[Spoiler Alert] About the endings

[Hammerstein]

It shouldn't make anyone feel good to see goro kill himself for being hurt by you even if you didn't mean for it. And that's why I hate the other fucking endings. I mean blowing up Arasaka is satisfying but I don't want goro to kill himself over it, I don't want Hanako to die, and I definitely don't want to help Yorinobu.

One of the worst aspects of the game, is that there is no true antagonist and that the Arasaka family is woefully underused.

Yorinobu initially wants us dead, cause he suspects that we saw what he did, he only tries once, fails and then disappears until the last stage of the Arasaka ending, where he's just a whiny crybaby. But obviously he considered V so unimportant that another assassination attempt would not be worth it.

Adam Smasher beat up Johnny in 2023. He's a joke of an end boss that we have zero relation to.

The struggle against invisible forces is a trope in cyberpunk, as well as in the whole noir genre. But in the game nothing really comes of it. There is no big mean megacorp chasing the player through the story, or a top tier antagonist who tries to sabotage V's life.

V is in this fix cause of a series of massive fuckups. And then V spends the rest of the game trying to fix their own mess and ultimately fails at that too, when they become a digital engram with 6 months life expectancy.....

 

[MandyZGaming]

One of the worst aspects of the game, is that there is no true antagonist and that the Arasaka family is woefully underused.

Yorinobu initially wants us dead, cause he suspects that we saw what he did, he only tries once, fails and then disappears until the last stage of the Arasaka ending, where he's just a whiny crybaby. But obviously he considered V so unimportant that another assassination attempt would not be worth it.

Adam Smasher beat up Johnny in 2023. He's a joke of an end boss that we have zero relation too.

The struggle against invisible forces is a trope in cyberpunk, as well as in the whole noir genre. But in the game nothing really comes of it. There is no big mean megacorp chasing the player through the story, or a top tier antagonist who tries to sabotage V's life.

V is in this fix cause of a series of massive fuckups. And then V spends the rest of the game trying to fix their own mess and ultimately fails at that too, when they become a digital engram with 6 months life expectancy.....

True, Smasher as end boss would only fit for taking the Johnny way at the rooftop. Hell even Takemura would have been a better end boss if going in solo or with the Aldecaldos, because as Tofujunky said he feels like you betrayed him.

 

[Ayinde_Palmer]

True, Smasher as end boss would only fit for taking the Johnny way at the rooftop. Hell even Takemura would have been a better end boss if going in solo or with the Aldecaldos, because as Tofujunky said he feels like you betrayed him.

That would have been pretty wild. But what if You never saved him?

 

[MandyZGaming]

That would have been pretty wild. But what if You never saved him?

Yeah right. Hmm.

 

[exxxed]

Yeah right. Hmm.

Have Hanako show some of her skills with ninja stars .

 

[Ayinde_Palmer]

Have Hanako show some of her skills with ninja stars .

I think she's a netrunner type. And doesn't seem to be a vengeance type, also some people say alt kills her when she takes over the subnet, but I'm not sure where that info comes from

 

[Naglafar2183]

One of the worst aspects of the game, is that there is no true antagonist and that the Arasaka family is woefully underused

V is in this fix cause of a series of massive fuckups. And then V spends the rest of the game trying to fix their own mess and ultimately fails at that too, when they become a digital engram with 6 months life expectancy.....

I'd argue the main antagonist is Johnny/the biochip, even if he doesn't want to be, after all Johnny is the one killing you.

I think the game is supposed to make you think about what it would be like to lose your identity (being overwritten) and dealing with V's mortality vs having some big bad chase you around. To me the boss fights felt out of place.

I do think the 6 month thing at the end was too dark too.

 

[Ayinde_Palmer]

I'd argue the main antogonist is Johnny/the biochip, even if he doesn't want to be, after all Johnny is the one killing you.

I think the game is supposed to make you think about what it would be like to lose your identity (being overwritten) and dealing with V's mortality vs having some big bad chase you around. To me the boss fights felt out of place.

I do think the 6 month thing at the end was too dark too.

Hmmm, Well, there's only 3 I can remember, but I think it kinda depends how you played the game. Combat is a big part of the game for many players

I think the bosses are more there to punctuate rising action/increase the tension for the player.

I think Oda achieves this the best out of the 3 bosses.

Adam smasher.. seems like the fight has to happen because he would logically try to stop you, rather than being that story related. Also hes there to make V take a big loss on the path.

But yeah, the time running out is the major threat, and smasher is just a complication.

 

[Hammerstein]

In hindsight Cyberpunk is a lot like Blade Runner 2049.

V is just like K:

K follows a trail of red herrings that lead him to believe that he might be human and not a replicant. V follows a trail of red herrings that lead them to believe that they might be able to save their own life.

Ultimately both realize that they followed a false trail, but by then it's too late and both fail in their quest. But K at least saves Deckard's life and helps him to reunite with his daughter. V just gets a lot of people killed...

