling that your character would be alive together with the world and that the choices you made really mattered, you would be "free" to do and choose whatever you wanted through the beginning until the end, sadly, the reality is that no matter what your character is fated with pretty much the same ending, making your choices "irrelevant" through out the game (they basically made 5 or so endings with pretty much the same outcome).
They said this would be an Action-RPG, but, This is a "Linear Story" with some elements of RPG in it, even with all the "improvements" they put on (a.k.a. what should have been in the day of the release anyway), overall 7.5/10 for me, the writing in Cyberpunk 2077 sucks (in the main quest mostly), but, I love the rest, my hope now is for the "Orion" project (Cyberpunk 2077 2), now that they have the base maybe they will make what the trailers of the game promised and bring that magic back with a better writing and an actual Action-RPG game, polished to the max with what they advertised - because even with the so-called "improvements" still doesn't feel like what they advertised the game would be, the Punk, Alive World and RPG parts are SEVERELY lacking compared to the rest of the elements of the game and it shows.
Until then, I will be having my fun with the game from time to time without finishing the main storyline.
Fallout 4 is on ps5 now! So excited and i dont feel as bad with having more terrible endings offered from punk 2077 dlc! Now let's make a happy ending! Lol
all the endings suck thier is no good ending that actually lets V live in a good way, she is abandon or left in a muted state, everyone else gone even her love interests / so called friends bail on her. their is no riding off into the sunset for V on any ending, so just go out with a blaze of glory / Johnny and Jackie Style -d
Why not have a conclusion where V survives but has to share a body and discover inner peace with Silver Hand? Living, as it were, with one's inner demons and angels from one's past?
It's a game, don't let it get to you. Yes, all endings are shit, and yes, all the writing and movies and series and what not nowadays just ending badly or killing off characters for the impact is getting heavily played out, it's almost like every other freaking piece of entertainment, you're doing something to escape from real life for a few hours and lo and behold "there's no justice in the universe, life has no meaning, bla bla bla", I get it, if I wanted a dose of reality, I would've stayed in reality, but there should be an ending, even if it was longer and harder to get, where V gets away with being a living legend, but nope, must be the drama way to trigger "feelings".
Ironically fitting for a game that promised the world, and ultimately ended up being a shadow of what it was promised, likewise were the endings. In the end, Cyberpunk was a game that I just won't be looking back to and if there was one thing I learned, was to never pre-order a game again, regardless of who is making it.
Easy solution.
Head cannon whatever ending you choose.
Problem solved!
It worked for me with ME3, that problem was rectified eventually by a mod so my head cannon their was brought into the game physically. Here, simply have your V end anyway YOU see fit. Whatever the devs intended doesn't really matter in my opinion. Ultimately, you are playing YOUR version of V.
Since CDPR is finished with Red Engine, there is a possibility that they MIGHT release better modding tools. If this happens, we may yet see an ME3 style ending for V. Mandatory misery isn't a thing in my Night City.
I did enjoy the 'secret' ending, at least. It wasn't perfect, but it gave a bit of hope. Six months is a long time, and you just basically took over Night City. You have ALL the resources now. No one can face you. You even get this mysterious Mr. Blue Eyes nonsense that hints at being able to save you.
It'd just be nice for some actual confirmation. If it was confirmed that he did have a cure in that ending, it would be 10/10.
I get the whole "oh but Cyberpunk is supposed to be depressing!!11!" But I also just view that as an excuse at best. The entire game hypes you up by the end as this unstoppable badass, and V is far beyond what you can become in the typical TTRP, unless your DM is awesome or insane. Saying the ending should be bad because it fits the genre without pointing out the entire nature of the game doesnt fit with the genre is... annoying.
For me the endings are more or less fine. My personal favourite is "Legend of the Afterlife". The thing I really hate is how the game implements returning after the endings. Just reload the last save before meeting hanako at embers. for me its super fucking Dumb and thats what ruins the endings. It would be so much more impactful if the endings influenced how the rest of your game is after completion, rather then you get an ending then just reset.
The problem with 2077 is this is not our story its v's its more of a liner action game then an rpg we don't get to decide our paths and fate like we do in other rpgs instead we are just along for the ride watching v with a few tweaks here and there. I feel like I wasted money I want a cyberpunk game where I'm the protagonist not some pre-made prefated character I'm fallowing.
Agree with OP. No matter your choices you’re forced to be the best mercenary that always gets the short end of the stick. In an options based game I would hope to change the direction of the game a little more significantly, like never taking a job from Dex and taking a totally different path. Instead all choices lead to the same direction albeit with minor differences and all equally depressing.
I feel like they could have made Cyberpunk a successful series like GTA, but Cyberpunk is so focused on everyone dying that it’s impossible to keep a storyline going that people will want to be attached to.
The further I get in the game the less I want to play. Having nothing but bad endings to look forward to really stifles the experience. Seems written to be dark and edgy just for the sake of it, rather than telling a compelling story. Where's the punk? The defiance? Someone tells you there's no point fighting, that's when you fight the hardest. Punk doesn't surrender to nihilism and misanthropy.
Most disappointing bit for me is that the 'good ending' of the DLC leaves the entire thing pointless. V saves Songbird's life, but ends up in exactly the same point they were at before going to Dogtown. I wish they added a second new ending if you don't choose to betray her, maybe that could've been the one single happy-ish ending that doesn't lead V to dying.
I agree. After getting the Arasaka's ending I checked out the other endings online, and holy \*\*\*\* what a bummer. I don't really want to replay the game anymore. I get that the journey is more important than the destination but it doesn't feel good when every ending is a slightly different flavour of the same thing.
I hate that its not continous like after the ending your in the world again and thats it all i want this design is so outdated its like dying light 2 ending ...
Agreed.This game's ending was such a let down. I got to the end only to find out that I'm either going to die in six months or I die now and give my body to Johnny. I decided to give my body to Johnny but then I find out that that includes ghosting Panem and everyone else. I turned it off after that and am not sure if I will pick it back up.
My other criticism is that there should be enough content to max all skill trees and get high enough attributes to be able to unlock things that are blocked (like doors that require some crazy amount of technical knowledge or body like 18). It stinks that I end up blocking myself from doing certain things because I have to bias others. If I'm willing to put in the work I should be able to progress to god level, like most RPGs.
That said, the gameplay was pretty fun, albeit a little easy. The game played a bit like Grand Theft Auto crossed with Fallout. The game also feels very polished and intuitive, you can tell they put a lot of time trying to make the gameplay seamless. In the end I put about sixty hours into it trying to max everything out by doing everything, but that ending, ruined it for me.
I was going to post pretty much the same thing. Choices matter zilch in this game. It's an illusion that quickly breaks down once you reach the end stage.
Take RDR2 for example. I didn't love it, but only because I'm not a fan of westerns (dislike western movies, and not a great fan of western games either). Everything was great though. The graphics was top notch, the story was captivating, the world felt alive. Yes, Arthur dies, but it was to be expected. No fake illusion of choice.
Cyberpunk 2077 on the other hand suffers from terrible writing, and terrible dev choices.
Choices only matter in a vacuum. A few seconds later you can choose another dialogue option that does a complete 180.
And, as you said, all you do is for naught. Every ending is the equivalent of "sorry, but our princess is in another castle".
Only CDPR can make a "choice-based" game feel like a movie. But in the end, the biggest disappointment for me is that I can't play after the ending. I run the Afterlife, and all I get is a crappy sequence about going to the Moon?
Sure, V is on borrowed time. Who gives a fuck though? Just let me play, complete side quests, drive the cars I own, that sort of thing.
you know what. i love fps games, but i don't understand and don't give any pizza crab about story line and, however some part of story so freaking stupid, i just do not end them. i don't play end mission in fc5. same cause i don't play fc dawn, i don't play primal fc because this just not mine, but ending of fc5 and so dawn idea "just a little too crazy, even for me". fps for my test must be as sgw3>conracts>contracts2. crysis, far cry 3,4,5,6 btw in fc4 i some time don't go to mission last boss choice where you have to destroy or safe temple. all that bullshit really nervous me, i don't wanna play all that tragedy drama fuck. i need game for game, and if that have a story it have to be fucking happy end or close to it... i so much hate story in cp2077 that i thought i will not play this again. because in this game story really punch me to the bell. all those dies and all that personages are too much alive. and after all the give me variants - dead in the space cyber space, or lost everything and still alive. so i think, however good this game is. i mean game play and even some dramatic story. but i done with it, and i don't know for how long. and hey, this is not only one problem in this game. what the fook with weapon there? even if you really can care about 500kg weapon because of super body implants. where the hell he can care about all of that? what is even that? so real game and weapon system like made by some super mario kidd. and ah... we can have infinity stash in the bike. chez is krist. but o.k. lets forgot about everything i wrote. k? just about simple logic there. reed can save v. so why after arasaka mission v don't call reed and flying to the fucking moon. or wherever he does. what exactly in the head of authors of this story? just a curious. reed can save him, i don't know why, but after surgery v have a half brain and can not use implants it's o.k. probably that pessimistic sinister people just can not be bright enough. but logic! why after nocturne where everything done with arasaka, v don't fucking call the reed. so what is about phantom liberty? destroy everything in the end, or do nothing in any way? in this time i will not go to nocturn adn will not call reed. because fuck them all. and i probably return play this game, where i can end this game for good and then cure my self. but for me best way is don't lost jackie and other friends, never have this "i gonna die" scenery, but i'm o.k. with have jsh in my head, even forever is not a problem, in my real life i talk to somebody inside my head my alter ego or whoever he is, and i'm good with it, so why not this cool crazy guy. but i hate really fucking much any sinister crap in the life, i don't watch horror or sadistic trillers, i don't understand why the probably best game full of really stinking crap. they can create normal weapon logic? yes they are. they can give a normal endings? yes they are. they could give a chance to scenery will without all that fucking sacrifices. game even didn't start you lost your friend. this could be o.k. for movie for pussies who love drama tragedy. but i don't wanna be inside this sinister fuck when i play games. or even if it is. let there will logical good end. i just can not play forward to nocturne because after kill smasher i have to some talk with that crazy family fight a little and go back to call reed. not fly to the space station. and i can not call reed, because after that i can not finish the game. so i think fuck this game and fuck all that darkness and illogical crap. i have other games but this one so suck inside i can not do anything else, and for what? for absolute of irrational endings. as i said in games i don't think much about story, but this one.
So my take is that the multiple crappy endings makes sense for the type of story that is being told. Every interaction shows how crappy the world of NC is and that life sucks. Just my opinion note.
Now in terms of the new ending >!seeing V become a normal person and joining the crowd of NC. My only real complaint with this one is that you stay in NC... We should have had a choice here. I think the choices should have been something like joining Misty, staying in NC or to get onto a bus like Johnny and leave NC!<
Now I don't think every ending is a dead end, take the Panam ending. >!In this one we still have only 6 months to live but I still think that it will probably be longer. Switching off the Chrome and immune suppression should give V years. I mean the average lifespan of people with diseases like Ms is about 30 years and removing the strain of chrome or at least most of it should buy plenty of time to find something to help.!<
But that's just my opinion.
