What happens if I try to continue my existing game after I beat Bastion?

Question

There's a certain point in Bastion where you are warned that, if you continue, you won't be able to go back to the Bastion or into other areas. I played through that point, beat the game, and started a new game in the "New Game Plus" mode. When I started the new game, the game overwrote my existing game, which was more or less expected.

In my current game, I will eventually hit this point again. Once I do, I have two goals:

1. Beat the game & get the achievements.
2. Challenge myself in "Who Knows Where" with the various idols active.

I would prefer to do it in the order listed above, but at this point there's no guarantee that I'd be able to get back into a satisfactory point in the game. The way I see it, there's one of three things that could happen if I try to enter the game after I beat it:

1. The game dumps me in the Bastion right before I entered the zone, allowing me to play through the other areas some more.
2. The game dumps me somewhere after I entered the point of no return, thus preventing me from going back.
3. The game simply shows statistics/credits/a message saying that I can't go back in.

Considering the events that occur after that point combined with a comment Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw makes in his review of the game, I'm guessing what occurs along the lines of option 3. However, that's just a guess. What actually happens when you select 'Continue' after completing Bastion but before starting a new game?

Answer

EDITED: After a bit of clarification in the comment, and a quick test, a slightly modified answer.

On your second play-through in "New Game Plus" mode, once you get to the point where it says you won't be able to go back, it will act like the first playthrough, in that you have to continue through to end the game. However, when you are finished with the game and after rolling the credits, you can Continue your story from the main menu. It will take you back to the Bastion before you entered the final zone. So, 1. The game dumps me in the Bastion right before I entered the zone, allowing me to play through the other areas some more. is the answer you're looking for.

DISCLAIMER: On my New Game Plus, I chose "Evacuation" as the end game choice. I do not know if this has any bearing on being able to continue or not.

That being said, you can do really go either route:

1. Beat the game, and you then continue and beat the Vigils, or
2. You can not beat the game, and complete any remaining Vigils to get that achievement, complete the Who Knows Where areas as you mentioned, do anything else, then when you're ready, complete the game to finish it off and get the last achievements.

If you're looking for a suggestion, I would go with #2, complete any other achievements you need to, and then finish up and make the other choice that you didn't make in the first playthrough which will net you with another achievement.

One thing I am unsure on is whether or not when you continue the Story after beating the game is if any experience you earned in the final zone carries over with you. I did not track this.

Check more discussion of this question.

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