Did you like the new ending of Phantom Liberty? (My Opinion) [SPOILER]

[gSpore56]

Hey there, I recently finished Cyberpunk with the new Phantom Liberty ending, and would like to leave my opinion now, besides listening to what you guys think about it.


Overall I have to say that I liked it, because it adds an ending to the game, where V actually survives (where her true consciousness doesn’t get wiped by Mikoshi) and which is even kind of hopeful.


However, on the other hand there are some minor aspects of it, that bother me a little and which I would consider as lazy writing.

(A few pics of my main V)​

Here a few examples:


For context, I had a playthrough with a female, heterosexual V, in which Judy left Night City to get to the state of Washington, to live with her grandparents I think (she actually sends pictures). However, during the phone call with her in the FIA hospital, V is surprised that she isn’t in Night City anymore (like she still is, when you end up with her).


During the sad dialog with River, V only has one dialog option at the end, after River said it’s over, because he basically wants to punish himself. In this case, V accepts this way to quick, considering the fact that she is in love with him, and if you consider the ending in which V leaves Night City with the Nomads. There she is actually quite sad that River wants to stay in Night City – even becomes angry. But here she is just like: Okay, if you want to :/ and that’s it. (And even though she is in a much more desperate situation here.)

When Reeds offers help to V, I think she is way to desperate to get instead back to Night City. That also felt out of place, considering that during the end of my playthrough I had multiple times the option to make her say things like “This town took very thing from me” and even that, if she could, she would never had come to Night City. (I think at one place she even says to Judy, that she would leave Night City as well if she could.) Yeah, she even calls Night City "Home" in the new ending.

I think this could have easily been fixed with a further dialog option, that makes V say something like: “Okay, but before I have to visit a friend for one last time (Vik).” or “Let me at least say goodbye to my old live.” Of course, in the beginning of the game, V wants to be on top and a that she isn’t a killing machine anymore must be hard to accept, however, during the playthrough I got the impression, that her priority drastically changed after “The Heist”. That she doesn’t necessarily wants to have her old live back, be a legend, but would just be happy if she could survive somehow and start again – exactly as its offers to her at the end.


But yeah – in general I got the impression, that the phone calls are deliberately depressing. I mean, all of your close friends basically turning out to be assholes, beside Vik and River.

Of course, all of this is supposed to represent the emotional damage of V and I even kinda liked it, because its shows you, who is really Vs friend. However, I think with a few more dialog options this could had felt more dynamic and less deliberate. I mean:


Judy turns out to be a giant disappointment, because she is now a married uptown girl, that lives in Pittsburgh, and you can’t even came for a visit (as a friend in need!), because her wife could be jealous or something I supposed. (I mean Kerry at last offers you money and assures you to help you, when he is back form Europe) This doesn’t really fits Judys character, I think. And 2 years aren’t even that much, that she would change so strong, in my opinion. (its even more than two years since Cyberpunk itself came out).


And Panam doesn’t even wants to talk to you at all, because you have been in a coma for 2 years… err, sorry, I guess? ^^ Seriously, this seems so over drastically and emotionally unstable, and I in real live, I for example would just like be: Okay, than screw yourself. Get some help

And to be honest, Misty is also not a great help either, after you just had been almost beaten to death by some punks! (and which was also predicable in my opinion (that V will be beaten up (at first I even thought that they will make her die like this.)) After a few kind words, Misty immediately needs to get her Delamain to got to Poland – leaves a quite vulnerable and emotional instable V in the streets of Night City. Okay… I wouldn’t really consider that a friend either. ^^



But yeah, overall I liked the ending. It really stuck to me for a few days, its conveys deep emotions, and was even more touching than the suicide ending, especially through the dialog with Johnny in the AV. If one gets the accepting Johnny here instead of the resentfull, it really feels like he made his peace after a life as a terrorist (although he is actually just a copy of the real Johnny), and if one considers the other possible endings for him – going behind the Blackwall, which really doesn’t seems to be a nice place by what we know through the fate of Songbird.



So after all, for me this ending really offers a new live for V. In my imagination, she simply takes some money form her friends and “friends”, leaves Night City once and for all, maybe accepts the offer by Reed, and founds a family – lives in a big house in the countryside and gets a bunch of kids or something. : D

I actually even took the time to further imagen her fate via the photo mod. That sums the game up for me.

