Are true routes / grand finale routes something you enjoy?

[usagi-k]

i feel like in recent games it's become kind of mandated thing where instead of having the lore be properly divided across routes the writing formula prefers to either dump all the exposition behind the final locked li or have a separate finale route / heroine route that focuses on the story with the mc not ending up with anyone ^^ i wanted to know everyone's opinions on the latter since people dont usually discuss these when talking about a game and i dont know if people even enjoy playing them in the first place. if youre someone who cares about the game's mystery and lore im sure you'd like them and care if theyre well written but what about the people who are only there for the romance? since most of the time the heroine doesnt really end up with anyone and it feels like this harem type situation lol

in my case while i do like these routes i wish it wasnt something that was present so often since i enjoy it a lot more when each route is equally interesting in the lore it explores ^^:; it also feels more natural that way instead of having all the heavy lifting be done by one route alone. however the nature of the routes is still for fun for me tho since we're getting close to uncovering the story we've only been fed bits and pieces of and i also really enjoy the dynamics everyone has in routes like these !! all the lis tend to not be as heavy in their pursuit for the mc but theyre still very clearly vying for her attention and more often than not personal grudges between them tend to be settled too which makes me really happy !!

 

[totallyamanda]

definitely depends on how its written, but sometimes i feel like it spurns any routes you may have played prior as nothing special or false routes as THIS is the true route. ( •̀⤙•́ )

i enjoy a 'true' route as just another route and it may tie all the finishing ends to the story but doesn't discredit or devalue the other routes.

most of the time, my favorite LI isn't the 'true' ending so it might be my bias showing here. ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡)

 

[ruuuiii]

I don't know, it really depends on if I'm obsessed with a specific route or not- if i like a route so much and another one is supposed to be the "true end" I'll feel a little upset and disappointed, because it'll feel like my favorite route is being treated as an au or not "canon".
Though if i don't care/care about all the lis equally, i guess it wouldn't bother me as much.
I guess I'm definitely someone who's only there for the romance,, unless the game is a literal masterpiece that does other genres well, I'm not a fan of these routes.

 

[sergylort]

I like them if they're not used as the true ending but rather as a the last piece of the story

 

[0.Shina.0]

"is my main LI the focus or does the ending tie up the sad ends like virche evermore?" YES i love it..if its just for the another LI i dont like or doent give enough heroine lore etc, then NO. it depends but usually i dont mind it unless its reverse harem becuase that just feels like the hours i spent on each route meant nothing for the grand finale

 

[nerim-w]

Not a fan. I wanna romance the LIs and actually have a relationship with them, not be stuck in this arbitrary reverse harem situation where eventually we dont get with anyone. It feels unsatisfying

Its even worse if they gatekeep critical pieces of lore which locked behind the true route which makes you feel like you HAVE to do it... but if i cant fall in love along the way i don't wanna play

 

[Marrychan]

Hmm, it depends? I mean, I don't mind whether there's a "true route" or not. Take Mistonia, for example: I actually prefer the characters' normal routes over the true one—the true ending just feels a bit too perfect for my taste. I definitely didn't like the conclusion regarding how they handled Tia—"yeah, it's fine for her to stay inside Aprose body while she recovers"—no, definitely not. Not to mention the pseudo-harem ending (?). On the other hand, in Radiant Tale, I really like Vilio route, and he effectively has the game's true route, It makes sense within the overall plot for him to be the canonical choice, and it also explains why he simply disappears in every route. I actually have plenty of patience for unlocking true endings across various types of games; I find it interesting.

 

[usagii]

i tend to like them when they answer questions that come up throughout the story in all the routes but just never get answered until the true ending. its nice to see some questions get answered for certain lore things usually regarding the mc or the backstory of certain things. i dont like when they are too short tho, like shorter than an actual route, cus then its like well this couldve been either put somewhere else or sprinkled into the love interest routes.

