Video Game endings
This stems from a conversation I had with a friend a month back. We were discussing how very few endings we liked in games and movies and couldn't really come to a conclusion on one we could agree with cause we both either never played some of our examples of good endings or we just flat out disagreed.
So what games do you feel have great endings, or bad endings, or just WTF endings?
True beauty exists in things that last only for a moment.
Current Mood: And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe. Maybe this year will be better than the last. I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself. To hold on to these moments as they pass...
Little Big Planet 2 had a (SPOILER)WTF ending imo. The Negativitron was like; "You can never destroy me, for I exist because of you!" (points to story characters) "I will exist as long as you exist!" Or something like that. Anyway, next thing I know I'm jumping on his head destroying him and everyone lives happily ever after. You said what now?
In terms of RPG endings I like ones that give you a clear sense of closure as to the actual main antagonist force of the game, but still leave you with some items that can be interpreted either way. (and debated about on video game forums) Or put another way: endings that make you feel the narrative is finished, but keep you thinking about it.
FF7
There is talk in game about the possibly that Holy would see humans as evil and want to wipe them all out. After Meteor is destroyed we get a flash, and then... nothing. Just a scene 500 years later featuring a race that was believed to be all but extinct looking over the ruins of a city that was symbolic of .. stuff ... (It's 1 am and I'm no English major). With AC and other compilation jazz answering the question for us, I feel the FF7 ending has moved from good to mediocre.
FFT
Did Ramza die? Was Delitia a sociopathic tyrant, hero of Ivalice or something in between? The fact that we are debating to this day shows the strength of the ending.
-Infamous: the ending where you find out (SPOILER)Kessler is actually Cole from the future completely blew my mind!
-God of War II: Best ending in History! (Or at least for a part 2 of any series!) Totally Epic, (SPOILER)when Kratos rides on the back of Gaia with all the titans scaling Mount Olympus to take down the gods!
-God of War III: I kinda knew that (SPOILER)Kratos was going to kill himself or would make some kinda sacrifice, but still...it left more to be desired!
-Halo Reach: If you know your lore you know (SPOILER)Reach falls and Master Chief is declared the last spartan and whatnot before even playing the game, but it was still a bit sad to see all the Spartans die like that!
That was pretty creative, agreed. Really, Infamous had a pretty good story, my main beef is that it was told poorly. The dialog was largely terrible in the game (I could never take anything Zeke said seriously, and the moral choices were just awkward). Still, the ending totally took me by surprise.Originally Posted by nirojan
I didn't have issue with most Dialogue, what hurt the story was the Moral Choice system.That was pretty creative, agreed. Really, Infamous had a pretty good story, my main beef is that it was told poorly. The dialog was largely terrible in the game (I could never take anything Zeke said seriously, and the moral choices were just awkward). Still, the ending totally took me by surprise.
When being good or evil has no effect on the plot at all, it weakens the impact of your actions and makes you feel as if your input is pointless. It would have worked so much better had they taken out the moral choices all together. That asside, it was an awesome ending. On a whole it was a great story, and I can't wait for Infamous 2.
For endings in games Final Fantasy IX and X both had great ones to me that gave closure.
Metal Gear Solid 3's was definitely emotional.
I remember liking Halo 1 or 2's ending, but I can't even remember it or which one it was.
Metal Gear Solid 2 had a WTF ending.
Really? I quite liked the moral choices, and it did have an effect on the plot, just not a huge one.I didn't have issue with most Dialogue, what hurt the story was the Moral Choice system.That was pretty creative, agreed. Really, Infamous had a pretty good story, my main beef is that it was told poorly. The dialog was largely terrible in the game (I could never take anything Zeke said seriously, and the moral choices were just awkward). Still, the ending totally took me by surprise.
When being good or evil has no effect on the plot at all, it weakens the impact of your actions and makes you feel as if your input is pointless. It would have worked so much better had they taken out the moral choices all together. That asside, it was an awesome ending. On a whole it was a great story, and I can't wait for Infamous 2.
I absolutely loved the way the story was told too, with the comic book style cutscenes, I really hope they bring that back with inFamous 2 - really looking forward to it.
As for game endings, I'd have to chuck in inFamous too. I'd probably also say Kingdom hearts 1, just after you beat the boss and close the door. I thought that was pretty good.
