Bad conditions for good endings

[abigsmurf]

I've mixed opinions on multiple endings for games, it's always slightly unsatisfying, especially if you don't get a good ending. However some games not only make it impossible to get good endings after a certain point, they make the conditions for the good endings especially abstract.

Some of the worst examples:

Silent Hill Homecoming :

->Open Spoiler<-

You can get the UFO ending through regular play if you pick an unlucky combination of the 3 choices you make during the game. Getting a joke ending through regular play is pretty awful

Disgaea:

->Open Spoiler<-

You get the bad ending if you kill any of your party at any time. Easy to avoid if you know about it, if you don't, chances are you'll kill a party member at some point. The game never tells you this condition and the best you can do is get a bad+ ending (which requires getting to the end of a legendary itemworld). You can also get an unexpected ending beating a trivial hidden level which is killer if you've gone a long time without saving

Persona 4:

->Open Spoiler<-

One of the worst examples. Not only are the conditions for the true ending tricky to guess but the game actively tricks you into not meeting the conditions. You will not get the true ending without reading a guide.

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Any game which requires you to play through on anything harder than 'normal'. Some people just don't have the skill to beat some games on hard, they shouldn't get a lesser experience. That's not to say there shouldn't be minor bonuses for completing hard modes, it's just that lesser skilled gamers shouldn't miss out on decent endings.

[Spatial]

That Silent Hill one is the most perfect example I've come across about how not to do a multiple ending.

Multiple endings never bother me, but I still can't quite believe that I was able to stumble into the joke ending just by playing and making legitimate choices.

Proof, if the rest of the game wasn't enough, that the dev's just didn't get the finer intricacies of what they were dealing with.

On the plus side I did get the laser gun which meant I could rip through the thing again and see the other endings. Not that any of them were particularly good.

[rmoxon]

Multiple endings almost always frustrate me, mainly becuase i dont play many games more than once really.

While they wernt implemented that badly, the fact that Blade Runner on the PC seemed to have about 20 endings was ridiculous, no one wants to play through a point and click adventure game more than once usually, nevermind that many times.

Also, the modern Castlevania games are pretty bad with their multiple endings. I originaly completed Symphony of The Night and was increadabley disapointed, the game seemed very short and the ending was horrible... then I realised you had to do somthing that seemed very random to unlock another version of the Castle in order to see the true ending...

Every game in the series since SOTN has seemed to do this in one way or another and they have often required even sillier things from the player in order to unlock the last part of the game, and the real ending. Funny thing is, they all seem to have crap endings no matter which you end up seeing.

[Silanda]

While they wernt implemented that badly, the fact that Blade Runner on the PC seemed to have about 20 endings was ridiculous, no one wants to play through a point and click adventure game more than once usually, nevermind that many times.

I don't know, I did. That said, the big problem with Blade Runner was that the idea that no game was the never the same twice, which was heavily hyped during previews, wasn't really true. That limited its replay value.

[ShadowDancer]

Hate multiple endings with a passion. Rather have one good ending, if it were to have two, just spell it out for Christs sake. Thats the way I see it. I know a-lot of people love the idea of multiple endings...I don't.

[Ady]

I'm surprised the first Silent Hill hasn't been mentioned. There is no way, on first play though one would even be aware of what needed to be done to get the proper ending.

As for multiple endings, Chrono Trigger has to be one of the silliest. It was, what 20 or so endings? And it's an RPG for goodness sake. Who on earth has the time or patience to play an RPG 20 times!? :S

[Number45]

Hate multiple endings with a passion. Rather have one good ending, if it were to have two, just spell it out for Christs sake. Thats the way I see it. I know a-lot of people love the idea of multiple endings...I don't.

Same here, it's very rare that I play a game more than once. Usually now if I find out that there's an alternative ending, I look it up on YouTube.

[Champloo]

I'm playing through Valkyrie Profile at the moment, and the requirements for the best ending seem absolutely ridiculous. Completely arbitrary and probably impossible to get without a guide.

[cutmymilk]

Something seriously pissed me off about No More Heroes, can't remember exact details. Didn't even get to face the last boss and couldn't just reload the save or anything. Ended up watching the proper ending and boss on youtube.

[mekanor]

i got the proper no more heroes ending without doing anything special. i think you just have to buy the last katana or something. its almost worth getting the bad ending on that game for the credits though

[turrican_dx]

I don't know, I did. That said, the big problem with Blade Runner was that the idea that no game was the never the same twice, which was heavily hyped during previews, wasn't really true. That limited its replay value.

I wouldn't be so harsh on BR. It was too ambitious for its time. In fact I replayed it for the multiple endings (plus the incredible cinematic atmosphere it offered), despite its lack of challenge and the ridiculously lo-res sprites.

Thanks to Youtube nowadays one doesn't have to fish for obscurely-encoded footage on discs anymore!

[Darwock]

Also, the modern Castlevania games are pretty bad with their multiple endings. I originaly completed Symphony of The Night and was increadabley disapointed, the game seemed very short and the ending was horrible... then I realised you had to do somthing that seemed very random to unlock another version of the Castle in order to see the true ending...

I'm playing that right now, any chance of a tip off so I don't miss this random thing I need to do?

[Flabio]

I'm playing that right now, any chance of a tip off so I don't miss this random thing I need to do?

Don't go fight the end boss as soon as you gain access to it, keep exploring the castle. There's an item you get which changes that boss battle in a subtle way. Of course, to know the difference you need to have fought it once already so you can tell what's different. So do fight the boss when you get the chance, but keep a save before then so you can go back

[abigsmurf]

The endings in Castlevania titles, to their credit, are designed so that you get progressively better endings without the need to play through again. You never have to make irreversible choices.

It's also very obvious when you've got a 'bad' ending

[charlesr]

Silent hill 2 was the same. I presume they all were. Bag of lameness. youtube ftw.

Eternal Darkness you had to finish 3 times to see the ending at all. Good game and I might have bothered if I was at school or something, but these days, finishing a game once is enough.