Bad endings

[Samtale]

I was kinda hesitant to post this as this isn't really about any certain game but, really query born out of curiosity. Does a game need a happy ending to be enjoyable? Like say you were given a big slap in the face so to say you felt you were growing and progressing through a game but, in the end you and every other character is dead being killed by the final boss

Horror games occasionally have these endings but does it immediately ruin the game?

[Tartar]

Enjoyment comes from the experience of playing something, not how fun something is. And thus an ending has no bearing on how one experienced the game.

Perhaps you should have formulated the question thus: "Does a game need to be fun to be satisfying and enjoyable"

In which case, the answer is, definitely not. Especially games with heavy themes like Papers Please, Amnesia The Dark Descent, Silent Hill 2, This War of Mine etc. aren't very fun to play due to their themes and how those are integrated into the mechanics, as they seek to make you stressed, worried and gloomy while playing the game. This can definitely be a worthwhile and satisfying experience, but it's definitely not a fun experience.

[Commander]

An ending is like the finale to a song in that if it ends on a not so good note, it generally makes to whole experience seem bad. Though you are more looking for an uhhappy ending over a poorly written one in terms of the word "bad." Yes, I think a video game can be very enjoyable if they don't give you the satisfactory ending you are looking for if it is designed well, but those are very hard to come by. I can think of one that isn't a horror game:

Shadow of the Colossus. While it doesn't end completely sour, that ending just doesn't make you smile or be happy that you've won. It's still quite a well praised game due to how it was written and I say that the ending really does convey the message that they're trying to say. Drakenguard is another series that uses the same style for its endings.

It's a very rare element of writing outside of horror stories which I wouldn't mind seeing it a bit more or at least darker elements in endings as it's a bit more realistic often. Definitely bad endings outside of horror is a very, very difficulty element to use due to giving a negative connotation to the audience.

[Tartar]

@Commander

I think that there are lots of games that end in tragedy, and it's honestly a very common trope. Games like Brother's a Tale of Two Sons, Kingdom Hearts (most of them), Metal Gear Solid (most of them), Final Fantasy 6 and 7.

Sad or bittersweet endings, are a surprisingly good way of ending games, and while they aren't happy, they invoke a feeling of satisfaction none the less.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Tartar

[Zey]

I like to think that a ending can be anything as long as it makes sense and it's satisfying to the person, because that is what will get me to play the game again. I am a huge fan of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy for this reason as was mentioned above. So much sadness in the endings and yet, still an enjoyable and at times emotionally challenging journey was taken. A bad ending to me is one that either makes sense and doesn't satisfying, doesn't make sense and is satisfying in a way or neither of those two. (The middle one often leaves me picking out the lore and story and then feeling negative about the game.)

For me in regards to character death, if a character was killed off, why was it and did they get enough development to match their importance / long livelihood though out the game?

Examples below:

Character Deaths:

Wedge + Biggs in FF7 vs Aerith/Aeris in FF7 vs Sephiroth in FF7 -> You lost close allies at the beginning, a major party member in the middle and defeated the Big Bad at the end. I wouldn't like to see someone with not as much development like Wedge and Biggs dying at the end because it would seem pointless in a way. This to me would be an example of a bad ending.

This goes for an event as well. If a game is about destroying the world and saving it, I wouldn't want a random, non connected thunderstorm to suddenly be the threat when the whole time it was to do with earth quakes.

In a way, I am not one for games of horror because of this reason as I don't find them enjoyable, making sense and satisfying with story telling in a way, but others can and that's more than okay and valid. That doesn't mean their endings are bad because they aren't, and are far from it; especially to those who find enjoyment through these means.

[FairFamily]

Certainly not, I mean final fantasy crisis core had an extremely sad ending but was still enjoyable. Happy ends are just easier to write in games due to the empowering nature of a game. By overcomming challenges you feel you have accomplished something and are advancing in a positive way. Breaking of with a sad ending just doesn't feel right. If you write your story well, you can actually break this trend before it becomes a problem and write a different ending without being forced into a happy one.

Edited November 22, 2016 by FairFamily

[Lilleen]

If the story nor the atmosphere can back up the ending, then it might feel forced and/or unnartural.

