#path: arasaka-earth

[mysteriousgreenbean]

Best Cyberpunk 2077 ending?

Recently I finished Cyberpunk 2077. Again. First time I finished it soon after it was released. Now I played through it again, to experience the DLC and see the whole system overhaul. After 230h in game and gathering all achievements, I finished it off by seeing the new main game ending introduced.

It of course left me emotionally devastated, as most Cyberpunk endings, but aside that it also got me thinking - which ending is the best?

More specifically: which ending is best for the characters involved?

It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway - heavy spoilers below for Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty DLC.

We have variety of different endings with different results and judging which is best for specific characters may be a little problematic. So let's just focus on easiest way to approach that - on the base of who lives and who dies. As a general rule (with few exceptions which I'll explore later) - living is better than dying. So of course best scenario is where everyone of interest is alive, while everyone being dead would be the worst (...which, again, is not necessarily true).

Exploring that for every important NPC of the game would take a lot of time, so I'll disregard it. Especially that it would require judging who we want to live and who we want to die...

Now, the story is about V with Johnny Silverhand's engram, so that's who I'll focus on. So best ending for them is probably the one where they both get to live.

Now, given that a lot of themes are about thinning the line between life and death, we can't just always say for sure if someone is dead or not. So I'll be describing the status of each person with three possible values - dead, alive and edge. Edge for now is a catch-all for all the scenarios where it is not completely clear if someone is either alive or dead. We'll explore edges later if necessary.,

Path of least resistance

V puts a bullet through their head, ending her and Silverhand's life on the spot. It is quite peaceful actually, but reaction of their friends in the credits is heart-breaking.

V - dead

Silverhand - dead

That's easily not the ending we're looking for. Do not recommend.

The Devil

V sells themselves to Arasaka, helps to end Yorinobu's regime and is in the end treated on the space station. Let's trust what Arasaka says assume that Johnny is shredded. Probably true - it's not like they need him anymore. He proved plenty dangerous even after death, so probably that's better for them.

Unfortunately, changes to V's DNA were irreversible, so V gets a choice - return to Earth and live out the last 6 months before death or sign to Secure Your Soul programme and allow to be digitalized. So depending on the choice, the result is as follows:

V - dead/edge

Silverhand - dead

To be clear - I refuse "lives 6 more months" to be taken as alive. Yes, V is technically alive at the end of the game, but has probably less than half a year to enjoy life, before dying in pain. It's better than being dead immediately, but I still count it as dead. Being an engram is counted as edge. So technically this ending is better than path of least resistance, but only by tiny edge..

The Star/The Sun

Path to both endings is a little different, but in both Johhny ends up part of Alt beyond Blackwall. In The Star V leaves the city with Aldecados, while in The Sun, V stays as living legend in Night City. But in both scenarios V suffers from irreversible damage and is just living last six months of their life.

V - dead

Silverhand - edge

But hey, it's better than The Devil at least! I mean - you may be dead, but at least you didn't sell yourself to Arasaka!

Temperance

This is what happens if V decides to leave body to Silverhand. Johnny gets to live in V's body, while V joins Alt beyond the Blackwall. At this point body belongs to Johnny, so there's no doomsday clock above him.

V - edge

Johnny - alive? edge?

Let's stay here for a moment, because this is where it starts getting complicated. I'm using edge mark rather generously and it's time to figure out what it actually means.

Edge = unalive

For all intents and purposes you might claim that Johnny is alive in Temperance ending and you wouldn't be wrong, most likely. We met quite a lot of Silverhand's friends from the past and none of them had any doubt about talking to actual Johnny. So when he got actual body for himself, it is like he got a second life, right? From my perspective - yes. From your perspective - also yes. From perspective of any of his friends - yes as well.

But not from perspective of Johnny himself.

You see - we're dealing with engrams here. And it is fairly well explained how do they work. Engram is basically a digital copy of a person. "Copy" being a keyword here. It is not "uploading your psyche to computer", but rather "killing the original and creating a program that perfectly simulates it".

You know ChatGPT. You can instruct it to write like specific person - many people create chatbots based on ChatGPT, that act as fictional (or not) characters. But those are not living people. ChatGPT is basically just very advanced word prediction algorithm - similar to those you have on your own smartphone. But it is not a conscious being just because it simulates one.

That means, that all my use of edge up to now is completely invalid! There's no edge! If engram is just ChatGPT-esque algorithm, then V is always dead after interacting with Mikoshi! And Johnny is just always dead, as he starts the game as engram, there's no way to make him alive!

That's a bummer, because it would just mean that status for both Johnny and V in any ending we considered until now is just

V - dead

Johnny - dead

We can't really have it that way, so we should do something about it, but what exactly?

What is life?

We know that in Cyberpunk world there are actual, true, conscious AIs. Usually malicious, but so are many humans, so let's not hold that against them now. Is such conscious AI actually a person? How do you even now if AI is conscious?

Those questions are deeply philosophical, but thankfully - I do not have to answer them here! In Cyberpunk true AIs are assumed as a given, everyone just knows they exists, usually behind the Blackwall. How did anyone come to definite conclusion that those AI are actually conscious? I have no idea, but for the sake of this post - I'm just taking their word for it!

If they are conscious, capable of change and learning, then I believe it's more than enough to rule, that such AI is alive. By the same token - engrams created from the Soulkiller are probably alive as well. If it is actually possible to store human psyche on a shard, then it should be possible to say, that psyche is alive. Then I think we can treat engram as a person. Same person, as the one from which engram was created, but not THE same. It's the same prerogative as cloning somebody - you have duplicate of that person, but when you perform that, you have a clone and an original.

So if we care about V, then we probably care also about V's engram.

Engram is a person, just not necessarily human

Let's try to look at those endings with above assumptions then! Johnny is always dead, V never met actual Johnny, so let's focus on his engram then!

Path of least resistance

V - dead

Silverhand's engram - dead

Nothing changes here, still just death.

The Devil

Now, depending on last choice, V either dies, or V's engram persists. Johnny's engram is shredded anyway, so status is as follows:

V - dead

V's engram - dead/alive

Silverhand's engram - dead

Same as above, if you go back to earth, V's engram is dead as "never born". If you create it, it is alive. It is a living in captivity in Arasaka's databanks though...

The Star/The Sun

V - dead

V's engram - dead

Silverhand's engram - edge

V dies at the moment of being extracted by Alt. V's engram goes back to V's body and dies few months later. Silverhand's engram stays on edge, as here it is truly hard to discern if it is alive. Technically - it becomes part of Alt. But then to what capacity does he stay himself? He probably is not fully himself, but he also is not dead, so edge seems like perfect classification.

Temperance

V - dead

V's engram - edge

Silverhand's engram - alive

Similar to Start/Sun ending, but V's and Silverhand's engram switch places. Because body's DNA was adjusted for Silverhand, the engram stays alive.

V is not too lucky, as stays dead in every scenario now... but at least their engram has a chance to live on! We could try changing it to numbers to get some context!

Let's assume dead has value of 0, edge is 1 and alive is 2.

With that scale Path of least resistance gets 0 points (as all three relevant people are dead). The Devil gets 2 points if V participates in Secure Your Soul programme. The Star/The Sun gets only 1 point, while Temperance gets whole 3 points!

Which would suggest Temperance being best endings for concerned parties... And this is saying something, if "best" ending gives you 3 points out of 6 possible...

Though it is important to note, that you never actually expect both engram and its source to exists at the same time. Soulkiller kills the body and creates a copy of the mind. So expecting both V and V's engram to exist at the same time is kind of pointless. So actually achievable maximum amount of points is 4 (which would mean that both V or V's engram and Silverhand's engram are alive). And 3 out of 4? Sounds much better.

Let's have a look at the ending that inspired me to write all that, shall we?

The Tower

V - alive

Silverhand's engram - dead

You go with FIA, they wipe Silverhand out, V lives. So it's just 2 points out of 4 on our scale.

So Temperance is best, case closed!

...no, not really.

Because of course this scale counts only how many people live. Which is of course some way of measuring it, but there's one, another, tiny important aspect of that.

We're playing as V. V doesn't want to die. Unless your V is fine with death (which is completely valid approach by the end of the game), then probably V tries anything possible, to actually get out alive. And I mean ALIVE alive. If I were V put before all those endings (knowing their results) - I really wouldn't like any of those from the base game. Why? Because I would be DEAD in all of them. Yeah, engram of me gets to live in some of them and that's cool, but it's not what I'm after. I don't want a copy of me alive, I want ME to be alive.

So going by this logic, unless your V came to the conclusion, that they are able to sacrifice their life for Johnny's engram, then V has only one ending to choose from - The Tower from Phantom Liberty.

Now, to live V needs to sacrifice Johnny. Needs to basically sacrifice So Mi - because to achieve this ending, you need to give her out to FIA, when she is basically consumed by Blackwall. Stripped of her own consciousness, she still is "operational", but she described this fate as "worse than death". I guess if we count her in, then in this ending she is on edge, but if what she expected is true - this edge would probably be counted as -1. She literally begs V to kill her, instead of being sentenced to that fate.

