Poll: Endings where the main character dies

[Cannibal Johnson]

I'll be blunt, I hate endings where the main character dies. And I mean HATE them, with a passion. Especially in RPGs where I spend time building up my character and getting attached to them and then they just up and die. Its infuriating, because I feel like everything I just worked for in that game didn't mean shit. Some games like Halo:Reach I didn't mind because they basically told you in the beginning that you were gonna die, but even then I got pissed because my character died. But other games like pre-Broken Steel Fallout 3 pissed me off because it was just out of the blue "Oh you know that character you just spend this whole game leveling up, getting equipment for, yea all that shit? Well fuck you he's dying". Mass Effect 3 same thing, I spent 3 FUCKING GAMES building up my Shepard, characterizing him, leveling him, and ME3 all but one ending just up and kill you. Ok that's the end of the rant. But what I want to know my fellow Escapists is what you think of endings where the protagonists die. Yay or nay? And thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

[Fransky]

The one that pissed me off was the new Medal of Honor. I spend the whole game running around like an idiot only to realize I had no control over the outcome. GRRRRR.

 

[Ctmnt08]

Might ought to put a spoiler on the first post for the 8 people who don't know about...

...ME3's crappy ending yet...

But when the outcome is completely non-negotiable, I get bothered. On the other hand, it is nice to see game makers put together something that doesn't end in a flagrant sequel hook.

 

[Zhukov]

Especially in RPGs where I spend time building up my character and getting attached to them and then they just up and die. Its infuriating, because I feel like everything I just worked for in that game didn't mean shit.

I think this is silly.

What does it matter if the character you built dies or not? It's the end of the game. There's nothing more for you to do with them, nowhere else to go. What were you going to do, sit around after you'd finished the game and think about how great your characters statistics were?

...

OT:
I actually like those endings.

Obviously it can be done wrong, but I really like the (for lack of a better word) structure of the protagonist's death being the end of the story. It's the ultimate closure since death is the most final thing there is.

 

[Jason Rayes]

Depends how its handled and the themes of the game. Red Dead Redemption comes to mind.

Spoiler

The whole game was themed around the death of the old west and the inexorable progress of the modern age. John Marsden was pretty much the last of his era and though he tried to run from his past he just couldn't. I thought his death scene kind of nicely capped the theme. Sure it was shocking but for me it wasn't entirely unexpected. I did enjoy getting to play as his son and get vengeance though, that was pretty cool.

Given that RDR was well received and its ending didn't get anywhere near the controversy ME3 got, I stand by my argument that how the developer handles that kind of thing makes a difference.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

I love them for one simple reason...you won't have to endure another game with the same old character. 8-12 hours is enough for me to understand what makes my character do what he does, even if it's totally ridiculous. I don't need to see him/her/it do it all again in the sequel. I'd rather developers come up with new concepts and characters each time, not just spoon feed me the same old same old in the hope i don't notice the lack of talent and innovation. Final fantasy is a good example of how to do it right (despite the last 2 games). It is familiar enough to share the same name but the characters and systems are always different...keeps it fresh(erer).

As for games where you make your own character...i don't mind either way. I always make them look and act like retards and half the fun is setting them up for the big slaughter at the end. It's either elephant man saves the world or nasty evil bad guy kills the mutant freak...both are funny when applied to a game that is trying to be serious(ish).

 

[krazykidd]

I love them . I wish to see more of them , instead of the happy end bullshit . Add some sacrifice to victory . Hell have the main protagonist fail his final mission every once in a while . Set out to save the world , world blows up anyways , your efforts were futile . I find happy endings to be boring and over done . Let some people die every now and then .

 

[StormShaun]

It really depends on the game and character.

There are the games that deserve a good ending and games that deserve a bad ending.
But my overall point is that I really F*CKING hate bad endings.

Yeah...some games taught me that. ^_^

 

[smmnc3000]

Depends how its handled and the themes of the game. Red Dead Redemption comes to mind.

Spoiler

The whole game was themed around the death of the old west and the inexorable progress of the modern age. John Marsden was pretty much the last of his era and though he tried to run from his past he just couldn't. I thought his death scene kind of nicely capped the theme. Sure it was shocking but for me it wasn't entirely unexpected. I did enjoy getting to play as his son and get vengeance though, that was pretty cool.

Given that RDR was well received and its ending didn't get anywhere near the controversy ME3 got, I stand by my argument that how the developer handles that kind of thing makes a difference.

This was the one that I thought of immediately when I read the OP. I absolutely LOVED this ending and thought it completely made the game. Especially with the post game bit!! Thinking of which, I should play that game again now...

