[ULTRA SPOILERS] I cannot decide on an ending

[J.Freeman, Saver of humens]

I'm having a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ existential crisis right now. I'm in area 51, and I have no idea what ending to choose. I don't want instructions on how to get them, I just want opinions on what you all think the best ending is.

[Bashar]

There are no "good" endings in Deus Ex. They're all bad in some way or other. That can feel like a kick in the teeth at first but over time I realized that it made all three of the endings more meaningful than the binary good/evil endings most games give you. Instead you have to choose the one you feel most comfortable. In subsequent playthroughs, I would suggest regarding JC Denton as an individual character rather than an avatar give him a personality based on the ending you're aiming for.

But to give you a rundown on what each of the endings mean:

Tong/Destroy Area 51: This is basically a hard reset. As long as the Aquinas protocol remains in place, it remains a temptation for somebody to seize control of the world. By destroying it, though, you're causing worldwide chaos. Choose this if you're willing to sacrifice mankind's comfort and security to guarantee their freedom from global tyranny.

Stanton/Assassinate Page: This is the status quo. You're setting the world back to the way it was before Page made his power play. The Illuminati control the world but for most people, life goes on as it used to. Choose this if you want to impose world order at the cost of entrenching a class system where the masses are controlled by a secret oligarchy.

Helios/Mind Meld: This is the power ending. Helios wants to integrate with you to establish a benevolent dictatorship with the eventual goal of integrating all of humanity into a democratic collective. This is the most mysterious ending since there's no parallel in human history and no guarantee that it will actually work. Since all power is concentrated in a single person, you could lead humanity to a golden future or condemn it to extinction. Choose this if you are absolutely convinced that you have the judgement and wisdom to shape the world's future.

[J.Freeman, Saver of humens]

Originally posted by Bashar:

There are no "good" endings in Deus Ex. They're all bad in some way or other. That can feel like a kick in the teeth at first but over time I realized that it made all three of the endings more meaningful than the binary good/evil endings most games give you. Instead you have to choose the one you feel most comfortable. In subsequent playthroughs, I would suggest regarding JC Denton as an individual character rather than an avatar give him a personality based on the ending you're aiming for.

But to give you a rundown on what each of the endings mean:

Tong/Destroy Area 51: This is basically a hard reset. As long as the Aquinas protocol remains in place, it remains a temptation for somebody to seize control of the world. By destroying it, though, you're causing worldwide chaos. Choose this if you're willing to sacrifice mankind's comfort and security to guarantee their freedom from global tyranny.

Stanton/Assassinate Page: This is the status quo. You're setting the world back to the way it was before Page made his power play. The Illuminati control the world but for most people, life goes on as it used to. Choose this if you want to impose world order at the cost of entrenching a class system where the masses are controlled by a secret oligarchy.

Helios/Mind Meld: This is the power ending. Helios wants to integrate with you to establish a benevolent dictatorship with the eventual goal of integrating all of humanity into a democratic collective. This is the most mysterious ending since there's no parallel in human history and no guarantee that it will actually work. Since all power is concentrated in a single person, you could lead humanity to a golden future or condemn it to extinction. Choose this if you are absolutely convinced that you have the judgement and wisdom to shape the world's future.

Alright, I went with Helios

[Francisè von Spitroast]

Good choice. Helios is usually the one I go for. Nice sum up Bashar

[talgaby]

Helios seems to be the most popular. I always felt the Illuminati was the correct one. Luckily, all of them have merits and disadvantages.

[J.Freeman, Saver of humens]

Originally posted by talgaby:

Helios seems to be the most popular. I always felt the Illuminati was the correct one. Luckily, all of them have merits and disadvantages.

Well, Illuminatti is supposed to be the "easy way out." You kill Bob Page, you destroy everything he worked for, you restore the world to the way it was, practically nothing changes.

[[mad.] 13AKES]

Straight up AI fusing, its the best ending IMO.

Also persoanlly its the way I wish the world was run, by an AI not by ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ useless politicians who most of the time further their small minded petty interests.

It would be much easier for the human race to expand into space with an AI running all our day to day stuff not wasting resources, and a more equal society.

[Bashar]

My response to anyone who wants to entrust the fate of humanity to a self-aware machine: http://store.steampowered.com/app/245390/

Humans have been around for thousands of years yet we still haven't figured out what makes us tick. To imagine that a new intelligence will be somehow totally lack psychological issues is stretching it; particularly since any man-made entity will inevitably be constructed on the only benchmark we have for sentience: ourselves.

The Helios ending is well encapsulated by Voltaire's quote at the end. It is the actualization of a God being. Consequently, it requires a high degree of faith in this God being to believe that it will fulfill the expectations of its supplicants.

[BanOphobia My Struggle]

Originally posted by Bashar:

My response to anyone who wants to entrust the fate of humanity to a self-aware machine: http://store.steampowered.com/app/245390/

Yes and who could forget Shodan too.

[pigasus6]

A decision, yes.

We are our choices.

(We can be more if we join... with you.)

[Multiplexer]

Originally posted by Bashar:

My response to anyone who wants to entrust the fate of humanity to a self-aware machine: http://store.steampowered.com/app/245390/

Humans have been around for thousands of years yet we still haven't figured out what makes us tick. To imagine that a new intelligence will be somehow totally lack psychological issues is stretching it; particularly since any man-made entity will inevitably be constructed on the only benchmark we have for sentience: ourselves.

The Helios ending is well encapsulated by Voltaire's quote at the end. It is the actualization of a God being. Consequently, it requires a high degree of faith in this God being to believe that it will fulfill the expectations of its supplicants.

I highly disagree AM was nothing more of a machine with Artificial Intelligence, while Helios is selfaware AI Construct, unlike AM, Helios was made by accident and wasn't programmed to do anything unlike AM, it gave itself purpose with knowledge Helios had at that time (AM already had a purpose of his programming to torture, hate and destroy), that's why Helios understood the limitations as a computer program and wants to merge with JC, One side is wisdom and the other humanities compassion and empathy Helios choice is not a dictatorship its technocracy, in Invisible War Helios said that life will go as usual and he's plans is not to assimilate but to provide transhumanism and better more fair government, if Helios really wanted to control humanity he could have just merged with Bob Page but no he chose JC Denton the one with good morals and judgement

[BadMojo]

Secret 4th ending ;)

[Myr Superion]

I always pick Illuminati because I like the grim idea of JC Denton basically becoming the next Walton Simons. The game begins with two men plotting to rule the world, and ends with two men plotting to rule the world.

[Zelligaryan]

Tong ending is objectively the best

[McJiggy]

Helios every time.