And V's life also changes after this! Spends two years in a coma, romantic interest moves on, friends move on, basically everyone assumes her dead (and given V's occupation and situation - I really don't blame them). Then V learns, that any combat cyberware is out of a question! V is alive, but merc V is dead. It is a transformation, not dissimilar to creation of an engram - the difference being that it is the same V here always, but to some extent they need to die and be reborn for it. So price for it is pretty steep.

So there's no best ending?

That's one of the things I really love about this game. There's no "good" ending. All ending are bitter-sweet to some extent, though proportions and intensity of bitter and sweet may differ. Cyberpunk shows us late-capitalistic dystopia, that sucks for everybody. There's no "really good" endings. It's always a mess and everyone can look at it differently. And that's a horrifying beauty of this setting. And life, I suppose.

[cybervesna]

Gush About Your OC

Thank you for tagging me @vforviktor  ❤️ I’m so sorry for Maikuro past and emotional problems, I hope settles down around Vik and Misty so they can become her friends (and Vik something more)  ❤️ Dropping here instead of @cyberspacerunner since it’s my Vesnaverse encyclopedia   📚  Rules:

🖤 Post 5 Facts about your OC

🖤 Open the latest section of #cyberpunk 2077 tag and reblog 5 posts of people you don’t follow, giving them nice tags.

🖤 Tag 5 People to spread the game.

I choose for this my usually neglected Wiosna  🖤 (Not a V)

🖤 Her parents (both astronomers and astrophysicists) used to be in charge of Arasaka’s space program “Athena”, where Athena is a nickname they called her when she turned out to be a “gifted” kid. That was no longer the case when they died tragically in an accident on launch from Earth when she was around 20yo. However, Wiosna doesn’t know her parents were engramed.  🖤 She wears only monochrome B&W with silver accents. At first it’s just her choice of fashion as a goth girl, but it actually has a seacond meaning. I’m sucker for symbolism, especially with colors. Wiosna at some point becomes Hanako’s protégé, and Hanako’s symbolic colors are white and gold, the opposites to Wiosna’s black and silver, where silver on top of that is a secondary color to gold (as 1st place always claims gold). I used this symbolism to show how different they are (black vs white) and that Wiosna, with her skill will always be under Hanako (silver under gold). Regardless of that, she’s still one of the best in the net.  🖤 Wiosna is Polish and born in Poland, however her mother is Hāfu of Polish descent (Polish-Japanese). Despite Poland being pretty shitty place to live, and her parents actually living in Japan, they decided it would be best for her safety to stay there. She was raised by her grandparents in Poland, while still strongly persuading culture of both of her herritages. Although, her favorites parts of the year were annual 2 month holidays in Tokyo, since Japan over all was a better place to live.  🖤 Before she ended up under Hanako’s wing, and after she was kicked off Arasaka for association with Jenkins wo was her fiancé in 2076, she used to be underground netrunner at the Afterlife claiming new name SPR1NG (Wiosna means spring in Polish but in America she was known as Vesna). While her actual net persona is named ATH3N4. During that time she crossed her paths with Vincenzo Giovanna (my V), but only on the level of being in the same place, at the same time. At some point Rogue told her she remind her of Spider Murphy, but born in corporation, not the streets of Night City.  🖤 The reason why Wiosna ended under Hanako’s wing is that at after being kicked from Arasaka, all her parents’ forture was seized from her and she was looking for a way to get the access back. While breaching Arasaka’s ICE she ended up near Mikoshi fortress, something only AI Alt was able to achive before. It led to her being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, as it was time when Hanako sought Saburo’s (engram) “council” and alerted by intrusion, she herself dived to deal with the threat (Wiosna). Wiosna’s survivor was a true miracle, and she lost functionality in half of her body because of it. But for Hanako it was a proof of her great potential, so she tracked her down in real life and offered a job by her side, with apology bonus by paying for her body upgrade to the best tech. Also Wiosna’s new arm was meant to resemble Hanako’s. Tagging: @vronism @cybercaffie @sidver @siliconpit​ @wolv2077​ @zinkleberg​ 

[prodigalcat88]

I was lost in the neon lights of Night City for days now only to get the so-called Devil ending. I only googled this because I wasn't able to get screenshots as I was crying the whole time--especially on the credits. I didn't save either and I didn't want to go through the whole ordeal again just to grab sceens. My hormone soaked heart cannot take it. Oh, my poor Corpo V. Here's a short fic dedicated to her.

Warning: Probable spoilers to the ending. Also, sad post. I just needed an ending for my Corpo V.

Remaining Embers

V thought she was doing the best thing for her when she chose to help Hanako. She thought going back to the world of crisp suits and clean walls was her best chance of survival. But it was unsurprising that she had been wrong again. She hadn't been right for some time now. Her quick decisive actions that had earned her a reputation in the Arasaka Counter Intel office was the shovel that dug her grave in the real world. The logical path she took, choosing what seemed correct than what felt right, lead her to this time, this place, alone among the stars in a shuttle that would carry her down to earth. To her grave.

You can kick a rat out of the corpo, but you can't kick the corpo out of the rat.

Jackie's voice rang in the emptiness of her head. How true, she thought and waited for her friend's response. Silence answered her. She waited for another voice to come, to jeer, to reprimand. She felt a pang in her chest as she realized the silence in her head was deafening; that she never really felt she was dying until now.

She went through her voicemail and her chest felt heavy as she watched the people who she had betrayed with her choices. They call to her, asking her to join their lives and V knew it was just another Thursday to them. Once the call ended, they would go about living their lives as they would too once she's gone. Maybe they would think about her, about her choices; and maybe they would realize she deserved her fate. And they would be right.

Still, V felt calm at the thought that maybe she would not disappear--not entirely. Maybe her struggle to survive, to cling to life on nails and teeth, was not in vain. And maybe she didn't need a drink named after her or a tombstone in an abandoned oil rig. Being thought of even for a split second, appearing in someone's dream as a person they once laughed with, getting a toast from people as they sang around the campfire under the stars--this was enough for her.

With a sigh, she felt herself relax, as if a huge weight was removed from her shoulder. Maybe, going silently into the night wasn't so bad after all. It was time, she realized, to calm the rage against the dying of the light and to embrace the remaining embers before succumbing to the shadows.

And maybe, the shadows were not such a bad place after all. Maybe she would meet friends there. Maybe a big guy enjoying vodka on the rocks with a splash of love; or a small punk girl tinkering on old tech; or even a jaded rocker turn terrorist turn friend who would mock her about dying. She just hoped the last one would appreciate her gift--the last of her courage, her refusal to become data owned by Arasaka. To die as herself.

[musesbykai]

Oron’s right to think V’s defense of the woman to be out of character. Because it is. This is the same merc who nearly started a fifth Corpo war with those same bombs. The same V who has a known reputation in all circles as the one who shows no mercy when it came to dealing with Corpos and their rats. Always went for the kill.

From snapping necks to slicing them in two, to making them kill their own teammates or kill themselves with quickhacks.

So why were they really defending this ex-Arasaka employee? They knew the reason and —from the fact they clearly didn’t want to be sharing space with the woman— it definitely wasn’t for what they already said.

“Yeah, I snuck out. It’s how I was able to answer her call in the first place,” V confirmed as they sunk into the passenger seat. Now they were doing that thing they always did when planning how to approach people they don’t like but had to deal with anyway. This Corpo woman was such such people.

They made familiar hand motions that only ever came up when in such situations. Counting fingers, fanning one hand slightly while the other remained perfectly still.

“Ooof course.” V let out a sigh as Oron’s words sunk in. They knew they’re in a lot of trouble. Their father and the clan leader both had that exact same tone. “But let’s deal with the rat first.” ~ kaiju-crimson-storyandask

“Heh. Helping a corpo… and I thought I hit rock bottom when I destroyed that warehouse district back in Detroit.” Oron shook his head, hand gripping the wheel with such a force that his knuckles were turning white. At this point, the Australian wasn’t even angry at V, just the whole idea of having to help one of these rats to begin with was enough to piss him off.

A whole war was fought against people like her. Waves of flesh and machine constantly trying to invade his homeland in order to screw over the people by tearing apart the earth that they called home. Oh it angered him so much. He lost a lot of good friends during his time while serving.

Eventually, the pair of them had arrived at the location. The little sound from his GPS snapped him out of the dangerous path.

“So… where is she?”

@kaiju-crimson-storyandask

[lavendermilkandhoney]

I’m not cold

“I don’t want to leave. I’m happy, V.”