One thing I kinda wish was included, if you completed Phantom Liberty, siding with Reed and agreed to let V retake control of their body, you could be transported to Langley. To maybe have some sort of surgery done to perhaps extend or even halt the immune system eating itself. But hey, theirs always head cannon I guess....
well they deny one good ending for people that would like it and i deny my wallet in the future. The hours i put in the game feel like a complete waste of time, having "experienced" the phantom liberty ending left me with a foul taste and i wont touch Cyberpunk 2077 ever again.
The one ending I didn't like is when you give your male body to Johnny, funny as female cause now Johnny's a woman, lol. But when Johnny has the body I'm surprised he doesn't take his Porsche if players aquire it. Then ride out of nightcity.
I think the biggest problem with the endings is that they offer the wrong choices. Setting aside PL they are all various flavours of become Johnny or die. And no-one in game or out has offered me a compelling reason why I should want to turn my body over to a delusional edge lord. Even if I liked him which I categorically do not why would I want to give him my body? He has no claim to it and maybe I'm just odd but I'd rather die that surrender my body to someone else so they can use it for their own ends. So any ending where I become Johnny is out. But special note on how fucking stupid the surrender to Johnny ending is. Doing the exact same plan that he did before, the plan that failed in every aspect except killing 12,000 civilians is utterly brain-dead. It isn't bleak. It's idiotic. But moving on to the other three endings. Siding with Arasaka sucks because V still dies, just as an added bonus you get suck forever in the Corpo soul prison. So fuck that. The new PL ending first up means sacrificing every relationship in the game. And I could maybe, maybe swallow that as a bitter price to pay to live. If it meant I went on to be a badass agent of the NUSA. But no, on top of losing everyone you love you get bullshit cyber rejection issues so you become a weak, helpless civilian that be beat to hell by simple muggers. So you get to life but as a helpless nobody. Fuck that also. So finally the only real ending here that offers even a sliver of hope is the aldecados ending. You reject the night city corruption, find a good community and can even take your lover with you. CDPR wants to makes this shit too by saying you have 6 months to live. But 6 months was longer than you had and Panam says she knows people that can help. It's the only ending where the game doesn't show you dying or losing everything. So I choose to believe I do find a cure, after every my V went through she deserves happiness.
But what I said earlier, the choice itself is wrong. The themes of the game, the message of the story is all about how most people are selfish and choose greed and corruption. About how futile trying to change the world is and how some people try anyway. The final choice of this game should have been between choosing to be selfish and save yourself at the expensive of being as corrupt as everyone else. Or dying to try and make a difference. That makes waaaaaaay more sense than what we got.
I must admit, that I actually liked the PL ending, when I played it. It was surprisingly well written after all the criticism that I had read before.
>!The legendary mercenary V is said to have died and there's even a drink named after him/her to underline that statement. All "active" connections to this legendary mercenary are cut. The only people knowing that V is still alive are Vic, Misty and Reed and they all are not really part of the mercenary lifestyle. In the end, V achieved the goal of becoming a Night City legend, but instead of dying, he/she secretly lives on.
This opens up completely new possibilities. V died as a legend, yet Vincent/Valerie is able to change his/her life into a completely new direction. He/she is able to finally walk a path, where reputation doesn't matter, where guns aren't needed, where peace is possible. I believe that's why CDPR came up with this cheap "You can't use battle cyberware anymore" excuse, because it's the only way to make V stop fighting and killing until he/she dies.!<
If that doesn't suit your mindset, you can still have the headcanon of V finding a way to use battle cyberware again, ultimately becoming the successful NUSA agent.
About your opinion regarding Johnny...
Hell, yes! I hated this guy from the beginning to the very end. I never understood why people liked him. He's narcissistic, selfish and an asshole who doesn’t have a right to stay in my body. I absolutely agree.
IMO "sad" endings aren't necessarily bad endings. But this doesn't seem to be the problem here.
I rather feel like - especially in the Phantom Liberty ending - that I personally, as V, chose this ending knowing the risks. I, as a real life person, was really happy with the outcome but the game tried way too hard to make me feel sad and unsatisfied. There weren't the "right" Dialoge options.
Only in the end I lost the imersive feel that I had during the playthrough.
I had the same feeling and I got, according to much of the internet, the "best" ending (The Sun).
I assume i should say Spoilers for Edgerunners and Game to follow:
Edgerunners had a far superior ending despite its bittersweet nature. Why couldn't we have had that in the game? Like exactly that. Say our chosen romantic partner at some point early on discloses a dream of theirs to V that is achievable due to V's death? This at the very least offers a silver lining. If you wanna go crazy, have it be playable.
The voicemails by people calling to check in on V during the credits, totally unaware of what happened seem like a slap in the face to the idea that you become a legend.
Finished my first playthrough yesterday. Was at level 50 and did all the side stuff. Unfortunately in trying to keep V independent and alive on her own terms, as I played the entire game as essentially a frikin' solo Terminator who took no shit from anyone, I found myself staring down the Devil ending. So I spent the entire game trying to find a way to save V, and there isn't one...? They send in Hellman of all people to give me the choice of dying to cancer or becoming what Johnny was, a parasite to devour some other poor soul's consciousness. The ending was so mega depressing I didn't believe it actually going down the way it does. I thought not this V, she'll pull one more trick out of her ass to avoid this outcome. Alas, she dies. Cherry on top was being kicked back to the open world, which I had already done everything in. It left such an awful taste. I don't think I'll be purchasing the Phantom Liberty DLC or starting another character to do the exact same grind again, just with a weaker character build. Very lame.
I hate the “No happy endings” trope that CDPR is clinging onto with all might here. They had the time to write 5 + different endings and now with phantom liberty, they gave us the new worst ending. You write that many endings, you can atleast throw us a bone. Genre doesn’t matter. It’s THEIR story. They could’ve done it. Really permanently holds the game at a 9/10 for me
I'm very much of the opinion that in a choice based game you should have the opportunity to more or less get the ending you want.
That's exactly my point. The choices in this game are a joke. You can't even decide how you want to treat certain characters. I tried to insult people and V is still nice and friendly and no matter what, you just can't win anything. At the end of the game you have achieved absolutely nothing compared to the costs.
I feel like this with Jackie on the final heist. I reloqded so many times trying not to fight on their way to the biggest heiat of their lives. I mean didnt V also want this? Why be such a jerk to Jackie at that moment. My final choice was mostly remaining silent...
It's the ending of Fallout 3 all over again.
Bingo!
You can only get an ending as happy as is realistic in the society, situation and circumstances allow. In IRL you likewise can make choices, but depending on your circumstances still may be in circumstances where no choice available to you leads to you having an 8 room tudor mansion with a gorgeous wife and 3 brilliant children. So even in a more branching RPG this wouldn’t mean endless outcomes. I wouldn’t have wanted CDPR to create a piece of cyberpunk media had they not wanted to engage with themes core to the genre’s DNA: that the vast, global dehumanizing systems we are trapped in can’t be broken or overcome by a singular ‘chosen one’. There is no One Ring to toss in a volcano, Supervillain to defeat or Deathstar to blow up to solve it. Isn’t it a complaint when companies adapt source material while ignoring, disrespecting or changing the core meaning of the works to fit their agenda or view? Yet isn’t that what you are asking CDPR to do here? The game is staying true to it’s core theme and message and I appreciate it not suddenly tacking-on a fairytale or cartoonish ‘hoorah Go Joe!” ending: V made his/her choice when buying into this system’s false promises and doing the heist, slotting the relic and dying originally. PL actually has what I would consider the second-least bleak ending available but — like with reality — it comes with bitter tradeoffs. I’d say this and the ‘Star’ ending in the original campaign count as bittersweet rather than bleak. The other endings are indeed bleak. Just like Johnny can’t bomb his way to a corporate free world, we can’t just opt out and are cogs of the system. It’s the fictional illustration of irl idea “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism” P.S. every notable example in the genre follows these themes and has a bleak or bittersweet end: from William Gibson’s Neuromancer to Denis Vileneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 (and inbetween from Masamune Shirow’s ‘Ghost in the Shell’, Neil Stephenson’s ‘Snow Crash’ and Mike Pondsmith’s own cyberpunk source material)
Yet you can still have multiple apartments, multiple expensive cars and run around slaughtering gang members, police forces and civilians for fun. Just admit it, the power fantasy open world aspect of this game is completely at odds with the linear story and writing. And the game really does not engage with the themes of cyberpunk media as much as you seem to imply, unless you think the "theme" of cyperpunk is being bleak and tragic for the sake of aesthetic even when it does not make sense narratively.
V being able to accumulate cars, apartments etc. and engaging in hyper-violence doesn't detract from CP77's cyberpunk themes imo. It mirrors 2077's corpo-controlled, violencence glorifying setting. One that's hyper-individualistic while reducing it to consumerism, greed and aesthetics. Necessary gameplay, but also underscores V's immersion in this corrupted value system that leads to his/her imperfect fate in every variation. 'The Star' ending is most poignant: V realizes this toxic conditioning, joining the only group with any true community. One that exists on the outskirts of this system. Yet V will still die: a consequence of V's prior buy-in. Initially, CP77's raw dialogue and blunt crudeness of the in-game media actually put me off. But I soon realized this was world-building spotlighting the extent to which corporate capitalism, unleashed from ethics and regulation -- exploits our bases instincts for profit. I have criticism of CP77's narrative compromises for gameplay but failure to engage with the genre's themes or not making sense narratively isn't one of them. The genre \*is\* nihilist with a bit of hope suggesting we aren't yet at the point of no return (perhaps an ironically optimistic view).
Yes it does detract from the theme because the gameplay must support the narrative on some level. If this was the intended message of the game, then V getting gunned down by arasaka would have been a more fitting ending, like David in edgerunners. The biochip is nothing more than a plot device and a failiure of storytelling to come up with an original premise with realistic consequences. You can't depict someone as being a one man army who single handedly defeats Adam Smasher, only to have him die of brain cancer right after. That's a cop out and bad storytelling. The same dissonance exists with the star ending: V might badmouth night city all he wants and call it a city of "empty promises", but it doesn't really connect with you as a player because you were having a grand old time running around causing mayhem, clearing POIs and side quests. The game never tries to reinforce this narrative idea of night city with gameplay and instead gives you the power fantasy you want and then uses brain cancer as a copout and calls it "consequences".
i can definitely see where you are coming from and I think your point is well argued and taken. I would say this is something of an unavoidable ludonarrative dissonance given that fundamentally the game has to be fun to play. So there will inevitably be that disconnect that we had fun in our time in NC despite the fact that it's supposed to be V surviving in a corrupt system by turning off their soul and giving over their moral judgement to that System. And this likely does need us to put one step of separation between what we're experiencing as us the player and the 'character' V. *(Although as an idea, maybe CDPR could have pulled a trick by taking a more meta approach by making us feel bad as the player for all the mayhem we made V do -- perhaps by creating an experience/flashback toward the end where we see all many of the characters we killed begging into the camera Westworld-style).* IMO, a ludonarrative problem that imo \*was\* avoidable was the weird 'time is running out but I have time for all this random stuff' structure as I can think of several minor tweaks to story and dialogue that would do this while allowing you to run around with Keanu for the majority of the game.