 

[Driekan]

Some stories can only end in a satisfying way if the protagonist dies. They're called tragedies, and they're a pretty big deal.

Ending them without the character dying makes the story feel wrong, false. So no, I cannot say that there is anything inherently wrong with killing off the main character - that would take away a powerful tool from the Storyteller's arsenal, and restricting a media is never a good way to improve it.

Voted "Love Them" just because there are so damn few videogame tragedies, and I'd like more.

 

[Spydercake]

For me, it depends on a bit of everything. Some times it makes no sense, other times it all wraps up for a single epic ending.

Using Persona 3 as an example for the last bit, it makes perfect sense for the MC to die. The whole game is centered around the phrase Memento Mori.

 

[Brixton6]

It really depends on the game and how it's handled. I didn't mind that Shepard died because it was a final conclusion to the series. However,

Spoiler: L.A. Noire Spoilers

Everything about Phelp's character told me that he wouldn't just stand by while a massive wall of water was charging toward him. I get that he was depressed about his demotion, his marriage ending (which also didn't make a whole lot sense characteristically), and learning what became of his old war pals, but he never seemed to be in such a deep hole that suicide became a good idea. If he had at least attempted to get out of that sewer, even if he failed, I think it would've made for a better ending.

Maybe I missed something in L.A. Noire, but the ending seemed like it was trying too hard to force us to feel sad about what happened.

 

[Jason Rayes]

This was the one that I thought of immediately when I read the OP. I absolutely LOVED this ending and thought it completely made the game. Especially with the post game bit!! Thinking of which, I should play that game again now...

I fired up my 360 this afternoon after not using it for about a year, was going to put in Tales of Vesperia. The tray ejects and RDR is already in there. So I guess Im playing it again as well

... I didn't mind that Shepard died because it was a final conclusion to the series...

This was part of the reason why Shep biting it in some endings was no deal breaker for me. They are fighting against a force that has never been defeated, not in millions, perhaps billions of years. Casualties were inevitable and for Shep, who has already sacrificed so much, to make the greatest sacrifice of all, to me that was kind of fitting.

P.S: Anyone reading this, please don't start an anti ME 3 argument with me. Ive heard it all before. Just stating my opinion, I know almost everyone else in the whole universe hates it so there is no need to tell me why you do, I get it.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Personally, I felt that you should have died at the end of ME3. And not just "you" as in "Shepard", I mean everything and everyone. Sometimes, the story of standing up, fighting, and losing is a better tale than self-felating "thousands of other civilizations rose and fell because of these cosmic farmers, but *we're* special, so we can beat them" nonsense. Maybe it's just because I think humans are terribly boring in every fantasy setting imaginable, but I hate seeing humans win when every other race gets beaten easily.

 

[Rawne1980]

It depends on the game really.

Some games pull it off really well, as mentioned, Red Dead Redemption comes to mind. Some games it's needed, Mass Effect 3 (regardless of how shitty it was done, he needed to die. It was the end of his story).

Some games don't do it well at all. Fallout 3 prior to Broken Steel.

As I said, it all depends on the game and the writing as to how well it's done. If it's done well then I like it, if not then I don't.

 

[psicat]

Depends a bit on the game, but for the most part I love them. There are unfortunately too few games that give you that true tragic ending.

 

[NightHawk21]

Depends how they're pulled off. The infamous 2 good ending is an amazing example. I hate it because it makes you feel shitty, but at the same time that's a memorable ending.

 

[Daget Sparrow]

It's a great way to end a game, but only in moderation. When a bunch of games start using it at the same time (from recent memory; Halo: Reach, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 3), it starts to appear cliche. Which is a shame, because all three of the aforementioned games had endings I enjoyed.

 

[skywolfblue]

Obviously it can be done wrong, but I really like the (for lack of a better word) structure of the protagonist's death being the end of the story. It's the ultimate closure since death is the most final thing there is.

/seconded

I like the theme of sacrifice, of finality.

Loved the ME3 endings (well, extended cut), it would have been dull and boring if you could "Win".

Loved Red Dead Redemption, what makes that ending so sad and memorable is that his sacrifice was in vain. His son rides off on a quest for revenge and in a puff of smoke John's dream of a better life for his son is undone.

 

[BoredWalker]

I hate when a game pulls a protagonist death from it's ass for poignancy, to raise the stakes, or for a completely unnecessary self-sacrifice. For me to accept it, a character death needs to be well-timed, meaningful, fitting, and telegraphed subtly. Otherwise it's just "LOL, we killed the main character, now feel emotion you monkey!"

Spec Ops did this really well:

Spoiler

The game broadcasts with increasing frequency that Walker isn't right in the head the closer you get to the end, making his possible suicide feel like it was a natural outcome.