The problem with the ending (Spoilers, obviously)

[AulisVaara]

EDIT: Updated thoughts here.

So... I finished the game today, and I was somewhat disappointed with the ending I got, so I looked up the others... and they're not any better.

This is the story:

After some stage setting, V pulls off the heist of a lifetime but as a consequence V is left dying. From then on V sets out to find a way to save his or her life. V never succeeds. The end.

Getting Johnny ready to sacrifice his life to save yours doesn't mean anything if it doesn't actually save your life. The sacrifices made along the way don't matter if there's nothing won from it. I get the game is supposed to be dystopian and all, but it should still be a whole story. Right now there's just no resolution to any of the plot points, it just ends without having fixed anything. You fail. And not in an interesting tragedy tragedy sort of way, the story just ends. You don't even get to play your "blaze of glory".

Fuck me, this isn't any good. It's like the climax of the story is that first heist on Arasaka and the rest of the game is denouement. Most of the game is "why your actions in act I were a bad idea".

If the theme was "V is dying, what will he or she do with the time left" then the ending could work. However, the theme is very clearly "trying to survive in a terrible world" and that theme is destroyed by ignoring it for the ending. This is bad storytelling.

-----

It's rather unfortunate, because they honestly wrote a brilliant cast of characters for this story. I enjoyed every minute of it, so it's a damn shame the ending sours the experience.

But hey, at least it's not Mass Effect 3 levels bad.


EDIT: "others ones" -> "others"

 

[Suapdrumma4411]

I feel that the suicide ending is actually the best solution. Only choice where your not putting anyone else in danger, and really it feels like the only ending after Nomad where V has any real agency with her choice......Its a shitty choice, but it "feels" like the right one to me. She was outta options,but she didn't die alone, she had her best friend go into the void with her. Kinda poetic when you think about it.

But yeah, any ending that isn't Nomad V is effectively, pointless. No matter what she chooses, she has 6mths to live so whats the point of any of it.

 

[pancaketactics]

If you are on good terms with Johnny, the nomad one is by far the happiest ending. though its presented as the worst idea. (ie get all your poor friends killed)

Spoiler: Panam HAPPY ending spoiler

Johnny offers and is ok with going with the AI to save your life
if your in a relationship with Judy, she comes with you to AZ & ride off together to start a new life.
Vik gives you meds to extend your life
Panam knows a doc in AZ that she thinks can save V
(Panams dad is the only named NPC that dies if right choices are made)

but ya, a lot of sad endings

edit: grammer

 

[AulisVaara]

You know what? I've changed my mind a little.

Played through the Arasaka endings... these fit a lot better in the game. Room to interact with some of the important people you've met in the game. It makes the whole thing a lot more of a capstone on your journey, and the choice on whether to give up your soul or not is ultimately yours. Plus, space!

You have to swallow your pride a little and work with your worst enemy though, but that's an interesting choice in itself, so that is good storytelling.

Also did the suicide. Interesting send-off, and not a bad narrative choice at all.

Still have to do the Nomad ending, will see about that later.

I think ultimately it works, I just made bad choices the first time around. If you're going with Johnny... you should be going with Johnny all the way, and not give up on that at the last second. That's why the path of glory is such a jarring ending, you end up being Johnny, whether that's your last choice or not. The question is, will you be the "real" Johnny? Or will you be the embodiment of his rebellion, wanting your cake and eating it too? It actually kind of works in some ways, when placed in the context of the multiple endings. It needed more playable parts though. A little longer to let reality sink in and then a good final mission in which you actually go out in a blaze of glory.

The game is missing one ending: dying in your own bed, surrounded by your friends. This too, should be an option for "going out on your own terms".

-----

Personally, I would have designed the ending differently. Since we had to play through all the main storylines, all the elements should come together in the ending. If you join Arasaka, then the Alt Cunningham thread just disappears. If you do raid Arasaka then the Arasaka family situation kind of disappears. I think it should all be there, everything should tie together.

Maybe there also should have been a straight path of vengeance ending. No saving yourself, just going after Yorinobu, or maybe just straight up nuking Arasaka tower again.

And perhaps the thing that really needs more story is the whole Alt Cunningham arc (if you can call it that) and the nature of the soul in Cyberpunk 2077. Because Alt is just a macguffin that no-one asks any appropriate questions about. That needs more depth and a string of missions to explore all that. And choosing to sacrifice your soul or not should be a real separate choice like in the Arasaka ending.

 

[LG135]

The game has no true good ending. That's a problematic for me. I hope dlc would provide true good ending.

