Disappointing endings to games ( warning discussion of HL2 )
by Jarrod Roberson · in General Discussion · 11/29/2004 (7:44 pm) · 42 replies
How can someone spend 5 years making a game with a story and create such a completely crappy ending.
I mean it is no better than the original Doom ending with the vertically scrolling STILL image!!!!!!
I mean they go to all this trouble to try and create characters that you care about, quality voice acting, and a story ( which ) I thought was no better than a James Bond movie or the last Matrix movie that was just an excuse to string together a bunch of action sequences.
I think the ending was just slack and a complete pandering to set up a sequel. After all that you get the equivelent of the end of the original Doom!
Man Valve was completely LAZY and dropped the ball on the ending for sure.
I mean it is no better than the original Doom ending with the vertically scrolling STILL image!!!!!!
I mean they go to all this trouble to try and create characters that you care about, quality voice acting, and a story ( which ) I thought was no better than a James Bond movie or the last Matrix movie that was just an excuse to string together a bunch of action sequences.
I think the ending was just slack and a complete pandering to set up a sequel. After all that you get the equivelent of the end of the original Doom!
Man Valve was completely LAZY and dropped the ball on the ending for sure.
About the author
#2
But i learned about this , i do my game backwards i started with the end .
And hope the first level gonna be worth playing :)
But its gonna take a while to get there.
11/29/2004 (9:24 pm)
I agree this is not the first game either.But i learned about this , i do my game backwards i started with the end .
And hope the first level gonna be worth playing :)
But its gonna take a while to get there.
#4
11/29/2004 (11:47 pm)
Someone has been on Engrish.com :) 
#5
11/30/2004 (3:28 am)
Halo 2 had a lackluster ending as well. It just sort of stopped. Great games bad endings.
#6
They have to leave it open. People want to play more, they can't wrap it up.
I heard a rumor that Valve will be releasing add-on levels via steam. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
11/30/2004 (5:56 am)
I have to disagree. I was freaking out and talking out loud during the ending chapter of HL2. I loved every minute of it. Remember, it is an interactive story. That fact alone emphasizes the that it is the journey, not the destination, that truly matters.They have to leave it open. People want to play more, they can't wrap it up.
I heard a rumor that Valve will be releasing add-on levels via steam. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
#7
Max
11/30/2004 (6:28 am)
I think that they are adding stuff on to Cstrike Source not HL2 via steam. I loved the actual game to to death I actually think that I am going to start it all over again and just beat it again in one day. I loved the game but I do think that it was not very hard at all. Like in the first one they had a few spots that could just take you a hour or so to get through because they had so many freakin monsters. All I have to say is that now that I have beated a person to death with a rediator my life is complete.Max
#8
11/30/2004 (6:38 am)
Gah, stupid doubble post. 
#10
The part where you are NOT PLAYING anymore. The last mission with only the gravity gun was visually interesting but felt contrived with the way the stripping of weapons.
I would have had a final conflict where you had to fight waves of combine soldiers until you were out of ammo, and then that would trigger an event like a combine soldier firing a rocketlauncher and missing and opening a hole inthe wall or floor or somethign to let you escape. Then all you would have was the Gravity Gun.
The game was ok, but the people that plunked down $54.xx or MORE for this game are going to be disappointed in the ENDING.
I have yet to have a single person say it was not a complete cop out ending.
11/30/2004 (7:02 am)
I am not talking about the last mission I am talking about the ENDING.The part where you are NOT PLAYING anymore. The last mission with only the gravity gun was visually interesting but felt contrived with the way the stripping of weapons.
I would have had a final conflict where you had to fight waves of combine soldiers until you were out of ammo, and then that would trigger an event like a combine soldier firing a rocketlauncher and missing and opening a hole inthe wall or floor or somethign to let you escape. Then all you would have was the Gravity Gun.
The game was ok, but the people that plunked down $54.xx or MORE for this game are going to be disappointed in the ENDING.
I have yet to have a single person say it was not a complete cop out ending.
#11
I heard a few people on Cstrike sayin that they liked the ending though. I dunno if you think this but didn't it seem that the game was a little short for 5 CD's? I just can't wait for the next one anyway. Now it's time to beat Doom3.
Max
11/30/2004 (7:07 am)
Yeah,I heard a few people on Cstrike sayin that they liked the ending though. I dunno if you think this but didn't it seem that the game was a little short for 5 CD's? I just can't wait for the next one anyway. Now it's time to beat Doom3.
Max
#12
11/30/2004 (7:22 am)
It was like watching the Matrix Reloaded, it looked great but nothing actually happened. It was a hold over while they work on the real game (I hope). Hopefully the next one isn't another 6~ years away!
#13
A game ending that isn't a let down is a very rare beast, so I don't even let it bother me anymore. If the game is solid and enjoyable, that's good enough for me.