 

[satory]

Imo grand finale is not only there for lore, but for everyone to be happy. Lore is important, but there are many games where you could make happy only one person you romance, and everyone else is left with their unsolvable without MC problems. Grand finale's main point is to bring everyone together, answer unanswered questions and finish on a happy note, look at Cafe Enchante for example. Ofc it needs to be done well, and I get why it's present

 

[甘味鎮痛剤]

Personally, I really love it.
The true route is often about that resolve — "I won't give up on anyone."

That CG from Piofiore, with everyone together watching the snow after everything finally settled — it's stayed with me. Everyone survived, and that just felt so good.

All those little pieces of the truth scattered across the different routes finally come together in the true route. It honestly makes for the most satisfying ending.

In each love interest's route, they all have their own problems or emotional baggage that they can't quite resolve on their own. Sure, those issues get addressed in their individual route — but what if you don't choose that path? What happens to them then?

I want everyone to find closure. I care about each of them. In the true route, those problems often get resolved in a more complete and meaningful way, and that's something I really appreciate.

 

[fr4pp3cinn]

I do like them, and I'm someone who plays mostly for plot, but I also have some minor gripes with them

A true route will give a sense of closure to all characters, and tie all their plot points together. I don't mind unlocking the routes, and even if it has a LI that I don't really like, I can still enjoy the ending to the story. I'm also completely fine with non-romantic true endings (although I prefer romantic ones! I play otoge for stories with romance after all)

However, some games will write have weak default routes as a way to put the spotlight on the true routes, and that's something that actually bothers me. A good true ending should balance some route specific plot-points (but not all!), as well as the overarching story; but the game shouldn't leave all the plot for it! When the true route has an LI, it just ends up as the exposition and explanation route, with the romance as background (like CxM); sometimes it undermines the other LIs, leaving their stories with many loose ends and underdeveloped stories (I actually think DMMD's routes suffer from this)

The story has to make sense in every individual route. If the writers just half-ass non-true endings, I'll finish the game and think about how they should've written something else ;b If you don't care for all LIs, do a kinetic novel or something, what's the point of multiple LIs when only one seems like an actual, properly developed character...

I'll say, I actually prefer stories that go for "secret ending" approach as a little wink to the player than true ending (I really enjoyed Sweet Fuse for that, as I didn't think it was supposed to be a true ending, just a little short extra). It also explains some minor details (not the major mystery), but it doesn't sideline any LIs. I'd say Amnesia also falls into that for me, since every route has its own (satisfying) explanations for what happened with the Heroine, with the final route explaining some minor details (but mostly revealing the mystery surrounding Ukyo's behavior in the other worlds)

 

[Megha]

It depends. But I've kinda noticed over time that I'm more into side leads than the one true LI and ending. But again, depends. In some cases, the true route or grand finales are really good. I agree that the lore should be properly divided across routes, that would make it much enjoyable.

 

[Yumehara_raito]

Games with a lot of customization options usually have a "true ending" route, right? Actually, I think the main reason most people dislike true ending routes is because they're poorly written…? The true ending routes in a few of my favorite games are actually pretty good—they don't necessarily mean you don't end up with any of the characters; sometimes you do end up with one. But there are just so many poorly written stories out there that I actually have very few true endings I really like.

 

[Hiy0]

I do like the final route as a grand finale. A route in which everything finally comes together and all questions are answered.

What I do not like is if the "true" route acts as if all other routes are just lesser "alternatives" (or maybe even bad ends in comparison). Just makes me feel kind of bad for the guys that aren't the "true route" guy, especially If one of them is my fave (which usually happens).

 

[Pancito]

I think it really depends on how the story is written. If the true route adds important context, ties up the loose ends, and provides a satisfying conclusion, I usually enjoy it a lot. However, if it sacrifices the character development or the romance just to focus on the main plot, I often end up preferring the individual routes.

