chapter 8

Nothing was really explained...no backstory on master medical man Ruvik except his sister being killed. Hints of a larger backstory for Kidman (especially at the end when she tell the doctors to leave you connected to the machine) but no info give. Did Joseph survive? There was a conspiracy that got his daughter killed and put his wife in hiding or something....what was the conspiracy? Since she was missing persons bureau I guess she caught wind of Ruvik stealing people to F with their minds? Was she killed? still hiding somewhere? Throughout the game they dropped lots of interesting tidbits and then just left it at that....

There's quite a bit of backstory to Ruvik, remember the flashbacks in the mansion?

Lots of theories about what's going on have already been pieced together and are out there if you're interested enough to search.

Essentially, based on what we do see in the game rather than theories, you can gather that Ruvik was a child genius with morbid interests and wealthy parents. The doctor encouraged his work and provided him with specimens for experiments from the mental hospital. The death of his sister in the fire and his resulting physical scars made him even more deranged, and his parents had him committed. He returned, murdered them, and continued the experiments until he was finally successful in creating the brain-linking machine. The doctor betrayed him and had him murdered, but preserved his brain inside the machine. The entire game takes place with the characters being linked to his brain via the machine and thus inside his mind. His goal was to transfer his own consciousness into Leslie since he was compatible. Kidman's organization was trying to prevent that, but we don't know why the other characters are linked in or how they got there.

At the end, you destroy the brain but it appears as though Ruvik's mind was successful in escaping into the real world in Leslie's body. But did that really happen or was Sebastian still linked in and the end wasn't actually reality? We'll probably find out in the inevitable sequel (since the game was surprisingly successful). Hopefully it's a more polished experience.

Also, one of the planned DLCs is about Kidman, so I suspect we'll learn more about her involvement then. Maybe more about Joseph's fate, too.

I thought the townsfolk just burned down the barn out of jealousy for the rich folks. They didn't mean to kill the kids since the one guys mentions he heard laughing inside and the other one says "nobody is here". Then, once Ruvik escapes and realizes what happened he goes off and starts his nutso experiments.

I get that it all took place in Ruvik's mind. Hopefully the DLC will help us see who orchestrated it all in the real world...if Ruvik is just a brain hooked to the machine, and the doctor is inside with you and gets killed....who was it in the real world that actually took people and hooked them to the machine?
The way the game loops back to the beginning I think that the beginning of the first chapter was real, with the investigation at the hospital. At some point in chapter 1 you get knocked out and at that point someone hooks you to Ruvik's machine and from that point on, the game takes place in Ruvik's mind. I guess at the end Joseph and Kidman are still attached? Presumably to be disconnected by the other cops that are now moving into the building?

That is why the townsfolk burned down the barn, but the one guy says "I didn't hear anything" in a tone that implies he definitely did hear the kids inside. I'm not sure that's really important to the overall story, though. The flashbacks show that little Ruvik was already doing experiments and being influenced/helped by the doctor before he has the post-fire bandages.

And if you rewatch the opening cutscene when they're on the way to the hospital, they hear the high-pitched noise that makes their heads hurt, which indicates that they are already hooked up to the machine. Interestingly, Kidman does not react to it. I knew something suspicious was up with her the first time I played through the game because of that.

at the very end, you are still hooked to the machine. Your only glimpse of the real world is Kidman telling someone to leave you "and those other two" connected. Once Leslie turns to dust, that is Ruvik inhabiting leslie and heading out. The boss battle and you stomping Ruvik's brain are how Seb wants things to play out but he is stomping an empty brain. The shot of him seeing Leslie walk away and when Leslie "fades out" is Ruvik, in Leslie's body, heading into the real world while you stay stuck in the machine thanks to Kidman.

what is up with Kidman so I guess the DLC will help with that. She doesn't want Ruvik to get out, but at the same time she and her group seem to want his research.

I was Laura's bitch for several days. I think I tried to kill her since last Saturday, 30 minutes sessions almost every day since then, until last night. And yeah, I immediately checked a walkthrough, but still couldn't do it.
I know that you don't have to kill her, you can just run, even trying that was impossible. Last night finally the corridor was open, to reach the elevator, and I start running and my energy is consumed immediately. I was killed trying to get to the elevator.
But I knew I was closer, so I kept trying and 10+ minutes later I was able to run away from her.

I swear the game glitched at the boss fight with the safehead in the meat locker...I must have run in circles shooting him for about 20 minutes waiting for that elevator door to open. I swear I damaged him enough to trigger the elevator 2 or 3 times over