So long story short - I even consider it a happy ending for V.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

Sending Songbird to the moon, yeah, loved it. Make a deal with Reeds/Myers, no. I never tried and never will

 

[gSpore56]

Yeah, I was actually very close to side with her as well (especially after Alex and Reed killed the siblings), but then I considered that Songbirds actions are kinda evil - blowing up the innocent people that life in the Dogtown stadion to escape. It happens anyway if you don't side with her, but form a role play perspective, V couldn't predicted that.

But I agree, my V refused to give Myers the hand as well I would say, letting Songbird die at the and of Black Steel, would morally the best option and feels better.

But eventually, my smypahtie for V was bigger than for Songbird I guess But still not to 100% sure yet

 

[LeKill3rFou]

Yeah, I was actually very close to side with her as well (especially after Alex and Reed killed the siblings), but then I considered that Songbirds actions are kinda evil - blowing up the innocent people that life in the Dogtown stadion to escape. It happens anyway if you don't side with her, but form a role play perspective, V couldn't predicted that.

But I agree, my V refused to give Myers the hand as well I would say, letting Songbird die at the and of Black Steel, would morally the best option and feels better.

But eventually, my smypahtie for V was bigger than for Songbird I guess But still not to 100% sure yet

Difficult choice, but from my point of view and from what I learned before :
If Songbird keep piercing/using the black wall (something that she no longer want to do and why she want to escape at all cost), it could free/release rogue AIs trapped behind the black wall, which mean that entire humanity could be doomed.
If you side with Reed, the "original" plan is to bring back Songbird to the NUSA and so, to Mayers. Which also means that obviously, Myers will keep using Songbird to pierce/use the black wall and likely doom humanity.

So at the end, even if Songbird kill a bunch of people, siding with Reed seem to me to be a bigger threat and so, I choose the lesser evil.

An important point, I always play as female V, always romance Judy and so, the Star ending will remains my favorite ending no matter what. I don't really care if V only 6 months to live, it will be the best 6 months of her life

 

[Ignor79]

Unfortunately, all endings are tragic, but they fit perfectly into the whole story. My personal best ending and the one I did first was sending Somi to the moon. The next one would be to kill her. I consider it consistent with my self, feelings and conscience. If I commit to something, I commit to it until the end, regardless of the cost. I believe that it is not always worth saving your life and sometimes death is the best choice because the fate of a cripple without implants in Night City is also sealed...

 

[gSpore56]

Difficult choice, but from my point of view and from what I learned before :
If Songbird keep piercing/using the black wall (something that she no longer want to do and why she want to escape at all cost), it could free/release rogue AIs trapped behind the black wall, which mean that entire humanity could be doomed.
If you side with Reed, the "original" plan is to bring back Songbird to the NUSA and so, to Mayers. Which also means that obviously, Myers will keep using Songbird to pierce/use the black wall and likely doom humanity.

So at the end, even if Songbird kill a bunch of people, siding with Reed seem to me to be a bigger threat and so, I choose the lesser evil.

An important point, I always play as female V, always romance Judy and so, the Star ending will remains my favorite ending no matter what. I don't really care if V only 6 months to live, it will be the best 6 months of her life
https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?members/lekill3rfou.4561204/
@LeKill3rFou

Oh yeah, that's true. I actally totally forgot about that issue, probably because I had a more than a month long gap between starting and finishing Phantom Liberty, and because its not mentioned at the end anymore. Not by Johnny, not by Songbird. ^^ (I motioned the writing already )

Therefore, I think I would consider the killing of Songbird in Black Steel, objectively speaking, the best option, regarding very accept (that she planed to betray you as well and after we could saw her past).


Oh, and The Star ending used to be my favorit as well. It used to remains me of a scene form Thus Spoke Zarathustra, were Zarathustras talks to the one who is called "Ape of Zarathustra" (a figure that sound a lot like Silverhand in its argumentation), and were he says to him eventually: "Where you can't find love anymore - you shall pass on"(http://www.zeno.org/Philosophie/M/N...eil.+Also+sprach+Zarathustra/Vom+Vorübergehen)

However, over the time it bothers me more and more that in this ending (in all endings were you reach Mikoshi) V actually gets kill by Alt (her consciousness is permanently erased and and will be replaced with a copy of it). So, the only positiv accept I see in this is, that through that way, the original V at least bequeath her friends a copy of her that stays at their side.

