Having played through the game with the commentary on, I think there's another problem; the designer Dave Gilbert said that an important theme was supposed to be that the members of the Grace Group had "skipped" the experiences that lead them to their "destinations" in life and were "weak" because of that. Madeline directly says their souls are weak, but I don't think it comes through in any other way.

Lia's whole story is one of being panicked because of the threat of spiritual annihilation. Her choices don't work out very well, but I don't see how she's weak or why. Peter had a blind-spot regarding his father but the conclusion of that story reveals that he was simply ignorant and from long before he went to the Grace Group. Heather has trouble reconciling her past but surely she would have that problem anyway; it's because prostitution is illegal and considered shameful that she had this problem. When forced to confront it she actually processes it pretty easily.

Michael does so little in the story I don't think we can get any insight into his personality and we know nearly nothing about the other members of the group.

I don't think this intended theme comes through at all and ends up just being a plot device to allow these characters' ghosts to be eaten.

This was my least favorite game in the series story-wise, which really disappointed me. I liked a lot of it, but the ending was sort of ridiculous and non-sensical. Had virtually no impact on me.

Haha... and I thought I was the only one.

I liked a lot of Epiphany, too. But the endgame scenario was something I didn't like very much.
While Blackwell still had supernatural elements, the ghosts, and worked with it, the first game were still more down to earth.
There was always some kind of urgency, like the Deacon and the Baroness. But then comes... the void. This was just way too much. Or should I say "over the top"?

And the ending was also something I liked very much. Rosa dies and Joey comes back to life.
But what then? Joey died during the 30ies, what is he going to do for a living? HOW is he supposed to explain he's died almost 100 years ago?
As of now, Joey has absolutely nothing.
The ending would have been a lot more satisfying, if Joey would have been sent into the light and Rosa still died.

And yet, more questions remain. There's no Bestower anymore and apparantly no spirit guide left. New spirits will obviously appear. Who will send them into the light? Melinda Gordon?

Endign the Blackwell-Series, fine. But this ending wasn't satisfying at all and leaves way too much open.
But as a german saying goes: "Better an end with horror than horror without end." ("Ein Ende mit Schrecken, als ein Schrecken ohne ende." as it sounds in the original.)

In any case, waiting for the next release by Wadjet Eyes.
Maybe I should bother beating Primordia finally, but I don'T get into that game.

I was disappointed that Epiphany didn't continue the storyline of the "soul vampires" a bit more, but the game was incredibly satisfying in almost every other way. When I heard that Epiphany was going to be the last game, I was really disappointed because I never thought that Wadjeteye would have enough time to wrap up even half of the storylines that the blackwell series already had going. Epiphany's length helped out a bit, but aside from the normal fun excursions into the lives of individual ghosts, the storyline moved along very quickly--what efficient storytelling!


Spoilers

For those of you who are worried about Joey, don't be. He has been around; the guy has existed for decades, and he's seen a lot of--er--life. Also, Joey is a very resourceful entity. If anyone can figure out how to get along in the physical world these days without documents, a prior employment history, a credit rating, etc., it's Joey. I'm sure he's going to get himself a stiff drink, touch everything in sight, and then get down to the business of figuring out his everyday life.

SPOILERS


I have to admit that the ending was disappointing for me. I mean... logically it was an awesome ending. I just feel like I'd invested a lot in Rosa and was kinda attached to the character. Her death was like a punch in the gut, but I guess that was the idea. And it did bring closure to the series.

The Joey thing was a concern to me. He's there with no money, no papers, no where to live (unless he's squatting in Rosa's apartment - but if that was rented wouldn't it have been taken away when she was committed to the mental institute?)

Somehow I see him getting involved with the mob just to make ends meet.

I know this is just a game and these people aren't real..... But damn.

Bit late to this thread. Sorry! I should really visit these forums more often.

It has always amused me that the idea of Joey having no papers or ID upsets people so much. As if that was a more problematic situation than being dead. :) Rosa probably made allowances for that. If she had the power to bring him back from the dead, she probably had the power to give him a social security number.

At the least, Joey has access to Rosa's apartment keys and her bank cards. It'll be enough to get him started.

Huh? You're saying that when Rosa zapped him back to life, she also zapped the necessary records into existence within the necessary government departments? Well, alright, if you say so.

I finished the game yesterday and I loved it from beginning to the end (as I loved all the predecessors). Imo this is a masterpiece in writing and character design. I had to cry over pixel animations - how is that even possible? But then again I have one simple question: why did you let Rosa die in the end? She was young and she still had a life to live. She already lost her parents and her auntie - why does she have to die? Where is the upside of this or weren't there simply any believable alternatives? I loved the Rosa character from the beginning (starting with this great overacted smile), maybe even more than Joe so I'd be really interested why you chose to let her end this way.

I agree that Epiphany was the best part. I liked that the "spooks" had a deeper connection to the main plot. I also felt that the game was longer, but there were fewer original angles for puzzle solving. I played the entire series in one go for the first time and I'm kind of surprised that so many people love this series. It was... alright. But I found the series plot just too thin for my liking, too focussed.

I thought the ending was fine up until Joey's final monologue. This is a man who knows what life after death is, who has literally heard the universe speak, who has the power to do stuff after a lifetime of being powerless.

The way he resignedly talked about not being able to hear ghosts felt entirely wrong, especially after just ten minutes ago saying he'd be a spirit guide for a million years and not allow another Madeline to happen.

The way everyone failed to notice that ten million people almost died was also a mistake at the end of the series. It's just silliness and while it's understandable in the middle of a story there's no reason to do so at the end. Momentous events that have no consequences are far too close to 'it was all a dream'.

The mood of the ending fits the series pretty well. It's bitter-sweet, existential and ambiguous. What does it mean? There is no clear answer. So it fits. At the same time, I don't feel a sense of resolution. Joey just muses about life and that's it. Whatever happened to all the spooks disappearing? We get a dramatic, global shift in the way the (invisible) world works, and then we get this "life just goes on as usual" -kind of ending.

I feel the same way about Rosa dying at the end. There's an odd tension between how it's presented and what the implications are. You know how there was this theme about taking a "spiritual shortcut" in life being a bad thing? And then Rosa just does the Jesus trick and let's every spook go for free, apparently without them ever having to resolve their confusion or come to terms with the personal issues keeping them chained to earthly existence. No resolution for them either, just a direct trip to the light...
But for Rosa, the more I think about it, her dying at the end seems like mercy.
With all the spooks gone, what is she? She had no family, no close relationships, essentially nothing going for her, except her work. I know we players get to see her sympathetic side, helping people come to terms, all the joking with Joey etc. But from an outside viewpoint she seems more like a stoic, alienated human shell, than a well-adjusted human being. And who could blame her? Who could even begin to understand her? What would she do in life, having nothing to do and knowing what she knows? She if finished at the end, having thoroughly spent her purpose. There is no residue, no lost and confused spook, not even a final goodbye. She and Joey share a happy moment thinking about a vacation somewhere sunny, and then she just immediately dies.

That Joey goes on living hints that at least he has something left to do in life.

Just finished all the games, they were good. I have some mixed feelings regarding the story and think it could be approached in a more rich way... BUT I will give them that most of the stuff happening was unexpected.
I Also feel like Epiphany retconned a lot of stuff from the previous game so it could all end and let no loose ends... wich is probably for the best. But tossed away some cool concepts and some execution of reveals were bland, (for example, Joey's death).

Can't blame them though, had lots of fun with this series and they are really well made. Just not gonna let it slide that there was room for improvement :P