I feel like it hits even harder because of how the line is said, very passively, like it just isn't that big of a deal to him anymore. Drives home the reality that not everyone will mourn you forever and that everyone is eventually forgotten.
@@WrittenOffski not that everyone is forgotten, we never forget. But we move on. We take that experience that they provided us and we use it to morph ourselves into better individuals. They always live on in us for the rest of our lives. Which is actually kinda funny now that i think about it, because Johnny literally now carries around V everywhere he goes. He will never forget, but now, he can start anew
probably the true end or the most cyberpunk of all of them either way original V dies and new V gets 6 months to live. this game ain't meant to have happy endings, night city isn't like that. This to me feels like the true end not to perfect to mean a good end and not to bad to give that bad end feeling yet still stark.
@@jamesprice6291 Going in as Johny and then leavin to black wall also feels like a right fit. I mean it was their war, Johny and Rogue first place and they had a score to settle with Smasher and Arasaka it all came full curcle in the end.
Mr Orlov true i can't see your full comment for some reason but everything does come full circle with Johnny ending the man who killed him at the expense of Rogue and with all his real friends dead except maybe Kerry there ain't much left for him do. But truth is Real V is dead and even with the whole six months thing he's a copy unless you believe that V's soul was really ripped out of him. V was always living on borrowed time even if he did come back. I want that nomad ending to be happy but in this universe it's rare things end well. The reason i resonate with Johnny's ending is because it fits the universe his job is finished at the expense of a man who was his dearest friend he's got a second chance which justifies his character development and maybe with that new found wisdom he might be able to change things in his second life... or some poetic shit like that.
@@jamesprice6291 If V goes with alt past the firewall then Johnny takes Vs body and Johnny isn't capped at 6 months as alt explained. The body was adapted to take Johnny's engram so he will be fine, if V had taken the body then he would be dead in 6 months.
Johnny stopped smoking not because it's unhealthy but because V never smoked. Johnny respects the new body granted to him by V and sees it as a gift no matter how wicked the soul inhabiting it may be. Damn... this game is well crafted.
Johnny actually tells the kid, that he used to think life was cheap, that he didn't care about anyone's life, not even his own. Then V willingly chose to give up their life, so Johnny could have a second chance and now, for the first time, probably in his whole adult life, Johnny finally see's the true value in life.
I see it as Johnny treating the body with as much respect as possible, one play through Johnny commented on how he never knew my V smokes (must’ve been cause of the Japan town apartment smoking interaction)
The way I see it, cigarettes are a way of self-destruction. Like Johnny himself said - he was given a second chance, and he isn't planning to waste it by doing the same things he did in his previous life.
@@Shyy_Guyy Year old comment but it actually depends on how far in the story you were/how much of your brain the Relic had rewired to Johnny. It happens after rescuing Evelyn from the XBD snuff house. If you do that mission early in the game V will contemplate smoking while Johnny begs them to and you can give in or refuse. But if you leave it until later in the game, V will already be smoking and Johnny will comment his surprise.
That guitar riff in the beginning plays in two other moments of the game: When Johnny finds his "grave" at the end of "Chippin In", and in "Both Sides, Now", when you find Evelyn's body. The latter always seemed odd to me until I looked at the three moments, and realized in each one, it plays when something ends badly despite a person putting so much effort into it. But in each of those circumstances, the incidents aren't the end: Judy resolves herself to help V and the dolls, Johnny can get one more chance to make things right with his own compatriots, and, in Temperance, Johnny!V hits the road, heading for whatever awaits beyond the horizon. It's a song of loss, of unhappy outcomes, of wasted time and effort for a goal that will never be attained. At the same time, it's a song of resolve, of turning the page, of new beginning.
This song is a requiem to your Valerie's and Vincent's, who decided that they had the right to choose for themselves. That they could sacrifice something for someone else. This hurts so much.
Johnny did have friends, but they also hated him at times, because he hated everything. Now, in his new life, he’s learnt how to treat people with respect and can make new friends.
@@Timebomb_19nah they weren't really his friends. He treated them all like shit. V was the one person who put up with him, and he's not gonna forget what V did for him. He's a new person now.
But that's the thing with this ending, right? He's got a full life ahead of him. V may have been the first, and he will always be The One...but it doesn't stop Johnny from making new friends, whereever he ends up.
"You're talented Kid, I see it in you... Whenever you end up writing songs, don't write them unless you feel the urge to write, if you feel sad, write something sad, if you're not head over heels, don't write a love song... It has to be from the heart. And, always have a backup plan for in case things go south." What a beautiful ending, depressing, yet hauntingly beautiful.
@@JB-xl2jc v deserved to rest and to finally stop fighting. That’s why Johnny’s ending is my favorite. V accepts that he will die and embraces his chance at peace and survival with alt.
@@Buddhistsocialist I can understand that. For me it was The Star ending. He decides to leave with his new family and his love. Another kind of retirement.
After playing so many RPG games where your character saves the day, it feel weird to come to terms that: 1) your character isn't a hero, he/she is just a small part of this bad, bad city. 2) your character is mortal, like any other protagonist in different games, but this game really underlines that theme. And I don't mean set protagonists, like Arthur Morgan, I mean it like the character you create and decide what path he will go.
There's no better quote to say that captures the games theme like The one Dexter Says to you when you first talk to him: *"Do you want to die as Mr. Nobody? Quiet Exit and quiet life? Or go out in a blaze of glory?"*
@@nightcrawler763 I think storming Arasaka Tower was the blaze of glory V wanted and because of that I let my V die they got what they wanted the most: to make a mark on night city history.
@@nightcrawler763 Spoilers My V is the type to go blaze of glory style. But me, personaly? I learned something about myself. As I am now, I'd go to Arasaka and become an Engram. Heck, I'd probably work for Arasaka or some corpo in general. You want to be someone better, but it's a funny thing, facing who you are right now.
I was in a significantly dark place before Cyberpunk. Up until playing it for the first time, I had undoubtedly filled much of Johnny’s own checklist of screwups, and I tried abysmally hard to make up for it, especially since some of those people were never going to hear from me again. I found myself in places online that I never would normally associate with while trying to make up for everything, and I still didn’t have it in me to be honest with anyone about it. I thought this was just going to be a long, cumbersome mental battle for another decade, never forgetting the people I’ve quite literally given paranoia to regardless of the “very young” excuse people tell me to try and make me feel better. I really had no idea how much I needed a story like Cyberpunk to show me people are far more willing to see things gray as opposed to black and white. I didn’t know how much I needed Pondsmith’s universe as a ‘whole.’ I can’t say it saved my life, I wasn’t at ‘that’ point. But I can say it turned things around for good-and when this theme hit on Temperance, I felt like I could breathe for the first time in years. Johnny will never be forgiven, but he gets it. And now I get it.
@@doddy8431 the feeling, it was so desolate (I don't know how to write that word), so depressing, making the stops to say goodbye, getting in the bus and looking outside, everyone calls you, It just feels like you lost everything, yet you remain, but it's not even you, you have nothing
This song feels "hollow". Like it wants you to know you are all alone, and you have nothing else to fight for. Everything Is over. You did not win. You did not lose. It's just... Over.
@@yourpalsammy9773 You know, I thought about this too. Every ending could have some sort of meaningful expansion to it. They could have Johnny and Steve's events leading to what we see now, plus V in the blackwall having crazy netrunning combat sequences in the Temperance Expansion, and the ending could see AI V speaking to Johnny one last time, wishing him well and "remembering, like lines of code" who Johnny is like Alt did, for some next level emotions.
This ending completely destroyed me. From the look on V's face as she told him not to forget her, to V's tombstone that read only one word, to Judy's message during the credits, still thinking that V is alive and going to call her back any moment... I think I might need a break from this game.
@@matthieuzglurg6015 That was the only thing that left this ending a bit rough to me. If Johnny had at least TRIED to explain, even if some characters wouldn't have believed him (Panam is smart enough to figure out what happened and swears revenge), it just would've been cool. All of V's friends think V just straight up ghosted them.
Knowing that for months after V's death, Johnny was still talking to them, hearing their voice when he spoke and seeing their face in the mirror - how can you even grieve like that?
Not to mention that Johnny does the Quest descriptions, and for the Temperance ending, he mentions how he still feels like V is still somewhere inside him, of his new body. A feeling he can't let go forever.
@@thegamecritic5305 I see so many people disappointed over the fact that Johnny and V couldn't fuse into one person. But I disagree with them. V does fuse into Johnny in a way. Not from some experimental technology, but because of the love those two held for each other. And in a world where people have lost so much of their humanity, Johnny's decision to honor V is all the more impactful.
Johnny: "ahh V... " *Takes V's neckless off* "Can't carry this around anymore ya know.. can't keep wallowing, can't keep obsessing over what happened, couldn't forget you anyway.. I'm wearing your goddamnn face" "Thanks for... Huh.. well for everything " *Puts V's neckless in a grave* "I'm wiser now and I don't plan to waste it so this is goodbye" Just... damn....
What really strikes me about this theme is just how much it represents Johnny and his growth. Throughout the game we've heard his theme, The Rebel Path, several times. It's an angry, wrathful theme, filled with heavy beats and tense strings. It shows just how much anger Johnny held inside himself when he was alive, and how he lashed out at everyone and everything because of it. This, though? This is calm. Smooth and melancholic. There's an electric guitar, representing Johnny, but it's slow now, playing more of a background track. There's also still the cello that can be found in some versions of the Rebel Path, but again, it's calmed now. I know very little about music theory, and this is all the observations of a layman, but I love to imagine that this song represents Johnny's discovery of how much of a toxic person he was, and how he's trying to change that now with V's sacrifice. How he's seeking a new start, saying farewell to his demons, and becoming someone new for the only friend he ever truly had.
