Komatsu
Member
It's been almost a week since the release of CYBERPUNK 2077. Many GAFers have beaten the game and may want to discuss the plot, characters and, above all, the ending(s) of this sprawling open world title. Let's talk shop, choombas. Which path did you choose? Hanako? Going out in a blaze of glory, Johnny-style? What side quests grabbed your attention?
A few ground rules to keep this thread from derailing:
- The game is buggy, we know. There are 7 other threads where you can complain about it. Please, let's discuss the story here.
- Bear in mind that other players who have crossed the finished line may have played through a completely different conclusion. Other endings you have not seen may be spoiled here.
- For those curious on whether most of the leaks were accurate, the old leaks/spoiler OT is an interesting read for those who finished the game.
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I guess I will go first:
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A FEW (OR NOT SO FEW) WORDS ON THE ENDINGS
A big part of Cyberpunk 2013/2022/2077 as a setting is that it always had a heroic aspect to it. As Mike Pondsmith himself said a couple of times in the last 30 years, the world of Cyberpunk has gone to the shitter, yes, but it is punk precisely because the possibility of change is not closed off. Your character may rock the boat. Eliminate rogue AIs. Topple corporations. Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell were melancholy stories - of the crushing limits of consciousness itself, the fragile nature of what it means to be human, etc. All of these elements are to be found in CP2077, yes, but though the game does not really have a golden ending, all of the conclusions besides one have V living - or dying - on his own terms. If he lets Johnny take over, it is a matter of that being his volition.
A lot of people criticized the timeskip at the very start of the game, but looking back I think it was essential to give us the feeling that our character was really starting over. Like Niko Bellic stepping out in Liberty City, to some extent V's life as a merc pretty much starts in tandem with the game's introduction. Riding out to meet the Nomads, plotting mayhem with Judy over pizza, all of it resulted in me being very much invested in our main character. Geralt always felt like his own thing whereas V is a cypher, with just some bits and pieces of personality that you can then use to create your own. So to me the question on whether or not he (my first V was male) should resign himself to fate was never much of a dilemma to me. I'd rather him take his chances and die out there with the Nomads than to disappear into cyberspace or blow his own brains out.
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PANAM PALMER AND THE NOMADS
One of the highlights of the game, in my opinion. The way the game gives you the option of slowly growing closer, as you become a sort of foil for Panam in her shadow war for the hearts and minds of her nomad clan against her father figure/leader Saul., is just beautiful. That "downtime" scene with you, Panam and Saul catching some Zs at an abandoned house as a storm rages outside was amazing. V's flirting too is somewhat realistic here, worlds apart from the "I AM SHEPARD, FUCK ME" sex appeal you see in Mass Effect. I do believe the whole "you're co-leader now, Panam" development was a tad rushed, but other than that this is a very good chunk of side-content.
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RIVER WARD AND THE MISSING NEPHEW
One of the most disturbing missions of the game and yet CDPR does not at any point take the easy way out. We almost feel sorry for the sick fuck who kidnaps young men to his dairy farm upon visiting the memories of his desperately unhappy childhood. The way his hands crack into weird claws as he spits out his rage at his infuriated teacher is particularly disturbing when viewed from the first person perspective. The ending, with you and River getting shitfaced on top of a water tower while looking out at the city lights, is also a very strong moment.
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So, GAF, what grabbed your attention? What sidequests were the highlights of your experience? What characters did you take a liking to? What ending did you get?
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