i was tearing up but what made me start to actually cry was when misty says “you’ll learn to avoid dark alleys and run when you hear gunshots; a face in a crowd.” I’ve been playing cyberpunk on ps5 since it launched in 2020 and platniumed the game when it was still broken a few months after release. I constantly kept replaying the game throughout the years each playthrough doing the don’t fear the reaper ending because it’s honestly the best one and it’s my head cannon ending for V. But this ending hit too close to home and i feel like the devs had that it mind due to the fans reaction when the game released buggy and unfinished. Do you ever have that feeling of something really important ending and having to move on. Graduating school and moving away or ending off a toxic relationship or overcoming a conflict. Sometimes the reality is that no one wins and life goes on regardless, the way johnny says “ i’m not asking you to fade away, but learn to move on” or something along those lines encapsulates it the best. Sometimes you’ll want revenge or to go back and fix things and live that perfect life you were so close to getting but you can’t and your only option is to move on. The fact the Judy left you, Panam hates you (i played as female V), Viktor had to sell out because he was counting on being V’s personal ripper when she gets to the major leagues is brutal. Reed questioning his future as a agent but more as a person since as johnny said it he lost everything, Myers views him as nothing more then a lapdog due to him being out of shape( off field presumably) and the failure during the final mission. Songbird is once again a prisoner, which other than V is the worst fate since she truly didn’t have any choice( during my first playthrough of phantom liberty i got the ending where songbird escapes to the Moon and V helps her) V still holding out and meeting up with Vik only to be told the same thing was hard to watch and when she already felt hopeless she’s powerless to the muggers but on top more bad things happening to her that she could’ve prevented if she chose better options. It’s right here where misty gives you a pep talk and it leads to the ending cutscene where I started to cry. Recently i’ve been feeling powerless to fate and that things aren’t going to turn out well, all my efforts going to waste after such a long pursuit of it all feels terrible and this ending resonated heavily with me. Even though the don’t fear the reaper ending is my favorite this ending was so emotional and realistic given everything almost making it feel like the base game endings are just happy dreams/fantasy rather than the true harsh nature of night city which the phantom liberty ending shows. Johnny’s final talk with V was also gut wrenching after hundreds of hours playing the game and multiple playthroughs when he comes to the realization that it’s over and he sits down and starts smoking I genuinely felt horrible and waited a few minutes before continuing so that johnny could smoke since he tends to smoke when stressed out . But more, in the original endings, Johnny believes that he and V will both survive and that there will be a solution. it’s only when entering cyberspace does Alt hit them both with the bombshell that one of them either takes the body and lives or goes with her and becomes a ai god like her or dies . when Johnny originally died in 2023 he was killed almost immediately by smasher, he never had time to reflect on his life and choices but this time the game gives you the option to let him. His final thoughts on the A.V were incredibly sad you can see the rebel in him still knows that the fight could be won whether via V by herself or V and him but this way, it’s safe and guaranteed and realistic. He appears wise to V but deep down he’s just trying to play the heroic rebel facade he always put on but if you ask the right questions he starts to break a bit and you see how he doesn’t want to die and wanted to live a normal life like everyone else. He’s about to start explaining these things to V for the first time in his life but the doctor injects her with the stim due to the biomonitor picking up increased emotional levels and Johnny isn’t able to be honest before dying. That’s what makes what misty says later on and the ending so sad but true that there probably was a better way but that’s night city and it’s best to take what you got and move on no matter how much you lost. Sorry for the overly long analysis i had so many emotions after just finishing the DLC, it feels like a chapter of my life is coming to an end: years spent waiting for the game to come out and the hype then release then patches then hype for the dlc, now finally finishing it. In 6 years from now whenever Orion comes out i’ll be 26 and hopefully in a better place in life but this game and its impact on me will always be a cherished memory and it’s one of a kind story and it’s messages will always be something i call back to when i find myself in similar situations or feelings. Thank you CDPR
I'm 28 and married, and I wish when Orion releases I get a chance to play it. I've been a gamer since 2005, when I was in 5th grade. I didn't have my own rig; I used to play games at the game parlor. During those days, I've missed the chance to play some good games, as it needed a hell lot of money to spare. It's been 1 year since I've purchased a gaming laptop (I waited 17 years to get a good setup of my own), but hell, a great amount of time has passed and I'm surrounded by responsibilities now (job, marriage). I wish I could carry my laptop and a few hundred games, sit in a time machine, and go 13 years back. I wish to get a chance to play Orion and have a good laptop that supports it when it releases.
Killing Songbird isn’t the most horrible outcome. Myers wont get to absue her anymore. Reed finally realizes that it was the right thing to do, to set her free. And Somi’s finally free, one way or another.
Yup! Songbird is already dead, and a malevolent AI is just using her as a meat-puppet. And V, who isn’t a naive moron, and knows this, would never side with the malevolent AI against her human allies who are still alive.
I thought I was doing the right thing and killed her, turns out I just get the worst ‘worst’ ending because of it😂 I still wouldn’t change my choice tho
I think if you're alive that means you can change things, if you end it - that's it. Like Somi said "no second chance for me". Myers won't be in power for a million years, it's not Japan and leaders are elected for their terms, not lifetimes etc. etc. I'm sure Reed will help her get free even if it's after some time. It's not like she's dying from a construct in her brain. Early 30's when people live for like a hundred years on average (unless they're poor and Somi definitely isn't poor) she'll spend a few years slaving for the prez bitch, maybe a decade at most(reminds me of high school) and will definitely get her well deserved retirement, I'm positive that Reed will make sure she is free eventually. I mean... I know it's the future and corpos and government blah blah blah, but she's not some weakling from the lowest class that can just be pushed around indefinitely. Saving her, in my opinion, is DEFINITELY not the worst ending.
I gave her up carrying her to the shuttle, I thought she wouldn't make it , she was dying, I thought I'd get cured , more fool me. V without chrome, it's no life
I dont think a ending where V loses everyone he ever cared about, loses Johnny, doesn't take out adam smasher, doesn't get to say a true goodbye to anyone except Misty is a good ending. Its emotionally heartbreaking honestly. V MAIN GOAL before the chip situation was to become a Legend, even Jackie wanted that for us, to live as a npc forever alone? Naw thats bad
Yeah but that's it Big Dan Gaming is fucking stupid and doesn't get that. Cyberpunk is about being awesome, quick hacking, taking down gangs, becoming a legend. None of this pathetic I'm just another meat bag, BS. If we wanted to be an NPC w would've player some other fucking game.
@NiteF0X Well we will never truly know, he could get mugged again and probably killed by some random by all we know, that what makes this ending terrible.
@@DJ_LOONIE And for all we know they can go and live a long happy life. V had just woken up from a 2 year coma. Vs muscles hadn’t fully recovered still as the mugging happens soon after they wake up. They can still train their body and still shoot a gun if it comes to that. If you choose the right dialogue when talking to misty you can say that you might join the FIA with Reed or become a fixer. Vs got their whole life ahead of them to do whatever they want. Still better than helping that traitor so mi.
@NiteF0X Bro. All you're saying is what if this what if that. You don't know what will truly happen, im talking about what we saw as a option and and what the ending gave us. If you romance anyone, they forget about you or hate you, you lose your life goal of becoming a legend. And the world is still shit
V’s main goal was to always be a legend in Night City. Storming Arasaka Tower alone, both V & Johnny going their separate ways in peace, & V enjoying the remaining six months of life she has left as a Night City Legend is how I imagine her story to end.
The truth is, V would not survive a week in Night City as a NPC, specially when you consider how many enemies she got now and the few friends she got left. A Fixer? "Yeah, yeah, you can dream V..." Johnny would say about that....
tbf they all must think V is either dead or left the city a long time ago. V can probably just replace their faceplate or hide it out in public. Would be more worried about random gang violence though lol but honestly in V's shoes i would just take the job Reed offered and get out of NC, start somewhere else, nothing but bad memories in that city after everyone moves on without you
I can see why people would be upset at this ending, but it's probably the most realistic. People becoming medically incapacitated or falling into a coma only to be faced with breakup/divorce, no visits at the hospital, and a handicap after all is done, that's too real. I think the best ending is one where V leaves with Panam, or Johnny and V leave with Alt, but the bad part about it is you can't kill Yorinobu to keep Arasaka trying to resurrect Saburo in the future.
I thought it was really sweet Misty and Viktor are still supportive and want V in their lives, goes to show that those two and Jackie are truly V's besties (will put Kerry there too since he wants to see V soon as his tour is over). Viktor and V joining Misty in Europe once they're sick of Night City is also a nice thought.
That’s a big theme throughout Cyberpunk-finding these genuine relationships in what is effectively the world’s greatest cesspool of scum and villainy. This in turn feeds into the game’s thesis: is it better to live a long life with minimum excitement, or a shorter life full of both joy and sorrow?
It's sad too knowing that Panam said she would be with V no matter what happened yet she seemed to abandon V knowing they were in a Coma it wasn't Vs fault
Songbird confesses to you in the Somewhat Damaged mission, which I loved the stealth horror aspect of, when you find her in the core that she is already too far gone, corrupted by the Blackwall. If you refuse to kill her she explains she would live on not knowing who she was, an algorithm that used to be human, lost beyond the Blackwall. If you spare her and decide to do the new ending, even though they promise the best for her, Reed confirms after you wake up from your coma that Songbird has returned to service and Myers has refused to give him updates on her, which to me sounds like they scrapped her last bit of humanity and is more tool than person than ever for Myers. Extra fun fact: If you side with Songbird, she also confesses that it was Mr. Blue Eyes that funded her trip to the moon (without ever saying his name) and he can be seen watching over you before you get to the shuttle.
To me, the best combination of endings is saving So-Mi and then leaving with the Nomads. You both get to be free, and that's exactly with Pondsmith's Cyberpunk is about.
Going with Panam ending is still the best and most fulfilling. There’s still talk about searching for a cure in that one. So side with Songbird, send her to the moon and head out with Panam, Judy etc. I did get what they were going for with the new ending though. But I agree V would’ve told their partner what they were doing. There’s still a chance to reconcile in the future in the new ending too.
I agree. That's what I did the first time. Going to go go back Fem V and try a diff build and save Firestarter for after I've cleared Vanilla so I can play with the Phantom stuff. Did you see Mr. Blue eyes in the Killing Moon(Or was it Firestarter?) Overlooking room in one of the areas???? I scanned everyone b4 engaging and found Mr. Blue eyes!
You do get that Songbird is the most manipulitive of all the characters right? She only really tells you the truth at the end because at that point you already betrayed Reed. The only real reason to save Song is to save Alex. Besides she lives if you give her to Reed anyways. Giving her a purpose built new engram built with rogue AI tech after shes basically been infected with an AI from beyond the blackwall which she wont stop using. Her whole character is her making bad decisions then having others clean it up. Though after that really bad last ending, the aldecaldo ending is the best.
@@bmagada she tells you the truth when she’s completely defenseless, she has no logical reason to expose her lie to you at that point. So Mi easily could’ve just kept the lie to herself and got a free trip to the moon. However for once in her life of betrayal she breaks for a second and decides to be truthful with you. Not after she’s already won but just before, right at the most critical moment in her plan for survival. Why does she do this? Why does she put her last chance at survival in jeopardy at the very last step? I think it’s because after a living a life of being deceived and betrayed by everyone else around her, used for the selfish gains by Militech and the NUSA (which I understand she got herself into a bit) She wanted to see if V would finally be the one person to break that cycle of being betrayed. Yes she betrayed you up until this point and have every reason to stab her in the back, but in this moment I feel SongBird wants to see if V is the one honest good hearted person in her life or just another person out for themselves. Choosing to get SongBird to the moon despite her being honest about her deception to you restores her broken faith in humanity after she’s been destroyed for her entire life. Maybe she doesn’t deserve any of that but I personally believe that one moment of weakness she shows to V by telling the truth in her most dire moment proves she isn’t truly a bad person, just molded into a spiky shell of a women trying to save herself because so far no one has ever had her back truly. Handing her over to Reed and the NUSA doesn’t save her, she basically just becomes a soulless AI controlled by the NUSA. Killing her of sending her to the moon are the only good options for her.
@@fuqumang Doesn’t it? Cyberpunk’s main thesis is whether it is better to live a long, uneventful life, or a shorter life full of both joy and sorrow. V leaving with Panam is a continuation of one of those threads-to continue chasing that hope, knowing that while you’ll probably never get the ending you want you’ll at least be with the people you love. In other words, it’s committing to the second answer.
Yeah, after that, I have never been more certain of the right course of action. I am not necessarily in favour of assisted suicide for healthy people, but Songbird had become little more than a brain in chrome and, if you betray her, it is clear malevolent AIs from beyond the Blackwall are overpowering her. Songbird says she fears she will lose her identity and be doomed to roam forever, lost beyond the Blackwall. That reminded me of "locked in syndrome", which I find terrifying, and of Dante's final circle of hell (locked in ice). Things are less clear if you betray Reed - maybe Mr Blue Eyes is benign (he does promote Peralez, who is a model politician) like Alt and will help Song-Mi. But Mr Blue Eyes does seem to represent the AI beyond the Blackwall, who in game are generally portrayed as an apocalyptic threat to humanity.
Personally I think sending Songbird to the moon is the best ending. Reed and the NUSA simply don’t deserve to win. Myers is a force for evil and shouldn’t have access to Songbird’s abilities. Also, Songbird does reach out to V and therefore she definitely survived, meaning the Neural Link actually worked. If it worked for Songbird then the same technology can work for V, and the ending in which V is working for Blue Eyes may well result in them surviving and getting a very overdue apology from Songbird. Finally, now that we know that it is absolutely possible to save V and reverse the Relic’s overwriting issue, Panam’s contacts she was so sure could help V May actually be able to after all. We’ll never know the answer to that but the endings are all ambiguous anyway
@@RoonpuddleI wouldn’t say she necessarily deserves to live but she’s basically a parallel to V in many respects, V definitely doesn’t deserve to live they’ve killed and fucked over a lot of people too. Only reason So Mi is so deceptive is because of how they’ve been treated and taught. If V deserves to find a cure then so does SongBird. If you don’t send her to the moon she’s 100% dies or wishes for death. V still theoretically has a chance for survival in other endings, so in my head it makes the most sense to help her live and then potentially cure yourself with the Panam ending or Mr blue eyes heist ending. And If you don’t end up finding a cure for yourself with either of those two then at least your life wasn’t for nothing, you helped someone else save their life and became a night city legend. Just seems like a better choice than to fade away into nothingness after curing yourself of the relic and sending So Mi to her death.
I think sending SoMi to the moon is the best ending cuz it defeats Myers, who is playing with nukes sending a Netrunner to mess with the blackwall. It's also the more humane ending for everyone involved. Songbird gets a cure, Reed and Alex end their FIA betrayalfest careers, Myers get to eff off and you don't lose yourself or your legend status.
@@S7GamaI think the only similarity between V and Songbird is that they're both dying. Besides that, they couldn't be further apart. The difference in how they treat their friends and allies best exemplifies that
@@ThePlayer920 saying she even has Allie’s or friends is a pretty far stretch, Reed and the NUSA are the only ones close enough to be considered that and even they don’t seem very much like friends. The NUSA just wants her because she’s a super weapon, they couldn’t care less about her wellbeing. This is proved when you hand her over to Reed. She’s just turned into a soulless shell of a person forced to go beyond the blackwall so the NUSA can stay on top, doesn’t sound like something a friend would do. Reed while I believed he cares for her is way to stuck to his code and pledge for the NUSA, he wants Songbird to be safe but is blinded and truly believes that the NUSA would care for her, when it’s proven they won’t. Her only logical choice is to leave both those options and try to save herself. She doesn’t have any real connections besides those 2, only other option is V and while she initially lies to V just like how she lied to Reed and the NUSA. She doesn’t come clean with V and tells them the truth, showing that she trusts V and deeply regrets her decision to lie to V. She probably doesn’t deserve to live anyway but everything she’s done in her situation seems valid and makes sense.
I liked the siding with Reed and killing Songbird ending. Songbird’s mistakes catch up to her, and she goes out on her on terms, peacefully. Then at the end of it, telling Reed to leave the NUSA, and to carve his own path for once, seeing him leave his secret agent life behind is nice.
Could not choose to side with Reed, i just didnt stand the fact that So Mi was being used by Myers for her purposes. I went with the opposite ending: sent So Mi to moon and killed Reed. Felt guilty, but it is what it is, and someone had to give up on their life
@@piccuz4290So Mi was lying to everybody all the time. She also asked us to leave Alex and Reed behind in the Stadium while we run with the Matrix, implying we would leave them to die, after she already betrayed them before. Meanwhile Reed genuinely wants to help her and doesn't ask to leave anyone behind. Reed is the logical option.
I replayed all the endings and this is the one i ultimately stuck with. Songbird used V knowing full well she would never be able to help him, and was happy to sacrifice any amount of innocent life to protect herself. So if it's a choice between her and Reed, i'd choose Reed everytime. I think it's also right to put her out of her misery and keeping her out of Myers grubby hands, which leads Reed to forging his own path, and turning his back on the NUSA. It just felt right.
