• Log In | Sign Up

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Top Games
  • Search
  • New Releases
  • Daily Deals
  • Forums

Adventure Gamers - Forums

Welcome to Adventure Gamers. Please Sign In or Join Now to post.

You are here: HomeForum Home → Gaming → Adventure → Thread

Post Marker Legend:

  • New Topic New posts
  • Old Topic No new posts

Currently online

Becky

Support us, by purchasing through these affiliate links

   

Alternate endings

Total Posts: 90

Joined 2008-09-01

PM

Not a big fan especially if its like in certain modern non-adventure games (Mass Effect 3, Deus Ex HR) where at the end you basically choose one of the possible ending.

But i like how it was implemented in Blade Runner. It has 13 endings with 3 mayor themes so its kinda woven into the game. But yeah after you get like 4 of them it can get tedious, since you’re doing things you wouldn’t normally do.

     
Avatar

Total Posts: 8471

Joined 2011-10-21

PM

xxax - 20 December 2012 03:08 PM

Not a big fan especially if its like in certain modern non-adventure games (Mass Effect 3, Deus Ex HR) where at the end you basically choose one of the possible ending.

Like I said earlier in the thread:

TimovieMan - 19 December 2012 04:27 PM

Actually, the choices you make in the Mass Effect series have no impact on the very last decision you have to make. You just get presented with four options (and four different endings) that are the same no matter what path you took.
What IS important is that, throughout the entire third game, nearly EVERY mission differs based on your choices in Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 (with some squad members dying or living, or simply not being there and having a replacement). THAT’s where the real importance lies.
Of course, since the final decision (and endings) don’t really reflect the choices you made, the ending got a LOT of flack. Even the updated endings (which provided a lot more closure).
Still an absolutely superb series, though. ME1 being awesome, ME2 being one of the best games of all time imo, and ME3 being awesome too. Thumbs Up

The bolded part is the most relevant… Wink Grin

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

Avatar

Total Posts: 5034

Joined 2004-07-12

PM

In games I’ve played with alternate endings, they generally boil down to three basic alternatives.

* Protagonist dies because of some action taken at some point in the game.
* Protagonist lives and has a “ticker-tape” parade because of some action.
* Protagonist lives, but is disgraced and spends the rest of his life in a homeless shelter because of some action.

I dislike this game strategy. One example of the above, albeit an old one, is Black Dahlia. Granted the triad of options took place very late in the game, but I was really disappointed with the ending options. That is, I’ve played 20+ hours trying to get my hero to the endpoint only to find out that, if I don’t make the right moves he might die or be hauled off to jail. Not my cup of tea.

On the other hand, somebody mentioned having alternative routes to the same end as being enjoyable. I totally agree. It certainly offers more replay opportunties. Again an old game, but one I think did this very well was Post Mortem. One of the first conversations you have with the bell captain at the beginning of the game will determine which route and which puzzles you will encounter during the game.

My choice, if I have a choice, which I don’t because the game designers predetermine which type will be played, is the latter. On second thought, maybe I do have a choice. That would be not to purchase a game that proudly states “Alternative Endings” in its marketing.

     

For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.

Avatar

Total Posts: 278

Joined 2008-07-11

PM

I think it’s far more important to facilitate multiple play styles than to provide alternate endings. If you think of a valid way to solve a puzzle, the game should accommodate that, whether it’s through multiple solutions, branching narrative paths etc.

There isn’t much value in multiple endings—it often dilutes the impact of the ending, especially if the version you received didn’t feel satisfactory, and now you want to go back just in case you didn’t get the “best” one.

That’s how I felt with Primordia, although I couldn’t be bothered playing (almost) the entire game again to get the best ending, so I just YouTubed it.

What happens in between is what really matters, The Walking Dead being the perfect example.

     

You are here: HomeForum Home → Gaming → Adventure → Thread

Welcome to the Adventure Gamers forums!

Back to the top