Endings Explained(Spoiler Alert!!!)

[SargentKako]

Okay, I have tried the 3 different paths in the end of the game, but would like some feedback either from other players or the creators of the game :

1-Kill the Committee messenger - Choose the Door
This was my first choice. During the narration at the end, I felt this was the "bad" ending, but after seeing all three it seemed like the "neutral" ending. The narrator disapproves of my choice, I remain in the Ordinate and it seems like the status quo remains. Poverty, starvation, war, and humanity driving aimlessly through space.

2-Kill the Committee messenger - Choose the Statue
This was my last choice and it seems like the "evil" ending. Basically the space station is destroyed and with it, all of humanity. While the character seems to move into the Somnia world and be trapped there forever.

3-Do not kill the Committee messenger
This, atleast according to the narrator, seemed like the "good" ending. He congratulates my decision, instead of being condescending. The Committee takes full control over the station, I join it, and they are able to keep things together and leading humanity towards salvation.

Now, this is what I took from the endings, I created this post so that other people could tell me their interpretation of them and what not. So feel free to comment on whether you agree with how I described each ending's "morality", or not. Maybe there are other endings that I don't know?

[Zerotix]

Could you explain how you got to each of these endings? Like where specifically the story arcs? Cause I'm approaching the ending again and I feel like I'm getting the same one again, but I could be wrong. I've never finished Gwen's ending, do you know about that one?

[SargentKako]

Gwen's ending I believe is when you chose the statue after talking with Thel, when she gives you two options - two paths : The Door or the Statue. If you chose the statue, it leads to Gwen's ending, which is the destruction of the station ,and with it all of humanity, and you being trapped inside Somnia forever.

As far as I know, these are the only 3 endings in the game, and any previous choices you've done don't really matter. I personally saw the three endings in the exact same playthrough. Just loaded the game before the encounter with the messenger and then proceeded to make a different choice each time I loaded, and got all three.

[kaay]

The game's story flirts with different philosophies and ideologies, taking a lot of liberty with the interpretations, but the ending(s) are actually quite down to earth.
To me, the somnia is the state of limbo, when after death the soul has not departed yet, and many philosophies have this notion in one form or another.
The greeks had the styx and the hades and the game hints strongly at that with the "ferryman". Those who could not pay the ferryman were stuck in the world of shadows.
The oriental philosophies based on buddhism, had something very similar, the souls of the departed needed to leave, to rest in peace or reincarnate, and being trapped in this world would drive them mad and turn them into all sort of evil spirits.
The ideal of buddhism is to die and not reincarnate anymore, so chosing the statue (which ressembles buddha), leads to the "buddhist" ending, death with no reincarnation.

Chosing the station door, preserves the status quo, with two powerful factions fighting to the death, with the inevitable outcome of continuing death and destruction, but the world continues at least, and there is hope.

Chosing not to fight the committee, hands the total victory to one faction (the committee) and they will rule with an iron fist, but this way means less destruction overall, and a higher chance of finding a way to salvation.

Cant help comparing to the reality of the world today.
1. Keep the capitalist status quo and face the inherent deaths and destruction that this will lead to (the door choice)
2. Keep going with the uncontrolled technological advancement and reach the singularity described by John von Neuman, thus destroying all humanity (the statue choice).
3. Turn to communism and have a control over humanity's actions, which leads to highest chances of survival (the committee choice).

Just like in the game, choices 1 and 2 are actually linked, because the uncontrolled technological progress is a direct product of capitalism.

[SargentKako]

kaay+ I really liked your interpretation of the statue ending and its comparisson with the religious believe of "life after death". And taking that into consideration, I can no longer see it as just the "evil ending". If we, in our world, could actually be sure that there is life after death, and that this is just one form of existance, then destroying the present form of humanity(which is in a post-apocaliptic space station driving through the endless void) in order for humanity to "survive" in its new form after death, would make sense. Basically, sending everyone to paradise at once - if we're going with a more Abrahamic believe system.

I wouldn't compare it with Singularity though, I would see that as the opposite of what we're talking about(Religion Vs Science). Yet, I think I can see where you're coming from, since both would lead to a "new form of existance" either way, one in this reality, and the other in another.

Now, as for the Comittee, I never really understood what exactly they stand for, what their goals are. I know they want to take absolute control over the station, but lead it in what direction exactly?

You say they are like Communists in our world, but with that you mean they have a Communist way or organizing things? Or that they're just Globalists\One World Order in general?

Because a One World Order doesn't necessarily have to be Communistic in ideology, it could even be religious as in under Christianity or Islam. Or it might even be like a one world empire, let's say if the Romans or the British had conquered the entire world for example.

[Zerotix]

The first ending I got I ended up in the military base next to a huge anomaly and had to kill some big dude (this was last year). The only difference between that playthrough and this one is that I joined the Sons of Morakh instead of Bea Kera, and I decided to try and finish all quests before finishing the game.

So now I just got through Boiling Point and finished the water treatment plant, I believe the story wraps up at this point.

My only argument against Somnia being limbo is Darat. And it's not much of an argument if "limbo" means "alternate reality."

If you kill Darat, his body is still in Somnia, and he mentions being stronger, so this means his body manifested fully in Somnia, not just his ghost or echo. I believe the echos are raw energy with the thumbprint of someones memories, so the echos there are people that have either died with the somnik infection or pure manifested thoughts from alive beings who can interact with Somnia whether conscious or unconsciously.

