The whole game was an alternate timeline?

[Oblivion]

The whole game is set in an alternate timeline, when we save chloe from getting shot, we are already causing the destruction of the town. I think max's vision on the very beggining of the game, wasn't a manifestation of her power, but a vision of what it would happen if she used it, and then she uses to save chloe, so that's what the storm is.
the only way to stop this from happening is by sacrificing chloe, that way all of the alternate timelines or events we find in the game doesn't happen, thus saving the town.

I also think max's power isn't anything that needs explanation, its just something that often happens in movies like "Final Destination", and in this case, max was chosen to have this power.

another interesting thing is if we choose to sacrifice chloe, david comes in and arrests nathan, and then jefferson gets busted as well, so, what im trying to say is that, if max wasn't in that bathroom in the first episode, or didn't mess with time, the game would still end like the ending where we sacrifice chloe, that is, with jefferson and nathan getting arrested.. the only difference is that we woudn't know anything about chloe, rachel, frank...

concluding, it was a great game, im enjoying a lot playing it again, and im learning something new every time i play it.

Anyway, that's what I have to say, what do you guys think?

[spikedebeaver]

I had one huge problem. Why did Max even get the powers is the moral was to not use them? Then I thought of this theory.

On Monday Chloe died in the bathroom in front of Max. She became a spirit and met with Rachel in whatever spirit world/afterlife that exists in this game's world. Chloe learned the truth of everything from Rachel as well as watched it unfold in the real world. Chloe saw that Max was in the bathroom when she died and that Max was in a massive depressive state. Her best friend died in front of her and she will always wonder what she could've done to save her and always blame herself. Chloe doesn't want that for Max so she decides to intervene in the real world. She takes the form of a butterfly and either travels to the past herself or somehow rewinds time herself, back to Monday.

She gives Max a vision of what will happen when she changes things (the storm), and what happened in the previous time where she didn't. To reiterate, I believe the whole first part of episode 1 is a vision, including seeing Chloe get shot. This is because when Max rewinds time she doesn't move from where she is, but in this one instance she does. Of course, it could've been some type of rewind mechanic she never figured out or mastered, like freezing time in episode 2, and this theory still works fine. Either way you look at it, Max proceeds to the bathroom take 2. Here Max encounters the butterfly, which if you examine it she says it feels like a spirit. This time, Max uses the rewind powers granted by spirit Chloe to save Chloe and create and alternate time that shouldn't exist. In this time, spirit Chloe returned to being in alive Chloe, and thus the butterfly was not seen again, unless Chloe dies again in the SAB ending.

The story unfolds with Max getting more visions of the storm, and encountering the doe, spirit Rachel. I think spirit Chloe asked spirit Rachel to watch over them, or she just did so on her own. It's also possible that spirit Rachel was unable to move on until everything was uncovered. In the original time this would've been on Monday. In Max's alternate timeline it is Thursday. Chose which of those you like as well. Moving on, episode 5.

In the end Max realizes that her rewind powers have caused the storm. From the get go, spirit Chloe showed her that vision so she would know that the only way to stop it was to let Chloe die. Chloe realizes this as well and leaves Max with the final choice.

First, SC ending. In this ending, Max goes back to Monday and restores time to it's original form. The only problem is this. In the photo that Max traveled to Max had already rewound time to fix her camera. So it's same to assume that one the Max we controlled returned to the future, past Max would've rewound and saved Chloe again. It's possible that Max can't rewind past blackouts, meaning she couldn't have saved Chloe, but I'm sure she would've still used her powers enough on other things creating other adverse effects. Therefore, one can assume that Max simply can't rewind anymore. I know nothing says that, but if spirit Chloe, who was in the bathroom on Monday, gave Max the power, then she would be able to tell when it's future Max making the choice to let Chloe die. When she sees that, spirit Chloe takes away Max's powers. Max wakes up on Friday and remembers everything. She's at first upset until she sees the butterfly again. After seeing it she smiles. I think she understood that it was spirit Chloe all along and she had come back to say it's ok, and goodbye.

When I first finished the game it bothered me that Max would be given powers if the point was to never use them. Looking at it this way helped me. I feel like the point was to use them. She got to have a goodbye week with Chloe that she'll never forget, and she learned that Chloe had to die. Now Max isn't filled with regret, she doesn't blame herself, and she knows Chloe is with her in spirit.

For the SAB ending, I think Chloe simply lived and didn't return to being the butterfly/spirit self. I think it adds to the theory that you don't see the butterfly in that ending of ever again unless you kill Chloe.

[Eanne]

The storm is related to the power itself, not the use of it.

Max have the power until she reach the lighthouse on friday. So, what Max want or do, what had happen good or bad, the storm will coming until Max final choice "let chloe die", because she lived this week with Chloe and accept the death of Chloe.

The game start with Max (spirit of "Monday" Max) on friday and stop with Max on friday.