I'm really glad they added they added an ending in Phantom Liberty where V survives. It was bittersweet getting to see Night City in 2079 and seeing how life moved on without you. Personally, though I still think Vs ending with the Nomads is the best ending. Especially if you romanced Judy like I did during my first playthrough. V may only have 6 months to live but quality over quantity. With this ending, you get to live out whatever time you have left with your love interest. And have the support of your adopted nomad clam. I also think there is still hope for V with this ending. Who knows it is possible that one of Panam's contacts in Arizona may be able to help V.
The NUSA ending gives proof that V can be saved, so it's entirely plausible that going with Blue Eyes or the Nomads leads to V surviving, possibly even with his implants intact.
I agree with both of you. Theres no reason (male) V can't be within contact with Reed after running off with Panam/Judy and even if it's basically assisted living, have a chromed spouse and you back to organic. Sorta forced role swap but again... V can let So Mi die with her dignity. Show reed the political corruption he's been serving and all it's taken from him. Get cured, and live MANY quality years with their lover. Sentenced to, getting old with new family... Kinda makes me tear up 😅 As far as Johnny.. we both can't live forever even if twice, but we lived 10× the life any other two could've. Hell yea.
One thing that the PL endings have showed me is that V now has an extremely likely chance of being cured in the Don't Fear The Reaper ending - making it the best ending for V if the theory of Mr Blue Eyes being an AI from beyond the blackwall is true. V's reward for taking on the Crystal Palace could be anything now that we know what blackwall AIs are capable of, which is safely removing the relic from V at only the cost of V's ability to use cyberware. V still goes down as a legend especially after solo-raiding Arasaka but likely doesn't have as much of the negative consequences that the PL ending has. Most probably Militech doesn't take over NC and most definitely Vik doesn't get bought out and become a shell of his former self, which also means Misty doesn't leave NC. Unfortunately it seems V still loses her cyberware affinity but at least in this potential alternate future V doesn't lose 90% of their loved ones.
I thought about this too, especially since I've always thought blue eyes being an AI in a glorified meat suit was probably the most likely theory on who he is. really it just makes the sun ending all the more frustrating since we have almost no idea what we're actually signing up for, but hopefully we'll get some kind of an answer in the future you could honestly argue that don't fear the reaper is the best ending even excluding what we know from phantom liberty considering it means V isn't dragging anyone else into their issues (which is something I think a weirdly large part of the community doesn't consider tbh) but it really does all hinge on blue eyes who is probably the single most enigmatic character in the game. I was hoping PL, being all about spies and mysteries and stuff would shed some more light on him but oh well
It depends on how you interpret Mr. Blue Eyes intent. As I recall there's some evidence he likes multiple hosts. Alt has dialogue if you bring the blackwall fix up that suggests trying to fix it via those means is a risk of being slaved to AI who want meat suits but people's tech isn't advanced enough for them. I think it's 50/50 Blue Eyes fixes you or wears you to the prom indefinitely as one of himself.
I don't think V would lose their cybernetics if they were cured in another ending, lets say "Don't Fear The Reaper." Throughout Phantom Liberty, there was this duality theme going on between V and Songbird, where both wanted to be "completely free" and live as "normal people" and the Devs wanted to drive this theme even more, by have V lose their cybernetics and force them to be "normal." Even in the end credits scene, Rogue calls V and tells them to not come to the bar or they'll tarnish their "legend status." Basically V can't be a normal person and a legend at the same time. Don't fear the reaper however, pretty much solidifies V's legend status. If the theory is correct with Blue Eyes helping V and curing them, chances are V would still keep their cybernetics, however (since the Devs hate any idea of V having a "happy ending") in classic cyberpunk fashion, there will still be a downside, whether V gets cured of the Relic Cancer but is still forced to keep Johnny or another AI in his head, or he ends up becoming a "blackwall avatar" like Songbird does in the Capture Songbird ending.
Sending Songbird to Luna and then doing the Don't Fear the Reaper ending has a chance for a happy ending for both. However, if Mr. Blue Eyes really is a rogue AI from beyond the blackwall, that ending has the possibility of also being the worst ending depending on what he actually wants from Songbird and V. We don't know his true motives behind helping us yet, so it remains a questionmark for me. The writers have stated that there is no happy ending in Cyberpunk after all.
Also Note that he (Mr Blue Eyes) only helps people that are/are becoming IA - In the Sun, V is in a Relic ant in PL Songbird is becoming day by day less human.
Just completed it… loved the new ending EXCEPT for the poor writing decision for Panam. She had lines in the DLC, yet we’re hit with her ghosting us and Mitch telling me don’t call her
just one thing, Mitch might be llying to V because Panam might be dead, his suit is Bioware uniform. Their whole family might have been destroyed by big corp or others.
@@gracenote108 Oh, it's Biotechnika(?) The one Saul talked about to make a deal with them. I did not catch that uniform, nice. If you happen to stumble upon things they are involved you would know they are as bad as any other corpos. Also that short anime story as a music clip(Let You Down) it's the same corporation screwing over people with dangerous drugs they sell when they know the medicine is flawed.
The problem I have with the new ending is not only the cost of it all but just the fact that you don't really accomplish anything. Especially if you've done most of the missions up to that point. It just all feels like it was for nothing. Ultimately I'd rather ride off with Panam, sure, you are going to die, but it feels much more on your own terms.
There's still the possibility mentioned by the host of the (tv or radio?) news show where they reveal one of the biotech companies has successfully cured MS using technology that can reverse nerve damage and regrow damaged nerve endings. This opens up potential cures for V down the line, if (big IF) CDPR wanted to take that route down the road. Since it's beyond the scope of the game it can still be "head canon" if you want it to be.
- earning new life - saving president of NUSA - potentialy impacting world much more than in any ending by giving NUSA the doomsday device - being aplauded as the hero of NUSA for killing the renegade ex-military - surviving the confrontation with digital satan herself :P
Why do you feel like the dlc ending should be the best? I think it's good for being what it is since it's the only ending where V for sure lives but it depends on what your willing to sacrifice, just cause you paid money you wanted the #1 ending to be the dlc one. I liked the dlc, I liked Dogtown, I liked Pacifica being fleshed out, I liked Reed and Songbird, I liked the choic, I like the new Relic tree. But oh the ending isn't the everybody gets exactly everything they want and it's perfect therefore bad dlc.
Its about the journey not the destination. In hearts of stone the good ending makes you save a person way worse than songbird and you end up without a reward.
For my V, siding with Songbird and sending her on the rocket was the best choice for him. As a nomad, I prioritised family and freedom in most situations. (An example is telling Jefferson about being brainwashed. Giving him the choice to decide what he wants to do next.) So when V strapped in Songbird and had the nomad dialogue saying she’s free, i knew I had made the right choice. Also being in a similar situation to V, her actions make sense. Especially considering she’s a slave, trying to claw her way to freedom. So yes she was using everyone but pretty much everyone was using her. That’s why in my eyes it’s the most appealing ending, even if it isn’t exactly for V.
I don't think giving Song to NUSA is a good option. Once Myers no longer needs her, she will be killed... Additionally, being forced to keep using the blackwall will end up killing Song or causing her to lose all her memories
Nobody can convince me that the FIA didn't disable your cyberware intentionally. V was a huge risk, and his/her loyalties to Night City and thier friends was compromising. Someone that can fight their way out of Hanson's stadium, take down 4 Maxtac agents, and survive attacks from rogue AI's, So Mi trying to save you or not, _and_ brought in the person using those blackwall attacks? There's a reason why Reed says "you're no Morgan Blackhand", just remember Reed lies all the time.
@@nhoj084eva both of your comments make so much sense damn, didn't occur to me, totally what the FIA would do to V, but sort of unavoidable. Remember the "best of the best" work for the FIA including people who know how to make such things look like accidents. Vic being a corpo didn't make sense to me at first but after this it seems the devs could legit have the same idea for the ending as you, maybe that's why he gave up so easily, or the damage was already done. This game fucks with you too much lol
@@nhoj084eva I felt like a more fitting ending would be the presidents guard just dropping you right there because you were a means to an end. It's a great story very well written but the endings leave something to be desired. Imagine having an option to sabotage mayers AV in the last scene, would be a fitting ending. Or best of all imagine convincing Reed to betray the FIA and help you with songbird. Just a bit more effort and we would have quite literally all aspects covered. I personally would've loved if you could convince Reed to join you with a very very high skill check and then you continue the space port mission with him. I agree that no matter what V seems to trust the FIA a bit too much.
@@q1337 For me the ending could be you betraying Songbird and taking her spot on the Moon and getting cured, then living your life as normal with the knowledge you doomed her to being Meyers slave
There are some bad takes on this video. Did you pay attention to what the character SAY and Don’t? You say that song bird will be saved and could even escape later. The chances of that are zero bud. The FIA used “alternative methods” than the neural matrix when “saving her”. Myers refers to songbird as a weapon of mass destruction. The chances So Mi can even move after being saved are low. Shit they probably didn’t even save her and let her be rewritten by an rogue-ai who they then enslaved. Also selling out songbird after helping her makes V a huge scum. You have literally witnessed Myers refer to songbird as a weapon of mass destruction and massacre an entire airport full of innocent people just to capture her and you let her win by being petty? You can even find a memorial in the airport with all the names of the victims . And many people shared their last names implying there were entire families snuffed out just because the president couldn’t take the L. Killing songbird is the second best ending not the worst . You put her out of her misery. You fuck Myers and Militech. And Reed admits he was wrong for trusting the FIA and being a lapdog. There is even the implication that through this realization he is reborn and he will quit and finally live his life on his own terms rather than just being a good little soldier who follows orders.
i would say, killing songbird is the best ending. if she fly to the moon, she will be already in grasp of rogue ai. so she is still weapon of mass destruction, just working for someone else. i just dont like Alex to be killed. but seems its a line of her duty at some point
I feel like Johnny would agree killing her too, much better than being someones dog and just following orders. You help reed realise truth self, free songbird not giving her to some space AI freaks, and not giving into myers either who is another powerhouse freak. You kill Hansen by your own hands which felt good to me.
@@abaddon_9941If you kill Songbird then after the DLC when you're in your apartment talking to Johnny he tells a story about one of his friends from when he was in the military that pretty mich confirms he agree with the decision.
I think the Star ending is still the best one. It is certainly the most hopeful one, but V might still live only 6 more month. But the PL ending proves the rewriting of V's genetic code is at least reversible and it might even be easier after the relic was removed/deactivated by Alt in a less invasive fashion.
Star is pretty bittersweet, and if V survive the illness, the best personal ending. But consider that he loses Saul, who to that point became V's good friend. Takemura kills himself if he survived and many Nomads die. In this ending Takemura, Saul and Rogue - all may survive. Moreover, V is GUARANTEE to survive. Much less bloodshed than in the Rogue path lead to end of Arasaka. Unfortunately, Silverhand's engram dies. Seriously, the Rogue's endings are real downers, like the Devil endings (in the Devil at least all Arasaka ride "partners" except JS may survive)... If you want the Sun ending to be a little less bitter, you must not ask Rogue to help you and do it all by yourself.
if you go with the secret ending and keep your body i think thats also one of the better ones. Rogue doesnt die, Saul and the avocados do their own thing and honestly forget takemura. I could care less about bro 😭💀
You can't do that. Johnny Not on the Chip any more V is after Alt turns her into what Johnny is. Yes V was Soulkilled just by plugging in after Smasher. Meaning V is More Dead if you remove the Chip after Alt mess with it. Johnny you don't get what Soulkilled (Soulkiller does what it says it does it kills) means once you pulled in we split both are on the Chip until one leaves and yes the Body is fighting V which is why 6 Months. Kind of hard to tell your friends never to Remove the Chip your on without telling them you died.
Agree. My idea for it was you get this ending if you call Reed but if you talk to hanako first learning about Mikoshi you get the option for an attack Arasaka tower ending backed by NUSA. Maybe this way gives us a happier ending or maybe if they do another dlc you’ll have to do both dlc to get the truly happy ending.
@@michaelrandolph6373 Everything does not end happily like in a fairy tale. I support this approach.. To show young people who only play games, even in games, that not everything is sunny as they imagine life.
@@nierty7182 I'm not a young person and I know all about life kicking you in the nuts, so I wanted a happy ending dammit! But seriously, I see what you mean, yet I still wanted a version where V and Johnny somehow survived.
I think in Cyberpunk the idea of a “best” ending is just not possible. Personally, I think the ending that makes the most sense and fits best with the story in Phantom Liberty is siding with Reed and killing Songbird. In that ending, Songbird is finally at peace and free from the NUSA, you effectively get to tell Myers to go fuck herself, and I think it finally frees Reed from his almost delusional loyalty to the NUSA allowing him the best chance at a happy ending.
@@pintolerance785 If you side with him he'll have nothing to do with any airport killings lol. Only thing that I didn't like was killing the French netrunners I loved their characters lol.
@@FusionKota if killing innocents in an airport is something somebody does At All. Then that's not a good person. What I'm seeing a lot of is people coping because they picked to help Reed instead of Songbird and are then rationalizing that it was the better ending when it wasn't. Soon as I saw Reed and Alex kill the French two I knew my mind was made up and I'd help Songbird, in the end, Alex lives, Reed gets what's coming to him, Johnny's happy, Songbirds happy i see how evil Myers and the NUSA is. And I get to do the Panams ending.
Bruh the newest ending makes the most sense and I love it. So far all the endings had the perceptive of you dying. Equivalent exchange. You get to survive now but as a nobody with no friends or love. If you ask me that's a small price to survive. Eventually you'll make new friends and someone will eventually love you. Still sad but makes sense when you find something that was technically unobtainable. I mean you made bonds with your friends in NC in the span of a year, imagine the bonds you'll create in a whole lifetime. The biggest prospect you had was 6 months but now you can literally start anew.
Also, who said that you can't reconnect with your old friends? You can definitely still visit Judy and her wife, Kelly is also still around and you are welcome to visit him even if he is a lot more busy now. As for Panam, while she doesn't want to see you anymore because you hurt her by disappearing, you aren't dying anymore so you can search for her and the Aldecados. Will she forgive you? I don't know but at least you can explain to her why you "ghosted" her and maybe manage to make her feel less hurt
@@WaltDevil060only friends you can reconnect with is Vic and Misty that’s it. Y’all seriously are wanting to make believe and try to find good with this trash endjng. It doesn’t work, Judy works for male V not female V. Panam no…just no, you don’t even know where the Aldecaldos are going. River is a mess, Kerry I guess but rarely wouldn’t have time for V
You can’t really. V woke up in a world that’s new to them, weak asf. Got left by her friends that don’t want nothing too do with them. Y’all try so hard to try and make good with this trash new ending but it doesn’t work. They aren’t making friends in nc, and won’t live long. They 100% will end up dead quickly because of a cyberpsycho or a gang shootout on the streets If anyone finds this ending good or enjoy it you simply don’t have love for your V or the characters
I just finished the DLC ending, took me while to get to it. But i agree with you. IMO, losing friends and fighting abilities is nothing compared to knowing you die in 6 months. Looking at this like its a chronic illness. I would rather live, even if i cant walk....people who hate this ending probably dont know how to get back up when life puts you down. V is still V, meaning the wisdom V carries is all they need. Also I was happy with the star ending, but it left me feeling hopeless....V dies in 6 months! So all you fought for was just to borrow a couple days of coughing blood and having blackouts.
Reed even tells you at the basketball court after the final mission that you were right for killing her, and he even asks if he should go back to working for NUSA, allowing him to move on from his past as well. I hate killing Songbird, but it literally is the only way, the people who are going to fix her on the moon are just AI infected people (Mr. Blue Eyes) so she's not really free by going up there, she just has a new master to serve but she doesnt realize it. Killing her is the only true way for her to be free, since handing her back to the NUSA is by far the worst option.
@@SexySaxty Songbird herself says (rather cynically) that even when she gets to the Moon, she'll likely be a lab rat to someone else, but she doesn't have a choice really. As much as it hurts, siding with Reed and killing her is a mercy and helps Reed realise how misguided he was.
@@monkeycat451 Seems a bit presumptuous to assume her situation on the moon would be dire considering we have nothing more than one off-hand assumption from So Mi.
@@KidOmnipotent We also know Mr Blue Eyes is involved in it and given the shit they are doing to the Peralez' it doesn't fill me with joy. But the way I see it, any ending where Myers doesn't get her hands on So Mi is preferable.
but we do know of the benefactor helping her, the blue yed man, whos track record so far has him being an AI controlled human who is involved in messing with NC politics to further suit their needs. So its safe to assume he has no intention of helping her @@KidOmnipotent
I dont get why people see the ending where V lives as such a bad ending. V is 25 at the end of it. They got an entire live ahead of them in a setting where even middleclass people can easily reach a hunderd if they stay safe. If they take up Reed's offer than they are good for the forseeable future and possibly in the future when a treatment comes out they can fix the issues they had. Sure they lost the friends they made in NC but is that really such a big deal? Most of the friendship were friends they made in the few weeks, at most months, of ingame times that passed. IRL if someone said their life was ruined because they lost the romance/friends they'd had for a month or 2 you wouldnt take them seriously. Sure it hurts at the start but most people would move on after at most a year or 2.
