All the endings to this game range from depressing to bittersweet. No happy endings in a dystopia I suppose. Best ending is probably with the Aldecaldos
Fun Fact: If you adopt Mr. Nibbles, in The Tower ending we'll find that he was sold to a mysterious buyer. During the end credits we find it it was Rouge who bought Nibbles and sits besides her during the call.
Cyberpunk and Phantom Liberty have become one of my favorite games of all time. Loved it when it first came out and love it even more now. Thanks for the hard work making these awesome videos I love hearing the lore and story of the Cyberpunk universe.
@@ThePhiloSpheresI played it on PC at release and my bug experience was fairly minor. Some T posts and weird AI, but the most alarming thing was the unfinished parts. Overall I still had a great experience, I bought phantom liberty but haven’t played it yet.
the option to help song bird then killing reed, then going for the rogue ending and letting jhonny take over ur body seems like the best one. cuz militech gets screwed over and arasaka falls
You made a few mistakes on the assault on Arasaka Tower. 1.) Johnny and Smasher were no nemesises, in fact they had no affiliation at all. 2.) Johnny was killed by Smasher after Johnny freed Alt, but that was because Johhny sacrificed himself to draw the attention of Smasher to himself, who was about to kill Shaitan. Yes, Shaitan did not die in the helicopter as shown in Johnny's corrupted memories during tutorial. 3. Johnny was blasted in half by Smasher and Spider Murphy uploaded Johnny's engram and then sold it/ gave it to Arasaka 4. Johnny was long dead before the actual Leader of the Arasaka assault planted and blew up the nukes 5. Johnny's memories are corrupted by soulkiller torture and he sees himself as the hero and leader of the assault, but in reality Johnny was part of the Alpha team: Johnny, Rogue, Spider, Shaitan who'se job was to support the Omega team, lead by the actual "hero" and leader of the Assault, who was also the one who actually duked it out with Smasher before the towers blew up. There was also a Beta team, but they were none of note.
@@henriegoulart a lot of this info is in the older Cyberpunk books from Mike Pondsmith (the creator of the IP and the og tabletop game ala Dungeons and Dragons), in particular I think Cyberpunk 2020/Red novels (I am guessing since I haven't read them either). The "hero" and leader of this Arasaka assault was Morgan Blackhand, fellow NC Legend who is also mentioned by Jackie in Act 1 when you first enter The Afterlife, and who may or may not be still alive in 2077. If you are interested in the wider lore of Cyberpunk, I highly recommend WiseFish's full video on it alongside a plethora of other creators.
@@Bolt2049 Thanks, mate. I'll check this out. I find this fascinating, especially the background AI conspiracy. I'm really into the game's story and want to explore this universe more.
Plus Panam hints at how massive of information network the Aldecados have if they can't figure something out for you know one can sure she could just be saying that out of disbelief because she doesn't want you to die but my head cannon is the aldecados pull some connections and get V some treatments that actually work
I was thinking it will take a while to explain this from scratch ....over an hour and half apparently 😂. we appreciate all the work you put into this Mr harry
To get the secret ending with Johnny, you need to do the mission with Rogue and get his car and go to his grave. There's specific dialog options you need to choose in order to get Johnny on your side. After you see Hanako at Embers and Misty takes you to the rooftop and you're talking to Johnny, you literally have to wait 5 minutes and then Johnny will present the option of storming Arasaka alone and no one dies.
Great rundown. I have played the game through four times and have about 350 hours in it. I feel like each lifepath has a canonical ending: It makes sense to me that Nomad V joins and leaves with the Aldecaldos, either with Judy or Panam as romantic partners, having found a new family after the Bakkers collapsed. The "best" ending, although uncertain, its the most hopeful Corpo V takes revenge on Arasaka in the solo ending (which is excellent, btw, but not that different from the Rogue ending), gets his vengeance on the company that betrayed him, and gives Johnny their body in a last redemption for being a selfish corpo all their life. Streetkid V storms Arasaka with Rogue and ends up the ruler of the Afterlife, and goes to space in search of a cure. The phantom liberty ending throws a wrench into this structure, as Things Done Changed leaves a huge amount unfinished - adam smasher doesn't even know you exist, and johnny never gets his conclusion. I also feel like they bent some of the characters out of their personalities too far to make sure its a "V gets to live but at massive cost" narrative. I dont believe for a second that Panam would not come around after hearing V was alive. Even if she didn't though, all that said not having cyberware isn't the end of the world. V still presumably has contacts all over Night City that would be willling to help them, and my headcanon is that V becomes a fixer, probably working with Dakota or Regina or even Mr Hands for awhile to get their sea legs back.
Great take, and likely the intent. Each beginning has an end that makes the most sense. I do like when games really give you bittersweet options, but you as the player get to decide which one is the "Best" based on how you played the game.
Damn, I have about 5 play-throughs so far of the full game (Phantom Liberty included). I usually take around 220 hours per playthrough and I do every single mission, gig and side job differently each time to discover new paths etc.
While Cyberpunk may not be a flawless game, particularly in terms of performance, it deserves recognition for the immersive world it crafted, the captivating storyline it wove, and the memorable characters it introduced. Night City strikes a compelling balance between a futuristic sci-fi setting and a realistic portrayal of a potential near-future world. It stands out as one of my favorite open-world environments due to its rich detail and captivating world-building. I'm hopeful that CDPR will continue to support Cyberpunk and create a sequel that focuses on accessibility, as the game currently demands a powerful PC to run smoothly. Nonetheless, it has earned a special place among my favorite open-world RPGs, thanks to its engaging narrative, the intricately designed world, and the unforgettable characters (and well we can't forget about the absolutely amazing [yet depressing] Edgerunners anime).