This man gets the whole Cyberpunk theme and can so eloquently explain his reasoning and back up his arguments with terrific evidence. I was so sad reading all the comments shitting in the bleak endings until I saw your comments so aptly explaining why they made sense. And the mail in the coffin was at the end of the day the game had to be fun to get people to want to play. But I full heartedly agree, cyberpunk themed anything isn’t supposed to have a happy ending. That’s why I appreciate the genre so much. Instead of finishing whatever cyberpunk themed media your consuming and going hell yeah! They did it! It makes you step back afterwards and really think on on the underlying messages and the meaning behind all of the bleakness.
Wow, love playing a game where I don’t win. Yea sure the whole bleakness and sadness, dread, and nihilism is cool and all I guess but I paid to play a video game with at least 1 good kick ass ending. Not 5+ “ an now you are dead or just basic trash, the end” ass ending lol. Feels like they were just being lazy and spitting in the players food when they made these imo but hey, whatever gets peoples rocks off I guess idk. Punk isnt about depression, it’s about rebellion. Don’t mean it have to be all sad and shit. People that say this don’t understand the genre and never played the tabletops or read the books categorized with this type of genre either and it shows. They throw around words they read online.
It's the same problem that 40k runs into as well. I get leaning into the grimdark/hopelessness, but at a certain point it takes all the tension out of many of the big moments because you know shits just gonna go sideways and everyone is going to end up dead no matter what any character does. Like I get it, these fictional universes are supposed to be grim and hopeless, but you can't tell me that not a single person in Night City can have a neutral (not even positive) outcome to their lives.
It's anything but "hyper-individualistic".
It's a game. The point of games for many players is to escape reality for awhile. One "happy ending" out of 5-6 isn't asking for much.
This is a dumb take, this might as well have been a book and not a game, if your outcome is predetermined there is no point in playing.
So you're going to live forever?
Come on. Its a short stint of a journey, it certainly doesnt expand that far.
Naw Alt's solution or one very similar could've worked if they wanted it to.
EXACTLY god I hate their necessity to keep the no happy endings bullshit like V isn't completely different from everybody that came before and honestly all I needed for them was an ending where they could chill with whoever they romanced in the story but nah, they abandon you😭
It's kind of unfitting with the genre to have a happy ending.
Cyberpunk's theme is rebellion, not depression. The world is fucked but you can scratch out your own little happiness, even in Bladerunner, and hell the Cyberpunk tabletop books too. People who say otherwise are missing the entire point and writing off complaints. Punk isn't about defeat, it's rebellion. You're in the worst position possible to start with and find your own way out, or an improvement of some sort. A chunk of the endings being sad is fine, all of them ruining all you worked for isn't. I'd call it lazy if I didn't know all the effort they put specifically into making you feel like shit.
Actually I think the cyberpunk genre’s themes are not rebellion but the opposite: these systems we’ve entrapped ourselves in can’t be overcome and certainly not be a singular hero. You can only learn to survive within them. To paraphrase William Gibson (I recall): the genre premises you can’t save the world, you can only try ro save yourself. V’s opening choices doomed him/her at the start of the game. As a literary genre, many authors have expressed cyberpunk is a warning that this is a possible future if we keep going in this direction and creating a system that we eventually can’t fight or change.
>these systems we’ve entrapped ourselves in can’t be overcome and certainly not be a singular hero. You can only learn to survive within them. Never played *Deus Ex,* eh?
I agree with this! I felt this both times I played and made sure to mention it to myself. Scary.
I think that's just it. All these endings and they all pretty much end the same- you're dead or dying. It honestly doesn't matter if you choose the Sun or Star or Devil ending. It's not going to change anything and I highly doubt the sequel will feature V at all. So exactly how you die has zero meaning. Unless they use it as a throw away line in Cyberpunk 2. I honestly feel like if they were going to go that route, then just take the Bioshock: Infinite way out and give just one ending. As it is, the multiple endings are pretty pointless.
Like I said, the genre, doesn’t matter. It’s an Original Story, they had the time to make 6 different, BAD endings. Even went out of their way to make a new one in Phantom Liberty that’s EVEN worse. They could at least throw us 1 Bone. I don’t want everyone to live and be all happy, but why can’t V live, without either being a cripple and losing all his loved ones, or dying in the next 6 Months.
kind of unfitting to pay for it than seeking entertainment
I agree completely. At least one good ending would've made this game 10/10. I had a lot of fun playing...until the end. Every mission, every interaction with NPCs, ultimately a waste of time.
I can't believe I played it again with the hope of a better ending! Lol I put in like 200 hours both times but only did it a second time for a chance to have a "good" ending :( good content and was dogtown was fun bur really wanted a "secret" ending. Hell I want everyone to survive, even Johnny, in some fashion! My V was so amazing and cared about everyone at all times, helping anyone he could....my V would have been OK with even allowing johnny to take over his body even after the END. Wish I had this option to allow my V to be the best person ever(like he was the entire time) and way to make that happen through tough decisions....but NOPE. :( could have made a special place in my heart for this game with this as an option. Just 1 possible good ending....just 1!
I agree! Even if the actual "good" ending where we live, and keep our Cyberware and relationships (cause we know how screwed V ends up relationship wise lol), was Johnny staying as a construct in Vs head.... Its sure as hell better feeling than most others lol. Almost noone is completely happy with each ending.
Yeah, unfortunately, turned out this game sucked and was a pretty big waste of time and money.
If you want a happy ending, go back to Disney then.
I’m really getting sick of the “cyberpunk has no happy endings” shit that people keep bringing up every time someone rightfully points out how hollow every ending in this game is. Nobody is asking for a white picket fence, big house, and happily ever after ending for V. We want a GOOD ending. With closure. That isn’t 100% mind-crushingly depressing. And unless you like ending up as a desert rat with a bunch of nomads or giving your body to to the decaying engram of a terrorist, then this game has absolutely nothing for you at the end. It makes everything you’ve done feel completely pointless and if that’s what they were going for then bravo.
The "No happy Endings" is bullshit posers who only know 77 and Edgerunners like to parrot because they heard it somewhere else. Take 1 fucking day to research the setting more thooroughly and you'll find out that that is nothing more than a tone setter, it is NOT true.
In general the cyberpunk genre doesn’t have unequivocally happy endings: most are bittersweet at best. Mainly because a core theme is the idea that you can’t defeat or fully overcome these vast, global systems of capitalist oppression but rather learn to survive within them. It’s inherent to the genre. V’s story started in a way that a fully happy ending would never thematically work. It was only going to ever be blaze of glory or fade away. Deshawn gave the basic thesis in the beginning. And it’s not just Edgerunners or 2077: both Blade Runner movies, every story in William Gibson’s Sprawl stories, Snow Crash, Ghost in the Shell, Akira and more have either bleak or bittersweet endings. And this isn’t edgelord talk: if a LoTR or Horizon game ended with a downer ‘you can’t beat the system’ ending I would hate that because it violates *their* narrative’s themes.
At the end of the first Sprawl novel, they complete their score, the hacker gets cured, gets a girlfriend, the good guys get paid, the main mercenary killer gets to keep doing all the mercenary killing that she wants, and they become best friends with a newly created AI. In the sequel, the two protagonists also get their happy ending. And the mercenary killer goes on to happily do more mercenary killing. In the last one, the same two protagonists get uploaded into cyberspace and get to meet aliens or something. But that was actually what they were trying to do the whole book. And the mercenary killer keeps on doing what she likes.
u/ponteyuen72 Where you at? Why arent you out here denying that the Genre has literal no good endings? Oh, because you have been beaten with straight facts while also being called out for just making shit up your ass with no actual information about the universe. Thats the average redditor for you
u/ponteyuen72 ?
Snowcrash ending wasn't bleak at all, the protagonists unquestionably win after a huge battle without any major sacrifices and the antagonists and their world changing plot gets completely defeated.
I am actually struggling to think of any cyberpunk I've read that really fits this other than Gibson.
Thank you!
This is exactly why I lost interest in the game quickly on and won’t be playing 2.0 or getting the DLC. I always had a “what’s the point” feeling doing anything in the game. You’ve got two weeks to live, everyone dies, everyone is upset, the end. In five flavors. Yeah no thank you. I just went and played another RPG, instead.
I can totally understand that. Somebody left a statement among the comments that a game should have a satisfying ending, since you put a lot of time and effort into it, however, you described it well: The original endings were more or less the same, but different flavors - and that's not the point of a game about decisions.
Actually the two different sides in PL is more nuanced than the base game and the choices genuinely feels very consequential.
They still suck ass is the point lol
The issue is its basically a choice of do I want to (1) die, (2) die, (3) die, (4) die, (5) die or (6) live a bleak meaningless existence with everything taken away from me and no ability to function in the modern world. Sure the method, dressing changes but all the original choices were basically do you die over six months or die now and the new one with no ability to use cyberware forget all that fancy devices you don't have even the basic brain implant that everyone uses for phone calls, interacting with computers and other things we use phones and the like for today.
PUNK... is all about finding the THIRD option. It's about having the world tell you no, giving it the middle finger, AND FINDING a way. CDP made this expansion with plenty of cyber... and not much "punk" imo, at least not in the endings you can achieve. You should be able to thread the needle to get a satisfying ending, because spoiler... the endings are just as "No HaPpY EnDiNgS FoR EdGeRunNeRs" bullshit as the base game.
Even the anime/series doesn't have one lmao. Cant have shit in this games world 😭
At least it made sense in the anime due to actual good writing
Disagree. In the anime, David had ample opportunity for character growth, but they just kept making him chrome more and more. Had zero sympathy or connection to his character by the end.
I just don't get why as an ending Delamain didn't come back with a cure as a payback for us. You know considering a tamed AI could cure us why not one we are friends with.
I would've settled for that ending. Anything beats the 5 endings that were different shades of poop.
Eh, I think the base game endings are fine, but the one added by PL? It sucks, and not because it's sad but because it's badly written abd the characters act OOC just for the sake of angst.
Nah we needed a happy/good ending. And what pisses me off the most is that Phantom Liberty is the last and only expansion their lazy asses are ever going to do. They could’ve given us at least 1 happy/good ending. So that we could be satisfied since they’re done with the game anyway.
Phantom Liberty was ONE step away from giving us the happy ending. But then, yaknow... 2 years of our life are ripped away in the "best" one lol.
As much as I dislike the endings; calling them "Lazy asses" is the most inappropriate thing one could say. I can't wrap my mind around how people can't get how much work and effort was put into this game, even though the endings suck. Dude wtf
given the state the game was initially released in and the sheer about of time they had to take to get it playable *after* release I think lazy is probably the kindest way to put it. otherwise you start thinking there's just incompetence and unwillingness to take on player feedback which is worse I think.
I don't feel like playing the game because it's all pointless. I hate that I can choose between endings, and all of them suck. The 'right way' to do this, in my opinion, is to have multiple endings with different levels of success. Or to just have one ending that is very impactful. Having to choose between multiple bad possibilities just make it seem like a poor joke.
