Ending discussion [WARNING: HEAVY SPOILERS]

[Cookie]

Greetings! Could anyone please explain me the ending? Ty!

[WhatPayne]

ShaigunJoe: Yes of course you are right. But my point still stands. I'm just using a hyperbole when I talk about 'Lovecraftian abominations'. I don't really mean "unimaginable" Lovecraft horrors, but still something 'eldritch-like' mad stuff.

I may sound here more harsh than I really mean to. I dig this game, I really do. Even with this ending which kinda let me down, the Vanishing is still a damn solid good game. Despite it not ending how I had hoped for, I still sat through the credits musing over what I just saw (which is a good thing). Oh and I don't think Ethan made it. The time stopped, him laying on bed, camera flying away, only four minutes passed... To me it seems like he died.

EDIT:
Oh I just remembered that there was this one hyphotesis I briefly got at the mines was that the "boiling water" that was "not really boiling" was a sign of either volcanic activity or some other chemical reaction that would release some mind altering gasses into air which would be the cause of the madness the family experienced. Kind of like the Lake Nyos disaster in 1986, except instead of killing everyone it makes people go mad...

[ShaigunJoe]

WhatPayne:

No, you don't sound harsher. There is some ambiguity in the ending and I don't have any problem if someone interprets it different than myself :).

[Clord]

Messaggio originale di ShaigunJoe:

Clord, I disagree about your assumptions about the kid. Nothing in the narrative suggested knowledge of detective work aside form what a kid would think it was. The way Paul walked and talked sounded just like a character from his pulp magazines he would read. Also, yea, I do think the kid would know some things about storytelling, look at his book shelf. Mark Twain, Jules Verne, Ethan knows his stories.

Yeah but would kid essentially write a novel that would be worth selling? It's possible and some people indeed do wonderous things at young age, but come on, it wasn't until ending that most people really realize what is going on, especially since not all are so familiar with symbolism. Revelation ending with plot twist isn't really strong writing in my book and way too overused to leave room for a sequel even.

Still, the game is good and ending wasn't that bad. It's just that the ending especially in this type of works is supposed to stand up for the entire journey in it, giving a satisfying explanation for the viewer and for many others, the ending was jus tthat.

[thuathai]

Messaggio originale di Ceej:

Ok..something I want to bring up...I think Ethan survived. Remember the newspaper clipping that you get to read when you solve the trap story? It mentions the burning of the house, and it says that only the grandfather died. It says that everyone else escaped. But maybe I'm reading that wrong?

I replayed the game just to get to that clipping and check it. But it specifically mentions the death of Gayle (Ed's wife, the grandmother of Ethan). It's still open whether Ethan could survive the fire, but the story would be stronger if I assume that he doesn't.

[Martian]

During the end credits rolling I also remembered this specific newspaper article dropped in the beginning, but I was unsure if I remembered correctly that it was about the grandmother.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=319731585

Messaggio originale di AdrianChm:

...
-- There's at least one "realistic" explanation, but there's also at least one supernatural one. You'd have to connect a lot of dots for that one, though -- although someone was already on the right track in this thread. Are there more possible interpretations?
...

This is still where I'm clueless - I'm sticking with the 'realistic' explanation:
Ethan made this story all up in his mind, we are playing his hero detective in quest to save him, but I think Ethan already knows he(Paul) wouldn't be able to save him. And I think in the end he's dead - as someone said there's a really small change they could save him in that specific situation we see in the end - the cellar with only one way to escape through. For his age he's really intelligent despite living in a small town/village, he drives his inspiration and knowledge from lot's of stuff (books, comics, magazines) he read. His stories are place of escape from the real world were he face problems with his family (they are in constant argue - it could be money problems - that's why the patents, etc...) which isn't supporting him. They are trying but most of the time they ignore his made up stories and couldn't bare with his fantasies.

So what's up with the 'supernatural' one?? That's where I'm blind for now.

[Silas]

Messaggio originale di _manuel_:

One thing that bugs me is the meaning of the traps. The other scenes/puzzles fit into the story because are either linked to Ethan stories (like the astronaut or the kraken) or to things that happened to the family (like the room with the gadgets) or are based on the hate Ethan has for his family (i.e., the deaths).
But, out of nowhere, there are traps in some parts of the forest, and when you trigger them an story related to one of Ethan relatives and some backstory regarding the house appear. I can't see any logical link here.
Moreover, why would a detective exploring an area trigger any trap it finds? how does the detective know how many of them there are?

The "Ethan's story" you find after finding all the traps is a story about a man that has to go through a forest full of traps. So it makes perfect sense, as every "Ethan's story" period has you reenacting that story.

[Lithurge]

Messaggio originale di Martan:

During the end credits rolling I also remembered this specific newspaper article dropped in the beginning, but I was unsure if I remembered correctly that it was about the grandmother.

I Wonder if this ties in with the article about the illegal still, i.e. the fire referred to was from this activity rather than a lit cigarette.

I also wonder if her death was the cause of the decline of the family, the portrait that's painted is a poor family that doesn't have a strong center.

I'm also guessing the game is set in the 80's, as most of the articles are dated to the early 70's and it looks like she died before Ethan was born as it refers to a family of 6, which would be 7 if Ethan was around at that point.

[NukeJockey]

Argh...So many random theories jumping around in my head...

