[SPOILERS] Alternate Ending Proposal

[Snarks]

This discusses the ending, so go away if you haven't beaten the game. Don't spoil yourself!

First off, I'd like to say I really enjoyed the game, particularly in the quality of the writing and the fantastic job of the voice actors. Second, I also acknowledge that the chances of this alternate ending being implemented is very unlikely. That's fine! This is ultimately a critique of the story, less so a suggestion and definitely not a demand.

After giving it some thought, I am disappointed in the ending because up until that point, I felt Simon and the player shared a common view and perspective, that is Simon's reactions are generally in line with the player's reactions. Simon's reaction in the ending breaks this shared perspective of the player and the player character.

Here's what I would have changed: I felt Catherine should have reminded Simon about how the cloning process works and then given him the option of whether or not to upload his subconscious on the ARK. From a narration perspective, this would demonstrate Catherine's character development, making the Clone Catherine different from Real Catherine. For everything they've been through and from seeing her own dead body, it really seems like Clone Catherine should have owed it up to Simon to give him a clear decision, giving Clone Catherine a distinct personality from Real Catherine. For Catherine, this is particularly important because her greatest character flaw lies in her refusal to compromise or be straightforward with other people. She is distrusted by her colleagues because she is manipulative, despite her best intentions.

Should Simon choose to not be uploaded, Clone Catherine would also choose not to upload, letting the ARK keep the original scan version of her. If Simon chooses to get uploaded, then she would override the original scan. This would demonstrate the camaraderie that the two have built up over the course of the game. Of course, both choices would still ultimately leave a copy of Simon stranded on Earth. The key difference would be their acceptance of that decision, giving Simon and Catherine closure, rather than Simon's rather silly tirade at the end when the player is (or at least I was) screaming, "you know that, you idiot!" Simon and the player should share a common perspective, since afterall, you are choosing these decisions that he's making all the way until the end.

[PiratesFr33k]

[...] rather than Simon's rather silly tirade at the end when the player is (or at least I was) screaming, "you know that, you idiot!" [...]

Yeah but... I didn't really feel that way. Of course, the player (or at least I) knew about the whole thing with the coin toss and everything, but... I didn't really think of it as a silly tirade. It was more of a cry of disbelief (or outrage) of his bad luck with the coin toss, if you ask me. The whole "why am I still here? You lied to me, Catherine!" thing was more of an emotional outburst. It was not really a question "why", but an outburst in the sense of "why did this happen to me? It's unfair!".


edit: Also there's this thing about a so-called "cognitive bias" which the user 'Touchdown' on this forum explained:

>>The cognitive bias

...provides a reason as to why Simon is led to believe that he will 'carry over' to the Ark. Because he 'remembers' being 'carried over' twice already. He's convinced that he'll 'jump' to the Ark because in HIS subjective experience, HE carries over, not 'the other Simon'.

And why is it that he somehow misses the facts provided by Catherine? Because of his cognitive bias. In Simon-3's subjective experience (or recollection of it) he's the one who 'carries over' everytime and this deeply rooted emotional conviction overwrites the factual evidence. This kind of behaviour is actually common in real life. Perhaps Simon is just too realistic, too human for a video game and that's why some question his behaviour.

I mean, he remembers 'jumping' from one suit to the other, just an hour ago - surely HE carries over, right? He's been experiencing continuity all this time so why would it be any different now?

That's why he never actually grasps that he'll be left behind until it's too late.


>>Player versus protagonist

This also brings out the problem with the player-protagonist sync, unfortunately. Some say "well, he knew this would happen so why is he angry?" The problem is that players are comfortably sitting in front of their monitors, having all the time in the world to process and analyze the critical information. Simon is terrified, going through a tremendous amount of stress, torn apart by thoughts of his identity, plus there's a bias shrouding his judgement. Players, even those heavily immersed, do not go through the same kind of experience so some might not be able to identify with Simons emotional state.