A bit confused by the ending I got (massive spoilers)

[Sir Venus]

I've only played the game once so I have no idea how much variation is in the endings. My ending involved Fortuna and Patrice handily sweeping the election while using no underhanded tactics. Then during the final card reading I saved the burning witches by sending them to a higher plane and made it so the losers of the election would splinter into their own covens. Then I paid the price to Abramar which was the coven. Instead of killing everyone or whatever he just took control himself. So really the only sacrifice Fortuna had to make was relinquishing control of the coven to Abramar (which she willingly did while they professed their love to one another). A pretty reasonable result compared to other possible interpretations of "sacrifice".

While far from a perfect ending it seemed like a relatively happy one, and according to Abramar everyone else is happy. But Fortuna is still in exile, is miserable, isn't keeping in touch with other people very well, and hates Abramar. I don't really understand why any of these things would be the case after everything that had happened.

I guess still being in exile I can kind of understand if the other witches still deem her too dangerous, although they didn't take away her ability to make and read her cards so what's the point?. But hating Abramar and losing contact with all her friends, new and old, doesn't make much sense to me.

I don't know if I missed something or I'm stupid, or maybe I'm just salty because I didn't get a happy ending, but it seemed like Fortuna's ending was much more of a downer than it should've been.

[FreddyTheMonkey]

I don't get why you hate Abramar in every scenario where you pay the price. When I got to my ending, I had a fantastic relationship with Abramar and to be honest I thought "You brought me "back to life", we love each other as magic partners, I knew the consequences, so I'll just pay you". She hated him anyway...

(Loved the game btw, but there were a few instances in which all available options were so different from what I was personally feeling and that felt jarring)

[Blankedy Blank]

Originally posted by FreddyTheMonkey:

I don't get why you hate Abramar in every scenario where you pay the price. When I got to my ending, I had a fantastic relationship with Abramar and to be honest I thought "You brought me "back to life", we love each other as magic partners, I knew the consequences, so I'll just pay you". She hated him anyway...

(Loved the game btw, but there were a few instances in which all available options were so different from what I was personally feeling and that felt jarring)

For me what was happening to the coven was not clear until after the credits. We chose to 'sacrifice' the coven, which somehow means that Abramar is in control of it, but we don't really get to find that out until post-credits. We don't get a look-in at how Abramar is running things, or what this means for some of our card readings. Was our Fortuna's vision for the coven sort-of realised, albeit with a Behemoth at the helm?

Why is Fortuna still exiled in this scenario? The leader of the coven has the power to un-exile witches (I learnt this in my playthrough somehow), so why does Abramar want us exiled still?

Other questions I have are regarding the supporting cast: how is the peppermancer doing, how are the refugee jade sculptors getting on, etc?

I would have liked to see more interpretations of 'sacrificing the coven', and certainly somehow have the questions above answered by the game.

[Xaladia]

did you write the fate for abramar so he takes over the coven, or is this always happening?

[Naberius]

I had a similar ending. Things were going well up to the end. Fantastic relationship with my space lobster. Yet he still keeps Fortuna locked in exile and she ressents him for some unfathomable reason.

(I was also hoping that eating Aedana would've had more repercussion?)

Either way, I've enjoyed the game tremendously.

[Blankedy Blank]

Originally posted by Xaladia:

did you write the fate for abramar so he takes over the coven, or is this always happening?

I chose the coven as my 'sacrifice' at the start of the game.

[Hex Machina]

Originally posted by Xelias:

I had a similar ending. Things were going well up to the end. Fantastic relationship with my space lobster. Yet he still keeps Fortuna locked in exile and she ressents him for some unfathomable reason.

(I was also hoping that eating Aedana would've had more repercussion?)

Either way, I've enjoyed the game tremendously.

Choosing to eat Aedana by yourself is actually the key to unlocking the hidden "Utopia" ending, giving Fortuna the power to rewrite the fabric of the universe instead of repaying her debt.

[Bimbhoe_69]

Same. I didn't even run for leader, I suppored Dahlia. Sacrificed the coven, made it so they will be revived by the Jade Sculptors, and said we will rule the coven together. It was very underwhelming to see Fortuna in exile when it didn't make sense or there wasn't any explanation as to why she was exiled even though the coven is STILL standing.

It really made me question the impact of the choices I made because it feels like the ending I got wasn't what I supoosed to have if you really think of my choices. It feels like almost everything is decided when you choose your sacrifice and stuff.

[Белый Кот]

Yup, the ending does not account for lots of opinions and options.
Like you cannot say, that you are ok with paying the price, even if you were all the game.

