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[mollipen]

Weeeeeeell I'm sitting here crying my eyes out. Guess what game I just beat!

Was really, really torn on doing whatever pushing I could to try to make Max + Chloe a couple. I bitch about how games too often feel the need to make two female characters lovers instead of friends, and then I did it myself!

 

[TheKeyPit]

I liked that they did more of the Photo Diving at the end and I wish they would have done a Time Stop(like the one happened prior to saving Kate) once more.

Let me throw in a theory: What if the blue butterfly is William, granting Max one last week with her best friend Chloe. We haven't seen the butterfly in the alternative timeline after saving William. Then the last shot of Episode 5 with the blue butterfly landing on Chloe's coffin and Max smiling as to say "Thank you for that week".

 

[Chariot]

I liked that they did more of the Photo Diving at the end and I wish they would have done a Time Stop(like the one happened prior to saving Kate) once more.

Let me throw in a theory: What if the blue butterfly is William, granting Max one last week with her best friend Chloe. We haven't seen the butterfly in the alternative timeline after saving William. Then the last shot of Episode 5 with the blue butterfly landing on Chloe's coffin and Max smiling as to say "Thank you for that week".

"Especially the Jefferson part and the moment where I had to tell Chloe that I had to see to her die, so much FUN."

 

[TheKeyPit]

"Especially the Jefferson part and the moment where I had to tell Chloe that I had to see to her die, so much FUN."

It was up to Max how she spent that week. She could've stayed with her in a room for that whole week

Edit: Did anyone actually record that "backwards" section in Episode 5 and play it in the right order to see if there are any differences?

 

[Goodstyle]

I really don't get how so many people could find the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending narratively satisfying. It's basically what Max would do if she learned absolutely nothing from her 5 days with these powers.

 

[Montresor]

I really don't get how so many people could find the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending narratively satisfying. It's basically what Max would do if she learned absolutely nothing from her 5 days with these powers.

I don't think it's more narratively satisfying. But I loved Chloe's character and no matter how irrational the decision was, there was no way I was losing any opportunity to keep her alive and safe. Plus, I don't want to deprive Chloe of ever having re-united with Max again, which is what would happen if you went back in time and let Nathan shoot Chloe.

I think the choices presented were dumb as fuck. They should've had only one ending - Sacrifice Chloe. I'm driven by an irrational desire to never ever choose the Sacrifice Chloe ending, and because of that I'm left with a dumb ending where Max seems to not give a fuck about all the dead people in Arcadia Bay (Joyce? Max? Kate? Dana? etc...) and I'm deprived of the feels/tears I read everyone experiencing because they chose the Sacrifice Chloe ending.

The way Dontnod handled the ending really bummed me out - it was so poorly implemented.

 

[mollipen]

I think the choices presented were dumb as fuck. They should've had only one ending - Sacrifice Chloe. I'm driven by an irrational desire to never ever choose the Sacrifice Chloe ending, and because of that I'm left with a dumb ending where Max seems to not give a fuck about all the dead people in Arcadia Bay (Joyce? Max? Kate? Dana? etc...) and I'm deprived of the feels/tears I read everyone experiencing because they chose the Sacrifice Chloe ending.

The entire game is about having to make choices and then being forced to live with the consequences. Not giving players that choice would have made absolutely no sense.

 

[jonjonaug]

It was up to Max how she spent that week. She could've stayed with her in a room for that whole week

Edit: Did anyone actually record that "backwards" section in Episode 5 and play it in the right order to see if there are any differences?

If you reverse time duting that segment the music and vocals play as normal.

I really don't get how so many people could find the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending narratively satisfying. It's basically what Max would do if she learned absolutely nothing from her 5 days with these powers.

Replay the game and make sure to read the journal entries. There's narrative and thematic foreshadowing in place for both endings.

 

[Smiley90]

I really don't get how so many people could find the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending narratively satisfying. It's basically what Max would do if she learned absolutely nothing from her 5 days with these powers.

The entire game is about having to make choices and then being forced to live with the consequences. Not giving players that choice would have made absolutely no sense.

This is also why it's not necessarily unsatisfying. One option is to avoid the consequences by undoing it, one is to live with it to save your best friend/love. Max could take the powers as being given to her TO save Chloe and that's what she keeps using them for. The storm is the price to pay.