I liked Blade Runner 2049, but I generally like slower movies and I really enjoyed the original Blade Runner and probably saw every version of it more than once. If a viewer is not familiar with the world of Blade Runner then they will dismiss the movie as way too slow, too philosophical and too artsy. Which I suspect is why it did poorly at the box offices. Just like Cyberpunk will probably not sell as well as Witcher 3 and certainly not as well as GTA 4 or 5.

Blade Runner 2049 and Cyberpunk 2077 would both have profited from a somewhat more traditional Hero's Journey, with more action, interesting villains and fewer questions about philosophy, the concepts of consciousness/personality and transhumanism.

 

[CyberDiligence]

A very rare example when what you do affects people around you and they react to it:

Unfortunately, it's an exception, not a rule but it shows what I was expecting from this game (even if this instance is quite small and not extremely satisfying). I believe Judy never mentions it again but at least she reacts, right?

 

[Hammerstein]

Oof

Yeah. Usually I'm the one who reposts my summary of Pondsmith quotes to debunk "Cyberpunk is grimdark dystopia" whenever a fresh user pops in with that edgy take.

But it has been debunked and explained so often over the last 900 pages that I'm just not gonna bother this time. I just wish people would read the Pondsmith interviews.

 

[CyberDiligence]

Oh by the way - to @exxxed especially.
Speaking of the endings apparently, there's a theory that Judt is the only person able to save V's ass:

 

[Naglafar2183]

In hindsight Cyberpunk is a lot like Blade Runner 2049.

V is just like K:

K follows a trail of red herrings that lead him to believe that he might be human and not a replicant. V follows a trail of red herrings that lead them to believe that they might be able to save their own life.

Ultimately both realize that they followed a false trail, but by then it's too late and both fail in their quest. But K at least saves Deckard's life and helps him to reunite with his daughter. V just gets a lot of people killed...

I liked Blade Runner 2049, but I generally like slower movies and I really enjoyed the original Blade Runner and probably saw every version of it more than once. If a viewer is not familiar with the world of Blade Runner then they will dismiss the movie as way too slow, too philosophical and too artsy. Which I suspect is why it did poorly at the box offices. Just like Cyberpunk will probably not sell as well as Witcher 3 and certainly not as well as GTA 4 or 5.

Blade Runner 2049 and Cyberpunk 2077 would both have profited from a somewhat more traditional Hero's Journey, with more action, interesting villains and fewer questions about philosophy, the concepts of consciousness/personality and transhumanism.

I wouldn't say V achieves nothing. If you do the quests V saves Joss's kid, Judy (by getting her out of NC), Panam (getting her to rejoin the Aldecaldos) the Aldecaldos (if you let them help, sure some die but they are way stronger with the Arasaka tech). You also help Kerry get his life back on track,and helps Johnny realize there is more to life than glory. I also happen to think V will live post 6 months so there is that too.

I like slow philosophical movies and games too, so I would have been disappointed if 2077 was just a heroes journey. I think the concepts you mentioned are a core part of cyberpunk. Sure it would have sold more as a traditional game, but it wouldnt have been as good imo. The execution and nuance in the endings should have been better of course, but I liked what they did overall

 

[OG_VELI]

also some people say alt kills her when she takes over the subnet, but I'm not sure where that info comes from

Star ending:

 

[Ayinde_Palmer]

Star ending:
View attachment 11181116

right, but why do think alt did it? my assumption was yorinobu in response to a failed coup

 

[OG_VELI]

right, but why do think alt did it? my assumption was yorinobu in response to a failed coup

Alt killed everyone in the tower, so if he was there - he would be dead as well.

As for the military coup - it didn't fail. Yorinobu succeeds in every ending where you attack Arasaka.

 

[MandyZGaming]

Oh by the way - to @exxxed especially.
Speaking of the endings apparently, there's a theory that Judt is the only person able to save V's ass:

Nothing new to me really. Like said here you learn all that about her by playing and paying attention to detail. Not sure though if she´s the only one that can save you, but she can. Would be the second time for her saving my life after pyramid song. Always taking care of another is what couples should do anyways.

 

[nadsh]

Was this video already posted? There are some good points about lifepaths and branching, the illusion of choice, inconsistencies in the endings and unbalance in LI content.

 

[exxxed]

I think she's a netrunner type. And doesn't seem to be a vengeance type, also some people say alt kills her when she takes over the subnet, but I'm not sure where that info comes from

The news bulleting in The Star ending mentions that she dies as collateral during the Arasaka, I'm theorising that Yorinobu was keeping her at his mansion and took her with him at the meeting when Arasaka gets attacked, but I'm unsure as to how she dies but Yori is alive.

 

[Ayinde_Palmer]

Alt killed everyone in the tower, so if he was there - he would be dead as well.

As for the military coup - it didn't fail. Yorinobu succeeds in every ending where you attack Arasaka.

I'm saying hanako would have had the failed coup, and got killed. I thought Alt only killed people in mikoshi part, She was being attacked by Arasaka netrunners when you fight Adam Smasher. So seems unlikely everyone in the entire tower died.