 

[Icinix]

I got the ending I deserved first time around, which was perfect thematically for my character. What was not good, was how that wrapped up my relationship with the other characters at the end. I let Johnny take my body, wait scratch that, I beat the shit out of him on the bridge to get him to turn back and live whilst not in control because that is the character I played through the game. It was dark and depressing, and sickly bittersweet - but what killed me about it was that there was no way for me to speak to Panam, Judy, Mama Welles, Vic, Misty and River about why I made the choice. You just left the most important people in your life in the dark and dropped off the earth.

I don't need a happy / good ending - but one where you can go with Rogue and Johnny and still leave with Panam and Judy. That feels like it wraps everything up the best.

 

[pEestino]

[Spoiler Alert] About the endings

correct me if im wrong but in the secret ending there is still a chip in Vs head. Vs looking for a solution and works blue eye guy. btw all you said is what bothers me the most.... we have all we need lizzy, smasher and johnny why is V the only one fucked? You are right. I was talking about...

forums.cdprojektred.com

If you want to cry with the rest of us.

 

[AulisVaara]

[Spoiler Alert] About the endings

correct me if im wrong but in the secret ending there is still a chip in Vs head. Vs looking for a solution and works blue eye guy. btw all you said is what bothers me the most.... we have all we need lizzy, smasher and johnny why is V the only one fucked? You are right. I was talking about...

forums.cdprojektred.com

If you want to cry with the rest of us.

I already voted on that, and 50% just want a happy ending. That's not really what I'm talking about here. My issue is with thematic consistency and a lack of tying all elements of the story into its finale. And the lack of depth into the nature of the soul and the Alt Cunningham story-arc.

The ending doesn't have to be happy, it needs to be satisfying.

 

[Nerconiglio]

Finishing the Panam Ending, I remain with this question: what's better?

- be an immortal AI with no connection with the real human self of the past?
- be a legend like Johnny, with band gadgets, vinyls, cocktails and greatest terrorist act of the last few decades?
- be a human for six (maybe something more) months and live your life, surviving, with a "family"?

I've seen in this ending a kind of morale question like "what can change the nature of a man" from P:T,

 

[Motsie]

Finishing the Panam Ending, I remain with this question: what's better?

- be an immortal AI with no connection with the real human self of the past?
- be a legend like Johnny, with band gadgets, vinyls, cocktails and greatest terrorist act of the last few decades?
- be a human for six (maybe something more) months and live your life, surviving, with a "family"?

I've seen in this ending a kind of morale question like "what can change the nature of a man" from P:T,

The central theme of Cyberpunk 2020 is one's own humanity. Becoming AI is effectively a complete loss of that, and we can see what effect cyberspace had on Alt in those 50 years.

Now, the point of Cyberpunk 2077's story is not necessarily survival. That's the surface level summary you would attribute to the game on the back of the box. The game is effectively the Iliad and there's a quote of it tucked away in a tablet shard:

[...]For 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 in 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...

Johnny is a warning - not an aspiration.

 

[Nerconiglio]

Indeed he's a warning. He now is immortal, in the mind of NC, but is it V's goal, to becoma anything like him?
Maybe I didn't explain my thought well: I meant survival in a human sense, living full till the end (I said surviving, as 2077 is not a safe time to be in).

Quoting the famous poem by Constantine Cavafy, Ithaca:

As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

 

[JubJub154]

I strongly believe the ending of this game has been setup for DLC. It seems like only a few endings will been seen as "Canon" (which a strong word, but don't think to much into it). I don't think any ending where 'V' dies or Johnny takes over are truly what the game dev's wanted you to make, but for the sake of player immersion and player choice, they were made available. I cant see them adding any major DLC, that will take place pre-story or mid-story. So I think its entirely likely the ending will be continued for 'V' in some sort of way through expansion DLC.

 

[Icinix]

For too many people, it seems we got Dragon Age 2 style main game and Mass Effect 3 ending.

CD Projekt really did admire BioWare so much they decided to follow them all at once.

I think it suffers from a case of its whole being less than its parts.

As I mentioned above, my ending was perfect - if somewhat depressing AF.

In addition to me playing as johnny at the end and my character in true to form actively fighting him on the bridge to turn back and have Johnny claim the body, the idea that my character might join Alt and help influence them away from being a murderous rampaging AI was exactly the kind of sacrifice for good my character would have made.

I doubt any DLC will be post game with, because you would need to undo the many already hamstrung player choices to create a canon ending that makes it possible. All of your relationships and actions would be moot.

The best thing I think CDProjekt can do from here - is lean into their strenghts - involve more characters already in the game further in other parts of the game - and bring more into the ending, even expand on them.

 

[stndn]

The game is missing one ending: dying in your own bed, surrounded by your friends. This too, should be an option for "going out on your own terms".

Feel like this is the Nomad ending.