 

[QuickSilverD]

One thing that bothers me, the vision Max has at the beginning of the game, that was no a vision, was it? that was also time travel, just forwards instead of backwards, no? kinda wondering why that doesn't follow the same rules as afterwards, and it happens before Chloe gets shot too (since it is clear Max doesn't lose her memories when traveling back)

 

[Haly]

One thing that bothers me, the vision Max has at the beginning of the game, that was no a vision, was it? that was also time travel, just forwards instead of backwards, no? kinda wondering why that doesn't follow the same rules as afterwards, and it happens before Chloe gets shot too (since it is clear Max doesn't lose her memories when traveling back)

Not time travel, there is no literal ghost deer. It's just a thing inside her head because it's her spirit animal or whatever. It's an echo of a dream traveling backwards through time.

 

[Goodstyle]

I don't think it's more narratively satisfying. But I loved Chloe's character and no matter how irrational the decision was, there was no way I was losing any opportunity to keep her alive and safe. Plus, I don't want to deprive Chloe of ever having re-united with Max again, which is what would happen if you went back in time and let Nathan shoot Chloe.

I think the choices presented were dumb as fuck. They should've had only one ending - Sacrifice Chloe. I'm driven by an irrational desire to never ever choose the Sacrifice Chloe ending, and because of that I'm left with a dumb ending where Max seems to not give a fuck about all the dead people in Arcadia Bay (Joyce? Max? Kate? Dana? etc...) and I'm deprived of the feels/tears I read everyone experiencing because they chose the Sacrifice Chloe ending.

The way Dontnod handled the ending really bummed me out - it was so poorly implemented.

That's part of the brilliance of the ending, the creators are putting the choice in your hands so you can feel like Max would feel, so you can connect with her more. It makes the "Sacrifice Chloe" ending that much more touching. The empty feeling you had in the other ending was there for a reason.

 

[QuickSilverD]

Not time travel, there is no literal ghost deer. It's just a thing inside her head because it's her spirit animal or whatever. It's an echo of a dream traveling backwards through time.

Why do we think she had that vision?

 

[Smiley90]

Why do we think she had that vision?

probably a warning of what'll happen if she uses the power she's just been given.

 

[QuickSilverD]

probably a warning of what'll happen if she uses the power she's just been given.

I get that, except that it is not really a clear warning.

 

[Haly]

Why do we think she had that vision?

From a storytelling point of view: It's foreshadowing
From within the story itself: Time travel, man, ain't got to explain shit

 

[Smiley90]

I get that, except that it is not really a clear warning.

I think that's the point of the game

 

[Nuke Soda]

i didn't notice until the very last episode when you play as vic how tall she really is, she's probably as tall if not taller than chloe! would make for nice spooning

I doubt she would freak out over a phone call either, still weirded out by that moment.

 

[Goodstyle]

Wrote a big ass post on my blog analyzing the ending.

As a big fan of Buffy I really, really loved it.

 

[TheKeyPit]

Who thinks that Max still has her power in the end?

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

So I just finished it, got the season last night and here I am.

Man, probably my GoTY, I absolutely loved it. The first two episodes were a little stale and the bottle scene was stupid, but everything really kicked into gear with the second half of episode 2 and the rest of the season.

The reveal of Jefferson was kinda shocking. I usually have a good eye for spotting red herrings and noticing off things or just assuming that Character A is going to be not what they seem, but Jefferson never truly hit any red alarms for me. The only thing I could think of was that phone call, and even then nothing was obvious or damning, I assumed it was his wife/GF but looking back it was probably Nathan doing something fucked.

I think the game did a great job with the small decisions and big ones. Some people are mad that the ending was boiled down to two choices, but that's almost never the point. The point is creating a world and characters that you had effect with your actions and the relationships that change based on them.

While obviously the game isn't real and the ending is a binary choice and the pass choices don't influence the branches that lead to the ending, the way Max (I) dealt with everyone and grew as a person made the ending so much more impactful because of what I think Max would do in that situation after everything I did.

And that would be to let Chloe die.

It's the only ending that fits with Max as a character, especially after she talked to herself and got the dirty truth in that moment of self reflection, the dirty selfish desires behind all those kind acts.

I don't see Max killing an entire town after trying to save Chloe's dad, only to cause her to become paralyzed to the point where Max kills her in an alternate timeline. She saw how fucked she makes things trying to make things right.

