So to all those who finished this wonderful game, I've been thinking about its ending recently. I know it kinda shocked me the first time I saw it, it seemed so out of context. The game has been very realistic all throughout with well documented historical references and you would never expect an ending like that.  
  

i'm bumping this, jesus.

I recently finished this and I agree that the ending's toned really veered off from the game's murder mystery tone. It also felt very abrupt, and though I understand that the story of the world dosen't end because WWI is about to happen, there should have been a little more closure.
 
I don't think Mechner was dipping into magical realism because the fantastic isn't supposed to be shocking to the characters in that genre. The Faberge egg seems like it was a MacGuffin that was pulled out of an Indiana Jones film.
 
The game itself is fantastic. Thought the limitations of the technology show and the gameness sometimes comes through, I've never seen such a well realized, alive world.