It's possible that my points run in parallel with this post from 8 months ago, but I just wanted to speak my mind on this matter. I don't really my mind the gameplay aspects of NG+ where you go in alone and lose all of your material possessions in your current universe, as I think that seems like a fair enough trade-off of basically hopping into a whole other universe. My main concern really, is the thematic implications of the Unity ending.

I know this isn't the main issue with the game, but it certainly was something that irked me on my first playthrough. I suppose this really builds off the main issue with how the illusion of choice was borderline excessive at times in terms of the direction the game wanted you to go with certain quests. I know BGS isn't known for being the most free when it comes to freedom of choice in their RPGs, but even in Fallout it felt like you still had a diverse amount of choices of going about completing a quest. The Paradiso quest being one of the most glaring ones, of course.

With that being said, the fact that there was only one real "fixed" ending really grinded my gears, with that being where you walk into the Unity. It really felt like the game left little room for nuance with the Unity, and basically forced players' hands into accepting it as the "absolute truth". That is, if you choose to reject the Unity, you basically are constantly reminded that "Hey, the Unity is right there. The answer to the biggest question of the universe is right there and you're going to turn it down?".

I suppose part of it is that they don't want to lock out players from starting a Starborn NG+, but given that we can make multiple characters, it shouldn't be out of the question for a player to have one save that goes through the Unity and another that just chooses to outright reject it, locking out users from NG+ just in that save. It might seem like a minor issue as well, but in terms of the role-playing element, it would make a ton of sense.

I feel like the plurality of users here are NOT fond of the Starborn. They're introduced out of nowhere and are shoehorned right into the main questline. The explanation of them being multiversal beings on some glorified treasure hunt just to experience the Unity again really felt like such a disappointing theme, and when the Hunter and the Emissary were both making me pick a side, I literally could not care about either of them. The intrigue was underwhelming, and the reveal was underwhelming. My whole point, really, is that the reject option should have been more firm. Outright reject the Unity, and take a firm stand where you basically turn your universe into a "Last Stand" against all Starborn. Really, I don't get why the guy seems to nudge players into the idea that being a Starborn is that great.

TL;DR There should've been another firm ending where you outright reject the Unity and basically turn NG+ into fighting back against the Starborn in your own original universe, without the game pressuring you into re-considering the Unity.