Sacrificing Bart is so fricking sad

[SlaneSD]

During my first run, I knew I was gonna replay the game. I beat it last night, and I decided that on my second run I was gonna save both my arms, since I feel like Bart was not that great of a party member (takes a while to enter your party, low base level, levels up slowly, low stats/stat growth, can't use two-handed weapons). I planned to fill my party with other NPCs, so saving Bart would be unnecessary, and I would be stronger if I had both my arms.

I can't. I can't bring myself to kill the child. It's too sad of a scene. He's so innocent. He loves me so much. Why would I sacrifice something so helpless?
Despite how much grief this is causing me, I think this dilemma shows how amazing the writing of this game is. I know losing an arm would be worse than losing Bart, but I just can't do it.
I think I'm gonna chop my arm off again.

How did you guys do it? I doubt I'm the only one who wasn't able to kill Bart.
...How did y'all live with yourself (if you killed Bart)

Side note: Sam also regrew his arm later in the run, I think it was around day 8, the last time I remember not having an arm was after clearing the mushroom section.


SPOILERS

(Side side note: Damn you, Phillipe! After you got infected by the mushrooms I never got my hunting shotgun back!)

[Pixelpants]

Just pretend you tossed Cinnamon in there instead, and left Bertram to the slightly less horrible fate of Watching Too Much Television.

Really, it makes sense (narrative and mechanically) for all the potential party members to be diverse in utility. You would not expect a literal child to be as durable as a hardened veteran of the Janitorial Wars. Dan may have... well not mastered, but obtained Basic Proficiency in every damage type through the power of GAMING, but his damage output simply can't compare to those who looked outside.

No one can resist the charms of a

cute widdle bug man.

How long ago did you lose your shotty? The latest major patch mentions auto-clearing the equipment of those who leave the party permanently, such as reuniting Sophie with her mother.

[CrowQueenAMPS]

I definitely think the arm coming back is a mushroom area bug, so I went by honor rules. I also can't sacrifice Ratthieu (rat child). I did it for the achievement then reloaded my save on my second playthrough.

[[E.G.P]Noodles]

After my first run and not knowing you could save Ratboy, ever run after I save him. Sam is fine with just one-handed guns and being a support for my team, and there have been a few runs where I only have Ratboy as a good 4th party member (Joel loses his place since he can't equip other weapons).

The arm coming back glitch can happen any time. I was able to use optimise after acquiring Papineau on the 1st day to force Sam to equip Joyeuse and restore use of both arms. Sometimes Sam's sprite will update back to two arms, sometimes it doesn't.

[The Punchmaster]

I just like to pretend that one day there will be an item you can craft, or they'll let you swadle an explosive in a blanket, and pretend it's a baby you can feed to the monster so you can keep both. Maybe behind an optional hard boss or something?

[Mr. Miazma]

Welfare baby goes in the wall every single run. If the mirror asked me if I am an evil rat murderer, i would say yes, I AM

I'd rather throw Philippe's goofy ahh into the wall, but you can't have everything

[Malagon]

Spoilers in title...

[Blackwind]

i hate giving up arms and rat babies. i wish we could trick the wall with a Burrito or just kill the wall o.o

[WorldWalker128]

Simple: I don't like the crying sound that infants make, and I don't like most rodents. I especially don't like mutated rats. It was a no-contest during the first play-through. During my second one (the current one) the only reason I didn't do it was because I found out it could be a companion and I wanted to see how useful it would be. I also found myself using guns almost as often as melee weapons anyway for Sam so it didn't really make much difference running around with one arm or two.
I got more companions a heck of a lot earlier in my second play-through than my first. Had I not had two other people running around with me from Day 2 and also lacking the Rat King's crown it would have been hazardous at best and foolish at worst to do that, but RNG and a bit of foreknowledge from the first play-through was on my side.

[Fuhrer]

It's just a game, my guy.

[belangf]

it wouldn`t be a real sacrifice if it wasn`t sad...

[Alext_10]

i would NEVER kill Quible, but if i had to, take off your headphones and close your eyes while it happens. Devastating.

[thorondragon]

Goes to show how good the game is. Despite being quite a hideous sight, its clear the rat baby is, in reality, just an innocent child with a warped body. no different from any of your other party members, like the tooth boy. just a victim of circumstance, but perhaps one that has a chance for some semblance of normalcy, if you jus make it.

[Vermilion Knight]

Originally posted by SlaneSD:

How did you guys do it? I doubt I'm the only one who wasn't able to kill Bart.
...How did y'all live with yourself (if you killed Bart)

Think of all the starving walls in Africa right now and you're worried about a single rat child?

[Light Up The Night]

I don't. It's not worth it, and your main character has a lot of skills based on melee or ranged specifically through video games, so no matter what you pick you can build him back up into even more of a powerhouse. Mechanically the rat child is a good party member too. On every practical and moral level there is absolutely no reason to not give your arm for him. The only thing you get is being more versatile, but specialization in this game matters more.

[MundM]

Loosing an arm isn't fun, either. Really a crazy good decision we are forced in at that point. That's what "AAA" wouldn't dare to do to the player.