SPOILERS: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T COMPLETED THE GAME.

[Pingularity]

I loved the final choice, no answer truly felt right or wrong to me.
Each of them really fit the narrative of bleak hopes, survival and futility.
To those who have completed the game: which ending did you choose initially? Which do you believe Idaho himself would choose?

And to the devs, in spoilers, regarding the ending and canon, which choice would the team claim Idaho canonically chose?

I chose emperor of misery, as I realized that what the majority of citizens, pirates and bossws had been doing was effectively the third option: Just living for themselves because there's no hope. That said, I really feel Idaho himself would choose to live with Rebecca. The empire owes him nothing anymore and potentially all that would happen is just becoming the man he hates the most and delaying humanity's death.

[Nathan]

I'm going to replay it to pick another ending, but I chose Earth this time.
Loved the ending, not a "good or bad" kind, just what would you value over the others if you have to choose.

[Funnerific]

I chose #2 - A Rock in the Dark. Don't know what would Idaho have chosen, but becoming an emperor seems more fitting to be canon as otherwise you'd be leaving so many people to utter misery and despair. It still seems to be an antiutopia though, so I don't think it's worth it. Finding Earth felt pretty satisfying.

[S E B Λ S T I Λ N]

I know that even in future playthroughs I won't be able to choose anything but Rebecca. I don't believe Idaho himself would.

[Pingularity]

I found it interesting that both #1 and #2 are what the OLD MAN Oberon did - abandon his home for a new one and rule it with a cruel, calculated iron fist.

Originally posted by Sebastian:

I know that even in future playthroughs I won't be able to choose anything but Rebecca. I don't believe Idaho himself would.

I think he would. His wife was so much of his weakness it caused it all, the fact he asks to visit her alone so he can confess shows a lot. Plus his hatred of Oberon was evident even if you choose to spare him. Rebecca is really only the ""good"" ending for him personally.

[S E B Λ S T I Λ N]

Originally posted by Loicense Inspector:

I think he would. His wife was so much of his weakness it caused it all, the fact he asks to visit her alone so he can confess shows a lot. Plus his hatred of Oberon was evident even if you choose to spare him. Rebecca is really only the ""good"" ending for him personally.

I personally believe that Rebecca never was his weakness - like wasn't in vain all the fuel, scrap and efforts he gave away saving other's lives during his odyssey. On the contrary, these acts were last glimpses of light and actual value left in the empire, and choosing Rebecca is simply to prove your loyalty to this light and value, incomprehensible for OMNIs, Oberon, so many others, enthropy or all the universes combined. This is exactly the concept which obviously had changed Idaho somewhere in his past, led to his disobeying and ultimately to the point of his final choice.

Btw I don't really get why he can't grab Rebecca and _then_ rule the empire (or what's left of it without folders).

[Pingularity]

I assume because rebecca would become too great a liability. Note he has to rule for 1000 years being an even worse monster than oberon. Why he wouldnt take rebecca with him to find earth is a mystery though.

[stalker131]

Really interesting - i like spoilers because:
1) In novadays most of gamedevs become obsessed with stupid drama endings and that's ruin all of game fun - "The end is the crown of deed" so say the old adage - and if the end is stupid it can make all game stupid. No need to put your own misery and dissapointment to your own constructs.
2) Even if you get spoiler IT DOESN'T replace your own feelings about the game and characters - it's like reading a book: if you like it you'll read billion times and it still make you feel good.

P.S. I have a request - is there an option Idaho can take his beloved and then just go his own way?

[S E B Λ S T I Λ N]

Originally posted by Loicense Inspector:

I assume because rebecca would become too great a liability. Note he has to rule for 1000 years being an even worse monster than oberon. Why he wouldnt take rebecca with him to find earth is a mystery though.

Well the ending is good in general but there are many far more important questions one could ask, especially if he/she is familiarized with actual modern day concepts of AI and technological singularity. I ended up choosing to not ask them, since the game's narrative primarily excels in terms of personal drama (story of the lonely girl with no face is absolutely brilliant) and only after that - as a sci-fi.

[Evil Badger]

Originally posted by Loicense Inspector:

I loved the final choice, no answer truly felt right or wrong to me.
Each of them really fit the narrative of bleak hopes, survival and futility.
To those who have completed the game: which ending did you choose initially? Which do you believe Idaho himself would choose?

And to the devs, in spoilers, regarding the ending and canon, which choice would the team claim Idaho canonically chose?

I chose emperor of misery, as I realized that what the majority of citizens, pirates and bossws had been doing was effectively the third option: Just living for themselves because there's no hope. That said, I really feel Idaho himself would choose to live with Rebecca. The empire owes him nothing anymore and potentially all that would happen is just becoming the man he hates the most and delaying humanity's death.

My only problem with the endings is why can't I unfroze Rebecca and look for earth or become Emperor.

[vindicator]

As admiral is directly responsible for whole situation so any choice except the emperor of misery doesnt make sense for any "resolution" of this. The idea of suddenly broken admiral which wants to end it all one way or another imho poorly reflects his character. I think choice between empire and wife is symbolical like duty vs home as previously he ended it all because of his love - lesson learned i suppose.