-

“A man who invents himself needs someone to believe in him... not only the need to be believed in, but the need to believe in another.”    - Salman Rushdie

[pestopascal]

sorry if it's not too mcuh to ask but are you able to share the endings? ive seen a lot of mixed reviews in regards to them and player choices and i wanted to hear your opinion

uhhh pfft okay spoilers below... but there are like “five″ endings, each with variations and reflections on choices that you go through

devil ending (arasaka)

so assuming you have done nothing game wise (no side missions, no friendships), this is the most basic ending you will get besides one other. this has several differences based on whether you saved takemura or not (yes, you can save him in search and destroy, and he doesn’t like an outcome of this ending if you save him. quite frankly, it’s hilarious).

this ending basically ends the arasaka story of the game, which was the heist section, as well as takemura’s general story direction. you realise along the way that yorinobu wasn’t just the antagonist but an antihero in hating his father’s stance on separating the rich and poor further, as well as attaining immortality via the relic. he wanted to give it to everyone. saburo had uploaded his soul to mikoshi (think along the lines of the stacks in altered carbon), knowing that yorinobu was going to make an attempt. turns out hanako knew all this. there is more backstory with hanako’s connection to alt explained. saburo’s relic is installed in yorinobu’s body.

- variation 1: goro died, hellman takes you to the facility

after the choice, hellman will be the one to escort v to arasaka, having survived conveniently. after some other missions involve a hostile takeover of arasaka, hanako fulfills her promise of removing johnny, but in the process v’s mind is practically destroyed beyond saving. there is a sequence of testing, with the scientists and lots of psychological implications. hellman will arrive to give the choice of whether to upload v’s mind to mikoshi in an attempt to save them in some years time (because, as it turns out, there are stipulations in that cloning is not near the level of science it needs to be, saburo and yorinobu obviously had close enough genetic material it made transfer easier. also johnny’s relic has apparently ‘changed’ v’s dna enough (which is questioned and evaded). that and it is arasaka. they could just be lying, and v knows this). so v can sign a contract to be uploaded to mikoshi, or can return to earth with 6 months to potentially live, although is speculated to have less time than that.

the credits roll with dialogue from those you may have befriended in some capacity discussing either the fact you have signed on to arasaka, or you have disappeared/returned to earth. hanako offers v a job if they had chosen to return to earth to die. your love interest makes reference to not having heard from you/wishes to see you soon.

- variation 2: goro survives, also escorts v to arasaka

takemura fills the roll of hellman, and ultimately proves that he is arasaka until the day he dies, even after the apparent ‘wavering’ dialogue. he didn’t make it this far in life without being able to lie the way he does. he’s a lot more gentle in the approach compared to hellman in asking v to return to mikoshi, there is some reminiscing dialogue, and also promises of visiting in the future if they manage to find v a body.

the biggest difference is should v choose to return to earth, takemura tells v to rot in hell for refusing arasaka’s help.

the sun (rogue)

this ending relies on side missions being completed for rogue (NOT just a good relationship with johnny, that is another ending as well that will be mentioned after). blistering love is the last one for rogue.

what happens is that you give johnny and rogue their last attempt at the assault on arasaka tower. johnny will be in control for the duration of this mission. rogue dies during the assault when adam smasher arrives. at mikoshi, johnny is the point of view character for the decision on who remains in v’s body. alt recognises that the relic has altered v’s body too much for v to remain there, but johnny would survive without problem.

- variation 1: v remains in control

johnny assimilates with alt in cyberspace and v returns to the world as a living legend. your love interest can potentially appear in the suite, but they recognise that v has become incredibly distant as a person (implied only a few months to live, that only they know of), and is taking on one last gig like no other. the love interest may potentially break up with v. ends with v eventually going to attack the crystal palace (casino in space).

- variation 2: johnny remains in control

vastly different, and i recommend playing this ending out at least once. johnny appears some time after the events of arasaka leaving the city, with collecting belongings and also going to visit the columbarium and deposit the bullet in v’s grave. it also gives a lot of insight into other memorials to characters you may have met in other side missions, there is jackie’s, rogue’s (per this ending), etc. johnny leaves night city.

- VARIATION 3: TECHNICALLY THE SECRET ENDING and in some cases considered ending 5

DIFFERENT in that it has a set of requirements that include maintaining a relationship with johnny ABOVE 70% (which can happen in the missions for him). need to wait and not decide on an ending for johnny to personally suggest this, so that no one else will die for them. it goes the same route as the rogue/johnny ending but instead v/johnny assault arasaka tower themselves. this is the HARDEST mission in the game, there is NO save option, you have to complete it in one go. if you die it is treated as an ending, and the end credits will even reference this with other characters talking about this. should you make it through, it plays out similarly following on from the other variations, save for the fact rogue will actually be alive, and the afterlife sequence will reflect her survival.

the star (aldecaldos)

should you befriend panam, including completing all of her lines (queen of the highway being the last), there is the offer to join them. it follows a very similar path in terms of attacking arasaka tower per rogue/johnny, but with the aldecaldos, and saul dies when adam smasher appears for the fight. this is one of the endings where you can choose who stays in v’s body however, but played from v’s point of view.

- variation 1: v remains in control

again, similarly follows the sun route, however v will wake up later with the aldecaldos en route to tucson. judy if romanced will join v, panam will obviously have a continuing romance, but river stays behind due to his family commitments with promises of maybe someday if they return, and kerry i believe at this stage, doesn’t want to give up night city just yet, but again similarly to river, promises.. it ends on a more hopeful note.

- variation 2: johnny remains in control

plays out like the sun ending.

path of least resistance (suicide)

easily the most heartbreaking. depending on how you may have played v, it is the one time they feel the most in control. johnny and v have an incredibly emotional discussion about death and life and rebirth. the credits will roll, and any relationships you have established will have a spoken part. i sobbed during the credits. it is.. yeah. well.

my opinion

the endings are confronting, or hopeful, depending on what is chosen. siding with arasaka goes against your better instincts, especially as a corporat. even after believing that perhaps takemura has changed, v realises that to his heart, that man will never leave. becoming a living legend just like jackie wanted leaves v feeling quite empty, as they have made it to the heights and there’s nothing for them. the aldecaldos are viewed as the best simply because there is that hope that in arizona, someone might be able to help, but potentially at the cost of your own relationship. and then... after seeing how much v has been punched down... the last ending just truly hurts. both in terms of characters understanding and being so angry at themselves and at v. i personally don’t know what specific ending i would choose for my v as i’m still working it out, but they all do punch in some way i personally think, especially if you have... actually played the story, and it does like tie off specific ends here and there. also like... finding out what happens to the peralezes and other people you might’ve met... yeah. i recommend playing through all of them + variations at least once (granted.. if you are comfortable with it. the arasaka ending is very invasive and well, the suicide ending can be incredibly uncomfortable).

[silverhandy]

I saw the devil (in me) - chapter 3

Chapter 1 I Chapter 2 I ao3

    The door to his hotel room closed with a hum and a soft click of an automatic lock. This time, he did take the cab, walking back would give him way too much time to really think about what Misty had said. It made Takemura feel like a coward, running away from her like that, but he couldn't help it. If he stayed there any longer, he’d fall apart. Right in front of her, all the pieces he’s been so desperate to hold together for the last few months would disassemble and there’d be nobody to pick him back up.

    Takemura threw the heavy wool coat onto the still pristine bed, the impact creating a small sea of wrinkles on the otherwise perfectly straightened linen. The hotel he chose was no Konpeki Plaza, but it was still far from the sleazy, off the road (and off the radar) motels he had a chance to familiarize himself with during his last stay in Night City. The room, with its generic, yet tasteful decor remained perfectly impersonal, walls devoid of any stains, no blood or other fluids on the dark carpet, fresh towels handcrafted into fantastical shapes neatly tucked on the bed. The only thing that made it feel lived in was a fainting fragrance of cologne, left behind by the previous guest.

    Takemura paced around the room for a few minutes before finally setting himself on the chair in the corner of the room. Whatever he was hoping he’d achieve by going to V’s funeral, he didn’t feel it. The guilt was still there. Just a few months ago he was so convinced that he’d be able to offer her an alternative, one that so few of this world could even dream of having access to, and she declined. He didn’t understand it then, but he did now. Strangely, this realization gave way to a different thought, one that he’d been trying to push as far back into his minds as possible, with little success. It wasn’t only V that Arasaka has failed. For the first time in his life, Takemura almost felt like Arasaka had also failed him.

    He couldn't really blame the company for not having the tech that is yet to be created, or for doctors and scientists who’d only sight and shake their heads. Those six months ago it finally hit him that even Arasaka has its limits, despite their far-fetched attempts to prove otherwise. What he didn’t understand was the way he was so decisively removed from the inner circle of the Arasaka family, transferred to a city almost 700km away from Tokyo, and given a job that he wasn’t suitable to do, his knowledge steaming from experience and practice. After all, he was a soldier, not a clerk. All he wanted was to continue serving, a modest gratification for the lengths he went to in order to uncover Yorinobu’s plot. V would certainly say that he deserved more. Takemura wouldn’t dare, even within the confines of his own mind.

    After a moment of hesitation, he pulled up his comms. It was stupid. Pointless. Above all, it probably wouldn’t even work, but despite all of that, he still found himself selecting V’s number. Before he knew it, a steady melody of an awaiting call rang in his ears. At least the number hasn’t been disconnected. Yet.

