It's also incredibly binary given Max's powers to shift even the smallest events. Granted, it's a video game, and time travel is always fucked, but still, it rings false unless you played as the most horrible person in the game.
I get that, and it works from a thematic standpoint, but unfortunately that doesn't preclude from also feeling extremely video gamey and artificially black/white. I can appreciate it from a detached perspective, but that's it.
, but later I read someone's explanation of why they chose to
sacrifice Arcadia Bay
that made me reconsider my choice.
If timelines continue to exist after Max leaves them behind, then Arcadia Bay will always be doomed in one timeline, even if Max goes back to another timeline and makes sure the tornado never appears in that reality. The tornado timeline is already created and there's no stopping it. If you assume this, then the final choice is not 'what is the reality that should happen?', but 'what reality would I rather live in?'. Arcadia Bay's blood is already on your hands, might as well live in the reality that allows you to be with your best friend/girlfriend.
I was kinda surprised to see this, in his review of Undertale he was a bit adamant about not going back to see the other endings just because he could.