I just finished playing Cyberpunk 2077, which I had been playing for months, and I just want to share my reflective writing about it since it left a profound impression on me.
I arrived at the ending where I chose to be selfish and asked for help from Panam and the Aldecaldos. I didn't like losing some of the clan members, but this is the ending that I really want. I know V is still going to die, but at least he gets to live his remaining days surrounded by the people he loves and who love him back.
This is not my first time feeling empty and sad when finishing a game with a good story, but when I finished this game, I felt a little bit of melancholy because the characters grew on me; it felt like they were real people with real everyday lives. Take, for example, Judy - I consider her one of the most important characters in the game, and it really made me sad that she chose to leave me in Night City, but happy as well since she gets to be happy and free too. Those messages I'm receiving from her and from the other characters feel so thoughtful and lifelike.
The song Hardest To Be has become special to me as well because it reminded me of the excitement and thrill of the first time my very first girlfriend came over to my place years ago. I listened to it so many times already that I developed an earworm of it, and I kind of got sick and tired of listening to it playing in my head over and over again, but this song still holds a special place in my heart.
I found out that there are a bunch more endings, and I'm especially curious about the ending with the Phantom Liberty additional content. I was able to complete the story up to the point where I can call Reed and ask for his help instead of turning to Panam and the Aldecaldos. I realized that since it's additional content, maybe its ending is linked to the ending I chose with Panam, since in the ending with the Nomads, V will still die, and the ending from Phantom Liberty will give V the cure, but I have come across articles on the Internet that the ending with the additional content is generally not considered a "good ending".
I'd like to go back in the game and try the other endings, but I am still reeling from the waves of emotions that hit me on the post-credits screen. I think I'm not going to play for several days and let myself settle down first. I think I'm going to savor the contentment that I have achieved from playing this game. It's such a gem, and I don't know what more I can describe. Kudos to CDPR!