I was really impressed by how actually calmed this ending is. It's tragic, but it's not some tear-jerker. Time moves languorousrly with matured end tempered Johnny taking his time to calmly help kid with the music, enjoy the city sights and say his goodbyes, no rush anymore, no rat races. You get overwhelmed by some moments (like cemetery scene), but the pace did not allow you to wallow in it and keeps moviling, clearing you mind with focused but peaceful resolution. Bitter ending and sweet hope for new begining. This theme really helps to get this feeling across.
I don't think I'll ever get over this game, this ending... It's my favorite one of the 6, and it makes me weep, the first time I finished it I couldn't stop thinking about it for days, cried for a solid 15 minutes afterwards and kept getting teary-eyed thinking about it. 2 years later, playing through it again... It hits just the same. Almost had forgotten just how good it is. No other game has made me this emotional. What really gets me is just the idea of V and Johnny building up their relationship throughout the game, and then V giving up her life for someone who may or may not deserve it... And Johnny sees that. He truly considered her a best friend and cared about her. "I'm just scared for ya, V..." and that long handshake... Seeing V just disintegrate as Alt takes her beyond the Blackwall... The fact he still thinks about her and talks to her as if she's still there just proves it. "I gotta stop talking to you, V." "I got some time, might come to visit you." He didn't change just because he got a new body, he truly percieves things differently and values the second chance he got via V's sacrifice. How passionately he talks about her to Steve when he asks about the pendant - "Belonged to this woman I knew - crazy as fuck." "Do you miss her?" "Yeah, a little." He quit smoking, he's not an asshole to everyone and everything for no reason, he gives genuine advice (the whole musician aspect is great too, and very accurate). Him visiting her "grave", paying for it even, really got to me. "Can't wallow, can't obsess over what happened. Couldn't forget you anyway, I'm wearing your goddamn face." And that moment of him getting on the bus, Steve saying he forgot the guitar and Johnny telling him he didn't... "Didn't forget a thing. Never will." And him opening the bus window, taking off the shades, looking out, leaving Night City behind in pursuit of a new, better life... The guitar in the background just makes the moment. Just can't get over seeing V and knowing she's not there anymore, and that it's Johnny instead. Can't imagine how he must feel, constantly having to see her face whenever he looks into the mirror, hear her voice when he speaks... A constant reminder of her sacrifice and her valiant life. I love them both so much, it hurts. What a fantastic game. Apologies for this long comment, just wanted to get it off my chest.
I love the little moment when Johnny in V's body sticks their hand out of the car, to feel the wind, the breeze, it's a small detail, but it hits, before he couldn't even breathe, now he feels the wind, appreciates little things.
Couldn't have said it any better. This may not be my favorite ending, but it could easily be the most impactful and thought-provoking one. Seeing Johnny be shaken to his core and almost turn into a completely different person just hit so hard. I can't even imagine the amount of guilt he must be feeling
This ending is fucking beautiful man. The game perfectly shows the influence both V and Johnny had on each other. "what would they put on my grave?" "Here lies Johnny Silverhand, the man who saved my life." What better way to repay Johnny for saving V, then for V to give Johnny a second chance at life, and to become a better person.
Thing is Johnny never wanted to be saved. After he realized how far he truly went, he found his breaking point and realized what he was taking away. Even Johnny became desperate to give V back her life because V was the only real friend he had left. Became real evident that Johnny was a lot more serious to save V towards the end.
They helped each other, grew as two souls adrift a hellish world, and in the end went on to heal the world in their own ways. This will always be my favorite ending.
I know lots of people like to go "Nomad is the best ending!" "No, star is the best ending!" but the real beauty is that every ending is so well written that each of them feels like they could be a "canon" ending to V's story. To me though, the end where V gives Johnny their body is the most heart-wrenching out of them all. He started out as a selfish asshole that had zero regard for anyone but himself, and through his journey with V, becomes a better man after death. V was Johnny's last chance to do right by someone, and finally give instead of take. And in the end, he has to live on in their body, knowing he caused the death of his only friend. This song had me bawling as Johnny put V's necklace in the niche. Call the game whatever you like, but poorly written isn't one of them.
Yeah, games don't often have me holding tears, and this game managed to do it at the death of Jackie in the car, later in El Coyote during his wake, and finally with the Star & Temperance endings. The Nomand ending was my favorite because of the mixture of melancholy and hope it had. The cover of the song "Never Fade Away" in the credits *DESTROYED* my feels with a sledgehammer. I think the last game that did that to me was Assassin's Creed Revelations, when old Ezio discovers Altaïr's skeleton. So... yeah... 2011... been a while.
Nomad is the best beginning, and it's the one that fits best with the Nomad ending too, but it's not the best ending. Johnny is, I liked how deep it really was with Johnny who went from a rockerboy to a guy who just roams the earth peacefully in another body. It's a little better to give Johnny the body if you do the Don't Fear the Reaper ending because at least there you don't worry about dragging anyone down with yourself.
@@TrinaryAdept Completely feel the same way after almost as much playtime as you have. This ending is incredible. Johnny has the option of having a fantastic and believable character arc throughout the game. V has only 6 months or less to live anyway and he knows that. In other endings he basically sacrificies or at least risks the lives of his friends almost selfishly so that he may have those months. In this one, he acts like an organ donor - he knows he is done for, and since you can go the Lone Wolf route with this ending, you actually only risk your own body to give Johnny another shot at life and redeeming himself. Its fantastic. Great writing. I love Cyberpunk 2077s characters and really like seeing their sometimes tiny facial expressions and voice tone changes when talking. It makes them so believable and relatable.
@@jakobnance5277 It's pretty much the only ending where V's body doesn't have a time limit anymore, but V isn't there to see it. It's not a very happy ending, and your friends don't like the decision you've made to give Johnny your body. But in a way, you and Johnny are freed from Night City. The writing of this game is fantastic, and it's a shame it was rushed. Some people couldn't handle a few glitches, and then Cyberpunk didn't get it's deserved ratings. In my opinion, Cyberpunk should be Game of the Year.
@@AliothAncalagon I dare say it's better, comparing only one game,not the trilogy, it wouldn't be fair, in cyberpunk they reeaalyy fells like people who you would find in real life, given the circumstances, with the exception of V who's too blankof a character, but it fits the narrative. Imagine if they didn't had rushed the game, it would be the best game of the decade for sure, or even better
@@guigasz If you only look at one Mass Effect game, I don't think the character writing is any less great than it is with all together. The trilogy as a whole allows stronger emotions for us to form, because we have been going through more together and explored more of the characters depths in greater detail. But all those depths you can of course explore much better in 3 games, have already been there in a single game as well. And I think the fact that Mass Effect made slender frog aliens believable is even more impressive than making Panam believable who is a character that probably actually exists somewhere in the real world. I can see how one might feel like Cyberpunks character writing could even be better, since it is playing different tunes that get more emotional. Finding friends in Night City feels like finding a home in the most hostile environment ever. But I think this has more to do with the setting and less with the actual character writing. I think you can compare the character arcs of Panam and Tali to some extend, even though they obviously have very different personalities. If I would imagine Tali in Panams position in Cyberpunk it would be the same plot, just with more depth and background.
Notice how Temperance Tarot card in Cyberpunk have description “Temperance is the card of balance. It may symbolize self-restraint or the gradual shift toward a more mature state of equilibrium. Temperance is associated with being in control of oneself as well as the desire to achieve inner peace.”
I’ve never been emotionally more engaged to any video game plot. Besides what is happening with the game now, the overreactions, hate, scam talks, bugs, glitches, this is still the must play position for everyone. Outstanding experience which triggers so many afterthoughts and empathy in a human being. It’s extraordinary. I wish you all the best my fellow gamers and of course, thank you CD Projekt Red, never stop fighting 👏🏻
Same I’ve never been so attached to characters , every character felt so real and felt like so human because each had their own problems, River, Judy, Panam, Kerry, etc. they all felt real. Definitely a big step up from Witcher 3. And neither GTA V or RDR2 made me feel as attached to the story as this.
Don’t get me started on V, V made me feel like myself. At then when V died and got those voice mails from his friends. It felt like I died and those voice mails were for me. Played for 90 hours and so I got more attached to V and Johnny every gig or side mission.
@@nx808 Hit´s like Hell u know mean i am no softy Man or something smilar but "THIS" Game oh Man is on a another LEVEL 4 Real , i mean since 2020 where i played i still get Goosebumps from some Tracks and Scenes it is just AWESOME and it will still be my GOATY Game❤❤🔥🔥
Looking in the mirror in Johnny's apartment was the time it really hit me and was fucking heartbreaking. Johnny just says, in an utterly defeated voice, "Fuck, V..." He sees V staring back at him, and always will. He'll always know the sacrifice V made. It's.... damn.
@@rishavroy3756 I sure hope so. In my Temperance ending (went through them all to see how it turns out) Rogue was also dead so he straight up has NOBODY. And Panam says she’ll track him to the ends of the earth and get V back.
