Feedback wanted: Some questions on Ending (spoilerish)

[Zearox]

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what where your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

I felt sorry for Daniel because of the way Alexander had manipulated him throughout the story. At the same i couldn't help but feel hate towards him because of the things he did.
Alexander i just wanted to kill. What he did do Daniel and all the other persons in the story was just disgusting and it made me sick.

As for Agrippa.. I'm not sure. I never got to know him that well but he seemed like a nice person that did not deserve what he was going through.

2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?
When i first entered the chamber i wanted to kill Alexander, i tried to jump across the flames but that failed. My second idea was to take down the pillars.. But i did not quite figure out how to do it. After that i started to panic a bit and then the portal opened up. At that point i just grabbed Agrippas head and threw it in.

3) How did you like the ending?

I liked it. I felt that Daniel had redeemed himself for what he had done. It left me with some questions though.

4) Did you get any other endings? If so, which one was your favorite? And what where your motivation for seeing more endings?

I'll have to come back on this one.

[Adeno]

Hi there, I want to share my experience and thoughts at the time when I and some viewers finally reached the final part of the game.

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what were your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

When we all reached the orb room for the first time, everybody started to worry. "Look at those rocks!" some said. "Dude, there's a naked old guy with his vienna sausage exposed floating around!" a lot noticed. "Oh crap, it's VIGO from Ghostbusters 2!" one exclaimed. "Oh sh..." a lot shouted.

Since we were all playing the game together, we all felt like we were in trouble because in front of us was a naked old man who has the ability to float in the air, has magic flames or aura that hurts us, and he already knows that we're there the moment we entered his room!

As the old man started talking to us, we were all planning on ways to kill him. We looked around the environment and quickly noticed that the pillars were fragile. We tried to push it but couldn't. We just forgot how to move heavy stuff around after not having to do so for quite some time.

We ended up trying to throw the head on the old man but it didn't work. We even tried the hammer thing but none of the items worked. So for the first time, we thought we'd just listen to what the old man said as we watched from the front in all his naked senior glory.



2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?

The first ending that we got was the one where Alexander finally got through the portal and we died. This was NOT by choice. We didn't want to die because we believed we were the heroes and Alexander was some kind of psycho evil wizard guy.

When the red organic matter first started showing up, we started to run around the room, trying to find a safe spot. All of the floor was suddenly covered so we tried jumping on the teleporter thing. We died and Alexander thanked us.


3) How did you like the ending?

This ending where we died was met with very bad reaction from everyone. "IT SUCKS!". "WTF?!?!?!". "Dude this blows!". "WE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT FOR THIS?!?!". Those were the initial reactions that were said by the viewers, including myself. The moment the credits started rolling we knew it was the end. I let the credits roll, because normally in today's games, there are extras after the credits. Well, we found a weird tiny code below "The End".

The most dominant emotion shown during this part was pure disappointment. Not only because it was too short, but it was also bad for our character that we already considered as "us".

"What did we help that douche head for?" asked one of my viewers, as he remembered all the trouble we got into just to make his potion.

Actually, because of this horrible ending, I ended up figuring out how to get the other endings without having to go through the entire game again. This ending was that bad. It really gave me that first instinct. It really made me think "This simply CANNOT be the only ending!".


4) Did you get any other endings? If so, which one was your favorite? And what where your motivation for seeing more endings?

First, I'll have to reiterate my "motivation" for seeing more endings. We were all very disappointed with the bad ending, coupled with the fact that it was too short. At least, for a bad ending, there could have been a little more said or shown aside from dying and being thanked by our enemy. It's like a simple long version of a "Game Over" screen. This is what motivated me and the others to find the other endings, which we didn't even know existed at the time.

Our favorite ending was the good ending. We still couldn't figure out (or remember) how to push those pillars, so we started clicking on everything, using everything in our inventory, especially the head. Suddenly, we got a "The portal isn't open yet." message, which was a good sign. We waited and kept on trying until the portal was fully open. We put the head there and happily watched as Alexander got annihilated by whatever it was. We got killed too it seems, but everyone was happier because we "took out the bad guy".

