When can I say that? I don’t remember such a choice 
2 Likes
Also if you have high puppet individuality they will automatically freak out and crash the car while at the same time confirming that the puppet works for the villain. You don’t have any choices in that case
The scene
if puppet_individuality >= 50
*goto senemy
*else
*goto oenemy
*label senemy
“It’s okay; take your time.” Why does Ortega have to sound so reasonable? Good at ${his} job. Too good.
“They’re going to kill me.” You can feel the chill running down your spine, a cold sweat making damp spots on your clothes.
*if precognition >= 30
[i]A terrible sound. The light…
“I won’t let them.” $!{his} voice is hard now, putting the pieces back together.
*if galaortega
“Did you go to the gala with me on their orders?”
*else
“I assume that’s why you were at the gala? On their orders?”
“Yes,” you admit, blinking hard. Your eyes are stinging. “I swear I didn’t know what ${che} @{sv was|were} planning. I could have been killed. $!{che} @{sv doesn’t|don’t} care if I live or die. Just that I’m useful.” The bitterness surprises you, part of you hates how you are using ${puppet_name}, and it looks like it just got a voice. “$!{che} @{sv is|are} using me.”
*if (((che != “he”) and (che != “she”)) and (che != “they”))
*set oc + 10
“Not anymore.” $!{he} reaches out to put a hand on your shoulder, and you almost swerve into another car by mistake. “I’m sorry, ${puppet_name}, but I have to arrest you. We’ll protect you from ${chim},”
*if oc > 40
a faint hitch to ${his} voice, but
the smile is confident. “If you help bring ${chim} in, I will talk to the prosecutors. I’m sure we can work something out.”
Your hands are shaking, and you fumble the seat belt on as if that could steady you. “I can’t,” you mumble, staring straight ahead. Are you crying? “You don’t understand. $!{che} won’t let me go. $!{che}'ll always reach me.” You feel feverish; the truth is so mixed with lies you don’t even know how to begin to untangle it. Or if you should. Are you talking to yourself? You can’t let Ortega bring you in. There’s no difference between losing ${puppet_name} to death or prison. Lost all the same. The car is picking up speed.
“Make me understand then,” ${he} snaps, an edge of frustration to ${his} voice. “Make me understand what kind of hold ${che} @{sv has|have} over you. I want to help.”
*if ortega_friendship >= 70
You want to mumble, don’t say it, don’t say it, but ${he} says it all the same.
*else
Does ${he}? Or does ${he} just want to solve this?
*if puppetortega_relationship != “none”
“I care about you.”
*if puppetortega_relationship = “none”
“Please let me.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” you lie, but the tears in your eyes turn it into truth.
*if ortega_rival
“$!{che} @{sv does|do}.”
*if pastself_rival
The past might be dead but not forgotten.
*if self_rival
“Please believe that.”
You smile a little as you i[/i] @{sv turns|turn} the wheel, sending the car crashing into oncoming traffic. The airbag hits you like a punch.
You are wearing your seat belt. Ortega is not.
*set puppetworkforvillain true
*set puppet_proof + 50
*set ortega_clue 0
*if oc > 40
*set oc + 10
*set crm true
*set pcrash true
*goto crash
4 Likes
Ugh. I guess I’ll get that scene.
Screw it. I’ll try 3.1 path. I’m not a big fan of the doctor, but I like them a bit more in Revelations and their base is the best place for recovery.
4 Likes
Maybe I’m misremembering this, but I don’t think you actually need to be friends or lovers with Ortega as your puppet in order for them to tell you that they suspected you of working with the new villain?
I’m done many playthroughs where the puppet no longer has any relationship with Ortega, yet I’m sure they still told me that anyway.
2 Likes
I think I’m in the minority, I just use the puppet as a tool. In my main playthrough, I’m a Mob Boss basically building my one little army or elite squad with the goal of exposing/destroying the farm, and the puppet is just there as way to keep anonymity. If we find out there’s still someone there I’ll probably take him out as a precaution since they might remember something.
