Is there a happy ending?

[TardyTech]

The "happiest ending" is probably The Star Ending where you leave NC with Panam and you can take Judy with you. The problem is that you'll die in 6 mounts

Happy endings are generally not a thing in Cyberpunk universe. To quote Johnny "Happier ending? For folks like us? Wrong city, wrong people". You ether die in spectacular fashion and remembered as a legend or fade away into nothingness and everyone forgets you ever existed

 

[MaxHeadroomS]

The Panam ending is the happy ending alongside the Don't Fear the Reaper, the first one because if you know the lore of the game, the Aldecaldos are not just a random nomad group, they have DEEP connections and V might have a way out. The second ending because you become a living legend and again, if you follow the lore, the space station you're infiltrating holds the secrets of Arasaka too and maybe a way to cure V.

 

[Avalon_railguns]

If you are dealing with a fairy tale, with fantasy, then perhaps the best ending to the story needs to be created in your soul for yourself.
I would complete the game by joining Colonel Hansen and, together with the Barghest soldiers, bring the real order to Night City!

Forgive us, Colonel, we could not save you...

 

[MartineDee]

It comes down to your perception.

The ending I love is one where V gets to raid Arasaka Tower, take down Arasaka corp, and then also raid the Crystal Palace with hope of overcoming the impending death from the damage the relic did.

 

[Kid_SixXx]

It's a cyberpunk setting. All endings are bittersweet. That's the beauty of dystopian fiction.

 

[BigWezz69]

No there isn't because CDPR couldn't get one to work, or thought that there shouldn't be a happy ending option based upon its setting.

Clearly they (and people here) have forgotten that Deckard and Rachael were able to escape and Gaf even spared Rachael.. same sort of setting too, and clearly a fairly happy ending.

It's ridiculous to think that there shouldn't have been the option to have a single true meaningful "happy ending".

The overall setting of CP77 was primed for a "hero's journey" template story. It could have been an ending in which V called in help from all of those who they previously helped, and to bust into Arasaka for a cure/new body/macguffin etc.

"It was impossible for V to survive because.." Its literally a fictional story, anything is possible with good writing.

 

[Chugster2204]

I wouldnt have minded the ending if we didnt lose 2 years or Judy (or your preferred LI)

 

[Iosephus]

I can certainly understand why many people wanted a happy ending. The vast majority of RPGs offer happy endings, catering to the power-fantasy, hero's journey (it's pretty much the most common RPG trope). In contrast, it is rare when a RPG developer writes a more bleak or bittersweet ending, so I can respect CDPR's choice to go against the grain in that regard.

For me, the cyberpunk genre is used to warn people of current trends in our society. The worlds created in these stories are supposed to be places that you do not want to be in our actual future, despite how interesting they can be to read about. That's why having a happy ending while trying to adhere to these themes seems counterproductive, at least to me, because these dystopian worlds should be haunting, not places filled with happiness.

V's story resonates to me because I feel that hopeless struggle in this bleak world. When V says in the sun ending something along the lines of "I just want to know that I mattered", it's the question of mortality that we all face, and that's how I'm able to appreciate the endings in this game, despite how bittersweet or bleak they are.

Keep in mind, I don't think there are any actual rules when writing in the Cyberpunk genre; I imagine there are writers that have tried to make happy endings. However, the stories that hit me the most are the ones that leave me feeling mixed. For example, that clash of sadness and happiness I feel watching the end of Bladerunner 2049 definitely makes that film much more memorable to me.

With that said, I know that there are people who wanted the typical happy ending and there is nothing wrong about feeling disappointed that you didn't get it. That's fiction, people want different things, and even if they had included happier endings, that might have resulted in a different set of people being disappointed for going that direction instead.

 

[Feline_Witcher_]

In the trailer, doesn't Johnny say "How many times you will take a bullet in the name of empty promises?"
Johnny often say bullshits, but sometimes, he's right

He's right more often than not, sadly.

 

[warlock75]

With that said, I know that there are people who wanted the typical happy ending and there is nothing wrong about feeling disappointed that you didn't get it.

From what I've been reading, not just in this thread but others too, people seem to be wanting the game to be more like a cyberpunk relationship sim. The happy ending is only happy if it means they get to live some fantasy life with their choice of in game partner. A little odd if you ask me.

 

[Iosephus]

From what I've been reading, not just in this thread but others too, people seem to be wanting the game to be more like a cyberpunk relationship sim. The happy ending is only happy if it means they get to live some fantasy life with their choice of in game partner. A little odd if you ask me.

I mean, in a way it mirrors the idea of Night City, the city of dreams. People came to the city and the game for the aesthetics, the excitement, the chance to come out on top and succeed, but didn't expect that the dream doesn't play out like that. In that regard, CDPR managed to make endings very consistent with the themes they wanted to explore.

