Question of the Day, September 23, 2010

[BlueHighwind]

Crisis Core's ending sequence was sort of annoying. You're put up against impossible odds, but if you're leveled right, you can last for a really long time. As a matter of fact, you might be able to keep fighting indefinitely. So even when I could survive longer, the game just says "YOU LOSE" and Zack dies.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

If the story is set up for it and it is an awesome death (like saving the world by sacrificing himself/herself/itself), I'm cool with it. In fact, I really like that kind of ending as it isn't the normal formula.

 

[ZeppMan217]

It's ok if it's logical. It's SHIT if it's implemented the way it was in Fallout 3.

 

[Jodan]

*spoilers*
star wars forced unleashed did it well

freespace 2 didnt have to do it. you make it out and bam your lost in a subspace accident(rocks fall in space)

 

[Knaughty]

At the beginning of Mass Effect 2 I almost cried over the Normandy.

 

[Blanks]

I hate it, I makes me feel like everything I've done up until then was completely pointless =/

Unless the game is a prequel and I know in the grand scheme of things it explains this and that and sets up other things for the other games

Crisis Core, Birth by Sleep

Red Dead Redemption

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

If it fits in with the story, it can be done quite excellently, a la

Spoiler

Red Dead Redemption. Rest in peace, John.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Where is my option to choose "I love it if the main character sucks"?

And I'm surprised at how many people said Red Dead Redemption, considering that if you've played as a good and decent cowboy there is no reason for why they would kill you.

 

[Mausenheimmer]

Wow, this could be the most one sided daily poll ever. Still, when done in the proper context, video games provide the most powerful sacrifice/death scenes of all.

 

[Delock]

I'd like to go through a few that it actually works with:

Spoiler

Heavy Rain - It fits the game, as this is a game made up of several "What if"'s. It is a depressing story where the player is trying to guide the characters to the happy ending rather than actually playing, so it feels more like you failed them rather than something cheap.

Halo Reach - This was actually one of my favorites. Up until the cutscene, you are Noble 6. Suddenly, when you are overwhelmed, Noble 6 becomes a character based on all your actions and thoughts while playing, and you are forced to watch him/her die. Up until the epilogue, you are hopeful since the screen fades to black in the middle of the struggle, although said struggle still seemed one sided. Then you get those dreams crushed instantly, and emotionlessly, and even though you know your actions in the end meant something for the game universe, it still doesn't feel all that better (which might echo a sentiment that families of fallen heroes have).

FFX - I started out not liking Tidus, but eventually came to respect him, not just because he worked well in most fights but also because in the end he made a near impossible choice: Save a world at the cost of his existance. Not life, but existance (yes in the end his soul/spirit/whatever turned out to be fine, but he had no way of knowing this beforehand). Plus, the world was going to be ungrateful for it, as the villain had pretty much rooted himself into every part of the world through a religion that controlled the economy and the sole source of entertainment. However, it was that or continue to let the world slowly get worse (and towards the end, there was also the fact that there was no known weapon against the greatest threat around). His death was treated right though, and it could actually be quite touching to watch.

Mass Effect 2 - Here's a great one, because since there's a "playable epilogue" if a party member died, their absence is very noticable. In addition, most of the time, their deaths were YOUR fault, which just adds to the sadness. Of course, you can kill Shepard if you do the wrong thing as well, which the ending makes very clear that you doomed the galaxy in doing so. Of course, this is a Bioware game, so I expect this sort of emotional scene if its going to have a death scene in it.

However, there are some games where this is... less well done.

Spoiler

The Force Unleashed - My problem is that you were given two options, despite how much the Apprentice can do with his abilities, one resulting in death and the other in a fate worse than it. The problem was that there seemed to be a lot of interactions and character development missing in the game, which lead to the end scene where you die being a lot less effective. And then of course there was the fact that Vader clones him for a sequel, which the advertisement has proved that he has learned nothing from the orignal's actions (can we stop betraying the guy who can rip a spaceship from orbit?)

MW2 - The first player death in this series was unexpected, hell, even the second one was (both of which took place in the same unnamed middle eastern country), and I'd say that the slaughter at the end was also a bit abrupt and sudden (though how they cut it off was idiotic). However, they continued to do this way too much in the second one. Plus, they didn't kill characters, but rather avatars, which diminished the blow since I really had no connection to them other than the fact that they were holding a camera I saw through.

Fallout 3 - Similar problem to TFU, there were way too many other options I could do but I was forced into a stupid suicide. Yes with DLC I can get better, but for a game with so many choices on how to handle situations, this was just wrong to me.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

I'm thinking of bioshock 2

Wow. Spoilers, you dumbass.

.........Spoiler tabs, please.

Seriously.