Fuck this ending makes me so sad. V just realizes there's no point to sticking around because no matter what happens they'll die in 6 months, so they just give their body and their life to Johnny
It's a pretty strong ending. But what makes it more sad is when you get those messages at the credits. And its still better than succumbing to Arasaka.
@@mrorlov2706 V will survive if you see the ending with panam and him, she talks about a ripper that fixed a guy with V’s condition as well, that ending was also spine chilling as well!
@@isaiahsanchez7071 Panam ending was the one I had and i also played a Nomad start. I just go so pissed that was about to give up on all that but when you go to the black wall Johny says something like "Are you just gonna give up and not fight for what is yours?" and i realised that he is right moreover i already dragged all thos Alldecaldo people in that shit with me so giving up on it just like that no way. But later i just loaded to see how it will be like and if you take this ending those messages in credits are pretty sad. By the way technically he supposed to survive considering they have technology to affect neurons in brains heck even in that Peralez quest they could literally change people brains.
@@ivan3man Lovers ending fits well into Nomad who i played tbh. I feel strong vibes that they planed 3 endings for each lifepath. Because that one you describe would def. fit into Streed Kid ending. Plus its debatable because Johny himself just basically leaves the night city which is one final finger to it. I mean if you played the quest about Samurai old bootlegs you can see how disappointed he is that all that he done was for nothing and the tower is still there when Johny tells you to keep fighting for what is yours its your body and your soul which is basically all game story and our quest is about opposed by mikoshi and Arasaka corpo sterilization not some stupid night city glory IMO. Spaceship is also pretty cool ending. We dont even know it might be that Arasaka space station where we end up if choose to side with them.
I feel like thats a major key on why it’s so good. Gotta take doom soundtrack for example it fits the pace of the game and Cyberpunk was on the money when it comes to that
I love how every single ending puts you through a different kind of bittersweet pain. Say what you want about this game and its truckload of problems, but the writing and acting was just supreme.
I just want to leave the game behind because it left me emotionally not stable, games rarely make me feel empty when finishing them, this is one of them. this hurt the most too.
@@ieatgrass108 both this and tlou2, both were games i looked forward to for literal years and they both ruined my 2020 a bit more. Didn’t touch either of these game after completion
@@goingsupernowa The problem with Cyberpunk is that, due to how the game is set up, there really isn't much replayability. Personally, I recommend doing two playthroughs. First, make normal mistakes and learn game mechanics. Second, make an OP netrunner build. The best lifepath and ending is Nomad to Nomad. V loses his/her family to finally find a new one (male gets the Panam romance but female gets a sick jacket, like Panam's, with Judy romance). Streetkid is so short that just feels like a continuation of the main role/story of being a merc and Corpo feels really cold and calculating. I played all lifepath (intros) and made a full male Corpo, and female Nomad playthrough. You can do both romances for both male and female. There is no consequence (unlike TW3) until who you call in the ending. That becomes your official romance while the other choice is left as a friend. Also, if you REALLY want a depressing ending do female V romance Judy and the suicide ending. That sh** broke my heart...even when replaying other endings.
As a full blown netrunner I knew this was the only choice for V. Beyond the black wall, become an AI, a kind of digital immortality. V set out to save himself and he did damnit
Same here. As V, I felt I did all I wanted to do in that life. And given the choice, another 6 months? for what? Johnny still has more ties to the real world with his friends and his music. And I'm sure he would love to live life and feel it for real. I took the step beyond the Blackwall because I still wanted to survive and it seemed like a interesting adventure. I feel like, personally, I could always come back, and I'll always be more around than ever.
@@Jpjohnnyp I agree 100%. V's life was beautiful, violent and short yet nobody will forget his name which is exactly what happened to Silverhand. Whether he got to live 6 more months or 6 more years it would pale in comparison to ascending to a higher state of being.
By far the best game I have played this year, this ending was gut wrenching yet cathartic. Idgf what anyone says this game story wise is a masterpiece.
At Rebel path we are able to hear all Jonny’s hate. And at New dawn fades we can hear that now he control his hate. It’s really cool to see and hear how Jonny and V changes. Music design at Cyberpunk is great
This ending is so beautiful. Kerry talks about life’s loops in the final quest with him and I think this is a prime example of that. V was supposed to die, but Johnny rebooted them and gave them a second chance at life. Instead of living out as a ticking time bomb, V chose to do the same thing for Johnny; give him a second chance at life. V has redeemed themself and Johnny has finally come to the realization that there is more to life than anger and resentment.
I want to paste here comment by nairilee posted on one of the vids of this ending, I think it's really worth acknowledging. "There's something disturbingly beautiful about this ending to me. Sure, it's sad, but there's something to be said about the fact that V could do what others in Johnny's life couldn't: break Johnny out of his egotistical shell and show Johnny that while you should never stop fighting, if you burn the whole world down, there won't be anything to fight for. Life is worth living. Stop and smell the roses, so to speak. So while the Nomad ending is the most peaceful and beautiful in its own right, even oddly hopeful, this ending carries more emotional weight for me personally since it really is the one that shows how much Johnny's developed as a person and how important V was to Johnny."
In the end, I chose the Nomad ending because both Johnny and V wanted it to be so. V's despair as he cries out that it's his body when Alt says what's going to happen, Johnny's many comments about wanting to save V, even if it comes at the cost of his deletion... It is beautiful in its own right to have Johnny's first altruistic decision be his last, along with the strangely romantic notion that he is going with Alt. Once again, Johnny chased Alt into Arasaka Tower, but this time, they leave together.
This track never fails to make me tear up. There's just something about the sorrowful, mournful tone of that guitar that immediately shortcuts *right* to my heart. Maybe it's the bond we form with Johnny throughout the game, maybe it's the culmination of all the strife, pain and perseverance finally coming together in V's ultimate sacrifice & gift to their friend. Their brother. Giving someone a second chance at life, your body, an act that transcends words. Beautifully bittersweet, and tied with the Nomad/Panam ending as my personal favorite.
This is one of, if not my absolute favorite piece in the soundtrack. This part of the soundtrack conveys so many different ideas and themes. But two stuck out to me. Mourning, and hope. While the other endings focus a lot on the implications for everyone besides V (excluding nomad), this ending focuses on letting go of those we've lost and looking to the future in the hopes of finding something better. Not better for the whole of society but for us as an ordinary. This ending is more down to earth than any of the others because it focuses on us, individually. How there can be hope for ourselves, even if the world we live in is hell. There's always hope for you. There's hope for each and every one of us, that can be attained. Call me optimistic, but the future can hold greener pastures. We just need hope to see it.
That's exactly why i think it resonated with me alot and choose it over the other endings and only instance i finished this game. Simply one of the best endings in Cyberpunk imo.
I just realized that if you choose to put out Steve's cigar, Johnny says that he himself isn't a smoker anymore. Probably because he respects V's body more than that. This was the first ending I got and no game hit me this hard ever since I finished the Mass Effect trilogy for the first time like 6 years ago. Thanks Cyberpunk. Unforgettable experience. I'll definitely replay this a few more times. I'm not stopping till I 100% it.
"Listen V... We can't keep dwelling on the past forever, heh... Im wearing your face as a mask, if you're still in there... Thanks, V." *And thank you Johnny, don't waste your life...*
Just had this ending (johnny stays in V's body) and when i went to the cemetery to see v and rogue, shit this sound left me in total depression, I just recover thinking that Johnny has a second chance
I did this ending, but through the nomad route. Rogue was still alive, and Johnny said he's meeting up with her later I think after the bus? But man it still hurt, felt like I betrayed the nomads, and especially Panam. But this to me is the only remotely happy ending in this game, 6 months isn't anything compared to a full life...
@@rishavroy3756 subjective. In that ending, Johnny is gone, and V is slowly withering away in their 6 months. I feel no matter how much you try to be happy, living with a clock over you won't let that happen, in my opinion. Ar least Johnny gets a full life with this ending, and it's clear he'll live it differently and never forget what V did for him. Man all the endings are bittersweet, and it's just personal preference of which is the best outcome.
@@rishavroy3756 Not much of one, considering they were dying from the start and had to do all of the events of the game (which is quite a tall order for any individual) just to be told they don't really get a true second chance regardless of the ending. Pretty bleak.
I just love the guitar in the beginning, and the part at the end. Just the whole peace, i cant stop playing it, and when im not playing it on UA-cam, its playing in my head. I feel like this is what Johnny played after all this, like he wrote it out of his soul. It makes me very sad and melancholic. The end resembles kind of new beginning vibes though, leaving NIght City behind, living a second chance as a changed Man. That is very nice.
Just got the platinum trophy and temperance was the last ending/trophy I needed for it so hearing this theme when I was just about to wrap it all up makes me so sad bro
@@oimgrnHope you experienced it already the ending music is incredible like the entire dlc. It has it's flaws but they are minimal and apart from that it's probably the best dlc I've ever experienced
i really like to listen to this song when i think about when my my grandfather passed away. the way it starts is really sad but in the end it almost appears as a totally new song filled with hope of a better future hope. and altough i lost someone i loved.i know that it isnt the end just a new start, i know perfectly well that he'll still be with me in his teachings and his sayings. if someone is passing through this kind of situation and find comfort on this song. know that everything will be fine, just keep on going foward
Knowing I could get a fairly happy ending with Judy, I chose to ask Panam for help. Snuck into Mikoshi with the full intention of keeping my body, gave Adam Smasher a cheerful send-off with Johnny’s gun… then Alt broke the six-month news and I just couldn’t do it. How could I justify taking away Johnny’s second chance at life for six months? And then we’d both be gone. So I crossed the bridge. I was scared Johnny would go off the deep end entirely, blame himself and not be able to move on. But he seemed genuinely at peace, despite the pain, and I was touched by how determined he was to make good on his promise to V - to remember her and to live, and to be a better person this time around. I can’t imagine any other ending could have been so powerful. After 93 hours with these characters, it hit me hard. Haven’t stopped thinking about it for days. I do think Johnny would have told V’s friends, though. I get why he wouldn’t right away, but it seemed out of line with the rest of this ending for them to be left in the dark indefinitely. Those voicemails from Vik, Misty and Judy really hurt. V would’ve been so pissed. Johnny knew better.