It doesn't effect Coles personality, it doesn't effect the end, it doesn't effect the outcome of any important event, it just came across as feeling irrelevant to anything. I hate when you are given these choices that are made to seem important to the character, but in the grand scheme of things have little to no effect.Really? I quite liked the moral choices, and it did have an effect on the plot, just not a huge one.I didn't have issue with most Dialogue, what hurt the story was the Moral Choice system.That was pretty creative, agreed. Really, Infamous had a pretty good story, my main beef is that it was told poorly. The dialog was largely terrible in the game (I could never take anything Zeke said seriously, and the moral choices were just awkward). Still, the ending totally took me by surprise.
When being good or evil has no effect on the plot at all, it weakens the impact of your actions and makes you feel as if your input is pointless. It would have worked so much better had they taken out the moral choices all together. That asside, it was an awesome ending. On a whole it was a great story, and I can't wait for Infamous 2.
I absolutely loved the way the story was told too, with the comic book style cutscenes, I really hope they bring that back with inFamous 2 - really looking forward to it.
As for game endings, I'd have to chuck in inFamous too. I'd probably also say Kingdom hearts 1, just after you beat the boss and close the door. I thought that was pretty good.
THat may just be chalked up to personal preference though.
I'll also give props to Lufia 2 for an awesome ending, it's not often that a game (SPOILER)straight up kills the main character, as well as his women. It has a really bitter sweat ending to it.
And, while I had my issues with the moral choice system of Dragon Age 2, the last battle feels more epic then anything in DA 1, and I loved the ending. True, it's a huge cliff hanger, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed Xenogears' ending.
The ending of Mass Effect 2 is pretty powerful if you let everybody die who can die. (SPOILER)Your entire team, including Shepard, and the entire Normandy crew save Joker and of course EDI. At the end it's just Joker and Shepard, and Joker's too weak to hold off the swarm AND save Shepard, so he's left all alone. Later you see him in a room full of the crew's caskets.
I think that's all that really matters in a game where you invest your time in and genuinely care about what happens; closure.
I'll agree on IX, but I was left kind of empty at the end of X. I dunno, the way the game panned out I wanted to see Tidus & Yuna united in the final scene. It's probably no surprise why I liked the ending of VIII so much.
Str8 Pimpin'
Hate to say it, but MGS4 had both an (SPOILER)awesome and a WTF ending imo.
The wtf part:
Raiden should have died or at least lost both of his arms. Meryl and Johnny should have died protecting that door. Seriously, how many times did they get hit? I can not understand why Kojima tried to pull off a happy ever after. It just didn't fit imo.
Awesome part:
I buttonbashed my arm off during that tunnel scene. Most intense moment in videogames I've witnessed.
As for the reunion with Big Boss and Zero at the end, that had once again it's awesome and wtf parts. It's too complicated to recall every bit though.
Great ending:
Lunar: SSSC. Hands down, the best ending I've ever seen in an RPG. So many games have mediocre, meaningless endings that if anything are downers after an entertaining game. But this highly emotional ending had me riveted, so much that over the years I have replayed the game several times with a Gameshark just for the story. The ending was a true climax and resolution, rolled into one.
Honorable Mention:
After some thought, I'm going to have to go with FFT. I have to side with VZ here, as the ending for the game was a true complement to the intricate storyline that revealed that the story didn't end there.
Bad Ending:
FF7. In a similar-but-flipped explanation to FFT, FF7's ending was a fitting complement to a shoddy, incomplete storyline.
WTF? Ending:
I don't think any game's ending has made me actually say "what the smurf?"... with the exception of Metal Gear Solid 2. Admittedly it was mostly the "story" as revealed through the gameplay near the end, but seriously. What. The. smurf.
Awesome ending:
Tenchu 2. Just came to mind, but wow. (SPOILER)Different perspectives of the main characters make this one a gem. I really liked the story overall, but the ending was phenomenal imo:
One of your former clan mates lost his memory, fell in love and joined forces with the enemy, killed your master and has plans to take over Japan - only to be stopped by the woman who had once dreamed of marrying him. Ofcourse, the woman (the player) fights and kills him, while the other main character takes care of the lost-memory-dude's new found love and villain.
That's where the different perspectives reached full potential. It's epic stuff that is now very rare in videogames. I'd love to see this game on the PSN by the way.
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