It never fails to weird me out that Corpo V had been good friends with jackie for a while, yet streetkid V, who frequents the bar that jackies mom owns, doesn't know him.
Almost hitting the 6 month loyalty subscription, couldn’t think of a greater present than this vid. Incredible as always. Makes me so happy that more people are looking at Cyberpunk with a new lens and appreciation. One of my favorite games of all time, and the lore behind a truly worthy of a deep dive. Can’t wait for the sequel.
To me, the canon story will always be V taking Songbird to the moon, go alone to takedown the tower and leave night city. I really hope in the next cyberpunk V can find his cure…
@@3assesgaming839 I really hope V can be like Geralt to have a whole trilogy. But it’s probably not be that way, since Cyberpunk is really about the city and it’s people within it not a single particular person…
There wont be a CP2, CP was a massive disaster for the compagny, they wont take another corpo ending risk like it no more, they're focused on witcher games now@@3assesgaming839
I hope not. I loved the quote from one of the original creators. The point of cyberpunk isn't to save humanity but to save yourself. V's story is over. They either tried to save themselves or didn't. So many more stories to tell
I apologize for ruining it for you, but the moon ending may seem satisfying, but it's not. There's been a promise of help in a faraway laboratory (presumably on the moon) but that's another trap. It isn't only Mayers who is after her, but the rogue artificial intelligence named Mr Blue Eyes as well. You receive a call from an unknown caller after the ending, which leads you to a stash point containing So Mi's hardware. Most likely, that's what's left of her. By sending her to the moon, you are happily sending her to her death. In other words, So Mi is just as doomed as V and there's only one way to set her free.
I just bought the game last month and was pleasantly surprised at how good the story was. CDproject red did a fantastic job redeeming themselves because it truly feels like a city
Not only that, there is a deeper, multilayered story underneth, which you need to dig deep to uncover as most of the main story is a lie and a fabrication as there is a Deus Ex level conspiracy story underneath the main story. I was really pleasantly suprised to find out the real story and whats really going on. Only thing that is real is that V partake in heist to steal Arasaka relic chip and that heist went to shit and that lead into V having damaged relic in her brain with Silverhand's engram in it for some reason. Then rest of the game is about V trying to save her life rest of it is lies and fabrication and most of the side missions are conntected to eachother and to the grand plot underneath it all and they tell whats actually going on You just have to read emails and pda messages and connect the dots yourself
Story wise its easily one of the best written games I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. There isnt much out there in terms of videogames that can make me genuinely emotional, but this game is one of those rare instances. It does a great job of making you feel like you ARE the character you play as, and they had the guts to punch you in the gut at the end, revealing that the entire story you just played through was effectively all for nothing. Every ending is the bad ending. Theres no way to win.
Lets say V kept eddies and everything except from his apartment and those belongings, the cure ending allows him to live a quiet life (full circle moment) and to go work at the FIA and enjoy his new opportunity at life. As far as everyone you knew in NC, they moved on and only few actually were happy like judy and kerry, so this is probably the best ending for V as hes still young and has a shot at a whole new life
I remember getting this game the day when it came out and it would crash on me every 30 minutes or something like that. Now it's like one of my favorite games ever
I think helping Reed and then letting Songbird die is the best ending for phantom liberty. You make the logical choice of not helping Songbird who you know has lied and used you at every point, but then later you have mercy on her and let her die. This way the AI from beyond the Black Wall are stopped from escaping, which would eventually happen in every other ending. Reed even sits down with you and says that you made the right call. V can still eventually do one of the other endings after this choice.
Not to mention songbird was so willing to have hundreds of innocents die so that she could try to survive. She downed a plane and caused a war in the streets, then right near the ending she was willing to turn on the stadium security turrets and let them indiscriminately mow people down; all so she could have a chance at survival. Also I felt like songbird may have been taken over or corrupted by a AI and therefore not worth the risk of helping her.
I think the canon ending is the cure as it ties up everything in a nice bow and has v return as just another resident of night city. After everything that’s happened v walks away alive but never the same as before only to remember the life they had before one botched job led to it all.
Phantom Liberty ending is the most depressing- your life as you wanted to live is over and you can't try another shot at it. As for the "best one"- either one with Panam, where you at least live your last days with Nomads or the "Don't fear the reaper" where you go solo (well, with Johnny on board), it's hard and you will most likely die, but I think V is a person who wouldn't throw others under bus to have a shot at life (tho that depends on probably which life you chose, corpo V probably would have less care)
Cyberpunk 2077 setting is what i would like to imagine a modern chaos aligned world in smt series, everyone is on their own, dog eats dog, corpo destroys each other. The weak then form/join gangs, or become a merc, the less unwilling to fight will be bound to work to their grave for big corpo It is unforgiving world but you cant deny the advancement of technologies and ideas
I think the canon ending is saving So Mi then doing Don't Fear the Reaper and invading Arasaka Solo with Johnny and Alt. Frees Songbird from her cage, Alex lives, and Reed goes out on his own terms. Then later V doesn't want to drag anyone into their mess, unlike Songbird, and does a last ditch hail mary. We don't know what happens to Songbird when she goes to the moon, but I also think that is for the best.
am I seriously the only one who kept thinking of Bioshock 3 every time Harry said the world "Song Bird?" still a fantastic video essay and lore explore Harry! keep them coming!
