[SPOILERS] Does returning the sun save the world?

[Sent]

I just wanted to get a dialogue going about this particular ending to the game. I’ll preface this with an obvious spoiler warning – if you read beyond this without having beaten the game, shame on you!

The game’s different endings are still fresh in my mind over a week after completing it. The first time I got to the top of the Tower, I must have spent a solid 15-20 mins deciding which option to choose. Eventually I chose to ‘Return the sun’ and immediately regretted it. I was still labouring under the assumption that returning the sun wasn’t really going to achieve anything in the long run. And then, a little while later, I started to wonder: does returning the sun actually save the world despite what we’re told in-game?

When Niko and the player first enter the Tower, the Entity attempts to stop you in your tracks. It blocks your presence, hiding the sun and tricking Niko into thinking that the world is saved. At this point, it's worth asking: why does the Entity go out of its way to try and stop you at this point? The reason is actually very clear. As is explained by the Author, the Entity seeks the destruction of itself and the world. It stops you here because it believes there's a chance you'll choose not to smash the sun. With Niko out of action, the Entity can continue to corrupt and dismantle the world without needing to take a risk on whether or not the Sun is smashed. With that in mind, why is the Entity so threatened by the idea of you choosing not to destroy the sun?

If it’s true that the Entity is hell-bent on the destruction of itself and the world, and cannot deviate from its programming, there’s only one logical explanation for why it would choose to intervene in this way: the destruction of the world can be stopped by returning the sun to the Tower.

I understand a lot of people will probably disagree with this. The idea that the world can be saved runs in stark contrast to what we are told by the game's various characters and NPCs. We hear from multiple characters that the world was falling apart before the old sun went away, and that bringing the sun back will not halt the destruction of their world – only provide solace to those who wish to see the sun again. It’s even hinted that the return of the sun will merely preserve the world for a short while, rather than save it entirely. But if the new sun merely delays the destruction of the world, why does the Entity go out of its way to stop you?

It's our natural tendency as gamers to automatically assume that the characters in the game are correct in what they’re saying. There’s a deep sense of pessimism running through most the dialogue in this game – but what if their pessimism is… just that? It’s possible they’ve simply become despondent and don’t expect the new sun to accomplish anything. Being forced to live in a dark, crumbling world would probably dampen your spirits too! Perhaps one of the ‘goals’ of this ending is to overcome the adversity you encounter and not be taken in by the Entity’s words.

On the other hand, there are characters who seem to believe the world can be saved for good – the trick is that we barely see any of them in-game! For instance, there’s the Author figure who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the world and visited the Great Prophet along with Rachis (Calamus and Alula’s father). In short, the Author is the most reliable source if we’re trying to discern if the world can be saved. And the robot that the Author helped to design, ProphetBot, clearly tells Niko “Your mission is to save our world.” Assuming we don’t split hairs about the exact meaning of the word ‘save’, there is at the very least a belief that the world can be fully rescued from the Entity. I think we need to find out more about who this ‘Great Prophet’ is before we can say for sure. There are a lot of conflicting messages, but the game is clearly hinting at the possibility that this world is not beyond salvation.

So, to conclude, there’s a lot of information available to us right now. But the actions of the Entity lead me to believe that returning the sun to the Tower either:
1. saves the world. Or...
2. is the first step towards the world eventually being saved through another means - some sense of hope returning to the populace, leading to an uprising against the Entity (just one example).

Tl;dr, I believe that the player and Niko succeed in saving the world in the ‘Return the sun’ ending. As for what happens to Niko... I’d rather not think of that.
I’m also curious to know what the lightbulb is meant to represent, as it makes an appearance in one of Niko's dreams. Any ideas?

There are still a LOT of questions about the story and world left unanswered, some of which I hope will be answered in a potential solstice update. That said, I’m a really big fan of this game's open-ended storytelling and how the narrative invites multiple different interpretations. This is just my interpretation. I’d love to hear your ideas on the meaning behind the various endings.

[I like the tuna here]

I'm sure there's more than a few interpretations to the endings/purpose of the story. I don't think we can really speculate on them until the update arrives (if that is what's required). It could be that we quite literally cannot save the world (at least at this moment in time). Regardless of the ending we choose the game ends and the world ceases to be, because we are not playing anymore. I think there's more to it than simply being meta though. There's too much backstory and areas we cannot acces.

At least it doesn't seem to be a "dream" scenario where the main character is working through some emotional trauma via the game we're playing. He does seem to get sad thinking of his mother, and our choices could represent his acceptance of something that happened. I really don't think this is the case considering the backstory given to the author/entity/etc. And I'd be glad if it wasn't.

[Sent]

Originally posted by TC:

I'm sure there's more than a few interpretations to the endings/purpose of the story. I don't think we can really speculate on them until the update arrives (if that is what's required). It could be that we quite literally cannot save the world (at least at this moment in time). Regardless of the ending we choose the game ends and the world ceases to be, because we are not playing anymore. I think there's more to it than simply being meta though. There's too much backstory and areas we cannot acces.

At least it doesn't seem to be a "dream" scenario where the main character is working through some emotional trauma via the game we're playing. He does seem to get sad thinking of his mother, and our choices could represent his acceptance of something that happened. I really don't think this is the case considering the backstory given to the author/entity/etc. And I'd be glad if it wasn't.

Interesting! I definitely agree that this world doesn't appear to be your standard dreamscape (though it wouldn't be the only game I've played featuring a cat-like protagonist who travels through dreams). The worldbuilding and the backstory you mention gives the impression that there's more at stake here than simply a need to 'wake up'. There's a line early on where Niko says that the whole thing feels 'like a bad dream' - but I see this as an intentional red-herring. Could be wrong, though!

That said, I still get the feeling there could be a psychological element to it. The dreams (within dreams?), Niko's historic fear of the dark and the lightbulb are curious additions that seem like they were included for more than just endearing us to the character. For that matter, is anyone else wondering where Niko's father is in all of this?