The Final Evaluation — Beholder: Conductor Walkthrough
As you reach the culmination of your journey in Beholder: Conductor, the game presents a final evaluation of your actions and their impact. This isn't merely a score, but a narrative conclusion that reflects the sum of your compromises, successes, and failures as Frank Schwarz, the landlord tasked with upholding the Ministry's will.
The "Final Evaluation" is the culmination of all your choices. It synthesizes your performance based on several key metrics that the Ministry, and by extension the game, deems important. These typically include your adherence to Ministry directives, your family's well-being, your personal financial status, and your overall contribution to the state's objectives. The game uses these factors to determine which of the multiple endings you will experience.
Key Factors in the Final Evaluation:
- Ministry Compliance: How many directives did you follow? How many did you ore or subvert? Did you meet your surveillance and reporting quotas? High compliance generally leads to more favorable outcomes from the state's perspective.
- Family Status: The well-being and loyalty of your wife, daughter, and son are critical. Did you protect them? Did they thrive or suffer due to your actions? Their fates are often directly tied to your choices.
- Financial Standing: Your accumulated wealth plays a role. Did you manage to enrich yourself through legal means, blackmail, or other illicit activities? Financial stability can open certain doors.
- Tenant Management: The overall state of your tenants – their happiness, their compliance, or their demise – reflects on your management. Did you maintain order, or did your actions lead to widespread discontent or tragedy?
- Moral Compromise: While not always explicitly scored, the game implicitly tracks the ethical boundaries you have crossed. This often influences the tone and nature of the final ending.
The final evaluation often takes place in a formal setting, perhaps a meeting with a high-ranking Ministry official or a solitary reflection in your apartment as events unfold. The narrative presented to you will directly address your successes and failures, painting a picture of the world you have helped to shape. For instance, a highly compliant playthrough might result in a promotion and a comfortable life, albeit one devoid of freedom. Conversely, a playthrough marked by rebellion or moral decay might lead to a grim fate for Frank and his family, or perhaps a fleeting moment of freedom at a great cost.
To achieve specific endings, players must meticulously plan their actions throughout the game, understanding how each decision contributes to the final evaluation. This might involve prioritizing certain quests, sacrificing one aspect for another, or carefully managing resources and relationships. The "Final Evaluation" serves as a powerful narrative device, reinforcing the game's themes of consequence, sacrifice, and the pervasive nature of control in a totalitarian society.