But where is this choice at in the game to fight or not fight the Committee?

[SargentKako]

Originally posted by Zerotix:

The first ending I got I ended up in the military base next to a huge anomaly and had to kill some big dude (this was last year).

Originally posted by Zerotix:

But where is this choice at in the game to fight or not fight the Committee?

That's the "big dude" you're talking about I believe. He's the Committee guy that goes after Thyper and talks with you at many points in the game. He gives you the option to join him or fight him. If you chose to join him the game ends there and that's the "Committee" ending.

Originally posted by Zerotix:

If you kill Darat, his body is still in Somnia

Whether you kill him or not, he can still be found in Somnia at the very end when you enter the anomaly that leads you to Thel. It's also why I say none of the choices you make in-game, up until the very end, make any difference.

[Zerotix]

I figured the ride was on a rail for the most part until the end, but I figured something had to be different whether or not you save Skyther cause you can complete that mission without getting the documents from the archive.

And is the Committee guy you mean Deblin? The one with the glowing eyes? Is he the guy I fought at the end?

[SargentKako]

Originally posted by Zerotix:

I figured the ride was on a rail for the most part until the end, but I figured something had to be different whether or not you save Skyther cause you can complete that mission without getting the documents from the archive.

And is the Committee guy you mean Deblin? The one with the glowing eyes? Is he the guy I fought at the end?

When it comes to Skryther and the resistance, the only difference, I think, is if you chose the Door after talking with Thel, when you get out of the anomally and keep going down the road, you are welcomed either by Skryther and the Resistance, or by the Ordinate and their leader, if you killed Skryther.

Yes Deblin, didn't remember his name. He's the "final boss".

[Zerotix]

Okay right on. I didn't know there were different paths just at the end there. I saw a few different ones here or there throughout the game if you make certain choices it simply ends the game. I guess they're all in the medium spectrum of good vs evil. I think the only one that is simply a bad ending is getting caught in the archive, which I don't know if I count that lol

But there is an achievement in the game that says something about getting killed directly after speaking with Gen. Tanaber. Have you seen this one?

[SargentKako]

Originally posted by Zerotix:

Okay right on. I didn't know there were different paths just at the end there. I saw a few different ones here or there throughout the game if you make certain choices it simply ends the game. I guess they're all in the medium spectrum of good vs evil. I think the only one that is simply a bad ending is getting caught in the archive, which I don't know if I count that lol

But there is an achievement in the game that says something about getting killed directly after speaking with Gen. Tanaber. Have you seen this one?

Eheh I wasn't counting the archive death, which by the way, that cutscene was incredibly annoying since you can't even skip it.

I have no idea how to get killed by General Tanaber. I just finishing the game again, this time by killing Scryther and was actually surprised by what happens after that. Instead of Committee having completely taken over Volture's Nest, all the citizens seem to be hidding or have been evacauted, and the remaining Ordinate there are making a last stand near the Medical facility. You even have all your companions there helping at the same time. I found that a much more interesting choice that the one where I have to single-handedly kill or sneak by all the Committee troops. Either way, like I previously said, that choice doesn't change anything about the ending, only that you are recieved by the Ordinate instead of the Resistance at the end, when you get out of the Anomaly where Thel is, by chosing the door.

I initially described all endings under a good\evil compass, but right now I'm no sure, I think they're all morally grey. I mean, imagine if you live in a hopeless post-apocaliptic space station, where there's constant riots, starvation, terrorist attacks and even the rulling bodies(Ordinate and Committee) have just started a war agains't each other. And, you are absolutely certain that there is life after death, that death is not trully the end, but just another path, another dimension of existance. Taking that into account, is understable to think of the Gway ending as not something so evil after all, but just a step towards something better.

On the same thought process, giving all the power to the Committee, while it might seem like the "worst" choice since they've portrayed themselves as the villains this whole time, and basically want to instal an authoritarian regime over the entire station, at the ending cutscene you get the idea that that's exactly what the last remnants of humanity need if humanity is to survive.

[Zerotix]

Okay that makes sense. I just did the quest where I could either fight my way back to Tanaber and Redden or stealth through it, and because I completed Ditt's quest I had access to the MAS Garon. I ended up exiting the Garon to open the gate, and it spawned me outside the gate so I stealthed through the mission. The thing is, I don't remember having to do this in my first playthrough. And the area behind "the old door" to get to Redden/Tanaber is larger than it was my first playthrough (if I even went that way at all tbh).

[Zolivv]

I had the ending where you join Deblin. Then i tried again, and i said no. This time, he stood there doing nothing, but having a red bar on him, showing him as an enemy. So i attacked him, he didn't respond, so i finished him with a lot of my arsenal. Then i went to the sphere, then in the house to Thel. And that's when everything went to ♥♥♥♥ : first, Thel was sitting a good 30 cms below the throne. I couldn't talk to her. So i started exploring, and i could walk through the barriers, and i went to a dark place with a car, and sometime i could go through a wall and be in another place, sometimes i fell and saw parts of the station, then i fell undefinitely. I suppose it's a bug, and not a Somnia indiced ending ?

[KennyG]

When you look in the files \Insomnia The Ark\Insomnia_v2\Content\Movies you can see that there is more than 3 ending cut-scenes prepared so there's room for some variation. There has to be more to the endings than just the dialogue choices you make with the Committee rep. guy and Thel in the last hour of the game, as it makes your choices till that point in the game seem irrelevant in deciding the ending.