    Takemura didn’t know what he was expecting, exactly. There was nobody to pick up the phone anymore, and yet he was hoping that calling V’s number this one time would make up for all the times he didn't. Takemura let out a deep sigh, gestured to end the call and soon was left with an empty screen with basic contact information. And yet, when he now looked at it, it wasn’t empty at all.

    How on Earth didn’t he notice it before? He checked the date again, unable to believe that for all the time he spent staring at this one specific entry of his long contact list, he didn’t notice this aggressively yellow icon, gleaming next to V’s icon on his interface. Was it even possible that he missed it? What was he doing a little over three months ago, anyway?

    He barely remembered, that period of his life little more than a blur. Should he even open it now? Wouldn't it merely be opening old wounds, ones that even time didn’t seem to heal? After all, Takemura doubted there was anything V could say to him that’d push him from the path he found himself walking. There was no turning back, not when he was nearing the end of it, but he still opened the voice message.

    “Hey Takemura, it’s V. Been a while, huh? You must be back home already, bathing in all that Arasaka glory. Is the local cuisine as good as you remembered? I’m still waiting for you to show me that famed real food of yours. Onigiri with...what was it again? Umeboshi? Hope I’m not butchering the nomenclature too much. Anyway, I came back to Night City, moved in with Judy shortly after. I didn’t want to rush things with her, but considering the circumstances, it just felt right. Did I even tell you about her? Met her on the job and we clicked right away. You’d like her, I’m sure.

    I’ve been doing some small jobs, mostly for friends, in between dodging Viktor like the plague, but, uh...there came a time I couldn’t do either anymore. It was Judy who practically dragged me to his clinic and then the whole carousel I’ve been so desperately running away from started rollin’. Scans, meds, all of that, at first it felt like I was back at the Arasaka clinic, except Viktor actually listened to me and gave me some fuckin’ room. He has me on a cocktail of meds that get me through the day, but honestly...I hate seeing that expression on his face every time I come see him. I know he’s tryin’ to hide it, but between you and me, he’s doing a pretty shit job.

    Anyway, enough of me talkin’...I feel that maybe we didn’t end things on the right foot that time at the clinic. I know you wanted what you think was best for me, but you know what? Despite everything, I feel free. You should try that sometime.”

    The message ended with a beep and Takemura just sat there, eyes fixed on the ground. And then he played it again. And again.

    Halfway through the third, he heard a knock on the door. One quick scan of the people behind it told him it wasn’t housekeeping, so did the urgency apparent in the way his visitors made the door shake slightly with the impact. He stood up and walked to the door, letting the thick carpet muffle his footsteps. Before opening, he grabbed a gun from his coat and tucked it behind his belt, just to be safe.

    Two men stood at the door, a familiar signature written seemingly all over them. Takemura wouldn’t say he was relieved upon seeing them, though. Not at all.

    “Can I help you with something, gentleman?” he asked, switching to Japanese, just for politeness' sake.

    “You are to come with us.” the shorter one said, eyes obscured by the blue-tinted glasses he wore.

    “That is not possible. My flight leaves soon and I am afraid I will miss it if I take any detours.”

    “Takemura-san,” the man said, a hint of a smile appearing on his otherwise expressionless face. “this is not a request. Arasaka-dono wishes to speak with you and I assure you, you wouldn’t want to keep him waiting.”

    He was right. Takemura wouldn’t.

    “Alright then, allow me to just grab my…”

    “That isn’t necessary. We will take care of your luggage.”

    Takemura felt his stomach drop, the same uncomfortable feeling one has when walking down the stairs and missing a step. He couldn't quite pinpoint why, but instincts were often hard to fool and the man in front of him didn’t inspire any warm feelings in his heart. Not many people working at Arasaka did, but as long as he stayed in line, he felt safe. Only now, when he had crossed it, he felt how thin it truly was. And how much he’s lost his edge.

    Takemura turned back to grab his coat and put it on, but instead of bringing him comfort, the heavy material felt as if it was bringing him down. Something weird seemed to be happening with his optics too, the image glitching every few steps. He wouldn’t show it, though, walking out of the hotel with his head held high and mind racing to come up with various scenarios of how he should proceed.

    The car was parked right next to the main entrance. One of the men opened its door to let him in, but Takemura stopped abruptly, hit with an all too familiar feeling. His mouth felt dry and he could feel a layer of cold sweat covered his brow. Takemura reached out to steady himself on the doorframe and felt one of Arasaka henchmen lean in behind him, the barrel of a gun digging into his ribs and a hand reaching for Takemura’s own weapon, still tucked behind his belt.

    “Quite a kick, right? Now, let’s not make a scene here.”

    “I thought I was to talk with Arasaka-dono.”

    “You will, but first, let us drive to a more suitable place.”

                                                                ***

    Takemura doubted that an abandoned parking lot in North Oaks is a place suitable for anything, especially a conversation, but at this point, he didn’t have much to say on the matter. Before they drove into Westbrook, his interface was completely gone and all he could rely on were his senses, devoid of the advantages implants previously gave him. Takemura could feel cyberwithrawal symptoms setting in, slowly building up into the most unpleasant crescendo. Then again, with the way his night was going, maybe he won’t live long enough to have to suffer through it.

    “What are we doing here?” Takemura asked after they all got out of the car. The driver, too, slightly older than his companions, with a steel hand obscured by a long sleeve of his coat. The place was scarcely lit, only one of the big, industrial lamps still working, providing a shaky, unreliable source of light right where they were standing, the three men next to each other, Takemura facing them from a short distance of maybe three meters.

    The driver stepped forward and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. Takemura would surely feel his body tense at the sight if he wasn’t trembling so much at that point. To his surprise, the man didn’t pull out a gun to shoot him with, but a shard. Without any additional explanation, he plugged it in and his hard stare vanished, replaced by a stream of data reflecting on his eyes.

    “Takemura.” the proxy said, unintentionally mimicking Saburo’s voice.

    “Arasaka-dono.” Takemura grit his teeth and bowed to greet the men, fists clenching at his sides to stop his hands from shaking.

    “I am sure you know why you find yourself here. If it is any consolation, it is not only you that can be blamed for your current position. Hanako made a grave mistake asking you to speak to that woman. She planted a seed of doubt into your heart, one that soon grew into a weed and started eating away at your soul. There is a way to remedy that, however. You can still reclaim your honor by finishing what you started in Takamatsu. Right here, right now. There is no need for you to come back to Japan.”

    “Arasaka-dono, I…” Takemura started, but the man raised his hand, silencing him in one gesture.

    “Ishihara here will be your second, should your hand falter. I do not wish for you to suffer.” the proxy turned to the man to his left, the one with the glasses, and gave him a small nod. He stepped forward, revealing a small package he’d been holding, and placed it on the ground in front of Takemura, who immediately knew what it was. He recognized the maroon silk. As he looked back up at the three men, they didn’t move. They simply waited.

    And so Takemura kneeled, eyes fixed on the silk-wrapped sword in front of him. He leaned forward, carefully unwrapping the material until the blade laid bare, waiting for Takemura to grab its handle. Ishihara moved behind him, footsteps barely audible on the concrete floor.

    “You served the Arasaka family well through the years, but even a strong man like you is not immune to change or destructive influence. You surely understand that this is the only way.”

    Takemura did not see it like that. To go on his own terms, reconciled with his mistakes, that was the death he hoped he’d face. This felt like theatrics, a lot of effort put into making him feel like he had a choice where there was none. Takemura allowed his gaze to leave the proxy’s face and look beyond the guards, resting his eyes on the wall so densely covered with graffiti that none of it was legible. A vine crept up the stone, forcing its way into the cracked surface, destroying it even further in its primal pursuit of expansion. Below that, a pair of yellowish, feline eyes gleamed, just outside the circle of light.

    Despite everything, I feel free. You should try that sometime.

    “I do.” Takemura turned his head to the side slightly, just enough to see Ishihara standing behind him, his own sword in hand. Will he wait for Takemura to plunge the blade into his abdomen and only then make the cut? Or will he swing the weapon as soon as Takemura reaches for the wakizashi, intent clear enough in that simple gesture? He didn’t know, but Takemura wasn’t in any position to make bets.

    He leaned down and allowed his hand to reach for the wakizashi, still looking to his left. As expected, just as his fingers brushed the wooden handle of the sword, Ishihara swung his own, aiming for Takemura’s neck. The man reacted on instinct, throwing his arm to block the blade while his other hand grabbed the sword in front of him, fingers tightly closing around the handle. Takemura felt Ishihara’s powerful cut slice through skin and muscle, only stopping at the chrome reinforced bone. The blood soaked his sleeve almost instantly, splatters staining both of their faces, but Takemura grit his teeth and turned, blocking and forcefully guiding Ishihara’s blade away from himself, drastically widening the cut as he lunged forward to drive the wakizashi through the Arasaka agent’s chest. It went in with a grisly, wet sound of tearing flesh and bone. Takemura didn’t stop and turned once more, ignoring his opponent's desperate gasps, dragging Ishihara’s already limping body along, shielding himself from incoming bullets.

