Finished the game last night. I have no words.

[Walrus Beard]

There are only a few games that have managed to affect me so profoundly, and they are Nier Replicant, Nier Automata, and Yakuza 0. Clair Obscur now joins them on my list.

I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say that the game lets you pick how you want it to end, but much like life, it's not black and white. Neither choice seems 100% right, but one does seem better than the other one in my opinion.

There are no 100% happy endings here. No matter what you choose, depression is the result.

This game is a masterpiece. The art is beautiful, the music is gorgeous and epic, it is fun to play, and the characters are well written and you get attached to them. The best thing of all is that the game takes itself seriously. None of this Marvel-esque dialogue where everything is turned into a joke. I dunno. I cannot say enough good things about this game.

[Spawn of Apathy]

I thought you had no words. :P

[𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲]

There is an objectively correct ending, the other one is based upon flawed and emotional reasoning.

[Ogami]

Originally posted by 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲:

There is an objectively correct ending, the other one is based upon flawed and emotional reasoning.

Apart from the developers directly stating that neither ending is "good" or "true" and both have equal amounts of good and bad things to them.
The only difference lies in the perception of the player who chooses.

So no, there is no "objectively correct ending" ,there is just a ending you personally prefer.
Which is fine. But people who choose the other ending are just as right as you are, no matter what you want to argue.

[Hormesis]

yeah i'll never forget my first playthough of nier automata, nor this game. there's only about 5 games on a list of hundreds that have that privilege

[.]

on my first playthrough I picked Maelle/Alicia's ending mainly because of sunk cost fallacy - we've gone this far for this goal so like might as well go through with it. With that said I think Verso's ending is much better, despite conditions of reality being much harsher for Alicia - missing an eye/heavy burns/inability to speak. Ultimately the choice is facing the grief vs living in delusion and I think the final scene/frame of Alicia's ending was kind of a hint that Alicia's aware she's living in delusion. That therefore negates the entire point of her decision - since she's aware of it being her delusion it no longer does what the delusion is supposed to. It is supposed to soothe the pain and grief yet it does nothing, which is why I believe the Alicia's ending is the bad one after all (or rather 100% wrong making the other one right).

[Vree]

Originally posted by 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲:

There is an objectively correct ending, the other one is based upon flawed and emotional reasoning.

It's almost like they were trying to create flawed realistic characters

[Shark]

The ending is a very complex version of the trolley problem, I love it.

[Sunsetter]

Originally posted by 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲:

There is an objectively correct ending, the other one is based upon flawed and emotional reasoning.

"YOU'RE WRONG; I'M RIGHT, LALALAALALA"
Smh...

[Rednak]

OP has great taste imho. Not a lot of games get you in such a mature, emotional way. Those you mentioned did. The only others for me are probably bioshock infinite and planescape: torment.

[𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲]

Originally posted by Ogami:

So no, there is no "objectively correct ending" ,there is just a ending you personally prefer.

Originally posted by Vree:

It's almost like they were trying to create flawed realistic characters

Originally posted by Sunsetter:

"YOU'RE WRONG; I'M RIGHT, LALALAALALA"
Smh...

Torturing Versos soul WILL stop.
Everyone seems to go for the "they're real people with real lives", not realizing that every one of those painted people is just a part of Versos soul. The entire canvas is "powered by" Versos soul, as without it, it would cease to exist. Almost everyone looks over the fact that the boy at the end who IS the fragment of Versos soul wants to stop and move on. The people aren't real, and his soul is tired.
That's the entire point of the game, it's accepting loss and moving on. Maelle ending is the first stage of grief... Denial. It continues the cycle of torture for Maelle, fake Verso and Versos soul.
So yes, there is an "objectively correct" ending.

[Vree]

Originally posted by 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲:

Originally posted by Ogami:

So no, there is no "objectively correct ending" ,there is just a ending you personally prefer.

Originally posted by Vree:

It's almost like they were trying to create flawed realistic characters

Originally posted by Sunsetter:

"YOU'RE WRONG; I'M RIGHT, LALALAALALA"
Smh...

Torturing Versos soul WILL stop.
Everyone seems to go for the "they're real people with real lives", not realizing that every one of those painted people is just a part of Versos soul. The entire canvas is "powered by" Versos soul, as without it, it would cease to exist. Almost everyone looks over the fact that the boy at the end who IS the fragment of Versos soul wants to stop and move on. The people aren't real, and his soul is tired.
That's the entire point of the game, it's accepting loss and moving on. Maelle ending is the first stage of grief... Denial. It continues the cycle of torture for Maelle, fake Verso and Versos soul.
So yes, there is an "objectively correct" ending.

Homie I don't think you know what objectively correct means

[Apocalypse]

Originally posted by 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲:

There is an objectively correct ending, the other one is based upon flawed and emotional reasoning.

Tell me which one it is and I will tell you why you are wrong and it doesn't even matter which one you pick for this to work out! ;-)

[admpoe3]

Originally posted by 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲:

There is an objectively correct ending, the other one is based upon flawed and emotional reasoning.

Clair, Obscure. Shadow, Light. You can't cast a shadow without some light ;)

[𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲]

Originally posted by Vree:

Homie I don't think you know what objectively correct means

"Objectively - in a way that is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions."
Versos soul wants out. It will save Alicia, Renoir and Aline from fighting over the painting. And the painted people don't matter since they aren't real. Versos ending is objectively correct. It's all perfectly reasonable.

Originally posted by Apocalypse:

Tell me which one it is and I will tell you why you are wrong and it doesn't even matter which one you pick for this to work out! ;-)

You know which one I'm talking about, stop being obtuse.

[brainless]

Originally posted by 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐲:

Originally posted by Vree:

Homie I don't think you know what objectively correct means

"Objectively - in a way that is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions."
Versos soul wants out. It will save Alicia, Renoir and Aline from fighting over the painting. And the painted people don't matter since they aren't real. Versos ending is objectively correct. It's all perfectly reasonable.

Originally posted by Apocalypse:

Tell me which one it is and I will tell you why you are wrong and it doesn't even matter which one you pick for this to work out! ;-)

You know which one I'm talking about, stop being obtuse.

your objective reasoning is principled on normative reasoning and socialization about what one should do. It is not objective because if normative reasoning and socialization about what one should do were different then the "objective" answer of yours would change.

Objective things don't care about your reasons (they don't change based on perspective). People call it a good ending when "good" is a concept influenced by personal feelings or opinions (even as you say it isnt).