Good point. Friends turning their backs on you when they full well know your situationen aren't worth keeping around. And by the end of the game, my V was riding on 2.8million eddies and a substantial car collection, so yeah ... V will be fine. Personally I felt a little sad knowing Johnny was gone, but ultimately he already lived his life and went out the way he wanted ... And like Dixie Flatline, I'm sure the Johnny construct would want to stay dead.
it is not the time that counts but the connection you make with people! you can make a deeper connection with the right people in a short amount of time! either lose your life or lose what makes life worth living. kind of the theme of cyberpunk.
I found the part about us killing songbird kind of lying in your video. You don't talk about the part with us going through her memories and having a discussion with her and neither about the fact that SHE ask us to kill her, out of mercy because she doesn't want to be a slave anymore. Saying its the worst ending is reaaaally a bad take imo. Maybe the worst for V but man saying that them taking her and talking about "If" or "in the future" about Songbird sake while seeing EVERYTHING they put her through before is just ridiculous imo. I believe that if you go with this path you SHOULD finish her, its the most "moral" version of that ending. Just thinking that you should have gave people all the keys to understand that ending because I trully believe that the way you describe it help your narrative that is : "its really the worst ending" while being biase
The guy is just giving out his opinion. The truth is there are no good endings. You can kill songbird, but which songbird are you killing. Is Songbird still in the Blackwall after killing off one of her just to trap the other. It doesn't matter because they are all bad ending you are missing the point.
@@t0fuwaffles you can say that but in all the ending of phantom liberty we don't know what happens to songbird or even see her so you can be wrong or you can be right.
@@BEST-sv1jz I agree with you, their is no good endings but I was mostly trying to point out that not giving such important elements of that ending makes it seems like a no brainer bad pick while its far from it. Giving your opinion aint a problem, but not giving such key informations from that ending while STATING its the worst ending is meh
“The best” Endings is based on what you consider morally right. Which is why I love this game. None of the choices lead to a happy ending for all, just like the main story. There are no sunshine’s and rainbows that await you at the end, just the result of your own choices. You’re surrounded by people out to betray you for person gain and ambition as it becomes clearer and clearer through progression. None of them are “Good People” although they try to express their will as for the good of all. Rowlands reasoning being that it’s for the “good of the NUSA” and that the result of doing something otherwise would launch the NUSA into civil war which while may be true, also completely dismisses the fact that her direct actions led to the outcome. Reed is more of a complex yet goal oriented character, his goals aren’t clear at first and he’s constantly hiding his true intentions which he’s very good at seeing as he’s practically a master in subterfuge, but by the end you come to the conclusion that he did indeed care for songbird but for him loyalty triumphs any and all of his feelings to the point where he’d put someone he cares for in a dire position that they sought out of, he understands and acknowledges this but his loyalty towards his country completely blinds him of any other viable solution “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, and nonetheless that’s exactly what he is to the NUSA a loyal dog. Songbird was recruited at the mere age of 19 and has served Rosoland and the NUSA for 15 years at the expense of her own health and seeks to escape the cage that she has been entrapped into(I like how the writers named her songbird to parallel her being a bird trapped in a cage), other than this she has no means to escape from her captors other than this elaborate plan we’ve seen unravel, you can see the toll it’s taken on her by not only her physical state but also her mental state, she’s broken, and by this point more cyberware than human and being used and exploited exclusively for her expertise in netrunning. Not only is she extremely skilled in netrunning but she is also really intelligent to the point where the only thing that could make or break her elaborate plan was the main characters end decision. Whether or not this does however excuse the fact that she exploited and lied to you at the potentially expense of your own life, and indirectly lead to civilians being casualties. Whether these people are “Good” or “Bad” is exclusively up to the player to decide, each and everyone one of them are not innocent in any shape or form and nor is there a “lesser evil” to chose from, the story is there’s, you’re just refining along on the journey. All of the characters have at some point compromised their morals which have lead them to become we see them as now. This same compromisation morals is something we see ourselves being faced with at the end.
I am going with the hybrid ending. Took Song to the shuttle and ask nothing in return. Song betrayed V, so she can live with the consequence at the hands of NUSA. Didn't feel right shooting Reed. Now V is free to choose an ending from the original game. Go Big and be a Legend or Go Home with Judy and Panam and live out the time you have.
johnny and V's connection in he AV really blew me away. the voice actors and the writing for that scene specifically was phenominal. also loved the James Bond vibe to the end credits!
I'll be honest I prefer the nomad ending but I do like the little details they added in the news ones including the fact in the ending where you see misty she's wearing Jackie's jacket
In the words of Dexter Deshawn, "Quiet and boring life, or blaze of glory." Every other ending, V would most likely inevitably die, but not without leaving a mark of what they did to Arasaka in a blaze of glory. But this new ending where V now wakes up 2 years later with nothing of their past remaining the same, that's the quiet life ending.
I loved the new ending. During the end credits Rouge tells you that you are legend of the Afterlife, you get to live, you get to retire as a fixer. For Johnny it was great as well, he gets a chance to close all his unresolved personal stuff, and then returns to be dead and not getting absorbed by the AI that absorbed Alt.
@@yeetnessthegreater1298 can't remember the exact words. But she says that people want to add V's drink to the menu (only Legends get that). And Rouge says that V's legend would wit a bit with each visit he makes to the Afterlife, given his current condition. What's your interpretation?
Songbird is the biggest manipulative person in the game. She acts so nice, but she has so many ulterior motives that benefits only her self interest even before she became part of FIA/NUSA. "Betraying" her to Reed and euthanizing her is better because at least Reed genuinely cares for her, but FIA/NUSA will abuse her skills as a netrunner. If Songbird is alive, when you try to help Reed, she is nothing more than a tool for Myers and Reed has a sense of regret. While killing her, Reed will initially be angry, but you truly free her from NC and the FIA/NUSA which he will realize. Sending her to the moon will just continue what she has always been doing, netrunning and being a a tight spot.
With the flashbacks into Songbird's past you get to see that even before Reed came into her life, she was a horrible manipulative person to her friends. She rationalizes her behavior AFTER meeting Reed as being because of her treatment by the FIA and Reed...but that's a lie. She was ALWAYS a manipulative narcissist.
Giving her back after she burned out by the Blackwall is the worst possible decision you could make. People always come with "but she betrayed Reed and FIA, Myers etc. and you" She got used and abused by all of them in one way or another. She got blackmailed by Reed. Reed did not help her at the end, just did his job. Alex was the only one who sympathized with her and in that scenario she dies too. She fooling V is natural when she all her life only knew deception from others. BUT if you go with her plan until the end, she opens up and gives real trust in you. Even then you could betray her. I think at that end she could be saved by FIA instead being a husk, but she will be still a tool whatever Reed tells you, because Myers doesn't and won't tell him the truth. After everything we know what happened, she could be just a brain without a body, connected to the net 24/7 to do Myers bidding with zero chance to get away ever, being a literal slave. Do you REALLY wish that on her? You need to go through every ending and listen carefully to see the whole picture. I think the canon way is The Killing Moon and helping her to get to the Moon. If you look back all other plans from Reed fail. Only her plan can be called as a successful mission. She is saved. And Reed...he is already lost, the only way he might get out of his comfort zone by the heavy loss of So Mi and hating you. Is it really worth it? Also I think in the final ending they screwed up some of our friends character. They ARE out of character. Panam would be hell bent to find you first, instead just screams at your phone. Judy also doesn't even bother trying to find you, track you down. Nothing about that in the text messages. That was where I've got PISSED. Every choice I mad with them felt like a waste. They basically betrayed me by not even trying. If they would try and fail and THEN move on in some way I would be OK. But not even bothering after I risked my life for them when I didn't need to because I've got my Relic leads?(Clouds, the tank and scavs) Why even bother helping them or the Aldecaldos? They all abandoned me at the first moment is how CDPR wrote the ending. This needs to be fixed.
I feel like the new ending has the most realistic tradeoff. It's difficult to let go of Johnny, knowing that with this option he's really gone. But let's be honest, he got a second chance to say goodbye to old friends (if V lets him), and he knew all along that it was likely gonna be him or V, but he would choose V no matter what. Night City never lets anyone have a truly happy ending, you have to sacrifice something, and while the sacrifices made with the new ending are really sad, you are gaining so much by being able to live your full life.
@@Suhov Yeah. The basic idea isn't bad, but the way it's executed is _atrocious. _ I get the idea of 'you can't be a big deal anymore in exchange for living', but logically, V should have the option to stay at Langley from the off. The expository framing could have been delivered in another context. It comes across as a bitter 'screw you for not being happy with 'V dies' being in all the endings.' from the writing. Doesn't matter if they intended it, it's what gets conveyed.
@@Sorain1on top of that, Bioware is a thing in Cyberpunk, and it’s a popular alternative to Cyberware in more well-off and civilised places like Western Europe(just like our reality lmao). It’s expensive, sure, but like V literally has the NUSA government and the number two (or maybe number one since Arawakan gets destroyed by Yori) megacorp in Militech backing them. Knowing that tidbit of lore makes the ending seem hella stupid and bittersweet just for the sake of it.
@@Suhovit is true tbh, without cyber war V isn’t much of a legend, not saying they have to be decked out all over with cyber ware, but with 0 they aren’t a threat
I killed poor So Mi. It felt like the best decision for her. V doesn't get cured, but nobody gets to use her anymore. Well written and actually very emotional at the end.
I actually liked the saving Songbird ending (which was the one I went with so far), but partly that is because my version of V usually tries to do what he perceives as "the right thing". I will probably do the new ending with my corpo V since she is more a the ends justify the means and would probably do anything to save herself. Still need to make a nomad V so who knows what ending that will get lol
The only reason your V said she missplaced Misty's necklace is because you didn't pick it up when you were in the hospital room, it's lying there somewhere and you can take it with you
I'm one that likes the new "happy" ending. To me it makes the best sense. Though yes in my mind V could have avoided everyone moving on thinking he/she died in the two years by saying "im going for surgery, don't know when I'll be done with it".
That is part of the utter writing failure to that ending. It makes zero sense that V wouldn't have informed some close contacts, and the idea of the NUSA not informing those same contacts (if only to emotionally blackmail them for something down the line) about V's status is equally nonsense. The fact V can't take the desk job offered marks a huge railroad in a narrative with few so blatant. The only comparable one I can think of is the Dexter 'Glory or fade away?' having only 'Night City doesn't let people have quiet lives' for a 'Fade Away' answer. Which I understand because doing the Heist is literally what sets the plot in motion, it has to happen. The only thing that having V in Night City enables is exposition (and sure, we do want that here.) which could easily be framed as in V's new Langly office, either as a report to V or (better yet) delivered by V on the status of Night City and their 'old contacts' to affirm they're up to date for the new job. So basically, they had a reasonable idea for a new ending and derailed it. The only reasoning I can find for doing so is 'No, you are not allowed to reject V dying at the end.' which is essentially a childish tantrum response. Thus having it be a really bad ending in terms of outcomes, specifically to 'punish' people for 'wanting the wrong thing'. I'm guessing there were some _major_ arguments among those doing the writing about said ending, and eventually the petulant one(s) won out for the most part.
FYI when you choose to betray Reed and head to the air port, cycle through the camera feeds. You will catch Mr. blue eyes in the office over looking the terminal.
Wow I could not disagree more with your assessment of what is the bad vs good endings here lol while it’s tough to initially choose to either help Songbird or go with Reed’s plan during Firestarter, I feel like the two options presented at the end of the path where you help her are not ideal at all- if you help Songbird through to the end, you end up having to kill Reed to do so. Whatever kind of mistakes he’s made, I don’t believe he deserves to be shot and killed like that. The alternative ending there is to hand Songbird over, essentially betraying her in the end and condemning her to a half-life with the FIA. While the other path of going along with Reed’s plan is brutal, resulting in Alex’s death no matter what, I feel like it’s the most fitting for the context of PL’s story- you get a look into more of Songbird’s past, and yes while both of the endings here are bad for Songbird, neither result in you having to shoot Reed in the face, and you can still make it up to Songbird by granting her the freedom she wants. Even though that doesn’t give you the alternate ending to the entire game, I feel like that’s the closest we can get to a “true” ending to PL.
River had become sold out to Trauma Team, in order to pay for his nephew’s medical treatment. I guess it broke him, because he was very weird during the call and just hung up
10:20 I’m glad the new ending is this depressing I like it a lot, it makes me more accepting of the original game endings, like oh THIS is the alternative? Yeah I’d rather die. I think it makes logical sense that there are major consequences for living cuz that’s a major aspect of the base game, it’s sticking to its own rules.
Yeah pretty much. I really liked Johnny so for me an ending where there is no proper closure with him feels hollow. Also defeating Smasher and raiding Arasaka solo with Johnny is just too awesome
I love how people call the Hanson fight annoying when it's literally a carbon copy V berserker build we have to fight...just a taste of our own medicine
@@nabeelchowdhury1628when you are able to do dont fear the reaper. So you need to solidify your friendship at the oil fields with the correct dialogue choice’s.
That 'you really are unbreakable, V" line from Misty got me BAWLING. My V was a nomad who quit her clan because she wanted more out of life than sand. Connected with Jackie because of his dream to reach the major leagues. Didn't really connect with either Panam, Judy, River or even Johnny, because their goals were just too different. Sided with Songbird because she crushed over finally finding someone else who'd go "not even the President can stop me from getting what I want". But the moment she was betrayed, she called Reed and switched sides. For this type of unapologetically ambitious V, none of the other endings did it. I had originally picked the Arasaka ending, finding it poetic that this V got her wings burned after flying too close to the sun. But I find it even better that now, she has an ending where she just survives, no strings attached. Her nervous system can't handle combat implants anymore? Fine - she can still use passive armor mods, and swinging her machete has never required a neural link to begin with. If she needs some extra strength or mobility, she's a nomad with maxed out Tech and a couple million eddies in the bank - she can build herself a gosh darned exo-suit. She's unbreakable alright, and there's nothing that can stop her from taking over Night City anymore.
Selling out Songbird is not he best ending for V and when you look at Songbird's whole life it's always been about other people trapping her then making decisions for her. Reed wouldn't even communicate that he forgave Song's betrayal as he thought it was best for her that he stayed hidden, while she lived with the guilt. The whole story boils down to whether you're morally good enough to finally let Songbird make her own choice and aka free her from the cage. Or are you desperate enough for a cure that you'd put Songbird back in her cage against her wishes.
True but also she also betrayed us. The whole game she keeps telling us to trust her, we do and then she's like but I have to go to the moon. She essentially chooses to live and not help us. That's pretty messed up. I understand where she's coming from but at the same time I think she was too far gone. I liked her and Reed a lot but there were way too many loose threads in the PL ending to be satisfying. Especially when it came to Johnny idk
*Are you desperate enough for a cure you'd put the bitch who would lie and kill the only person who genuinely cared for her and their friends without hesitation if the plan didn't go as she thought into the cage against her will? I don't even see why you'd even need to be desperate for it.
@@panamakira She has dealt with Mr Blue Eyes and at the end end of "Reaper/Rogue" ending you're dealing with him. I'm guessing she had a say on that one.
@@fredtott4684 Maybe! I definitely prefer the Reaper ending for this reason. There's no way it's coincidence Mr. Blue Eyes appears in a few of the endings. Maybe saving him for the sequel
For the Hansen boss fight I just kept using overclock and stacking a shit ton of quick hacks on him, when I’d run out of overclock I’d pop optical camo with the relic perk so I could just hide from him until I got overclock again, he didn’t even have a chance to fight back
sadly the most cool stuff you only get from Reed (BAD / EVIL) line, but feel wise im going with help Song and hand her over at the end just so she dosnt get corruped monster destroying everything around AND you save Alex AND get another more bitter than sweet ending to both the expansion and the game also im telling to myself since she wasnt 100% corrypted this way the treatment to her may be litle bit mor "les painfull/evil" for her but im disapointed that you cannot do the operation (new ending) after the main endigs ... like end arasaka and then get operation ?
The Star ending also now gets an even better possibility to it in my opinion. Since you leave NC with the Aldecaldos after you've wreaked havoc on militech's biggest competitor, the NUS would likely be happy to help you with their confirmed cure while not ditching with nobody to explain what's going on. You leave night city, keep your romance, have a family with you, and have the potential of a better version of the new ending waiting for you. We also now know a cure is completely possible, which takes out some speculation. All in all, endings got a nice little bit of hope added to them, assuming you turn over the traitor that betrayed everyone.
Killing Reed is the best ending. Reed is the true villain of Phantom Liberty. It is very subtle but in terms of the genre of this expansion Reed is the origin of all the events. Reed lies to V almost every mission and when confronted after helping Songbird he defaults to calling her out for treason which is literally meaningless considering Myers is using her as a personal blackwall daemon. Reed is more concern about Songbird betraying NUSA rather then Songbird using the Blackwall, or betraying him on the orders of Myers. Songbird is the only one trying to break out of the system while Reed is content to just follow orders. Reed is a straight up fascist but you don't realize it because Idris Elba is such a charismatic actor. Does songbird lie to V, yes but Songbird is lying to survive and not lying to control your actions. I am glad I got the best ending on my playthrough. I am going with the storm Arasaka alone route.