However, through the new ending we basically know that most of them don't even will really miss V, although taking her for dead for 2 years. ^^ And we have no reason to a assume, that it would be different when she actually choses death (the only dignified, self-determined alternative, regarding the other options in my opinion). And as I said, although Judy seems to suffer a lot and the most, as we see in the End credits, the new ending basically confirms, that she will be over it really quick

To my regard, this is an issue of bad writing, the desperate attempt to make the new ending depressing. Judy actually should be overwhelmed by the fact that V is still alive. However, the asshole Judy version unfortunately is now how the ending turned out to be, and thus a big reason for me the Mikoshi solution is omitted.

So yeah, I think the only other option for me would be now, to take the ending The Sun and Temperance. With The Sun you will leave River your copied consciousness for at least 6 months (maybe finding a way to save Vs body), and with Temperance you at least save the live of Silvershands copy.

For V herself however, I don't see a way not to die, besides the new ending. And in the story V is actually aware of the fact that Alt will "kill her to save her" (they talk about it). So if her aim is to actually stay alive, she only can take the FIA chance (not knowing that her River will be a broken man eventually).

​

 

[tavellone]

I already said this in greater detail, but in short I find the ending fine on its own, but if you have a relationship with any other character, especially Panam, the way those relationships are handwaved out of the ending is utter horseshit. I'm not going to rant about it again, but if whomever wrote this aspect of the ending ever reads this, you need to find a better more excusable way to account for your character not being able to say where they're going or why to their friends and LOVER and 'some dude from the government told me not to' isn't it, especially considering your (the player's) character is a massive blabbermouth who happily tells anyone who asks and even people who don't that he has an experimental piece of stolen Arasaka tech in their head.

 

[Netrunner2go]

Sending Songbird to the moon, yeah, loved it. Make a deal with Reeds/Myers, no. I never tried and never will

You never played Reeds way? Or did you and just killed Song in Someone Damaged to avoid the „deals“ ?… if you never played it at all you missed a big part of gameplay like fighting MaxTec, the whole Cynosure facility part or Blackwall weapon rewards… im surprised one like you would avoid content or experience the new ending yourself on purpose…

on topic
I kinda like the alternative ending but I also feel like the character dialogs are a bit off… I get the point they tried to make that survival comes with the cost of losing everything you built up but the behavior of the mainstory characters feel wrong if you consider them as „friends“ or even „LIs“… I mean Panam & Judy cmn…?… but well over all it’s a fresh alternative compared to the usual „you are dead or will be dead“ in 6 month outcomes… seems to me the only real friends V had next to Jacky are just Vik & Misty - everyone else just drops you like a hot potato after all you‘ve done for them

 

[Nixilos]

I don't like it. It's not about the overall point of it, and honestly (barring the inconsistences with Judy) the behavior of the characters in the ending is fairly well foreshadowed if you've ever been anything less than completely on board with everything they want from you. The love interests are all flawed people who I don't expect to behave the way I would want them to, more or less.

No, the reason I don't like it is that it just seems low budget/low effort for an ending, especially for a brand new DLC ending. It comes across a bit forced to me, and it's all about the presentation rather than the plot points. The original endings were just higher quality, but honestly all of them are pretty soap opera ish I guess. New one just feels extra cheesy to me.

Needed more cowbell or something IDK.

 

[LeKill3rFou]

You never played Reeds way? Or did you and just killed Song in Someone Damaged to avoid the „deals“ ?… if you never played it at all you missed a big part of gameplay like fighting MaxTec, the whole Cynosure facility part or Blackwall weapon rewards… im surprised one like you would avoid content or experience the new ending yourself on purpose…

Nope, never
I watched a couple of playthroughs with the "new" ending, but I never felt the need to do it myself... Played PL two times and nope, I definitely can't side with Reed

I currently play W40K - Rogue Trader, in which there is a quite a lot of (unique) content only available if you follow the Heretic path (evil path^^), which I'll never. So it's not surprising or at least, it's not "strange" to me (there are a lot of games in which I never completed everything because I didn't want or didn't feel "right").

 

[Netrunner2go]

Nope, never
I watched a couple of playthroughs with the "new" ending, but I never felt the need to do it myself... Played PL two times and nope, I definitely can't side with Reed

I currently play W40K - Rogue Trader, in which there is a quite a lot of (unique) content only available if you follow the Heretic path (evil path^^), which I'll never. So it's not surprising or at least, it's not "strange" to me (there are a lot of games in which I never completed everything because I didn't want or didn't feel "right").

