What is the most logical ending?

[haris_fsk]

Out of the 3 main endings, which one is the most logical? I think Leave ending is the most logical one.

[女無さん]

In Water - I'd also want to die if I had lost someone as smoking hot as Mary

[Starwight/ttv]

I think Water for Three reasons. First, one of the people who worked on the game (I think it was the musical composer, Akira, but I cannot remember for sure), said that in their mind that one was the "canonical" ending if there was ever going to be one (though technically there is no recognized canonical ending).

Reason two is because of how broken James is by the end of everything. He spends the entire game coming to terms with what he did, and why he did it. After finding out that Mary is gone, she's not coming back, and it wasn't from the disease--but his own actions...well. Regardless of what he did, he still -loved- her. And he cannot move on without her. It makes sense that he wouldn't be able to keep going after everything he's experienced--and wouldn't WANT to.

The third is because in Silent Hill 4, we learn that the tenant of the building your character lives in, had a son named James Sunderland. His son, according to the game, went to Silent Hill years before that game took place, and he never came back. This STRONGLY suggests that whatever ending James had, it was not one where he actually leaves the town alive.

So my vote is the Water ending as the most logical one and the one that makes the most sense.

[Mosh]

I personally believe "In Water" is the most logical ending, as it has James come to terms with his guilt and acknowledge that there is no moving on from his selfish and vile act. One does not simply take a life and continue on with life, so instead, he chooses to accept his own demise and do onto him as he did to her. I also think throughout the game he realizes a part of him was lost without her shown by his mental decline and questionable decisions.

But that is just my opinion, I think its odd for him to have a good ending after doing something so evil. Which most of the endings besides the joke ones I believe to be "bad ones" for James, highlighting that is he not a good person. Even with the Maria ending, I see it as him accepting that he never cared for Mary and instead admits that Mary didn't possess the qualities that satisfied him as Maria did, and throughout the journey learned nothing nor atoned for his guilt. Maria's cough at the end highlights the cycle will repeat again. I think with "In Water", it shows James truly learned from his mistakes and realized the truth that he was the monster all along and decided to punish himself accordingly

[RewCalm]

Originally posted by haris_fsk:

Out of the 3 main endings, which one is the most logical? I think Leave ending is the most logical one.

The leave ending is best ending because James gets to hear his wife's words and comes out of silent hill a better man.

He should still go to jail for murdering his wife though.

[Starwight/ttv]

Originally posted by Mosh:

I personally believe "In Water" is the most logical ending, as it has James come to terms with his guilt and acknowledge that there is no moving on from his selfish and vile act. One does not simply take a life and continue on with life, so instead, he chooses to accept his own demise and do onto him as he did to her. I also think throughout the game he realizes a part of him was lost without her shown by his mental decline and questionable decisions.

But that is just my opinion, I think its odd for him to have a good ending after doing something so evil. Which most of the endings besides the joke ones I believe to be "bad ones" for James, highlighting that is he not a good person. Even with the Maria ending, I see it as him accepting that he never cared for Mary and instead admits that Mary didn't possess the qualities that satisfied him as Maria did, and throughout the journey learned nothing nor atoned for his guilt. Maria's cough at the end highlights the cycle will repeat again. I think with "In Water", it shows James truly learned from his mistakes and realized the truth that he was the monster all along and decided to punish himself accordingly

I think this is spot on, tbh. That said, I wouldn't necessarily say that James was a bad person. He made a bad decision, and he is a murderer. But I think the game, with the themes that recur throughout, want you to question that. They want you to ask yourself if someone making a horrible decision in their life, spurred on by circumstances they cannot control, makes them a permanently bad person? If so, what is the point of reform? What is the line to be drawn? Everyone has their demons and everyone makes bad decisions; sometimes they make outright terrible ones. But does that make then bad people? Is it really so black and white? What circumstances make the difference?

The question then becomes, is is possible to -atone- for something so sinister. Is remorse for the crime enough? In the water ending, James realizes the answer to that question is a resounding no. He cannot go on without Mary; when he killer her, he killed a piece of himself and he has no desire to keep going.

I just love all the nuances in this game, the questions it makes you ask, how deep it goes into the human psyche. SH2 was a masterpiece of a game for a reason, and this remake does such a good job propelling the game forward in the current day.

