GAME ENDINGS.

[Outlaw Mugen]

* SPOILERS BELOW *


I have recently unlocked the best ending for DD2 and finally my main Pawn got it's 5 minutes of fame :)

That being said... I'm confused. Perhaps I missed some dialogue or didn't pay attention while riding the dragon ( being bombarded by Credit screen and Dragon Spikes doesn't help ) but I think that all endings kinda suck.

Correct me if I'm wrong but whatever ending we choose we still have to "Restart from the beginning in a "NG+"". I thought that after going out of my way to evacuate everyone and get my pawn affinity to max we would break the cycle and try to survive in the unmoored world? Perhaps get the same powers like the guy in the hoodie with blue eyes ( In DD1 you could actually take over the seat from him and subsequent arisen will fight your old characters which I found to be cool ).

In DD2 your main pawn ( in the cutscene ) thanks the arisen for giving her/him "will" and she/he sacrifices her/his life. Afterwards Arisen stabs the dragon's heart with Godsbane, we could hear the Blue Eyed guy's voice of regret saying he won't be able to see subsequent cycles / new stories.

After the credits we only have an option to either start NEW GAME or RESTART new story with all the loot and exp.

Excuse me what the hell just happened?! So no matter what we do the cycle will continue. Your main pawn dies and all that we achieved was the death of the blue eyed entity.

We don't get to see what happens to the unmoored world after we kill the dragon and save the people. We don't get to continue trying to rebuild and stabilise the leftover world... We don't get a happy ending with our main pawn o.- ( wink wink ). I'm disappointed to be honest. There is a Capcom survey that hints on upcoming DLC and I highly recommend to fill it in. Give them your thoughts and ideas.

Maybe some of you can understand it better than I do in which case I would appreciate some insight. Cheers.

[Wiegs]

After you kill the dragon that way the world doesn't continue, it's "reset" and goes to a new cycle but this time without the blue eyes guy, no dragons, no arisens, no weird god-like entity to mess with everything. You successfully freed the world from all that.

[Sola Di Ryuvia]

DD1 moment it sounds like. There is no true ending to the cycle. Kill the man on the throne? You take his place even if you godsbane. Just restarts the cycle and you fight the old you who godsbaned themsleves (didn't die but gave life to their pawn at least in a way).
DD2 I didn't finish unmoored yet but sounds same. Cycle just can't be broken probably is the theme.

[ffrotty]

Originally posted by Wiegs:

After you kill the dragon that way the world doesn't continue, it's "reset" and goes to a new cycle but this time without the blue eyes guy, no dragons, no arisens, no weird god-like entity to mess with everything. You successfully freed the world from all that.

that's not true.

the problem with the "ending" of this game is that if you do good/bad ending, NG+ = continue the cycle.

when you do the unmoored (which actually the entire unmoored IS the ending, regardless of what you do), you "break the cycle" but then you still have NG+, which implies "continuing the cycle".

NG+ is basically a time warp. no matter what you do, NG+ doesn't change at all. They could have made a NG+ that is different based on ending, but they didn't. ie, you kill the pathfinder and assuming you kill yourself in the process, but NG+ has dragons, pathfinder, same thing, except you're now in DD2 instead of DD1.

The only game that had the nards to truly "break the cycle" was neir automata which had you delete your save game, which would be the only thing that makes sense here in the unmoored ending.

obviously, if you're "still playing DD" you are "in a cycle."

so we have to wait for DLC and the only way "you're playing as you" the unmoored didn't happen, obviously. if you're playing DD it means the cycles are still happening.

the very least they could have done is make NG+ say something different when completing unmoored like "return to the cycle" or something.

without that, it's just a time warp back into a cycle

[ffrotty]

Originally posted by Sola Di Ryuvia:

DD1 moment it sounds like. There is no true ending to the cycle. Kill the man on the throne? You take his place even if you godsbane. Just restarts the cycle and you fight the old you who godsbaned themsleves (didn't die but gave life to their pawn at least in a way).
DD2 I didn't finish unmoored yet but sounds same. Cycle just can't be broken probably is the theme.

No, beating DD2 with unmoored changes the title screen to DD2 instead of just DD.