The main issue with the main story is that it's linked to Johnny. Johnny's body was never found, because there's a great chance that he was technically never killed. His body had been kept in cryo since his "death", hidden in an Arasaka nuclear missile repurposed to be a cryo-chamber (alongside the nuclear charge). Mike Pondsmith wrote "Black Dog", a story that becomes canon in Cyberpunk RED. So somehow Arasaka kept him in stasis. He ends up in the possession of a woman named Angel, in the Los Alamos nuclear facility, with help from a firefighter named Samantha Stevens, a group of mercs, and surprisingly, Michiko Arasaka, daughter of Kei Arasaka. So technically, Johnny's body is still around and could've easily retaken his engram, or maybe not even need it, since the engram could've simply been a copy, since that's what the "Secure Your Soul" program was designed for. This makes V's entire struggle pointless, UNLESS you choose the nomad ending. That one has the best chance of V getting cured, as Panam says that they know some people on the fringes of society, that can do shit others can't. Like the Technomancers for example, or they can even end up in Los Alamos sometimes, especially since they are going to Arizona, and I'm not big on USA's map, but Arizona and New Mexico are neighbors. And who knows what might happen.
The first time V interacts with Johnny, Johnny says he's just a copy. However pretty much everyone else and the original source material say Johnny got blown in half by Smasher.
My personal opinion tho, each endings felt more like a cannon for each back stories at the beginning of the game. For the Nomad, runaway with Panam is obviously a perfect ending. For the Corpo, take a revenge on Arasaka and ended up having treatments on a space station is quite make sense. For the Street Kids tho, I think this one is the cannon storyline from the start no matter which ending you achieve at the end. And the normie ending with all the cyberwares removed is completely the most tragic one.
Na you got it all wrong. Corpo v gets the panam ending, nomad V gets the night city legend ending, and street life v gets the arasaka ending, it literally makes sense in that way
I have to argue about what you said about killing song bird is the worst ending, For me the whole point of phantom liberty is to sympathize the only one people who is in the same predicament as V. "Walking-Talking Corpse" And How they Struggle to settle it on their own terms. To helps Reed capture song bird And stole her only chance to see it through ,only to secure your faded life. And even then refuse to kill her and leave her to the fate worse than death (Myers puppet / Fractured Psyche) is indeed the worse ending you could get for Phantom liberty.
Thanks for the extremely informative lore video! After looking into Cyberpunk 2.0, I've been thinking about getting the game. I always want to learn all the lore I can before getting invested in a game's universe.
The tabletop source books (and Mike Pondsmith's Twitter) seem to suggest that a lot of what we see regarding Silverhand's past in the game is unreliable. Arasaka is known for editing and tampering with constructs they copy using Soulkiller, and Silverhand's construct was no different. A lot of discrepancies regarding how the Tower assault goes down between the source books and the game point to this.
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is a game every gamer needs to experience to appreciate. One of the best games I have ever played, the story and the characters stay with you. I'm still sad that I couldn't save Evelyn
I think the cannon ending is save Songbird and Leave for Arizona with Panam. In my headcannon they meet up with technomancers and songbird helps them to fix V.
Giving Songbird to FIA is by far the worst ending, she'll just be a slave under control of NUSA, letting her die is way better and sending her to the moon is the best. Endings in order for me: Give body to Johnny - he can live for a long time and I think he will try to rescue V from beyond the blackwall. Also seeing the Cure ending the world needs a Johnny Silverhand and a few more nukes. The Sun - Mr Blue Eyes might be able to get V a cure or at least extend her life. This is the most open ended ending for me. The Stars - V will die in 6 months, but at least be with a loving family for that time. Self quit - go out on your own terms The Devil - who would trust Arasaka with their engram, if you don't sign you'll die in 6 months but without Aldecaldos around. The Cure - you can see how much worse everything is and you can't do anything about it. You lost everyone and everything, I'd deepthroat a barrel right away. Basically self quit with some depression right before.
Johnny taking over the body ending is easily the most cursed ending in the game… I genuinely don’t understand how people think that ending is a “good” ending
Aldecados is the only definitively good ending. It's also implied that the aldecados could find a way to save V and if they can't atleast V will die surrounded by people who actually care about him
I feel the best endings are letting Songbird escape (she's the only person in the shoes as V, so, for me, even imagining if V couldn't save him/her self, she helped someone who might make it), and asking help to the Aldecaldos. V finally has a family who can trust, a partner to enjoy company with, and regardless of she survives or not after the 6 months, he or she is not alone. Besides, Johnny is finally with Alt once more.
Of all endings i think the new ending is the most acurated to the themes of what a cyberpunk storie is and if you have play the tabletop rpg you will know what i'm talking about. One think that is need to have in consideration is that V can totally still become a nc legend but no in the way that is common portrait. The best example is morgan blackhand yes he was a solo and in the tabletop fight smasher in the rooftop but he survive and went ghost probably to have his farm in texas and one notable thing is that he has the philosophy of minimun chrome so in theory V can become something like the chomeless legend of nc. But yeah againts people fully chrome up is a lose scenario for V but chances are in the table just saying.
Jeeeeeeesus. I was just listening thinking it was a regular lore video until I hear the word songbird and president. Immediately shut it off. I haven’t been spoiled yet for PL and I still need to buy it.I’ll be back when I’m done though. Awesome video so far.
Technically, I first heard the story explanation from WiseFish so, I understand especially Gingy who explain the story. I listened to you anyway because you are still the best. 😊
Facts same here. I love the Panam ending so much, it would of been even more cool if they made an update where the characters you romance get more activities to do together. Like in GTA when you hangout with your friends.
The one where you let songbird die after betraying her and the rogue ending seem the most canonical as it fits with the theme of no happy endings but at least all the drama and story elements come full circle.
13:17 Pretty sure Trauma has no problem going into Dogtown. Both them and MaxTac can just fly in on AV's, it's just NCPD who dont have any. There's also quite a few people hanging out there with Trauma's insurance, but that none of them ever go out in the streets (except for a couple of twi netrunner gonks), so you won't ever find any AV's on the ground there.