    The echo of shots rang wide through the empty parking lot as Takemura practically ran forward, pushing the already dead man in front of him with his full body weight. When his opponent realized he’ll have to reload soon, he took a few steps back, a glimpse of fear going through his face as he wrestled with the magazine. What it was he saw in his eyes that scared him so much, Takemura did not know, but seizing the occasion, he retracted the blade from Ishihara’s body, letting it drop onto the ground like a sack of flour, and lunged forward. Just as their bodies met, the other henchmen managed to fire, but only once before his dominant hand was sliced off in one strike, strong enough to sever the tissue and the wires that held it together. The man screamed as he saw his arm fall to the ground, but before the sound had the chance to echo off the ruined walls, it was cut short.

     Takemura could already feel his left arm lose sensation, growing weak and limp with every ounce of blood he kept losing, but it didn’t matter now, nor did the chills or the way his entire body rebelled against being cut off from augmentations so abruptly.

    The proxy didn’t move, didn’t even flinch, still standing those few meters in front of Takemura. He was armed, holster clearly visible at his hip, but he didn’t draw the gun. Takemura turned to face him, adrenaline still rushing through his veins and keeping him upright. Knowing it won’t be for much longer, Takemura made a few steps forward and stopped, weapon still in hand, his other arm hanging uselessly at his side.

    The proxy hummed.

    “An honorable death or a lifetime of shame. It greatly saddens me that you, of all people, chose wrong.”

    And just like that, the conversation was over.

    Takemura didn’t wait until the proxy fully regained awareness of his surroundings. Hardly honorable, but he doubted he could sink any lower and with the state he was in, letting the man come to his senses would almost certainly mean death.

    Cursing under his breath, Takemura went over to the agent’s bodies and patted them down, but didn’t find what he was looking for. He stood back up and turned to the car, feeling his legs grow weaker with every step. He somehow managed to drag himself onto the driver’s seat and lean to the side to open the glove compartment, throwing the bloodied wakizashi onto the passenger's seat. Dark spots obscuring his vision, Takemura was going in blind, frantically searching for the injector with his good hand. The wave of relief he felt when his blood-soaked fingers finally landed on the familiar shape was almost enough to knock him out on its own, but he forced himself to power through. Tearing off the safety lid with his teeth, he stabbed himself in the chest with it and pushed the plug.

    The effect was immediate. Another rush of adrenaline made it feel like his heart was about to jump out of his chest, it’s breathless beating throbbing in his temples, but the darkness creeping up on him disappeared. Takemura knew the effect wouldn’t last long, but he hoped it’d be enough to at least pull up a first aid kit from under the passenger's seat. When Takemura finally managed to rid himself of the coat and the jacket beneath it, he realized the extent of the damage. His arm looked bad. Really bad. If not for all the blood, he’d surely be able to see  bone and wiring, just barely keeping the limb together. His personal link was shredded, that’s for sure. The coagulants he tried using a second before clearly not working the way they were supposed to, Takemura tried bandaging his arm with one hand and somewhat succeeded, if not for the bright, red blood that soaked through the second he finished tying the knot.

    With a trembling hand, Takemura started typing in the address but found himself missing every other letter, too unsteady to hit them right, smearing blood all over the little screen. The autopilot seemed to take the hint, though, and for the first time in his life, Takemura was grateful for the existence of autocorrect. He confirmed the address and clenched his fingers around the wheel. He’ll try driving it for as long as he can, he told himself, but if he passes out on the way at least there’s a chance to roll up at the door of someone who knows what to do with the body.

    Takemura didn’t remember much of the ride, his hand half-heartedly sliding in the steering wheel, smearing the blood on the fine, fair leather. He could feel himself drifting in and out of consciousness, head swimming with every sharp turn the car took. Eyes on the road, he kept telling himself, fingers clenching on the wheel to the point where it was almost painful.

    After what felt like ages, the car pulled up into the familiar alley and stopped, a cheery voice announcing that he had arrived at his destination. Takemura unfastened the seatbelt and almost fell onto the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding tripping over the edge of the car by grabbing the open door at the last moment to steady himself. He could see people around him, their terrified glances, but no one moved to help him. Those last few meters felt like a lucid, colorful dream. Takemura could hardly walk straight at that point, the world around him akin to a badly cut film. Maneki nekos waving their little, mechanical paws. Scent of incense so sharp it was almost unpleasant. Porcelain set falling to the ground, breaking into hundreds little pieces, impossible to put back together. And a beautiful carpet, no doubt woven by hand, surely only a human could put colors and patterns and threads together so beautifully. Such a waste, he thought before he finally gave in.

    Misty will never get the blood out.

[g0dspeeed]

Unconditional Positive Regard, 1

Distractions can never be a factor in a mission, gig, or side job. It will lead to recklessness, failure, or worse, a tainted reputation. And to Adam Smasher a tainted reputation is not something he could possibly afford.

But what if he found something, someone, worth risking that reputation for? What if he learned what it meant to be understood? To be known?

=================================

Referral

The evening air had a dankness to it, a sort of wet smell concocted of synthetic chemicals, shit, and sulfur. Such is the nature of the outer fringes of Night City, where all waste is excreted from its bowels and into the air of its most impoverished. The scent could sting the nostrils and cause others to recoil in disgust, but not the being that navigated through the maze of storage containers with such razor-sharp focus. Whatever his body was processing from the rank stench around him, the information dissipated into white noise.

Distractions can never be a factor in a mission, gig, or side job. It will lead to recklessness, failure, or worse, a tainted reputation.

And to Adam Smasher a tainted reputation is not something he could possibly afford.

Despite his heavy frame, he traversed the area like a shadow. Cybernetic eyes constantly scanned the dark environment, making note of every heat signature and change in moisture levels. His optic implants were the sole giveaway of his presence as they lit the way to his objective in their red glow. He prowled towards a mass of fiery hues in the back corner of the yard, a new sense of cautiousness stirring his mind.

The yard was quiet. Wasn’t surprising considering how far out the area was from the crowded, rowdy streets of the metropolis’s entertainment districts.

There.

Loud cackles of laughter broke the tension, a chorus of rasped, mechanical voices.

Adam sneered immediately.

Their brash voices along with the crude application of their cyberware made it easy for Adam to identify who exactly he was messing with that night.

Maelstrom.

Not that Adam ever utilized much of a moral compass himself. Like any other hired gun in Night City the merc followed the glory and the eddies with reckless abandon. Getting his hands dirty for the promise of good payment? Same shit, different day.

As much as he worked to set himself apart from the herd, he wasn’t blind to unfortunate similarities. A stroke of humility, he guessed.

Still, there were hard limits for Adam. Microscopic, but there. Though he rarely took inventory of them, Adam turned down jobs in the past based on some form of internal code, some ethics that never sprouted to full fruition since his youth. Maelstrom on the other hand, didn’t seem to give a flying fuck.

If he were a weaker man, he’d probably reflect on what those limits of his were.

But of what stock he took in that conscious inventory of his, a stubborn denial of vulnerability was in abundance.

His focus centered on the group by the fire. Three men and one woman.

Without an ounce of flair, a frag grenade was activated and tossed from his place around the corner. There was only a brief grunt of surprise from one of the men before the grenade detonated, a burst of flames swelling from an explosion that had enough force to rumble the earth below Smasher’s feet.

The mercenary walked through the smoke without fear. Dirt and rock crunched under his heavy steps, bits of flesh and bloodied cyberware mixed in like mulch.

Initial scans came up empty. A small itch of agitation started to irritate Adam as she scoured the area for what he bothered coming to this shit hole for in the first place.

An exhale through the nose.

Another intake of foul air. Smelt like copper now.

Another scan.

Ah, there it was.

Scuffed, but intact was a large, black case, the red Arasaka emblem in plain sight. Another scan and it was confirmed that the cyberware past the armored panels was unharmed.

His mechanical hand gripped the case tightly. As he picked it up from the ground, a broken groan sounded from behind him.

One of the Maelstrom thugs had stirred despite the blood that caked his head and optic implants in thick, dark clots. Part of his calf was missing, leaving behind a smoking, blackened hole that sparked and twitched involuntarily.

Adam watched as a gnarled hand, whatever was left of it, slowly crept across the ground in a pained effort. Tracking his futile path, the merc sighed at spotting a pistol.

With the same amount of flat enthusiasm, Adam approached the dying man. Fear from the sight of Adam’s large body pushed the man to stretch out towards the weapon with a new vigor. It wasn’t enough. Slowly, Adam’s heavy foot stepped down on the man’s hand. With every passing second, Adam allowed more and more of his weight to crush him. High screeches of pain cut through the night air. The man’s fingers snapped under the merc’s weight, splintering through the skin as his knuckles became mush.

Something rewarding filled Adam, a familiar sense of satisfaction at destroying any barrier to his job’s success, to his own success. Music to his ears.