[not madattak]

I had to choose Rebecca - the OMNI made it quite clear there would be no golden age for humanity, if it even were to survive at all. Earth was tempting, but what could Idaho realistically do for Earth, if he even finds it at all? He's died for humanity hundreds of times. Humanity has had it's chance, it's time for Idaho to finally get what he had always wanted and to live peacefully with his wife.

[Old Man Bryan]

I skipped the credits of the wife choice hoping to see if there was anything but there wasn't. Did I miss the ending but skipping the credits? Before that all it showed was Idaho opening the doors of somewhere with a female next to him who I presume was his wife.

If that was all I'm pretty dissatisfied.

[Evil Badger]

Originally posted by Old Man Bryan:

I skipped the credits of the wife choice hoping to see if there was anything but there wasn't. Did I miss the ending but skipping the credits? Before that all it showed was Idaho opening the doors of somewhere with a female next to him who I presume was his wife.

If that was all I'm pretty dissatisfied.

I agree the ending with the wife is a bit short but in a way it represent well the choice you made. Just the 2 of them against whatever the universe will throw at them.

[Valentino]

I chose the Empire ending as well. The way I see it, the story is Idaho coming to terms with his past. if you find Rebecca before the end, and talk to your friend/boss you learn you weren't a good husband. She started to despise you never being there for her. To wake her up to a dead galaxy that you caused? That'd be her hell, and also it's an entirely SELFISH reason for reviving her. Which the point of the that meeting with Ice Cube Rebecca was admitting you were selfish and didn't think of her. So thinking of her now, really there are only two options. Look for earth(and find it) or serve your sentence as Emperor ruling under an iron fist, being hated, having your memory of yourself in the future be that of a cruel despot - but giving humanity the best chance for survival. When you ask about going to earth, the Omni tell you that while you may find it, you'll never be able to live with yourself for leaving everyone behind. That's another selfish choice. The only one where Idaho finally puts others before him - is the one where he accepts becoming the villain in the hopes of teaching the human race how to exist without Omni again.

Also I see everyone saying there are plot holes with not being able to do all three. Here's my take on it:
Again, if you become emperor you become a cruel despot. You have to for humanity to even have a chance. The Omni did not lie to you. They are telling you what has to be done for survival. And Rebecca being revived into a world where she's married to basically space hitler? Probably not her dream goal. You have to focus entirely on humanities survival. Using, an already sparse, n-fuel to try to search for Earth somewhere? For what cause? There isn't a fold, so you are looking at intersteller travel. It's basically shooting a bullet into the sky and hoping for the best. It's unrealistic to even find earth at all. But let's say God Emperor Idaho does: Who lives on earth? Omni already explained that some humans survived - they already live there. Do you take their world from them? Join them? To what end? To protect Earth, and become the Emperor as a sentence makes the most sense - just like traveling alone through space with your clone army to look for earth would be. We can assume Rebecca can't be moved from her prison without reviving her. So why take her on a journey where she'll most likely die next to a crew of immortals? With a man she was starting to resent(and now will resent more than ever for leaving the galaxy behind in ruins).

[Sorcerer]

To me, there was only one right moral choice, that being the empire one. Though the entire ending was super super bleak and depressing in its implication (and general out-look on humanity in general actually IMO). Spoilers to explain why though.

The implication for the empire ending is that Idaho ends up back in the imperial sector, that's it. In his 10k years as emperor he might well find a way to reopen the fold gates or some other fast form of travel, but there are no omni's left to operate them. What that means is its only the sectors in chapter 5 he will ever rule over, at least in the short term. Meaning all the people in the sectors from chapter 1-4, and 6, and all the ones you didn't visit in your canonical play-through are doomed.

However, at the least, the survival of the human race within the area Idaho can control/rule is promised. We have a in universe proof that any sector not ruled by Idaho however is doomed. Since they Omni's promise that in any other ending, humanity ceases to exist. So we can assume only those planets/star systems Idaho can rule over survive.

Even then? Well, Neo-N is a limited supply with no way to make more of it. Which means as soon as the supply within Idaho's empire sector runs out, he can't travel even between stars, let alone clusters. Meaning, quite possibly, the 10k years of rule by Idaho are spent relearning basic human industry(farming, etc) and FTL travel that doesn't require Neo-N.

The wife ending is hard to justify in any way since it for sure dooms everyone to death. Though why Idaho can't work towards sending a ship via slower then light speed to where his wife is, and bring her back to his throne I think is just not touched upon. So, the Empire ending could be a better version of the wife ending. Same with the search for earth since 10k years is a very long time.

That said, the search for earth ending seems silly, Like, to what end? The Empire ending would essentially require Idaho develop/rediscover whatever the people now on Earth have to show/share, and in looking for them first he dooms all the other human lives to death.

All of that said and thought about though? The game ending only falls apart if you think about it way too much I think, and even then its not really that big a 'fall apart.". It is, too me, way to sad and pessimistic/fatalistic however. I'd personally have more faith in humanity to survive. Even if its .01% of the existing population pre omni-vansihing that is still likely tens of thousands if not millions of people. More then enough to continue the human race on many, many worlds.

That said, the writer/s of this story took a great deal of there plot from the Dune series. (go read it I guess if you liked this but were not aware there was a connection.) And that has a..well less bleak ending.