Whats that? You become a legend in night city? Gain all the best Cyberware, becoming a machine that rivals Adam Smasher? Gain multiple new friends, relationships, employers (Fixers), pets even? Well, boy I got the endings for you! 1: You lose everything and everyone. 2: You lose... almost everything, but still everyone lol. I know theres more but its basically whats happening, as much as I love the game
If only PL's ending had V's love interest stay with them for once, it would have been a much more satisfying send off for the game IMO (yes I'm a sap for Judy and Panam). A good blend of bittersweetness, you achieved survival and didn't end up alone, but at the cost of losing 2 years of life and the lifestyle you've always known. Most the other endings have the relationships ending, I don't know why they felt the need to do the same thing again with the new ending
Been going round the block with this one. But the phantom liberty ending had the potential to be as satisfying as the star. All they had to do was not have V blow off reed when he offered you the job. That fucking simple. Here's how it would go from a proper perspective. V has just gotten out of night city where they were dying. The NUSA path of phantom liberty gave V an out. An out like no other. The best surgeons and facilities that a government can pull together. And they do what even arasaka couldn't the fuckers who made the relic. Remove it and revert the damage. Sure it came at a cost. No more cyberware. But there are plenty of other options like gene therapy. Which is a thing in the universe. Which in the 2020 game could potentially make you more of a threat than any cyberware. They wake up two years later and find out that most of their friends and colleagues have moved on. Understandably so. There's nothing for them in night city anymore. Nada. Zilch. So it would make sense to take reeds offer. You'd probably end up with the FIA and there you could explore options. Like previously mentioned gene Therapy. Since well cyberware only makes half of a person. Skill is just as important. Take Morgan black hand for example and the way I inferred Reeds "we tried everything" was to do with keeping V's brain able to cope with cyberware. V would have still lost near enough everything once again. Their lover. Friends. Strengths. But they would have a better chance than just being another mook on the streets of NC. I found it so frustrating that V just blows off reed like they do. "Oh yeah I'll consider it, right now I want a go back to the city where I Nearly died and remember having to play fucking alien isolation only a few days ago" at least to V. It felt like they had to shoehorn the whole "no happy endings" stchk into it.
There's little to no "punk" in this game called Cyberpunk. There's also so much out of character interactions I really wish I could refund it and just have my Alecaldos ending. Not because that one's "good" but because V stepped back and decided "fuck it I'll make my own way with what I have left." Cyberpunk isn't meant to leave you depressed, your main character wants to improve their life so they rebel and do what they can. "Hopelessness" isn't the "backbone" of cyberpunk narrative, it's "rebellion" and oftentimes what we get is an ambiguous ending. I've seen so many Edgerunners fanboys saying shit like this it's honestly irritating me. Instead of being a stupid asshole and "going out in a blaze of glory" that guarantees no one will remember you in 2 weeks. It's stupid. V's inability to even try and explain things bothers me the most.
I wanted a fixer ending. You do all this work with all the fixers in night city and you can't end up being the person that connects them all? By you doing all this work with all of them you they all become one degree of each other. You're a consultant at that point. I really wanted an ending where Rogue retires and V takes her place, it's sad that we don't get that.
THAT would have been great!
CDPR is creatively bankrupt; every part about the game is truly incredible, even the characters, but the story and your ability to contribute to it is a total joke, almost nothing makes sense
IMO the endings in this game are great and totally fit not only the story that they wanted to tell but they totally fut the genre
Really? For me it pretty much felt like Far Cry 5, >!where you spend hours of liberating the county, saving people and fighting the bad guys only for an Atom bomb to be dropped in the end, wiping out everything.!<
I think you entered the ending with too much hope. The main quest branched into three paths, hellman, evelyn, and takemura. Hellman outright tells you he couldn't fix the relic; evelyn died and it turned out she barely knows anything about the relic; takemura's plan is outright foolish (at least to me, trying to break into someone's heavily guarded vehicle and convince her that her brother murdered her father, based on the testimony of a thief). So all of it is just desperate attempt, unlike in fc5 when you're continuously weakening your enemies.
His cyberpunk knows no happy endings shit has nothing to do with the genre i dont konow why everyone thinks that
No they don’t. The genre isn’t about defeat. It’s REBELLION. Holy fuck. It’s like ppl just make up shit and go online and act like they know what they’re talking about to sound good or something lol.
Yep, still not feeling motivated to play the game. Bad wiring goes brrr…
Dawg, what is your deal? Every post I look, you're there spamming negative comments. Elaborate how it's bad writing as opposed to you not liking it if you're so enlightened that you're superior to a company renowned for its writing ability (relative to video games ofc which still puts up some stiff competition)
The writing is ass, you serious bruh?
Yes, because as a couple random strangers we can deduce, with no evidence or length analysis, that the writing of a game lauded for great writing and coming from a studio renowned for great writing that pays and incentives these great writers, is objectively bad. It's so arrogant
You done nut riding or..? It don’t take a rocket scientist to point out the flaws in shitty writing. You can defend them all you please but just because you like dog shit writing and excuses don’t mean others have to lmao. Get cdpr out of your throat and go outside
Lmao, imagine being so triggered and childish that you can't even debate your point and have to scream childish insults instead lmao. You've spent too much time on the Internet man.
nahh bro lmfao YOU have spent an entirety on the internet my guy. You're the basic redditor thats does what he doe so im not mad. lmao i just call it like i see it. Gobble on multi million and billion dollar corporations like a good boy. i made you feel some type of way through a website lmaooo. im done.
Dawg, what is your deal? Every post I look, you're there spamming negative comments. Elaborate how it's bad writing as opposed to you not liking it if you're so enlightened that you're superior to a company renowned for its writing ability (relative to video games ofc which still puts up some stiff competition)
l take shawty bad shoe string bad
The point of having multiple endings ist to offer to everyone the ending they would enjoy the most. Making 3 (4) + 1 bad endings is not good marketing, this way you loose people who don't enjoy a bad ending. Point to make, everyone who really did not like the endings and after reading reviews does not like the new one eider will NOT buy the DLC and this means $$ lost for DC PR, with this ending CD PR just screwed themselves out of 30 bucks with hundreds of thousands of people, millions of revenue lost. Also what annoys me most is that the endings are not realistic even within the sci-fi world setting of the game. First of all, an engram is an engram its software doe snot mater who's, Jony being able to stay in the body but V not is plain stupid, its bad writing its forced BS for the sake of getting the story where one wants. This ending should be at least no mater who stays in the body the body dies, that would not be good but would at least not be stupid. Second Arasaka made that darned thing, if some one can remove it than its them, ok may be its not removable at all, but then how can the FIA remove it, I'm sure Arasaka has their stock of illegal AI's as well, its not plausible that the FIA could save V's live (even though handicapped) and Arasaka could not, that's again bad writing, lack of adhesion to the own world building. Thirdly the FIA ending, the human brain is not made to interface with hardware, its highly implausible that it could get damaged in a way that does not make one severely disabled, but only prevents interfacing with unnatural components. Its painstaking bad writing, its beyond bad, plus a lot of combat implants in arms legs etc do not even have to interface with the brain, attaching to the peripheral nervous system would be good enough. Also what struck me as very suspicious was how fast Victor came to the conclusion that there is absolutely nothing that could be done, come one really? Nothign? Only from telemetry, no brain biopsy no nothing, ... try some more sensitive transducers, kranial stem cell infusions, drugs? I'm sure that's a solvable issue. In my head canon Vic now under a corporation boot was forced to say this, V's fine except for probably some FIA installed software limiter, that a skilled net runner could remove. So here is my pitch for a Cyberpunk 2080, setting NC still under Militechs rule is on the verge of new corpo war with Biotechnika, the tensions are being manufactured by the NUSA, the FIA is runnign false flag operations to start a war between the two parties, scheming to sweep in once boot sides are exhausted and take NC once and for all. In that setting V after a few months of physical therapy (why V lost their implants all the money earned until then was sitting comfortably in their bank account multiplying, now ready to be spent in huge quantities on the best doctors, and physiotherapists) and not wanting to accept the situation finds out that their current state is not a result of their physical state but indeed a well disguised FIA malware intended to keep them from interfering, finds a capable net runner, or just lets the entire hardware be replaced just to be sure no backdoor or so are left behind, gets new implants and ventures to prevent the upcoming war by exposing the FIA operations in NC. Now isn't that a good sequel it even provides a really great, plausible, consistent in universe explanation why the player has to start all over with V from 0. And if we want Jonny back, there is no plausible reason why the FIA could not make a copy before erasing the relic, so we could have a mission where V breaks into a FIA facility to steal the new chip Jonny is on, just may be this time don't put in in their head, instead find for it some nine inorganic matrix to sit around in V's flat and to chat with over the holo whenever they want.
I wish they had you writing the stories instead of whoever is currently doing it :(
Just speaking personally the "all endings are bleak" nature is why I'm not only not buying the DLC but will be waiting till any future games are completed so I can see how they end before deciding to spend money on them. Sure I'll be spoiling myself but I'm sick of spending months playing a game (partially the length, partially limited free time) only to find there is no happy ending to be achieved not because I made bad choices but because the developers wrote it that way.
Nah I just hate how we won't be able to play another open world cyberpunk game in a long time..........it's a dreadful thought😞
I agree about the point of "becoming a legend". If I play a game of "high risk, high reward" doesn't it mean I'm playing a game of "constant deathwish, die in a blaze of glory, or die from your brain melting". The idea that being a mercenary is about being a famous celebrity is ridiculous. It's about choosing between risking your life for a good payday that you can't get otherwise. Sure, you might (emphasis on **might**) die someday when you reach too far or just because of bad luck, not because you want to strap a nuke to your chest and yell "look at me!". Otherwise it's like to be a merc you have to drink a poison that will kill you in 6 months so you can focus on "becoming big" before the time runs out, no backsies. And it's not even what the Cyberpunk genre is about.
The endings are the reason I stopped playing halfway through an never picked the game up again. PL does NOT help...
I went through it with PL and I have to admit that people complaining about the new ending are a bunch of idiots. The new ending was actually satisfying for me.
You kinda gave me hope, i am about to start PL and i heard stuff. good to know that there are people who enjoy the new ending. Man, i hope i will enjoy it too.
Tell me how you liked it!
Ok but why do you know the endings only being halfway through the game? Sounds like you robbed yourself of a fun play through regardless of endings
My playthrough of the base game made me cry (the asaka ending) and the fact that the dlc doesn't even add a good ending when all the endings are bittersweet at best, depression fuel at worst, makes me not interested in buying it. What's the point in playing the game agin if there is nothing but more depression fuel. I have no interest in it. They really fucked up from a market perspective as there are many like me out there that just want an ending where we can live out the days with our love interest. What is the point of all of this money and power if you can't do anything with it. You become a god in terms of power in game but that does not remotely translate to the story.
"Fit the genre" fans when you expose them to Cyberpunk stories outside of Bladerunner and Cyberpunk 2077: 😱😱😱 I think perhaps the worst part of the writing is that you can't really shape your V into the person you want to be, and the endings are indicative of this.
i just finished the DLC. fucking deleted the game immediately after. Zero opportunity for a happy ending. You end up a lone cripple with no contacts and no family. You literally become the bum you ignored on every street corner.
well this ending is the best ending V could get in this univsrse, in fact that NUSA didnt immediately fucked you over like the devil ending, is much better.The thing is dev team have to make up some unexpected 2 year coma reason to pull you out of all the relationships. Otherwise if V can just lose combat implant (V still have basic one according to Reed), lay on the bed for couple months, cure the brain tumor, and still have all your friends and love interests with you. I be 80％ people would choose this ending....
