If you have played the game, you surely already know about the choices that are difficult to make in the game. And yes, Phantom Liberty is merely another one of those. A recent piece of fanart posted on the CyberpunkGame official Twitter page showed that the debate on the “correct” ending has been rekindled, with different answers as divisive as Night City itself.
Created with love by @vghu780, this artwork depicts one of two paths with the caption: “Two choices. Two lives. One city.” Visually, this artwork portrays the moral crossroads of the protagonist in Phantom Liberty: betray Songbird or stand with her, with extremely different consequences attached to either choice. Judging by the reactions, this seems to be a matter still not entirely settled.
One player, @Skelevra2, matter-of-factly charges: “The canon ending of Phantom Liberty ❤️.” …but did not proceed to specify which ending he or she considers the one. Instead, @AlienApostle joked about the designs, saying: “One is apparently a hot cyborg ‘female’ with a metallic soul patch. So, I’m out.”
The only thing that keeps from being open to even more debate is: whether the most talked-about netrunner in Phantom Liberty’s story deserves a bullet or mercy? @blackdumpling58 said, “I’d shoot that chick in the head with every bullet in every box in Night City twice over.” Conversely, @idiotclownface simply said: “Always save Songbird.”
But some, like @2paclypsenow, were saying there is a “third” option, and that ought to sound the bell for avoiding both: “‘Don’t Fear The Reaper’ is the best and Most Epic ending.” For those not in the know, this refers to the secret ending where V goes rampaging through Arasaka Tower. Because sometimes, the way out is through.
Others, along with @Drnoobdentist, took that opening to pitch their wishlist for Cyberpunk‘s sequel, Project Orion: “Advanced AI in combat. Proper pathing of NPCs. Children with children faces.” (Yeah, that’s still a sore spot.)
And then there is the famous Cyberpunk question: do happy endings ever exist? Somehow, or maybe not at all, @zharng summed it up best: “And zero happy endings.” Because in Night City, even the “good” ones leave you scarred.
The fanart remains very well-appreciated; @MetalheadJoeyW1 suggested CD Projekt Red make official merch out of it. Considering that players are still talking about Phantom Liberty months after its release, it is clear these core questions and feelings behind them won’t disappear anytime soon.
What side of the fence are you? Saving Songbird, handing her over, or going out in flames? Either way, Night City wins. You? Perhaps not.
And then again, maybe that’s your sign to get back into it if you haven’t played Phantom Liberty yet. Clean closure, don’t count on it. This is Cyberpunk, after all.
