Teleologically Inclined (a thread about endings)
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Skondo wrote:re: Uncharted 4. Very bad ending and that epilogue. didn't see the point. I don't think any Uncharted game has a good ending, mind you how many games do have decent endings? Do we have a thread? Many games seem to have a disappointing ending, so I'd be interested in discussing games with clever, well executed finales.
Endings are a bit of a sticking point in media in general, and games seem to have it rougher than most thanks to the investment you have to put in. There are famously bad examples like the furore surrounding Mass Effect 3, or the conniving Fallout 3 DLC that you had to buy to carry on if you finally finished the supposedly incredibly dumb ending.
A lot of the newer games are trying to be a bit smarter with their endings, but this often causes problems too. Firewatch seems to have rubbed a few people up the wrong way, even though I think it's consistent with the themes it presents throughout, and I imagine a few people had issues with Titanfall 2's finale.
So what makes a good game ending? What game endings are good? How do you manage the weight of expectation of 8+ hours of game? Can games do bittersweet endings, or even purposefully unsatisfying or ambiguous ones, or are we just not there yet?
Answers on a postcard as to avoid spoilers (please be cautious with these as not everybody has played everything, even if it did come out 20 years ago) and the winner will receive a free Frank Kermode book with a handful of pages ripped out of the back. -
Conker's Bad Fur Day still has the most profound ending of any game I've ever played.
be careful what you wish for
g.manCome with g if you want to live... -
the bit where Guy punches Cody in the face at the end of final fight makes me well up. Only second to the ending from double dragon.
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g.man wrote:Conker's Bad Fur Day still has the most profound ending of any game I've ever played. be careful what you wish for g.man
It is a unique hell, that one. -
What did people have an issue with the Firewatch ending about?
I quite liked the ending for The Witness.
Here is another disparate sentence, because two doesn't seem enough. -
Yeah, people saying that are dumb. It's the right ending, as it should be. Otherwise the rest of the game doesn't really mean anything. Or something.
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I've never been all that fussed about a so-called poor game ending (this may be because I rarely see any). Given that a hefty percentage won't see it then why bother expending effort?
I'd rather a game unlocks a genuinely nifty mode as a reward than have an excellent ending.Holding the wrong end of the stick since 2009. -
That's just the types of game you like, though. With some games, you could argue, if a player didn't see the ending it's a failure on the part of the developer.
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davyK wrote:I've never been all that fussed about a so-called poor game ending (this may be because I rarely see any). Given that a hefty percentage won't see it then why bother expending effort? I'd rather a game unlocks a genuinely nifty mode as a reward than have an excellent ending.
If you're enjoying the game's narrative, having it end badly can be annoying, like a TV show having a crap final episode. You can probably enjoy the journey, but the ending is the last thing you experience, so it can colour your memories.
Even outside of that, as I know you aren't into stories in games, if the game's finale capitulates on the progression and escalation that is supposed to be part and parcel of gameplay - a bad boss, boring wave combat, a QTE - then you'll probably feel a bit cheated. Games can feel like they should have logical endings, so if they betray that progression then you can feel dissatisfied. -
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time had the best ending"Like i said, context is missing."
http://ssgg.uk -
g.man wrote:Conker's Bad Fur Day still has the most profound ending of any game I've ever played.
be careful what you wish for
g.man
Great shout.
On Mass Effect.
I never really thought the ending was that bad in comparison to it's peers. The big problem was the journey was so good it was always going to be extremely tough to come up with something satisfying. For all the moaning around the web it was very rare to see anyone offering a better alternative.
Arguably it isn't the role of the consumer to provide that alternative but in general they appear anyway. -
The Indoctrination theory was basically them doing that though, and it was good.
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Mass Effect needed nothing more than the conventional ending it always seemed destined for. Heros journey innit. But as you could choose your path, give the player a choice of a good one, bad one and mediocre one.
It followed the mono myth template right up till the end then it bolted on some weird, literal deus ex machina and completely undermined all the paragon / renegade stuff up until then by more or less ignoring it.
It was a stock action story that people became invested in by giving them some control over how it played out. It took all that away at the end. It was a real fuck up. Not saying all the screaming fanboy rage was justified, it's still just a video game. -
The reaction was mental, but yeah they should have thought it a little bit harder than they seemingly did. I remember reading in that Making of Mass Effect thing that they essentially figured it out one night over dinner. Not saying that's wrong, but after the second title in the series you'd think they would have had some idea where they might want to head with it.
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It's inconceivable to me that they could have dropped the ball so much. As what came before was so competently executed. Something happened behind the scenes and the whole thing was rewritten and cobbled together at the last minute. Probably the Indoctrination ending was in there, the money men didn't like it, and chaos ensued.
Edit- Wrote that before I saw the above. -
AJ wrote:That's just the types of game you like, though. With some games, you could argue, if a player didn't see the ending it's a failure on the part of the developer.
Yeah. fair enough.Holding the wrong end of the stick since 2009. -
Recently I loved the Uncharted 4 ending. I could explain why but I'd have to put stuff in spoilers. Maybe later. It's freezing and snowing and I'm itching for some hot food. Ah, there's a Leon!I am a FREE. I am not MAN. A NUMBER. -
Inside is easily the GOAT ending. -
I'd be interested to hear why, because I thought the ending was abysmal.hylian_elf wrote:Recently I loved the Uncharted 4 ending. I could explain why but I'd have to put stuff in spoilers. Maybe later. It's freezing and snowing and I'm itching for some hot food. Ah, there's a Leon!Come with g if you want to live... -
I thought the ending was shit but the epilogue good.
I like games where the end is the beginning. Mario credits, Meat Boy credits. Where there's more, but it's harder & optional.
I sometimes like twists, or ate least things with make you ponder what's gone before (eg TWAU, recently, or Special Ops: The Line).
Dragged out fizzle not so much. But I can't think of ready examples. -
I really liked the ending of The Last Guardian because...Spoiler:Come with g if you want to live...
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Slightly tangential, but still relevant the ending of dig dug is amazing because I read a piece on why it is what it is and found it to be ridiculously interesting to my stupid brain
https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/1652/why-can-you-not-move-on-the-last-level-on-dig-dug
If you've any interest in programming the explanation given here will probably name you smile, hell it made me tumescent"I spent years thinking Yorke was legit Downs-ish disabled and could only achieve lucidity through song" - Mr B -
Red Dead RedemptionSpoiler: -
Paul the sparky wrote:Red Dead RedemptionSpoiler:
I'd kind of agree, but I remember having a massive spazz at Fallout for not having the get out clause you mention so would be hypocritical, but yes, I'd much preferred to be John, timeline be damned"I spent years thinking Yorke was legit Downs-ish disabled and could only achieve lucidity through song" - Mr B -
The ending to Super Hexagon is amazing
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Undertale has two top notch endings. Both of Which feel incredibly organic. -
That's actually a properly good shout
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