At last, we have arrived at the bitter truths at the heart of Snaktooth Island. We have resolved(or at least tried to resolve) the lingering issues that hang heavy upon the hearts of our fellow Grumpuses, and it’s time to bring our expedition to its shocking conclusion.
But remember, no matter what happens, this is a cheery kids game about hybrid snack food/insect creatures that transform the person who eats them.
W3 4Re Wh4t W3 3At! 😉
Special thanks go out to TheAffableGiraffe on YouTube for doing the uncomfortable work letting all of the Grumpuses die during the final confrontation.
Now that I’ve seen the genocide ending, I understand why characters who have completed their sidequests are immune during the finale. By helping them complete their character arcs, we essentially break the allure that Bugsnax have for each of them. Once they realize that Bugsnax are not going to magically save them from their problems in the outside world, they’re able to rationally and logically approach the situation and resist the compulsion to indulge.
That said, I do still maintain my stance that I wish the game had gone farther down the eldritch horror angle that they pivot to in the finale. It would have been cool if our feeding Bugsnax to our friends had doomed them to snakification before we were even aware of the dangers. Part of what makes that such a cool twist is that it completely recontextualizes every single thing we have done up until this point since almost every activity is around catching the Bugsnax and feeding them to our fellows. If we experienced consequences for all that we’ve done up to that point, it would have added that much more to the horror of it all.
But despite that, I appreciate how closely the game holds its cards to its chest. Every aspect of the twist is carefully seeded early on, so it doesn’t come out of nowhere. What we lack is the vital piece of information that ties all of it together… right up until the interview with Lizbert. The true nature of the Bugsnax, parasites that infest and assimilate those who consume them, suddenly brings together the complete story.
The team at Young Horses should be proud of the work they put into Bugsnax. It’s an easy recommendation from me.
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