 

[ChiliDragon]

So, I just finished playing through the Phantom Liberty expansion.

I'd like to start the post off on a positive note. The gameplay (which I initially wasn't a big fan of in the 2.0 update but came around on), the graphics, the voice acting. the music...just about everything is killer. Top notch. This game feels like the one that I was hyped and excited for after Witcher 3 in all ways but one. It's a true masterpiece in a whole lot of ways.

As you can probably guess by the title of the thread, that is the fact that we still have nothing but bleak, depressing, horribly sad endings. And in the case of the newest one, artificially EXTRA sad for no good reason whatsoever. (More on this in a minute.)

Briefly, I want to address the inevitable argument that this is baked into the genre. That it is a crapsack world and if you ever expect or hope for any other sort of ending other than terminally crappy ones, you're playing the wrong genre of game. Well, the world of Witcher is equally crapsack and it was still possible to get to a good ending with enough time, effort, and perseverance there. Also, in a game with (by my count) seven? different endings those people who don't think that V's journey should have a happy ending would have had six others to choose from.

But the new Tower ending is just the single most awful of them all and it is so, as I mentioned, for no good reason. It is artificially made to be more depressing and unpleasant than it needs to be because of how it basically makes nearly EVERYTHING that you have done a pointless waste.

1. Your friends? Nearly none of them have time for you anymore. They've all moved on. Despite everything that you've done for them. Let's not even get into "Umm...you would think maybe Reed would have contacted a few of them on V's behalf to let them know what was going on. He could do this without spilling classified info."

This is PARTICULARLY galling in the case of Panam if you're a male V as I was. I could understand why she would be angry...up until the point where it is explained to her that you were in a coma. She's a passionate woman, sure, but not a complete brain dead gonk. Learning this should make her reevaluate. The Aldecados STILL EXIST because of V.

Many other friends similarly owe V just about everything. River? His nephew's life. Kerry? His entire new life (could well have committed suicide without V's intervention) and definitely his new career. You can go on down through the list. V stuck his neck out for his friends time and time again and now they can't give him the time of day. This is artificial sadness hamfisted in by the writing. Two years is not a damned eternity.

2. Your career? Forget about it. You have none anymore.

Sure the game mouths some platitudes about how maybe you can be a Fixer or whatever. As if all the other Fixers in Night City will happily step aside and give up their territory for him.

3. Your homes? All done too. (I guess auto-payment for bills is something that exists now but doesn't in the future? Also, thanks again Reed for staying on top of these things.)

4. Your reputation? Only will last if you never show your face ever again.

5. Your life? Well...let's see. Random street trash can kick V's ass now and he's made dozens and dozens of powerful enemies over his career. Ones that can probably track him down. In addition to Reed strongly hinting that V returning to Night City is a death sentence, that only covers the RANDOM dangers of Night City...not the very direct dangers posed by people who would have bad blood and wish him/her harm.

6. The world itself is arguably even crappier than it was before. Vik's a miserable sellout. Misty's shop is gone. Mamma Welles apparently never follows up with V in the new ending. (Yet another of the friends who apparently got no time for him anymore. Even in the standard endings she at least calls and expresses concern.) Songbird is some government slave somewhere being forced to live against her will. And so on and so forth.

Add all of this onto the fact you sacrificed Johnny and Songbird for nothing? AND the game flat out lies to you that you are going to get a cure and be fine before bait and switching on you. I'd much rather either just give my body over to Johnny to use. I would have said that I'd rather take the go off with the Aldecados ending instead as well, but the new ending retroactively makes THAT ending extra bad too because now I know that all of the talk of the Aldecados considering me family and one of them was total made up BS.

I put 470 hours and 48 minutes into this game and this is the best reward I can get. Gee thanks. Don't think I'll be back for the sequel.

 

[ChiliDragon]

So i just did my first playthrough (without any external info, just my own choices) and ended up 2 years later, without Johnny but also without Judy, which is unacceptable? Feels too much like the Hanako ending, too depressing, I was really hoping V would get a happy ending with Judy

Is there a happy ending in PL where i do end up with Judy or is the Panam route the only way. I know i could look them up on youtube but I just need to know IF there is one and what choice/s I need to make as I want to experience the ending myself if its there

EDIT: I assume you cant go back to free roam after the PL ending like you can with the vanilla endings?

Nope. Everything that you did from beginning to the end was a pointless waste of time and exercise in utter futility no matter what choices you make, what people you help, etc.

The only winning move in this game is not to play.

 

[BarefootWarrior]

Nope. Everything that you did from beginning to the end was a pointless waste of time and exercise in utter futility no matter what choices you make, what people you help, etc.