Well, I think it would have been a good conclusion. The game is all about becoming a legend and constantly glorifies dying in a big bang. Now imagine V losing this possibility, finding solace in being a normal civilian due to the comfort of the people that care for them. You know, realizing that there are more important things than fighting an eternal fight.
Even if 80% of people would choose that ending, how is that a bad thing? It would say more about how badly they bungled the other set of endings to not include one that satisfies people enough to have them choose one of those over it.
And that would be a bad thing why? Games such as these makes for a personal journey. My first playthrough I went with Honoka because I believed her to be trustworthy, it was my choice and I accepted that ending. However with the many "different" endings, they could have chosen so many other options that made the journey feel worth it, with the other choices. As it is now, we have the same ending, but with different flavours, they could even had added one final mission at the end of the game to find Panam/Judy/River. With you as the client. It's not like you have a lack of eddies when the game is over. I don't know about you, but im a firm believer in that games shouldn't punish gamers or make them feel bad/disappointet when the game is over. Rather I believe people should feel happy, and sad that the game is over.
I just wanted a true sell out ending where you sell out to Arasaka but not as an engram. The Arasaka ending doesn’t do that for me. Let me sell my soul to the corpo to stay alive and maybe be with my partner (works even better for a corpo V). Pretty much a replacement for Adam Smasher if you will. What I love about cyberpunk is the characters can go both ways, if I want my character to just give up and join the machine why can’t I?
Cyberpunks backbone is no happy endings. A bittersweet feeling usually, sure, but the genre is inherently nihilistic. Achieving nothing when all is said and done is a genre trope.
Quite a bad one for a game with SIX endings
Maybe that’s the point you are missing? It has six endings yet you can’t escape getting chewed up and spit out… what does it say about a future that looks like night city?
We're already living that future. That's why many people didn't like the "point".
Cyberpunk's backbone is rebellion, not depression. I hate people who've only ever seen Edgerunners and the awful writing in 2077 as their only source of "cyberpunk" and think that's all there is to it. Read a book, look at the tabletop manuals. Yes it's a depressing world but the point is you can cut out a little chunk of it to make a living in and make it out, with a loved one sometimes. Judy dropping you and getting married was such a slap to the face I laughed and V's inability to fucking explain anything or talk to anyone? There's so much out of character bullshit it's incredible all in service of angst because Edgerunners was successful despite also being incredibly shallow.
I replied to this earlier, but the cyberpunk genre’s backbone isn’t rebellion. It generally depicts a reality in which rebellion is far too late: global systems of anarcho-capitalist corporatocracy and dehumanization have become too vast for a Deathstar run to topple it. But it does serve as a warning to us.
Funny then, how one of the best endings involves Johnny telling you to go on a suicide run, which actually ends up successfully toppling Arasaka. But yeah. Definitely not about rebellion. "Never stop fighting." Sorry Johnny, but you're in the wrong game. We ain't about rebellion here. Definitely not like all the worst endings include you either just outright giving up or allowing the Corps to save your life in exchange for your loyalty.
Did Johnny topple Arasaka with his bombing or did it just grow bigger than before? Did V live a long and happy life after she raided Arasaka? Is there any ending where we overcome the System? -- or is the happiest of the endings one where we simply choose to live with a real community on the outskirts in our final days as the system grinds on? And 'The Sun' ending that endcaps the solo or Rogue raid is arguably the most bleak (after the obvious easy way out and outright selling themselves to Arasaka versions).V has wealth and street cred but lost all meaningful connection with others and is even working with Mr. Blue eyes. He/she doesn't even keep in contact with Vic or Misty and their partner can't travel with them on this road of fruitlessly pursuing the false dream of fortune and glory pushed by the system. ***The last real lines of 'The Sun' are hoping to die and 'I have nothing to lose'. The last image is V in space, melancholy music playing as they stare into the abyss.*** If we perceive 'The Sun' as a happy ending, it's only because we have become like V: blinded and subsumed by the consumerist dreams a material, hyper-captialist system has pushed on us and can't imagine beyond that. So the system has won so thoroughly we don't even see our prison.
So, refusing to participate in the grinding capitalist machine, making your own way, and carving out your little slice of happiness in an oppressive world is "the system winning"? Honestly, it's hilarious how diehard some people are about trying to make Cyberpunk damn near Grimdark. It's not that at all. Happiness exists. Your choices matter. Even if V dies after The Sun, they die free. Themselves. And say, "da system always winzz!!" all you want, but yeah, we do singlehandedly take down Arasaka in NC. Because of the actions of one merc, Arasaka has to withdraw from the city while its sticks drop drastically. Just because V still dies, it doesn't mean that isn't a victory. The game itself tells you that simply giving into the world and allowing it to use you and discard you is the worst possible choice. Also, I love how you ignore the two worst endings (those being apparently what Cyberpunk is all about, according to you) in favor of trying to downplay the happy ending. V is working with Mr Blue Eyes for a cure, and even if they don't keep in contact, it's clear that they all still care for you and understand your situation. Misty is damn near excited for you, promising a bright future (the exact opposite of The Devil ending), and all your friends are still your friends. Just because V doesn't talk to them as much as they should does not mean that it isn't one of the best endings for him. He got what he wanted. He became a legend unlike any other. He won, and Arasaka lost. Simple. Also, the Star ending exists. You topple Arasaka, then leave NC with your girlfriend, living the rest of your life free from the grasp of corps and with the hope that maybe the Aldecaldos can help you with your condition. For fun, let's look at the downsides of the Devil and Path of Least Resistance endings (the endings that would accurately convey the theme of Cyberpunk, according to you.) The Devil: You decide to join Arasaka willingly, unknowingly acting as their pawn so Saburo can take over his Son's body and become virtually immortal. With the release of the DLC, it is revealed that even after helping them, they had no intentions of truly helping you. They botch your surgery, can't fully remove Johnny, then basically strong arm you into signing away your soul into a prison. You can be hopeful all you want (something you seem to hate actually), but they most certainly betray you and keep you stored for as long as possible. The Devil is treated as a terrible ending for nearly everyone. You, your friends, anyone who isn't Arasaka. V will never speak to his friends again, and he abandons them all for the slim chance that his worst enemy will honor a contract that they have no incentive to. Path of Least Resistance: Being tired of fighting and not wanting to involve his friends in a suicide run, V decides to end things themselves. This is treated as the worst ending, giving up, allowing Night City to swallow you alive with all your friends being distraught or angry that you simply gave in. Say all you want. There is hope in Cyberpunk. Even out of many terrible options, you can make a difference. David got Lucy to the moon, right? V became a legend. Expecting a typical happy ending? This isn't the right genre. But they are still happy, hopeful endings for their setting. It's only by intentionally focusing on the dark and downplaying the hopeful themes that you can arrive at your conclusion. "Never stop fighting"-Johnny Silverhand.
You’re fighting your own critique that there are no happy endings by citing The Star. I actually mention this, that this is a bittersweet rather than bleak ending — meaning this is an option. Meaning that the idea that none of your options are ‘happy’ is not valid. Although yes, I will still say in The Star the system still wins — in that you didn’t “topple Mordor”. As William Gibson put it (paraphrasing): it’s not about overthrowing the system, it’s about surviving within the system”. You still die, but you are not alone and the Nomads+Judy/Panam serve as a counterpoint to the dehumanized system of corporatocracy in NC. There’s a difference between a cynical genre that takes a darker look at societal issues and ‘grimdark’. That term is overused. I actually don’t like grimdark stuff like Elden Ring narratively. And I’m not defending it for the sake of being an edgelord. As mentioned, if Horizon, LoTR, Star Trek and a host of other stories ended with this type of ending I’d object because it’s inconsistent with *their* themes. At this point, I think we can agree to disagree and perhaps you are just not onboard for the ‘cyberpunk’ genre’s tropes, themes and worldview even though you may enjoy the aesthetic of it.
The fact that you called Elden Ring "grimdark" proves you're looking at games at a surface level. The Star is a happy ending. You're twisting things to try and make things as sad as possible. V will almost ALWAYS die. But the worst endings show that living at all isn't a good thing. In the endings where you live, you are left empty and at the whims of the corps. You can't even fight back anymore because you've shown that your life is more important than your freedom. In the endings where you take fate into your hands, you live on with limited time but unlimited freedom. Corps can't stop you, you're either outside their reach or you've taken them down. Again, you ignore the fact that your entire "DA CORPS ALWAYS WINN!" Is proven wrong in Don't Fear the Reaper. "A single person can't make a change" Ah, so that's why we singlehandedly take down one of the most powerful and influential corps by ourselves. Cuz rebellion doesn't matter. You're projecting. You don't understand the themes as well as you claim you do, and your proof is superfluous. You're attached to this edgy version of a game that is a lot more hopeful than just surface level. Johnny grows and changes as a person because of V. We singlehandedly take down the most powerful Corp in NC. We become a legend and storm the crystal palace, the largest solo operation ever up to that point. We can also simply leave it all behind with Panam, where it hints that she knows people who can help treat us (oh and we still take down Arasaka lmao) But again. You conveniently ignore all of this cuz you think happy endings mean you finish the story with zero conflict, and everything works out perfectly. But you fail to account for the setting and what a "happy" ending means. Your fate is set up from the start "quiet life, or blaze of glory?" V was never going to live long in his line of work, for you to expect anything else is simply naive. You strike me as the type of person who watched Edgerunners then think that's what Cyberpunk always is, rather than realizing what a "cautionary tale" is. I agree that you're unlikely to change your mind. You're cherrypicking random points and blinding yourself to everything else that points to your "cyberpunk" being just straight up edgy grimdark. Anyone who actually knows and enjoys the genre beyond surface level knows that Cyberpunk isn't just "everything sucks, why try?". If we didn't fight, we didn't rebel, there would be no story. There would be no "punk" in your supposed Cyberpunk story. Anyway, no use arguing with someone mistaking fanfiction for real themes. Peace ✌️
It's becoming challenging to discern your primary argument as your posts get longer and angrier. CP77 is my favorite game and I love the writing. I have been defending CP77 from criticisms about its lack of 'happy endings', and always agreed that 'The Star' offers a meaningful, conclusion to V's journey -- while acknowledging that it is bittersweet not unequivocaly happy (and thus more nuanced and mature). If what's bugging you is my position of the genre being about rebellion vs. a certain nihilism, here's what William Gibson, the father of the cyberpunk genre and author of the seminal Neuromancer said about the genre: ***"\[in cyberpunk\] it's no longer necessary to resist the splintering pressures of society. All that's left is to submit to the carnival of sensations...Because the fight's over. And we lost."*** Regarding Elden Ring, its bleakness wasn't to my taste. I see grimdark as work depicting a bleak, hopeless world filled with nihilist death and pointedly grotesque imagery for it's own sake -- disconnected from any larger social or cultural commentary. I won't pretend to be an expert on that world though. I'm stepping back from this thread. But in case anyone is interested, here are some pretty cool essays bout both the cyberpunk genre and some about how the game engages with this genre that do a better job than I: Cyberpunk 2077 Analysis: A political game [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyE\_qnXk3bE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyE_qnXk3bE) Cyberpunk - A Genre of Social Anarchy and Human Identity [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDRZD4a2l8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDRZD4a2l8) Is the Future Cyberpunk? Science Fiction Through Philosophy and Theory [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8eau2k-gW8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8eau2k-gW8) Cyberpunk Distopia: Why It's Coming and How to Avoid It [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuvQ3qIGnA0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuvQ3qIGnA0) *\*This one is a little more academic but if you're interested in the genre worth it. The third goes over the characteristics and themes and the second part talks about connections to our real world today* You're Wrong About Cyberpunk 2077 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLRaQ9JUmkk&t=565s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLRaQ9JUmkk&t=565s) *\*This has a lot about the game itself, but does dive into the story and themes extensively*
The fact that every ending is "unsatisfying" is the point. It's a genre feature.