Doing the Don't Fear The Reaper option and then choosing to go with Alt just has a sort of "you picked the wrong option in this route" since it's V making the choice. If you take the pills, Johnny's plan is to go with Alt, the other options have V in the saddle and it makes sense to let Johnny go and live out what time V has left. Choosing the alternate option for either questline feels like a betrayal of the bond between Johnny and V. Imagine storming Arasaka, stomping Smasher singlehandedly, and then having the plan change right before the finish line. Johnny can't even process it fully before V crosses to the Blackwall. Johnny wakes up in V's body, with V's face, knowing he's never coming back.
You know, i actually just did that on my first playthrough (Don' Fear the Reaper + Temprance ending) years ago and i still consider it my favourite in the whole game. Even if many point out is sad, me personally i find it hopeful. Is the most balanced from the original endings (PL not included which i still yet have to play since i spoiled myself 1of the endings lmao).
I finally got around to playing this game end of august and got super into it and got this ending my first playthrough and teared up a bit when johnny went to visit rogue and v’s grave.
This ending has the OG Blade Runner ending vibe so much imo. This ending is just depressing and so cyberpunky imo. I hate and love it at the same time...
Cyberpunk had the exact same impact on me, I play as often as I can now. And sometimes when my mind drifts I find myself playing the ending to new dawn fades.
"An animal still prowls inside us. And its instinct to survive almost can't be extinguished." "Yeah, that instinct's part of being human - but so is denying it."
It starts mournful, regretful. But near the end, it turns hopeful. It's a new day. A new chance. And all the incentive in the world to make damn good use of it.
If you picked V as a male, life for Johnny wouldnt be too bad, he would just be have a fresh start with another body and another voice. If you picked V as female, it probably be much more impactful for Johnny to wear the body of the woman who willingly gave her life for him is a lifetime of reminders that he is living V's life for her. It will probably be torturous to be reminded every single day the rest of his life but Johnny accepts it as he lives on for V, to not waste the life she had given him. When Johnny visits V's niche it was heartbreaking for me especially when the guitar starts. V's female voice had so much emotion and so much pain I had such a connection with her. Cherami Leigh did a fantastic job as always. Screw the people slamming the game for the bugs and glitches for views and attention lol
@@haveproblemz545 this game is very good in terms of story but cd projekt red does deserves all the critisism is getting they scammed console players even thou i really like this game, doesnt change the fact that this game is a mess
@@cocovalhalla8447 They do deserve all the criticism not just the game, but their treatment of the employees. Yes they do get paid for their extra work, but they're basically forced to crunch on the game. What I'm saying the game is just one of the only good games that came out in this mess of a year.
I think its especially poignant too considering Johnny was, lets face it, a chauvinistic piece of shit when it came to women, treated Alt like shit (literally has the option to grab her by her hair and toss her aside), treated Rogue like shit (cheated on her multiple times, even though he KNEW she loved him and he loved her back), treated female V like shit at the beginning (literally beats the shit outta her that was pretty damn confronting), only for in the end two of the women closest to him willingly gave their lives for him, making him adjust his behavior and become a more decent human being. Even if Johnny elects to not stay with a female body, he still cant deny at the end of the day they died for him and he cannot continue to be the same self obsessed douche canoe he was before, he HAS to change.
I don't know why but every time I listen to this theme ,I just think about my life ,things that i've done wrong or could do much better ,this game taught me a lot...
If they have 2 big story dlcs for this game like they did in tw3, I’m hoping for one to be about the possibility of finding a cure and the other to be about alt’s mission beyond the black wall
man this riff hits hard after such a ride. knowing all the ppl johnny knew are long gone and moved on with life. all he has is V's face as a reminder of the one true person who knew silverhand...
"I kinda hoped for a happier ending..."
"For us? Wrong city, wrong people."
Dang I remember this sentence but when was it again?
@@tlegendz1488 I think Johnny says it, after you connect to mikoshi
@@cadet1888 thanks
The main villain in the game is Night City
@@markusssh 100%, night city is one of the most important characters in the game
"When my grandpa died, I missed him a lot...
But now I only miss him sometimes."
This fucking quote hit me so fucking hard bro.
Time turns everything to fog.
It hit me hard especialy because my grandmother died very recently, about 2 months ago. And with that music playing , is a recipe for crying.
I feel like it hits even harder because of how the line is said, very passively, like it just isn't that big of a deal to him anymore.
Drives home the reality that not everyone will mourn you forever and that everyone is eventually forgotten.
@@WrittenOffski not that everyone is forgotten, we never forget. But we move on. We take that experience that they provided us and we use it to morph ourselves into better individuals. They always live on in us for the rest of our lives. Which is actually kinda funny now that i think about it, because Johnny literally now carries around V everywhere he goes. He will never forget, but now, he can start anew
"Haven't forgotten a thing,
never will."
If the first one hit hard, this one hit even harder.
Probably the deepest ending.
RIP V
A Dreamer.
probably the true end or the most cyberpunk of all of them either way original V dies and new V gets 6 months to live. this game ain't meant to have happy endings, night city isn't like that. This to me feels like the true end not to perfect to mean a good end and not to bad to give that bad end feeling yet still stark.
@@jamesprice6291 Going in as Johny and then leavin to black wall also feels like a right fit. I mean it was their war, Johny and Rogue first place and they had a score to settle with Smasher and Arasaka it all came full curcle in the end.
Mr Orlov true i can't see your full comment for some reason but everything does come full circle with Johnny ending the man who killed him at the expense of Rogue and with all his real friends dead except maybe Kerry there ain't much left for him do. But truth is Real V is dead and even with the whole six months thing he's a copy unless you believe that V's soul was really ripped out of him. V was always living on borrowed time even if he did come back. I want that nomad ending to be happy but in this universe it's rare things end well. The reason i resonate with Johnny's ending is because it fits the universe his job is finished at the expense of a man who was his dearest friend he's got a second chance which justifies his character development and maybe with that new found wisdom he might be able to change things in his second life... or some poetic shit like that.
@@jamesprice6291 If V goes with alt past the firewall then Johnny takes Vs body and Johnny isn't capped at 6 months as alt explained. The body was adapted to take Johnny's engram so he will be fine, if V had taken the body then he would be dead in 6 months.
Letting go of hope. That bastard, hope.
“Here Lies V, The Guy Who Saved My Life”
takes off shades "V , you have no idea how much I want that to be true".
@@prasunkumar1125 takes off shades to reveal second pair of shades
Realy hard momment
"Do you know how much I've sacrificed!?!?"
He rest now
Johnny stopped smoking not because it's unhealthy but because V never smoked. Johnny respects the new body granted to him by V and sees it as a gift no matter how wicked the soul inhabiting it may be.
Damn... this game is well crafted.
Johnny actually tells the kid, that he used to think life was cheap, that he didn't care about anyone's life, not even his own. Then V willingly chose to give up their life, so Johnny could have a second chance and now, for the first time, probably in his whole adult life, Johnny finally see's the true value in life.
@@Mocade333 i did not know that, maybe just a coincidence.
I see it as Johnny treating the body with as much respect as possible, one play through Johnny commented on how he never knew my V smokes (must’ve been cause of the Japan town apartment smoking interaction)
The way I see it, cigarettes are a way of self-destruction. Like Johnny himself said - he was given a second chance, and he isn't planning to waste it by doing the same things he did in his previous life.
@@Shyy_Guyy
Year old comment but it actually depends on how far in the story you were/how much of your brain the Relic had rewired to Johnny.
It happens after rescuing Evelyn from the XBD snuff house. If you do that mission early in the game V will contemplate smoking while Johnny begs them to and you can give in or refuse.
But if you leave it until later in the game, V will already be smoking and Johnny will comment his surprise.
That guitar riff in the beginning plays in two other moments of the game: When Johnny finds his "grave" at the end of "Chippin In", and in "Both Sides, Now", when you find Evelyn's body. The latter always seemed odd to me until I looked at the three moments, and realized in each one, it plays when something ends badly despite a person putting so much effort into it. But in each of those circumstances, the incidents aren't the end: Judy resolves herself to help V and the dolls, Johnny can get one more chance to make things right with his own compatriots, and, in Temperance, Johnny!V hits the road, heading for whatever awaits beyond the horizon. It's a song of loss, of unhappy outcomes, of wasted time and effort for a goal that will never be attained.
At the same time, it's a song of resolve, of turning the page, of new beginning.
It's also in Never Fade Away
Well, then it's pretty fitting that the title for this is "New Dawn Fades" isn't it?
Thank you for spoiling me Evelyn's death.
@@yasininn76 as opposed to the literally hundreds of other spoilers in these comments
@@yasininn76 here's another for you: cd project red wrote their own kerry/Johnny fanfiction
"Haven't forgotten a thing. Never will."