The most selfless thing to do (and very anti-Cyberpunk) is to let Songbird fly free on that shuttle. That is what she wanted. That is what mattered. Phantom Liberty was never about V. It was about Songbird. Yes, there is an alternate ending but it just doesn't feel right for V. It's a sad ending, an empty life, no friends left in NC except for Viktor (I love Viktor but poor guy had to go corporate). SO much changed in just 2 years! ! It's hard to believe NC could have changed that much so quickly. But I guess its possible. I might so this PL ending just to unlock the achievement but man, it doesn't feel right, or organic, or even a natural option/ It doesn't have the connective tissue like the other endings. Heck even the Arasaka ending, when you could still choose to leave seems better than the PL ending and I hated that.
It’s not absolutely certain that V loses her life in the Crystal Palace heist. It’s just that the mission is incredibly high risk and we’re left on a cliffhanger. And who knows, if Mr Blue Eyes has a plan for songbird, he and forces behind him could have a plan for V too.
Saving songbird (killing Reed) ensures V continues the game, so it's the best for me. However, I wish there was a save point in Phantom Liberty to be able to play all endings without having to choose only one. Going back to a save point means you lose all the stuff in the previous ending.
There are 5 ENDINGS! To get rhe 5th ( or the 1st ) once you have to rush to the plane after sliding through the tube ( in the beginning of the dlc after you pass through the stores of dogtown ) sinply wait and dont go to save the president. So Mi will be Mad at tou and you will wake up, nothing changed apart from president dying, so basically its the Best ending
It's interesting hearing other peoples perspectives about the ending. Personally, I felt like returning Songbird to the NUSA was always the worse decision of all. Knowing how much it took from her, her begging V to kill her at least she was free and also to lose everything you've built just wasn't worth the cure for me. That was what life was worth living for
In my mind V left NC and ended up joining the FIA to work with Reed, as she healed her condition improved and she regained small fractions of her old abilities. Became a top agent and adopted a Pit bull she named Johnny She never contacted anyone from her old life and her name is Valerie
I loved helping Reed at the end, even if I had to sacrifice my Chrome. I never liked it too much for fear of Cyberpsychosis. So, a reset is perfect. You only know Panam for a few months, and you can have a job(hopefully) with Reed
I didn’t catch it until you mentioned the new ending being a “second chance” but in the wider picture, the whole expansion is about second chances. Songbird looking for hers, Reed and Alex wanting out of Dogtown, gigs where people are in terrible situations that require your help for them to get their second chance, to get their new “lease on life.”
Getting what you want sometimes means giving up everything you are. Letting Songbird have her second chance is also realizing it ain't always about you.
you know nothing is confirmed about Panam in this ending I like to think that V could easily track down Aldecaldos and have his ride to the sunset ending and not die in six months
Assuming you sent So Mi to the moon and she got cured...I'd like to think she contacts you later down the line with another cure through blackwall manipulation/AI cause no way she's just gonna drop all that shit
@@OurFallenWorld just checked it out and wow what a insult like Panam was always emotional but she has had two years to process like Judy got married sure but she was more than happy to always share a beer but Panam will not be returning our calls ever bruh and what is with Takemura still being alive if he and Hanako did storm the tower I don't see anyway where he would willingly stay alive after. I think he would rather die fighting than leave Hanako to die honor and all that
Betraying Songbird was actually fun af chasing down her psychoass, the spider-lab part was a pain in my ass and I flatlined 5 times doing that, but there was real suspense there. Fighting Kurt Hansen was super easy with a sandy + katana build imo Killing Songbird was one of the best endings, fuck Myers, Song is "Free" and the cure leaves you worthless.
I totally agree with you on the "V survives but loses all powers" ending - it's sad to lose the super powers, but, hey, we are alive, and still young. V now has a future, just like every other person on the planet. What they do with it is up to them, and infinitely better than "you'll be dead in a few weeks". I also like the "let Songbird escape and hand her the cure" endings because So Mi deserves such a chance too. V still has options... well, kinda :P
Not only is V alive and young and likely very rich. A very good starting point already to be well of for the future. Not to mention Reed offering a likely very coushy and stable job as well. Like Reed is going to treat V super well to try to make up for the guilt of both V and Songbird. Objectively its the best ending of an new lease on life and a pretty good one all things considered.
I also think the "V normie" is a good ending, maybe CDPR fucked up a little by giving us such shit goodbyes though. "Hey everyone I love and risk daily my life for, imma go check if this lead fixes my brain. BRB in like a week LOL" Nevertheless, after being able to jump and dash for like 50 meters, land, use the Sandie and kill 6 people instantly woth Rebecca's shotgun like a god of death... Walking in NC as an NPC made me feel incredibly scared, so that by itself was worth it. I do prefer sending Songbird to the moon, even with her betrayal, she deserves a chance to be free. The same way V deserves to live.
Nah, So Mi strung us along with the promise of a cure. Had to kill hordes of enemies for her, and then turns out she fucking lied:"theres only one cure, imma gonna take it lol" right at the end, when the shuttle is in spitting distance after you've freaking battled your way through waves of NUSA soldiers. You know what wouldve been cool? if you could kill Reed, and then Shoot So Mi, and then go to space yourself to get cured. But no, you have to get fucked over by everybody
@@RexZShadow I dont remember where, but I heard that V's belongings, money, and all his items were seized and auctioned off during his coma. The afterlife also thought he was dead so idk about him being rich.
@@mingk9607 which is also kinda lazy from cdpr to manufacture a sad ending even though V is healed. Realistically V would have contacted Victor, Judy, panam or River and told them about what he is going to do and maybe even hand over some assets. (since there is also a chance of dying during the surgery, like why not give your loved ones some money) My V was a multi milionaire by the end owning dozens of super cars, multiple apartments and an absurd collection of guns and clothes worth millions. The missed rent would never amount to anything even close to that.
I had something like 1.5m credits and a super car collection when I finished so I'd like to think my V would live a comfortable life. Maybe he'd go after Panam or move somewhere to build a new life. On an unrelated note, I'd love some kind of spinoff game where you can be a fixer and accept jobs, hire mercs and try and outmaneuver rival fixers etc in a Cyberpunk type setting. More of a strategy type game than an action RPG.
Completely disagree with your opinions on endings. Killing Songbird is the purest ending you can get. She literally tells you in her apartment "it's great to this moment with a friend as a last memory before the darkness". Spelling out to you that it's too late for her and this is the best you could do (hugging her & killing her after). Letting her go to the moon is pretty good on the surface but if you know more about Mr Blue Eyes, you know that she still will be used. All other endings are bad because you support corrupted people who used her and are using you and also, Johnny hates it.
I killed Reed and sent Songbird to the moon. Not saying it's because that's the one I chose; but I really think that's the most fitting ending. Phantom Liberty was Songbird's play. V, Reed, Myers were all pawns in that story. She wanted to sacrifice all for survival, and that's what she got in the end. And as a true Bond girl fashion, Songbird just had to trick V. Like she did trick Reed before. And that showdown between V and Reed was too cool not to happen. For V and Silverhand, they needed to go with a banger. He needed to finish what Johnny started. So the Tower ending (even if it wasn't what I got originally) was the best ending for their story.
Do you have to go back to a old save if I send her to the moon? I say cause ppl are commenting that you have to go to a old save when you do the last missions
SPOILERS for Phantom Liberty and Edgerunners: For me it was quite easy to side with Songbird.. I was still on the fence till the mission where we hijack the car with the redhead twins, but then when they kill the twins, that was the final nail in the coffin for me to side with Songbird. Even when So Mi reveals the truth that the cure is only a one time use thing, I thought, well at least one of us can be saved from all this mess... It's not like we could use the cure on us if we handed over So Mi to Reed. Might as well let her have the cure and be free. Also, it seemed very coincidentally similar to Edgerunners, where one of the best Netrunners wants to go the moon and the protagonist saves and helps her to fulfill that wish. 💔
If you think you are going into this expecting a happy ending, I got news for you kiddo, this is Night City, happy endings don’t exist it’s just eat you alive- Johnny Silverhand. He pretty much told us and we weren’t paying attention, the ending also made me realized that it’s the same in real life, if you disappear life will go on, and at first people will might get worried, but they will move on and I just sat there crying, because it’s true. And for once I felt like Johnny, 😢
@@BigBossSZ05 Proof? V can in theory survive literally every ending except the suicide option. Blue eyes especially likely has incredible pull and power, and could absolutely have the resources to save V.
Although I hate the idea of V not living I think, since when Johnny gives up his life for V than V only has months to live, the best ending is V giving his body to Johnny since Johnny can live more than a few months and V cannot. But this new ending where V can survive as normal without a ticking bomb in his head sounds even better.
The only endings that make sense to me are the devil ending and going back to earth, or, the star ending and leaving night city to make a new life an try to live. Life is about how you will face your death. In tower you refused to die and leave the world in its worst possible condition. You fell to ruin for nothing. The only they endings you at least destroy an evil or have the power to protect yourself and loved ones, maybe both.
@@u13erfitz The irony is Arasaka effectively destroys themselves without your meddling, lol. You barely leave the world in worse condition, unless you believe Mayers is dumb enough to release the RABIDS from beyond the BlackWall upon the world.
the worst possible condition for the world is ressurecting Saburo Arasaka and granting him power over the souls of the dead. Blackwall is going to crumble regardless of the NUSA's meddling; there's just too many other factors compromising it. Arasaka wielding supreme power is a fate that can be avoided.
I love this ending to death. It's so depressing and so is Cyberpunk, this imperfect and cruel world. And you really get punished for something it just felt right to me. Fantastic writing in my opinion. Btw that dialog with Johnny where the "forgive" each other if you choose so, really brought tears to my eyes
You forgot one more "ending" which was if you don't do anything at all at the beginning of the story. It's hilarious, the president dies, so mi basically lives for a few more days, and no one bats an eye, not even the two agents that went "undercover" in dogtown. it's not really an ending more like a way to just dodge an entire story. it's funny as hell though. And the fucked up part is that it's the happiest ending for practically everyone if you know the context. So mi is pretty much free to do wtf she wants, the other agents are in "retirement," V is still at square one (which compared to progressing all to go back to square 1 doesn't seem that bad), Hansen lives, Johnny gets his Alcohol. Literally you solve the problem without even knowing what it was. Fucking hilarious.
V getting a literal second lease on life is undoubtedly the best ending. The game just frames it as you throwing everything away but in actuality V does beat Nightcity in a sense. Because everything that V went through in the game is all thanks to the allure of gaining power that Nightcity baits everyone with and that constant struggle for power is what will eventually kill you. But now that V's just an average human, he can no longer gun for the top spot in NC while at the same time NC can no longer entice him into putting his life on the line for that illusion of power. Instead, V finally gets full control of his life again
Dunno, being able to walk after 2 year coma is really promising sign of recovery. Also the game is beatable without cyberware, so it's possible to survive on the streets. Also V still possess assests like money, real estate, cars, reputation, but most importantly - time. I likewise wonder does lack of cyberware make V immune to quickhacks and AI taking over their body?
I saved So Mi and sent her to the Moon you also get a text some time later from her opens up a quest which leads you to the spot she took you with a post card and a pin sent there to remember her by so i was happy with my ending. I never liked Reed or Myers enough to help them but i genuinely cared for So Mi. Her going to space getting cured and being free was my best ending. She was also my dream Romance option. Great DLC though aside from Dogtown running poorly in some areas on Series X due to it's optimization.
Honestly, my favorite ending is the one where V rides off into the sunset with panam. I imagine that V finds a way safer and less invasive way to deal with the chip so she can keep her cyberware. At least thats what i imagine for my V.
I think all the choices are good and bad at the same time. I think the whole theme is dealing with the consequences of YOUR own actions and trusting people. Reed I think has incredibly good intentions all around for everyone, but he's a loyal dog that regardless of how many times he gets kicked down he's still going to be loyal Songbird, Alex, and NUSA/Myers, and to some extent V, because at the end of the day he is the only one who kept his promise to you. Myers I had no ill will towards. She had every opportunity to ditch you when you first meet and dispose of you and honestly, she never came off as BSing you about things. That being said I have a feeling Jacob and Taylor the two Dogtown guys who knock on the hideout door were probably taken out, but you don't know. And she also fulfils her end of the bargain. Plus, unlike Arasaka, they (more so Reed) offer you a job at the NUSA, and don't just toss you aside. Songbird is a mixed bag. She got people killed, she trusted a gang warlord essentially, she lied to everyone about everything, and opens up more into the Blackwall. And you have to remember a majority of the stuff was her choice and you see that with her memories. Plus, even Reed consistently offering to help she refuses. And sure you can say Myrers had her go into the Blackwall, but that was only because she proved to everyone she could. Honestly I feel Alex is kind of the most screwed one out of them all. That being said what does annoy me gameplay though is that if you don't choose to sabotage Songbird you lose out on the Blackwall items.
yeah, we see her mistakes first, and then, what got wrong in her life so we can understand these same mistakes, song mi had actually suffered a lot. the game tries to teach us about forgiveness.
I legit cried when both Johnny and V apologized to each other. Obviously Johnny was nervous as he's smoking and pacing around
@@DOGNUHTSay, I was wellin up 😅
i was tearing up but what made me start to actually cry was when misty says “you’ll learn to avoid dark alleys and run when you hear gunshots; a face in a crowd.” I’ve been playing cyberpunk on ps5 since it launched in 2020 and platniumed the game when it was still broken a few months after release. I constantly kept replaying the game throughout the years each playthrough doing the don’t fear the reaper ending because it’s honestly the best one and it’s my head cannon ending for V. But this ending hit too close to home and i feel like the devs had that it mind due to the fans reaction when the game released buggy and unfinished.
Do you ever have that feeling of something really important ending and having to move on. Graduating school and moving away or ending off a toxic relationship or overcoming a conflict. Sometimes the reality is that no one wins and life goes on regardless, the way johnny says “ i’m not asking you to fade away, but learn to move on” or something along those lines encapsulates it the best. Sometimes you’ll want revenge or to go back and fix things and live that perfect life you were so close to getting but you can’t and your only option is to move on. The fact the Judy left you, Panam hates you (i played as female V), Viktor had to sell out because he was counting on being V’s personal ripper when she gets to the major leagues is brutal.
Reed questioning his future as a agent but more as a person since as johnny said it he lost everything, Myers views him as nothing more then a lapdog due to him being out of shape( off field presumably) and the failure during the final mission. Songbird is once again a prisoner, which other than V is the worst fate since she truly didn’t have any choice( during my first playthrough of phantom liberty i got the ending where songbird escapes to the Moon and V helps her)
V still holding out and meeting up with Vik only to be told the same thing was hard to watch and when she already felt hopeless she’s powerless to the muggers but on top more bad things happening to her that she could’ve prevented if she chose better options. It’s right here where misty gives you a pep talk and it leads to the ending cutscene where I started to cry. Recently i’ve been feeling powerless to fate and that things aren’t going to turn out well, all my efforts going to waste after such a long pursuit of it all feels terrible and this ending resonated heavily with me.
Even though the don’t fear the reaper ending is my favorite this ending was so emotional and realistic given everything almost making it feel like the base game endings are just happy dreams/fantasy rather than the true harsh nature of night city which the phantom liberty ending shows.
Johnny’s final talk with V was also gut wrenching after hundreds of hours playing the game and multiple playthroughs when he comes to the realization that it’s over and he sits down and starts smoking I genuinely felt horrible and waited a few minutes before continuing so that johnny could smoke since he tends to smoke when stressed out
. But more, in the original endings, Johnny believes that he and V will both survive and that there will be a solution. it’s only when entering cyberspace does Alt hit them both with the bombshell that one of them either takes the body and lives or goes with her and becomes a ai god like her or dies . when Johnny originally died in 2023 he was killed almost immediately by smasher, he never had time to reflect on his life and choices but this time the game gives you the option to let him. His final thoughts on the A.V were incredibly sad you can see the rebel in him still knows that the fight could be won whether via V by herself or V and him but this way, it’s safe and guaranteed and realistic. He appears wise to V but deep down he’s just trying to play the heroic rebel facade he always put on but if you ask the right questions he starts to break a bit and you see how he doesn’t want to die and wanted to live a normal life like everyone else.
He’s about to start explaining these things to V for the first time in his life but the doctor injects her with the stim due to the biomonitor picking up increased emotional levels and Johnny isn’t able to be honest before dying.
That’s what makes what misty says later on and the ending so sad but true that there probably was a better way but that’s night city and it’s best to take what you got and move on no matter how much you lost. Sorry for the overly long analysis i had so many emotions after just finishing the DLC, it feels like a chapter of my life is coming to an end: years spent waiting for the game to come out and the hype then release then patches then hype for the dlc, now finally finishing it.
In 6 years from now whenever Orion comes out i’ll be 26 and hopefully in a better place in life but this game and its impact on me will always be a cherished memory and it’s one of a kind story and it’s messages will always be something i call back to when i find myself in similar situations or feelings. Thank you CDPR
I'm 28 and married, and I wish when Orion releases I get a chance to play it. I've been a gamer since 2005, when I was in 5th grade. I didn't have my own rig; I used to play games at the game parlor. During those days, I've missed the chance to play some good games, as it needed a hell lot of money to spare. It's been 1 year since I've purchased a gaming laptop (I waited 17 years to get a good setup of my own), but hell, a great amount of time has passed and I'm surrounded by responsibilities now (job, marriage). I wish I could carry my laptop and a few hundred games, sit in a time machine, and go 13 years back.