I’m commenting to boost your engagement because I’m tanking your watch time on accident. Just haven’t had the chance to play phantom liberty yet and don’t want that spoiled for me. Love the channel
Honestly it's the best ending. He's a legend of nyc, he gets his full life back with no engrams(minus the no chrome part, that might suck but everything has a cost) and he lost all of his belongings and apartment, so perfect time for him to move out of nyc to another state and try and start a new and better life. All of his friends have moved on as well Panam/victor/misty/Judy.
Canon ending is don’t fear the reaper, imo. Nobody you care about dies, you become a legend and owner of the afterlife, and it seems to tease future events in the crystal palace
for your last part technically karrys side story dos lead to some larger lore as his careers reignited and he truly regains that role of superstar, not the faulturing one he became. this is important for v even thou it happens post game because he adds samurai songs back into his lineup which in a sense keeps the spirit of Johnny alive no matter what ending you get. also the last quest in his chain is v saving blue moon from being murdered by a stalker also another important one you missed is delahman. if you let him go free he gains true sentience and starts to jump from tech to teach outside of the blackwall which for an ai is massive. while if you kill him you destroy night city taxis in one fell swoop
Great video, thank you so much! The only question I have is "Who are you warning about "spoilers"? Who the hell watches full story explained and expects not to know the story?!"
@@GamingHarryYT wow, I thought it's only to pass some TH-cam rules or something... Nevertheless, thank you so much for the content you make! it is EPIC!!!
The cannon ending is where you help Johnny defeat Smasher and take down Mikoshi. CDPR Never intended V to have a good ending. Phantom Liberty ending , yes V survives but looses everything. So the Canon Ending is one Which CDPR intended, for Silverhand the Terrorist to take Vs body and gets a second chance. Even if you agree or not that Johnny Silverhand actually does deserve a Second chance. But Corps Silverhand is a mega star and V is merely a character you play , in this RPG all about Silverhand. I mean not like CDPR paid KR enough anyway, but he also needed to be the Star of the Game as well. Notice you have to Side with Reed to get the ending where V is alive but is left with absolutely nothing. Another Coincidence, may be ?
You left out the part when v leaves Hanako waiting at embers for the next 20 years while they do sidequests
😂😂😂😂
Realest shit, for me it was leaving him at Wakados
i left mama welles waiting for a year💀
@@jason-qc5lr dudeeee Jackie's pistols are too cool to ignore that mission
@@Batoman got them. got two
An 1 hr and 30 min lore video of cyberpunk? Christmas came early 🥺
Christmas came
Oooo wait till you find out about the bonus 6 mins
I mean yeah clearly dudes barely getting to that 10 minute mark...
@@MyzoryMaiqyeah i was shocked! A whole extra 6 minutes!
Aye!
🍿😁🍿
Damn , surr Christmas did come early 🎉🎉
All the endings to this game range from depressing to bittersweet. No happy endings in a dystopia I suppose. Best ending is probably with the Aldecaldos
Thanks, i know i'm not the only one thinking like this 😂
Yes and..... SPOILERS!!!!!!
songbird to the moon with Reed dead.
it depends on your own mind
Helping Song Bird to the moon and then doing The Reaper ending is the most gratifying.
Clearly not anymore. V can survive with the DLC. yeah his life as mercenary is over. But he is gets to live.
Fun Fact: If you adopt Mr. Nibbles, in The Tower ending we'll find that he was sold to a mysterious buyer. During the end credits we find it it was Rouge who bought Nibbles and sits besides her during the call.
Cyberpunk and Phantom Liberty have become one of my favorite games of all time. Loved it when it first came out and love it even more now. Thanks for the hard work making these awesome videos I love hearing the lore and story of the Cyberpunk universe.
Cyberpunk day 1 release was horrible, cyberpunk after the patches were great but cyberpunk with the phantom liberty dlc is a Masterpiece!
@@ThePhiloSpheresI played it on PC at release and my bug experience was fairly minor. Some T posts and weird AI, but the most alarming thing was the unfinished parts. Overall I still had a great experience, I bought phantom liberty but haven’t played it yet.
the option to help song bird then killing reed, then going for the rogue ending and letting jhonny take over ur body seems like the best one. cuz militech gets screwed over and arasaka falls
Secret ending would be better then. The only difference is Rogue dying
You made a few mistakes on the assault on Arasaka Tower.
1.) Johnny and Smasher were no nemesises, in fact they had no affiliation at all.
2.) Johnny was killed by Smasher after Johnny freed Alt, but that was because Johhny sacrificed himself to draw the attention of Smasher to himself, who was about to kill Shaitan. Yes, Shaitan did not die in the helicopter as shown in Johnny's corrupted memories during tutorial.
3. Johnny was blasted in half by Smasher and Spider Murphy uploaded Johnny's engram and then sold it/ gave it to Arasaka
4. Johnny was long dead before the actual Leader of the Arasaka assault planted and blew up the nukes
5. Johnny's memories are corrupted by soulkiller torture and he sees himself as the hero and leader of the assault, but in reality Johnny was part of the Alpha team:
Johnny, Rogue, Spider, Shaitan
who'se job was to support the Omega team, lead by the actual "hero" and leader of the Assault, who was also the one who actually duked it out with Smasher before the towers blew up.
There was also a Beta team, but they were none of note.
Where did you find this informations?
you watched that "Johnny lied to us" video too didnt you ? 😂 i did recently
@@henriegoulart a lot of this info is in the older Cyberpunk books from Mike Pondsmith (the creator of the IP and the og tabletop game ala Dungeons and Dragons), in particular I think Cyberpunk 2020/Red novels (I am guessing since I haven't read them either).