This song is a requiem to your Valerie's and Vincent's, who decided that they had the right to choose for themselves. That they could sacrifice something for someone else. This hurts so much.
Dude you've been my favorite clone since I was old enough to understand the movie.
This music is sad. Not because Johnny has a new life. Because johnny lost the only true friend he really ever had.
Johnny did have friends, but they also hated him at times, because he hated everything. Now, in his new life, he’s learnt how to treat people with respect and can make new friends.
@@Timebomb_19nah they weren't really his friends. He treated them all like shit. V was the one person who put up with him, and he's not gonna forget what V did for him. He's a new person now.
@@royshavrickyeah , as hes shown in the bus taking his glasses off meaning he is leaving johny old self to become a better one
But that's the thing with this ending, right? He's got a full life ahead of him.
V may have been the first, and he will always be The One...but it doesn't stop Johnny from making new friends, whereever he ends up.
3:38
You forgot your guitar!
No I didn't
Haven't forgotten a thing. Never will
RIP Vincent
"You're talented Kid, I see it in you... Whenever you end up writing songs, don't write them unless you feel the urge to write, if you feel sad, write something sad, if you're not head over heels, don't write a love song... It has to be from the heart. And, always have a backup plan for in case things go south."
What a beautiful ending, depressing, yet hauntingly beautiful.
Or Valerie
@@fishsmellbad1862 I'm pretty sure that male V is canonical, could be wrong though.
@@fabledhistorian7590 ???
Male V's name is Vincent and female V's name is Valerie...
@@fishsmellbad1862 He meant that male V is canon. He wasn't talking about names
From "Never Fade Away" to "New Dawn Fades". Guess even Johnny Silverhand deserved a second chance.
Stop cutting onions in the comments, man....
But what did V deserve? :(
@@JB-xl2jc I guess we'll know in the next DLCs :)
@@JB-xl2jc v deserved to rest and to finally stop fighting. That’s why Johnny’s ending is my favorite. V accepts that he will die and embraces his chance at peace and survival with alt.
@@Buddhistsocialist I can understand that. For me it was The Star ending. He decides to leave with his new family and his love. Another kind of retirement.
After playing so many RPG games where your character saves the day, it feel weird to come to terms that:
1) your character isn't a hero, he/she is just a small part of this bad, bad city.
2) your character is mortal, like any other protagonist in different games, but this game really underlines that theme. And I don't mean set protagonists, like Arthur Morgan, I mean it like the character you create and decide what path he will go.
3) letting go feeling oddly cathartic. Other games have tried for the self sacrifice route but cyberpunk 2077 is the first one to absolutely nail it
There's no better quote to say that captures the games theme like The one Dexter Says to you when you first talk to him:
*"Do you want to die as Mr. Nobody? Quiet Exit and quiet life? Or go out in a blaze of glory?"*
@@nightcrawler763 I think storming Arasaka Tower was the blaze of glory V wanted and because of that I let my V die they got what they wanted the most: to make a mark on night city history.
@@nightcrawler763 Spoilers
My V is the type to go blaze of glory style. But me, personaly? I learned something about myself. As I am now, I'd go to Arasaka and become an Engram. Heck, I'd probably work for Arasaka or some corpo in general.
You want to be someone better, but it's a funny thing, facing who you are right now.
@@Olivia-W Not to mention the Temptation to become a legend, I just said fuck it and killed Smasher, but at the cost of friends...
I was in a significantly dark place before Cyberpunk. Up until playing it for the first time, I had undoubtedly filled much of Johnny’s own checklist of screwups, and I tried abysmally hard to make up for it, especially since some of those people were never going to hear from me again. I found myself in places online that I never would normally associate with while trying to make up for everything, and I still didn’t have it in me to be honest with anyone about it. I thought this was just going to be a long, cumbersome mental battle for another decade, never forgetting the people I’ve quite literally given paranoia to regardless of the “very young” excuse people tell me to try and make me feel better.
I really had no idea how much I needed a story like Cyberpunk to show me people are far more willing to see things gray as opposed to black and white. I didn’t know how much I needed Pondsmith’s universe as a ‘whole.’ I can’t say it saved my life, I wasn’t at ‘that’ point. But I can say it turned things around for good-and when this theme hit on Temperance, I felt like I could breathe for the first time in years. Johnny will never be forgiven, but he gets it. And now I get it.
You can't undo your past but you can't let your past undo your future either
I relate to that so much
This is the most purely depressing theme out of the game, listening to it feels like cutting a hole into your heart
When i heard first time, I felt like i am tearing my soul apart
After everything you experienced with your V @@doddy8431
@@doddy8431 the feeling, it was so desolate (I don't know how to write that word), so depressing, making the stops to say goodbye, getting in the bus and looking outside, everyone calls you, It just feels like you lost everything, yet you remain, but it's not even you, you have nothing
This song feels "hollow". Like it wants you to know you are all alone, and you have nothing else to fight for. Everything Is over.
You did not win. You did not lose. It's just... Over.
That's Ian Curtis for ya.
Sometimes that’s a good thing
@@deadboyayep8188 "Here? For people like us? Wrong city, wrong people."
But it was a good over.
V died a legend , and at peace at his own terms.
Johnny fixed his life and moved on
@@karankenZand arasaka got their way, they know the engram works now. They will use it in house
The kid that drives Johnny around in this ending is wearing the same shirt that V starts the game with after the prologue.
Damn...
Don’t tell me, is that his kid? That’s heartbreaking
@@amandeepbaghiana4510 Don't think they are blood related, his mother and father are seen in the ending. Still, Johnny becomes a father figure.
@@yourpalsammy9773 You know, I thought about this too. Every ending could have some sort of meaningful expansion to it.
They could have Johnny and Steve's events leading to what we see now, plus V in the blackwall having crazy netrunning combat sequences in the Temperance Expansion, and the ending could see AI V speaking to Johnny one last time, wishing him well and "remembering, like lines of code" who Johnny is like Alt did, for some next level emotions.
@@amandeepbaghiana4510 nope in the arasaka ending, dialogue mentions V has no offspring.
this likely means V became a legend regardless of the ending
This ending completely destroyed me. From the look on V's face as she told him not to forget her, to V's tombstone that read only one word, to Judy's message during the credits, still thinking that V is alive and going to call her back any moment... I think I might need a break from this game.
My exact feelings and thoughts *virtual hug*
You still walked the path to Alt only to turn back at the last? Me too
I wish Johnny gave Judy some closure and you got a positive voicemail from her. It would have made this ending so bittersweet.
@@matthieuzglurg6015 That was the only thing that left this ending a bit rough to me. If Johnny had at least TRIED to explain, even if some characters wouldn't have believed him (Panam is smart enough to figure out what happened and swears revenge), it just would've been cool. All of V's friends think V just straight up ghosted them.
This happened to me too, in my 2nd run with the character I liked the most... It took me a day or two to take it in
I love how you can hear the ghostly echoes of both "Never Fade Away" and "The Rebel Path" in this song.
Knowing that for months after V's death, Johnny was still talking to them, hearing their voice when he spoke and seeing their face in the mirror - how can you even grieve like that?
Not to mention that Johnny does the Quest descriptions, and for the Temperance ending, he mentions how he still feels like V is still somewhere inside him, of his new body. A feeling he can't let go forever.
@@thegamecritic5305 I see so many people disappointed over the fact that Johnny and V couldn't fuse into one person. But I disagree with them. V does fuse into Johnny in a way. Not from some experimental technology, but because of the love those two held for each other. And in a world where people have lost so much of their humanity, Johnny's decision to honor V is all the more impactful.
Johnny: "ahh V... "
*Takes V's neckless off*
"Can't carry this around anymore ya know.. can't keep wallowing, can't keep obsessing over what happened, couldn't forget you anyway.. I'm wearing your goddamnn face"
"Thanks for... Huh.. well for everything "
*Puts V's neckless in a grave*
"I'm wiser now and I don't plan to waste it so this is goodbye"
Just... damn....
who's they? them?
They/them to be neutral since your character is either male or female V.
What really strikes me about this theme is just how much it represents Johnny and his growth. Throughout the game we've heard his theme, The Rebel Path, several times. It's an angry, wrathful theme, filled with heavy beats and tense strings. It shows just how much anger Johnny held inside himself when he was alive, and how he lashed out at everyone and everything because of it.
This, though? This is calm. Smooth and melancholic. There's an electric guitar, representing Johnny, but it's slow now, playing more of a background track. There's also still the cello that can be found in some versions of the Rebel Path, but again, it's calmed now.
I know very little about music theory, and this is all the observations of a layman, but I love to imagine that this song represents Johnny's discovery of how much of a toxic person he was, and how he's trying to change that now with V's sacrifice. How he's seeking a new start, saying farewell to his demons, and becoming someone new for the only friend he ever truly had.
Friend, even if you tell yourself you know little of music theory, I think you are a natural.
Johnny always knew what kind of person he was. Never fade away was his favourite song after all
"yeah but the game has bugs"
-morons.
Fits the name of the track and the ending. Temperance; balance.
I was really impressed by how actually calmed this ending is. It's tragic, but it's not some tear-jerker. Time moves languorousrly with matured end tempered Johnny taking his time to calmly help kid with the music, enjoy the city sights and say his goodbyes, no rush anymore, no rat races. You get overwhelmed by some moments (like cemetery scene), but the pace did not allow you to wallow in it and keeps moviling, clearing you mind with focused but peaceful resolution. Bitter ending and sweet hope for new begining. This theme really helps to get this feeling across.