[Shae]

See, I thought it was In Water but then Ito said that ending and Leave were not canonical endings so it's made me question what their vision of a logical ending is for James. I was thinking it may be one of the two new secret endings but also maybe they just want fans to have their own idea of the most logical ending? Who knows.

[THEPROBIGDADDY]

Originally posted by haris_fsk:

Out of the 3 main endings, which one is the most logical? I think Leave ending is the most logical one.

prolly this one
https://www.myabandonware.com/game/silent-hill-2-restless-dreams-bgd
https://enhanced.townofsilenthill.com/SH2/
its were you play the original silent hill 2 now

[Starwight/ttv]

Originally posted by Shaelent:

See, I thought it was In Water but then Ito said that ending and Leave were not canonical endings so it's made me question what their vision of a logical ending is for James. I was thinking it may be one of the two new secret endings but also maybe they just want fans to have their own idea of the most logical ending? Who knows.

Nobody has ever given a canonical ending. Anyone who says otherwise is woefully misinterpreting what little HAS been said on the matter. That said, with SH4, I think we can infer that none of the "good" endings happened.

[THEPROBIGDADDY]

Originally posted by Starwight/ttv:

Originally posted by Shaelent:

See, I thought it was In Water but then Ito said that ending and Leave were not canonical endings so it's made me question what their vision of a logical ending is for James. I was thinking it may be one of the two new secret endings but also maybe they just want fans to have their own idea of the most logical ending? Who knows.

Nobody has ever given a canonical ending. Anyone who says otherwise is woefully misinterpreting what little HAS been said on the matter. That said, with SH4, I think we can infer that none of the "good" endings happened.

what is he just didnt wanna see his dad or interact with his old life and start new after his time in silent hill

[Starwight/ttv]

Originally posted by THEPROBIGDADDY:

Originally posted by Starwight/ttv:

Nobody has ever given a canonical ending. Anyone who says otherwise is woefully misinterpreting what little HAS been said on the matter. That said, with SH4, I think we can infer that none of the "good" endings happened.

what is he just didnt wanna see his dad or interact with his old life and start new after his time in silent hill

I mean, I suppose that *could* be the case, and it really is up to interpretation for sure. You could absolutely interpret it that way if you wanted. But given that he has nobody else left, it seems really weird that James would go on to never see his father again; at least to me.

[Paul]

There is no "logical" ending.

[THEPROBIGDADDY]

Originally posted by Starwight/ttv:

Originally posted by THEPROBIGDADDY:

what is he just didnt wanna see his dad or interact with his old life and start new after his time in silent hill

I mean, I suppose that *could* be the case, and it really is up to interpretation for sure. You could absolutely interpret it that way if you wanted. But given that he has nobody else left, it seems really weird that James would go on to never see his father again; at least to me.

i mean is there anything that says they were in constant communication b4 then and idk why but i always assumed james and mary had been sort of self isolating people i mean who just goes to silent hill at the drop of a hat and suggestion that she may be there also since everytime he gets a chance to leave or told to he out right refuses wanting to see this to the end even past the point that he recognizes the danger he is actively running head first into plus in the leave ending doesn't he take Laura with him yet another reason he could be living very diffrently

[angstlicht]

Is redemption 'logical'?

Leave is the best ending, I'd also argue it makes the most sense due to being the best.

Maria and ritual are the most perfidious. In water is self indulgent and sad.

[Shae]

Originally posted by Starwight/ttv:

Originally posted by Shaelent:

See, I thought it was In Water but then Ito said that ending and Leave were not canonical endings so it's made me question what their vision of a logical ending is for James. I was thinking it may be one of the two new secret endings but also maybe they just want fans to have their own idea of the most logical ending? Who knows.

Nobody has ever given a canonical ending. Anyone who says otherwise is woefully misinterpreting what little HAS been said on the matter. That said, with SH4, I think we can infer that none of the "good" endings happened.

Some of the fans were wondering about the canonical ending for SH2 and I ended up just running with In Water because it made the most sense to me since James having a new profound purpose in life wouldn't make sense for the immense guilt he has felt for killing Mary. Or at least that was just my opinion on the matter, Ito saying otherwise has made me question what James fate truly is.

[Starwight/ttv]

Originally posted by angstlicht:

Is redemption 'logical'?

Leave is the best ending, I'd also argue it makes the most sense due to being the best.

Maria and ritual are the most perfidious. In water is self indulgent and sad.

How is water self indulgent?