His own fingers reached to grip the man’s pistol. The cries had stopped, replaced with an irritating whimper. After inspecting the weapon briefly, Adam pointed the barrel at the man’s temple. Their eyes locked. He pulled the trigger without a second thought.

Jobs such as the one in the storage yard were not impressive to Adam. Not like they used to be. True, they raked in eddies, maintained his reputation, and put in a good word to Arasaka. Another step in the right direction. But ultimately, Adam craved more. The understanding that there was another rung in the ladder, another step up that hung above him almost teasingly motivated him, drove him to remain in Arasaka’s good standing, but also made these smaller jobs feel mundane.

Hope, or perhaps intuition, pushed Adam to accept more and more gigs with the major corporate company. In turn, they welcomed his skillset with open arms. He was in good favor with Arasaka to say the least. His cyberwear and mods made him a walking advertisement to the company’s tech ingenuity. Ever since someone from Arasaka saw potential in Adam and essentially saved his life, he owed them, but not in a way that would cause any bitterness. They didn’t hold it over his head. No one dared remind him how close Adam was to death so many decades ago, how the fact that he was still up and around to carry out these small gigs was something short of a miracle.

No, there was a sense of duty. A sense of service.

A loose leash. One that could only be held respectfully by the highest level of the executive board or the Arasaka family itself. They knew to hold it right, hold it in a way that didn’t shift that steady servitude to rebellion.

Any tighter and he’d give ‘em the middle finger, founding family be damned.

This isn’t all to say that he’s happy. An existential crisis, perhaps? A crossroads. He valued his freedom as well as the power to say ‘No’ far too much to allow a corporation to have a leash around his neck, yet here he was. The hypocrisy stung on some days. Oh, he was aware. Adam didn’t oppose heavily modifying his body with the best combat and weapons tech eddies could buy. His limbs were implants, as well as his eyes and parts of his skull and spine. However, at this point Adam was made up of more cyborg than human, and the corporation was still pushing for more modifications, more upgrades. With their direction, he made for a powerful ally and an intimidating enemy. Arasaka was utilizing his hunger for power to their advantage, something that Adam was aware of and allowed. What haunted him most was the knowledge that if his younger self, the version of him that started out poor and desperate in New York, if that kid saw who he had become, who he served and got his eddies from, that Adam, that young and confident kid would be absolutely disgusted. A sellout. A corpo slave. It was easier to ignore on most days, especially after a job well done that was full of action and dominance over NC’s most brutal whose reputation countered his own. The night he took down the likes of Johnny Silverhand? A chef’s kiss to his success.

Yet, the self-loathing was there. It came when he arrived home when the door closed, and he found himself alone.

It settled in like a parasite, eating him from the inside out.

Whatever that feeling was, the one full of drive and promise, it brightened when he debriefed with one of the Arasaka executive assistants a few days after the yard gig was closed. Adam stood squarely in a polished conference room at Arasaka’s Night City headquarters, his frame towering over a finely-dressed man on a floor that was likely cleaned every day, his own reflection glaring back at him.

“Your continued service is much appreciated by Arasaka and its associates,” the man read from a tablet in his hands. Manicured hands. Smooth to the touch, they looked. Probably didn’t do a day of hard labor in his life, thought Adam.

Adam’s focus shifted back to the face of the messenger. A light sheen of sweat was forming.

“Our s-satisfaction,” continued the assistant, “Leads us to consider future opportunities. We have a task of great importance to the Arasaka family and the company.”

At that, Adam’s curiosity piqued. Strange. Normally these messages were short and to the point. This message seemed more formal, more alluding.

“While we are and will be considered your client for the entirety of this transaction, including the provision of any and all financial compensation for your time and services, another party is responsible with insuring that your efforts are specific to our request and uphold our standards.”

His mood soured instantly.

There it was.

The other shoe.

“Why the hell would ‘another party’ be necessary?” he questioned.

The man flinched.

“Um,” he mumbled. “W-What I know, Mr. Smasher, sir, is, um, that the third party is being contracted by Arasaka’s research department, specifically, and um, Mr. Yorinobu Arasaka thought it best that they themselves explain the nature of their contract and expectations, sir.”

Adam glowered down at the sweaty messenger before stalking towards a nearby window. As he gazed out towards the city, his mind wondered at all that he heard.

“Is Yorinobu Arasaka coming to Night City?” he called out to the man.

“No, sir.”

“Then why is he interested in a third party here? Why not one in Japan?”

“I-I’m not privy to that answer, sir.”

Adam scowled.

Yorinobu Arasaka wasn’t someone who ever contacted or had anything to do with Adam’s role in the company. It was all new territory, and frankly it irked Adam to be in the dark, much less rely on someone else, this ‘third party’ as it were, to make sure he was doing his job correctly.

Why the bullshit?

Why complicate a simple thing?

The rest of the message consisted of the time and place in which Adam was to meet the unwelcomed third party.

“Just send me the damn address,” snarled Adam as he stalked out of the conference room door.

What the man responded with Adam had no idea. He was already slamming the door shut behind him. The frame rattled.

[bandicoot88]

My Cyberpunk 2077 thoughts...

Gonna go into some spoilers, which I’ll hide under the cut, tho for now, I will share what I thought of the game. I finished my original playthrough a while back now, and did a second, with my same V but with a few different choices (and going back so I could take a bunch of snaps in photo mode, as you may have seen!)

  The game is definetely overhyped tho. Did I enjoy myself? Yes, but the game could’ve been better had it been worked on either more, or taken a step back... and made sure the game ran nicely. There are problems with it, and I’ll share this video here from videogamedunkey who does a good job of explaining the good and bad:

    The length of the game:

  Too short. For about 2 days I was doing side quests only to look for Brendan and Theo, voiced by Bryan Dechart and Ameila Rose Blaire, and even then, I felt like the story just... ends. When I went to do the final mission, I actually didn’t realize it was the final mission. It does say a point of no return, and I’ve experienced that once before in a game, but I just thought it’d be a really long mission, not the end of the game.

  There’s too many side missions I feel, and as mentioned in the video, a lot of copy and paste kinds which are boring, while some are worth doing, but you can’t tell which is which until you visit those locations.

  Game machanics:

  I’m an easily confused person, but I still felt like the game doesn’t really explain... much. All this tech, upgrades, add-ons, abilities, weapons, hacking, and WHY THE FUCK AM I OVERHEATING!? Like... did anyone else feel overwhelmed? I’d be hours and hours into the game, and I still didn’t know what did what. Heck, there’s stuff now I still don’t understand, like... consumerables. I never use them, EVER!

  I just find them kinda pointless, and they’re fucking everywhere, which is probably my problem because I pick EVERYTHING up. I just wanted the game to explian things better. Even BOTW just throws you into the wildness with little to go on, but it’s easy to pick up and understand once you know how (yes, I know the games are totally different, but CP77 could’ve learned something from games such as that on how to introduce players on how to literally play their game).

  Crafting:

  Did anyone actually craft in this game? I crafted very little, and by that I mean I crafted a few grenades to use. I thought weapons could be upgraded, but I was wrong I think, and legendary weapons could be crafted instead? Either way, I never found enough material to craft anything legendary, and with how often I looted... something ain’t right there.

  Selling stuff:

  On PS4, it’s a fucking nightmare. It’s sooooo slow. It would’ve been nice to have an option like ‘sell all commons/whites’ or selecting multiple items and then go ‘sell’. But no, you have to sell each item individually, and with how the game performs on PS4 currently... yeah, not fun.

  SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The story:

Confusing. I got the impression that Arasaka were the bad guys, since y’know... killing Jackie, the son killing the father, etc. Then Takemura enters the scene, thinks we’re the killers, then we both get attacked by robo ninjas, who I haven’t got a fucking clue are, and then... Takemura is trying to save me. When it said ‘finish him off’, I thought it meant Takemura (I think I ignored the prompt, thinking Takemura would die in that moment).

I also kept getting confused on character names within the Arasaka’s, namely Saburo and Yorinobu, constantly getting lost on what and who Takemura was referring to, but I think that’s a me problem and not the fault of the game.

Romances:

  I still have yet to romance someone, but my first encounter with a romancable character was Panam. Little did I know... that she’s straight, so my female V cannot romance her. So. Lame. There’s 4 romances in the game, and we’re limited to 2 per gender? Judy is nice, but I really liked Panam... Why not just make them all bi so from a player perspective, there’s more choice? That’s what Joytoys are, with Skye and Angel as prime examples. Just put the gay/lesbian representation in game elsewhere, but not with romancable characters that are limited, because that’s just lame to me. AC Odyssey didn’t have that problem... It’s really not difficult. According to a YouTube comment on Kerry’s romance, in the Cyberpunk board game, Kerry was bisexual anyway, so... what gives?

Character deaths:

I hated that Jackie died. Seriously? That lovable goof giant just killed off in the most anticlimatic and lame way? If you’re gonna kill off such a great character, at least go out with a bang. The guy didn’t get enough screen time and he was such a lively character in the doom of gloom of Cyberpunk’s world.