There are lots of fuck ups in the game that can be fixed, killing the drug dealer and the dog is one of them, having Chloe deal with being a killer is something fucked up and obviously something that needed to be fixed, but in the end those good deeds were all from the original branching of saving Chloe.

Max is a tragic character, far more than Chloe. Max has lived multiple realities of people dying, dying from her known and unknown actions. Chloe died a horrible way, but her death was quick and she had zero knowledge of the pain Max was about to go through, her ignorance of everything was bliss.

Max lived with knowing how horrible she can make her best friends, and ultimately lovers life, and in the end she has to live with the burden of being granted a gift and learning that she could never fucking use it to save the one she loves.

That's why I picked the ending to let Chloe die. It fits Max's character and fits the entire theme of the game that was laid out in the past episodes as well as the concept of having the keys to the universe in your hand and being forced to toss them.

Her running away with a destroyed town is like throwing away everything she saw and learned. The only way the ending of saving Chloe would work is if, just like her death, was ignorant to the true nature and forces behind her life and Max simply started over with her after the destruction. Just like Max carrying the burden of her death, she would have to carry the burden of Chloe's life and basically lie to her forever. That's the only way that ending would have worked in some way.

I'll probably never play this game again. To me this was more than a game, it was an experience. I made that mistake with The Last of Us in butchering it's original experience I had by replaying it multiple times over till everything just became like marching to the beats of a drum.

 

[jakomocha]

Well... umm...

I just beat Life is Strange. I'm not really sure how to feel about the game as a whole right now. It was so close to being my favorite game of all time, but now I'm not sure how I feel. It's still my GOTY, but... idk.


I chose the Sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending, and now I really, really regret it. I was thinking selfishly, I just wanted Chloe to be alive. But the morality surrounding it isn't anywhere near my biggest regret with the choice...

It's the fact that that ending was so unsatisfying narratively. I feel kind of empty right now. The ending was so abrupt, it didn't even really make me feel anything. I didn't cry, or smile, or do both, or really anything. And it basically gets rid of any character development Chloe has (although not by her choice). I kind of want to replay that last scene (I don't even know if I can) and choose to sacrifice Chloe, but I'm not sure if I should just stick to my "canon" choice, and also I feel like the Sacrifice Chloe ending won't impact me nearly as much considering that it would be my second time playing through the ending.

Gaf, is the Sacrifice Chloe ending way better (from a narrative standpoint)? Should I go back and replay it?

 

[TheKeyPit]

Gaf, is the Sacrifice Chloe ending way better (from a narrative standpoint)? Should I go back and replay it?

In my opinion sacrificing Chloe is the better ending from an emotional standpoint. More feels.

 

[jakomocha]

In my opinion sacrificing Chloe is the better ending from an emotional standpoint. More feels.

Okay, then I'll go play it. The sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending just kind of let me feeling empty.
EDIT:
I've used up all my save slots though... crap.

 

[NetMapel]

Okay, then I'll go play it. The sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending just kind of let me feeling empty.
EDIT:
I've used up all my save slots though... crap.

You can replay just the ending by selecting the chapter, then go to the last part and pick up the play from there. Choose to play it as Collectable mode and you don't need a new save.

 

[matrix-cat]

Bit disappointed with this final chapter, though the game's still easily in my top 5 of the year. The main complaint is that, after all this time of Life is Strange being a choice-based game, where my decisions "will impact the past, present and future", this final episode is all but 100% linear. Apart from a few acknowledgements of my actions in previous episodes, I don't feel that anything I did in the last one made the slightest bit of difference until the final choice. And, while I can't deny that it took me a long time to make that final choice, ultimately it's the cardinal sin of all choice-based game endings: you just pick A or B at the very end of the game to choose which cutscene you want before the credits roll.

I wanted a Witcher 3 ending, or, closer to home, a Life is Strange Episode 2 ending. I wanted the game to judge me by my actions over the course of the entire season, y'know? When the moment came to talk Kate off the ledge, it wasn't just a matter of picking the right dialogue choices in the moment, it came down to how I'd behaved over the entire episode. Choices I'd made that were never explicitly labelled as "MAJOR CHOICE HERE. KATE WILL REMEMBER THAT", but rather a hidden checklist of minor decisions that nevertheless defined my whole relationship with Kate. Witcher 3 does much the same thing with Geralt and Ciri's relationship, and for me it's those endings - endings that I didn't simply pick, but rather earned - that stick with me much longer than a comparatively simple one-or-the-other at the very end.