I don't think I'll ever get over this game, this ending... It's my favorite one of the 6, and it makes me weep, the first time I finished it I couldn't stop thinking about it for days, cried for a solid 15 minutes afterwards and kept getting teary-eyed thinking about it.
2 years later, playing through it again... It hits just the same. Almost had forgotten just how good it is. No other game has made me this emotional.
What really gets me is just the idea of V and Johnny building up their relationship throughout the game, and then V giving up her life for someone who may or may not deserve it... And Johnny sees that. He truly considered her a best friend and cared about her. "I'm just scared for ya, V..." and that long handshake... Seeing V just disintegrate as Alt takes her beyond the Blackwall... The fact he still thinks about her and talks to her as if she's still there just proves it. "I gotta stop talking to you, V." "I got some time, might come to visit you." He didn't change just because he got a new body, he truly percieves things differently and values the second chance he got via V's sacrifice. How passionately he talks about her to Steve when he asks about the pendant - "Belonged to this woman I knew - crazy as fuck." "Do you miss her?" "Yeah, a little." He quit smoking, he's not an asshole to everyone and everything for no reason, he gives genuine advice (the whole musician aspect is great too, and very accurate). Him visiting her "grave", paying for it even, really got to me. "Can't wallow, can't obsess over what happened. Couldn't forget you anyway, I'm wearing your goddamn face." And that moment of him getting on the bus, Steve saying he forgot the guitar and Johnny telling him he didn't... "Didn't forget a thing. Never will." And him opening the bus window, taking off the shades, looking out, leaving Night City behind in pursuit of a new, better life... The guitar in the background just makes the moment.
Just can't get over seeing V and knowing she's not there anymore, and that it's Johnny instead. Can't imagine how he must feel, constantly having to see her face whenever he looks into the mirror, hear her voice when he speaks... A constant reminder of her sacrifice and her valiant life. I love them both so much, it hurts. What a fantastic game. Apologies for this long comment, just wanted to get it off my chest.
I love the little moment when Johnny in V's body sticks their hand out of the car, to feel the wind, the breeze, it's a small detail, but it hits, before he couldn't even breathe, now he feels the wind, appreciates little things.
G'bye, Johnny. Just don't forget I came 'round.
Couldn't have said it any better. This may not be my favorite ending, but it could easily be the most impactful and thought-provoking one. Seeing Johnny be shaken to his core and almost turn into a completely different person just hit so hard. I can't even imagine the amount of guilt he must be feeling
This ending is fucking beautiful man. The game perfectly shows the influence both V and Johnny had on each other. "what would they put on my grave?"
"Here lies Johnny Silverhand, the man who saved my life."
What better way to repay Johnny for saving V, then for V to give Johnny a second chance at life, and to become a better person.
Thing is Johnny never wanted to be saved. After he realized how far he truly went, he found his breaking point and realized what he was taking away. Even Johnny became desperate to give V back her life because V was the only real friend he had left. Became real evident that Johnny was a lot more serious to save V towards the end.
They helped each other, grew as two souls adrift a hellish world, and in the end went on to heal the world in their own ways. This will always be my favorite ending.
"Don't know anyone else who'da had the guts to make a call like that... Not a soul"
When he says that
@@pawe1721 when he went to V's grave right before putting necklace sub-dialog
@@augurofdunlain9072 Now I know it only happens when you have at least 70% status with Johnny and decide to sacrifice for him
@@pawe1721 yes its basically whole point of this music since its the "new dawn fades" ending :)
I know lots of people like to go "Nomad is the best ending!" "No, star is the best ending!" but the real beauty is that every ending is so well written that each of them feels like they could be a "canon" ending to V's story.
To me though, the end where V gives Johnny their body is the most heart-wrenching out of them all.
He started out as a selfish asshole that had zero regard for anyone but himself, and through his journey with V, becomes a better man after death. V was Johnny's last chance to do right by someone, and finally give instead of take. And in the end, he has to live on in their body, knowing he caused the death of his only friend.
This song had me bawling as Johnny put V's necklace in the niche. Call the game whatever you like, but poorly written isn't one of them.
Yeah, games don't often have me holding tears, and this game managed to do it at the death of Jackie in the car, later in El Coyote during his wake, and finally with the Star & Temperance endings. The Nomand ending was my favorite because of the mixture of melancholy and hope it had. The cover of the song "Never Fade Away" in the credits *DESTROYED* my feels with a sledgehammer.
I think the last game that did that to me was Assassin's Creed Revelations, when old Ezio discovers Altaïr's skeleton. So... yeah... 2011... been a while.
Nomad is the best beginning, and it's the one that fits best with the Nomad ending too, but it's not the best ending.
Johnny is, I liked how deep it really was with Johnny who went from a rockerboy to a guy who just roams the earth peacefully in another body.
It's a little better to give Johnny the body if you do the Don't Fear the Reaper ending because at least there you don't worry about dragging anyone down with yourself.
I'll have to respectfully disagree, the last words exchanged by the kid and Johnny were some of the worst dialogue I've seen in story based games..
@@TrinaryAdept Completely feel the same way after almost as much playtime as you have. This ending is incredible. Johnny has the option of having a fantastic and believable character arc throughout the game. V has only 6 months or less to live anyway and he knows that. In other endings he basically sacrificies or at least risks the lives of his friends almost selfishly so that he may have those months. In this one, he acts like an organ donor - he knows he is done for, and since you can go the Lone Wolf route with this ending, you actually only risk your own body to give Johnny another shot at life and redeeming himself. Its fantastic. Great writing. I love Cyberpunk 2077s characters and really like seeing their sometimes tiny facial expressions and voice tone changes when talking. It makes them so believable and relatable.
"Just.... Don't forget me, promise?" - V
"You forgot your guitar!"
"I haven't forgotten anything. Never will." - Johnny
@@jakobnance5277 It's pretty much the only ending where V's body doesn't have a time limit anymore, but V isn't there to see it. It's not a very happy ending, and your friends don't like the decision you've made to give Johnny your body. But in a way, you and Johnny are freed from Night City.
The writing of this game is fantastic, and it's a shame it was rushed. Some people couldn't handle a few glitches, and then Cyberpunk didn't get it's deserved ratings. In my opinion, Cyberpunk should be Game of the Year.
You can say what you want about the problems of Cyberpunk, but the character writing is some top level Mass Effect shit.
@@AliothAncalagon I dare say it's better, comparing only one game,not the trilogy, it wouldn't be fair, in cyberpunk they reeaalyy fells like people who you would find in real life, given the circumstances, with the exception of V who's too blankof a character, but it fits the narrative. Imagine if they didn't had rushed the game, it would be the best game of the decade for sure, or even better
@@guigasz If you only look at one Mass Effect game, I don't think the character writing is any less great than it is with all together. The trilogy as a whole allows stronger emotions for us to form, because we have been going through more together and explored more of the characters depths in greater detail. But all those depths you can of course explore much better in 3 games, have already been there in a single game as well.
And I think the fact that Mass Effect made slender frog aliens believable is even more impressive than making Panam believable who is a character that probably actually exists somewhere in the real world.
I can see how one might feel like Cyberpunks character writing could even be better, since it is playing different tunes that get more emotional. Finding friends in Night City feels like finding a home in the most hostile environment ever. But I think this has more to do with the setting and less with the actual character writing. I think you can compare the character arcs of Panam and Tali to some extend, even though they obviously have very different personalities. If I would imagine Tali in Panams position in Cyberpunk it would be the same plot, just with more depth and background.
"How could I forget,I'm wearing your face."
Or something like that 😅
Notice how Temperance Tarot card in Cyberpunk have description
“Temperance is the card of balance. It may symbolize self-restraint or the gradual shift toward a more mature state of equilibrium. Temperance is associated with being in control of oneself as well as the desire to achieve inner peace.”
I’ve never been emotionally more engaged to any video game plot. Besides what is happening with the game now, the overreactions, hate, scam talks, bugs, glitches, this is still the must play position for everyone. Outstanding experience which triggers so many afterthoughts and empathy in a human being. It’s extraordinary. I wish you all the best my fellow gamers and of course, thank you CD Projekt Red, never stop fighting 👏🏻
Same I’ve never been so attached to characters , every character felt so real and felt like so human because each had their own problems, River, Judy, Panam, Kerry, etc. they all felt real. Definitely a big step up from Witcher 3. And neither GTA V or RDR2 made me feel as attached to the story as this.
Don’t get me started on V, V made me feel like myself. At then when V died and got those voice mails from his friends. It felt like I died and those voice mails were for me. Played for 90 hours and so I got more attached to V and Johnny every gig or side mission.
Yessssss
This ending has been on my mind for a couple days now
Every ending of this game lingered with me for awhile after I finished them. What a masterful game
3 years have passed, still there?
man, even after 3 years, I can't even listen 10 seconds of this damn song without crying
me to brother hits like Punch in a Face!! with SPIKES 😢😢
@@nx808 Hit´s like Hell u know mean i am no softy Man or something smilar but "THIS" Game oh Man is on a another LEVEL 4 Real , i mean since 2020 where i played i still get Goosebumps from some Tracks and Scenes it is just AWESOME and it will still be my GOATY Game❤❤🔥🔥
The same brother, the same….
Looking in the mirror in Johnny's apartment was the time it really hit me and was fucking heartbreaking.