The pathfinder is gone at the end of DD2 true ending, claiming he won't be able to see future cycles. but then when you start ng+ from there, he's obviously still there and you're doing the same story.

the diff is DD1 never had a definitive "you broke the cycle" where this does, it's painting the plot into the corner

[Outlaw Mugen]

Originally posted by ffrotty:

Originally posted by Sola Di Ryuvia:

DD1 moment it sounds like. There is no true ending to the cycle. Kill the man on the throne? You take his place even if you godsbane. Just restarts the cycle and you fight the old you who godsbaned themsleves (didn't die but gave life to their pawn at least in a way).
DD2 I didn't finish unmoored yet but sounds same. Cycle just can't be broken probably is the theme.

No, beating DD2 with unmoored changes the title screen to DD2 instead of just DD.

The pathfinder is gone at the end of DD2 true ending, claiming he won't be able to see future cycles. but then when you start ng+ from there, he's obviously still there and you're doing the same story.

the diff is DD1 never had a definitive "you broke the cycle" where this does, it's painting the plot into the corner

That's right. The pathfinder is still there. There is no proper "after story" It's just endless cycle. It would be cool if the subsequent playthroughs had some differences depending on the ending... The least they could have done is to give us a proper "Cutscene Ending" explaining what happened after the Arisen killed the dragon and Main Pawn died. Call the New Game - Cycle Reset or something like that.

and BY THE WAY :

Has anyone noticed after ALL THE CREDITS there is a small cutscene with an old man who sails off to the sea? Now this raises a few questions.

1. The world I rescued from the "pathfinder" was unmoored and pretty much a wasteland. Why there is water out of the sudden?

2. Who is the old man and how is he important? Unless it's Capcoms way to hint a DLC expansion ( Dark Arisen in DD 1 was offshore as well on an Island ).

[Solus]

Originally posted by ffrotty:

The only game that had the nards to truly "break the cycle" was neir automata which had you delete your save game

Wrong... The original Neir/gesalt/replicant did it also lol.

[Chill]

Originally posted by Outlaw Mugen:

Has anyone noticed after ALL THE CREDITS there is a small cutscene with an old man who sails off to the sea? Now this raises a few questions.

1. The world I rescued from the "pathfinder" was unmoored and pretty much a wasteland. Why there is water out of the sudden?

2. Who is the old man and how is he important? Unless it's Capcoms way to hint a DLC expansion ( Dark Arisen in DD 1 was offshore as well on an Island ).

It's possible it's hinting towards DLC, but the takeaway is that the water is safe, we ended the cycle, the brine is gone, and the people are completely free.

[Mr Windblade]

Originally posted by Chill:

Originally posted by Outlaw Mugen:

Has anyone noticed after ALL THE CREDITS there is a small cutscene with an old man who sails off to the sea? Now this raises a few questions.

1. The world I rescued from the "pathfinder" was unmoored and pretty much a wasteland. Why there is water out of the sudden?

2. Who is the old man and how is he important? Unless it's Capcoms way to hint a DLC expansion ( Dark Arisen in DD 1 was offshore as well on an Island ).

It's possible it's hinting towards DLC, but the takeaway is that the water is safe, we ended the cycle, the brine is gone, and the people are completely free.

The Old Man is the Elder that lives on the shore in Halve Village, right next to the portcrystal there. He's the one that flat-out tells you that the world is in a cycle and the eyes of the watchers are always on you.

Of course, he looks and sounds crazy, and the townspeople all consider him to be the weirdo that the brine keeps giving back to the shore, and that he's the one that gets in a boat so he can go talk to the brine.

Now he's just on a boat, there is no brine to talk to - the water has been restored and the land has been freed from it. He then sings "I'm on a Boat" with T-Pain.

[b...]

Originally posted by Mr Windblade:

He's the one that flat-out tells you that the world is in a cycle and the eyes of the watchers are always on you.

I kind of assumed those watchers was about players and he's just an old arisen finally freed after player ended their game

[[-iD-]]

Originally posted by b...:

Originally posted by Mr Windblade:

He's the one that flat-out tells you that the world is in a cycle and the eyes of the watchers are always on you.

I kind of assumed those watchers was about players and he's just an old arisen finally freed after player ended their game

nah the arisen never get freed, they are stuck in the cycle. you are the one that breaks the cycle only to decide if the world should continue the cycle or not.

[Outlaw Mugen]

Originally posted by Mr Windblade:

Originally posted by Chill:

It's possible it's hinting towards DLC, but the takeaway is that the water is safe, we ended the cycle, the brine is gone, and the people are completely free.

The Old Man is the Elder that lives on the shore in Halve Village, right next to the portcrystal there. He's the one that flat-out tells you that the world is in a cycle and the eyes of the watchers are always on you.

