[SPOILERS] Arasaka ending is the best ending for V - change my mind

[DarthMyrten]

There is no point arguing which ending is the best overall since it's a matter of personal preference, but I'm wondering which one is actually the best for V in terms of personal survival

WARNING - Huge Spoilers for all endings

I've finished the game and watched other endings on YT, and basically we have following endings:
AC (Devil) - Arasaka Cyber - V joins Secure Your Soul program
AB (Devil) - Arasaka Body - V returns to earth to die in few moths
PB (Star) - Panam Body
RB (Sun)- Rogue Body
PC/RC (Temperance) - Panam or Rogue Cyber
Suicide
Secret endings - almost the same as Rogue's
So let's try to see how they turn out for V:

1. Suicide is clearly the worst outcome

2. Sun/Star/Arasaka Body endings all ends up in V dying in few months, so I'd rank them equal as it's a matter of personal preference which of them is better.

3. In Temperance ending V loses body and goes to cyberspace with Alt - on the good side V can live in cyberspace forever, but V's ability to interact with real world is very limited and open cyberspace is dangerous place so that life might not be that great. There are no prospects of V getting back into real world ever.

4. If V joins Secure your Soul program he/she will live inside Arasaka's cyberspace, just like Saburo did. It's a personal preference, but I'd say it's safer bet than being in outer Cyberspace with Alt. However what makes this ending stand out is that there is a possibility of V returning to life - resurrection technology might get a bit better in few years, and if Takemura is alive he'll most likely work on this since V saved his live and he's a man of honor.

So to sum this up, in terms of V's survival I think all endings are bad, but Arasaka's Secure Your Soul is actually the best bet V can take out of them to survive

[Lλmbdλ]

引用自 Ogami：

Hard disagree. Arasaka is the second worst ending.
Its stands against everything the Cyberpunk world teaches you.
NEVER trust the big corporations. Johnny also tells you that, you sold your soul like so many other and are now owned by a corp, with no gurantee to ever get a physical body back.

Also you leave all your friends and lover behind.
There is a reason its the default ending you always can get even if you did not invest any time into side missions.

I agree ! The ending is pretty clear on the fact that if Arasaka want to ♥♥♥♥ you up they can, you become their propriety AND you know a lot of things about some of their darkest secrets

[Spag]

Arasaka ending feels like it has the most emotional weight and writing behind it, but I think in terms of story, its probably the worst outcome for V. The line to Takemura if you refuse their offer summarises it pretty well - you dont know what freedom tastes like. You’re a prisoner patient on the station going mad and if you accept, you'll be a prisoner in Makoshi without knowing if you’ll ever be revived or even treated as a person. In the other endings, V still at least has some sort of agency even if it results in death, but every ending ends in death (of the body) regardless.

[not harvey]

I got this ending first play-through, and thought it was a fantastic way to end the story.

My character started in the corporate world, drowing under the pressure of trying to make it working for Arasaka. Turned to mercenary work, fought against Arasaka, somehow made good friends with Goro along the way, and in the end had no choice but to trust Arasaka and Goro to maybe survive, one day.
The ending was sad but in a "maybe its actually ok" kind of way.

Also really like how the game goes to 3rd person for the first time right at the end, as you (the player) lose control over the fate of V and see it play out externally for once.

[セーラーマーズ]

引用自 not harvey：

Also really like how the game goes to 3rd person for the first time right at the end, as you (the player) lose control over the fate of V and see it play out externally for once.

Yes.

[Kesslan]

I think it's also important to note: In every single ending but the Suicide and the Arasaka ending where you refuse to sign the contract, and get returned to Earth, V is killed and turned into an engram. As soon as you connect to Mikoshi, Alt uses an altered version of Soulkiller on V, creating a copy and turning it into an Engram just like her and Johnny.

The Arasaka ending where you refuse the contract, you have Johnny removed from your head, live out what's left of your life as yourself and then die in about 6 months time. In the suicide ending you just take your own life.

If you accept Arasaka's contract, or otherwise connect to Mikoshi after letting Alt in, V is killed and a construct is created of V's mind. Regardless of if that copy of V is then put back in V's body or not, it's technically not actually V, just a copy of V that's self aware.

[Kesslan]

As to my take on the Arasaka ending where you sign the contract, I suspect Arasaka would be willing to put V into a body in the future, if only because V is such a talented operative that they could put to use, just like Smasher, V is basically a weapon they can use on their enemies.

[Vela Darney]

You know, after watching the according end credits on Youtube again, of the Arasaka ending where V doesn't sign the contract and returns to Earth, the thing that REALLY made me want to put my fist through my screen: After completely forgetting about V (as Takemura states, if he's still alive and the one visiting V to talk about the contract), Hanako has the gall to call V and offer them a job. The nerve of that ♥♥♥♥♥. Only contract connected to her I'd do is one where someone hires me to assassinate her. She's just as bad as dear old Pops.

Edit to add: As for DLC - how about an alternative Arasaka ending where V plays along with Hanako, then turns on her, shoots all the board members at the meeting and sides with Yorinobu? I'd LOVE to see that. I mean, getting into 'Saka Tower without having to fight your way in, fully armed, and having 'Saka's board of management presented to you on a silver tray? That's a once in a lifetime thing.