[Spoiler Alert] About the endings

[CasperTheGhost]

as to the sun ending, i got a different "vibe" from judy, to me it seemed that judy ultimately leaves because V becomes distant, and judy feels that V is becoming more and more absent in their relationship. so, i got the impression that if that wasn't the case, and v was still full front and center in that relationship, judy would have stayed and likely been happier, probably not as happy as in the star ending, imho.

 

[Barsenthor]

as to the sun ending, i got a different "vibe" from judy, to me it seemed that judy ultimately leaves because V becomes distant, and judy feels that V is becoming more and more absent in their relationship. so, i got the impression that if that wasn't the case, and v was still full front and center in that relationship, judy would have stayed and likely been happier, probably not as happy as in the star ending, imho.

Who would want to be with Grumpy Cat with a death wish

 

[MandyZGaming]

Who would want to be with Grumpy Cat with a death wish

Correct, since I heard that in that ending every LI tells V that V has become distant. Sure they leave V if V doesn´t care about them more on going on a mission that is either suicide or adding legacy. Ok the hope of finding a cure to Vs problem is in there too, granted, but still. V could rely on any LI troughout the story(who is choice depending of course), so why just let them hang dry. That´s why I would always prefer star. Judy and I are happy and I still got a good chance of survival since the Aldecaldos seem to have good connections. Plus I would trust friends like Aldecaldos and my beloved Judy more than a creepy stranger, that seems to be controlled by AI, that is probs just using me for his own good like many others before.

 

[OG_VELI]

as to the sun ending, i got a different "vibe" from judy, to me it seemed that judy ultimately leaves because V becomes distant, and judy feels that V is becoming more and more absent in their relationship. so, i got the impression that if that wasn't the case, and v was still full front and center in that relationship, judy would have stayed and likely been happier, probably not as happy as in the star ending, imho.

Judy can only be truly happy outside of Night City, and I don't think V can do anything to convince her otherwise. Her staying here with V is just prolonging the inevitable, which we can see happen in the Sun ending.

So no wonder there are only two good endings for her where you can see her happy: leaving with female V or leaving alone.

 

[Barsenthor]

Correct, since I heard that in that ending every LI tells V that V has become distant. Sure they leave V if V doesn´t care about them more on going on a mission that is either suicide or adding legacy. Ok the hope of finding a cure to Vs problem is in there too, granted, but still. V could rely on any LI troughout the story(who is choice depending of course), so why just let them hang dry. That´s why I would always prefer star. Judy and I are happy and I still got a good chance of survival since the Aldecaldos seem to have good connections. Plus I would trust friends like Aldecaldos and my beloved Judy more than a creepy stranger, that seems to be controlled by AI, that is probs just using me for his own good like many others before.

You could expect more from someone who just solo the whole Arasaka Tower and is said to even leveled it down, than to sound like single 50yo after 2 divorces, on welfare with 4 kids and with expired date for mortgage payment.

 

[Ayinde_Palmer]

as to the sun ending, i got a different "vibe" from judy, to me it seemed that judy ultimately leaves because V becomes distant, and judy feels that V is becoming more and more absent in their relationship. so, i got the impression that if that wasn't the case, and v was still full front and center in that relationship, judy would have stayed and likely been happier, probably not as happy as in the star ending, imho.

I think Judy just isn't happy, when the other characters mention being distant they are talking about a couple days. She just despises night city now.

 

[Buckadoz]

I think Judy just isn't happy, when the other characters mention being distant they are talking about a couple days. She just despises night city now.

They aren't just throw away lines. THE biggest theme of the Sun ending is that V alienates everyone in the pursuit of glory.

I mean, come on. The last shot of this ending is V floating alone in space. It cannot be more on the nose than that.

 

[MandyZGaming]

You could expect more from someone who just solo the whole Arasaka Tower and is said to even leveled it down, than to sound like single 50yo after 2 divorces, on welfare with 4 kids and with expired date for mortgage payment.

well, sure. But it states that in this ending you care more about yourself than any other person. You might say just like Johnny in his time, just a little bit nicer.
Fact seems:
In Star it´s about looking for a solution with friends and LI
In Sun it feels like fame is most important. There´s dialogue lines that would state this in there.
In Devil idk what there is honestly. could continue, but also feels a bit of accepting the nearing death. Singing never fade away on the way out would kinda state that.