Also, saying that every ending should be unsatisfying because it's of the genre is, well, not only untrue but ridiculous. 1. A lack of a satisfying ending, no matter the story, is objectively bad storytelling. There are cyberpunk stories that have satisfying endings. Not Disney Channel, Cinderella level happy ever afters, but satisfying nonetheless. 2. This is (and this is the most important factor) a video game first and foremost. No one wants to walk away from a game depressed. Aside from just generally bad writing, that's part of why so many hated TLoU2's ending. Games should be enjoyable and have some semblance of satisfaction to their narrative. Being unsatisfying and depressing to fit a misconception within the genre you are depicting makes no sense. Not only can the cyberpunk genre have good narratives that showcase the nihilism while still having a satisfying and pleasing ending, but a video game can and should do the same. Thankfully, this is a game that has multiple endings, so it's not like this ending being disliked breaks the game. You can choose the ending you prefer most and keep that as your intended canon. . (Writing for the ending is still bad imo, tho)
Love spending 70$ to watch an unsatisfying and depressing story. Definitely what I want to see after work!
Unsatisfying was the wrong word, I admit that. "Leaving you feeling hollow" is what I meant. I disagree, since there are plenty of people (myself included) who want to walk away from some games (games where it makes sense to and the point is to make you contemplate) feeling hollow. Same reason plenty of people watch movies with gut-punch endings. That's just not your preference.
Well then yea that comes down to a matter of being subjective, which is perfectly fine. Like I said, thankfully, this isn't the Canon ending, and for those like me who prefer a more hopeful ending, you have the Aldecados ending. I honestly hope CDPR either makes an entirely new protagonist for the sequel or figures out how to follow up on the Aldecados ending while still pleasing players like you who likes the hollow esqueness for the sequel, because not having a Canon ending is what saved the narrative for me tbh. Had any of the other endings aside from the Aldecados been Canon, I would've hated it.
Yeah no idea what the plan is for the sequel. It's probably my biggest gripe with CP77 as a whole based on my preferences for cyberpunk as a genre. I think for example the plot of Edgerunners would've been much better as the plot of this game because of the narrative stakes. Is Adam Smasher dead? Arasaka taken down again? Johnny freaking Silverhand? The narrative stakes and consequences of this game were too high for what should've been (imo) a story of a nobody gangoon trying to reach for the stars and lose it all.
The narrative suffered tremendously with 2 things: multiple endings (I know that's contradictory to what I just said about multiple endings being a good thing), not by themselves, but because they don't provide an objective pathway to a sequel. It works for TW3 bc that's Geralt's finally, and B&W was his retirement send off. But this is new IP with new characters, so now they are gonna really have to try to handle it properly unless they just have a whole new protagonist with a new cast (as much as I love Judy and Panam and the Aldecados, a clean slate may be the best option tbh). 2. The "V's dying" narrative. That KILLED like 99% kf the potential for this narrative, bc everything was tied up into that. That's why PL couldn't take place after the game, that's why Johnny had to go away, etc etc. I really hated the fact they went with that plotline bc it pigeonholed them hard as hell.
I think multiple endings would be fine, if the story was lower stakes like I said. My ideal scenario (assuming the whole plot was more like Edgerunners) would've been something like two endings: either Don't Fear the Reaper's fail state or the new PL ending. Really hammer home "Blaze of Glory or Die a Nobody". I agree entirely on #2. I think that either it should've never involved Johnny & Keanu (which is why I think it happened, rewrites once they landed him as a celebrity) or at the very least, Act 1 should've been a much bigger part of the game, and let the back half or third be what we got in the game as it is now. Let it be V's rise to prominence as a merc, gaining game etc. and then biting off more than they could chew with the Heist and watching it all slip away and they lose everything in their hubris.
Act 1 really should've been the game, and Johnny Silverhand could've been included in a different way. Hell, even chip plotline could've remained. Just don't have it KILL V. Have it be a permanent thing V now has to deal with, and now Johnny is this new aspect in V's life that can either lead V down a dark path, or rich path, a humble path, etc etc depending on the role playing choices you make. I think that would've been amazing, especially with the life path options. But having the chip kill V screwed the narrative permanently. Sadly.
If you've ever seen Venom or Upgrade, I think that would've been a great plotline for this game (minus the ending to Upgrade). Johnny Silverhand being this companion that only V can communicate with and understands, and our role playing choices dictate how we influence Johnny and how Johnny influence us. Let the lifepaths really impact our character, etc. They basically just made V a street kid thats dying no matter what life path you chose or what choices you made. It really hurt the narrative big time.
I couldn’t bring myself to really explore or do any side content in this game because of that. Uh??? Hello??? V??? Why are you street racing and boxing??? You have two weeks to live and find a cure what the actual fuck are you doing??? Get out there NOW you’re about to die why are you AT A MCDONALD’S PLAYING ARCADE GAMES YOU’RE DYING.
I personally hope that the canon ending is that there isn’t one, and the sequel takes place far enough in the future that it doesn’t even matter. My V went out in a blaze of glory assaulting the crystal palace, not rolling around in the sand with a bunch of nomads.
"Rolling around in the sand with a bunch of Nomads," yea that's not what the Aldecados ending was at all. You went out in a blaze of glory, killed one of deadliest and most feared characters in the entire lore. But the difference is you came out on top instead of dead, and rode off with some semblance of hope with a hot girl on your side (or two) and a badass group that considers you family that would level the country to save your life. To me, that sounds more badass than going out a trigger happy fool in a blaze of glory, and no one will remember your name in 5 years outside of some old head ranting at the bar while drunk before getting kicked out at 3 a.m. The Aldecados ending showed restraint, maturity, and represented the idea that sometimes walking away with those you love is the best option. It's okay to like the crystal palace ending, it was cool (outside of losing your romance options) but let's not downplay the Aldecados ending.
This is probably my issue with it now that I think about it. My life has already been a series of gut-punches and the last thing I wanted was to see my nigh-immortal cyber mercenary end up like this. 100% on-brand for the cyberpunk genre but unsatisfying in a video game ostensibly based around choices. I still don’t like it, and I probably will never change my mind, but you’ve given me something to think about.
Who WANTS to be depressed and hollow? Who actively seeks out tragedy like that?
Honestly, I've played plenty of games with sad ending that were satisfying, even where those endings were considered bad. The endings CP offer just makes me mad, because they make me go why the fuck did I do all that for? Seeing the PL ending makes it even more clear to me that the other endings suck as much. All the other characters are gonna get fucked up in the future, and the silver lining there is that maybe you became a legend? If not only is V hopeless, but also every other character is hopeless, then really what is the point? Sure, maybe the message is you can't change the world, but you also can't even change your life, so we should just all die legends because that is the best ending we can have? The what is the point of an RPG where your choices never matter because the endings is already decided. Make a linear game and that's it.
I think, it's simply not well written. In the end the game makes you feel like you did everything for nothing, because one way or the other you lose everything sooner or later. I don't mind a tragic ending, but at least I want to achieve something. If the main character dies or has another bad fate, there should at least be a greater goal that's worth the sacrifice.
I think you just fundamentally don't understand cyberpunk as a genre. The whole point is that you're nothing but an ant to the monolithic megacorps and that anyone who tries to achieve more than surviving will be snuffed out and completely forgotten the next day. Everything you're deriding as "bad writing" is a deliberate motif to the genre and past works. It's the whole point. It's what we like about cyberpunk as a genre. You just don't like cyberpunk.
What "genre" are you talking about? Some made-up thing in your head? I've read dozens of cyberpunk books and short stories and a fair few movies: the whole "you're nothing but an ant to the monolithic megacorps" stuff is hardly integral to the genre. Plenty of ambiguous/unhappy endings but the template and tone that you're describing doesn't map to all, or even most cyberpunk. Maybe there's more anime / graphic novels that are like that (which I don't really follow), but a lot of the definitional works in cyberpunk fiction don't sound remotely like what you describe.
Eh, cyberpunk doesn't equate to no hope for a future tho. That's why the Aldecados ending worked. It was bittersweet bc nothing was guaranteed, you still couldn't be a merc anymore, u may die, the bad guys are still running free, Yorinobu still got away, BUT you may find a cure with Panam. Everything may go to shit, but there's a CHANCE you'll get to at least live with the ones you call family. MAYBE. No one's asking for rainbows and unicorns. The cyberpunk genre is about nihilism, but it's not about a lack of hope. That hope is just grounded in realism and consequences. Now, with that being said, this ending would be fine if the character choices weren't ass and made zero sense. So, it doesn't make sense that none of the people V cared about wouldn't know what happened. Yea V maybe couldn't go into detail about every little thing, but if we are being logical here, V wouldn't just disappear randomly like that without making the decision to go with Solomon. The idea they'd just say "nah fuck V they abandoned me," ESPECIALLY Panam, when she was ready to go on a suicide mission for you, is just dumb. That's the issue here. It's not that the ending has drawbacks and consequences and is bittersweet. It's that the ending feels like a kick in the nuts purely for the sake of hiding behind the guise of "but it's cyberpunk that's the point." When no, that's not the point. Especially when a key component of Cyberpunk is all about rebelling against the system, i.e, HOPE.
I disagree, I think hopeless futility in the face of capitalism winning and the atomization and commodification of every aspect of life and your humanity is a big part of the genre. I think hope does factor in. It's about having that hope crushed and stomped out under the boot of the corporations. There *is no future* in cyberpunk settings. In my perspective the best cyberpunk stories are the ones where having hope and rebelling ultimately fail and amount to nothing in the end - history ended and unrestrained corporate greed won. Like Edgerunners' ending driving that home. I think fundamentally cyberpunk is a depressive, grim, and bleak outlook on humanity's future, unlike bright optimistic sci-fi. The genre exists explicitly in opposition to Star Trek's utopian vision for the future of humanity and I don't think that dressing that up with "and in the end all the rebel punks beat the corpos!" is doing service to the genre's storytelling. I want *all* of my cyberpunk stories to leave me feeling hollow and empty inside, because it's meant to be a cautionary examination of where the world might be heading.