The ending continued and we were happy to hear that it seems even though dead or at least out of his original body, Daniel was being saved. The good ending is still too short, but the positive events that happened made this ending a hundred times better than the bad ending. For the good ending, I think it would have been nicer if it was extended or treated in a special way, such as telling us more of what happened next after Daniel was being helped.

The "normal" ending was met with a "meh" reaction. We finally figured out a way to push the pillars and break them. Everyone cheered when we finally took out all of the pillars and Alexander got destroyed. Then we got "killed" or hurt by the red organic matter. It seems that Daniel got trapped in the castle until it eventually crumbled. This ending was somewhat long, but it didn't really show anything new.

The endings really could have used a lot more development, even the good ending.

Anyway, despite the endings, I still love the game a lot for what it is

[cryptomundo]

So I've played through twice now. The first playthrough was with subtitles off and the second was with them on. I only mention it because without subtitles, some of the dialog was difficult for me to understand even with the use of headphones, and so my understanding of the story/ending was a little muddled.

Also, while I love a good story, it's usually never the reason for why I enjoy certain games.

I was surprised to find out what Daniel had done initially. Upon entering the orb room, however, my feeling toward Daniel was disappointment. In the last letter I found he blames Alexander for turning him into a monster. Instead of taking responsibility for his actions, his assumed the role of the helpless victim. This whole game I was running around scared and helpless, and it would have been a nice change of pace to see Daniel own up to his actions in some way. I think it would have been an impowering moment for the player considering all that had come before. Having said that, that would mean the whole impetus for Daniel seeking revenge would probably have had to have been rewritten. If he had assumed responsibility, he may not have chosen to drink the amnesia potion.

Also of note, I didn't believe that Daniel could've been so easily manipulated. There's a scene in the choir entrance area where you get a good sense that he had gone bananas, but I never got a sense of his internal madness leading up to that point. A few more notes that showed Daniel's gradual mental decline would have fit nicely I think.

Not that it was a persistant thought, but I was reluctant to kill Alexander the whole time. Your initial note describes him as a feeble old man. Other notes/events describe him as a man looking to reunite with his lost love (or did I miss something?). His tone throughout the game is dark and manipulative. So many conflicting aspects of his personality made him a truley ambiguous character to me. I would have prefered never to have seen Alexander in the orb room. There are so many unknowns in this game, and it would have been nice to have seen him kept in the shadows throughout.

I was confused by Agrippa's role. I helped him out because he seemed like a decent guy, but it wasn't clear to me what else he wanted after I gave him the potion and cut off his... well you know. Furthermore, his bouyant accent was in contrast to the horrific image of him, and made the whole sitiuation seem a little looney tunes. I was fine with that, but I didn't feel a sense of gravity or urgency in working with him.

My heart was pounding when I first entered the orb room. I had just been chased into the previous room by something wicked, and so I was a little on edge. While Alexander was talking about something that I couldn't really understand, I tipped over the pillars. I guess that was the revenge ending? It wasn't a choice, because my gut instinct at that point was to shoot first and ask questions later, so to speak.

Overall I thought the ending was fine albeit a little underwhelming. Part of this was because I was a little confused at what was happening, and part of it was that I had expected/hoped for something different.

Some of these thoughts were from what I remembered while playing the game, and some of the stuff I've added with the benefit of hindsight. I can tell you that the ending didn't keep me from starting a second playthrough the very next evening. This is the most atmospheric and horrifying experience I've ever had.

[NGW]

Now that a many of you have completed the game, we would like to take the opportunity and ask some questions related to the Ending and the story as a whole.

Here goes:

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what where your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

My feelings had changed quite a bit over the course of the game. I was starting to question more and more if I even really liked Daniel, he had been very selfish over the course of his time in Brennenburg, going to horrible extremes just to save his own skin and then wanted revenge for being misled, wanting to wipe his own slate and conscience clean.

Alexander I actually began to feel a bit of sympathy towards, just going off the bits you get from his entries in those relic-esque things hidden through the game, but that didn't make me feel tooooo symapthetic towards him.

And Agrippa I felt could have used a bit more fleshing out. I helped him in the end..but mostly because of the reference to my favorite Lovecraft story, "Whisperer in the Darkness".