Of course, he looks and sounds crazy, and the townspeople all consider him to be the weirdo that the brine keeps giving back to the shore, and that he's the one that gets in a boat so he can go talk to the brine.

Now he's just on a boat, there is no brine to talk to - the water has been restored and the land has been freed from it. He then sings "I'm on a Boat" with T-Pain.

That makes sense now. I found Youtube video saying the same thing :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckr10uNeapA

This means two things :

1. Cycle is broken but we don't get to see what happens afterwards. Possible DLC?

2. The NG + is NOT a continuation of the story with the Broken Cycle but rather a NEW story of a different arisen ( as we can create a new character ). That also explains why we don't get the same power as the "pathfinder/ blue eyed guy" like in first DD1.

Shame that they didn't explain or portrayed it better and left a lot to our imagination.

Thanks all for the insights I can now sleep well ;))

[ffrotty]

Originally posted by Solus:

Originally posted by ffrotty:

The only game that had the nards to truly "break the cycle" was neir automata which had you delete your save game

Wrong... The original Neir/gesalt/replicant did it also lol.

not the same - original had new content after the delete. a bunch of other games play around with saves getting deleted but use it as something to forward the story.

only automata had "by deleting yourself you're helping others."

[ffrotty]

Originally posted by Outlaw Mugen:

Originally posted by Mr Windblade:

The Old Man is the Elder that lives on the shore in Halve Village, right next to the portcrystal there. He's the one that flat-out tells you that the world is in a cycle and the eyes of the watchers are always on you.

Of course, he looks and sounds crazy, and the townspeople all consider him to be the weirdo that the brine keeps giving back to the shore, and that he's the one that gets in a boat so he can go talk to the brine.

Now he's just on a boat, there is no brine to talk to - the water has been restored and the land has been freed from it. He then sings "I'm on a Boat" with T-Pain.

That makes sense now. I found Youtube video saying the same thing :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckr10uNeapA

This means two things :

1. Cycle is broken but we don't get to see what happens afterwards. Possible DLC?

2. The NG + is NOT a continuation of the story with the Broken Cycle but rather a NEW story of a different arisen ( as we can create a new character ). That also explains why we don't get the same power as the "pathfinder/ blue eyed guy" like in first DD1.

Shame that they didn't explain or portrayed it better and left a lot to our imagination.

Thanks all for the insights I can now sleep well ;))

that video is flawed. it was obvious that elder was a former arisen, but to state "it was you" is pointless and just speculation.

it could be just an arisen that made it to unmoored and failed, which is why you spawn there when you fail. he could have done all the same things you did. apparently he walks to town and reminisces about a house you can buy how he used to live there... but "he is you" digs a bigger plot hole to cover a smaller one.... ie, why would you both be there?

the interesting question is missing from the video: WHY did he fail? It's impossible for you to fail... your pawn goes ham and you lill the dragon.

it's a sappy ending "oh boy sucky old arisen gets to wander into oblivion now that the brine is gone." who cares?

[Mr Rabbit]

i did all this game and got all the endings... but never once did i get that dragon sickness on my pawn... like.. what did i miss lol

[Devitancotia]

Yea. To concur, this is where things not making sense as much as in DD1 imo. In DD1, at the end we are the new seneschal, so in NG+ it can be said we are reincarnated as another or selfsame arisen. At that point we would understand the cycle goal is not to defeat dragon, but to replace seneschal. It is still a loop, but at least it has a sense of continuation.

Now in DD2, since the watcher Pathfinder is always occupying the similar role like the seneschal in DD1, so there is not a seneschal to replace. In fact, at the end it seems like we did break the cycle. But, a cycle of what? I think the truth is there is no cycle in DD2.

At the end, like you already mentioned, what we really did is defeated the watcher Pathfinder. And just like he wanted it, to find a will strong enough for the world. The supposed cycle in DD2 is but a test from him, a dragon-arisen loop to find the will. So when it ends, it ends. We did break the true world free from the watcher and his watch.

So if then we restart a new game, it would be just a new game. (but still carry over as NG+ ofc) And as there is no longer a reincarnation, the NG+ will not be a continuation in lore sense.


Also anyone find the DD2 title drop at unmoored world a bit weird? Because it then ends pretty fast. The plot there is short and time limited. I swear if this is Capcom's DLC plan to expand on the true world, that would be both greedy and wonderful.