Huh well than xD I think someone who seems to breath CP77 got me on surprise.

on the other hand siding with Reed always hurts me as well - but the rewards and gameplay content is still something i wouldn’t want to miss… at least once for experience. That beeing said I’m all the way team Song if it comes to likings ^^

personally I hate Reed & Myers to the fullest and I’m beeing sad that there isn’t an opportunity given to flatline the president in any way (other than in the very beginning by outlocking myself from the dlc-story in general and even than it’s not me who’s pulling the trigger…)

 

[AlienSpaceBats]

Short answer: no. It felt like the game was broadly dengrating my character (and supporting characters, besides).

I send that bird to the moon every time. Well, I took Reed's path once, but felt like a piece of human garbage after.

 

[0248991]

Hey,
I liked the new ending technically (graphics, music,...) and emotionally, but not so much story-wise.
I think it was too forced, just for the sake of setting the mood.

Maybe it would've been better if it took more screen time, added some minor choices, and didn't close things so brutally.
I guess the biggest hit for many players was to write off the romanceable character.

What about if it was done less brutally? - like they would leave many messages behind, but with the possibility for V to decide if to contact them again or not. Maybe Panam would write she's leaving with Nomads and it's up to V to (decide to) catch up to them.
Some sort of "things may not be the same again between us, but better later than never" feeling?

She reacts the same way in the Arasaka space ending - something like "You retard, come back to earth!". I know it's right after the final quest, and doesn't take 2 years, but whatever...What about if the procedure didn't take that long? Wouldn't that be better?

What about a scene where V arrives at Aldecaldo's camp, and Panam punches V hard just to find out V doesn't have the strength/resilience anymore? Then there could be some dialogues about how V lost "everything" and left Panam for quite a long - some sort of bittersweet stuff?

 

[Netrunner2go]

i guess their intention was that beeing alive comes with a cost - like losing everything and vanishing in night city as a nobody. most probably not to be a happy ending, so they had to cut LI in a way... but how its done just feels off... especially with Panam. I didnt like Judys way either but its more understandable/logical than Panams f.e. - Panams behavior in the DLC ending just underlines her childish selfish ego anti-panam-fans call her out for ever since... not sure if cdpr was going for that intention tho : /

 

[Nixilos]

Panams behavior in the DLC ending just underlines her childish selfish ego anti-panam-fans call her out for ever since... not sure if cdpr was going for that intention tho : /

It was already canon, it's just easy to miss if you don't choose the negative dialogue options with her. Skipping the Nash fight and telling on her to Saul shows you a different side of her. Whether you think she's justified or not depends on how much you like her I guess, I can go either way depending on which kind of V I'm currently playing.

Either way she's kind of entitled, remember that time she accused Mitch and Scorpion of not caring about her, because they wouldn't disobey Saul for her while she wasn't even a member of the clan anymore? No missing that one. Can you imagine the amount of shit they've probably done for her already before that?

Seems pretty intentional.

 

[Netrunner2go]

But I agree, my V refused to give Myers the hand as well I would say, letting Songbird die at the and of Black Steel, would morally the best option and feels better.

this is the excuse to my inner self if im going for the blackwall weapons & maxtec mantisblades... siding with reed but than free songbird when she begs you to kill her (or letting her die) rather than leaving her to reed/myers. afterwards im laughing about reeds and myers disappointment that they didnt got song back to abuse her anymore

the only thing I kinda like about the reed path is that you get known Song way better by all her background infos, dialogs & cutscenes in „Somewhat Damaged“ - making her even more likeable overall. Knowing how she became what she is and why she’s doing what she’s doing…

 

[tavellone]

It was already canon, it's just easy to miss if you don't choose the negative dialogue options with her. Skipping the Nash fight and telling on her to Saul shows you a different side of her. Whether you think she's justified or not depends on how much you like her I guess, I can go either way depending on which kind of V I'm currently playing.

Either way she's kind of entitled, remember that time she accused Mitch and Scorpion of not caring about her, because they wouldn't disobey Saul for her while she wasn't even a member of the clan anymore? No missing that one. Can you imagine the amount of shit they've probably done for her already before that?

Seems pretty intentional.

Yeah I mean betraying someone's trust and selling them out for personal gain sure brings out the 'childishness' in people. I mean sure, petulance is part of her character but her cutting off contact with a guy that she just met after he sells her out is not a great example and it also doesn't cover the fact that the writers couldn't be bothered to make a good enough excuse as to why V would not bother to tell her why he is leaving and why she would ghost him after finding out he has been in a coma for two years.