It also sucked that T-Bug and Dex died too. T-Bug... how did she even die? The game doesn’t explin anything, and the way she went off comms like that made me think that we’d see her late, as I didn’t realize she was actually dead for a good while, expecting her to make contact at some point.

As for Dex... yes, he did screw us over, but I still liked him. The way he talked, his voice, his style... I just felt he could’ve had more to give.

Then there’s Takemura, another death that I thought had to happen, but the game fucks him over by giving no indication that he could’ve been saved. According to the PS4 trophies, it says 0.8% had Takemura get his revenge for Saburo’s death near the end of the game, so... hardly anyone knew he could be saved.

They couldn’t have done like a decision that could’ve saved him? If they didn’t want to make it obvious, fine, don’t label literally “save Takemura” and “leave Takemura”, but have a decision there at least. Or, explain at some point in the game (maybe near the beginning) that following what the mission says doesn’t have to be taken so literally. When gamers are told by a mission on what to do, they do. How would we ever know to crawl in a tiny hole and find Takemura that way? Again, I assumed we’d meet up later, waiting... waiting... Hanako makes no mention of him whatsoever, and eventually I realized he was dead. Even called him on his phone to confirm it. So lame...

  Smelting legendary weapons:

  I think I accidentally smelted down Johnny’s Revolver, and I fucking loved that thing! The damage, the sound, the awesome reload animation... So now on my other playthrough I’m gonna try and not mess that up. How on Earth are Johnny’s clothes non-sellable/smeltable, but his gun is? How do you mess that up!? Let me mark certain weapons so I don’t accidentally sell them. Again, CP77 can learn from other games...

  Buying cars:

  I’ve bought... one car, and I hate that buying cars are labelled as side missions. Why would I want to buy a hoard of cars? I’m not made of money? I can’t just spend 22k on a car I don’t even really want, especially when I got Johnny’s car, and the bikes of Jackie and Scorpion. Just... have a single place where you can go to buy cars instead of littering the map. I read somewhere that buying cars is the Corpo path only, but I’m not sure?

  The endings:

  I think the ending I got was a common one. I understand there are 5 endings? I chose to go back to Earth and... eventually die I guess, because I didn’t trust Arasaka. I picked the other choice to see what happens, and I wish there was some explaination. You’re just stuck in some program, waiting for a body? If one will even be available? I felt like both endings kinda sucked, and dare I say, the ending you can get much earlier sitting on the roof was oddly more satisfying to me, because you get an actual cutscene with Johnny, and overall, it’s just a nice heart to heart moment. Sure, it’s sad, but there was emotion. The other 2 common endings just felt empty to me. I still have to watch the other, more rare endings.

  Okay I’m done. This is mostly a big rant, but I did still like the game. It just wasn’t ready for release, even after 8 years, and it did had problems, outside of bugs and performance issues.

[learngreys]

Cyberpunk endings

At this rate, it’s safe to assume that any continuation of the story will take place in the expansions. But if it ever does happen, the chances of V being playable are incredibly slim. Given that Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be supported for many years, not to mention the developer hinting at wanting to return to The Witcher, a sequel already seemed unlikely from the start. We’ll get to that in a bit.Īll in all, the story really wants to convince you that V doesn’t survive in the long-term. Now the real question: Where does the story go from here? CD Projekt RED has already confirmed the existence of paid expansions and multiplayer, though it’s likely that the latter has you playing as a custom mercenary. It’s possible that there are other options as well but for now, it is what it is and Life Paths don’t make any real difference. These are the endings that have been discovered based on current playthroughs. This mission has no checkpoints, several difficult enemies and dying will immediately end the game. Eventually – somehow – Johnny and V will attack Arasaka solo. Then during the final mission, one must opt out of all the other choices. Become friends with Johnny and choose specific dialogue choices when visiting his grave. The two come to terms with it – and each other – but it’s still a sudden end to the game.Īs for the “secret-ish” ending, it’s more of an alternative to how you’d normally assault Arasaka Tower and leads to the second and third endings. V essentially commits suicide, taking Silverhand with him. Of course, one could also opt to just end it all before even assaulting the tower. The next job sees V engaging in a heist in space so that’s neat. Opting to give control to V will see them taking charge of Afterlife and becoming a legend of Night City, though his life is still on a timer. If you complete Rogue’s side quests, Johnny will take over V’s body and assault Arasaka Tower along with her. He doesn’t have to worry about dying in six months though so it’s a happy ending for him. However, the rocker undergoes a change of sorts, becoming more somber and eventually leaving town. Giving control to Johnny effectively allows Silverhand to be reborn. If someone becomes V’s romantic partner, then they’ll also feature in this. Opting for the former sees the player joining Panam to leave Night City with her group and effectively live out whatever time he has left. From here, you decide whether V regains control of his body or Johnny gets control. Completing quests for the former has Panam helping in the assault on Arasaka Tower. Three other endings depend on completing side quests for either Panam or Rogue. Either way, V’s ultimate fate is unknown. It’s possible to upload V’s consciousness into Mikoshi for some kind of solution to emerge down the line or return to Earth and use whatever time they have left. Unfortunately, V has only six months left to live due to the damage that the Relic has caused. You’ll have to kill Adam Smasher along the way and when it’s done, V is taken to a space station by Arasaka where they have the Relic – and Johnny Silverhand – removed. The most basic ending involves storming Arasaka Tower to access Mikoshi where the minds of the Soulkiller victims are stored. Spoilers are inbound for each and every single one so if you’ve yet to complete the game, now is the time to bail. There are significant differences in each and some require completing specific characters’ side quests to unlock them. By now, many who picked up Cyberpunk 2077 and played it non-stop would have unlocked one of the five different endings in the game (and maybe even the secret-ish ending).

[aion-rsa]

Cyberpunk 2077: Every Ending Explained

https://ift.tt/37i9Nvp

This Cyberpunk 2077 article contains spoilers.

Whether you blaze through Cyberpunk 2077‘s main story or take your time and complete as many side missions as possible, all roads through CD Projekt Red’s incredibly controversial game lead to one of several possible endings.

Yes, there are multiple endings in Cyberpunk 2077, but you’re certainly forgiven if your first run through the game didn’t leave you with the impression that there are different conclusions. In fact, most of Cyberpunk 2077‘s endings aren’t even accessible to those who just fought all the game’s bugs and blazed through the main story.

Here’s what we know about Cyberpunk 2077‘s endings, what they mean, and how you can unlock them:

Cyberpunk 2077’s Point of No Return Mission

Like other open-world games with multiple endings, Cyberpunk 2077 has a “point of no return” mission. That is to say that once you reach this mission, you’ll trigger the path to the game’s final moments and won’t be able to deviate from it in ways that involve open-world actions.

In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, the “point of no return” mission is called Nocturne OP55N1. It’s the one that requires you to “Meet Hanako at Embers.” Once you enter Embers, you’re pretty much on a direct path towards the final moments.

Why does this matter? Well, it’s technically possible to see all of the game’s endings through one playthrough (or at least the major variations of them), but only if you complete the necessary open-world objectives and create a save that you can return to before the point of no return. Once you reach the point of no return, you’ll be required to make choices that ultimately determine which ending you see.

Does Cyberpunk 2077 Have a New Game+ Mode?

The answer to this question falls somewhere between yes and no with the answer ultimately leaning closer towards “no.”

When you reach the point of no return mission, Cyberpunk 2077 creates a save that you’ll return to once you’ve seen whichever ending you pursue. This will allow you to continue to explore the game’s open-world. While it’s possible to unlock new items from that point based on which ending you saw, Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t offer any other traditional New Game+ features. Like most things related to Cyberpunk, we’re waiting to see if a patch will expand the post-game a bit more.

How Many Endings Are There in Cyberpunk 2077?

Based on the information that’s currently available, there appear to be six endings in Cyberpunk 2077.

In this instance, though, note that we’re distinguishing endings based on the number of unique epilogue sequences you can encounter. While there are some endings that can lead to the same basic conclusion (and there are slight variations to individual endings based on relationship choices you make), there are ultimately six truly unique final sequences you can see based on the choices you make.

Cyberpunk 2077 Ending 1 – Where Is My Mind?

Cyberpunk 2077‘s first ending is available to all players regardless of what they did leading up to the point of no return, but it is possible to see a slight variation on this ending based on whether or not you saved Takemura during the Search and Destroy mission. Either way, here’s how to trigger this conclusion:

1. During the Nocturne Op55N1 mission, talk to Johnny Silverhand on the balcony.

2. Select the dialog option: “Think trusting Arasaka’s risky but worth it.”

3. Choose to take the Omega Blockers

4. Complete Last Carress, Totalimmortal, and Where Is My Mind?

This ending involves V assaulting Arasaka Tower, killing Adam Smasher, and siding with Araska (or at least temporarily working with them). After that, V ends up at a space station where Arasaka will attempt to safely extract Johnny Silverhand from their consciousness and save their life. While Arasaka is able to destroy the Silverhand implant, it seems that the Relic has irreparably damaged V’s body.

