View Full Version : Impressions on the culmination of the story... *Spoilerish*

01-14-2015, 11:34 AM
So, huh... all that just to be told that life is pointless and everything we do is pretty much worthless. Great story ubisoft! I can see why the game shipped so broken now.

Oh wait, and the belief in a higher power makes you a raving lunatic, can't forget that. I find that to be quite dismal, and ridiculous really. There are evil men in every group of every belief or lack of belief, there will be evil men (and women) who use ANYTHING any ideal any concept to control and manipulate people. But, as I learned from your wonderful story telling... it doesn't matter, because "evil" and "right and wrong" don't actually exist.

Was it that you just couldn't think of a good way to actually end the story and make it seem interesting? Had to go right for the anti-religion (and belief in a higher power) card. Way to hop on the band wagon.

Anyway, that was my rant. What a dumb ending, what a stupid way to end the story. Why not spread hope instead of dismal emptiness?

01-14-2015, 04:22 PM
Why do you find the story so anti-religion and where did you find the message that life is pointless? The Arno's thoughts at the end are the thoughts of a character in a work. Even if it is a prominent character, it doesn't mean that it is the message of the work itself, or that we are expected to agree. Those are the words of a man who lost a loved one and as such, they are typical.

Also, what he says right after apparently denying the existence of God makes me think that his words are more related to this world than the other: "No supreme being watches to punish us for our sins. Only we ourselves can guard against our obsessions." It is not so much a statement that there is no God, merely that, if there is one, he does not meddle in what we do [in this world] and so it is up to us to make this world just, without a guarantee for our success from any higher power. That is something we see every day: bad things being done and bad people getting away with it sometimes.

As for "life being pointless", Arno is speaking about "dreaming of leaving our stamp upon the world even while dying in a conflict that no history books will record". That bold part, the conflict in which people are dying, but no history books will record, is the conflict between Assassins and Templars. They fight. they die and they sink into obscurity, oblivion. Like his beloved Elise.

That's what the speech is about. Those are very subjective words of Arno Dorian, man who, throughout the game, was never prepared to sacrifice his beloved for his goals, but ended up paying that price anyway. Life isn't pointless, life is precious! Life of Elise was "too high a toll that the road he walked carried" (words he says a little earlier).

And ultimately, those are the words to think about, but not what the creators of the work are telling us we should think.

01-14-2015, 04:31 PM
I must thank you for such a very well thought out and mind opening reply. I suppose it having been very early in the morning when I beat it (and very frustrated due to crashes) I was not in much of an introspective mind set. I did understand the part concerning the conflict that no history books will record though.

After reading your insights I find it makes much more sense and it fits quite well with the events he had just gone through. I myself am not overly religious and I must admit I tend to lean towards that view, that if there is a God and we are here for a purpose... why would our hand be held throughout the ordeal? Would it not render it pointless?

I thank you again for the wonderful comment and conversation. I am an emotional person and my emotions take hold over my mind quite often, it is nice to be treated not as a fool or sub-human due to this flaw, thank you for the decency,

I hope the day finds you well.

01-14-2015, 04:33 PM
Also, I do not mention God and religion to preach, it is all for conversation.

01-14-2015, 04:39 PM
Thanks. :) The funny thing is that you made me watch the ending again before I replied, so thanks to your post I now understand the ending better than before as well. :D