The "hero" and leader of this Arasaka assault was Morgan Blackhand, fellow NC Legend who is also mentioned by Jackie in Act 1 when you first enter The Afterlife, and who may or may not be still alive in 2077.
If you are interested in the wider lore of Cyberpunk, I highly recommend WiseFish's full video on it alongside a plethora of other creators.
@@Bolt2049 Thanks, mate. I'll check this out. I find this fascinating, especially the background AI conspiracy. I'm really into the game's story and want to explore this universe more.
@@SerkuXY I did and also corrected errors in that one
Panam’s Ending is the best, you get poetic justice and can live out the remainder of your life surrounded by loved ones / family.
Plus Panam hints at how massive of information network the Aldecados have if they can't figure something out for you know one can sure she could just be saying that out of disbelief because she doesn't want you to die but my head cannon is the aldecados pull some connections and get V some treatments that actually work
Also you get to smash Panam on the regular 😩
After he got cured, V should have taken the job offered by Reed, instead of becoming a nobody in Night City. That’s what I would’ve done.
I was thinking it will take a while to explain this from scratch ....over an hour and half apparently 😂. we appreciate all the work you put into this Mr harry
To get the secret ending with Johnny, you need to do the mission with Rogue and get his car and go to his grave. There's specific dialog options you need to choose in order to get Johnny on your side. After you see Hanako at Embers and Misty takes you to the rooftop and you're talking to Johnny, you literally have to wait 5 minutes and then Johnny will present the option of storming Arasaka alone and no one dies.
Describing Smasher as "half human" is quite an overstatement, if I remember correctly he's 4% human 96% mech
Great rundown. I have played the game through four times and have about 350 hours in it. I feel like each lifepath has a canonical ending:
It makes sense to me that Nomad V joins and leaves with the Aldecaldos, either with Judy or Panam as romantic partners, having found a new family after the Bakkers collapsed. The "best" ending, although uncertain, its the most hopeful
Corpo V takes revenge on Arasaka in the solo ending (which is excellent, btw, but not that different from the Rogue ending), gets his vengeance on the company that betrayed him, and gives Johnny their body in a last redemption for being a selfish corpo all their life.
Streetkid V storms Arasaka with Rogue and ends up the ruler of the Afterlife, and goes to space in search of a cure.
The phantom liberty ending throws a wrench into this structure, as Things Done Changed leaves a huge amount unfinished - adam smasher doesn't even know you exist, and johnny never gets his conclusion. I also feel like they bent some of the characters out of their personalities too far to make sure its a "V gets to live but at massive cost" narrative. I dont believe for a second that Panam would not come around after hearing V was alive.
Even if she didn't though, all that said not having cyberware isn't the end of the world. V still presumably has contacts all over Night City that would be willling to help them, and my headcanon is that V becomes a fixer, probably working with Dakota or Regina or even Mr Hands for awhile to get their sea legs back.
Those are some very valid points.
Great take, and likely the intent. Each beginning has an end that makes the most sense. I do like when games really give you bittersweet options, but you as the player get to decide which one is the "Best" based on how you played the game.
and V trains to become a power weapons specialist, forming a crew who have implants to make up for not having access to them
Damn, I have about 5 play-throughs so far of the full game (Phantom Liberty included). I usually take around 220 hours per playthrough and I do every single mission, gig and side job differently each time to discover new paths etc.
While Cyberpunk may not be a flawless game, particularly in terms of performance, it deserves recognition for the immersive world it crafted, the captivating storyline it wove, and the memorable characters it introduced. Night City strikes a compelling balance between a futuristic sci-fi setting and a realistic portrayal of a potential near-future world. It stands out as one of my favorite open-world environments due to its rich detail and captivating world-building. I'm hopeful that CDPR will continue to support Cyberpunk and create a sequel that focuses on accessibility, as the game currently demands a powerful PC to run smoothly. Nonetheless, it has earned a special place among my favorite open-world RPGs, thanks to its engaging narrative, the intricately designed world, and the unforgettable characters (and well we can't forget about the absolutely amazing [yet depressing] Edgerunners anime).
I agree for the most part - but I'd say that the game is actually surprisingly well optimised. I ran it well on my old rx 580
It never fails to weird me out that Corpo V had been good friends with jackie for a while, yet streetkid V, who frequents the bar that jackies mom owns, doesn't know him.
Almost hitting the 6 month loyalty subscription, couldn’t think of a greater present than this vid. Incredible as always.
Makes me so happy that more people are looking at Cyberpunk with a new lens and appreciation. One of my favorite games of all time, and the lore behind a truly worthy of a deep dive. Can’t wait for the sequel.
22:46 "And after hanging out with Hideo" caught me off guard
To me, the canon story will always be V taking Songbird to the moon, go alone to takedown the tower and leave night city. I really hope in the next cyberpunk V can find his cure…
You think V will still be the main character in the next game? Sorry not too up to date on what CP 2 will be like
@@3assesgaming839 I really hope V can be like Geralt to have a whole trilogy. But it’s probably not be that way, since Cyberpunk is really about the city and it’s people within it not a single particular person…
There wont be a CP2, CP was a massive disaster for the compagny, they wont take another corpo ending risk like it no more, they're focused on witcher games now@@3assesgaming839
I hope not. I loved the quote from one of the original creators. The point of cyberpunk isn't to save humanity but to save yourself. V's story is over. They either tried to save themselves or didn't. So many more stories to tell
I apologize for ruining it for you, but the moon ending may seem satisfying, but it's not. There's been a promise of help in a faraway laboratory (presumably on the moon) but that's another trap. It isn't only Mayers who is after her, but the rogue artificial intelligence named Mr Blue Eyes as well. You receive a call from an unknown caller after the ending, which leads you to a stash point containing So Mi's hardware. Most likely, that's what's left of her. By sending her to the moon, you are happily sending her to her death. In other words, So Mi is just as doomed as V and there's only one way to set her free.