 

[Ayinde_Palmer]

They aren't just throw away lines. THE biggest theme of the Sun ending is that V alienates everyone in the pursuit of glory.

I mean, come on. The last shot of this ending is V floating alone in space. It cannot be more on the nose than that.

no, its really not, there is 3 dialog options for why V is doing it. only one of them is I want to be a legend.

 

[Barsenthor]

well, sure. But it states that in this ending you care more about yourself than any other person. You might say just like Johnny in his time, just a little bit nicer.
Fact seems:
In Star it´s about looking for a solution with friends and LI
In Sun it feels like fame is most important. There´s dialogue lines that would state this in there.
In Devil idk what there is honestly. could continue, but also feels a bit of accepting the nearing death. Singing never fade away on the way out would kinda state that.

I know what you trying to say, but is where game is going into its infamous, IMO, preachy mode.
Second I can't see what is so fun and wholesome in the ending that gives one of co-leaders post-mortem spasms after Adam Smasher smashed his head, literally (pun indented, I guess), several others are also KIA, and the whole clan is on the most wanted list of several mega-corporations. And sorry, tarot cards are not my thing.

For ex. I choose Sun ending, with don't fear the reaper route, since I
a) didn't want to put characters that V cares for in harms way
b) like to play games in "boss music is for MC enemies"-style, this also fits my badass V style, that doesn't shy away from challenges.

So I will just wait for DLC to make this preach part of endings obsolete, aka post-MQ one

 

[Naglafar2183]

They aren't just throw away lines. THE biggest theme of the Sun ending is that V alienates everyone in the pursuit of glory.

I mean, come on. The last shot of this ending is V floating alone in space. It cannot be more on the nose than that.

The Iliad shard you find in the Star ending confirms this as well - you lose everything in pursuit of glory. I will quote it here -

...or my mother the goddess, silver-footed Thetis, telleth me that twofold fates are bearing me toward the doom of death:

if I abide here and war about the city of the Trojans, then lost is my home-return, but my renown shall be imperishable;

but if I return home to my dear native land, lost then is my glorious renown, yet shall my life long endure, neither shall the doom of death come soon upon me.

Aye, and I would counsel you others also to sail back to your homes; seeing there is no more hope that ye shall win the goal of steep Ilios...

The second stanza I think references the Sun ending of the game. Lost is your home, but your renown shall be imperishable. You will lose all your friends, but you will have glory . I watched this one on the internet, and when Panam realizes you care for glory more than her, begs you to leave with her, and you get in that AV instead, it’s so sad to watch. You are super alone, for sure.

The third and fourth stanzas I think reference the Star. You leave the city and return home, losing your glory, but you will live. V’s last words in the game are even ‘We’re goin’ home’. I think it's especially powerful for a Nomad V, going back to the badlands, but it works for any of them.

 

[MandyZGaming]

I know what you trying to say, but is where game is going into its infamous, IMO, preachy mode.
Second I can't see what is so fun and wholesome in the ending that gives one of co-leaders post-mortem spasms after Adam Smasher smashed his head, literally (pun indented, I guess), several others are also KIA, and the whole clan is on the most wanted list of several mega-corporations. And sorry, tarot cards are not my thing.

I for ex. choose Sun ending, with don't fear the reaper route, since I
a) didn't want to put characters that V cares for in harms way
b) like to play games in "boss music is for MC enemies"-style.

So I will just wait for DLC to make this preach part of endings obsolete, aka post-MQ one

If anything the game taught us is that sometimes you need to take risks in order to get where you want.
Take Judy for example. Always wanted to stay out of trouble, then took risk at Clouds.
Just like you take risk with nomads. They knew what they went in and knew the risk, but were willing to help a good friend.
Sometimes you loose people you like, to save yourself and the rest of those you like or even love. In the end of the Star, Aldecaldos have more power than ever, you have your love relationship and the possibility to find a solution for your problem.
Sometimes you need to take action and maybe risks to earn something. Doesn´t always turn out well, like Clouds, but if Judy would only have sat in Suzies basement all the losses and the city might have eaten her up.
Sauls death is nothing fun or wholesome, but the fact that you got the Aldecaldos power and have an ally in them, Your love is with you and you can still live on is without a doubt.

