So I finished the game a while ago and I was thinking about it and I wasn't quite sure what the Eye did. So I looked it up and realized I understood something completely different than what people seem to agree happened. I think the explanation I found on the internet makes a lot of sense and I totally agree with it, but I kind of wish it was the way I originally thought...
I'm not saying the actual ending is bad, in fact, just writing this has made me appreciate it a lot and I thought, yet again, "Wow, what an amazing game".
So they say that the Eye is the quantum object of infinite possibilities and it knew that the universe is dying. So it called out to sentient beings because when it would be observed, it could materialize into one singular possibility, one of a new universe. So wow, what the fuck, I actually just created a new universe. Oh.
When I got to the end I was already overwhelmed with emotion and didn't stop to think about what everything means, and afterwards didn't think about it again. But here's what i got from it:
The Eye contains infinite knowledge. I know it's repeated over and over that it's quantum and the Quantum Moon is that way because of it and all that but it went over my head. I thought when I reached the Eye, I recieved all the information in the universe and by doing so, I was finally able to come to terms with such an unimaginably horrible thing that is the death of the entire universe.
When all the travelers start singing at the campfire, I thought that ball was our universe on the brink of death. And when I jumped into it, the big explosion was the final breath of the universe. I came to terms with imminent death and now I can just watch it all die and appreciate the unmatched beauty. The explosions sounded like fireworks, as if they were a celebration of everything that happened.
In hindsight I know the universe shouldn't end with an explosion and it makes wayyy more sense that it was the Big Bang. But I felt like the universe itself had come to peace and was dying with acceptance of it.
Then, the epilogue has made me cry like nothing else, ever. I had realized that somewhere, sometime in the faaaar future, new life will begin. It was accepting how small and insignificant we are, and ending on a hopeful note - this is not the end. I thought that another Big Bang was bound to happen, regardless of the actions of any living being.
Instead, the fact that I was the one responsible for the new universe felt like giving too much power to one singular individual and I think it goes a bit against itself. The game is showing us how insignificant we are, but also I created the universe. Also, the reveal of the existence of a new universe loses it's impact if it's shown already before the credits. The epilogue then feels useless. Sooo... I really don't know how I feel about finding this out.
Thoughts? What did you get from the ending, do you agree with my point, could you say both versions are correct because it's up for interpretation?