I wish to get a chance to play Orion and have a good laptop that supports it when it releases.
@@HikariPrime beautiful bro, i remember pre ordering this in 2020 not even knowing how much i would fall in love with this game
which ending is this
Killing Songbird isn’t the most horrible outcome.
Myers wont get to absue her anymore. Reed finally realizes that it was the right thing to do, to set her free. And Somi’s finally free, one way or another.
Yup! Songbird is already dead, and a malevolent AI is just using her as a meat-puppet. And V, who isn’t a naive moron, and knows this, would never side with the malevolent AI against her human allies who are still alive.
I thought I was doing the right thing and killed her, turns out I just get the worst ‘worst’ ending because of it😂
I still wouldn’t change my choice tho
I completely agree. Keeping her alive feels absolutely horrible.
I think if you're alive that means you can change things, if you end it - that's it. Like Somi said "no second chance for me". Myers won't be in power for a million years, it's not Japan and leaders are elected for their terms, not lifetimes etc. etc. I'm sure Reed will help her get free even if it's after some time. It's not like she's dying from a construct in her brain. Early 30's when people live for like a hundred years on average (unless they're poor and Somi definitely isn't poor) she'll spend a few years slaving for the prez bitch, maybe a decade at most(reminds me of high school) and will definitely get her well deserved retirement, I'm positive that Reed will make sure she is free eventually. I mean... I know it's the future and corpos and government blah blah blah, but she's not some weakling from the lowest class that can just be pushed around indefinitely. Saving her, in my opinion, is DEFINITELY not the worst ending.
I couldn't not kill her, it felt morally wrong to just give her to the people who abuse her, especially after seeing her past flashbacks.
I'm gonna be honest, the ending where V lives might be the worst outcome next to the devil ending. There are no happy endings in Night City.
I think it's making a statement of "You're going to live but you're not special anymore."
It’s worse than the devil ending imo
Yeah fr V gets jumped instantly, idk why V didn’t just go with Misty
Well, you do smile in the final shot
I gave her up carrying her to the shuttle, I thought she wouldn't make it , she was dying, I thought I'd get cured , more fool me.
V without chrome, it's no life
I dont think a ending where V loses everyone he ever cared about, loses Johnny, doesn't take out adam smasher, doesn't get to say a true goodbye to anyone except Misty is a good ending. Its emotionally heartbreaking honestly. V MAIN GOAL before the chip situation was to become a Legend, even Jackie wanted that for us, to live as a npc forever alone? Naw thats bad
Yeah but that's it Big Dan Gaming is fucking stupid and doesn't get that. Cyberpunk is about being awesome, quick hacking, taking down gangs, becoming a legend. None of this pathetic I'm just another meat bag, BS. If we wanted to be an NPC w would've player some other fucking game.
lol take it you don’t know what BioWare is in the cyberpunk world. V will be fine with no chrome as a fixer or FiA agent if taken the lives path.
@NiteF0X Well we will never truly know, he could get mugged again and probably killed by some random by all we know, that what makes this ending terrible.
@@DJ_LOONIE And for all we know they can go and live a long happy life. V had just woken up from a 2 year coma. Vs muscles hadn’t fully recovered still as the mugging happens soon after they wake up. They can still train their body and still shoot a gun if it comes to that. If you choose the right dialogue when talking to misty you can say that you might join the FIA with Reed or become a fixer. Vs got their whole life ahead of them to do whatever they want. Still better than helping that traitor so mi.
@NiteF0X Bro. All you're saying is what if this what if that. You don't know what will truly happen, im talking about what we saw as a option and and what the ending gave us. If you romance anyone, they forget about you or hate you, you lose your life goal of becoming a legend. And the world is still shit
The betray songbird path has easily one of the scariest segments in a non horror game I’ve played
Pure Terror.
It felt like I was playing SOMA. Legit terrifying.
@@Marcell2aG it felt like i was playing alien isolation yet i don't even own the game myself to know how scary it is to be chased down by xenos
@@Tsumefan2 i played for like 1 hour and never seen that thing in my gameplay so i just uninstalled that😑
I wanted to play Alien Isolation after finishing Cyberpunk. Now I don't won't do that anymore🥲
Helping Songbird escape the Matrix and going out with a bang by solo rushing the Arasaka Tower feels like the perfect end, at least for my V.
This is the only canon ending for me
same here. That is the ending where you get to do everything on your own terms.
i just did this one and yes this is the best ending for V
V’s main goal was to always be a legend in Night City. Storming Arasaka Tower alone, both V & Johnny going their separate ways in peace, & V enjoying the remaining six months of life she has left as a Night City Legend is how I imagine her story to end.
Hell yeah. F*ck Arasaka. F*ck Myers. In Cyberpunk, you have to go for the blast.
The truth is, V would not survive a week in Night City as a NPC, specially when you consider how many enemies she got now and the few friends she got left. A Fixer? "Yeah, yeah, you can dream V..." Johnny would say about that....
tbf they all must think V is either dead or left the city a long time ago.
V can probably just replace their faceplate or hide it out in public.
Would be more worried about random gang violence though lol
but honestly in V's shoes i would just take the job Reed offered and get out of NC, start somewhere else, nothing but bad memories in that city after everyone moves on without you
I can see why people would be upset at this ending, but it's probably the most realistic. People becoming medically incapacitated or falling into a coma only to be faced with breakup/divorce, no visits at the hospital, and a handicap after all is done, that's too real. I think the best ending is one where V leaves with Panam, or Johnny and V leave with Alt, but the bad part about it is you can't kill Yorinobu to keep Arasaka trying to resurrect Saburo in the future.
@@TenshiHinanawi-uq3oyif Alt gets access to Mikoshi, she’d end up absorbing Yoronobu’s engram
I thought it was really sweet Misty and Viktor are still supportive and want V in their lives, goes to show that those two and Jackie are truly V's besties (will put Kerry there too since he wants to see V soon as his tour is over). Viktor and V joining Misty in Europe once they're sick of Night City is also a nice thought.
Agreed. Vik, Misty, Kerry and Jackie are the real ones.
That’s a big theme throughout Cyberpunk-finding these genuine relationships in what is effectively the world’s greatest cesspool of scum and villainy. This in turn feeds into the game’s thesis: is it better to live a long life with minimum excitement, or a shorter life full of both joy and sorrow?
@@warlordofbritanniadepends the legacy you wanna leave behind
sucks that V cannot follow Misty to Poland
CDPR screwed the good ending for no reason
It's sad too knowing that Panam said she would be with V no matter what happened yet she seemed to abandon V knowing they were in a Coma it wasn't Vs fault
Songbird confesses to you in the Somewhat Damaged mission, which I loved the stealth horror aspect of, when you find her in the core that she is already too far gone, corrupted by the Blackwall. If you refuse to kill her she explains she would live on not knowing who she was, an algorithm that used to be human, lost beyond the Blackwall. If you spare her and decide to do the new ending, even though they promise the best for her, Reed confirms after you wake up from your coma that Songbird has returned to service and Myers has refused to give him updates on her, which to me sounds like they scrapped her last bit of humanity and is more tool than person than ever for Myers. Extra fun fact: If you side with Songbird, she also confesses that it was Mr. Blue Eyes that funded her trip to the moon (without ever saying his name) and he can be seen watching over you before you get to the shuttle.
Mt. Blue eyes AI wearing a human skin puppet confirmed
Really? Is he watching before or after we get on the train?
Exactly what I was about to comment. It might be the best ending for V, but it is the worst ending for Song.
@@AB-wf2js After; you see him in a window at the station above the train tracks
This also tilts the scales toward the Sun ending, where Blue Eyes promises to help V if they successfully finish the mission
To me, the best combination of endings is saving So-Mi and then leaving with the Nomads. You both get to be free, and that's exactly with Pondsmith's Cyberpunk is about.
Going with Panam ending is still the best and most fulfilling. There’s still talk about searching for a cure in that one. So side with Songbird, send her to the moon and head out with Panam, Judy etc. I did get what they were going for with the new ending though. But I agree V would’ve told their partner what they were doing. There’s still a chance to reconcile in the future in the new ending too.
I agree. That's what I did the first time.
Going to go go back Fem V and try a diff build and save Firestarter for after I've cleared Vanilla so I can play with the Phantom stuff.
Did you see Mr. Blue eyes in the Killing Moon(Or was it Firestarter?) Overlooking room in one of the areas???? I scanned everyone b4 engaging and found Mr. Blue eyes!
@@Liveordiebyinches songbird does mention that blue eyes got the ticket for her
@@LiveordiebyinchesBlue eyes is also waiting for you at the end of the train ride with So Mi
You do get that Songbird is the most manipulitive of all the characters right? She only really tells you the truth at the end because at that point you already betrayed Reed. The only real reason to save Song is to save Alex. Besides she lives if you give her to Reed anyways. Giving her a purpose built new engram built with rogue AI tech after shes basically been infected with an AI from beyond the blackwall which she wont stop using. Her whole character is her making bad decisions then having others clean it up.
Though after that really bad last ending, the aldecaldo ending is the best.
@@bmagada she tells you the truth when she’s completely defenseless, she has no logical reason to expose her lie to you at that point. So Mi easily could’ve just kept the lie to herself and got a free trip to the moon. However for once in her life of betrayal she breaks for a second and decides to be truthful with you. Not after she’s already won but just before, right at the most critical moment in her plan for survival.
Why does she do this? Why does she put her last chance at survival in jeopardy at the very last step?
I think it’s because after a living a life of being deceived and betrayed by everyone else around her, used for the selfish gains by Militech and the NUSA (which I understand she got herself into a bit)
She wanted to see if V would finally be the one person to break that cycle of being betrayed.
Yes she betrayed you up until this point and have every reason to stab her in the back, but in this moment I feel SongBird wants to see if V is the one honest good hearted person in her life or just another person out for themselves.
Choosing to get SongBird to the moon despite her being honest about her deception to you restores her broken faith in humanity after she’s been destroyed for her entire life.
Maybe she doesn’t deserve any of that but I personally believe that one moment of weakness she shows to V by telling the truth in her most dire moment proves she isn’t truly a bad person, just molded into a spiky shell of a women trying to save herself because so far no one has ever had her back truly.
Handing her over to Reed and the NUSA doesn’t save her, she basically just becomes a soulless AI controlled by the NUSA. Killing her of sending her to the moon are the only good options for her.
riding into the unknown of the desert with panam is still by FAR the best and happiest ending in the game
but it doesn't fit the story at all...
@@fuqumang
Doesn’t it? Cyberpunk’s main thesis is whether it is better to live a long, uneventful life, or a shorter life full of both joy and sorrow. V leaving with Panam is a continuation of one of those threads-to continue chasing that hope, knowing that while you’ll probably never get the ending you want you’ll at least be with the people you love. In other words, it’s committing to the second answer.
nah after V is cured she should leave with Misty to Poland
thats the best ending
Don’t fear the reaper>>
Dude, Songbird BEGS you to kill her, think on that for a moment. The implications are rather obvious if you’ve been paying attention.
Yeah, after that, I have never been more certain of the right course of action. I am not necessarily in favour of assisted suicide for healthy people, but Songbird had become little more than a brain in chrome and, if you betray her, it is clear malevolent AIs from beyond the Blackwall are overpowering her. Songbird says she fears she will lose her identity and be doomed to roam forever, lost beyond the Blackwall. That reminded me of "locked in syndrome", which I find terrifying, and of Dante's final circle of hell (locked in ice). Things are less clear if you betray Reed - maybe Mr Blue Eyes is benign (he does promote Peralez, who is a model politician) like Alt and will help Song-Mi. But Mr Blue Eyes does seem to represent the AI beyond the Blackwall, who in game are generally portrayed as an apocalyptic threat to humanity.
So you gain freedom, but you have to give up your friends and old life. "Phantom Liberty" really fits that ending. A ghost, but a free ghost
Dude, I can-t believe it took me reading this comment to notice that, holy crap hahaha, it was in the name of the DLC all along!
Vik Kerry and Misty are still Talking to V after the coma
Personally I think sending Songbird to the moon is the best ending. Reed and the NUSA simply don’t deserve to win. Myers is a force for evil and shouldn’t have access to Songbird’s abilities. Also, Songbird does reach out to V and therefore she definitely survived, meaning the Neural Link actually worked.
If it worked for Songbird then the same technology can work for V, and the ending in which V is working for Blue Eyes may well result in them surviving and getting a very overdue apology from Songbird.
Finally, now that we know that it is absolutely possible to save V and reverse the Relic’s overwriting issue, Panam’s contacts she was so sure could help V May actually be able to after all. We’ll never know the answer to that but the endings are all ambiguous anyway
Just out of curiosity why does Songbird deserve to live? She manipulates and kills her whole adult life both for the NUSA and for her own purposes
@@RoonpuddleI wouldn’t say she necessarily deserves to live but she’s basically a parallel to V in many respects, V definitely doesn’t deserve to live they’ve killed and fucked over a lot of people too. Only reason So Mi is so deceptive is because of how they’ve been treated and taught.
If V deserves to find a cure then so does SongBird.
If you don’t send her to the moon she’s 100% dies or wishes for death.
V still theoretically has a chance for survival in other endings, so in my head it makes the most sense to help her live and then potentially cure yourself with the Panam ending or Mr blue eyes heist ending. And If you don’t end up finding a cure for yourself with either of those two then at least your life wasn’t for nothing, you helped someone else save their life and became a night city legend.
Just seems like a better choice than to fade away into nothingness after curing yourself of the relic and sending So Mi to her death.
I think sending SoMi to the moon is the best ending cuz it defeats Myers, who is playing with nukes sending a Netrunner to mess with the blackwall. It's also the more humane ending for everyone involved. Songbird gets a cure, Reed and Alex end their FIA betrayalfest careers, Myers get to eff off and you don't lose yourself or your legend status.
@@S7GamaI think the only similarity between V and Songbird is that they're both dying. Besides that, they couldn't be further apart. The difference in how they treat their friends and allies best exemplifies that
@@ThePlayer920 saying she even has Allie’s or friends is a pretty far stretch, Reed and the NUSA are the only ones close enough to be considered that and even they don’t seem very much like friends.
The NUSA just wants her because she’s a super weapon, they couldn’t care less about her wellbeing. This is proved when you hand her over to Reed. She’s just turned into a soulless shell of a person forced to go beyond the blackwall so the NUSA can stay on top, doesn’t sound like something a friend would do.
Reed while I believed he cares for her is way to stuck to his code and pledge for the NUSA, he wants Songbird to be safe but is blinded and truly believes that the NUSA would care for her, when it’s proven they won’t.
Her only logical choice is to leave both those options and try to save herself.
She doesn’t have any real connections besides those 2, only other option is V and while she initially lies to V just like how she lied to Reed and the NUSA. She doesn’t come clean with V and tells them the truth, showing that she trusts V and deeply regrets her decision to lie to V.
She probably doesn’t deserve to live anyway but everything she’s done in her situation seems valid and makes sense.
I liked the siding with Reed and killing Songbird ending.
Songbird’s mistakes catch up to her, and she goes out on her on terms, peacefully.
Then at the end of it, telling Reed to leave the NUSA, and to carve his own path for once, seeing him leave his secret agent life behind is nice.
I hadn’t watched any endings until after i had finished and this was the exact path i chose lol. Was a good compromise for both!
Could not choose to side with Reed, i just didnt stand the fact that So Mi was being used by Myers for her purposes. I went with the opposite ending: sent So Mi to moon and killed Reed. Felt guilty, but it is what it is, and someone had to give up on their life
@@piccuz4290So Mi was lying to everybody all the time. She also asked us to leave Alex and Reed behind in the Stadium while we run with the Matrix, implying we would leave them to die, after she already betrayed them before. Meanwhile Reed genuinely wants to help her and doesn't ask to leave anyone behind. Reed is the logical option.
This is the best ending imo
I replayed all the endings and this is the one i ultimately stuck with. Songbird used V knowing full well she would never be able to help him, and was happy to sacrifice any amount of innocent life to protect herself. So if it's a choice between her and Reed, i'd choose Reed everytime.
I think it's also right to put her out of her misery and keeping her out of Myers grubby hands, which leads Reed to forging his own path, and turning his back on the NUSA. It just felt right.
I trusted Songbird... An ending has never made me that pissed before haha.
Me too, in the end I help her and she betray me, I choose to give her to reed
Fr😂, either way the endings in this game are all ass no happy ending😂
I'm really glad they added they added an ending in Phantom Liberty where V survives. It was bittersweet getting to see Night City in 2079 and seeing how life moved on without you. Personally, though I still think Vs ending with the Nomads is the best ending. Especially if you romanced Judy like I did during my first playthrough. V may only have 6 months to live but quality over quantity. With this ending, you get to live out whatever time you have left with your love interest. And have the support of your adopted nomad clam. I also think there is still hope for V with this ending. Who knows it is possible that one of Panam's contacts in Arizona may be able to help V.
The NUSA ending gives proof that V can be saved, so it's entirely plausible that going with Blue Eyes or the Nomads leads to V surviving, possibly even with his implants intact.
I agree with both of you.
Theres no reason (male) V can't be within contact with Reed after running off with Panam/Judy and even if it's basically assisted living, have a chromed spouse and you back to organic.