 

[Barsenthor]

The Iliad shard you find in the Star ending confirms this as well - you lose everything in pursuit of glory. I will quote it here -

...or my mother the goddess, silver-footed Thetis, telleth me that twofold fates are bearing me toward the doom of death:

if I abide here and war about the city of the Trojans, then lost is my home-return, but my renown shall be imperishable;

but if I return home to my dear native land, lost then is my glorious renown, yet shall my life long endure, neither shall the doom of death come soon upon me.

Aye, and I would counsel you others also to sail back to your homes; seeing there is no more hope that ye shall win the goal of steep Ilios...

The second stanza I think references the Sun ending of the game. Lost is your home, but your renown shall be imperishable. You will lose all your friends, but you will have glory . I watched this one on the internet, and when Panam realizes you care for glory more than her, begs you to leave with her, and you get in that AV instead, it’s so sad to watch. You are super alone, for sure.

The third and fourth stanzas I think reference the Star. You leave the city and return home, losing your glory, but you will live. V’s last words in the game are even ‘We’re goin’ home’. I think it's especially powerful for a Nomad V, going back to the badlands, but it works for any of them.

This is called metagaming - you are choosing option based on information that you read/watch in guides or YT walkthroughs, not because you are making this decision contentiously. Up to the roof option there is no way to figure out which option is good bad. Sure you can expect what you get from the Arasaka ending, but this is mostly influence by Johnny with whom you might not have best relations, and you may still belive Goro/Hanako.
Yet all other options are still should be valid, and not force you into predefined states of mind, especially in game that is advertised as a "shape you story".

Post automatically merged: Feb 18, 2021

If anything the game taught us is that sometimes you need to take risks in order to get where you want.
Take Judy for example. Always wanted to stay out of trouble, then took risk at Clouds.
Just like you take risk with nomads. They knew what they went in and knew the risk, but were willing to help a good friend.
Sometimes you loose people you like, to save yourself and the rest of those you like or even love. In the end of the Star, Aldecaldos have more power than ever, you have your love relationship and the possibility to find a solution for your problem.
Sometimes you need to take action and maybe risks to earn something. Doesn´t always turn out well, like Clouds, but if Judy would only have sat in Suzies basement all the losses and the city might have eaten her up.
Sauls death is nothing fun or wholesome, but the fact that you got the Aldecaldos power and have an ally in them, Your love is with you and you can still live on is without a doubt.

I get the different impressions - it's like don't try and aspire for anything coz you will lose (probably because you are sore loser?).
Judy is one of prime examples. Made a custom fighting program, state of the art from the introduction, she tried it once, things didn't go as planned due to facters beyond her influences, and Judy is GTFO from NC/emo crying - what?! After one chance and she is quitting?! If Judy would ba a main character in any other game/book/movie, story would last like 1h max.
Oh and BTW there is V that can't do a Jack sh... about this, just a classic eternal-friend-zone shoulder patting "life sucks".

 

[_Fender_]

I like what V`s female voice actress said about the endings that for her its a question what are you willing to sacrifice in your life. The goal is still common.

 

[Naglafar2183]

This is called metagaming - you are choosing option based on information that you read/watch in guides or YT walkthroughs, not because you are making this decision contentiously. Up to the roof option there is no way to figure out which option is good bad. Sure you can expect what you get from the Arasaka ending, but this is mostly influence by Johnny with whom you might not have best relations, and you may still belive Goro/Hanako.
Yet all other options are still should be valid, and not force you into predefined states of mind, especially in game that is advertised as a "shape you story".

Haha, I formed that opinion myself, after reading the shard, combined with my knowledge of cyberpunk in general.

