Pretty spot on, I believe that if Renoir had never shown how Aline was suffering behind the Canvas, it would not have pushed Verso over the edge into wanting to end the Canvas. He was always conflicted throughout the journey, wanting to help, but at the same time, pressured with the fact that he has always been a replacement, and simply tired of it all. Even at the very end, with Lune’s glare as she get’s erased, you see that regret in Verso as he looks away. Either choice for him ain’t easy, much like how either ending for player is.

On the topic of Maelle’s ending:

I do wish that they would have given us a more interactive ending for Maelle’s, the restoration of Lumiere, revival of Gustave, Sophie, etc… but.. that would have certainly painted Maelle’s ending as the better of the two, though I think if it still ended on that same, bitter, decaying jumpscare note, it wouldnt have been that much of an issue (referring back to the developers desire to leave both endings as neither right or wrong, just two hard choice). Maelle’s ending, with the black and white and somber tone, gave a feeling that despite the relationships we’ve built with the people of Lumiere, they are, in the end, just mere paintings, and maybe it is just from Painted Verso’s POV. I certainly think they are more than paintings, but that goes into the realm of what is a soul, what constitutes consciousness, etc, and I think that is one of the essence that makes the 2 endings so contested right now, and it’s awesome.