Sorta forced role swap but again... V can let So Mi die with her dignity. Show reed the political corruption he's been serving and all it's taken from him. Get cured, and live MANY quality years with their lover. Sentenced to, getting old with new family... Kinda makes me tear up 😅
As far as Johnny.. we both can't live forever even if twice, but we lived 10× the life any other two could've. Hell yea.
One thing that the PL endings have showed me is that V now has an extremely likely chance of being cured in the Don't Fear The Reaper ending - making it the best ending for V if the theory of Mr Blue Eyes being an AI from beyond the blackwall is true.
V's reward for taking on the Crystal Palace could be anything now that we know what blackwall AIs are capable of, which is safely removing the relic from V at only the cost of V's ability to use cyberware. V still goes down as a legend especially after solo-raiding Arasaka but likely doesn't have as much of the negative consequences that the PL ending has. Most probably Militech doesn't take over NC and most definitely Vik doesn't get bought out and become a shell of his former self, which also means Misty doesn't leave NC. Unfortunately it seems V still loses her cyberware affinity but at least in this potential alternate future V doesn't lose 90% of their loved ones.
I thought about this too, especially since I've always thought blue eyes being an AI in a glorified meat suit was probably the most likely theory on who he is. really it just makes the sun ending all the more frustrating since we have almost no idea what we're actually signing up for, but hopefully we'll get some kind of an answer in the future
you could honestly argue that don't fear the reaper is the best ending even excluding what we know from phantom liberty considering it means V isn't dragging anyone else into their issues (which is something I think a weirdly large part of the community doesn't consider tbh) but it really does all hinge on blue eyes who is probably the single most enigmatic character in the game. I was hoping PL, being all about spies and mysteries and stuff would shed some more light on him but oh well
It depends on how you interpret Mr. Blue Eyes intent. As I recall there's some evidence he likes multiple hosts. Alt has dialogue if you bring the blackwall fix up that suggests trying to fix it via those means is a risk of being slaved to AI who want meat suits but people's tech isn't advanced enough for them. I think it's 50/50 Blue Eyes fixes you or wears you to the prom indefinitely as one of himself.
I don't think V would lose their cybernetics if they were cured in another ending, lets say "Don't Fear The Reaper." Throughout Phantom Liberty, there was this duality theme going on between V and Songbird, where both wanted to be "completely free" and live as "normal people" and the Devs wanted to drive this theme even more, by have V lose their cybernetics and force them to be "normal." Even in the end credits scene, Rogue calls V and tells them to not come to the bar or they'll tarnish their "legend status." Basically V can't be a normal person and a legend at the same time.
Don't fear the reaper however, pretty much solidifies V's legend status. If the theory is correct with Blue Eyes helping V and curing them, chances are V would still keep their cybernetics, however (since the Devs hate any idea of V having a "happy ending") in classic cyberpunk fashion, there will still be a downside, whether V gets cured of the Relic Cancer but is still forced to keep Johnny or another AI in his head, or he ends up becoming a "blackwall avatar" like Songbird does in the Capture Songbird ending.
Sending Songbird to Luna and then doing the Don't Fear the Reaper ending has a chance for a happy ending for both. However, if Mr. Blue Eyes really is a rogue AI from beyond the blackwall, that ending has the possibility of also being the worst ending depending on what he actually wants from Songbird and V. We don't know his true motives behind helping us yet, so it remains a questionmark for me. The writers have stated that there is no happy ending in Cyberpunk after all.
Also Note that he (Mr Blue Eyes) only helps people that are/are becoming IA - In the Sun, V is in a Relic ant in PL Songbird is becoming day by day less human.
Just completed it… loved the new ending EXCEPT for the poor writing decision for Panam. She had lines in the DLC, yet we’re hit with her ghosting us and Mitch telling me don’t call her
just one thing, Mitch might be llying to V because Panam might be dead, his suit is Bioware uniform. Their whole family might have been destroyed by big corp or others.
imo Panam was always like that, mainly self-centered
@@vojtechjilovecthat's true and when she loved she loved hard and when she loses...well it's not good.
@@sweatydrug437lol, Bioware?
@@gracenote108 Oh, it's Biotechnika(?) The one Saul talked about to make a deal with them. I did not catch that uniform, nice.
If you happen to stumble upon things they are involved you would know they are as bad as any other corpos. Also that short anime story as a music clip(Let You Down) it's the same corporation screwing over people with dangerous drugs they sell when they know the medicine is flawed.
The problem I have with the new ending is not only the cost of it all but just the fact that you don't really accomplish anything. Especially if you've done most of the missions up to that point. It just all feels like it was for nothing. Ultimately I'd rather ride off with Panam, sure, you are going to die, but it feels much more on your own terms.
There's still the possibility mentioned by the host of the (tv or radio?) news show where they reveal one of the biotech companies has successfully cured MS using technology that can reverse nerve damage and regrow damaged nerve endings. This opens up potential cures for V down the line, if (big IF) CDPR wanted to take that route down the road.
Since it's beyond the scope of the game it can still be "head canon" if you want it to be.
- earning new life
- saving president of NUSA
- potentialy impacting world much more than in any ending by giving NUSA the doomsday device
- being aplauded as the hero of NUSA for killing the renegade ex-military
- surviving the confrontation with digital satan herself :P
Why do you feel like the dlc ending should be the best? I think it's good for being what it is since it's the only ending where V for sure lives but it depends on what your willing to sacrifice, just cause you paid money you wanted the #1 ending to be the dlc one. I liked the dlc, I liked Dogtown, I liked Pacifica being fleshed out, I liked Reed and Songbird, I liked the choic, I like the new Relic tree. But oh the ending isn't the everybody gets exactly everything they want and it's perfect therefore bad dlc.
Its about the journey not the destination. In hearts of stone the good ending makes you save a person way worse than songbird and you end up without a reward.
@@Dr.Yakub22 His sword is pretty good until you get to B&W...taking the demon saddle is the best option tho
For my V, siding with Songbird and sending her on the rocket was the best choice for him. As a nomad, I prioritised family and freedom in most situations. (An example is telling Jefferson about being brainwashed. Giving him the choice to decide what he wants to do next.)
So when V strapped in Songbird and had the nomad dialogue saying she’s free, i knew I had made the right choice. Also being in a similar situation to V, her actions make sense. Especially considering she’s a slave, trying to claw her way to freedom. So yes she was using everyone but pretty much everyone was using her. That’s why in my eyes it’s the most appealing ending, even if it isn’t exactly for V.
I don't think giving Song to NUSA is a good option. Once Myers no longer needs her, she will be killed... Additionally, being forced to keep using the blackwall will end up killing Song or causing her to lose all her memories
Love the cyberpunk vids!
I didnt like the new main game ending because the ending of V's friendships felt very contrived. Otherwise the PL endings themselves were outstanding
I don't like it cause I'm polyamorous and don't see why V can't just go reconnect, especially with Judy.
@@reaganeidemiller7132 yuck
@@reaganeidemiller7132grow up
@@reaganeidemiller7132 because Judy got married and Judy isn't polyamorous.
@@reaganeidemiller7132Because Judy’s not polyamorous unlike you.
Nobody can convince me that the FIA didn't disable your cyberware intentionally.
V was a huge risk, and his/her loyalties to Night City and thier friends was compromising. Someone that can fight their way out of Hanson's stadium, take down 4 Maxtac agents, and survive attacks from rogue AI's, So Mi trying to save you or not, _and_ brought in the person using those blackwall attacks?
There's a reason why Reed says "you're no Morgan Blackhand", just remember Reed lies all the time.
maybe because Vic is corp now too he saw and knew what would happen if he undid it
@@nhoj084eva both of your comments make so much sense damn, didn't occur to me, totally what the FIA would do to V, but sort of unavoidable. Remember the "best of the best" work for the FIA including people who know how to make such things look like accidents. Vic being a corpo didn't make sense to me at first but after this it seems the devs could legit have the same idea for the ending as you, maybe that's why he gave up so easily, or the damage was already done. This game fucks with you too much lol
@@q1337 Looking back on this I wish there was more too it, like you can agree to join the FIA and then suddenly you are all in the clear
@@nhoj084eva I felt like a more fitting ending would be the presidents guard just dropping you right there because you were a means to an end. It's a great story very well written but the endings leave something to be desired. Imagine having an option to sabotage mayers AV in the last scene, would be a fitting ending. Or best of all imagine convincing Reed to betray the FIA and help you with songbird. Just a bit more effort and we would have quite literally all aspects covered. I personally would've loved if you could convince Reed to join you with a very very high skill check and then you continue the space port mission with him. I agree that no matter what V seems to trust the FIA a bit too much.
@@q1337 For me the ending could be you betraying Songbird and taking her spot on the Moon and getting cured, then living your life as normal with the knowledge you doomed her to being Meyers slave
There are some bad takes on this video. Did you pay attention to what the character SAY and Don’t? You say that song bird will be saved and could even escape later. The chances of that are zero bud.
The FIA used “alternative methods” than the neural matrix when “saving her”. Myers refers to songbird as a weapon of mass destruction. The chances So Mi can even move after being saved are low.
Shit they probably didn’t even save her and let her be rewritten by an rogue-ai who they then enslaved.
Also selling out songbird after helping her makes V a huge scum. You have literally witnessed Myers refer to songbird as a weapon of mass destruction and massacre an entire airport full of innocent people just to capture her and you let her win by being petty? You can even find a memorial in the airport with all the names of the victims . And many people shared their last names implying there were entire families snuffed out just because the president couldn’t take the L.
Killing songbird is the second best ending not the worst . You put her out of her misery. You fuck Myers and Militech. And Reed admits he was wrong for trusting the FIA and being a lapdog. There is even the implication that through this realization he is reborn and he will quit and finally live his life on his own terms rather than just being a good little soldier who follows orders.
Totally agree.
i would say, killing songbird is the best ending. if she fly to the moon, she will be already in grasp of rogue ai. so she is still weapon of mass destruction, just working for someone else. i just dont like Alex to be killed. but seems its a line of her duty at some point
I feel like Johnny would agree killing her too, much better than being someones dog and just following orders. You help reed realise truth self, free songbird not giving her to some space AI freaks, and not giving into myers either who is another powerhouse freak. You kill Hansen by your own hands which felt good to me.
@@abaddon_9941If you kill Songbird then after the DLC when you're in your apartment talking to Johnny he tells a story about one of his friends from when he was in the military that pretty mich confirms he agree with the decision.
Sending Songbird to the moon was a pretty good ending. And Johnny approves the most.
I think the Star ending is still the best one. It is certainly the most hopeful one, but V might still live only 6 more month. But the PL ending proves the rewriting of V's genetic code is at least reversible and it might even be easier after the relic was removed/deactivated by Alt in a less invasive fashion.
Star is pretty bittersweet, and if V survive the illness, the best personal ending. But consider that he loses Saul, who to that point became V's good friend. Takemura kills himself if he survived and many Nomads die.
In this ending Takemura, Saul and Rogue - all may survive. Moreover, V is GUARANTEE to survive. Much less bloodshed than in the Rogue path lead to end of Arasaka. Unfortunately, Silverhand's engram dies.
Seriously, the Rogue's endings are real downers, like the Devil endings (in the Devil at least all Arasaka ride "partners" except JS may survive)... If you want the Sun ending to be a little less bitter, you must not ask Rogue to help you and do it all by yourself.
@@secondaryfrontV only cant survive in the new ending
if you go with the secret ending and keep your body i think thats also one of the better ones. Rogue doesnt die, Saul and the avocados do their own thing and honestly forget takemura. I could care less about bro 😭💀
You can't do that. Johnny Not on the Chip any more V is after Alt turns her into what Johnny is. Yes V was Soulkilled just by plugging in after Smasher. Meaning V is More Dead if you remove the Chip after Alt mess with it. Johnny you don't get what Soulkilled (Soulkiller does what it says it does it kills) means once you pulled in we split both are on the Chip until one leaves and yes the Body is fighting V which is why 6 Months. Kind of hard to tell your friends never to Remove the Chip your on without telling them you died.
@@mattstansbeary3068ppl seem to overlook this all the time ! SOULKILLER does what it says and whats left is an engram of what used to be V
NO MATTER WHAT Vik is the only one who cared till the end
I know it's Cyberpunk but I really wish there was a secret happy ending if you did everything right similar to the Suicide Run ending.
Yeah agreed.
Agree. My idea for it was you get this ending if you call Reed but if you talk to hanako first learning about Mikoshi you get the option for an attack Arasaka tower ending backed by NUSA. Maybe this way gives us a happier ending or maybe if they do another dlc you’ll have to do both dlc to get the truly happy ending.
@@michaelrandolph6373 Everything does not end happily like in a fairy tale. I support this approach.. To show young people who only play games, even in games, that not everything is sunny as they imagine life.
@@michaelrandolph6373the corporate war ending would be so badass.
@@nierty7182 I'm not a young person and I know all about life kicking you in the nuts, so I wanted a happy ending dammit! But seriously, I see what you mean, yet I still wanted a version where V and Johnny somehow survived.
The game really messes with you when they lock the true ending behind the two "worst" options
I think in Cyberpunk the idea of a “best” ending is just not possible. Personally, I think the ending that makes the most sense and fits best with the story in Phantom Liberty is siding with Reed and killing Songbird. In that ending, Songbird is finally at peace and free from the NUSA, you effectively get to tell Myers to go fuck herself, and I think it finally frees Reed from his almost delusional loyalty to the NUSA allowing him the best chance at a happy ending.
I enjoy freeing Reed by freeing his brains from his Skull because NUSA and Reed literally no russianed an airport just to get Songbird so.
Reed gets suicidal when you’re listening to Johnny at the end.
@@pintolerance785 If you side with him he'll have nothing to do with any airport killings lol. Only thing that I didn't like was killing the French netrunners I loved their characters lol.
@@FusionKota if killing innocents in an airport is something somebody does At All. Then that's not a good person. What I'm seeing a lot of is people coping because they picked to help Reed instead of Songbird and are then rationalizing that it was the better ending when it wasn't. Soon as I saw Reed and Alex kill the French two I knew my mind was made up and I'd help Songbird, in the end, Alex lives, Reed gets what's coming to him, Johnny's happy, Songbirds happy i see how evil Myers and the NUSA is. And I get to do the Panams ending.
@@pintolerance785Did you forget the fact So Mi literally does the same thing in the Stadium? Her justification is "They die so we can live."
Bruh the newest ending makes the most sense and I love it. So far all the endings had the perceptive of you dying. Equivalent exchange. You get to survive now but as a nobody with no friends or love. If you ask me that's a small price to survive. Eventually you'll make new friends and someone will eventually love you. Still sad but makes sense when you find something that was technically unobtainable. I mean you made bonds with your friends in NC in the span of a year, imagine the bonds you'll create in a whole lifetime. The biggest prospect you had was 6 months but now you can literally start anew.
Also, who said that you can't reconnect with your old friends? You can definitely still visit Judy and her wife, Kelly is also still around and you are welcome to visit him even if he is a lot more busy now. As for Panam, while she doesn't want to see you anymore because you hurt her by disappearing, you aren't dying anymore so you can search for her and the Aldecados. Will she forgive you? I don't know but at least you can explain to her why you "ghosted" her and maybe manage to make her feel less hurt
@@WaltDevil060only friends you can reconnect with is Vic and Misty that’s it. Y’all seriously are wanting to make believe and try to find good with this trash endjng. It doesn’t work, Judy works for male V not female V. Panam no…just no, you don’t even know where the Aldecaldos are going. River is a mess, Kerry I guess but rarely wouldn’t have time for V
You can’t really. V woke up in a world that’s new to them, weak asf. Got left by her friends that don’t want nothing too do with them. Y’all try so hard to try and make good with this trash new ending but it doesn’t work. They aren’t making friends in nc, and won’t live long. They 100% will end up dead quickly because of a cyberpsycho or a gang shootout on the streets
If anyone finds this ending good or enjoy it you simply don’t have love for your V or the characters
Doesn't Panam say in her ending that she knows someone that can help V?
I just finished the DLC ending, took me while to get to it. But i agree with you. IMO, losing friends and fighting abilities is nothing compared to knowing you die in 6 months. Looking at this like its a chronic illness. I would rather live, even if i cant walk....people who hate this ending probably dont know how to get back up when life puts you down.
V is still V, meaning the wisdom V carries is all they need.
Also I was happy with the star ending, but it left me feeling hopeless....V dies in 6 months! So all you fought for was just to borrow a couple days of coughing blood and having blackouts.
I choose reeds ending but killed songbird. It felt the most fitting for the DLC. Also the end credit reinforced the idea.
Reed even tells you at the basketball court after the final mission that you were right for killing her, and he even asks if he should go back to working for NUSA, allowing him to move on from his past as well. I hate killing Songbird, but it literally is the only way, the people who are going to fix her on the moon are just AI infected people (Mr. Blue Eyes) so she's not really free by going up there, she just has a new master to serve but she doesnt realize it. Killing her is the only true way for her to be free, since handing her back to the NUSA is by far the worst option.
@@SexySaxty Songbird herself says (rather cynically) that even when she gets to the Moon, she'll likely be a lab rat to someone else, but she doesn't have a choice really.
As much as it hurts, siding with Reed and killing her is a mercy and helps Reed realise how misguided he was.
