How do you interpret the ending? (Obviously spoilers!)

[arbesa89]

Ok, so, my head is probably as juggled up as everyone else's.
I don't really have a theory, but I want to type out my thoughts for a bit.
I saw the last playthrough video by Pewdiepie and it got me thinking.

Somehow this ending speaks to me of relocation, not freedom, at least not really. The workers cheer for the boy as he reaches the "blob" in the tank, they help the "blob" through the facility on its' way out. They are weary of it, respect it, maybe even fear it, but don't stop it. Why? I really don't know.

What I know is that the woods and the shore the "blob" flees to can be seen earlier in the video at about 29:15. And, as the "blob" falls to its' freedom I thought I heard hollow sounds of crashing, echoes one can hear in huge but closed spaces. I don't think the "blob is outside the facility as it reaches the shore. The shore is another huge room of the facility.

Maybe the workers realized the "blob" growing agitated in its water tank, why else would they gather there and look at it, some people seemingly having a really long way to reach the tank? Possibly they want to contain the damage the "blob" would cause if they tried to stop it by helping it reach its goal, a goal the "blob" doesn't know was built for the advantage of the workers.

As said above, my head hrts after this great game and I have no idea if my thoughts are anywhere close to home. Just wanted to get them out there, maybe have other people think about it.

[SameOldSatellite]

My theory is pretty disappointing compared to yours:

The scientists/workers are attempting to find a way to breathe underwater (perhaps in a mission to uncover some lost artefact or something). They use various degrees of experiments in order to accomplish this.

- They first experiment on the long-haired siren-like creatures found in the underwater levels, but they turned violent and disappeared into the flooded sections of the factory.

- Gravity manipulation to determine if a human can survive in manipulated waters, which is why there are dead bodies in the ceiling water.

- And finally the blob at the end of the game. The experiment was accomplished by controlling the inhabitants of the world of INSIDE via mind control. The lineups seen in the game are the scientists' way of perfecting mind control, as well as providing test subjects for the boxed experiments seen before you delve into the blob's underwater tank; as well as the blob itself.

The mind control was tested using other experiments:

- The pigs near the start of the game, with the parasitic worms in their sides. Since pigs are often tested for experiments, the scientists test this worm on them. Unfortunately, it either kills the pigs or renders them a mindless rampaging pig.

- The mind control helmets, which control (seemingly) lifeless bodies (though how they make sounds I still haven't figured out). The scientists use this for construction, and to determine the effects of mind control on humans.

The alternate ending below the cornfield is showing that the mind control helmet is actually controlling the boy (and perhaps, everyone in the world of INSIDE), and that when he unplugs the socket, he goes limp (similar to the controlled people in the lineup). It's an interesting analogy on how we (the player) control the boy, but when stop playing as him, he no longer has anything to do, and is simply just another thing to discard.

(But to be honest, I was kinda disappointed with the ending. I was expecting some kind of confrontation with whatever was controlling the people, and that the moment you defeated it, the game would end. But, at least this ending was ambiguous. ;)

[insta†.Nefer]

Originally posted by arbesa89:

What I know is that the woods and the shore the "blob" flees to can be seen earlier in the video at about 29:15. And, as the "blob" falls to its' freedom I thought I heard hollow sounds of crashing, echoes one can hear in huge but closed spaces. I don't think the "blob is outside the facility as it reaches the shore. The shore is another huge room of the facility.

interesting notice, i was wondering myself why the the trees look so tiny when the blobb rolls down the hill
this could pretty much be the case that this is just a huge other room
maybe its supposed to be a habitat for the blobb where he can live in and become observed or held like a giant utterly ugly hamster?

[arbesa89]

Originally posted by SameOldSatellite:

But to be honest, I was kinda disappointed with the ending. I was expecting some kind of confrontation with whatever was controlling the people, and that the moment you defeated it, the game would end. But, at least this ending was ambiguous. ;)

I was a bit disappointed as well. But then I thought back to Limbo's ending and that was pretty much the same, meaning open for interpretation and without definite meaning.

I agree that at some point the workers attemted to do ...well...something, I am just not sure what. Maybe it's about exploration underwater, maybe it's about mind control. Who can say for certain.

I was also pretty shocked when I saw all the non-controlled children and even infants with the workers! My first thought was "WTH, is this 'bring your child to work'-day??".

The secret ending confused me a bit. I heard/read many people talk about how the player is controlled by the blob by controlling the boy, who is actually controlled by the blob (wow, what a line of thought!). So I don't understand how the secret ending fits into this. The boy disconnects himself/ we disconnect the boy and ourselves from the...let's calll it the Uber-Helmet and thus from the blob? But the blob controls us? How can we defy the blob?

And also every theory is valid, in my opinion. Since we have no definitive narration nor a conclusive ending, we can make up our own mind. Which is nice AND frustrating XD

[Snow]

I can't wait to play it myself, but I am already disappointed with the ending. I really dislike when some studio makes a great game that leaves you wondering about the plot through the entire game, but in the end just makes it even more confusing and explains nothing.

I mean, I don't mind the "open to interpretation" part, but I think devs had some explanation for it which they worked with obviously. I just would like to know that, because I hate to make assumptions/interpretations of my own when there is probably the real one somewhere.

[Bim]

This game was damn awsome to watch but now i would like to play it even tho i know the ending. i guess .. lol

[Mom]

Default Ending:
The blob was controlling you somehow, he brought you to the forrest and invaded with you the faculty.
After you reached the blob, you free "it" and he sucked you in, at the end the blob is free but has nowhere to go.
The only weird part is, that after the blob falls a lot of floors/level, you see a miniature version of the ending scene, which is weird...


Secret Ending with finding every of the hidden mindcontroller-balls-whatever:
You are the player, you controll the boy who can't defeat you, so he do what you will, after you unplug the cable, you can not longer controll him.
The faculty was the developers, that explain why they help you and why you see a miniature scene of the last scene on the default ending...fin


I like the game very much, looks way better and more fun then limbo.
BUT i think it is a bit tooo easy, the riddles are not as hard as limbo was.
Also there so less story, it is a bit lame in my opinion, they could really add more story to it, it feels kinda rushed...

P.S. the code for the bunker after you found all 13 things is:
Left Left Left Up Up Right Left Right Right Right Up Up Up Right

[Toblo1]

I don't necessarily buy the meta theory of the secret ending being all about the player controlling the boy. Instead I trid to think how it could link into the default ending. Maybe somone who worked on the project(s) decided to tear it all down for reasons unknown and managed to steal the helmet controling the Boy and the Boy himself. Then proceeded to control the boy with the goal of getting into the facility to the blob, merging with it and then just F!@$king stuff up with it.


On the subject of the Boy, I do think he's some sort of refined copy/prototype compared to the other "Drones", since he's technically under somone's (Or somthings) control the entire time, and his movements are fully human, compared to the normal drones whos movments are very jerky and zombie-like.