 

[Lynettee]

I love a well-written truth route; my clearest examples are UN: Logical and Bustafellows. In UN: Logical, it's a short, concise route that finally unveils the biggest mystery of the otome game. It doesn't tell you which route is canon, nor does it tell you if the protagonist ends up alone or with someone. You're there to complete the puzzle, and that works. I like it. I don't need a harem; the game itself states that it's a true route, so don't try to sell it to me just to force a harem on me that I don't need. Bustafellows does something similar, but lets you choose which secret route you'll use to unravel this truth, and this is a model I'd like to see adopted. I understand the desire for a deep story of destined love, but the secret secret route doesn't always end up being appealing. I'm talking to you, the secret secret route of Illusion of Itehari.

Now, an example of a bad secret ending is Mistonia's Hope. Some routes are a disaster in themselves, but that true route with hints of a harem, which was more of the same as the other routes just to get me hooked on a secondary character and throw the whole main plot in the trash, I'm sorry, but what a garbage route that was. It makes me really angry because it really was a route with a LOT of potential.

 

[lorca]

True route fan here as I tend to treat one game as one completed story. (love multi-endings too) Most otomes I've played have the big grand route locked after true one, so that part didn't really bother me.
Still, after everything MC went through, seeing her end up on her own felt kind of bittersweet.

My only two gripes though, is the true route (usually cover art LI) turns into 90% mystery and mastermind reveals, so the romance with LI is basically nonexistent. Hey I'm here for their sweet interactions
Also having underwritten routes because the game was so focused on setting up and paying off the big plot. It didn't bother me personally, but I feel bad for others if those routes are their faves.

 

[myfrral]

I usually don't play the happy ending route or the independent route of the female protagonist when playing otome games. Because the plot lacks a strong sense of romance, I have no curiosity or interest in pursuing the truth. I mainly play games to interact with the male protagonist's plot and experience a strong sense of love psychologically! My focus is on dating the male lead, which makes me feel happy enough～

 

[藍色水珠]

I think the true ending fills in the gaps in the plot or character backstories; it's not necessarily a happy ending, and might be more brutal, realistic, or even unexpected. A happy ending, on the other hand, satisfies player expectations and provides a well-rounded story. Some games incorporate different character perspectives, giving each person their own destiny. It's not necessarily a romantic ending with the female lead. For example, Steam Prison. Also, some games have better bad endings than good ones. Ultimately, it comes down to personal judgment. As long as the story is plausible, doesn't contradict itself, and resolves the game's mysteries, I can accept it.

我覺得真實路線是補足劇情架構或人物背景，不一定是好結局，可能更殘酷、真實，甚至意想不到。大團圓結局則是滿足玩家期望、面面俱到故事。有些加入不同角色視角、每人都有自己歸屬。並非和女主角談戀愛結局。例如Steam Prison。另外，有些遊戲壞結局寫得比好結局更好。最終看個人主觀認定。只要故事說得通、不會自相矛盾、遊戲謎題有交代，我都能接受。

 

[selinee]

I dislike it. For me what separates a visual novel from kinetic novel and books is the fact that they have choices. Most of the time, otome games are visual novels and their promotional materials include all love interests. But true routes (also called canon routes by some fans) usually give the spotlight to one person, because his background and/or relationship with the MC is the key to all the game's questions. It makes him seem like the MC's "fated" person while the rest are second-class citizens in their own game. In that case, my choices feel pointless because they're not "true". Adding the fact that I rarely like the "true" guy, it's not something I look forward to, but because they decide to unravel the mystery there, it's kinda necessary to play it... which makes me feel more bitter, lol.

I always find myself questioning "Did it need to be written this way?" when playing true routes, the writer certainly could've used more brain power to spread bits and pieces into all the routes instead of cramming everything into one.

 

[O cha]

I like them, but true routes or finale routes never end up being my favorite. My favorite route is almost always my favorite LI's bad ending or best ending—in other words, their romance route. As for the finale route, I enjoy it more as a nice bonus or a special treat.

Like you mentioned, I also really enjoy the dynamic where the LIs aren't as heavy in their pursuit of the MC, but are still very clearly vying for her attention. I also like that the MC, who can be pretty passive in other routes, sometimes gets to take a much more active role in the finale route. That's something I always enjoy seeing.

 

[zapp]

Heavily depends in how it's written