Johnny just says, in an utterly defeated voice, "Fuck, V..."
He sees V staring back at him, and always will. He'll always know the sacrifice V made. It's.... damn.
@@rishavroy3756 I sure hope so. In my Temperance ending (went through them all to see how it turns out) Rogue was also dead so he straight up has NOBODY. And Panam says she’ll track him to the ends of the earth and get V back.
"Couldn't forget you anyway. I'm wearin' your goddamn face."
3:37 "haven't forgotten a thing, never will"
Fuck this ending makes me so sad. V just realizes there's no point to sticking around because no matter what happens they'll die in 6 months, so they just give their body and their life to Johnny
It's a pretty strong ending. But what makes it more sad is when you get those messages at the credits.
And its still better than succumbing to Arasaka.
@@mrorlov2706 V will survive if you see the ending with panam and him, she talks about a ripper that fixed a guy with V’s condition as well, that ending was also spine chilling as well!
@@isaiahsanchez7071 Panam ending was the one I had and i also played a Nomad start. I just go so pissed that was about to give up on all that but when you go to the black wall Johny says something like "Are you just gonna give up and not fight for what is yours?" and i realised that he is right moreover i already dragged all thos Alldecaldo people in that shit with me so giving up on it just like that no way. But later i just loaded to see how it will be like and if you take this ending those messages in credits are pretty sad.
By the way technically he supposed to survive considering they have technology to affect neurons in brains heck even in that Peralez quest they could literally change people brains.
@@ivan3man Lovers ending fits well into Nomad who i played tbh. I feel strong vibes that they planed 3 endings for each lifepath. Because that one you describe would def. fit into Streed Kid ending. Plus its debatable because Johny himself just basically leaves the night city which is one final finger to it. I mean if you played the quest about Samurai old bootlegs you can see how disappointed he is that all that he done was for nothing and the tower is still there when Johny tells you to keep fighting for what is yours its your body and your soul which is basically all game story and our quest is about opposed by mikoshi and Arasaka corpo sterilization not some stupid night city glory IMO.
Spaceship is also pretty cool ending. We dont even know it might be that Arasaka space station where we end up if choose to side with them.
@@ivan3man there ain't no such thing as a living legend
Cyberpunk has an absolutely phenomenal soundtrack.
I feel like thats a major key on why it’s so good. Gotta take doom soundtrack for example it fits the pace of the game and Cyberpunk was on the money when it comes to that
“Rogue, you were always the best, nobody ever came close”
I love how every single ending puts you through a different kind of bittersweet pain. Say what you want about this game and its truckload of problems, but the writing and acting was just supreme.
i've got this ending... Dude, i'm so depressed.......
It’s the good kind of depressed tho.
It makes you feel fulfilled yet wanting more doesn't it, I feel the same.
I just want to leave the game behind because it left me emotionally not stable, games rarely make me feel empty when finishing them, this is one of them. this hurt the most too.
@@ieatgrass108 both this and tlou2, both were games i looked forward to for literal years and they both ruined my 2020 a bit more. Didn’t touch either of these game after completion
@@goingsupernowa The problem with Cyberpunk is that, due to how the game is set up, there really isn't much replayability. Personally, I recommend doing two playthroughs. First, make normal mistakes and learn game mechanics. Second, make an OP netrunner build. The best lifepath and ending is Nomad to Nomad. V loses his/her family to finally find a new one (male gets the Panam romance but female gets a sick jacket, like Panam's, with Judy romance). Streetkid is so short that just feels like a continuation of the main role/story of being a merc and Corpo feels really cold and calculating.
I played all lifepath (intros) and made a full male Corpo, and female Nomad playthrough. You can do both romances for both male and female. There is no consequence (unlike TW3) until who you call in the ending. That becomes your official romance while the other choice is left as a friend.
Also, if you REALLY want a depressing ending do female V romance Judy and the suicide ending. That sh** broke my heart...even when replaying other endings.
This is the best ending. Not too hopeful, not too dark. Fits the tone of the game perfectly. I love it.
Has a similar vibe to anime ending - a bittersweet one.
Ahh V...
I swear the beginning of this Song. Goosebumps every time. This Song did something inside me...
As a full blown netrunner I knew this was the only choice for V. Beyond the black wall, become an AI, a kind of digital immortality.
V set out to save himself and he did damnit
Same here. As V, I felt I did all I wanted to do in that life. And given the choice, another 6 months? for what? Johnny still has more ties to the real world with his friends and his music. And I'm sure he would love to live life and feel it for real. I took the step beyond the Blackwall because I still wanted to survive and it seemed like a interesting adventure. I feel like, personally, I could always come back, and I'll always be more around than ever.
@@Jpjohnnyp I agree 100%. V's life was beautiful, violent and short yet nobody will forget his name which is exactly what happened to Silverhand. Whether he got to live 6 more months or 6 more years it would pale in comparison to ascending to a higher state of being.
By far the best game I have played this year, this ending was gut wrenching yet cathartic. Idgf what anyone says this game story wise is a masterpiece.
At Rebel path we are able to hear all Jonny’s hate. And at New dawn fades we can hear that now he control his hate.
It’s really cool to see and hear how Jonny and V changes.
Music design at Cyberpunk is great
"A thing of beauty. I know.
Will never fade away"
This ending is so beautiful. Kerry talks about life’s loops in the final quest with him and I think this is a prime example of that. V was supposed to die, but Johnny rebooted them and gave them a second chance at life. Instead of living out as a ticking time bomb, V chose to do the same thing for Johnny; give him a second chance at life. V has redeemed themself and Johnny has finally come to the realization that there is more to life than anger and resentment.
I want to paste here comment by nairilee posted on one of the vids of this ending, I think it's really worth acknowledging.
"There's something disturbingly beautiful about this ending to me. Sure, it's sad, but there's something to be said about the fact that V could do what others in Johnny's life couldn't: break Johnny out of his egotistical shell and show Johnny that while you should never stop fighting, if you burn the whole world down, there won't be anything to fight for. Life is worth living. Stop and smell the roses, so to speak. So while the Nomad ending is the most peaceful and beautiful in its own right, even oddly hopeful, this ending carries more emotional weight for me personally since it really is the one that shows how much Johnny's developed as a person and how important V was to Johnny."
Amen
In the end, I chose the Nomad ending because both Johnny and V wanted it to be so. V's despair as he cries out that it's his body when Alt says what's going to happen, Johnny's many comments about wanting to save V, even if it comes at the cost of his deletion... It is beautiful in its own right to have Johnny's first altruistic decision be his last, along with the strangely romantic notion that he is going with Alt. Once again, Johnny chased Alt into Arasaka Tower, but this time, they leave together.
This game is a masterpiece.
Even though cyberpunk has hiccups (pr disaster, bugs), it's such a beautiful yet depressing game. Love the sweet, melancholy vibes of this ending.
This track never fails to make me tear up. There's just something about the sorrowful, mournful tone of that guitar that immediately shortcuts *right* to my heart. Maybe it's the bond we form with Johnny throughout the game, maybe it's the culmination of all the strife, pain and perseverance finally coming together in V's ultimate sacrifice & gift to their friend. Their brother. Giving someone a second chance at life, your body, an act that transcends words.
Beautifully bittersweet, and tied with the Nomad/Panam ending as my personal favorite.
The moment you realize this track is actually diverted from 'never fade away' hurts a lot. V basically faded away..
This hits me so hard when I heard this....been looking for this, this sounds like never fade away
u can also hear this playing on the oil fields
Yeh I have been looking for it as well. But with oil fields when exactly do u mean?
@@benjamink3057 during the mission chippin in
It is literally the same riff as never fade away, only slower and no distortion. Nice ear
This is one of, if not my absolute favorite piece in the soundtrack. This part of the soundtrack conveys so many different ideas and themes. But two stuck out to me. Mourning, and hope. While the other endings focus a lot on the implications for everyone besides V (excluding nomad), this ending focuses on letting go of those we've lost and looking to the future in the hopes of finding something better. Not better for the whole of society but for us as an ordinary. This ending is more down to earth than any of the others because it focuses on us, individually. How there can be hope for ourselves, even if the world we live in is hell. There's always hope for you. There's hope for each and every one of us, that can be attained. Call me optimistic, but the future can hold greener pastures. We just need hope to see it.
That's exactly why i think it resonated with me alot and choose it over the other endings and only instance i finished this game. Simply one of the best endings in Cyberpunk imo.
"Haven't forgotten a thing. Never will" I can say that about this game.
...I guess there's no such thing as living legends after all, huh...?
Adam Smasher died at the end by V i dunno about morgan black hand but i think he died we will see probably dlc with him
in which scene was this said again?
@@youtubeuser69420 thank you so much, i really appreciate you answering my question :)
Omg I really didn't think this was even uploaded
Johnny Silverhand at V's Grave: "V..."
God, just him saying that fucking hurt so much.
This ending was sad. I was heartbroken beyond the point of crying and every time i hear this I hear the words " havent forgotten a thing".
I just realized that if you choose to put out Steve's cigar, Johnny says that he himself isn't a smoker anymore.
Probably because he respects V's body more than that. This was the first ending I got and no game hit me this hard ever since I finished the Mass Effect trilogy for the first time like 6 years ago. Thanks Cyberpunk. Unforgettable experience. I'll definitely replay this a few more times. I'm not stopping till I 100% it.