2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?

At first I was going to kill Alexander, started knocking over the pillars, but as I did...I stopped and thought, let him open the portal, and tossed the head in. I felt it was the right thing to do.

3) How did you like the ending?

I felt it was fitting overall, though I don't know that I think Daniel's helping Agrippa was enough to really deserve him being absolved of his crimes and spared.

4) Did you get any other endings? If so, which one was your favorite? And what where your motivation for seeing more endings?

So far I've not gotten the other endings, I do plan to actually go back and replay the game to get the other endings, rather than just reload the end sequence to get them. It gives a bit more incentive to play through the game again and take it a bit differently.

[Sexbad]

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what where your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

The things expressed in Daniel's diaries really got to me on an emotional level, and I felt for him. Throughout the game I asked myself multiple times about what I would do if I was put in the same circumstances.
As I felt for Dan, I really did develop a grudge against Alexander over the course of the game, since what he was doing was just plain wrong. The torture rooms reinforced my opinion as they really gave insight into what he was doing.
Agrippa was certainly a good character but I felt less-attached to him than the others. It was really interesting to think about his fate, though, and how he overcame living in a husk and developed a pretty unique personality.

2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?

I got the "revenge" ending. I was going to try to make Agrippa's tonic but I couldn't find one of the ingredients and by then had discovered that the quest was optional. I basically skipped it with the intention to come back later but I had already stumbled into the Inner Sanctum by then.

3) How did you like the ending?

I did like the ending. I like it when games have a lack of closure in their endings, as in STALKER, where six of the seven endings there really do enhance the idea that the Zone is a shithole. It ended rather abruptly but it felt necessary to enhance the bleak atmosphere that way.

4) Did you get any other endings? If so, which one was your favorite? And what where your motivation for seeing more endings?

I've only played through once so far. I'm playing a second time with commentary on and I'll probably try to concoct the potion for Agrippa this time.

[Klarden]

1. A mix of pity and understanding, i guess. btw, the game doesn't actually let you feel to BE Daniel, which was good, imo. It's more like you're his subconsciousness. And his Jiminy Cricket in a way
2. Agrippa. I felt he was the only one "deserving" to be free. Definitely not "good" or "clean", but suffering from his inaction, not actions like Alexander or Daniel. Granted, if i truly was Danel, i might've acted differently.
3. I think it was fitting. I didn't think anyone would actually want to "redeem" Daniel or that he should be redeemed, but i found the ending fitting.
4. Yep, i reloaded the last checkpoint and got two other endings as well. Just out of curiosity. They were also really fitting, but didn't fit in my personal view on the story i've played.

P.S. While i don't have any problems with endings, as i said, i think making Alexander talk even if you don't touch anything would've been slightly more interesting. If he tried to justify himself in a calm way if you wait (feeling that you might eventually give in) and in a more aggressive way if you try to destroy the pylons. Instead it felt like an awkward silent elevator ride with someone you don't like too much until the portal opens

[Informative]

I added the Alexander end to my playlist. The piano solo makes me saddowns but in a nice way.

[Yuhaney]

1) When entering the Orb Room (where Alexander is), what where your feelings toward Daniel (ie yourself), Alexander and Agrippa.

2) What was the ending that you got the first time? Was this a choice?

3) How did you like the ending?

4) Did you get any other endings? If so, which one was your favorite? And what where your motivation for seeing more endings?

1) I was like: What exactly is Alexander? ...and that he's a sick - something...

2) I died into the prison cell when Shadow came. No, it wasn't choice, I didn't figure out the way to get out there at first.

3) Well, I don't know... Maybe I was a bit dissapointed.
I liked Penumbra's ending more.

4) I got all 3.
My motivation? I just wanted to see them all.

[Dyni Crippler]

2) I died into the prison cell when Shadow came. No, it wasn't choice, I didn't figure out the way to get out there at first.

Out of curiosity... what happens in that ending? I'm curious.

[Tanshaydar]

Out of curiosity... what happens in that ending? I'm curious.

That's not an ending. That's you die if you can't get out of the cell.