This post is not bemoaning the endings, but looking into the ending. At first the endings were not a concern, as I read expansions will be in the games future and it is just good story telling to leave the main character in peril so you would buy the expansion to see how the 'hero' or 'anti hero' saves her life. It seems as time goes by that the endings is going to be just that and no additions will be made. Could be wrong, but at this point it looks to be that way.
My foundation on the endings for me is based on Viks and Hellmans assessment of what is going on in V's head. Vik's angle is " I have no clue how but it is doing this" and Hellmans angle of "I know what it is doing" and both men come to the same conclusion, V's brain is being 'scooped out' At least the part that governs memory and personality to accommodate the chips host personality, which in essence is Neural network reorganization.
Alts DNA resequencing, is not a factor at all, it is a lie to trick V to go with her instead of Johnny. For a number of reasons, we are to believe a 80mm X 10mm x2 mm (there abouts) object can completely change DNA, is well, just asking to much, and it is not in the blueprints and documentation of said chip. If one is playing Valerie makes it even more unlikely due to Valerie, being a woman, she is missing something in her DNA, called the Y chromosome. Alt could just suggest, but does not, ditch the body both come with me. Also, The Relic is 2.0 but Johnny's engram is 1.0..... just a simple copy of his persona, nothing more. Other than the technical issues, you do have an AI with a directive of " do not want Johnny hurt, but need to get away from him." and "Johnny accidently killed me".
There is another issue that seems to be missed, that is not only V's brain takes massive damage, but the chip itself also has massive damage. Last read by Jackie the chip was at 86% integrity. Factor the time he takes it out, prays, then slots it is port, and later takes it out and places in V's port, I would place it at 78% to 74% integrity. Now ask yourself how well do chips run at 99%.... not well if at all. I can only surmise the biologic component (hence BioChip) of the chip is keeping it running and most likely barely.
Corpo Ending;
The Corpo ending, is for the most part a suicide ending with extra steps. V is back to step one, hence the fool card in Misty's reading, and quite frankly I do not think V lasts the 6 months with huge amount of brain damage, that may of been 'jury-rigged' to some extent by Arasaka. In some ways I get the feeling V does not survive planet fall, as Vik and Misty still think you are on the station after V left.
Keep in mind, V has proven she is a huge threat to Arasaka, on multiple occasions and there is no way a mega corp with its rep would allow such a threat to run around. Hanako is daddies girl, she is cold and calculating, with runner skills surpassed that of Alts (by 2077), and is not above killing anyone just like her father. Just ask the peeps that try to write her bio. Hanako would prefer to use V to her advantage, by having V become a construct, reprogram the engram to be very pro Arasaka without 'disturbing' V's skill set, then place into a body. The contract that V signs, I had to laugh, who would enforce it?? No one, not even the new Arasaka flag waving V..... not worth the paper it is printed on, as the saying goes. Death of body and rep.
Side note... did anyone else found it strange when V talks to Johnny (on the station) that Johnny talks in the 3rd person?? I feel it is V talking to herself, and that other self took on Johnny's form. Basically telling herself she screwed up.
Queen of the Afterlife;
A slightly better ending but not by much. Either you arrive to this ending via Johnny controlling the body and go after Araska with Rogue, or the 'not so secret' ending where V assaults Arasaka on her own. Poetic in some ways if V was corpo V....
I gather based mostly on Misty end credit reading that V pretty much ignores her health, and focuses on her rep. Based on Misty read, V becomes the most famous personality in the Afterlife. More so than anyone else, I would guess. "The whole world will hear about you" as Misty says. What is the moto of Afterlife legends, they are in the graveyard. Go out in a mind spectacular way. She may live longer than the Corpo ending, may be a year, 3 tops.... to much damage done to her with the whole chip thing.
Though this post is focus on V's survival this where I would place Johnny ending. He lives about that long doing the opposite, laying low and out of lime light and one day he does not wake up... the end.
Nomads;
As far as V's longevity goes this is the best ending. Starters, I think what is missed is that little bird that lands on Panams truck window. Its just a bird, but not so much in story telling. Did some cross research, and it is a Barn Swallow fairly common in North America, but it should not be there. How many birds did you see while playing Cyberpunk... none. In May of 2063 Night City purged all birds in the Avian Extermination Act (its on a shard in game). So that bird should not be there, but it is. Also, in storytelling the Swallow represents freedom, wide open sky, eternal happiness and good fortune. Basically, it is just like Jackie ordering 2 "Johnny Silverhand" drinks before the heist, and after the heist, V has a talking brain tumor just happens to have the same name. Simply put, it is foreshadowing.
You also have Panam, and the inner circle of Nomads like Mitch that will be hell bent on saving V's life. Not her rep, but her life... and we all know just how determine Panam is when she sets her mind on a task. Saving her 'true friend' (or romantically involve with Vincent, potential husband) will be a driving force. Maybe the Nomads have or acquire Biodyne favor to mod its new invention for MS, to repair V' brain, after all the brain is a muscle too.
Misty's end reading is different than Afterlife reading. Afterlife ending read is focus on rep, In the end Nomad credit read, Misty says V will have a good LIFE.... nothing about her rep, ....her life is going to be good. With the foreshadowing of the swallow, I do believe a long life, baring sickness or injury. Who knows, maybe V will have a family of her own....
