[Spoiler Alert] About the endings

[Lantea]

The main quest line and story seems incredibly short and lacking. It was rather surprising how short the main quest line was, and if I did not do a lot of side content it would not be longer then 15-20 hours for sure, if not less. Rather disappointing for a AAA RPG game that was to be the next big thing after the Witcher 3.

After completing my own few endings, and reading about some others here, I have to agree it all seems rather pointless with all endings pretty much resulting in your demise, no option to live on without Johnny and even worse no option to figure out a way to save both yourself and Johnny and live in one body together without killing each other.

Also some of the main story missions before the final one just don't seem to serve any purpose as far as I can tell as they don't really impact the ending or don't add much to the main storyline.

Another weird thing that makes little sense is why are the end cut scenes in 3rd person when no other cut scene in the whole game is 3rd person, makes no sense and takes you out of the immersion.

Finally I don't like the way they finished the game where after completing the last mission you are simply rolled back to pre-ending mission save if you want to continue playing; so the final mission has no impact on your continued playthrough and no items you looted during final mission are kept.

Edit:
Doing few more endings, I guess if you ignore the 6 month to live part (and assuming you find a solution before you die) you could consider it a 'happy ending' when you separate from Johnny and drive away with Panam to live in Arizona. So perhaps not entirely acurate that there are no happy endings, as some here mentioned.

 

[MandyZGaming]

live in one body together

nah thanks, don´t want him to complain about everything i do

 

[Clayr1982]

nah thanks, don´t want him to complain about everything i do

I just realised, the twins are a parody of V and Johnny....

 

[Lantea]

nah thanks, don´t want him to complain about everything i do

Well then you don't need to go for that choice and that ending, that is the whole point; you would have choices other then the death and more death now.

 

[naddaya]

but they all are available for everyone, so any kind of symbolism is wasted. in the end, I have a corpo who chooses to go with her new-found family and a lover only to then cringe over her good friend telling her to go fuck herself before committing seppuku. there is no narrative reason for a character like that not to go to Arasaka to help Takemura, only to then get a lobotomy, refuse to be uploaded and go back to Earth to live out the 6 months in peace with people they love - because, again, there is no indication that nomads won't take V in if they don't go to Arasaka together, V's already earned their place in the family by doing side missions.

it's still a grim ending because of the ticking clock and V missing a part of their brain, and Arasaka wins again, which many see as a bad thing, so no one can say it's a Disney fantasy or anything. it's just nuanced and more authentic to how people work in real life.

Hey I wasn't defending the choice

The way I played my V, the endings would have felt bittersweet even without the 6 months limit. Dead friends, no romance, traumatic events, survivor guilt, on the run from NC and pennyless or lonely and possibly hunted by Arasaka. I'm perfectly fine with other players getting "disney endings" with their LIs since it doesn't affect my game.

After completing my own few endings, and reading about some others here, I have to agree it all seems rather pointless with all endings pretty much resulting in your demise, no option to live on without Johnny and even worse no option to figure out a way to save both yourself and Johnny and live in one body together without killing each other.

That would have been the best option for me as well, he's not the greatest at taking care of shared bodies but it's better than sending him to cyberhell, if he agrees.

 

[Fuse_00]

I was deeply touched by ending and dont want any changes. I personally don't think that every RPG needs an option for happy end.

The ending (any of them) is bitter and sad, but that is what makes it remarkable, that makes you realize, how much you love these characters. Another happy ending will only add Cyberpunk to the endless collection of games that we forget immediately after completing.
No, in terms of the story and its ending, everything is in place.

 

[naddaya]

Seems like the most logical reason.

In the source material, Arasaka and Militech were actually nationalised by the US government after the 4th Corpo war. So it could also be down to preventative regulation by the US government.

(4th Corpo war ended after Johnny/Rogue/Morgan et al, were hired to blow up Arasaka Tower, the game makes it seem this was a johnny thing but actually it was Militech).

Other corps have similar technologies though, getting your hands on a cure would be just a matter of money and influence. And 6 months is a long time considering what V and Johnny managed to accomplish in 2-3 weeks.

 

[Solidus2kill]

Guys let's stay calm we are playing a disguised early access, we will have the real game next months

 

[MandyZGaming]

Dead friends, no romance, traumatic events, survivor guilt, on the run from NC and pennyless or lonely and possibly hunted by Arasaka.

Just having your loved one by your side doesn´t make it "disney" as the other points you mentioned, will still be there.

 

[naddaya]

Just having your loved one by your side doesn´t make it "disney" as the other points you mentioned, will still be there.

That's true

 

[Solidus2kill]

my theory is that Johnny told us his version of the facts, it's obvious that militech was involved in arasaka tower blast

 

[MandyZGaming]

That's true

But still having that LI by your side, would at least make up for the hell you´ve been trough.

 

[BGM45]

Hey I wasn't defending the choice

The way I played my V, the endings would have felt bittersweet even without the 6 months limit. Dead friends, no romance, traumatic events, survivor guilt, on the run from NC and pennyless or lonely and possibly hunted by Arasaka. I'm perfectly fine with other players getting "disney endings" with their LIs since it doesn't affect my game.

I'm sorry if it sounded like I was attacking you, I'm only frustrated with the situation, not with other people and their takes.

as for the "Disney ending" - I wouldn't care much too. I advocate for a completely evil ending with becoming a second Smasher or something as well. anything but this Thomas the tank engine kiddie ride we have now. my whole point on this sub isn't even "the endings suck" (which they kinda do), it's "where the fuck are the choices I've been promised".

 

[Solidus2kill]

I just want an rpg ending made and build up by my choices

 

[andrezzyn]

Sad endings or happy endings do not make something good or bad.

Detroit become human has Disney endings and lots of bad ending and for me, it's the best game ever.

 

[MandyZGaming]

okay so lets take some choice based endings to this thread:
1. Save yourself from dying and leave NC with Judy(no nomads included, because we talk about choices yet)
2. Save yourself from dying and join Panam and her clan.
3. Save yourself from dying and become the Legend you dreamed of owning the Afterlife.(optional live with River or Kerry)
4. Sign with the devil and become Arasakas Adam Smasher 2.0
5. Go to Cyberspace with Alt.
6. commit suicide if you feel that´s what you want.
7. merge your mind to live with Johnny still in your head.
8. die a heroes death by taking down Arasaka with you(Johnny would love that one)


I´m open for more.

 

[Solidus2kill]

I imagine the writers reading this thread laughing so much

 

[BGM45]

Sad endings or happy endings do not make something good or bad.

Detroit become human has Disney endings and lots of bad ending and for me, it's the best game ever.

Detroit also has far more choices and consequences than any of CDPR's games, I think. and the whole "game over screens are obsolete" approach is actually ingenious. people mock Cage for making "movies" instead of games, but from the player agency and game design perspective, they offer far more than most of the story-driven games on the market. I understand people being snobby about QTE-based gameplay, but I don't find glorified HBO dramas with simple shooting mechanics to be any more engaging.

 

[Obstructionist]

Yes I think the first person view was a good choice, all things considered.

Meh, different strokes for different folks. FPP completely ruins immersion for me, you are nothing more than a pair of floating hands. Maybe one day when VR games can be totally immersive with sight, sounds, smells, touch it will be better. I was constantly hitting my Skyrim "switch camera view" button absentmindedly throughout my playthrough. Hate FPP.

 

[Simuxas]

First person is okay, still would have loved the option of 3rd person or at least in cutscenes, that they said they would do and then scrapped it couple of months before release.