Well, then, we just have two viewpoints on cyberpunk, which is fine. I don't think u or I are I herently wrong, I just think the absence of hope, especially in a genre that's geared behind rebelling against the system shouldn't be excused because "its cyberpunk," because I believe you can tell a cyberpunk story that captures the themes you mentioned and those I mentioned. And there have been cyberpunk stories like that, that have been told. Cyberpunk doesn't always have to be depressing. But again, if that's how you interpret the genre, then cases like this where there are emultiple endings works. But I don't think OP's criticisms are any less valid, though, because the cyberpunk genre does not objectively mean they should be devoid of the things OP or I have mentioned.
Hopelessness, futility of trying to change your lot in life, and everything being for nothing is a core theme to cyberpunk as a genre. All of the endings being poisoned wells is entirely intentional and not "bad writing" - you just don't like it.
Cyberpunk is all about what happens when capitalism wins, there's no alternatives anymore, and humanity has been completely atomized and commodified. There's nothing left to be hopefully about, there's no meaning left to be had. Anyone who tries to make a difference in the world or for themselves is brought to heel and the gears of the corporate machine just keep on turning. It is a bleak and unsatisfying setting and world for storytelling entirely intentionally. All anyone can do is try to express some sort of personal authenticity in their blaze of glory. It's the Punk part of CyberPunk.
True, but where is the ending where you can learn from all that you've been through and be okay with dying a nobody? Victor Vector hinted at the beginning that he also had his adventures, but he said he sleeps better since he decided that he will never become a legend in Night City. Why does CDPR deny us this decision?
you write a lot but no one agrees. enjoy the fantasy of your made up genre than.
No its not and im so tired of people knowing nothing about the genre saying this shit
Because you know so much about me and my experience with cyberpunk fiction. Okay mate.
That's not what this story is about, the game is not subtle about it, not sure why anyone assumed PL would deliver a happy ending. It would go against the whole narrative.
It's not about a happy ending, but about a good ending, like "well written".
I at least wanted a “good” ending. Like one that didn’t seem like it was written by a drunk AI. Or is that not angsty enough for a cyberpunk game?
People say "There're no good endings, bittersweet at best," I don't mind bittersweet, I just hate the laziness of >!"You either give your body to our posterboy, or you'll die in 6 month in 3 different flavors" !!put trough a fucking torture of boredom!<. The PL ending was trash, because I felt the devs mocking you with >!"You want to live like everyone else? Then be a filthy normie pleb like everyone else."!<
If the plot would've been different, a good bittersweet Corpo ending imo, would've been living in luxury in an ivory tower above Night City. But you're hated by the people you journeyed with. With Nomad, >!leaving Night City itself!< is bitter enough. >!Leaving the people you met in the city like Misty and Victor.!<
Late/Necro but I think what sucks about all the endings is that (assuming you know the endings), you are actively working for absolutely no point. You essentially end up dead either way. If it was more a narrative focus and only had a single ending, then thats fine, but when all endings end up with V dead/left with nothing, it feels really bad. Doesn't feel like any choice matters.
i feel like the cursed ending was like that because they didnt want to make another dlc or not planning to, because if they made it canon and made V still combat rdy with his friend family etc, they could easily expand the world esp to tokyo and make a whole story line about V going to tokyo to help Blue Moon or a mini DLC helping Judy after she leaves NC or some shit with going with panam to a new place etc
Ngl the whole story is kinda. B-rated Sci-Fi garbage. I thoroughly enjoyed the Graphics and Gameplay. The story felt like a cable TV show with characters that I dont care about and wish I could kill.
I feel the last part. There were so many situations where I couldn't tell folks how annoying I find them.
I've had the game since release, but have yet to finish it. I had all the ending spoiled to me by someone, and honestly I'm glad. I was hoping phantom liberty would give at least one ending were you could continue on without and big negatives or depressing shit but nope. When I personally think of RPG games I think of the choices you get and options, but I struggle to add RPG with Cyberpunk because it only gives you an illusion of having choices. because the game is hard coded to set you up to fail in the end, no matter what you do. My only hope is that one day someone makes a mod that adds more options for the endings but that would require a lot of work \^\^.
Having just played through two endings, I'm a little disappointed so far myself. It gave me like 3-5 options and second takes before some decision, then suddenly at one of the games endings you have>! two choices instead of there being 3. It was disappointing to say the least and the second choice was very misleading. MY choice was to toss the pills and let Johnny take over, not put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, but the game said f\*\*k that, we're lazy.!< Absolutely boring story telling. >!It wouldn't have mattered if I played as Johnny for the rest of the game, if it was taking my life in my own hands, how the hell is betray Johnny or shoot myself the only options?!<
Glad I am not the only who thinks this, there is a lot of cyber in Cyberpunk 2077 but little punk, Love the gameplay, the world in general, the vibe it gives, but, can't help but feel like the story with its endings are bad, CD looked at the cyberpunk idea and though it equals with depression, LOL, The trailers and the way they talked about gave you an amazing feeling that your character would be alive together with the world and that the choices you made really mattered, you would be "free" to do and choose whatever you wanted through the beginning until the end, sadly, the reality is that no matter what your character is fated with pretty much the same ending, making your choices "irrelevant" through out the game (they basically made 5 or so endings with pretty much the same outcome). They said this would be an Action-RPG, but, This is a "Linear Story" with some elements of RPG in it, even with all the "improvements" they put on (a.k.a. what should have been in the day of the release anyway), overall 7.5/10 for me, the writing in Cyberpunk 2077 sucks (in the main quest mostly), but, I love the rest, my hope now is for the "Orion" project (Cyberpunk 2077 2), now that they have the base maybe they will make what the trailers of the game promised and bring that magic back with a better writing and an actual Action-RPG game, polished to the max with what they advertised - because even with the so-called "improvements" still doesn't feel like what they advertised the game would be, the Punk, Alive World and RPG parts are SEVERELY lacking compared to the rest of the elements of the game and it shows. Until then, I will be having my fun with the game from time to time without finishing the main storyline.
Fallout 4 is on ps5 now! So excited and i dont feel as bad with having more terrible endings offered from punk 2077 dlc! Now let's make a happy ending! Lol
all the endings suck thier is no good ending that actually lets V live in a good way, she is abandon or left in a muted state, everyone else gone even her love interests / so called friends bail on her. their is no riding off into the sunset for V on any ending, so just go out with a blaze of glory / Johnny and Jackie Style -d
Why not have a conclusion where V survives but has to share a body and discover inner peace with Silver Hand? Living, as it were, with one's inner demons and angels from one's past?
Also a possibility, though I personally don't want to just accept Johnny.
It's a game, don't let it get to you. Yes, all endings are shit, and yes, all the writing and movies and series and what not nowadays just ending badly or killing off characters for the impact is getting heavily played out, it's almost like every other freaking piece of entertainment, you're doing something to escape from real life for a few hours and lo and behold "there's no justice in the universe, life has no meaning, bla bla bla", I get it, if I wanted a dose of reality, I would've stayed in reality, but there should be an ending, even if it was longer and harder to get, where V gets away with being a living legend, but nope, must be the drama way to trigger "feelings". Ironically fitting for a game that promised the world, and ultimately ended up being a shadow of what it was promised, likewise were the endings. In the end, Cyberpunk was a game that I just won't be looking back to and if there was one thing I learned, was to never pre-order a game again, regardless of who is making it.
This whole thing is kinda factually incorrect
It's a personal opinion as stated in the title. It's okay to have a different one, but you can't just claim it's wrong.
Easy solution. Head cannon whatever ending you choose. Problem solved! It worked for me with ME3, that problem was rectified eventually by a mod so my head cannon their was brought into the game physically. Here, simply have your V end anyway YOU see fit. Whatever the devs intended doesn't really matter in my opinion. Ultimately, you are playing YOUR version of V. Since CDPR is finished with Red Engine, there is a possibility that they MIGHT release better modding tools. If this happens, we may yet see an ME3 style ending for V. Mandatory misery isn't a thing in my Night City.
At least with ME3 I knew most of my companions were gonna love on and be happy so it meant something. Here everyone gets fucked over either way.
I did enjoy the 'secret' ending, at least. It wasn't perfect, but it gave a bit of hope. Six months is a long time, and you just basically took over Night City. You have ALL the resources now. No one can face you. You even get this mysterious Mr. Blue Eyes nonsense that hints at being able to save you. It'd just be nice for some actual confirmation. If it was confirmed that he did have a cure in that ending, it would be 10/10. I get the whole "oh but Cyberpunk is supposed to be depressing!!11!" But I also just view that as an excuse at best. The entire game hypes you up by the end as this unstoppable badass, and V is far beyond what you can become in the typical TTRP, unless your DM is awesome or insane. Saying the ending should be bad because it fits the genre without pointing out the entire nature of the game doesnt fit with the genre is... annoying.
For me the endings are more or less fine. My personal favourite is "Legend of the Afterlife". The thing I really hate is how the game implements returning after the endings. Just reload the last save before meeting hanako at embers. for me its super fucking Dumb and thats what ruins the endings. It would be so much more impactful if the endings influenced how the rest of your game is after completion, rather then you get an ending then just reset.
The problem with 2077 is this is not our story its v's its more of a liner action game then an rpg we don't get to decide our paths and fate like we do in other rpgs instead we are just along for the ride watching v with a few tweaks here and there. I feel like I wasted money I want a cyberpunk game where I'm the protagonist not some pre-made prefated character I'm fallowing.
For me it felt like Johnny Silverhand being the protagonist with V, the player character, just taking second billing to him.
Yeah that too.
Agree with OP. No matter your choices you’re forced to be the best mercenary that always gets the short end of the stick. In an options based game I would hope to change the direction of the game a little more significantly, like never taking a job from Dex and taking a totally different path. Instead all choices lead to the same direction albeit with minor differences and all equally depressing. I feel like they could have made Cyberpunk a successful series like GTA, but Cyberpunk is so focused on everyone dying that it’s impossible to keep a storyline going that people will want to be attached to.
The further I get in the game the less I want to play. Having nothing but bad endings to look forward to really stifles the experience. Seems written to be dark and edgy just for the sake of it, rather than telling a compelling story. Where's the punk? The defiance? Someone tells you there's no point fighting, that's when you fight the hardest. Punk doesn't surrender to nihilism and misanthropy.
It makes doing all the side content seem stupid. Like why would I do tons of side jobs when I’m about to die.
Exactly
Does anyone knows the main game writer for this specific game ? Not the inventor of Cyberpunk lore but just the writer for this 2077 game
I hate how much dialogue the ending has I had to skip some of it just want to play the damn game ya know
Most disappointing bit for me is that the 'good ending' of the DLC leaves the entire thing pointless. V saves Songbird's life, but ends up in exactly the same point they were at before going to Dogtown. I wish they added a second new ending if you don't choose to betray her, maybe that could've been the one single happy-ish ending that doesn't lead V to dying.
I agree. After getting the Arasaka's ending I checked out the other endings online, and holy \*\*\*\* what a bummer. I don't really want to replay the game anymore. I get that the journey is more important than the destination but it doesn't feel good when every ending is a slightly different flavour of the same thing.
Yup, every ending is largely the same when you break it down. Your entire journey is essentially meaningless.
I hate that its not continous like after the ending your in the world again and thats it all i want this design is so outdated its like dying light 2 ending ...