At this point, you have the option of either implanting your memory into Mikoshi in the hopes that a better solution can eventually be found or returning to Earth to live out your last months. Both choices will result in slightly different final scenes that involve V either undergoing the transfer procedure or going home.

As Cyberpunk 2077‘s apparent “default” ending, this conclusion is fittingly ambiguous. You’ve spent the entire game being told that there’s likely no way to save yourself from the damage that the Relic has done, and that’s pretty much what happens here. Yet, the nature of this ending seems to strongly suggest that you should pursue other options and that this conclusion is, in many ways, the path of least resistance from both a mechanical and narrative standpoint.

Cyberpunk 2077 Ending 2 – All Along the Watchtower

One of Cyberpunk 2077‘s more complete and interesting endings isn’t that difficult to find, but it will require you to complete the right sidequests. Here’s what you need to do:

Finish Panam’s major side quests (Riders on the Storm, With a Little Help From My Friends, and Queen of the Highway).

Talk to Johnny Silverhand on the balcony During Nocturne Op55N1. Select the dialog/action options: “Call Panam,” “Just Need a Minute,” “Somethin…I gotta do today,” “Gonna ask Panam for Help,” and “Take Omega Blockers.”

Complete the missions “We Gotta Live Together,” “Forward to Death,” and “Belly of the Beast.”

Choose the “Wanna live out whatever life I got left” dialog option and enter the Well to return to your body.

The heart of this ending involves Alt separating Johnny’s implant from V’s mind but informing V that he will still die in 6 months if he chooses to return to the world in his own body. Alternatively, he could give his body to Johnny and let Johnny live out his life without the fear of imminent death. More on that in a bit.

In this ending, V decides to return to his body and enjoy his remaining days. It ultimately sees Panam help V sneak out of Night City as part of their search for a long-term solution to V’s problem, but it’s possible for this ending to include an additional scene with V’s romantic partner (if you have one).

You can debate whether or not Cyberpunk 2077 has a “good” ending, but this conclusion is absolutely one of the few candidates worthy of that title. It involves V coming to terms with his fate and finding a measure of peace even as he pursues a long-term solution to his problem. V will still die if he doesn’t find that solution, but at least he’s got some new friends by his side.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Cyberpunk 2077 Ending 3 – New Dawn Fades

This ending is largely identical to the “All Along the Watchtower” scenario, but it features a significant twist at the end. If you want to see it, just follow these steps:

Finish Panam’s major side quests (Riders on the Storm, With a Little Help From My Friends, and Queen of the Highway).

During Nocturne Op55N1, talk to Johnny Silverhand on the balcony. Select the dialog/action options: “Call Panam,” “Just Need a Minute,” “Somethin…I gotta do today,” “Gonna ask Panam for Help,” and “Take Omega Blockers.”

Complete the missions “We Gotta Live Together,” “Forward to Death,” and “Belly of the Beast.”

Choose the “Body’s Johnny’s. I’ll go.” dialog option and enter Cyberspace.

As you can see, this ending still involves V learning that he eventually will die if he returns to his body. This time, though, he lets Silverhand take over his body rather than live out his life on a timer. According to Alt, the results of the extraction process mean that Silverhand can live in V’s body without fear of automatically dying in about six months.

The climactic moments of this ending see Johnny buy his new friend a guitar, visit V’s “grave,” and take a bus out of town. While its tone is certainly a bit depressing, it’s kind of a win for players who emotionally sided with Johnny Silverhand as Silverhand not only gets to live again but seems to have grown somewhat due to his adventures with V.

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Cyberpunk 207 Ending 4 – Path of Glory

This ending is strange (but satisfying) as it’s basically a combination of two of the other endings with a fascinating deviation. Here’s what you need to do to see it:

Complete Rogue’s major side quests (Chippin’ In and Blistering Love)

During Nocturne Op55N1, talk to Johnny Silverhand on the balcony. Choose the dialog options “Think you and Rogue should go,” and “Take Pseudoendotrizine.”

Complete “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Knockin On Heaven’s Door.”

Choose to enter the Well and return to Earth as V.

This ending will also give you the option to let Johnny takeover V’s body, but choosing that option seemingly triggers the “New Dawn Fades” ending.

This ending shares some similarities with the “All Along the Watchtower” conclusion, but the key difference is that you bring Rogue into the mix rather than Panam. Not only does that decision lead to Johnny Silverhand taking over your body during the final missions, but it opens the option for V to return to Night City as a living (though dying) legend who essentially takes over Rogue’s place at Afterlife. There’s also a chance to see a unique dialog sequence with your romantic partner (if you decided on one). The epilogue of this path concludes with V about to start a high-profile heist of a casino somewhere in space.

Narratively, this path basically sees V opt to stay in Night City as a legendary mercenary rather than leave it all behind in search of a cure or at least some slightly more peaceful final days. It’s a fitting ending for anyone who saw their V as someone who ultimately sought status.

Cyberpunk 2077 Ending 5 – Suicide

Well, this is certainly the bleakest Cyberpunk 2077 ending. It’s actually more of an “Easter egg” finale than a proper conclusion. Regardless, here’s how you trigger it if you’re so inclined to do so:

During Nocturne Op55N1, go out to the balcony and talk to Johnny Silverhand, as usual.

This time, select the “Could also just put all this to rest” dialog option followed by “[Toss Pills] I know exactly what we’re going to do.”

The implication of this ending is that V shoots himself and essentially kills Johnny Silverhand in the process. There’s not even a final mission associated with this ending. As we said, it’s a real downer.

Cyberpunk 2077 Ending 6 -The Secret Ending

Before we dive into Cyberpunk 2077‘s weirdest and most complicated ending, we should share a disclaimer that the specifics of this finale are still being worked out and that it’s possible the information we have on it is incomplete.

With that out of the way, there is a secret Cyberpunk 2077 ending involving Johnny Silverhand and a unique final mission. Based on what we currently know, here’s how you can trigger it.

You have to reach a certain “friendship” level with Johnny Silverhand. This is the part of the guide that is subject to some debate as nobody seems to have found an undisputed path that will ensure your relationship with Johnny Silverhand is strong enough by the end of the game.

That said, we’ve heard that you can trigger this ending by completing the following actions during the course of the game.

Complete the Holdin’ On and A Like Supreme missions.

Complete the Chippin’ In and Blistering Love missions.

When you visit Johnny’s grave during Chippin’ In, choose these dialog options: “The Guy who Saved My Life,” “Nah, fucked that up too,” “What do you want from me?” “Ok. As far as second chances go, this is your last,” “You were a real dick in the beginning,” “When you said you let down your friends…,” “Smasher biz really got to her,” and “Yeah. I’ll call Rogue.”

Again, those steps are based on one of the only documented working paths to this ending. It’s possible that there are other ways to get to this finale, but this seems to be one of the more widely accepted methods out there at the moment.

During the Nocturne OP55N1 mission, you must refuse to make a choice that would otherwise lead you to one of the endings we outlined above. Again, we’ve heard some debate regarding how this plays out, but it sounds like you should just stare at the gun that’s on the table in front of you when prompted to make a dialog choice that will trigger one of the other endings. After about five minutes of doing nothing, Johnny will offer to take over your body and assault Araska himself.

Complete the (Don’t Fear) The Reaper mission.

This ending is certainly odd. The highlight attraction of this path is the (Don’t Fear) The Reaper mission itself, which is incredibly difficult to complete and sees you take on waves of the game’s toughest enemies. If you die at any point during the mission, you’ll trigger the end credits. If you complete the mission, you’ll be able to choose between the “Path of Glory” or “New Dawn Fades” endings.

We’ve heard some speculation that this ending opens up potentially undiscovered equipment and options in the “post-game” open-world sequences, but based on the official information that’s currently available, the main draw here seems to be the brutally difficult final mission we discussed above.

The post Cyberpunk 2077: Every Ending Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[lavendermilkandhoney]

Above the sky and the pale moon

« The home where we belong, is the one we build. »

[lavendermilkandhoney]

Little random pic of them after a long exhausting day, when Saul surprised V who arrived at camp right after he furnished the inside of her/their tent more to their liking. ⛺

I took pics of the interior but decided I wanted to recolor more items first. Though I liked this picture too much to not share it. 💘

Judging by the position of his hand, you can only assume it probably looks very inviting. 💗❤️‍🔥

[lavendermilkandhoney]

Past, Present, Future

Is Yori sad because he wishes his life could be different or because he misses someone?

Is Hanako daydreaming or just exhausted from her day?

But more importantly, did Saul really learn french?

-

Decor mods incoming...

Totally unrelated stories, but I had 3 pics for the showcase in mind and I just COULDN’T STOP TAKING PICS I AM FOREVER TRAPPED IN LONG POSTS 

[lavendermilkandhoney]

What a beautiful sun...

V, I think your top is fa...

... nevermind.

[lavendermilkandhoney]

It feels different now

“Can we leave?”

“Definitely love.”

-

Thank you @nananarc and @wingdeer​ for the lotus flower and the dress!