"Can't keep wallowing, can't keep obsessing over what happened."
i’d do anything to hear this for the first time again
"Listen V... We can't keep dwelling on the past forever, heh... Im wearing your face as a mask, if you're still in there... Thanks, V."
*And thank you Johnny, don't waste your life...*
I got a different dialogue to this
Im wearing your goddamn face*
Riding the roller coaster see Johnny smile for once was crazy
Dont fear the reaper into this. Suicide final missions are my favorite
One of the most satisfying things about this ending was grabbing Rogue’s gun and blasting Smashers face with it.
i wish V’s niche would say “the guy/girl who saved my life” if you chose that dialogue option at the oil fields
Just had this ending (johnny stays in V's body) and when i went to the cemetery to see v and rogue, shit this sound left me in total depression,
I just recover thinking that Johnny has a second chance
I did this ending, but through the nomad route. Rogue was still alive, and Johnny said he's meeting up with her later I think after the bus? But man it still hurt, felt like I betrayed the nomads, and especially Panam. But this to me is the only remotely happy ending in this game, 6 months isn't anything compared to a full life...
@@rishavroy3756 subjective. In that ending, Johnny is gone, and V is slowly withering away in their 6 months. I feel no matter how much you try to be happy, living with a clock over you won't let that happen, in my opinion. Ar least Johnny gets a full life with this ending, and it's clear he'll live it differently and never forget what V did for him. Man all the endings are bittersweet, and it's just personal preference of which is the best outcome.
But where was V's second chance?
@@rishavroy3756 Not much of one, considering they were dying from the start and had to do all of the events of the game (which is quite a tall order for any individual) just to be told they don't really get a true second chance regardless of the ending. Pretty bleak.
Shit it even kind of sounds to the song its paying homage to, I love cdpr
I don't have the words to describe the sheer fucking beauty of this ending.
I just love the guitar in the beginning, and the part at the end. Just the whole peace, i cant stop playing it, and when im not playing it on UA-cam, its playing in my head. I feel like this is what Johnny played after all this, like he wrote it out of his soul. It makes me very sad and melancholic. The end resembles kind of new beginning vibes though, leaving NIght City behind, living a second chance as a changed Man. That is very nice.
“I havent forgotten anything. Never will”
Just got the platinum trophy and temperance was the last ending/trophy I needed for it so hearing this theme when I was just about to wrap it all up makes me so sad bro
Anyways I still haven’t bought the dlc and this game is already one of my favourites of all time so I can’t wait to experience that
@@oimgrnHope you experienced it already the ending music is incredible like the entire dlc. It has it's flaws but they are minimal and apart from that it's probably the best dlc I've ever experienced
8 months since l finished this ending, and still hearing this song every fucking day and every single day feel goosebumps...
I believe this also plays during the scene with Johnny and V during Chippin' In
i really like to listen to this song when i think about when my my grandfather passed away. the way it starts is really sad but in the end it almost appears as a totally new song filled with hope of a better future hope. and altough i lost someone i loved.i know that it isnt the end just a new start, i know perfectly well that he'll still be with me in his teachings and his sayings. if someone is passing through this kind of situation and find comfort on this song. know that everything will be fine, just keep on going foward
4:37 Best part. Leaving the past behind you, leaving the problems behind you, leaving the history...
Knowing I could get a fairly happy ending with Judy, I chose to ask Panam for help. Snuck into Mikoshi with the full intention of keeping my body, gave Adam Smasher a cheerful send-off with Johnny’s gun… then Alt broke the six-month news and I just couldn’t do it. How could I justify taking away Johnny’s second chance at life for six months? And then we’d both be gone. So I crossed the bridge.
I was scared Johnny would go off the deep end entirely, blame himself and not be able to move on. But he seemed genuinely at peace, despite the pain, and I was touched by how determined he was to make good on his promise to V - to remember her and to live, and to be a better person this time around. I can’t imagine any other ending could have been so powerful. After 93 hours with these characters, it hit me hard. Haven’t stopped thinking about it for days.
I do think Johnny would have told V’s friends, though. I get why he wouldn’t right away, but it seemed out of line with the rest of this ending for them to be left in the dark indefinitely. Those voicemails from Vik, Misty and Judy really hurt. V would’ve been so pissed. Johnny knew better.
Doing the Don't Fear The Reaper option and then choosing to go with Alt just has a sort of "you picked the wrong option in this route" since it's V making the choice. If you take the pills, Johnny's plan is to go with Alt, the other options have V in the saddle and it makes sense to let Johnny go and live out what time V has left. Choosing the alternate option for either questline feels like a betrayal of the bond between Johnny and V.
Imagine storming Arasaka, stomping Smasher singlehandedly, and then having the plan change right before the finish line. Johnny can't even process it fully before V crosses to the Blackwall. Johnny wakes up in V's body, with V's face, knowing he's never coming back.
You know, i actually just did that on my first playthrough (Don' Fear the Reaper + Temprance ending) years ago and i still consider it my favourite in the whole game. Even if many point out is sad, me personally i find it hopeful. Is the most balanced from the original endings (PL not included which i still yet have to play since i spoiled myself 1of the endings lmao).
Been looking everywhere for this piece, thank you so much for uploading it.
I finally got around to playing this game end of august and got super into it and got this ending my first playthrough and teared up a bit when johnny went to visit rogue and v’s grave.
I love that New dawn fades is a slowed and remixed version of the cover of Never fade away.
“Waiiiit you forgot your guitar”
“No I didn’t”
haven't forgotten a thing. never will.
This ending has the OG Blade Runner ending vibe so much imo. This ending is just depressing and so cyberpunky imo. I hate and love it at the same time...
This game has given me so much motivation to play my guitar lately and through that it will forever be a part of me.
Cyberpunk had the exact same impact on me, I play as often as I can now. And sometimes when my mind drifts I find myself playing the ending to new dawn fades.
This ending messed me up for 2 weeks straight. Months have passed and i still have this at the back of my head.
I strongly believe this quest's name is a reference to Joy Division's New Dawn Fades. Actually fits the theme too in... a way.
All the quests are song names, so it surely is intended
@@DestructorN7 mmm yea. i later noticed. thank ya
Bass riff is also the same, so it's inspired by it
always come back to this
"And I gotta stop talking to you, V."
As if I weren't crying enough already.
Goodbye V… and, never stop fighting.
FUCK! it still hits me hard, and the way he spoke to johnny beside the well😢
"goodbye, V, and never stop fighting."
"An animal still prowls inside us. And its instinct to survive almost can't be extinguished."
"Yeah, that instinct's part of being human - but so is denying it."
The soundtrack on this game is on another level
3:34 man, that exact moment when the guitar hits... truly my favorite part and a beautiful addition to this ending 🤍
>be named after the most depressing Joy Division track
>be the most depressing song in the game
Like pottery.
It starts mournful, regretful.
But near the end, it turns hopeful.
It's a new day. A new chance.
And all the incentive in the world to make damn good use of it.
Theres something so satisfying about that distorted melody in the beginning, I feel could listen to it all day.
This ending got me emotional bro
If you picked V as a male, life for Johnny wouldnt be too bad, he would just be have a fresh start with another body and another voice. If you picked V as female, it probably be much more impactful for Johnny to wear the body of the woman who willingly gave her life for him is a lifetime of reminders that he is living V's life for her. It will probably be torturous to be reminded every single day the rest of his life but Johnny accepts it as he lives on for V, to not waste the life she had given him. When Johnny visits V's niche it was heartbreaking for me especially when the guitar starts. V's female voice had so much emotion and so much pain I had such a connection with her. Cherami Leigh did a fantastic job as always. Screw the people slamming the game for the bugs and glitches for views and attention lol
Real shame people are doing that... This game is honestly the only game that game out on pc that had a good story, made this year much better.
@@haveproblemz545 this game is very good in terms of story but cd projekt red does deserves all the critisism is getting they scammed console players even thou i really like this game, doesnt change the fact that this game is a mess
@@cocovalhalla8447 They do deserve all the criticism not just the game, but their treatment of the employees. Yes they do get paid for their extra work, but they're basically forced to crunch on the game. What I'm saying the game is just one of the only good games that came out in this mess of a year.
I think its especially poignant too considering Johnny was, lets face it, a chauvinistic piece of shit when it came to women, treated Alt like shit (literally has the option to grab her by her hair and toss her aside), treated Rogue like shit (cheated on her multiple times, even though he KNEW she loved him and he loved her back), treated female V like shit at the beginning (literally beats the shit outta her that was pretty damn confronting), only for in the end two of the women closest to him willingly gave their lives for him, making him adjust his behavior and become a more decent human being. Even if Johnny elects to not stay with a female body, he still cant deny at the end of the day they died for him and he cannot continue to be the same self obsessed douche canoe he was before, he HAS to change.
@@Supadrumma441 Also treated Kerry like shit too. He was non-discriminatory when it came to assholery.
I love how the cello starts coming in at the end, being in Johnny's theme but now as if he was sad, yet still thankful
I don't know why but every time I listen to this theme ,I just think about my life ,things that i've done wrong or could do much better ,this game taught me a lot...
If they have 2 big story dlcs for this game like they did in tw3, I’m hoping for one to be about the possibility of finding a cure and the other to be about alt’s mission beyond the black wall
I think what we got was way better tbh
man this riff hits hard after such a ride. knowing all the ppl johnny knew are long gone and moved on with life. all he has is V's face as a reminder of the one true person who knew silverhand...