Not that it's a bad episode, or anything. I loved it, and if Life is Strange hadn't been so distinctly about player choice (to the point that it made the power to change your own narrative into the linchpin of both story and gameplay) it would probably have been the best of the five. As it is, though, I can't help be a little disappointed. Like I said, though, I still loved the game overall.

 

[SmarterUnconscious]

The only thing I could think of was that phone call, and even then nothing was obvious or damning, I assumed it was his wife/GF but looking back it was probably Nathan doing something fucked.

Actually I don't think it was Nathan cause, if I remember correctly, when Max enters the classroom Nathan and Victoria are sitting on her table and bully her before Mr Jefferson comes in.

So I wonder who was on the phone? It was a shady call so it had to be someone in the know. Nathan's dad?

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Actually I don't think it was Nathan cause, if I remember correctly, when Max enters the classroom Nathan and Victoria are sitting on her table and bully her before Mr Jefferson comes in.

So I wonder who was on the phone? It was a shady call so it had to be someone in the know. Nathan's dad?

oh yea, you're right.

huh, who knows. It did ring alarm bells to me, I was chilling in the door way totally listening in and being nosy.

I always try to imagine why directors put things into scenes. Interrupting a conversation with a phone call is almost always some type of "this is a hint" thing to me.

Could have been his dad, I remember reading in the thread that an original story concept was that they all knew the storm was coming or something, which could have explained the connection to him having access to the insane bunker under Nathan's families name

 

[TheKeyPit]

You can replay just the ending by selecting the chapter, then go to the last part and pick up the play from there. Choose to play it as Collectable mode and you don't need a new save.

So, how does that mode work? I wanted to take all possible photos that I missed someday.

 

[Tortahegeszto]

So, how does that mode work? I wanted to take all possible photos that I missed someday.

You can pick specific scenes, while also shown how many photos yout took/how many photo can be taken. Also the choices made in collectible mode doesn't effect your original playthrough in that savefile.
BTW did Remember Me had a collectible mode? I remember being annoyed in that game, because unwillingly going through the wrong doors the script permanently shut them, so I couldn't continue exploring the level for the collectible.

 

[TheKeyPit]

^Thanks, good to know .

 

[AmaterasuOni]

I really don't get how so many people could find the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending narratively satisfying. It's basically what Max would do if she learned absolutely nothing from her 5 days with these powers.

It tells more about the player, not the narrative. I sacrificed Arcadia Bay, because Love is the Law, Love under Will.

 

[Keyser Soze]

"Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" sees Max and Chloe driving away to bring untold destruction upon the rest of the world. Chloe is still destined to die, and Max trying to save he will cause nature to fight back. People who chose that ending are forcing suffering on the rest of the world just because they cannot let go. Awful selfish people!

 

[jonjonaug]

"Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" sees Max and Chloe driving away to bring untold destruction upon the rest of the world. Chloe is still destined to die, and Max trying to save he will cause nature to fight back. People who chose that ending are forcing suffering on the rest of the world just because they cannot let go. Awful selfish people!

Nah, that's dumb.

 

[RedSparrows]

Despite the weaknesses of the ending, I do like that each choice has vigorous defenders: the split is pretty much near 50-50.

 

[comshoplesce]

I too liked this a lot.....I choose sacrifice Chloe as right thing to do, i think.

 

[TheKeyPit]

I was reading through a couple of pages here and thought: When Chloe gets killed by Mark Jefferson, shouldn't the storm stop? It looks like it's still happening in that timeline.

Edit: I think the storm will still hit Arcadia Bay in different timelines until Max goes back to that Butterfly-photo and lets Chloe getting shot.(not enough for her to die somewhere in between, because Butterfly Effect.)

 

[Guri]

I really don't get how so many people could find the "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay" ending narratively satisfying. It's basically what Max would do if she learned absolutely nothing from her 5 days with these powers.

My Max (as in my character, with the choices I made) wanted to stop screwing up and live with the consequences of her choices. She also didn't want to see Chloe dying anymore. It made sense for her. I also don't think it was necessary to show them looking for survivors or maybe burying the dead. I do get why some of you wanted that, but I liked the subtlety in that ending. Max looking sad in the car already showed a lot for me.