There's a difference between being childish and entitled and acting completely out of character. In the Temperance ending she states she will hunt Johnny down and 'Rip V out' of his head, yet she doesn't seem to bother to try and locate her lover who essentially has a terminal illness with weeks to live, after he says he'll be gone for a few weeks? Also, the Aldecaldos have intel and certainly at some point it would have been revealed that V was involved with the Spaceport attack, besides the fact that he literally tells Panam he's working for the NUSA. I'm not suggesting that the ending would be some ludicrous scene where the Aldecaldo's break V out of Langley and Panam and V go skipping into the sunset, but at the very least there could have been some voice messages from Panam that she left for V showing he was trying to find her or Mitch explaining that they tried to look for him. I could possibly buy that if there was at least a minimal effort put into keeping the character and her relationship with V consistent, but it isn't.

 

[gSpore56]

Yeah I mean betraying someone's trust and selling them out for personal gain sure brings out the 'childishness' in people. I mean sure, petulance is part of her character but her cutting off contact with a guy that she just met after he sells her out is not a great example and it also doesn't cover the fact that the writers couldn't be bothered to make a good enough excuse as to why V would not bother to tell her why he is leaving and why she would ghost him after finding out he has been in a coma for two years.

There's a difference between being childish and entitled and acting completely out of character. In the Temperance ending she states she will hunt Johnny down and 'Rip V out' of his head, yet she doesn't seem to bother to try and locate her lover who essentially has a terminal illness with weeks to live, after he says he'll be gone for a few weeks? Also, the Aldecaldos have intel and certainly at some point it would have been revealed that V was involved with the Spaceport attack, besides the fact that he literally tells Panam he's working for the NUSA. I'm not suggesting that the ending would be some ludicrous scene where the Aldecaldo's break V out of Langley and Panam and V go skipping into the sunset, but at the very least there could have been some voice messages from Panam that she left for V showing he was trying to find her or Mitch explaining that they tried to look for him. I could possibly buy that if there was at least a minimal effort put into keeping the character and her relationship with V consistent, but it isn't.

Absolutely, and spontaneous I even got an idea, how they could fix the unrealistic issue that Reed, in 2 years, never attempted to contact some of Vs closest friends to let them know, what's going on, although he seems to care for Vs fate a lot. ^^

They could had make him actually contact them and thus making them finding out, that V worked together with the government of the NUSA and maybe even that V "sold out" Songbird to the FIA. Especially for Panam it would fit to her character, that she hates V after that, and also for Judy it would be realistic that she sees V in a different light after that.

Although, initially Reed actually assured V that he would truly try to help Songbird - yeah and I even starting to remember, that shortly before the finally Mission (in the ripper clinic) he said something like, that he won't leave her to the FIA this time. That he plans to let her go away after she was healed. (he tells you that, when you let him know, Songbird wants to betray him) However, through the fact that Songbird becomes paranoid because of her Blackwall corruption she doesn't trust him anymore. Reed doesn't get the chance to talk to her in person, she is going on a rampage instead, and thus his initial plan wasn't a option anymore.

 

[Nixilos]

Yeah I mean betraying someone's trust and selling them out for personal gain sure brings out the 'childishness' in people. I mean sure, petulance is part of her character but her cutting off contact with a guy that she just met after he sells her out is not a great example

I could argue that it's not V selling out Panam, but rather not screwing the entire clan behind Saul's back. There's probably one or two ways even you could think of that her plan could have gone horribly wrong. The only reason it doesn't go tits up as far as the story is concerned is because V is built different and has plot armor. She's probably not even getting kicked out of the clan or anything, she'll get a slap on the wrist like she always does.

How big a fit does she throw every time that guy she just met doesn't ask how high when she tells you to jump? That cuts both ways. Do you really see any other merc putting up with Panam's attitude? It's not what she says, but how she says it.

Contextualize this stuff like V doesn't KNOW they are cyber jesus with plot armor. Panam asks a lot, and V doesn't owe her anything. Especially not potentially getting the whole clan killed by playing accomplice to her reckless scheme. There's even an option where he reminds her "‘Member, a while back, told me to give you a solid kick in the pants if I saw you divin' in the stupid pool again?"

I like Panam... most of the time. I just have known lots of types of people irl, and for me both her good and bad traits are believable.

 

[Netrunner2go]

Personally I doubt that Reed ever wanted to free Song, he just fullfills orders - even knowing it’s wrong. Songs rampage is just an easy excuse for him doing so… but maybe that’s just my view tho : /

I would like the first part tho at least it would give them a proper reason to cut contact - „Vs sellout“ hmm yeah would work for me