[DemICE]

The ending is the last part that remains on your mind after you finish a game/story.

Just like food, you can eat the most delicious food there is, yet the final mouthful had something distasteful in it. It is just the final mouthful, but the aftertaste it leaves, prevents you from getting up from the table with the feeling of satisfaction.

That feeling, can make one feel a little sorry for the time they invested in that game/story.

Any game creator/author who respects the time his player/reader/viewer will invest in his work, will have to put a lot of thought in his endings to avoid that aftertaste.

[Combat]

I'm looking at you Darkest Dungeon. That might be one of the most cynical ending to a game I've ever seen...

[Cepheus]

A great Example for this are the Deponia games.

(Deponia is a point-and-click adventure game by german developer studio Deadalic)

Originally planned as a trilogy - (Deponia -> Chaos on Deponia -> Goodbye Deponia) got a fourth installment (Deponia Doomsday) this year. (or was it the end of last year??? eh...)

Now - "Why would a game planned as a trilogy need a fourth installment?" - you might ask...

it's simple: The fans were NOT HAPPY with how the third one (Goodbye Deponia) ended, because of unanswered questions and because of how it ended for some of the characters...

So the studio decided to do a fourth one to absolutly conclude the series... and it did so in the best way ever!

I'll put it into a spoiler here for you... because... well I will spoil the general story of the games and the ending of part 3 and 4 here

However - If you are a fan of point-and-click adventures with hilarious humor - check these games out - it is totally worth the few bucks on steam.

So the general story is this: Deponia is a Planet FULL of garbage. You are playing as Rufus, a stupid (STUPID and incapable) inventor who strifes to escape this dreaded planet to Elysium - a Giant City in the Sky, full of luxury and prosperity.

However the Elysians want to destroy Deponia to launch Elysium far into space in search of a new home planet - they don't know that Deponia is inhabited by humans, or other living creatures.

As Rufus you have to make your way to Elysium convince the Elysians that there are people down there and save everyone etc. etc. - typical hero stuff...

In the course of the game you start a rebellion against the Organon (an Elyisan Task Force who actually know of the people but want to DENY it *cough* holocaust reference *cough*) and so on...

As it turns out - The whole Organon, Rufus and Cletus (an Elyisan Inspector in league with the Organon) are all CLONES and look the same ... and in the end you are on the brink of death and destruction on a Highboat to Elysium (think a GIANT Cable-Car) - you and your lookalike Cletus are trapped in a turbine, and if one gets rescued the other plunges down to Deponia - and with all this look-a-like stuff going on - You, as the player, have to actively decide to let go of all your hopes and dreams, and plummet to your death in order to save everyone else. (This is the end of Goodbye Deponia)

The fourth installment "Deponia Doomsday" - starts with a scene: Deponia is frozen over, Elysium crashed into deponia - everything is dead... except Rufus! Who ventures to a Detonation tower to finally end it all and destroy Deponia - then he wakes up and the game begins long BEFORE the events of the first Deponia... somewhat like a prequel (Rufus thinking it was all just a dream)

But now a bunch of Time-travel stuff is in action - You set up the events of the first Deponia - and in the end a Time Traveling companion comes to your rescue as you plummet to your death, like you chose at the end of Goodbye Deponia... but... it mustn't be, because that would screw up with the timeline to much etc. and AGAIN you have to choose, not to be rescued!

So the fans were like "WE DON'T LIKE THE ENDING OF PART 3!!!" and the developers were like: "Oh really... have another game then... WITH THE SAME OUTCOME!" - The moral of the Story:

"Do not challange an ending. Sometimes you need a bad ending. Because even a bad ending can be a good/great ending."

[AuthorReborn]

I always enjoy properly executed endings where the protagonist fails or the villain wins. It's a refreshing change of pace that helps counteract all the constant assurances that player characters are the "chosen ones" who are destined to succeed. Having a script for failure is fun and forcing the player into a place where they cannot win is even more so. That being said, if it is not properly executed, then it just ends in a disaster and everyone will abhor the final product, so either do it right or do not attempt it.