Like I said in previous posts, each ending makes more sense for specific experiences. Sacrificing Chloe didn't fit at all in my journey and yet it is a great ending for others.

 

[John Kowalski]

Saving Chloe and giving her the burden of having been saved over the lives of countless others, including her very family, is a really terrible thing to do. In no time at all you'll be trying to save Chloe from killing herself, as her survivor's guilt guides her deeper and deeper into the abyss.

 

[Guri]

Saving Chloe and giving her the burden of having been saved over the lives of countless others, including her very family, is a really terrible thing to do. In no time at all you'll be trying to save Chloe from killing herself, as her survivor's guilt guides her deeper and deeper into the abyss.

As the writers said, you, as the player, make your own headcannon after the ending. That's not mine.

 

[DueFiumi]

Wrote a big ass post on my blog analyzing the ending.

As a big fan of Buffy I really, really loved it.

That was a nice read and an interesting interpretation, but I disagree in some regards. I don't really believe any choice was really the "wrong" choice, which is what I'm getting from reading your blog post. And I don't really think the developers intended for the saving Chloe ending to be as hollow as you say (There is a post somewhere in this thread that links to a developer saying their budget ran out and that the ending was supposed to convey that their love/friendship is now stronger than ever, or something, I can't find the post). I personally don't think the ending was as hollow as you say, and it's my preferred ending.

The sacrifice of Arcadia Bay could also be seen as Max maturing in that she realizes that going back to the past and changing things keep making things worse, so she realizes that she should stand by her decisions and accept the consequences and maybe stop using her time-travel abilities.

Hope that makes sense, I'm not the smartest person ;P Anyway that was a nice read and it made consider the other ending. Before reading, it I just refused to acknowledge its existence. (Still haven't watched because of the feels >.<)

I loved this game. I'd totally triple dip if they release a physical copy of the game

 

[Guri]

That was a nice read and an interesting interpretation, but I disagree in some regards. I don't really believe any choice was really the "wrong" choice, which is what I'm getting from reading your blog post. And I don't really think the developers intended for the saving Chloe ending to be as hollow as you say (There is a post somewhere in this thread that links to a developer saying their budget ran out and that the ending was supposed to convey that their love/friendship is now stronger than ever, or something, I can't find the post). I personally don't think the ending was as hollow as you say, and it's my preferred ending.

The sacrifice of Arcadia Bay could also be seen as Max maturing in that she realizes that going back to the past and changing things keep making things worse, so she realizes that she should stand by her decisions and accept the consequences and maybe stop using her time-travel abilities.

Hope that makes sense, I'm not the smartest person ;P Anyway that was a nice read and it made consider the other ending. Before reading, it I just refused to acknowledge its existence. (Still haven't watched because of the feels >.<)

I loved this game. I'd totally triple dip if they release a physical copy of the game

Exactly how I feel about it.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

No splish splash, no reconnecting with Max? Chloe dies in a pool of blood in a bathroom never knowing what happened to Rachel..

I can't. I can't let all that be undone, I cannot accept it and let go. And I couldn't in real life either. I couldn't sacrifice someone I deeply loved for many that I don't. I'm not noble or a hero and I didn't pretend to be when the choice came. Arcadia Bay had to go..

And you know, as much as the game was projecting the whole "Chloe has to die" thing, I feel they've been projecting the fact that Chloe and Max are meant to be together in one shape or form just as much.

And that's my justification for letting a town full of people die, something I'm wasn't happy with by the way. I gotta say, I wasn't that fond of the ending choice, I didn't think it'd go that way to be honest, but whatever.

Wakey Wakey Eggs & Bakey!

An unstoppable force vs. an immovable object.

 

[Goodstyle]

That was a nice read and an interesting interpretation, but I disagree in some regards. I don't really believe any choice was really the "wrong" choice, which is what I'm getting from reading your blog post. And I don't really think the developers intended for the saving Chloe ending to be as hollow as you say (There is a post somewhere in this thread that links to a developer saying their budget ran out and that the ending was supposed to convey that their love/friendship is now stronger than ever, or something, I can't find the post). I personally don't think the ending was as hollow as you say, and it's my preferred ending.

The sacrifice of Arcadia Bay could also be seen as Max maturing in that she realizes that going back to the past and changing things keep making things worse, so she realizes that she should stand by her decisions and accept the consequences and maybe stop using her time-travel abilities.