I just bought the game last month and was pleasantly surprised at how good the story was. CDproject red did a fantastic job redeeming themselves because it truly feels like a city
Not only that, there is a deeper, multilayered story underneth, which you need to dig deep to uncover as most of the main story is a lie and a fabrication as there is a Deus Ex level conspiracy story underneath the main story.
I was really pleasantly suprised to find out the real story and whats really going on.
Only thing that is real is that V partake in heist to steal Arasaka relic chip and that heist went to shit and that lead into V having damaged relic in her brain with Silverhand's engram in it for some reason.
Then rest of the game is about V trying to save her life
rest of it is lies and fabrication and most of the side missions are conntected to eachother and to the grand plot underneath it all and they tell whats actually going on
You just have to read emails and pda messages and connect the dots yourself
lol its not that deep@@tavastian3288
Story wise its easily one of the best written games I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. There isnt much out there in terms of videogames that can make me genuinely emotional, but this game is one of those rare instances. It does a great job of making you feel like you ARE the character you play as, and they had the guts to punch you in the gut at the end, revealing that the entire story you just played through was effectively all for nothing. Every ending is the bad ending. Theres no way to win.
Except a real city has tons of traffic at almost all hours
I love these hour plus lore videos. It's a real treat.
I wish Gaming Harry does more these hour plus videos.
Lets say V kept eddies and everything except from his apartment and those belongings, the cure ending allows him to live a quiet life (full circle moment) and to go work at the FIA and enjoy his new opportunity at life. As far as everyone you knew in NC, they moved on and only few actually were happy like judy and kerry, so this is probably the best ending for V as hes still young and has a shot at a whole new life
I remember getting this game the day when it came out and it would crash on me every 30 minutes or something like that.
Now it's like one of my favorite games ever
I asked for a refund of this game and now i want to buy on GOG. CDPR really fixed this game. Thamk lord for that.
I raged hard fighting that female tiger claw and it would crash or glitch out hard
I think helping Reed and then letting Songbird die is the best ending for phantom liberty. You make the logical choice of not helping Songbird who you know has lied and used you at every point, but then later you have mercy on her and let her die. This way the AI from beyond the Black Wall are stopped from escaping, which would eventually happen in every other ending. Reed even sits down with you and says that you made the right call. V can still eventually do one of the other endings after this choice.
good point
Not to mention songbird was so willing to have hundreds of innocents die so that she could try to survive. She downed a plane and caused a war in the streets, then right near the ending she was willing to turn on the stadium security turrets and let them indiscriminately mow people down; all so she could have a chance at survival. Also I felt like songbird may have been taken over or corrupted by a AI and therefore not worth the risk of helping her.
I was just about to do a lore search for series and then here you come to deliver 👏🏾👏🏾
I think the canon ending is the cure as it ties up everything in a nice bow and has v return as just another resident of night city. After everything that’s happened v walks away alive but never the same as before only to remember the life they had before one botched job led to it all.
Phantom Liberty ending is the most depressing- your life as you wanted to live is over and you can't try another shot at it.
As for the "best one"- either one with Panam, where you at least live your last days with Nomads or the "Don't fear the reaper" where you go solo (well, with Johnny on board), it's hard and you will most likely die, but I think V is a person who wouldn't throw others under bus to have a shot at life (tho that depends on probably which life you chose, corpo V probably would have less care)
I think arasaka is the most depressing
The secret ending with just V and Johnny gave me shivers. So cool.
Cyberpunk 2077 setting is what i would like to imagine a modern chaos aligned world in smt series,
everyone is on their own, dog eats dog, corpo destroys each other. The weak then form/join gangs, or become a merc, the less unwilling to fight will be bound to work to their grave for big corpo
It is unforgiving world but you cant deny the advancement of technologies and ideas
I think the canon ending is saving So Mi then doing Don't Fear the Reaper and invading Arasaka Solo with Johnny and Alt. Frees Songbird from her cage, Alex lives, and Reed goes out on his own terms. Then later V doesn't want to drag anyone into their mess, unlike Songbird, and does a last ditch hail mary. We don't know what happens to Songbird when she goes to the moon, but I also think that is for the best.
am I seriously the only one who kept thinking of Bioshock 3 every time Harry said the world "Song Bird?"
still a fantastic video essay and lore explore Harry! keep them coming!
Oh hell yeah I loved that he did a story explained for one of my favorite games
This is a very well made video with great context in the beginning for the lore. Thank you for the explanation
That last ending is heart wrecking.
Excellent and, my god, do I appreciate the crazy amount of work you've put into this!
Yay, Harry uploaded! 🎉
And 1h+ about Cyberpunk, you’re really spoiling us
Hurrah! 🎉 Always happy to see more lengthy vids from you Harry thanks for all your hard work!
The main issue with the main story is that it's linked to Johnny. Johnny's body was never found, because there's a great chance that he was technically never killed. His body had been kept in cryo since his "death", hidden in an Arasaka nuclear missile repurposed to be a cryo-chamber (alongside the nuclear charge). Mike Pondsmith wrote "Black Dog", a story that becomes canon in Cyberpunk RED. So somehow Arasaka kept him in stasis. He ends up in the possession of a woman named Angel, in the Los Alamos nuclear facility, with help from a firefighter named Samantha Stevens, a group of mercs, and surprisingly, Michiko Arasaka, daughter of Kei Arasaka. So technically, Johnny's body is still around and could've easily retaken his engram, or maybe not even need it, since the engram could've simply been a copy, since that's what the "Secure Your Soul" program was designed for.