I'd disagree about not knowing what is good or bad up until the roof. Mike Pondsmith, who created the cyberpunk universe the game is based in, said something like 'you can't save the world, but you should be able to save yourself and your friends'. I think that is one of the main themes in the game, you help SO many people (Judy, River, Panam, Kerry especially). The game throws in your face that the Aldecaldos want to help you as well.

The Star ending is good because you let some of those people help you, its really fits into Pondsmith's philosphy to help each other like this. Once you do accept help, people die, but like Johnny said, people die every day. Also, if you don't ask for their help, the Aldecaldos are much worse off overall after the game. Personally, I think wanting to be in control until the end is the 'right' decision too, not giving your body to Johnny, that is just my opinion though.

 

[MandyZGaming]

This is called metagaming - you are choosing option based on information that you read/watch in guides or YT walkthroughs, not because you are making this decision contentiously. Up to the roof option there is no way to figure out which option is good bad. Sure you can expect what you get from the Arasaka ending, but this is mostly influence by Johnny with whom you might not have best relations, and you may still belive Goro/Hanako.
Yet all other options are still should be valid, and not force you into predefined states of mind, especially in game that is advertised as a "shape you story".

I played every ending at least once except for giving body to Johnny and the suicide, because those I wouldn´t and couldn´t choose for personal reasons.
To stay at your comment, I realised pretty early that Night City wasn´t that good of a place to be in. Then through the search of Evelyn and Judys arc, I already knew that I wanted to leave and she wanted to leave. Maybe because Judy and I have personalities that are alike, but that is not the point here. So I knew, that the only way for me was to leave this shitty city with her and I knew, that the Aldecaldos where the only way to do so. I knew they would help a friend after I helped them out a couple of times. Like said before they knew about the risks, they could´ve said no, but helped me as a friend. In fact even as one of them.
I think it depends on what the player values, which ending is good or bad. For me it was survival, Judy, because I really love her and leaving NC with her, because we both wanted out there desperately.

 

[Guest 4412420]

I like what V`s female voice actress said about the endings that for her its a question what are you willing to sacrifice in your life. The goal is still common.

What V is willing to sacrifice should be our choice to make, not something the game decides for us. Why does staying in Night City must automatically mean that it's the personal relationships that V is sacrificing? What does V sacrifice in The Star ending? Whatever the sacrifice is it doesn't feel fair and The Star ending is being pretty blatantly portrayed as the good one.

 

[MandyZGaming]

What V is willing to sacrifice should be our choice to make, not something the game decides for us. Why does staying in Night City must automatically mean that it's the personal relationships that V is sacrificing? What does V sacrifice in The Star ending? Whatever the sacrifice is it's pretty unfair and The Star ending is being favored.

I think in Sun ending you sacrifice relationships for fame and material stuff like money and luxury appartment.
In the Star ending you prefer your relationships but loose or don´t get the material things mentioned for Sun.

Plus, Judy and Panam will leave NC anyway, because they hate it there. You can´t force them to stay. So the only relationships you could have in Sun is with River or Kerry. But that you can´t keep those is relatively unfair to your point. Since they would probably try to help you with your problem as hard as Judy or Panam will in the Star.

 

[rippercityransom]

What V is willing to sacrifice should be our choice to make, not something the game decides for us. Why does staying in Night City must automatically mean that it's the personal relationships that V is sacrificing? What does V sacrifice in The Star ending? Whatever the sacrifice is it's pretty unfair and The Star ending is being favored.

It feels like a never ending cycle, it always comes back to:

Pick Star if you want a hopeful ending —> My LI left me and acted completely different than they were acting even just an hour before we stormed the tower.

Then pick Sun —> My V is a dick and the voicemail at the end is implying no one has spoke to V in a while. This ending is nowhere NEAR as sweet as a voicemail where V shows up or getting a 3rd person cutscene with my LI

Guess you should have picked the ending where your relationships/friendships matter more than glory —-> *frustrated straight female V and gay male V noises*

 

[wright1978]

What V is willing to sacrifice should be our choice to make, not something the game decides for us. .

That sums it up for me. Character priorities, character sacrifices they should be for the player to choose, not for the game to try and infer based on a unrelated choice.