@Nm6k It’s not really me disliking it, more so to get the path, it goes against how I play it.
17 Likes
Not as much as you might think, quite a few people don’t like the puppet stuff though I’m not one of them
5 Likes
Yeah, personally not big on the puppet, nor are my Sidesteps (for different reasons from yours, though).
I had to intentionally play to end the second game stuck in the puppet and I will never, ever do it again god it creeps me out, haha.
8 Likes
I also consider this body a tool, but my Sidestep feels quite comfortable in it.
He is ruthless enough that he probably won’t hesitate to kill Ace (or whoever it is) to get that tool back. In the worst case he will destroy the body as well.
It’s so fun route to play, though. The intruder in our mc’s body is the most creepy thing in the story and it’s even worse in Revelations, but damn it’s like good horror movie for me.
2 Likes
That person can keep the body. I want the whole body and the being inside dead so I can live a peaceful life in the puppet body I consider the true body. 
1 Like
Me too. I always have to go out of my way to end up stuck in their body since my MC doesn’t see any motive to use it when it’s not actually necessary (and doesn’t care much about their wellbeing as long as he can keep his anonymity)
I’m very curious to see which imposter I’ll end up with and to see them interacting with Step, though.
5 Likes
… “puppet” could become the new Sidestep lol. Their powers could work more or less like telepathy to help avoid opponent’s attacks. I wonder how the Rangers would react to this!
But my MC would never stay in the puppet. There’s work to do. And he’s pissed at the intruder for stealing his identity. And he needs telepathy. And Ortega and Herald would still care of fake Sidestep…
1 Like
Oh, for sure I wholeheartedly agree with that, but I’m not playing for a horror movie, haha.
I’ve never really felt drawn to the puppet options; I just want to help my Sidestep build a life for themself and for me that starts with finding a way to exist relatively comfortably in their own body (at least, eventually). They can’t exist as a satellite to themself forever.
2 Likes
To be perfectly honest, I view the Step-Pup relationship as one of the weakest aspects of the story.
Even when i play as more Pup centric Steps, Puppet never really feels more than a tool. Which, tbf, they’re meant to be but the idea of Pup being Step’s “safe haven” just never really clicked with me.
I know it works for several others, but just not for me.
7 Likes
I think the self-image / gender-feel aspects of the puppet storyline will hit differently for different people. Like, for me there’s Egg-Steps who only start to unravel their gender identity through the puppet and trans Sidesteps wishing their real body was as “perfect” as the puppet body. Even outside of all that stuff i think it’s fairly common for Steps to think that the puppet is ‘objectively’ better looking than them. And then there’s the whole Re-Gene vs Human body aspect to it.
I think it’s an aspect of the story were you only really get out what you’re willing to put in. It’s not going to click with everyone and that’s fair, but personally I’ve always found it to be an interesting narrative. There’s a lot of self-reflection Step can get up to with the puppet.
25 Likes
There’s also the matter of age. It may not occur (yet) to some readers, but a 30-something Sidestep is at the point where they get to realize being some decade younger is pretty fucking nice.
18 Likes
in all my playthroughs - either as a “good” anti-hero or a complete psychopath and everything in between - i’ve never explored the puppet path. and i never will. i may be passing on extra content and achievements (not that i care for them), but i just don’t like playing it like that.
7 Likes
It’s their physical age. If the info on Wiki is correct, their birth date - 2002 then they are still in their early 20s.
The puppet body matches their actual age 
4 Likes
Yeah but i meant it in simple, physical sense, not mental age. Sidestep’s body is past 30 and that’s what they get to experience. So switching to the younger version can be quite a change.
10 Likes
As an Egg myself it deffo hits! xD
5 Likes
Especially if you take into account all of the physical wear and tear they’ve been through - both as a former vigilante with a suppressed sense of pain and someone who survived a traumatic fall.
13 Likes