[Alistair]

I don't like "bad" endings as much as sad endings. A sad ending isn't necessarily a bad ending, as the overall in-game situation may have improved compared to the beginning of the story, but to me it is characterized by the persistent feeling that some things are broken beyond repair, some characters can't be saved or some issues can't be solved. Not everything has to be all dark or all bright for an ending to be memorable. On the contrary, nuanced, bittersweet and emotional endings leave the strongest impacts.

Here are some examples (beware, heavy spoilers):

Crisis Core, this one is obvious. Zack dies without ever seeing Aerith again. But you know good ol' Cloud is there to save the day in FF7.
FF6, yay, you defeated the bad guy, but the world is still fucked up beyond repair.
Dark Souls series, at the end of each game you just push back the inevitable, or throw the world into chaos and darkness altogether.
Halo 3, you defeated the parasite but now you're just drifting in outer space alone and everyone thinks you're dead.

Halo Reach, thanks to the team the events of Halo CE will be able to unfold, but everyone sacrifices themselves and Reach is lost.
Undertale, neutral pacifist ending: you may have escaped the Underground (not even confirmed) but all your buddies are stuck down there forever.
Undertale, true pacifist ending: all is bright and cheerful, everyone benefits from this ending, except Asriel. Who happens to be the biggest victim of the whole story. The fact that the very last music you hear at the "END" screen is his theme makes it even worse.
FFCC Ring of Fates: the hero and his sister are finally reunited with their family, but everyone except them has amnesia and they'll have to live alone with the horrors that happened in an alternate timeline.

[Tartar]

FFCC Ring of Fates: the hero and his sister are finally reunited with their family, but everyone except them has amnesia and they'll have to live alone with the horrors that happened in an alternate timeline.

Omigosh *squee* someone else besides me has actually played this game?

But yeah, that ending was very powerful and emotional.

[Felicity]

oh btw Fable 3 was shit. Either you're loved by ghosts or hated by people unless you spent a lot of time on real estate. After killing your fuckin father figure. Feelsbadman.

[Another Felix]

Bad and "bad" seem different to me. Bad is something like the end of Super Mystery Dungeon. Can't do spoiler tags right now on my phone, so won't spoil it. I thought it was poorly written and came from nowhere.

"Bad" is something like the end of Layton 3, where I actually cried due to what happened.

[Alistair]

Omigosh *squee* someone else besides me has actually played this game?

But yeah, that ending was very powerful and emotional.

It's one of the first games that actually made me feel weird and empty when I finished it. I played Echoes of Time too but it wasn't as powerful and the characters weren't as loveable, sadly.

oh btw Fable 3 was shit. Either you're loved by ghosts or hated by people unless you spent a lot of time on real estate. After killing your fuckin father figure. Feelsbadman.

Iirc it was possible to get an alright ending by balancing your spendings the right way during the 2nd part of the game. But yeah still bittersweet.

[The darn 4th chaos emerald]

Fable 3 is horrible and the ending after all that hard work, struggle, road bumps and glitches (lol) is like getting an entire salt rock and shoving deep into a cut on your arm.

[Godot]

Sad endings aren't always bad endings. Sometimes I prefer the endings that result in tragedy over the ones that end all warm and fuzzy.

I sometimes see happy endings as cliche, forced, and/or ruining of a good sense of direction or theming.

[mar_mar]

 

 

Sorry for not putting spoilers but I'm from mobile. But these two are enough.

[Shamitako]

I've read a couple VNs with no good end, have yet to play any games with no good end. Bad end or good end is really only something decided by the developer at the end of a scenario, it's no more indicative of how things actually are than a straight game over screen. You'd be surprised how many supposedly good ends have plenty of bad connotations. What matters isn't whether it was a good or bad end, but why it was and how you got there

 

In your example, the game tells you how to win and gives you the tools to succeed so long as you put in the work, and then blindsides you with an ending that could be considered failure, that's not just a bad end but bad writing as well (and can apply in reverse, although it happens more rarely, you can have a game tell you that the end will be bad and then blindside you with a good end for no apparent reason). Good or bad often doesn't matter so long as the ending is well written

 

And even then, a well-written ending isn't necessarily what makes a game. The end is only a small part of the game's story, which is one of several pieces of the game. It's a very important part of what can often be a very important piece, but it isn't everything. A good ending can help color how you remember the experience, but it's unlikely to define it