There is only one ending where V is still the real V. And that is the Arasaka (devil) ending where V leaves to go back to Earth. The removal of the chip did not include sould killer so V is still the real V (what's left anyway).
In the Arasaka ending you lose your memories/identity. V feels empty after the operation. So it's up to the player - What would you rather lose? Your memories/identity(arasaka ending) or your friends and maybe soul/councsiosness(mikoshi - go back to the body ending) or everything(johnny/suicide ending)? xD Although... its not that simple.
I copy my main points from the other thread, cause it fits here as well:
I see that many people don't even think about the ending in philosophical terms - it's really interesting theme. Even if you dont like the story, you cant say its not interesting, unless you dont really like these kind of themes.
The theme of Identity-ego-soul-counsciousness.
Alt says that soulkiller "kills" the soul but copy the counsciosness. Now - how can these two things not be the same thing? I dont know.
Hellman does not treat the engram as a human being.
Hanako treats Saburo's engram as if he was real.
Johnny says even if he is just an engram, he is himself and thats what matters.
At the end in mikoshi if you chose panam, rogue or secret endings - Alt copies V(what exactly does she copy?) kills the original v and put back the engram of V into V's body.What exactly is V at this point? Is he dead? Is he alive? Is he just a construct? These are questions that are important.
The same philosophical problems are in all endings(even in the arasaka ending) except of suicide for an obvious reason.
It really depends on the player's interpretation.
The identity is one thing.
But the other thing is ego/soul. Is it really the same V(i dont mean if he changed or not, that is not the problem, we all change all the time) after Mikoshi? Is it the same soul behind his eyes? Or is it just his copy that is not exactly the same person? This is more important than the theme of identity itself.
I'll try to explain it as clearly as I can:
V goes to mikoshi. V comes back from mikoshi.
My question isn't: is it really V after mikoshi or 85% of V or anything related to IDENTITY or parts of it. Because it is a different thing from counsciousness/soul. You dont have to have an identity/ego to have a soul.
Example:
Look at people with Alzheimer's disease - Would you say they dont have a soul at all because of having no memory of themselves? I would say they definately are counscious, they just don't remember.
Indentity/ego = //// = soul/counsiosness.
Let's say V copied himself into an engram and then also lives after Mikoshi. Then there would be two V's living simultaneosly. And only one of them is original-real V, the other is just a copy-chatbot version of V, just like Silverhand.
So my question isn't if it's the same V my question is if it's V at all.
I like the story in this game, although I dont like how they treated this theme in the game. It could be more dwelled on, more answers would be needed, more questions answered. Hell, V should have more questions in the conversation with Alt after she says that soulkiller kills the soul and meanwhile in the game he answers" ok so we got a plan" xD like he does not care or does not know better.
And yeah I agree that the ending is left unresolved and makes this philosphical disscusion pointless...
like in real life to be honest. Why dwell on it - if we are robots programmed by nature or just electrical impulses in the brain or if there is live after death and so on? if we just wait long enough we will hopefully know the answer - after our time on this planet ends. The adventure is more important than the goal. That is one of the answers that this game gives.
Also there is the theme of losing fear of death, V becoming enlightened and the tarot metaphore of Fool going to The World and acquriing the aforementioned enlightment.
For me soul and counsciosness is the same thing and in nature, in reality these things along with identity and ego are kind of interlocked and all are working at the same time. So taking one thing and leaving other is what matters and what is left is what is important.
Counsciousness is a very subtle thing... it works kinda like water - hard to grab it and examine it because "you are it". Even if you believe that your brain is the source of it, it would be hard to explain it in at least "science fitcion" way to work, but if you dont believe in that, then it makes even more problems. One of the scientific theories about counsciousness would have to be true in the Cyberpunk Universe to explain it in more detail. Meanwhile the game kinda makes it open for interpretation - which is kinda cool, but also not really cause the ending makes you WANT to believe that after Mikoshi V is V and not copy-of-V, because you want to have a good ending for him. You want to make the whole journey relevant and important.
Maybe V magically transfers himself(even though he is technically, physically dead)into copy of himself and later into his body and no one really questions it, if it is really V after that or not, neither the characters that know V after the ending in the game, nor the players in real life.
The story has major plot holes and lots of unanswered questions. V in my playthrough died(or "almost" died depending on interpretation) like 3 times and we dont even know the exact biological state of V after he goes to Vic with the relic. Its all so superficial and general.
I guess suicide ending isn't that bad option in this game after all. It does not matter at all what you choose, you die in some kind of way in all the endings anyway.