Hope that makes sense, I'm not the smartest person ;P Anyway that was a nice read and it made consider the other ending. Before reading, it I just refused to acknowledge its existence. (Still haven't watched because of the feels >.<)

I loved this game. I'd totally triple dip if they release a physical copy of the game

Thanks for the feedback man. I actually love that everyone has their own interpretation. Part of the troubles of having opinions on the internet is everyone assuming you see yours as fact, when it should go without saying that it's just an opinion.

The way I see the snow in the Sacrifice Arcadia ending (as a bad omen of a never ending cycle) can be seen completely differently than how somebody else sees it (perhaps representative of a new beginning). That's part of the beauty of this game I feel.

 

[Lime]

Finished it - it was really good. If you approach the whole narrative in whole, the key themes point towards that it's about Max letting Chloe go. Not only did the Sacrifice Chloe ending make more sense within the fiction, but it also seemed like the "alternative ending" was tacked on with little to no depth about who died or survived, what would happen, and so on. That ending seemed like more of a rush-job with not much care put into its execution and treatment, so we end up with an ending without much denouement.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Finished it - it was really good. If you approach the whole narrative in whole, the key themes point towards that it's about Max letting Chloe go. Not only did the Sacrifice Chloe ending make more sense within the fiction, but it also seemed like the "alternative ending" was tacked on with little to no depth about who died or survived, what would happen, and so on. That ending seemed like more of a rush-job with not much care put into its execution and treatment, so we end up with an ending without much denouement.

Yea, I watched the save Chloe ending after I did my original run and was kinda shocked at how rushed it seemed.

I feel bad for people who had that for their ending, even if they think it's the right one, they didn't get the work and justice done for it like the alternate one.

I kinda hope they have a chance to do a extended cut of this game, or at least sure up the other ending. Probably not though.

 

[Guri]

Yea, I watched the save Chloe ending after I did my original run and was kinda shocked at how rushed it seemed.

I feel bad for people who had that for their ending, even if they think it's the right one, they didn't get the work and justice done for it like the alternate one.

I kinda hope they have a chance to do a extended cut of this game, or at least sure up the other ending. Probably not though.

I seriously don't want an extended cut. If they do it (which I doubt), I'll see it, of course, but like I said, I'm a fan of the subtlety present in the current version, just like some friends I talked to. I guess we are in the minority, maybe, but that's okay.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

I seriously don't want an extended cut. If they do it (which I doubt), I'll see it, of course, but like I said, I'm a fan of the subtlety present in the current version, just like some friends I talked to. I guess we are in the minority, maybe, but that's okay.

I just think their should have been more reaction of both Max and Chloe of the destruction and death of the town.

I feel like they could have showed their love and how much they need each other now after what they caused, walking through the destruction and dealing with the impacts of being responsible.

I feel it would have been more bittersweet and inline with the tragic ending of the other choice of letting Chloe die. Sure, they live together, but having the weight of that choice is something that they both need each other to hold together and not fall apart, and I think showing that would have been a very powerful scene, and not just for some head-cannon.

Again, they said as much that this ending was kinda rushed due to budget and time, so I'm not saying they aren't creative or fucked it up, I'm just saying how I wish it was.

 

[Lime]

I seriously don't want an extended cut. If they do it (which I doubt), I'll see it, of course, but like I said, I'm a fan of the subtlety present in the current version, just like some friends I talked to. I guess we are in the minority, maybe, but that's okay.

I wouldn't call a missing denouement "subtlety". You could argue that the lack of a proper ending motivates fan speculation and "head canon", but it undoubtedly leaves the player with a lack of catharsis.

 

[RedSparrows]

I got hella catharsis from one ending, if not the other.

I just think their should have been more reaction of both Max and Chloe of the destruction and death of the town.

I feel like they could have showed their love and how much they need each other now after what they caused, walking through the destruction and dealing with the impacts of being responsible.

I feel it would have been more bittersweet and inline with the tragic ending of the other choice of letting Chloe die. Sure, they live together, but having the weight of that choice is something that they both need each other to hold together and not fall apart, and I think showing that would have been a very powerful scene, and not just for some head-cannon.

Again, they said as much that this ending was kinda rushed due to budget and time, so I'm not saying they aren't creative or fucked it up, I'm just saying how I wish it was.

^^ this.