Ending (spoilers...duh)

[crazypumpkins]

so...I reached the end and well....it is a bit of a downer. Are there multiple endings? Is there something that I didn't do? thanks, everyone! :) Regardless, this was such an awesome game and I hope Raw Fury works on more!

[J0ust]

"Bit of a downer" is pretty much how cosmic horror is meant to go. You didn't miss anything, there aren't multiple endings.

[Rufert]

Nah. I'm convinced a lot of content was cut, because the pacing after you leave the first island makes the ending feel even worse.

[Kurio]

Made me feel like I achieved nothing. The way they did Iben too. I didnt like it at all. Fun getting there though.

[Rufert]

Originally posted by Kurio:

Made me feel like I achieved nothing. The way they did Iben too. I didnt like it at all. Fun getting there though.

That's generally the sort of feeling that you get with mythos stuff like this.

However it needs to creep up on you while you struggle, not just dumped in your lap when you think you're halfway through the game. If they had established the characters more, and given us more time with them it would be much more effective I think.

As is it just feels like we accidentally skipped half the game.

[Mixxer5]

Originally posted by Kurio:

Made me feel like I achieved nothing. The way they did Iben too. I didnt like it at all. Fun getting there though.

As a matter of fact, we achieve quite a lot- prevent the dragon from coming over. Of course I still have no idea what the dragon actually is (cause main character sucks at asking right questions) or what was Embla's point about time loop (because- again- main character can't ask her about it). I also have a feeling that the game is missing a lot of content. Even first isle that has most of it is pretty empty (there's 5 locations?) and others are even worse in that regard.

I also understand what the author wanted to convey by showing our companions at the end but execution is... less than perfect at best. Come on, at least show me that it's unwinnable for my lvl 20 party. Prove how it's hopeless and pointless to even try to resist.

[gallaghan2000]

So, for context at skaldrpg.com there's some (vague) history available.

This king/god predates or is some kind of progenitor for humanity that fought all the cosmic horrors and put the reticular field up that keeps them at bay (the thing that powers wizards and magitech).

Somewhere in there lizardmen took over or claimed the earth (or were already present) and were wizards/casters of some kind that worshipped the Dragon and other outsiders. Enslaved humanity until Gillian became the first wizard and effectively established the empire.

Cue thousand? of years of draining said field through magitech and use.

Edit: this post doesn't mean I like the ending either. Just sharing more of the context given.

[Mixxer5]

Originally posted by gallaghan2000:

So, for context at skaldrpg.com there's some (vague) history available.

This king/god predates or is some kind of progenitor for humanity that fought all the cosmic horrors and put the reticular field up that keeps them at bay (the thing that powers wizards and magitech).

Somewhere in there lizardmen took over or claimed the earth (or were already present) and were wizards/casters of some kind that worshipped the Dragon and other outsiders. Enslaved humanity until Gillian became the first wizard and effectively established the empire.

Cue thousand? of years of draining said field through magitech and use.

Edit: this post doesn't mean I like the ending either. Just sharing more of the context given.

Thanks for sharing. If someone else is looking for the info, it's here (since the original link leads to main page):
https://www.skaldrpg.com/2019/11/worldbuilding-regarding-the-history-of-the-gallian-empire/

That said- post is from 2019 so some things might have changed. And- well- in my opinion most important pieces of the lore should be in the game itself.

[Gabe Newell]

I fair enjoyed the ending, no real closure however completely unexpected. It does fit the vibe of cosmic horror.

[gallaghan2000]

Huh, yeah, I haven't read that in well over a year. Sorry that I messed up even the rough outline, guys.

[Wrickki]

That ending was definitely a super bummer. I had a feeling things were going to end abruptly when I first failed the check to throw that concoction on the dragon that that grand mage dude summoned, and immediately got a game over.

It would be cool to have a sequel that involves Iago and maybe grand mage dude (can't remember his name).

[gallaghan2000]

Man, things ended so abruptly when I touched the mold under the well after the shipwreck...

[mtk]

As a fan of both Lovecraft and Babylon 5, I enjoyed the ending. There's ♥♥♥♥ going on out there for millennia that we have no clue about, pawns in the grand scheme of things.

Is there a chance for a sequel perhaps? Naked... on a spaceship!

[Ninth Hour]

Would a story really be "Lovecraftian" without a downer ending?

The best that can be hoped for, in a cosmic horror setting, is a Pyrrhic victory and it doesn't sound like the author chose to go that direction.

It would have been a subversion if the story ended on a hopeful note. But how far can you subvert something before it stops being that something? I'm sure reception would be mixed either way, No doubt, some would find it satisfying to deviate from the genre's tropes while some would question the point , in that case, of employing a Lovecraftian setting.

It also sound like, for some, it's not so much the ending that's the issue but the execution of the story leading up to it.

Maybe we should have a new genre of Lovecraftian fiction- "cosmic adventure" rather than "cosmic horror". Most of the trappings of the mythos but with the prospect of actually winning against the ultimate evil without losing life, limb, or sanity in the process.

[kingofmoorabia]

Absolutely best game 5/5, I loved every bit of it (on GOG) but heck, that ending sucked man. Yes what everyone said above is right about cosmic horror, but look at what they did to my boy Iben. Not to mention they straight up killed my team of custom bros.

[crazypumpkins]

Yeah, I have to agree. I know that cosmic horror isnt supposed to be happy and all, but still, I wanted a better fate for my team after kicking so much ass with them for such a long time. :P