The only winning move in this game is not to play.

Yep, kinda where I'm at. May get back to it later....

 

[LadyMiseryAli]

From what I've been reading, not just in this thread but others too, people seem to be wanting the game to be more like a cyberpunk relationship sim. The happy ending is only happy if it means they get to live some fantasy life with their choice of in game partner. A little odd if you ask me.

And what's wrong with that? Can y'all go one damn day WITHOUT insulting those of us who enjoy the relationship aspect of an RPG? It's a part of the game. It's optional, but it's a part of it and losing someone that your character connected with sucks....just tired of being insulted for DARING to like the romance in RPGs....

 

[koalahugs]

According to PC Gamer, Igor Sarzyński had this to say:

"The endings are written as we wanted them⁠—leaving players with an uneasy feeling, forcing them to think, not providing straight answers... They stick with you. No need to water them down. Sometimes less is more."

Which, I dunno if that was successful? I really don't know. If your writers have basically committed to the above principle, or "rule", then the risk is that you make your endings conform more to the rule than to the story. If both things line up, then it's fine - but if they don't gel with each other then it's harder to stick the landing possibly?

E.g. I think it works with the Devil ending, because it's meant to feel "uneasy", and that's congruent with the choices V made to get there and the theme they chose to resonate. The Devil theme is very Icarus, very cautionary tale, so it just... works. Plus if you choose Mikoshi it becomes extremely logical why you wouldn't conclude the main conflict of the story. But even if you choose Earth, it stills fits with the theme anyway.

But with the Star ending, it's trying to feel hopeful. The theme there is freedom and hope through family or whatever. Which doesn't really gel well with the fact that V's priority still seems to be "I need to find a cure" - well you're not free then and the main conflict is ongoing. So, to me, that's an example of making your ending serve this arbitrary idea you have that "it needs to feel uneasy and vague!" rather than serving the story.

And actually, the new Phantom Liberty ending is an even more obvious example of this problem, where the nomads inexplicably shun V - it just felt forced and done for the sake of the "rule" again, rather than what would realistically happen.

That being said, I do think Phantom Liberty has added so much more context now that actually the Star ending actually does earn the hopefullness it implies. Same with the Sun ending.

So perhaps there's a happy accident or a stroke of genius in the writing in that regard?

We now know there's no such thing as "can't be done" regarding curing V. You just need to find the right experts, and you now have plenty more time to do that. We also know we're on Mr Blue Eyes' radar (and if you saved Songbird, you probably have her allyship as well). We also have reason to hope that there are benevolent forces watching over us, such as the Zen Master and whatever it is that's showing us the tarot cards (which would suggest that Star and Sun are the right choices).

 

[Wint3rking]

Songbird says: You want to live? I can help you...
The whole DLC is build on the player's wish for a "happy ending" - meaning a cure for our "V"s.

My understanding is that CDProject Red promised to save V which is indeed an option. They didn't promise "Saving V and a happy ending".

As someone said before, it would be a bit of a slap to the players to hide the best ending behind a payed expansion.

 

[warlock75]

And what's wrong with that? Can y'all go one damn day WITHOUT insulting those of us who enjoy the relationship aspect of an RPG? It's a part of the game. It's optional, but it's a part of it and losing someone that your character connected with sucks....just tired of being insulted for DARING to like the romance in RPGs....

Nothing at all wrong with enjoying any part of the game, I've enjoyed my share of relationships in games. What worries me is how attached people seem to get to these relationships, such that they're breaking down RL or rampaging on forums because things didn't go as planned. Because you're playing the game it does feel a little more personal than if you were watching a movie, but that's the sort of mindset people should be playing these things in - it's just a story being told, you really have very little control over it.

 

[Monkeydust372]

Nothing at all wrong with enjoying any part of the game, I've enjoyed my share of relationships in games. What worries me is how attached people seem to get to these relationships, such that they're breaking down RL or rampaging on forums because things didn't go as planned. Because you're playing the game it does feel a little more personal than if you were watching a movie, but that's the sort of mindset people should be playing these things in - it's just a story being told, you really have very little control over it.

Yeah, the attachment some people have to Judy, and to a lesser extent, Panam, is a little curious. The relationships amount to 1 sex scene and some texts, is not a very deep aspect to the game. Personally, when you know you're dying, pursuing relationships feels like a real dick move.

Of the endings, I would have liked more closure for the sun ending. It's clear it's the 'going out on your own terms, and dying a legend' ending. I would have like to have played the mission and gone down in a suitably legendary way.

 

[Avalon_railguns]

Taking into account all the above, it can be assumed that the suicide ending for Johnny and VI is the best. Indeed, what is important here is the gameplay and not the completion of story. )) Well, here the CDProject was at least consistent and left this opportunity for us. )