Finally finished the game, ending options are hot garbage.

[Angrypillow]

Setting aside for a moment the incredibly lame pseudo-matrix "plot twist" of act 2, your ending options are:

1) Emotionally unstable heroine ends up going crazy just like her mother after creating a really hollow utopia where you don't even get to interact with anyone you brought back and

2) The guy presented as the villain the entire game was right, and basically nothing you did prior to the fight mattered at all.

I enjoyed most of the game for what it was despite all the conflicting themes, but that ending really soured the whole experience. I'm tired of games pushing ultimately nihilistic narratives like it somehow improves the experience by making everyone miserable.

I wish there had been a 3rd option where we didn't side with either of them and found our way to the "real world" to deal with the family so they wouldn't be able to keep playing god anymore.

[アイゼリン]

replaying the game will only worsen your disgust for the twist, because you'll see how amateur the writing actually is

the vast majority of the game is built to trick you into thinking the game is about expedition 33, with some dialogue here and there that has metaphorical callbacks to the real story, aka the twist you hate

it's not clever, it's not deep or metaphorical for "escapism" it's there to trick you until the twist

as you said, the entire game was actually quite nice, until they pulled that stunt

[Angrypillow]

Originally posted by 奈緒江:

replaying the game will only worsen your disgust for the twist, because you'll see how amateur the writing actually is

I actually considered a NG+ run until I got to those choices. I couldn't possibly play through all of that again and take any of it seriously knowing how it ends.

[アイゼリン]

hey if you still don't plan on it, just know that i watched the game back on Youtube for you.

you are correct for not being able to take any of it serious, and the game will flat out lie to you about things just to cover up the twist more

so good choice

[アイゼリン]

Not to mention how most of the story in the game isn't even real, like the growth between sciel, lune, etc but thats pretty obvious

[Rogue11]

The game design, combat, voice acting, everything is incredibly high quality. The morality questions and debating the ending choices are also interesting enough. I also enjoyed it for what it was and have been in a running argument with a friend over the endings.

That said.....I agree with everything stated above about the story direction after Act 2. It's SO RARE in modern games for a studio to pull off creating a new world and convincing players to fully buy into and immerse themselves in it. They did it so well and then threw it all away to make an existential point about grief. It just felt like the writers wanted to have "muh subversion" like every modern film/game has for the last decade. Such a waste of potential...

[ShockedHearts]

you are free to interpret it how you want. but I can ensure you its much deeper and emotionally complex than "good girl goes bad last second" and such.

you are either interpreting things extremely bluntly or failed to read into a LOT of context.

[M0NSTAR]

Originally posted by Angrypillow:

Originally posted by 奈緒江:

replaying the game will only worsen your disgust for the twist, because you'll see how amateur the writing actually is

I actually considered a NG+ run until I got to those choices. I couldn't possibly play through all of that again and take any of it seriously knowing how it ends.

More and more people are apparently realising how pointless the entire story/writing was, but yet it's still getting ultra-glazed.

[ShockedHearts]

Originally posted by M0NSTAR:

Originally posted by Angrypillow:

I actually considered a NG+ run until I got to those choices. I couldn't possibly play through all of that again and take any of it seriously knowing how it ends.

More and more people are apparently realising how pointless the entire story/writing was, but yet it's still getting ultra-glazed.

its funny how ive been on here numerous times in the past few days and all ive seen is you endlessly crapping on the game.

for such a bad story it seems to have REALLY left an impact on you lmao.

[M0NSTAR]

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

Originally posted by M0NSTAR:

More and more people are apparently realising how pointless the entire story/writing was, but yet it's still getting ultra-glazed.

its funny how ive been on here numerous times in the past few days and all ive seen is you endlessly crapping on the game.

for such a bad story it seems to have REALLY left an impact on you lmao.

I just watched two more reviews of the game mention how pointless the story actually is, so it's valid.

[ShockedHearts]

Originally posted by M0NSTAR:

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

its funny how ive been on here numerous times in the past few days and all ive seen is you endlessly crapping on the game.

for such a bad story it seems to have REALLY left an impact on you lmao.

I just watched two more reviews of the game mention how pointless the story actually is, so it's valid.

media illiteracy is pretty common nowadays. ive watched quite a few playthroughs on YT where people skip a ton of side content, dont pay attention much during dialogue or cutscenes and then act surprised at twists and the ending.

but keep hating. its entertaining see people say something overwhelmingly enjoyed is bad for no reason

[Doom Sayer]

The basic issue is it basically sacrifices 75% of the game for the twist.

[Angrypillow]

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

Originally posted by M0NSTAR:

I just watched two more reviews of the game mention how pointless the story actually is, so it's valid.

media illiteracy is pretty common nowadays

So are overly pretentious people who see oceans where there's really just a puddle.

[ShockedHearts]

Originally posted by Doom Sayer:

The basic issue is it basically sacrifices 75% of the game for the twist.

it doesnt really. its not remotely out of left field.

there are TONS of hints, references, and lore leading up to the twist. and it all ties into the initial hook of the game and its mysteries.

anyone saying that they "threw away" a plot for another one are just wrong.

[Angrypillow]

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

Originally posted by Doom Sayer:

The basic issue is it basically sacrifices 75% of the game for the twist.

it doesnt really. its not remotely out of left field.

there are TONS of hints, references, and lore leading up to the twist. and it all ties into the initial hook of the game and its mysteries.

anyone saying that they "threw away" a plot for another one are just wrong.

Ah yes, the age old "everyone who doesn't agree with me is an idiot". Seriously, get over yourself.

[ShockedHearts]

Originally posted by Angrypillow:

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

it doesnt really. its not remotely out of left field.

there are TONS of hints, references, and lore leading up to the twist. and it all ties into the initial hook of the game and its mysteries.

anyone saying that they "threw away" a plot for another one are just wrong.

Ah yes, the age old "everyone who doesn't agree with me is an idiot". Seriously, get over yourself.

well I didnt say any of those words but if thats how you choose to interpret it then I guess that speaks more on yourself than anything.