This makes V's entire struggle pointless, UNLESS you choose the nomad ending. That one has the best chance of V getting cured, as Panam says that they know some people on the fringes of society, that can do shit others can't. Like the Technomancers for example, or they can even end up in Los Alamos sometimes, especially since they are going to Arizona, and I'm not big on USA's map, but Arizona and New Mexico are neighbors. And who knows what might happen.
The first time V interacts with Johnny, Johnny says he's just a copy. However pretty much everyone else and the original source material say Johnny got blown in half by Smasher.
Very well narrated and also really enjoyed the back story of night city at the beginning of the video, actually ended up watching the whole thing!!
Thanks for going through the whole lore man 🎉
Wonderful video that does clear a number of shady areas. Congratulations on a job well done! Many thanks, mate!
My personal opinion tho, each endings felt more like a cannon for each back stories at the beginning of the game.
For the Nomad, runaway with Panam is obviously a perfect ending.
For the Corpo, take a revenge on Arasaka and ended up having treatments on a space station is quite make sense.
For the Street Kids tho, I think this one is the cannon storyline from the start no matter which ending you achieve at the end. And the normie ending with all the cyberwares removed is completely the most tragic one.
Na you got it all wrong. Corpo v gets the panam ending, nomad V gets the night city legend ending, and street life v gets the arasaka ending, it literally makes sense in that way
@@pingus9934 However you like man, this is just how I see it.
@@pingus9934fully agree, having the life paths end up in their opposite states is so much more satisfying
I actually waited till i finished Phantom Liberty (not once but twice) till i decided to watch this video. Thank you for this.
you’re amazing man!! ❤
Awesome lore video Harry, knew you would release this by the time of Phantom Liberty comes
My god, you have done it now.
Cyberpunk story video. Lets fucking go
I have to argue about what you said about killing song bird is the worst ending, For me the whole point of phantom liberty is to sympathize the only one people who is in the same predicament as V. "Walking-Talking Corpse" And How they Struggle to settle it on their own terms. To helps Reed capture song bird And stole her only chance to see it through ,only to secure your faded life. And even then refuse to kill her and leave her to the fate worse than death (Myers puppet / Fractured Psyche) is indeed the worse ending you could get for Phantom liberty.
worse than death? maybe
@@mareksicinski3726 She said it herself though, not gonna argue with the blackwall expert.
Loving the lore videos harry
I just got back into the game continuing an old save and forgot a lot of the story. This video was perfect to get me caught up again
He’s gone and bloody done it
Thanks for the extremely informative lore video! After looking into Cyberpunk 2.0, I've been thinking about getting the game. I always want to learn all the lore I can before getting invested in a game's universe.
Thanks for this bro!
The ending where they are both back at the start putting her into the shuttle seems like the most likley as we know nobody ever really leaves NC
They should have used the same music you used for this video in the game. Your edit gave the game an awesome noir feel.
i 100% completed the game i know everything about this game but am i gonna watch 1h and 30min of Harry explaining the game to me DAMN STRAIGHT I AM
The tabletop source books (and Mike Pondsmith's Twitter) seem to suggest that a lot of what we see regarding Silverhand's past in the game is unreliable. Arasaka is known for editing and tampering with constructs they copy using Soulkiller, and Silverhand's construct was no different. A lot of discrepancies regarding how the Tower assault goes down between the source books and the game point to this.
It's odd but Grayson in 2077 ends up confirming some of it, which is confusing
@@BoolyKthat's the inherent problem with the base game, the story is wildly inconsistent from what we've seen in past books
@@557deadpool I think the theory that Johnny is an unreliable narrator is less than true than just saying cyberpunk 2077 is revisionist
Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is a game every gamer needs to experience to appreciate. One of the best games I have ever played, the story and the characters stay with you. I'm still sad that I couldn't save Evelyn
Nice one harry wow you really made a cyberpunk lore and order :) !
This is why he’s the goat! 😤 LETS GOOOO
I think the cannon ending is save Songbird and Leave for Arizona with Panam.
In my headcannon they meet up with technomancers and songbird helps them to fix V.
Giving Songbird to FIA is by far the worst ending, she'll just be a slave under control of NUSA, letting her die is way better and sending her to the moon is the best.
Endings in order for me:
Give body to Johnny - he can live for a long time and I think he will try to rescue V from beyond the blackwall. Also seeing the Cure ending the world needs a Johnny Silverhand and a few more nukes.
The Sun - Mr Blue Eyes might be able to get V a cure or at least extend her life. This is the most open ended ending for me.
The Stars - V will die in 6 months, but at least be with a loving family for that time.
Self quit - go out on your own terms
The Devil - who would trust Arasaka with their engram, if you don't sign you'll die in 6 months but without Aldecaldos around.
The Cure - you can see how much worse everything is and you can't do anything about it. You lost everyone and everything, I'd deepthroat a barrel right away. Basically self quit with some depression right before.
Johnny taking over the body ending is easily the most cursed ending in the game… I genuinely don’t understand how people think that ending is a “good” ending
problem with initial launch was the will to put it on ancient hardware not able to run it at all...
Hell yah! Lets goo Harry!!
Aldecaldos w Judy and Songbird to the moon are my canons. I love how many fleshed out variations there are though.
Can't believe phantom liberty came out so long ago
I will forever enjoy these videos
Aldecados is the only definitively good ending. It's also implied that the aldecados could find a way to save V and if they can't atleast V will die surrounded by people who actually care about him
Great watch as always 👊🏿❤
@1:43
Meanwhile, the ATF:
“Why does everyone always forget about us?”