And my Utopia made so little sense. I asked for love, I got Greta. I decided to sacrifice my loved one - it happened to be Greta. So now Fortuna don't want to pay the price... but is totally ok to rewrite reality, so three of them will be mortals, and no Abramar or Greta will exist.

[rudi]

Originally posted by Blankedy Blank:

Originally posted by FreddyTheMonkey:

I don't get why you hate Abramar in every scenario where you pay the price. When I got to my ending, I had a fantastic relationship with Abramar and to be honest I thought "You brought me "back to life", we love each other as magic partners, I knew the consequences, so I'll just pay you". She hated him anyway...

(Loved the game btw, but there were a few instances in which all available options were so different from what I was personally feeling and that felt jarring)

For me what was happening to the coven was not clear until after the credits. We chose to 'sacrifice' the coven, which somehow means that Abramar is in control of it, but we don't really get to find that out until post-credits. We don't get a look-in at how Abramar is running things, or what this means for some of our card readings. Was our Fortuna's vision for the coven sort-of realised, albeit with a Behemoth at the helm?

Why is Fortuna still exiled in this scenario? The leader of the coven has the power to un-exile witches (I learnt this in my playthrough somehow), so why does Abramar want us exiled still?

Other questions I have are regarding the supporting cast: how is the peppermancer doing, how are the refugee jade sculptors getting on, etc?

I would have liked to see more interpretations of 'sacrificing the coven', and certainly somehow have the questions above answered by the game.

Hey so I just finished the game, and I feel you SO MUCH on the supporting characters point.
It does feel like the narrative kinda just... Forgets they exist at the end? I understand that obviously Fortuna has to pay the price and whatnot, but it would have been better if I would be able to see how the supporting characters Fortuna helped along the way are doing after she payed the price.

[CtenosaurOaxacana]

From what I've seen on the forum so far,
the only serious negative criticism of this game is that the ending(s) are stupid and ♥♥♥♥♥♥.

So, would you guys say the 'choices DON'T matter' ending(s) ruin the game?
I'm very interested in the art & themes, but is the gameplay and story worth it?

There's a lot of games out there which have ♥♥♥♥♥♥ endings but are otherwise very good.
So I'm curious if this is another game that can still be enjoyed,
if you don't really care how it ends.

[Blankedy Blank]

Originally posted by CtenosaurOaxacana:

From what I've seen on the forum so far, the only serious negative criticism of this game
is about the terrible ending(s).
So would you guys say the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ 'choices DON'T matter' ending(s) ruin the game?
I'm very interested in the art & themes, but is the gameplay and story worth it?

There's a lot of games which have ♥♥♥♥♥♥ endings that are otherwise very good,
so I'm curious if this is another that can be enjoyed, if you don't care how it ends.

I've only experienced one ending, which was not _terrible_, but left much to be desired, and I can categorically say that the game is definitely worth playing despite it. In fact, it's probably only because the rest of the game was so fantastic, and I was so invested in the story and the characters, that the subpar ending was such a jolt.

[04h57]

I was also a little disappointed with the ending. I chose sacrifice the coven, eating Aedana, and then I refused to pay Abramar after winning the elections. My utopia ending was that it was all a dream and we were all cats

[Sir Venus]

Originally posted by CtenosaurOaxacana:

From what I've seen on the forum so far,
the only serious negative criticism of this game is that the ending(s) are stupid and ♥♥♥♥♥♥.

So, would you guys say the 'choices DON'T matter' ending(s) ruin the game?
I'm very interested in the art & themes, but is the gameplay and story worth it?

There's a lot of games out there which have ♥♥♥♥♥♥ endings but are otherwise very good.
So I'm curious if this is another game that can still be enjoyed,
if you don't really care how it ends.

I'd still recommend playing it. The ending was a bit of a downer but it didn't ruin the game for me. My overall feelings towards it are still very positive.

[Ari]

same here. i did not understand why did leave fortuna in exile as he had the power to free her with his leadership status.

I guess if it was written in the starts then he simply is not able to even consider freeing fortuna. The sacrifice was her leadership and as a behemoth, he could not go against his pact which would involve freeing her...

[Aroa♡]

I decided to sacrifice my immortality... and that I am seeking for love - besides the fact that Grethe isnt paying any role at all to be called my "partner"... I had a decent ending. I could even asked Abramar to stop his existence rather than mine, but he refused and Fortuna became a normal human being again. As an old womant, she is talking with a cat and still try to change what happend by using Tarot-Cards. Abramar appears in her dream and tells her, that he wants to give her another chance to redo everything and I am at the beginning of the game again.
It feels like... the game was expecting me to do the choice with the self-sacrifice. All other endings I am reading about feel kinda wrong to me? Or not well thought out. Sadly.