@@monkeycat451 Seems a bit presumptuous to assume her situation on the moon would be dire considering we have nothing more than one off-hand assumption from So Mi.
@@KidOmnipotent We also know Mr Blue Eyes is involved in it and given the shit they are doing to the Peralez' it doesn't fill me with joy.
But the way I see it, any ending where Myers doesn't get her hands on So Mi is preferable.
but we do know of the benefactor helping her, the blue yed man, whos track record so far has him being an AI controlled human who is involved in messing with NC politics to further suit their needs. So its safe to assume he has no intention of helping her @@KidOmnipotent
I dont get why people see the ending where V lives as such a bad ending. V is 25 at the end of it. They got an entire live ahead of them in a setting where even middleclass people can easily reach a hunderd if they stay safe. If they take up Reed's offer than they are good for the forseeable future and possibly in the future when a treatment comes out they can fix the issues they had. Sure they lost the friends they made in NC but is that really such a big deal? Most of the friendship were friends they made in the few weeks, at most months, of ingame times that passed. IRL if someone said their life was ruined because they lost the romance/friends they'd had for a month or 2 you wouldnt take them seriously. Sure it hurts at the start but most people would move on after at most a year or 2.
Good point. Friends turning their backs on you when they full well know your situationen aren't worth keeping around. And by the end of the game, my V was riding on 2.8million eddies and a substantial car collection, so yeah ... V will be fine.
Personally I felt a little sad knowing Johnny was gone, but ultimately he already lived his life and went out the way he wanted ... And like Dixie Flatline, I'm sure the Johnny construct would want to stay dead.
it is not the time that counts but the connection you make with people!
you can make a deeper connection with the right people in a short amount of time!
either lose your life or lose what makes life worth living. kind of the theme of cyberpunk.
Also keep in mind that you didn't lose all of your friends, you still have victor
I found the part about us killing songbird kind of lying in your video. You don't talk about the part with us going through her memories and having a discussion with her and neither about the fact that SHE ask us to kill her, out of mercy because she doesn't want to be a slave anymore.
Saying its the worst ending is reaaaally a bad take imo. Maybe the worst for V but man saying that them taking her and talking about "If" or "in the future" about Songbird sake while seeing EVERYTHING they put her through before is just ridiculous imo.
I believe that if you go with this path you SHOULD finish her, its the most "moral" version of that ending.
Just thinking that you should have gave people all the keys to understand that ending because I trully believe that the way you describe it help your narrative that is : "its really the worst ending" while being biase
The guy is just giving out his opinion. The truth is there are no good endings. You can kill songbird, but which songbird are you killing. Is Songbird still in the Blackwall after killing off one of her just to trap the other. It doesn't matter because they are all bad ending you are missing the point.
Its a terrible take. killing songbird is the best ending.
@@t0fuwaffles you can say that but in all the ending of phantom liberty we don't know what happens to songbird or even see her so you can be wrong or you can be right.
@@BEST-sv1jz I agree with you, their is no good endings but I was mostly trying to point out that not giving such important elements of that ending makes it seems like a no brainer bad pick while its far from it.
Giving your opinion aint a problem, but not giving such key informations from that ending while STATING its the worst ending is meh
“The best” Endings is based on what you consider morally right. Which is why I love this game. None of the choices lead to a happy ending for all, just like the main story. There are no sunshine’s and rainbows that await you at the end, just the result of your own choices. You’re surrounded by people out to betray you for person gain and ambition as it becomes clearer and clearer through progression. None of them are “Good People” although they try to express their will as for the good of all.
Rowlands reasoning being that it’s for the “good of the NUSA” and that the result of doing something otherwise would launch the NUSA into civil war which while may be true, also completely dismisses the fact that her direct actions led to the outcome. Reed is more of a complex yet goal oriented character, his goals aren’t clear at first and he’s constantly hiding his true intentions which he’s very good at seeing as he’s practically a master in subterfuge, but by the end you come to the conclusion that he did indeed care for songbird but for him loyalty triumphs any and all of his feelings to the point where he’d put someone he cares for in a dire position that they sought out of, he understands and acknowledges this but his loyalty towards his country completely blinds him of any other viable solution “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, and nonetheless that’s exactly what he is to the NUSA a loyal dog. Songbird was recruited at the mere age of 19 and has served Rosoland and the NUSA for 15 years at the expense of her own health and seeks to escape the cage that she has been entrapped into(I like how the writers named her songbird to parallel her being a bird trapped in a cage), other than this she has no means to escape from her captors other than this elaborate plan we’ve seen unravel, you can see the toll it’s taken on her by not only her physical state but also her mental state, she’s broken, and by this point more cyberware than human and being used and exploited exclusively for her expertise in netrunning. Not only is she extremely skilled in netrunning but she is also really intelligent to the point where the only thing that could make or break her elaborate plan was the main characters end decision. Whether or not this does however excuse the fact that she exploited and lied to you at the potentially expense of your own life, and indirectly lead to civilians being casualties. Whether these people are “Good” or “Bad” is exclusively up to the player to decide, each and everyone one of them are not innocent in any shape or form and nor is there a “lesser evil” to chose from, the story is there’s, you’re just refining along on the journey.
All of the characters have at some point compromised their morals which have lead them to become we see them as now. This same compromisation morals is something we see ourselves being faced with at the end.
I am going with the hybrid ending. Took Song to the shuttle and ask nothing in return. Song betrayed V, so she can live with the consequence at the hands of NUSA. Didn't feel right shooting Reed. Now V is free to choose an ending from the original game. Go Big and be a Legend or Go Home with Judy and Panam and live out the time you have.
That's no different than giving a slave back to her slavers. Great moral compass you got there.
@@gracenote108that’s a terrible example, the slave didn’t betray or did wrong with her captive.
Great way to put it..truly lmfao
@@gracenote108it’s a game 🫣
johnny and V's connection in he AV really blew me away. the voice actors and the writing for that scene specifically was phenominal.
also loved the James Bond vibe to the end credits!
I'll be honest I prefer the nomad ending but I do like the little details they added in the news ones including the fact in the ending where you see misty she's wearing Jackie's jacket
In the words of Dexter Deshawn, "Quiet and boring life, or blaze of glory." Every other ending, V would most likely inevitably die, but not without leaving a mark of what they did to Arasaka in a blaze of glory. But this new ending where V now wakes up 2 years later with nothing of their past remaining the same, that's the quiet life ending.
Exactly what I thought.
I think it's both. Relic V went out in a blaze of glory, V 2.0 lives the quiet life.
"Something ends, something begins."
best option imo is to take any path that doesnt end the game. it's weird to me that an expansion lets you end the game earlier than the original game.
I loved the new ending.
During the end credits Rouge tells you that you are legend of the Afterlife, you get to live, you get to retire as a fixer.
For Johnny it was great as well, he gets a chance to close all his unresolved personal stuff, and then returns to be dead and not getting absorbed by the AI that absorbed Alt.
That’s not what rouge said
@@yeetnessthegreater1298 can't remember the exact words. But she says that people want to add V's drink to the menu (only Legends get that). And Rouge says that V's legend would wit a bit with each visit he makes to the Afterlife, given his current condition.
What's your interpretation?
Songbird is the biggest manipulative person in the game. She acts so nice, but she has so many ulterior motives that benefits only her self interest even before she became part of FIA/NUSA. "Betraying" her to Reed and euthanizing her is better because at least Reed genuinely cares for her, but FIA/NUSA will abuse her skills as a netrunner. If Songbird is alive, when you try to help Reed, she is nothing more than a tool for Myers and Reed has a sense of regret. While killing her, Reed will initially be angry, but you truly free her from NC and the FIA/NUSA which he will realize. Sending her to the moon will just continue what she has always been doing, netrunning and being a a tight spot.
With the flashbacks into Songbird's past you get to see that even before Reed came into her life, she was a horrible manipulative person to her friends. She rationalizes her behavior AFTER meeting Reed as being because of her treatment by the FIA and Reed...but that's a lie.
She was ALWAYS a manipulative narcissist.
Giving her back after she burned out by the Blackwall is the worst possible decision you could make. People always come with "but she betrayed Reed and FIA, Myers etc. and you" She got used and abused by all of them in one way or another. She got blackmailed by Reed. Reed did not help her at the end, just did his job. Alex was the only one who sympathized with her and in that scenario she dies too. She fooling V is natural when she all her life only knew deception from others. BUT if you go with her plan until the end, she opens up and gives real trust in you. Even then you could betray her. I think at that end she could be saved by FIA instead being a husk, but she will be still a tool whatever Reed tells you, because Myers doesn't and won't tell him the truth. After everything we know what happened, she could be just a brain without a body, connected to the net 24/7 to do Myers bidding with zero chance to get away ever, being a literal slave. Do you REALLY wish that on her? You need to go through every ending and listen carefully to see the whole picture.
I think the canon way is The Killing Moon and helping her to get to the Moon. If you look back all other plans from Reed fail. Only her plan can be called as a successful mission. She is saved. And Reed...he is already lost, the only way he might get out of his comfort zone by the heavy loss of So Mi and hating you. Is it really worth it?
Also I think in the final ending they screwed up some of our friends character. They ARE out of character. Panam would be hell bent to find you first, instead just screams at your phone. Judy also doesn't even bother trying to find you, track you down. Nothing about that in the text messages. That was where I've got PISSED. Every choice I mad with them felt like a waste. They basically betrayed me by not even trying. If they would try and fail and THEN move on in some way I would be OK. But not even bothering after I risked my life for them when I didn't need to because I've got my Relic leads?(Clouds, the tank and scavs) Why even bother helping them or the Aldecaldos? They all abandoned me at the first moment is how CDPR wrote the ending. This needs to be fixed.
I feel like the new ending has the most realistic tradeoff. It's difficult to let go of Johnny, knowing that with this option he's really gone. But let's be honest, he got a second chance to say goodbye to old friends (if V lets him), and he knew all along that it was likely gonna be him or V, but he would choose V no matter what. Night City never lets anyone have a truly happy ending, you have to sacrifice something, and while the sacrifices made with the new ending are really sad, you are gaining so much by being able to live your full life.
The problem with this ending it's not very well written. It simply states that without cyberware V is nothing, isn't true neither in game or lore.
@@Suhov Yeah. The basic idea isn't bad, but the way it's executed is _atrocious. _ I get the idea of 'you can't be a big deal anymore in exchange for living', but logically, V should have the option to stay at Langley from the off. The expository framing could have been delivered in another context.
It comes across as a bitter 'screw you for not being happy with 'V dies' being in all the endings.' from the writing. Doesn't matter if they intended it, it's what gets conveyed.
@@Sorain1on top of that, Bioware is a thing in Cyberpunk, and it’s a popular alternative to Cyberware in more well-off and civilised places like Western Europe(just like our reality lmao). It’s expensive, sure, but like V literally has the NUSA government and the number two (or maybe number one since Arawakan gets destroyed by Yori) megacorp in Militech backing them. Knowing that tidbit of lore makes the ending seem hella stupid and bittersweet just for the sake of it.
The trade off isn’t realistic it’s dumb and makes no sense
@@Suhovit is true tbh, without cyber war V isn’t much of a legend, not saying they have to be decked out all over with cyber ware, but with 0 they aren’t a threat
I killed poor So Mi. It felt like the best decision for her. V doesn't get cured, but nobody gets to use her anymore. Well written and actually very emotional at the end.
I actually liked the saving Songbird ending (which was the one I went with so far), but partly that is because my version of V usually tries to do what he perceives as "the right thing". I will probably do the new ending with my corpo V since she is more a the ends justify the means and would probably do anything to save herself. Still need to make a nomad V so who knows what ending that will get lol
Nomad V should just drive off on characters during missions and ignore their texts and calls
@@chrispekel5709lol wtf
The only reason your V said she missplaced Misty's necklace is because you didn't pick it up when you were in the hospital room, it's lying there somewhere and you can take it with you
I'm one that likes the new "happy" ending. To me it makes the best sense. Though yes in my mind V could have avoided everyone moving on thinking he/she died in the two years by saying "im going for surgery, don't know when I'll be done with it".
That is part of the utter writing failure to that ending.
It makes zero sense that V wouldn't have informed some close contacts, and the idea of the NUSA not informing those same contacts (if only to emotionally blackmail them for something down the line) about V's status is equally nonsense. The fact V can't take the desk job offered marks a huge railroad in a narrative with few so blatant. The only comparable one I can think of is the Dexter 'Glory or fade away?' having only 'Night City doesn't let people have quiet lives' for a 'Fade Away' answer. Which I understand because doing the Heist is literally what sets the plot in motion, it has to happen. The only thing that having V in Night City enables is exposition (and sure, we do want that here.) which could easily be framed as in V's new Langly office, either as a report to V or (better yet) delivered by V on the status of Night City and their 'old contacts' to affirm they're up to date for the new job.
So basically, they had a reasonable idea for a new ending and derailed it. The only reasoning I can find for doing so is 'No, you are not allowed to reject V dying at the end.' which is essentially a childish tantrum response. Thus having it be a really bad ending in terms of outcomes, specifically to 'punish' people for 'wanting the wrong thing'. I'm guessing there were some _major_ arguments among those doing the writing about said ending, and eventually the petulant one(s) won out for the most part.
FYI when you choose to betray Reed and head to the air port, cycle through the camera feeds.
You will catch Mr. blue eyes in the office over looking the terminal.
Wow I could not disagree more with your assessment of what is the bad vs good endings here lol while it’s tough to initially choose to either help Songbird or go with Reed’s plan during Firestarter, I feel like the two options presented at the end of the path where you help her are not ideal at all- if you help Songbird through to the end, you end up having to kill Reed to do so. Whatever kind of mistakes he’s made, I don’t believe he deserves to be shot and killed like that. The alternative ending there is to hand Songbird over, essentially betraying her in the end and condemning her to a half-life with the FIA.
While the other path of going along with Reed’s plan is brutal, resulting in Alex’s death no matter what, I feel like it’s the most fitting for the context of PL’s story- you get a look into more of Songbird’s past, and yes while both of the endings here are bad for Songbird, neither result in you having to shoot Reed in the face, and you can still make it up to Songbird by granting her the freedom she wants. Even though that doesn’t give you the alternate ending to the entire game, I feel like that’s the closest we can get to a “true” ending to PL.
River had become sold out to Trauma Team, in order to pay for his nephew’s medical treatment. I guess it broke him, because he was very weird during the call and just hung up
10:20 I’m glad the new ending is this depressing I like it a lot, it makes me more accepting of the original game endings, like oh THIS is the alternative? Yeah I’d rather die. I think it makes logical sense that there are major consequences for living cuz that’s a major aspect of the base game, it’s sticking to its own rules.
This also feels like the "quiet life" that dex mentioned at the start
Yeah pretty much. I really liked Johnny so for me an ending where there is no proper closure with him feels hollow. Also defeating Smasher and raiding Arasaka solo with Johnny is just too awesome
@@panamakira yeah my favorite ending is giving the body to Johnny, this ending just feels so hollow by comparison
I love how people call the Hanson fight annoying when it's literally a carbon copy V berserker build we have to fight...just a taste of our own medicine
I'll always go with the nomads,
Me and my girl have 6 months,
Don't worry Johnny, I'll Keep fighting, we'll find a way.
"Here? for folks like us?.Wrong city, wrong people" - JS2077
The best part of the hospital ending is when you have a heart to heart with Johnny if you have a good relationship with him.
How do i know if i have a good relationship with him?
@@nabeelchowdhury1628when you are able to do dont fear the reaper. So you need to solidify your friendship at the oil fields with the correct dialogue choice’s.
That 'you really are unbreakable, V" line from Misty got me BAWLING.
My V was a nomad who quit her clan because she wanted more out of life than sand. Connected with Jackie because of his dream to reach the major leagues. Didn't really connect with either Panam, Judy, River or even Johnny, because their goals were just too different. Sided with Songbird because she crushed over finally finding someone else who'd go "not even the President can stop me from getting what I want". But the moment she was betrayed, she called Reed and switched sides.
For this type of unapologetically ambitious V, none of the other endings did it. I had originally picked the Arasaka ending, finding it poetic that this V got her wings burned after flying too close to the sun. But I find it even better that now, she has an ending where she just survives, no strings attached. Her nervous system can't handle combat implants anymore? Fine - she can still use passive armor mods, and swinging her machete has never required a neural link to begin with. If she needs some extra strength or mobility, she's a nomad with maxed out Tech and a couple million eddies in the bank - she can build herself a gosh darned exo-suit. She's unbreakable alright, and there's nothing that can stop her from taking over Night City anymore.
Selling out Songbird is not he best ending for V and when you look at Songbird's whole life it's always been about other people trapping her then making decisions for her. Reed wouldn't even communicate that he forgave Song's betrayal as he thought it was best for her that he stayed hidden, while she lived with the guilt. The whole story boils down to whether you're morally good enough to finally let Songbird make her own choice and aka free her from the cage. Or are you desperate enough for a cure that you'd put Songbird back in her cage against her wishes.