I feel the best endings are letting Songbird escape (she's the only person in the shoes as V, so, for me, even imagining if V couldn't save him/her self, she helped someone who might make it), and asking help to the Aldecaldos.
V finally has a family who can trust, a partner to enjoy company with, and regardless of she survives or not after the 6 months, he or she is not alone. Besides, Johnny is finally with Alt once more.
So, basically, Arasaka Corporation is basically a spiritual successor of QinShiHuang's Empire. Absolute power over all existence.
I've always wondered why the Saka Ninja's were after Takemura in the car chase, ty for this.
Of all endings i think the new ending is the most acurated to the themes of what a cyberpunk storie is and if you have play the tabletop rpg you will know what i'm talking about. One think that is need to have in consideration is that V can totally still become a nc legend but no in the way that is common portrait. The best example is morgan blackhand yes he was a solo and in the tabletop fight smasher in the rooftop but he survive and went ghost probably to have his farm in texas and one notable thing is that he has the philosophy of minimun chrome so in theory V can become something like the chomeless legend of nc. But yeah againts people fully chrome up is a lose scenario for V but chances are in the table just saying.
I agree
100% agree, while it sucks that he can't use Cyberware anymore, honestly Cyberware was always more of a curse than a blessing.
Jeeeeeeesus. I was just listening thinking it was a regular lore video until I hear the word songbird and president. Immediately shut it off. I haven’t been spoiled yet for PL and I still need to buy it.I’ll be back when I’m done though. Awesome video so far.
Please do the darkness 1 and 2 story explained!!! Right up ur alley and tons of content with the comics
Technically, I first heard the story explanation from WiseFish so, I understand especially Gingy who explain the story.
I listened to you anyway because you are still the best. 😊
RIP to saul, that despite his best efforts he just couldn't keep his head between his shoulders.
Phantom liberty is honestly one of the best dlc in gaming history
Panam ending is still the best imo, i’d have loved more interactions with her for … reasons
Facts same here. I love the Panam ending so much, it would of been even more cool if they made an update where the characters you romance get more activities to do together. Like in GTA when you hangout with your friends.
@@Freshina agreed - would make the world feel more lived in and give more reason to keep playing once finished
You nailed this one brother!
The one where you let songbird die after betraying her and the rogue ending seem the most canonical as it fits with the theme of no happy endings but at least all the drama and story elements come full circle.
13:17 Pretty sure Trauma has no problem going into Dogtown. Both them and MaxTac can just fly in on AV's, it's just NCPD who dont have any. There's also quite a few people hanging out there with Trauma's insurance, but that none of them ever go out in the streets (except for a couple of twi netrunner gonks), so you won't ever find any AV's on the ground there.
Thank you Harry!!!!🙏🏾🙏🏾
I’m commenting to boost your engagement because I’m tanking your watch time on accident. Just haven’t had the chance to play phantom liberty yet and don’t want that spoiled for me. Love the channel
CP2077 and Phantom Liberty absolutely slap.
Don't fear the reaper is canon with Mr blue eyes possibly curing V
I have the most perfect luck I just finished cyberpunk yesterday now I get a Lore look at the game
Well done. I like the new ending and becoming a nobody it reminds me of Paid in Full
Honestly it's the best ending. He's a legend of nyc, he gets his full life back with no engrams(minus the no chrome part, that might suck but everything has a cost) and he lost all of his belongings and apartment, so perfect time for him to move out of nyc to another state and try and start a new and better life. All of his friends have moved on as well Panam/victor/misty/Judy.
Your video has inspired me to buy this game.
Canon ending is don’t fear the reaper, imo. Nobody you care about dies, you become a legend and owner of the afterlife, and it seems to tease future events in the crystal palace
for your last part technically karrys side story dos lead to some larger lore as his careers reignited and he truly regains that role of superstar, not the faulturing one he became.
this is important for v even thou it happens post game because he adds samurai songs back into his lineup which in a sense keeps the spirit of Johnny alive no matter what ending you get. also the last quest in his chain is v saving blue moon from being murdered by a stalker
also another important one you missed is delahman. if you let him go free he gains true sentience and starts to jump from tech to teach outside of the blackwall which for an ai is massive. while if you kill him you destroy night city taxis in one fell swoop
Yay Uncle Harry has a cyber futuristic fairytale for us!
Great video, thank you so much!
The only question I have is "Who are you warning about "spoilers"? Who the hell watches full story explained and expects not to know the story?!"
You’d be surprised how many people whinge and cry in the comments about it 😂
@@GamingHarryYT wow, I thought it's only to pass some TH-cam rules or something... Nevertheless, thank you so much for the content you make! it is EPIC!!!
Babe wake up harry dropped a new video
i made a new character when the dlc released but i haven't even touched the dlc yet. i forgot how many things there is to do in the base game 😭
“Join the op”. Love it 😂
Thank you, truly. This is one of the many games I'm sure I'd enjoy, yet I will probably never get around to actually playing. 😢
The cannon ending is where you help Johnny defeat Smasher and take down Mikoshi.
CDPR Never intended V to have a good ending.
Phantom Liberty ending , yes V survives but looses everything.
So the Canon Ending is one Which CDPR intended, for Silverhand the Terrorist to take Vs body and gets a second chance. Even if you agree or not that Johnny Silverhand actually does deserve a Second chance.
But Corps Silverhand is a mega star and V is merely a character you play , in this RPG all about Silverhand.
I mean not like CDPR paid KR enough anyway, but he also needed to be the Star of the Game as well.
Notice you have to Side with Reed to get the ending where V is alive but is left with absolutely nothing.
Another Coincidence, may be ?
oh hell yeah 🍿
ps. this video is so good!