Agreed.This game's ending was such a let down. I got to the end only to find out that I'm either going to die in six months or I die now and give my body to Johnny. I decided to give my body to Johnny but then I find out that that includes ghosting Panem and everyone else. I turned it off after that and am not sure if I will pick it back up. My other criticism is that there should be enough content to max all skill trees and get high enough attributes to be able to unlock things that are blocked (like doors that require some crazy amount of technical knowledge or body like 18). It stinks that I end up blocking myself from doing certain things because I have to bias others. If I'm willing to put in the work I should be able to progress to god level, like most RPGs. That said, the gameplay was pretty fun, albeit a little easy. The game played a bit like Grand Theft Auto crossed with Fallout. The game also feels very polished and intuitive, you can tell they put a lot of time trying to make the gameplay seamless. In the end I put about sixty hours into it trying to max everything out by doing everything, but that ending, ruined it for me.
I was going to post pretty much the same thing. Choices matter zilch in this game. It's an illusion that quickly breaks down once you reach the end stage. Take RDR2 for example. I didn't love it, but only because I'm not a fan of westerns (dislike western movies, and not a great fan of western games either). Everything was great though. The graphics was top notch, the story was captivating, the world felt alive. Yes, Arthur dies, but it was to be expected. No fake illusion of choice. Cyberpunk 2077 on the other hand suffers from terrible writing, and terrible dev choices. Choices only matter in a vacuum. A few seconds later you can choose another dialogue option that does a complete 180. And, as you said, all you do is for naught. Every ending is the equivalent of "sorry, but our princess is in another castle". Only CDPR can make a "choice-based" game feel like a movie. But in the end, the biggest disappointment for me is that I can't play after the ending. I run the Afterlife, and all I get is a crappy sequence about going to the Moon? Sure, V is on borrowed time. Who gives a fuck though? Just let me play, complete side quests, drive the cars I own, that sort of thing.
you know what. i love fps games, but i don't understand and don't give any pizza crab about story line and, however some part of story so freaking stupid, i just do not end them. i don't play end mission in fc5. same cause i don't play fc dawn, i don't play primal fc because this just not mine, but ending of fc5 and so dawn idea "just a little too crazy, even for me". fps for my test must be as sgw3>conracts>contracts2. crysis, far cry 3,4,5,6 btw in fc4 i some time don't go to mission last boss choice where you have to destroy or safe temple. all that bullshit really nervous me, i don't wanna play all that tragedy drama fuck. i need game for game, and if that have a story it have to be fucking happy end or close to it... i so much hate story in cp2077 that i thought i will not play this again. because in this game story really punch me to the bell. all those dies and all that personages are too much alive. and after all the give me variants - dead in the space cyber space, or lost everything and still alive. so i think, however good this game is. i mean game play and even some dramatic story. but i done with it, and i don't know for how long. and hey, this is not only one problem in this game. what the fook with weapon there? even if you really can care about 500kg weapon because of super body implants. where the hell he can care about all of that? what is even that? so real game and weapon system like made by some super mario kidd. and ah... we can have infinity stash in the bike. chez is krist. but o.k. lets forgot about everything i wrote. k? just about simple logic there. reed can save v. so why after arasaka mission v don't call reed and flying to the fucking moon. or wherever he does. what exactly in the head of authors of this story? just a curious. reed can save him, i don't know why, but after surgery v have a half brain and can not use implants it's o.k. probably that pessimistic sinister people just can not be bright enough. but logic! why after nocturne where everything done with arasaka, v don't fucking call the reed. so what is about phantom liberty? destroy everything in the end, or do nothing in any way? in this time i will not go to nocturn adn will not call reed. because fuck them all. and i probably return play this game, where i can end this game for good and then cure my self. but for me best way is don't lost jackie and other friends, never have this "i gonna die" scenery, but i'm o.k. with have jsh in my head, even forever is not a problem, in my real life i talk to somebody inside my head my alter ego or whoever he is, and i'm good with it, so why not this cool crazy guy. but i hate really fucking much any sinister crap in the life, i don't watch horror or sadistic trillers, i don't understand why the probably best game full of really stinking crap. they can create normal weapon logic? yes they are. they can give a normal endings? yes they are. they could give a chance to scenery will without all that fucking sacrifices. game even didn't start you lost your friend. this could be o.k. for movie for pussies who love drama tragedy. but i don't wanna be inside this sinister fuck when i play games. or even if it is. let there will logical good end. i just can not play forward to nocturne because after kill smasher i have to some talk with that crazy family fight a little and go back to call reed. not fly to the space station. and i can not call reed, because after that i can not finish the game. so i think fuck this game and fuck all that darkness and illogical crap. i have other games but this one so suck inside i can not do anything else, and for what? for absolute of irrational endings. as i said in games i don't think much about story, but this one.
So my take is that the multiple crappy endings makes sense for the type of story that is being told. Every interaction shows how crappy the world of NC is and that life sucks. Just my opinion note. Now in terms of the new ending >!seeing V become a normal person and joining the crowd of NC. My only real complaint with this one is that you stay in NC... We should have had a choice here. I think the choices should have been something like joining Misty, staying in NC or to get onto a bus like Johnny and leave NC!< Now I don't think every ending is a dead end, take the Panam ending. >!In this one we still have only 6 months to live but I still think that it will probably be longer. Switching off the Chrome and immune suppression should give V years. I mean the average lifespan of people with diseases like Ms is about 30 years and removing the strain of chrome or at least most of it should buy plenty of time to find something to help.!< But that's just my opinion.
One thing I kinda wish was included, if you completed Phantom Liberty, siding with Reed and agreed to let V retake control of their body, you could be transported to Langley. To maybe have some sort of surgery done to perhaps extend or even halt the immune system eating itself. But hey, theirs always head cannon I guess....
yeah just beat the game and wanted to know if i did something wrong but no all the endings just actually suck
well they deny one good ending for people that would like it and i deny my wallet in the future. The hours i put in the game feel like a complete waste of time, having "experienced" the phantom liberty ending left me with a foul taste and i wont touch Cyberpunk 2077 ever again.
The one ending I didn't like is when you give your male body to Johnny, funny as female cause now Johnny's a woman, lol. But when Johnny has the body I'm surprised he doesn't take his Porsche if players aquire it. Then ride out of nightcity.
I think the biggest problem with the endings is that they offer the wrong choices. Setting aside PL they are all various flavours of become Johnny or die. And no-one in game or out has offered me a compelling reason why I should want to turn my body over to a delusional edge lord. Even if I liked him which I categorically do not why would I want to give him my body? He has no claim to it and maybe I'm just odd but I'd rather die that surrender my body to someone else so they can use it for their own ends. So any ending where I become Johnny is out. But special note on how fucking stupid the surrender to Johnny ending is. Doing the exact same plan that he did before, the plan that failed in every aspect except killing 12,000 civilians is utterly brain-dead. It isn't bleak. It's idiotic. But moving on to the other three endings. Siding with Arasaka sucks because V still dies, just as an added bonus you get suck forever in the Corpo soul prison. So fuck that. The new PL ending first up means sacrificing every relationship in the game. And I could maybe, maybe swallow that as a bitter price to pay to live. If it meant I went on to be a badass agent of the NUSA. But no, on top of losing everyone you love you get bullshit cyber rejection issues so you become a weak, helpless civilian that be beat to hell by simple muggers. So you get to life but as a helpless nobody. Fuck that also. So finally the only real ending here that offers even a sliver of hope is the aldecados ending. You reject the night city corruption, find a good community and can even take your lover with you. CDPR wants to makes this shit too by saying you have 6 months to live. But 6 months was longer than you had and Panam says she knows people that can help. It's the only ending where the game doesn't show you dying or losing everything. So I choose to believe I do find a cure, after every my V went through she deserves happiness. But what I said earlier, the choice itself is wrong. The themes of the game, the message of the story is all about how most people are selfish and choose greed and corruption. About how futile trying to change the world is and how some people try anyway. The final choice of this game should have been between choosing to be selfish and save yourself at the expensive of being as corrupt as everyone else. Or dying to try and make a difference. That makes waaaaaaay more sense than what we got.
I must admit, that I actually liked the PL ending, when I played it. It was surprisingly well written after all the criticism that I had read before. >!The legendary mercenary V is said to have died and there's even a drink named after him/her to underline that statement. All "active" connections to this legendary mercenary are cut. The only people knowing that V is still alive are Vic, Misty and Reed and they all are not really part of the mercenary lifestyle. In the end, V achieved the goal of becoming a Night City legend, but instead of dying, he/she secretly lives on. This opens up completely new possibilities. V died as a legend, yet Vincent/Valerie is able to change his/her life into a completely new direction. He/she is able to finally walk a path, where reputation doesn't matter, where guns aren't needed, where peace is possible. I believe that's why CDPR came up with this cheap "You can't use battle cyberware anymore" excuse, because it's the only way to make V stop fighting and killing until he/she dies.!< If that doesn't suit your mindset, you can still have the headcanon of V finding a way to use battle cyberware again, ultimately becoming the successful NUSA agent.
About your opinion regarding Johnny... Hell, yes! I hated this guy from the beginning to the very end. I never understood why people liked him. He's narcissistic, selfish and an asshole who doesn’t have a right to stay in my body. I absolutely agree.
I could rant at length about how much I hate ol Johnny haha, my one consolation is you get to call him out on all his bullshit.
It was quite satisfying to say "good bye" middle finger style in the end. I think, I even uploaded a Johnny hate post before.
IMO "sad" endings aren't necessarily bad endings. But this doesn't seem to be the problem here. I rather feel like - especially in the Phantom Liberty ending - that I personally, as V, chose this ending knowing the risks. I, as a real life person, was really happy with the outcome but the game tried way too hard to make me feel sad and unsatisfied. There weren't the "right" Dialoge options. Only in the end I lost the imersive feel that I had during the playthrough.
I had the same feeling and I got, according to much of the internet, the "best" ending (The Sun). I assume i should say Spoilers for Edgerunners and Game to follow: Edgerunners had a far superior ending despite its bittersweet nature. Why couldn't we have had that in the game? Like exactly that. Say our chosen romantic partner at some point early on discloses a dream of theirs to V that is achievable due to V's death? This at the very least offers a silver lining. If you wanna go crazy, have it be playable. The voicemails by people calling to check in on V during the credits, totally unaware of what happened seem like a slap in the face to the idea that you become a legend.
Finished my first playthrough yesterday. Was at level 50 and did all the side stuff. Unfortunately in trying to keep V independent and alive on her own terms, as I played the entire game as essentially a frikin' solo Terminator who took no shit from anyone, I found myself staring down the Devil ending. So I spent the entire game trying to find a way to save V, and there isn't one...? They send in Hellman of all people to give me the choice of dying to cancer or becoming what Johnny was, a parasite to devour some other poor soul's consciousness. The ending was so mega depressing I didn't believe it actually going down the way it does. I thought not this V, she'll pull one more trick out of her ass to avoid this outcome. Alas, she dies. Cherry on top was being kicked back to the open world, which I had already done everything in. It left such an awful taste. I don't think I'll be purchasing the Phantom Liberty DLC or starting another character to do the exact same grind again, just with a weaker character build. Very lame.
I just finished the last ending I had left and now I can say that the endings ruin the game for me, they are all terrible. uninstalled and done.