True but also she also betrayed us. The whole game she keeps telling us to trust her, we do and then she's like but I have to go to the moon. She essentially chooses to live and not help us. That's pretty messed up. I understand where she's coming from but at the same time I think she was too far gone. I liked her and Reed a lot but there were way too many loose threads in the PL ending to be satisfying. Especially when it came to Johnny idk
Yeah but songbird also sucks so my morals won't keep me from giving her the what for
*Are you desperate enough for a cure you'd put the bitch who would lie and kill the only person who genuinely cared for her and their friends without hesitation if the plan didn't go as she thought into the cage against her will?
I don't even see why you'd even need to be desperate for it.
@@panamakira She has dealt with Mr Blue Eyes and at the end end of "Reaper/Rogue" ending you're dealing with him. I'm guessing she had a say on that one.
@@fredtott4684 Maybe! I definitely prefer the Reaper ending for this reason. There's no way it's coincidence Mr. Blue Eyes appears in a few of the endings. Maybe saving him for the sequel
Bruh we should have got a real good ending i paid 30$ for depression
A good ending? For us?. Wrong people, wrong city..
For the Hansen boss fight I just kept using overclock and stacking a shit ton of quick hacks on him, when I’d run out of overclock I’d pop optical camo with the relic perk so I could just hide from him until I got overclock again, he didn’t even have a chance to fight back
I can’t bring myself to choose who to betray ☹️
sadly the most cool stuff you only get from Reed (BAD / EVIL) line, but feel wise im going with help Song and hand her over at the end
just so she dosnt get corruped monster destroying everything around AND you save Alex AND get another more bitter than sweet ending to both the expansion and the game
also im telling to myself since she wasnt 100% corrypted this way the treatment to her may be litle bit mor "les painfull/evil" for her
but im disapointed that you cannot do the operation (new ending) after the main endigs ... like end arasaka and then get operation ?
So much this. I think if I could do that after killing Smasher I'd feel a lot better about it.
The Star ending also now gets an even better possibility to it in my opinion. Since you leave NC with the Aldecaldos after you've wreaked havoc on militech's biggest competitor, the NUS would likely be happy to help you with their confirmed cure while not ditching with nobody to explain what's going on. You leave night city, keep your romance, have a family with you, and have the potential of a better version of the new ending waiting for you. We also now know a cure is completely possible, which takes out some speculation. All in all, endings got a nice little bit of hope added to them, assuming you turn over the traitor that betrayed everyone.
Killing Reed is the best ending. Reed is the true villain of Phantom Liberty. It is very subtle but in terms of the genre of this expansion Reed is the origin of all the events. Reed lies to V almost every mission and when confronted after helping Songbird he defaults to calling her out for treason which is literally meaningless considering Myers is using her as a personal blackwall daemon. Reed is more concern about Songbird betraying NUSA rather then Songbird using the Blackwall, or betraying him on the orders of Myers. Songbird is the only one trying to break out of the system while Reed is content to just follow orders. Reed is a straight up fascist but you don't realize it because Idris Elba is such a charismatic actor. Does songbird lie to V, yes but Songbird is lying to survive and not lying to control your actions. I am glad I got the best ending on my playthrough. I am going with the storm Arasaka alone route.
1:18 you can see someone standing over a watching you and song bird jus look to the right a he’ll be standing there with an umbrella
The most selfless thing to do (and very anti-Cyberpunk) is to let Songbird fly free on that shuttle. That is what she wanted. That is what mattered. Phantom Liberty was never about V. It was about Songbird. Yes, there is an alternate ending but it just doesn't feel right for V. It's a sad ending, an empty life, no friends left in NC except for Viktor (I love Viktor but poor guy had to go corporate). SO much changed in just 2 years! ! It's hard to believe NC could have changed that much so quickly. But I guess its possible. I might so this PL ending just to unlock the achievement but man, it doesn't feel right, or organic, or even a natural option/ It doesn't have the connective tissue like the other endings. Heck even the Arasaka ending, when you could still choose to leave seems better than the PL ending and I hated that.
It’s not absolutely certain that V loses her life in the Crystal Palace heist. It’s just that the mission is incredibly high risk and we’re left on a cliffhanger. And who knows, if Mr Blue Eyes has a plan for songbird, he and forces behind him could have a plan for V too.
Saving songbird (killing Reed) ensures V continues the game, so it's the best for me. However, I wish there was a save point in Phantom Liberty to be able to play all endings without having to choose only one. Going back to a save point means you lose all the stuff in the previous ending.
Well it's called an ending for a reason
@ HaHa yes, you’re right, it is.
There are 5 ENDINGS! To get rhe 5th ( or the 1st ) once you have to rush to the plane after sliding through the tube ( in the beginning of the dlc after you pass through the stores of dogtown ) sinply wait and dont go to save the president. So Mi will be Mad at tou and you will wake up, nothing changed apart from president dying, so basically its the Best ending
It's interesting hearing other peoples perspectives about the ending. Personally, I felt like returning Songbird to the NUSA was always the worse decision of all. Knowing how much it took from her, her begging V to kill her at least she was free and also to lose everything you've built just wasn't worth the cure for me. That was what life was worth living for
If I side with Songbird I send her to the moon, if I side with Reed I end her life. Why? Cause Myers loses in both cases.
In my mind V left NC and ended up joining the FIA to work with Reed, as she healed her condition improved and she regained small fractions of her old abilities. Became a top agent and adopted a Pit bull she named Johnny
She never contacted anyone from her old life
and her name is Valerie
I loved helping Reed at the end, even if I had to sacrifice my Chrome. I never liked it too much for fear of Cyberpsychosis. So, a reset is perfect. You only know Panam for a few months, and you can have a job(hopefully) with Reed
i cant wait for cyberpunk 2. just a reminder to everyone save up cause we probably would need a quantum computer to run it at minimum settings in 720p
I didn’t catch it until you mentioned the new ending being a “second chance” but in the wider picture, the whole expansion is about second chances. Songbird looking for hers, Reed and Alex wanting out of Dogtown, gigs where people are in terrible situations that require your help for them to get their second chance, to get their new “lease on life.”
Getting what you want sometimes means giving up everything you are. Letting Songbird have her second chance is also realizing it ain't always about you.
you know nothing is confirmed about Panam in this ending I like to think that V could easily track down Aldecaldos and have his ride to the sunset ending and not die in six months
Assuming you sent So Mi to the moon and she got cured...I'd like to think she contacts you later down the line with another cure through blackwall manipulation/AI cause no way she's just gonna drop all that shit
When I romanced her, she didn't pick up thr phone and mitch called in the after credits and essentially told me to stay away.
@@OurFallenWorld just checked it out and wow what a insult like Panam was always emotional but she has had two years to process like Judy got married sure but she was more than happy to always share a beer but Panam will not be returning our calls ever bruh and what is with Takemura still being alive if he and Hanako did storm the tower I don't see anyway where he would willingly stay alive after. I think he would rather die fighting than leave Hanako to die honor and all that
Betraying Songbird was actually fun af chasing down her psychoass, the spider-lab part was a pain in my ass and I flatlined 5 times doing that, but there was real suspense there.
Fighting Kurt Hansen was super easy with a sandy + katana build imo
Killing Songbird was one of the best endings, fuck Myers, Song is "Free" and the cure leaves you worthless.
I totally agree with you on the "V survives but loses all powers" ending - it's sad to lose the super powers, but, hey, we are alive, and still young. V now has a future, just like every other person on the planet. What they do with it is up to them, and infinitely better than "you'll be dead in a few weeks".
I also like the "let Songbird escape and hand her the cure" endings because So Mi deserves such a chance too. V still has options... well, kinda :P
Not only is V alive and young and likely very rich. A very good starting point already to be well of for the future. Not to mention Reed offering a likely very coushy and stable job as well. Like Reed is going to treat V super well to try to make up for the guilt of both V and Songbird.
Objectively its the best ending of an new lease on life and a pretty good one all things considered.
I also think the "V normie" is a good ending, maybe CDPR fucked up a little by giving us such shit goodbyes though.
"Hey everyone I love and risk daily my life for, imma go check if this lead fixes my brain. BRB in like a week LOL"
Nevertheless, after being able to jump and dash for like 50 meters, land, use the Sandie and kill 6 people instantly woth Rebecca's shotgun like a god of death... Walking in NC as an NPC made me feel incredibly scared, so that by itself was worth it.
I do prefer sending Songbird to the moon, even with her betrayal, she deserves a chance to be free. The same way V deserves to live.
Nah, So Mi strung us along with the promise of a cure. Had to kill hordes of enemies for her, and then turns out she fucking lied:"theres only one cure, imma gonna take it lol" right at the end, when the shuttle is in spitting distance after you've freaking battled your way through waves of NUSA soldiers.
You know what wouldve been cool? if you could kill Reed, and then Shoot So Mi, and then go to space yourself to get cured. But no, you have to get fucked over by everybody
@@RexZShadow I dont remember where, but I heard that V's belongings, money, and all his items were seized and auctioned off during his coma. The afterlife also thought he was dead so idk about him being rich.
@@mingk9607 which is also kinda lazy from cdpr to manufacture a sad ending even though V is healed.
Realistically V would have contacted Victor, Judy, panam or River and told them about what he is going to do and maybe even hand over some assets. (since there is also a chance of dying during the surgery, like why not give your loved ones some money)
My V was a multi milionaire by the end owning dozens of super cars, multiple apartments and an absurd collection of guns and clothes worth millions. The missed rent would never amount to anything even close to that.
I had something like 1.5m credits and a super car collection when I finished so I'd like to think my V would live a comfortable life. Maybe he'd go after Panam or move somewhere to build a new life.
On an unrelated note, I'd love some kind of spinoff game where you can be a fixer and accept jobs, hire mercs and try and outmaneuver rival fixers etc in a Cyberpunk type setting. More of a strategy type game than an action RPG.
This is the only game where it's OK not to have a fairy tale ending
Completely disagree with your opinions on endings. Killing Songbird is the purest ending you can get. She literally tells you in her apartment "it's great to this moment with a friend as a last memory before the darkness". Spelling out to you that it's too late for her and this is the best you could do (hugging her & killing her after).
Letting her go to the moon is pretty good on the surface but if you know more about Mr Blue Eyes, you know that she still will be used.
All other endings are bad because you support corrupted people who used her and are using you and also, Johnny hates it.
Phantom Liberty really lives on with the Night City motto "No happy endings"
I killed Reed and sent Songbird to the moon. Not saying it's because that's the one I chose; but I really think that's the most fitting ending.
Phantom Liberty was Songbird's play. V, Reed, Myers were all pawns in that story. She wanted to sacrifice all for survival, and that's what she got in the end.
And as a true Bond girl fashion, Songbird just had to trick V. Like she did trick Reed before. And that showdown between V and Reed was too cool not to happen.
For V and Silverhand, they needed to go with a banger. He needed to finish what Johnny started. So the Tower ending (even if it wasn't what I got originally) was the best ending for their story.
Do you have to go back to a old save if I send her to the moon? I say cause ppl are commenting that you have to go to a old save when you do the last missions
@@2vvic828 No, the main story continues after that ending.
@@gunmuratilban8667 ahh ok thanks
SPOILERS for Phantom Liberty and Edgerunners:
For me it was quite easy to side with Songbird..
I was still on the fence till the mission where we hijack the car with the redhead twins, but then when they kill the twins, that was the final nail in the coffin for me to side with Songbird.
Even when So Mi reveals the truth that the cure is only a one time use thing, I thought, well at least one of us can be saved from all this mess...
It's not like we could use the cure on us if we handed over So Mi to Reed.
Might as well let her have the cure and be free.
Also, it seemed very coincidentally similar to Edgerunners, where one of the best Netrunners wants to go the moon and the protagonist saves and helps her to fulfill that wish. 💔
If you think you are going into this expecting a happy ending, I got news for you kiddo, this is Night City, happy endings don’t exist it’s just eat you alive- Johnny Silverhand.
He pretty much told us and we weren’t paying attention, the ending also made me realized that it’s the same in real life, if you disappear life will go on, and at first people will might get worried, but they will move on and I just sat there crying, because it’s true. And for once I felt like Johnny, 😢
Having V alive is going to be cannon ending. Hope we get to see V again in the sequel.
It's not
@@BigBossSZ05 Proof? V can in theory survive literally every ending except the suicide option. Blue eyes especially likely has incredible pull and power, and could absolutely have the resources to save V.
The Panam ending is my favorite. I was kinda depressed by the PL ending but hey that's maybe the whole point.
Although I hate the idea of V not living I think, since when Johnny gives up his life for V than V only has months to live, the best ending is V giving his body to Johnny since Johnny can live more than a few months and V cannot. But this new ending where V can survive as normal without a ticking bomb in his head sounds even better.
The Temperance is realy bleak ending if you ask Rogue to help. As is the Sun.
The only endings that make sense to me are the devil ending and going back to earth, or, the star ending and leaving night city to make a new life an try to live. Life is about how you will face your death. In tower you refused to die and leave the world in its worst possible condition. You fell to ruin for nothing. The only they endings you at least destroy an evil or have the power to protect yourself and loved ones, maybe both.
@@u13erfitz The irony is Arasaka effectively destroys themselves without your meddling, lol. You barely leave the world in worse condition, unless you believe Mayers is dumb enough to release the RABIDS from beyond the BlackWall upon the world.
the worst possible condition for the world is ressurecting Saburo Arasaka and granting him power over the souls of the dead. Blackwall is going to crumble regardless of the NUSA's meddling; there's just too many other factors compromising it. Arasaka wielding supreme power is a fate that can be avoided.
I killed Reed, and send Song to the moon. Back to the city.
I love this ending to death. It's so depressing and so is Cyberpunk, this imperfect and cruel world. And you really get punished for something it just felt right to me. Fantastic writing in my opinion. Btw that dialog with Johnny where the "forgive" each other if you choose so, really brought tears to my eyes
AMAZING writing. So good
You forgot one more "ending" which was if you don't do anything at all at the beginning of the story. It's hilarious, the president dies, so mi basically lives for a few more days, and no one bats an eye, not even the two agents that went "undercover" in dogtown. it's not really an ending more like a way to just dodge an entire story. it's funny as hell though. And the fucked up part is that it's the happiest ending for practically everyone if you know the context. So mi is pretty much free to do wtf she wants, the other agents are in "retirement," V is still at square one (which compared to progressing all to go back to square 1 doesn't seem that bad), Hansen lives, Johnny gets his Alcohol. Literally you solve the problem without even knowing what it was. Fucking hilarious.
V getting a literal second lease on life is undoubtedly the best ending. The game just frames it as you throwing everything away but in actuality V does beat Nightcity in a sense.
Because everything that V went through in the game is all thanks to the allure of gaining power that Nightcity baits everyone with and that constant struggle for power is what will eventually kill you. But now that V's just an average human, he can no longer gun for the top spot in NC while at the same time NC can no longer entice him into putting his life on the line for that illusion of power. Instead, V finally gets full control of his life again
Great take.
That’s not the best ending. Night city won v didnt. And she’s powerless that she’d get killed easily
Dunno, being able to walk after 2 year coma is really promising sign of recovery. Also the game is beatable without cyberware, so it's possible to survive on the streets. Also V still possess assests like money, real estate, cars, reputation, but most importantly - time.
I likewise wonder does lack of cyberware make V immune to quickhacks and AI taking over their body?
I saved So Mi and sent her to the Moon you also get a text some time later from her opens up a quest which leads you to the spot she took you with a post card and a pin sent there to remember her by so i was happy with my ending.
I never liked Reed or Myers enough to help them but i genuinely cared for So Mi. Her going to space getting cured and being free was my best ending. She was also my dream Romance option.
Great DLC though aside from Dogtown running poorly in some areas on Series X due to it's optimization.
I couldn't bring myself to betray Reed. Was very disappointing to get such a sad ending from it. Really enjoyed the DLC as a whole though.
Honestly, my favorite ending is the one where V rides off into the sunset with panam. I imagine that V finds a way safer and less invasive way to deal with the chip so she can keep her cyberware. At least thats what i imagine for my V.
I think all the choices are good and bad at the same time. I think the whole theme is dealing with the consequences of YOUR own actions and trusting people.
Reed I think has incredibly good intentions all around for everyone, but he's a loyal dog that regardless of how many times he gets kicked down he's still going to be loyal Songbird, Alex, and NUSA/Myers, and to some extent V, because at the end of the day he is the only one who kept his promise to you.
Myers I had no ill will towards. She had every opportunity to ditch you when you first meet and dispose of you and honestly, she never came off as BSing you about things. That being said I have a feeling Jacob and Taylor the two Dogtown guys who knock on the hideout door were probably taken out, but you don't know. And she also fulfils her end of the bargain. Plus, unlike Arasaka, they (more so Reed) offer you a job at the NUSA, and don't just toss you aside.
Songbird is a mixed bag. She got people killed, she trusted a gang warlord essentially, she lied to everyone about everything, and opens up more into the Blackwall. And you have to remember a majority of the stuff was her choice and you see that with her memories. Plus, even Reed consistently offering to help she refuses. And sure you can say Myrers had her go into the Blackwall, but that was only because she proved to everyone she could.
Honestly I feel Alex is kind of the most screwed one out of them all.
That being said what does annoy me gameplay though is that if you don't choose to sabotage Songbird you lose out on the Blackwall items.
yeah, we see her mistakes first, and then, what got wrong in her life so we can understand these same mistakes, song mi had actually suffered a lot.
the game tries to teach us about forgiveness.