Impressions on The End

How does the story explore the philosophies of death?

There might have been a story but it wasn't expressed clearly, in this game, you cannot find a clear 3 way act structure. A beginning, middle and ending. It is one of like those films where you don't know what is happening throughout the start and halfway, but once you get through the end, you realize the purpose of everything the character does. Then you understand what the story is. I assume that the developer did not want to show the audience the story cause then you automatically understand what you have to do, and what your goal is in the game, Then after a while you tend to get bored cause you know what is being expected.

I am honestly fascinated at this question and whoever came up with it because it definitely got me thinking REAL deep. The story is very interesting though because it takes you places where death is involved, like the first stage of The End where the character gets hit by a giant hot blazing rock. That also intrigued me, you (the character) getting hit by the meteore and you fall into your death but, that is how the whole game start (weirdly intrigued).

 The story explores the philosophies of death by each completed level you are asked a death-related question. It questions your morality and your self as a whole individual and how you live your life, or how you want to live your life or what your perspective is about on our body, mind, and spirit as human beings. Some questions are trickier than the other, some says "Is it possible to be happy simply living in the moment?" and some are just as brain twister as the rest. Makes me wonder. how does this game developer come up with such puzzling questions.

 what did he/she go through to experience or feel these odd type of questions in order to see what society thinks of it. When i looked at this game or just read the title of it, i immediately thought of death. why wouldn't i? "The End" sounds so cliche. Anything that ends with End or starts or even have something that almost sound like death related, it involves death. Do you fear death? boom! i posed a question just like how this developer did. how did i do it? i guess it is from my own personal perspective, i have seen loved ones go, and felt the pain which made me pose this question. what i am trying to say is, not only did these developers create this game for entertainment but maybe, they have some sort of personal relation towards the bigger idea here. Death. Like what Mr. Cummings said if you are passionate about it, you just do it. He/she must have a personal relationship with this game to develop something so brain twisting and fun at the same time.

Can anyone else truly know what it's like to be you? The last question to this maze. it probably got you thinking deep about life and everything, even i couldn't answer it. I admire the hard thought that has been put in this game. The philosophies of death? this game explored so much more than just the philosophy of death, it discovered your beliefs, your perspective of society, and your personality as a human being. This game explores you as an individual and your role in this world of living.

In addition, i noticed that in the beginning you die in order to start the journey, but it gets weirder because you die (when playing the game) again after you have already died?. Does this suggests that the developer believes in life-after death? the developer should have created a monster or something that drags the player to the saved checkpoint in the game to make the morality more clearly. I also notice another aspect in the game, After a completed level and answering the question, you (the character) is facing two doors, saying yes or no. i find this cliche, because it is relevant to most horror films, where the character is scared to open the door or scared at what is on the other side of the door. A significant key aspect of a horror genre. CHECK THIS LINK ( go down to number 8).

what themes/messages are clearly displayed by the story?

From my own perspective and experience in this game, the story that is being portrayed is "Being prepared for death" or " Your role as a human being in this world of living". As the character progresses through the game, you stand in front of 3 worlds Body, mind, and spirit. Completing each level and answering all the questions, the game questions your morality. Morality is principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour. It questions whether you as a person are a selfish or loving person. The questions in the game gets the consumers to think of their morality and how they view society, almost like this game is set to analyse you as a living person. The message that is being conveyed is that deep down everyone is just as cruel as the next person. Because at the end of the day, we will turn to help ourselves to live than helping someone who is in trouble. As an audience, the questions made me attempt to go out of my christianity religion to answer questions like "should anyone else hold the power of life and death over someone else", a christianity answer will say yes. And that is our lord God and no one else should hold the power but the man who gave us life. But a Level 3 Media analysis student, i will say yes. But questions it with why will he have the power of death, and bestow it on to someone who is pure hearted and let the thief at night have a longer life spam. why?

which culture does the story look at?

Now this game has opened it's doors to religion. Is this game religious? or is the developer religious? if so, then that explains why there is alot of, religion aspects in this game, like the questions to shadow movements representing souls after death when you leave your bag of bones and float to your after life. Analytically i can say this game is a religion based game but it also has some Asian culture woven in it. Like the death cards battle, this gives a off feel of Asian qualities because it somehow relates to the game Mahjong. CHECK THIS LINK a well known board game played in China and the shadow power advancement, I believe this is a Asian component because we analyse films that reveals shadow movements as part of their martial arts. CHECK THIS LINK. The story looks at a virtual, afterlife religion type of culture that is a ground base for this game. It has a search engine opening its peaks to different beliefs, determining the consumer in what they should believe. All the monsters in the game reflects to Eastern kind of beliefs, where there is a six arm person with four eyes drooling all over you. Eastern beliefs are Buddhism, Ancient greeks, Myths that are real (e.g Zeus, Athena and so forth) Things that we humans or western cultured find it abnormal but for others it is their normality. It is what they grew up to know. As a christian person, i will say that this is not true and there is no consideration into thinking otherwise, but through this game, does this mean there are living proof that eastern culture is somewhat true? How does the developer determine these two culture into two different beliefs but have me a consumer confuse in my beliefs?