Imho that ending is the only ending where Ciri isn't pushed into a particular direction but instead decides her own fate while knowing her possibilities. So in that regard I liked it more than the Witcher ending.
I agree, that ending especially was in need of some discussion between the characters. I wanted to know what Emhyr wrote in that damn letter to convince Ciri, I wanted to know just exactly what is going to happen to her now etc.
(And how is the Chamberlain walking on foot while everybody else gets a horse? That's the most important question, I feel.)
that's just one of many ways you can look at it, which makes it so frustrating.
I dunno. I liked the Empress epilogue, but I still think The Witcher epilogue was put together better. It may have been short, but it was also sweet. It also just felt much more climatic (at the cost of interaction, which I'm personally fine with) than Ciri going off with the Nilfgaardians.
It's delightfully emotionally manipulative.
OH NO, CIRI IS DEAD!
Emhyr has banished Geralt from his sight forever.
Geralt has comissioned a sword in her honor.
OH MY GOD! SHE'S ALIVE!
*Kermit dance*
Geralt just teaches Ciri everything he knows and goes to live happily ever after with either Yennefer or Triss. It works just as well as the Empress ending.
@willow Is it not extrmely clichèd though?
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How's that work? Gerald is both settled down with Triss in Kovir or Yen in wherever doing nothing bar the "occasional witcher contract" while at the same time training Ciri?
Does she live with them or..?
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I thought the Witcher ending meant G and C were gonna spend the next few years if not more together on the road.
How's that work? Gerald is both settled down with Triss in Kovir or Yen in wherever doing nothing bar the "occasional witcher contract" while at the same time training Ciri?
Does she live with them or..?
Well the same could be said about the empress ending. Voorhis even points this out while Ciri talks to Emhyr for the first time. The prodigal daughter returns, having saved the world, to assume her rightful place on the throne. She gives up her freedom to serve the people yaddayadda.
I didn't think so.
It seemed to me that it was nicely ambiguous while being a "happy" ending. Geralt and Ciri would have a lot of trials and tribulations in the future together. Being a Witcher is no picnic after all and Emhyr might discover she's alive (unless he's nice and dead like in my games). Likewise, it\'s nice and simple since it has just Ciri and Geralt together as daughter and father.
No pomp, no ceremony.
Just two people who love each other in a tavern contemplating the future with a graduation gift.
But it's not cliched because Nilfgaard is not the good guys, and Emhyr is not the loving father. It breaks convention by having the hero(ine) "join the dark side", instead of fighting Darth Vader, so to speak.
Obviously Voorhis cannot aknowledge this since he doesn't perceive Nilfgaard as evil.
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I meant as far as the "omg he's dead" followed by indirect reveal trope.
I dunno, a lot of players think Nilfgaard is unambiguously the good guys compared to Radovid.
While I don't categorize Nilfgaard as evil or the bad guys but rather as just another party in this war, I see your point. I guess a lot depends on just how you choose to interpret both the events laid out before you and Ciri as a character. While it really unrealistic that Ciri is going to change anything in Nilfgaard there have been enough examples of her being THE EXCEPTION(tm) that I wouldn't put it past the universe that she changes both Nilfgaard and Emhyr for the better.
While they didn't show your love interest the epilogue handles that part. Not the best way but it is covered. What it does show is that at least for a time you and Ciri go monster hunting together. For how long who knows. And then Ciri takes over the family business so to speak.
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Huh? She hates that. You can't just rely on the words read her emotions. Watch it again and you will see how mad she really is about it. But in the witcher ending there is nothing but pure joy in her face.
Well ok, but the clichè variety of that line of ending would be Ciri going back to her nice and peaceful disney-style realm after having overcome the baddy etc. etc. Maybe a prince charming of some kind (Voorhis does not qualify methinks).
At the very least this is a subversion of the clichè/trope.
Witcher ending is clichè-d as far as the shock-overused-twist about her being dead. Them leaving together (do they though? if you romance someone is that not temporary too? Ergo a delayed goodbye) is not that clichè. Sort of, i mean, the master seen leaving with the apprentice/companion towards the sunset sorta is.
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I don't think so. She's just angry and sad about having to leave Ger+gang. Angry with herself even for "betraying" them.
Besides, rohirrim7 is right. The only difference between Witcher vs Empress is that she chooses E, while in the W ending she simply couldn't make the choice (as Emhyr has lost the war/is fudged).
Ergo, if given the chance, she herself will choose the Empress ending.
Superficial manifestations of transient emotions (if they are that, ergo genuine) do not count.
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Well in that case you chose for her, which is worse.
And @Goodmongo my dear resident expert on such matters, isn't forcing/influencing her towards the Witcher ending directly in opposition to the general "proper" way of ending the game itself (according to your interpretation)?
So you have to give her freedom to get the best ending CDPR MAKE STHERULES SO IT?S RIGHT!
But somehow, in regards to the epilogue, the correct choice is to deprive her of freedom/ovveride her wish?
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