That is pretty much it. it is just my assessment of the endings. How it is in actuality, I do not know, only CDPR knows for sure what the endings are really.
My foundation on the endings for me is based on Viks and Hellmans assessment of what is going on in V's head. Vik's angle is " I have no clue how but it is doing this" and Hellmans angle of "I know what it is doing" and both men come to the same conclusion, V's brain is being 'scooped out' At least the part that governs memory and personality to accommodate the chips host personality, which in essence is Neural network reorganization.
Alts DNA resequencing, is not a factor at all, it is a lie to trick V to go with her instead of Johnny. For a number of reasons, we are to believe a 80mm X 10mm x2 mm (there abouts) object can completely change DNA, is well, just asking to much, and it is not in the blueprints and documentation of said chip. If one is playing Valerie makes it even more unlikely due to Valerie, being a woman, she is missing something in her DNA, called the Y chromosome. Alt could just suggest, but does not, ditch the body both come with me. Also, The Relic is 2.0 but Johnny's engram is 1.0..... just a simple copy of his persona, nothing more. Other than the technical issues, you do have an AI with a directive of " do not want Johnny hurt, but need to get away from him." and "Johnny accidently killed me".
There is another issue that seems to be missed, that is not only V's brain takes massive damage, but the chip itself also has massive damage. Last read by Jackie the chip was at 86% integrity. Factor the time he takes it out, prays, then slots it is port, and later takes it out and places in V's port, I would place it at 78% to 74% integrity. Now ask yourself how well do chips run at 99%.... not well if at all. I can only surmise the biologic component (hence BioChip) of the chip is keeping it running and most likely barely.
Corpo Ending;
The Corpo ending, is for the most part a suicide ending with extra steps. V is back to step one, hence the fool card in Misty's reading, and quite frankly I do not think V lasts the 6 months with huge amount of brain damage, that may of been 'jury-rigged' to some extent by Arasaka. In some ways I get the feeling V does not survive planet fall, as Vik and Misty still think you are on the station after V left.
Keep in mind, V has proven she is a huge threat to Arasaka, on multiple occasions and there is no way a mega corp with its rep would allow such a threat to run around. Hanako is daddies girl, she is cold and calculating, with runner skills surpassed that of Alts (by 2077), and is not above killing anyone just like her father. Just ask the peeps that try to write her bio. Hanako would prefer to use V to her advantage, by having V become a construct, reprogram the engram to be very pro Arasaka without 'disturbing' V's skill set, then place into a body. The contract that V signs, I had to laugh, who would enforce it?? No one, not even the new Arasaka flag waving V..... not worth the paper it is printed on, as the saying goes. Death of body and rep.
Side note... did anyone else found it strange when V talks to Johnny (on the station) that Johnny talks in the 3rd person?? I feel it is V talking to herself, and that other self took on Johnny's form. Basically telling herself she screwed up.
Queen of the Afterlife;
A slightly better ending but not by much. Either you arrive to this ending via Johnny controlling the body and go after Araska with Rogue, or the 'not so secret' ending where V assaults Arasaka on her own. Poetic in some ways if V was corpo V....
I gather based mostly on Misty end credit reading that V pretty much ignores her health, and focuses on her rep. Based on Misty read, V becomes the most famous personality in the Afterlife. More so than anyone else, I would guess. "The whole world will hear about you" as Misty says. What is the moto of Afterlife legends, they are in the graveyard. Go out in a mind spectacular way. She may live longer than the Corpo ending, may be a year, 3 tops.... to much damage done to her with the whole chip thing.
Though this post is focus on V's survival this where I would place Johnny ending. He lives about that long doing the opposite, laying low and out of lime light and one day he does not wake up... the end.
Nomads;
As far as V's longevity goes this is the best ending. Starters, I think what is missed is that little bird that lands on Panams truck window. Its just a bird, but not so much in story telling. Did some cross research, and it is a Barn Swallow fairly common in North America, but it should not be there. How many birds did you see while playing Cyberpunk... none. In May of 2063 Night City purged all birds in the Avian Extermination Act (its on a shard in game). So that bird should not be there, but it is. Also, in storytelling the Swallow represents freedom, wide open sky, eternal happiness and good fortune. Basically, it is just like Jackie ordering 2 "Johnny Silverhand" drinks before the heist, and after the heist, V has a talking brain tumor just happens to have the same name. Simply put, it is foreshadowing.
You also have Panam, and the inner circle of Nomads like Mitch that will be hell bent on saving V's life. Not her rep, but her life... and we all know just how determine Panam is when she sets her mind on a task. Saving her 'true friend' (or romantically involve with Vincent, potential husband) will be a driving force. Maybe the Nomads have or acquire Biodyne favor to mod its new invention for MS, to repair V' brain, after all the brain is a muscle too.
Misty's end reading is different than Afterlife reading. Afterlife ending read is focus on rep, In the end Nomad credit read, Misty says V will have a good LIFE.... nothing about her rep, ....her life is going to be good. With the foreshadowing of the swallow, I do believe a long life, baring sickness or injury. Who knows, maybe V will have a family of her own....
That is pretty much it. it is just my assessment of the endings. How it is in actuality, I do not know, only CDPR knows for sure what the endings are really.