Amnesia: Justine Discussion Topic

[Diz]

Hiya! Justine is, indeed, an interesting expansion. If you are interested, you can also read other theories answering questions in this topic.

I may not be able to add much to the contribution of the awesome members above, but here we go anyway!

Warning: spoilers ahead (in case you failed to read the threads title)

1. At the end when you saw the body hanging from the ceiling I thought that was Justine, but then my character talked and said something like "I was never meant for such light". Then when I went through the door and walked the game took over and forced me to walk and I heard some servant (Calrice I think?). So was I Justine the whole time? if so who was the person hanging from the ceiling... I am confused on that.

2. Towards the end of the game where she asks you "who you saved and why" I thought about it and I had not saved any of them. Mainly because I was just trying to survive or couldn't figure out how to. Was I supposed to save them or was it just optional?

3. What exactly is the moral of the story here? was I Justine or [like in my first question] was it the person who was hanging upside down in the last area (where the walls close in)?

Note: I am not to sure what to think... hopefully someone can help me out to understand the story .

1. Nice. Although I was having mild suspicion I might be Justine from the start, I was thinking the same thing seeing that body the first time I played the game. However, when she got back up to her feet, saying "this was the best one yet", I realized it really was her. Finally, unless I am mistaken, in one of the endings, Clarice calls for Justine name, and then you reply to her. The body in the ceiling is likely the body of another prisoner. Perhaps it is her father - who knows?

2. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a game where you are in control from start to finish, and this includes the outcome of it all. Amnesia: Justine expands on this by allowing you to decide and even fight for the fate of more than a single prisoner. In this world, it is up to you whether you did what you were supposed to do.

One interesting fact you bring up here is that you merely wanted to survive, which as you know, will be easier if you simply do not want to help the prisoners or are tempted by evil or murderous actions. I believe this is part of the test, to see how much you are willing to go out of your way to save the lives of others, if you have a hint of humanity left within you.

3. I think the moral of the story is similar to the one in Amnesia: The Dark Descent, in which I would say it is about how different stressed and life-threatening situations can affect a human being. You know nothing about the game when you start, so "becoming the character" while being immersed is fairly easy. Even when you learn horrible things you did, you still might feel connected and even responsible, because under stressed and chaotic situations like that past has the potential of making you act very differently, bringing out sides we were not aware of in the first place. For all we know, Daniel was a sane person like most of us, only to become insane and affected by the situation at hand to the point where he did all these terrible things. Having forgotten almost everything about your life, you may feel like a totally different person, or at the very least upon reading or experiencing flashbacks of the situation, have grounds for looking at your actions from a very different point of view.

I feel the moral of Justine may be a little similar in core. Justine in no doubt carries an intensely crazy personality, but upon overdosing and having a temporary amnesia effect, her crazy side takes a break from kicking in. She not only wakes up with no recollection whatsoever about herself, but she also wakes up completely terrified, giving her the opportunity of a fresh personality until the very end of the game. She is scared, and so are the prisoners. She may easier connect with them, thinking they are all in this together.

Justine only seemed to do this, not out to change herself, but just to study the human psyche and if she was capable of temporarily changing, and I believe this is the core moral in both The Dark Descent and Justine. A person is capable of changing big time temporarily (if not permanently) under certain extreme conditions. This is also why I feel I (or anyone) can be the character in these games, if only for the duration of the amnesia effect.

Note: I am not to sure what to think... hopefully someone can help me out to understand the story .

These are the type of games where getting together with other members and sharing thoughts and theories is a very good thing. These games really make one think, and sharing thoughts about them is so much fun!