Did anyone else notice how many of the stories seemed to be about a different family member? The Old man and The Sap felt like a story about his grandpa, the Witch story felt like it was about his mother etc.

There is also a mention of a Moonshine still being uncovered after a house fire, but the authorities have no idea who owns it. Is is possible the still was owned By Ed and the moonshine was his Sap? Hence the story name: The old man and the Sap

Further to this, there are heaps of empty bottles scattered on the ground at the base of the tree where that story is found. We also hear Ethans Grandpa telling him that he shouldnt be here. Assuming the location he shouldn't be is that tree, perhaps thats where Ed used to go to get sloshed? :P

As far as The story of the witch goes, my only theory on this one is that Ethan felt like his mum was the beautiful woman and that he was the surprise child, after the child was born the mother was never the same and she was no longer beautiful. The kid then grew up and realised what had happened to his mother, so he went to find the witch only to find out that the story the witch told the woman was a lie. The boy then vanishes.

Maybe it was just how Ethan felt around his family, never fitting in, never feeling like he belonged.

Messaggio originale di Lithurge:

I'm also guessing the game is set in the 80's, as most of the articles are dated to the early 70's and it looks like she died before Ethan was born as it refers to a family of 6, which would be 7 if Ethan was around at that point.

I was wondering about that.

If this were indeed true, then that means the Carters would have to rebuild the entire Vandegriff house, so that it could be burned down again?

The newspaper clipping specifically mentions that house burning down, it even mentions it as being next to the lake, so I don't think there is any ambiguity there.

I'm also aware of the fact that there are 7 family members and the clipping only mentions 6. My other theory is that maybe the family lied about the fire and that Ethan died in it as well, albeit in a hidden room, which is why the authorities never needed to find out.

[Lithurge]

I did wonder that myself, but if the end cinematic is true there's no sign of the grandmother, also the article only mentions the building was damaged. I would have thought if it had been totally destroyed it would say that.

Plus we have a lot of hints throughout the story that Ethan is sneaking into an abandoned building, although that may be unreliable as we're learning this as a figment of his imagination. But again I think the end cinematic does reinforce the fact he's in an abandoned building, not his basement at home?

As a poor family would they pay to fix a damaged home or move elsewhere?

[NukeJockey]

Messaggio originale di Lithurge:

I did wonder that myself, but if the end cinematic is true there's no sign of the grandmother, also the article only mentions the building was damaged. I would have thought if it had been totally destroyed it would say that.

Plus we have a lot of hints throughout the story that Ethan is sneaking into an abandoned building, although that may be unreliable as we're learning this as a figment of his imagination. But again I think the end cinematic does reinforce the fact he's in an abandoned building, not his basement at home.

As a poor family would they pay to fix a damaged home or move elsewhere?

You're totally correct there. I read it as destroyed, but it does only allude to it being damaged. Makes far more sense than I was originally thinking.

Chances are, the home was sold to the Carters by the Vandegriffs, the house was then burnt, but not destroyed, the family then moved into another home (probably the portal house).

So many bloody things to think about.

[YorkiPudd]

Messaggio originale di Thorak:

Messaggio originale di Typer:

I only noticed the one clock at the little train station but I remembered it when I saw the clock next to him at the end. Also explains why there would be a beautiful sunset for over 3 hours.

Actually, one of the clockfaces at the trainstation is the only one NOT showing 07:00. It shows 07:04, which nagged me the whole playthrough. Until the last memory. BAM, in my face. This level of detail throughout the game is what makes it so awesome!

Exactly - so the whole game only takes 4 minutes - Ethan takes 4 minutes to die. It's this more than anything that still hangs with me. Exceptional writing.

[telamiina]

Yes. Superb ending. Feeling reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are movie.
I was little lost as I thought how is this not so scary and etc. Well the ending explains it. It's exating as it should be , not scary.

Oh. Really a brave game. I would say it's ART.

[Lithurge]

Just re-watched the ending again. House is definitely abandoned and in disrepair although the rooms we see don't show any sign of damage from a previous fire,

It does back up your point about the stories being about family members though, through the conversation between Ethan and Paul.

[NukeJockey]

Something else I just thought about. During the intro, when Paul Prospero is introducing himself and speaking about Ethan, the camera is slowly going down the tunnel, when it gets towards the end of the tunnel, it is dark outside. Then the portal sort of thing opens up and we are placed in the world of Red Creek Valley at 7pm.

This seems to me like another way for the devs to signify that what we are doing is taking place in a story and this is the very beginning of that story, ofcourse on your first time through, you might not think twice about that.

Did the devs give us clues to the ending at the very beginning of the game?

[Typer.]

Messaggio originale di NukeJockey:

Something else I just thought about. During the intro, when Paul Prospero is introducing himself and speaking about Ethan, the camera is slowly going down the tunnel, when it gets towards the end of the tunnel, it is dark outside. Then the portal sort of thing opens up and we are placed in the world of Red Creek Valley at 7pm.

This seems to me like another way for the devs to signify that what we are doing is taking place in a story and this is the very beginning of that story, ofcourse on your first time through, you might not think twice about that.

Did the devs give us clues to the ending at the very beginning of the game?

Of course. Just think about "This was gonna be my last case", while the players does not initially know the outcome, Paul Prospero already knows he is too late, he knows there is really nothing he can do and he will die with the child. That's his whole purpose: to let Ethan die in peace.