My thoughts on the new Tower ending in Phantom Liberty CDPR [Spoilers]

[FallenActual]

After being positive with all my dialogue options the ending wasn't terrible knowing that I'm starting a new life with the normal (none chromed) people like misty the ending credit holo's were even nice my only gripe is mitch calling telling me to not call panam I hurt her to much... If CDPR would have changed that and let you fix things it would have been the perfect ending, Still a fan of the panam ending over the Tower but it was a nice change and really cool to see everyone 'grow up' 2 years later!

Don't think I forgive you CDPR I'm still sad over edge runners ending but this wasnt as sad... Keep up the good work just don't make the sequel as bleak please, give us one happy ending.

[WHEREAMI]

I find this ending very depressive and not good for V. It might be if anyone stayed with them. But everyone abandoned them, despite the fact how much V had done for all her friends and was there when they needed V. Now no one gives a ♥♥♥♥ and doesn't want to be there for V, only Vik, but even he is just a shadow of himself, like a reminder of how badly everything was changed for good.
As Johnny said about Reed: "Guys bankrupt, all outta hope. Gonna hang himself. You''ll see. Choom lost everything, literally. Just hasn't realized it... yet".

[FallenActual]

Originally posted by WHEREAMI:

I find this ending very depressive and not good for V. It might be if anyone stayed with them. But everyone abandoned them, despite the fact how much V had done for all her friends and was there when they needed V. Now no one gives a ♥♥♥♥ and doesn't want to be there for V, only Vik, but even he is just a shadow of himself, like a reminder of how badly everything was changed for good.
As Johnny said about Reed: "Guys bankrupt, all outta hope. Gonna hang himself. You''ll see. Choom lost everything, literally. Just hasn't realized it... yet".

Fair but choosing the postive dialog options with everyone when you have the chance to call them isn't terrible Kerry says after his tours they can catch up, Judy left and got married which is whatever playing as male V she left after the end of her quest anyway and would occaisonally send photos via holo text from outside NC and you can't romance her anyway as she was a lesbian, River ward was just upset you never called but he's fighting his own demons it seems and he even apologizes when he realized you were in a coma. Vik yeah I can see he sold out to a maga corp and is a ghost of his former self which sucks but really the only pain was not being able to mend things with panam and rouge doesn't suggest you visit the afterlife because people would see you not in your prime and it would tarnish your legend image. Other than that you're free to start a normal life with the majority of the world that isn't chromed up and living outside NC

[Detective Costeau]

Eh. Maybe it's just the characters I was involved with, but it basically feels like a series of gut punches. It's like they took people criticizing how bleak the original endings were as a challenge, and decided to see if they could make an ending where V gets to live, but it's somehow even more depressing than the ones where you don't.
It doesn't ruin my experience of the game or anything, but after seeing it once because I was curious what the new ending was like, I can't see myself picking it again. My one solid disappointment with Phantom Liberty (well, besides CDPR's traditional bugs, anyway).

[id795078477]

And the real kicker is: Johny isn't forgotten after 50 years and his legend lives on and his crew remembers him. V is forgotten after just 2. Johny isn't homeless when he gets V's body (and therefore all the achievements and assets V made), but when it comes to "V's ending" - well, we gotta wipe everything out. Johny's decisions in the past changed the world, but none of V's decisions or achievements matter - or if they do - then only in a sense that Johny can "inherit" all those EDs and skills and perks V's made.

It's just.. lol. A joke of a punch-in-the-gutter kind. Why Johny is allowed to have everything that V isn't? No hate on Johny but he's a (depending on the ending) living example that someone is allowed to win in NC after all. It makes no sense... unless we agree that the real protagonist is Johny, not V.

[Detective Costeau]

Yeah. It's firmly in "bad ending" territory up there with the Arasaka ending to me.
You get to live, but also everyone you cared about is gone and you've lost everything you had.
Oh well, they never did promise it wouldn't be an incredibly bleak ending.

[Prometheus]

The story was always meant to be a tragedy. The whole point is that in this dystopia there are no happy endings short of leaving the dystopia entirely (which is why people like the Nomad ending). Johnny is right in his diatribes that everything is ♥♥♥♥♥♥ and has to be torn down.

[Meme Turtle]

Originally posted by FallenActual:

Don't think I forgive you CDPR..

How will CDPR ever recover from this?

[Simple Man]

In this DLC, nothing makes sense and just shatters established characters and world building.

Panam, the most ride or die sort of character in there, decides to not take your calls or answer your texts because reasons. When you go in for the procedure, you send her the most vague, nonsensical text imaginable because...reasons. If one romanced Judy, she can't be bothered with V and just gets with someone because reasons. V is offered a position at langley but refuses because....reasons, makes even less sense if the character is an ex-corpo, as that woulda been their previous line of work, but no, must refuse so we can go commit more crime and be a legend? this time without any chrome, im sure it'll be alright.

Bleak endings are one thing, RDR2 was pretty bleak with people dying left and right, others disappearing or ending in the gutter, even my cherished horse dies, still a masterpiece. The Devil is pretty bleak, still ok. Phantom Liberty "tower" ending is just a "V can get f*cked" type thing, forced suffering at the hands of poor writting.

[Pharis Gough]

My guy can choose to call up reed for a cushy government job in Langley (seriously V, why go back to night city, all your friends want to leave that god forsaken piss hole for a reason) become a fixer, or re-train and get used to using Biological enhancements and power armor instead for Merc work. Remember, the only stipulation is no Chrome, reed said nothing about no power armor or biological enhancements.

[Detective Costeau]

Thinking about it, I think it would have worked better if they'd done *just* the time skip, or just the fried nervous system. Feels like you paid a price for survival, but would feel less like it was going out of its way to be sad just for the sake of it.
As it is, I was *relieved* by the time the credits ended, because at least the ending was over finally- it's just a rolling barrage of "Oh, remember this cool person you liked? Things have got worse and either your friendship is broken now or they're leaving."