OT: This question kind of sucks. It obviously depends on the context of the game. Anyone who picked another option is provably wrong.

 

[veloper]

simply overjoyed

 

[Cherry Cola]

I'm thinking of bioshock 2

Wow. Spoilers, you dumbass.

.........Spoiler tabs, please.

Seriously.

You come into a thread about main characters dying in videogames and don't anticipate spoilers?

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I can think of a good way to do it, and a bad way:

Spoiler

Good way: Dragon Age: Origins, where your character can make the ultimate sacrifice to stop the darkspawn menace.
Bad way: Neverwinter Nights 2, where ROCKS FALL, EVERYONE DIES.

The key, I think, is that I, as a player, have some sense of agency in the ultimate outcome. Caution: the spoiler is a bit lengthy.

Spoiler

Fallout 3: Poorly done. I, as a player, had the opportunity to have two separate characters in tow who could have activated the system without dying as both Ghouls and Super Mutants are immune to radiation. Indeed, the radiation immunity inherent to Super Mutants is even a plot point in the epic quest. I was being forced to make a sacrifice that need not be made.

Dragon Age: Origins: Well done. I, as a player, had a choice in the ultimate outcome. I could choose to partake in Morrigan's dark ritual and stave off death for all the Wardens. I could play the coward and let Alistair slay the beast, depriving Ferelden of a King, probably eventually resulting in a civil war. I could play the merciful victor and let Loghain find redemption in death. Or, I could bear that final burden myself. No end was forced upon me.

Mass Effect 2: Well done, generally. For the main character to die, I would have to have made every wrong decision I could make. I would have to choose to forgo ship upgrades knowing that, on our last engagement, the result entirely favored the Collector cruiser. I would have to march on the very gates of hell itself with people who were perhaps not quite ready for a suicide mission. I would have to send whomever remained into situations they were not suited for. It is fitting that such ineptitude is punished.

Halo Reach. Mixed opinion. The fate of the player is sealed because a member of Noble team is sent to ensure Dr. Halsey's safety while the rest of the team is sent into the very heart of the enemy on a desperate race to deliver a Mcguffin. Surely, if this mission were so important, it would be worth sending everything we had to ensure it was successful and because of the split, I was forced to stay on the ground and cover the Pillar of Autumn's escape.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Poorly done. It was never made clear that the mission was suicidal. What's more, the only choice I had in the ultimate outcome was who would stand beside me in the final battle based entirely upon how much the character in question liked me. It was just entirely arbitrary.

Of course, in the Expansion it is revealed that you did not exactly "die", and at least some portion of your party survived the encounter. Neeshka for example made it out as did that foul mouthed Dwarf.

 

[Brad Shepard]

God of war did it kinda well, Still siding with the Extra Creditz team on this one.

Ill admit, sometimes it hits home, and sometimes i get pissed (Fallout 3, but at least they changed it) but if it fits, i cant complain.

 

[kintaris]

This isn't something that's only controversial in games. Quite often people can be frustrated when long-running TV series end with main character deaths. It's about attachment to a character, and obviously with games there's a good chance you're going to be very attached to your avatar.

Something like

Spoiler

Fallout 3

is going to hurt the most because the character has nothing to them that you didn't put into them, so to see them die can be frustrating. But I for one welcome it if it fits the story and is handled well. It shows that games are capable of telling difficult stories and putting those stories above the need to ensure the player is having 'fun'. Someone has finally noticed that players put a lot into their characters, and instead of just focussing on how to exploit that in gameplay, they are learning to exploit it in unique methods of storytelling, and subverting the normal way in which game story is told.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Planescape Torment comes to mind.

Spoiler

That's the whole point of the game: to die for good. And you can actually do it before the end if you pick a fight with someone way beyond your league. Though does are pretty much just classic game-overs.

Also, the part when you get nuke'd in Modern Warfare, was truly fucking awesome. A shame Modern Warfare 2 couldn't live up to it's predecessor.

 

[Nanaki316]

Love it if it fits with the story however... bad was FFVII - especially as I was about 9 and had taken said lady with me and spent quite a long time levelling her. That really sucked but I do understand it had to happen.
Good way? Has to be Crisis Core. Of course we all knew he was going to die but we had seen his side of the story so it was even more heartfelt and seeing how it led into FFVII was amazing.

By the way I hadn't completed Red Dead Redemption yet (have kids and little time to play) and I'm now not going to if Mr Marsten dies?

your love for final fantasy seven sickens me.

Lol sorry it was the game that got me into gaming, don't get me wrong I know where it's faults lie though. It was just the only game I could think of x

 

[CRoone]

So long as it fits the genre and narrative, I can take it...but damned if I'm not going to make the AI earn its final PK first.

 

[laststandman]

you MUST Be able to play the game after the end though.