Are game endings inherently bad?

[Legend]

Xev didn't really like FF7R ending. Made me realize I hardly ever like game endings.


Paradoxically a good ending needs to be bad. By the time it's over, the player should want to put the controller down. I think this is way so many "good" endings are walking simulators. They progress the narrative but slow down the experience before dropping you off. I think one off boss fights also work in a similar way. Uncharted always ends with pretty meh boss fights but they do a great job at capping off the experience. Players will die multiple times and by the time they finally make it through, they're at least partially glad the fight is over.



Meanwhile games that don't have bad endings just feel so "oh." Like in Civilization is it ever fun when the victory screen pops up? Not for me at least. I almost always keep playing just a few more turns.


Lots of games are designed to be played over and over so their endings aren't really endings. When a multiplayer game ends, you're pumped up to start another match.

[Xevross]

Um ... no. Endings can be so impactful that they make you put the controller down and just think about what you experienced. TLOU and RDR2 were big ones for me with this, I felt like I'd been on a journey and the endings were so emotionally heavy but also satisfying. Horizon Zero Dawn was similar in this regard, but also had an epic boss fight that felt like the culmination of the game and made me happy it stopped there. Some game endings are great by getting you excited for the sequel, like God of War.

Meanwhile games that don't have bad endings just feel so "oh." Like in Civilization is it ever fun when the victory screen pops up? Not for me at least. I almost always keep playing just a few more turns.

Yes it is, super fun. Looking at the graphs and maps of the game you just played, especially if its multiplayer, its perhaps the most fun part of Civ.

Endings are absolutely the hardest part of the game to get right. I think FF7 Remake I didn't like because of the shift of tone in the game, not neccessarily because it was the ending. It was an ending they made up so that part 1 has a big finale and while it succeeded in the spectacle there was so much confusing stuff for people who never played the original and it lost its focus from what was making the game amazing.

So yeah its true there aren't many great endings out there, they are hard to nail and often they are disappointing simply because the game you were loving is ending, but there's a lot of games that have fantastic endings.

[the-pi-guy]

I think you're just weird.    

For real though:
-what Xev said about games like TLoU, Horizon, they have impactful endings that feel satisfying. I don't put the controller down because they feel bad, but because there's no where else to go.  

-games like Age of Empires are a bit more complicated for me.  Winning started out very satisfying.  But over time I started feeling dissatisfied with it. I felt like it kind of sucks to spend hours building an empire just to have to restart building it. And that doesn't mean the ending is inherently good or bad. It's just over time, I've found myself wanting to play a slightly different kind of game and AoE is one of the closest that fill that niche for me.  This is something that AoE 3 has kind of tried tackling by adding more long term city building features, but it's still not quite the same.

[the-pi-guy]

I came across this thread while searching for something else, and I guess i feel like I didn't share all the thoughts I had back then (probably because I was busy).  

I have and had a hard time understanding this thread.  

Meanwhile games that don't have bad endings just feel so "oh." Like in Civilization is it ever fun when the victory screen pops up? Not for me at least. I almost always keep playing just a few more turns.

I don't understand why this isnt a bad ending.

Even if this is your bar for a good or bad ending:

By the time it's over, the player should want to put the controller down

I can't really agree.  

For a lot of games your choices at the end, are either restart from the beginning or put the controller down.  

I think a good ending gives you a sense of completion or accomplishment. You put down the controller instead of restarting just for a little while just to enjoy the feeling.  


I touched on this before, but Age of Empires endings felt unsatisfying to me. Because at some point, building a civilization was more fun to me than conquering the enemies.  
If you're just looking to conquer enemies, then I think the ending is very satisfying.  
But if you're just enjoying building, then it isn't.

Same gameplay, same ending, but different mindsets lead to differing satisfaction.  


I put down the controller at the end of Uncharted just because the only options are to start over or to put down the controller or jump into multiplayer. But I enjoy Uncharted 2's ending. On a couple of occasions I have decided to start over just to experience the game again.  


I guess I feel the opposite in some respects about what makes a good or a bad ending. So this thread just gives me a hard time to wrap my head around.

[Legend]

I came across this thread while searching for something else, and I guess i feel like I didn't share all the thoughts I had back then (probably because I was busy).  

I have and had a hard time understanding this thread.  


I don't understand why this isnt a bad ending.

Even if this is your bar for a good or bad ending:
I can't really agree.  

For a lot of games your choices at the end, are either restart from the beginning or put the controller down.  

I think a good ending gives you a sense of completion or accomplishment. You put down the controller instead of restarting just for a little while just to enjoy the feeling.  


I touched on this before, but Age of Empires endings felt unsatisfying to me. Because at some point, building a civilization was more fun to me than conquering the enemies.  
If you're just looking to conquer enemies, then I think the ending is very satisfying.  
But if you're just enjoying building, then it isn't.

Same gameplay, same ending, but different mindsets lead to differing satisfaction.  


I put down the controller at the end of Uncharted just because the only options are to start over or to put down the controller or jump into multiplayer. But I enjoy Uncharted 2's ending. On a couple of occasions I have decided to start over just to experience the game again.  


I guess I feel the opposite in some respects about what makes a good or a bad ending. So this thread just gives me a hard time to wrap my head around.

I worded my op poorly. I was in the middle of a personal revelation and forgot to really explain myself.



In the op I meant multiple unique things by "bad" but mostly I was referring to gameplay that is less fun. A "bad" ending is often good because it helps bring the player down from the intensity of the gameplay climax. Instead of the player feeling like the best gameplay is yet to come, the player ends on a slower/less interesting note.

It's similar to a story arc and often overlaps. TLOU and GOW for example end with a slow walk to an overlook. In the case of every Uncharted, they end/almost end with meh boss fights. I think the devs obviously want these fights to be fun but they also need to cap the gameplay experience. Paradoxically the reward for beating them is to stop playing.




Civ never reaches the resolution stage of gameplay, which is what I meant by it lacking a "bad" ending. So while the gameplay stays fun up till the last second, the ending often does not feel satisfactory.

[kitler53]

I see your point legend. 

has anyone done a single player campaign that ends on giving a (story) motivation to play the multiplayer?     maybe that could fix your paradox.

[Legend]

I see your point legend.  

has anyone done a single player campaign that ends on giving a (story) motivation to play the multiplayer?     maybe that could fix your paradox.

I think Titanfall 2 is the closest I can think of. The last mission gives you the super cool smart pistol and I believe the final gameplay moment is a titan fight.

[darkknightkryta]

Speaking of FF7, remember when games used to not end and you'd just have to shut off the game cause it didn't go back to the main menu?