11/30/2004 (7:59 am)
They have stated that they don't want to launch into another 5+ year project. Steam would be an ideal vehicle for episodic content, though I don't know of any company that has really shown episodic content to be viable.A game ending that isn't a let down is a very rare beast, so I don't even let it bother me anymore. If the game is solid and enjoyable, that's good enough for me.
#14
Either way I really enjoyed the game as a whole, and while another 30 minutes wasn't needed, it was already pretty long, I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt. :)
Fun game though.
11/30/2004 (8:15 am)
Funny almost everyone I talked to (myself included) said the same thing about the ending, I think it was just becaues it was so abrupt, like I had a feeling there would be another 30 minutes of gameplay or something and then bam it just ended, I actually thought the G-Man was leading you into something else until the credits started rolling...Either way I really enjoyed the game as a whole, and while another 30 minutes wasn't needed, it was already pretty long, I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt. :)
Fun game though.
#15
Was Combain's plans foiled or has Freeman's diversion caused a minor malfunction in the upper stories of Citadel? What was all that ride for?
Of course, its better than "congratulation" but the ending is far from "wow". Its more like "huh?"
11/30/2004 (8:25 am)
Well, the problem seemed to be that there were no explanations or at least *hints* of explanations. Who's GMan? What is his motivation and, more importantly, who the hell is he? God? Devil? Accountant with divine powers?Was Combain's plans foiled or has Freeman's diversion caused a minor malfunction in the upper stories of Citadel? What was all that ride for?
Of course, its better than "congratulation" but the ending is far from "wow". Its more like "huh?"
#16
I WILL agree to that. I don't think it was a let down or a cop out because I throughly enjoyed it. I just wish it hadn't left me hangin and wasn't so abrupt. I HOPE they did it for a very good reason though.
11/30/2004 (9:50 am)
Quote:
Either way I really enjoyed the game as a whole, and while another 30 minutes wasn't needed, it was already pretty long, I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt. :)
I WILL agree to that. I don't think it was a let down or a cop out because I throughly enjoyed it. I just wish it hadn't left me hangin and wasn't so abrupt. I HOPE they did it for a very good reason though.
#17
You guys do have a point about the abruptness of the ending there. It just bothered me that they just kinda stopped it right there and didn't have any little bit of what was happining to the world around after what you just did. It's allmost like you are a beeing that can't actually die and that Gman will save you and just let things unfold from there and then bring you back when the time comes.
Max
11/30/2004 (10:01 am)
Yeah, You guys do have a point about the abruptness of the ending there. It just bothered me that they just kinda stopped it right there and didn't have any little bit of what was happining to the world around after what you just did. It's allmost like you are a beeing that can't actually die and that Gman will save you and just let things unfold from there and then bring you back when the time comes.
Max
#18
You beat the game and you arent given a reward. The gman shows up and reminds that at the end of every day you'll ever live, its just you and him. Any relationships you form, and basically anything that could be considered "human", is irrelevant. Your job is finished so there is no point in staying any longer. It was the most "this is more than a game" ive ever felt. I had just accomplished this monumental feat and then just as quickly as I can throw up a fist in victory, the gman shows up and pulls me away with the Hitchcock zoom effect. Its so bitter and cold. At the same time, though, there was this crushing type of beauty about it.
The ending in the game mimicks your response in real life. Or your response mimicks what gordon would have been going through.
All you can say is "what the hell. but i.... what the hell."
Its so beautiful.
But maybe this is all just me.
11/30/2004 (11:00 am)
I guess Im a minority. I thought the end of half life 2 was PERFECT. its such a beautiful moment. When I beat the game, the experience seems to be quite different than most everyone else here.You beat the game and you arent given a reward. The gman shows up and reminds that at the end of every day you'll ever live, its just you and him. Any relationships you form, and basically anything that could be considered "human", is irrelevant. Your job is finished so there is no point in staying any longer. It was the most "this is more than a game" ive ever felt. I had just accomplished this monumental feat and then just as quickly as I can throw up a fist in victory, the gman shows up and pulls me away with the Hitchcock zoom effect. Its so bitter and cold. At the same time, though, there was this crushing type of beauty about it.
The ending in the game mimicks your response in real life. Or your response mimicks what gordon would have been going through.
All you can say is "what the hell. but i.... what the hell."
Its so beautiful.
But maybe this is all just me.
#19
I just ordered Doom 3 at $29.99 so I guess I'll find out what you're talking about first hand.
11/30/2004 (11:33 am)
In Mythic Blades, we have 11 seperate ending sequences + 2 special endings depending upon which character you beat the game with and which side the character is aligned. For those that don't know what I'm talking about Mythic Blades and I realize this is a shameless plug.I just ordered Doom 3 at $29.99 so I guess I'll find out what you're talking about first hand.
#20
@Nauris
I would have been _really_ upset if they had explained anything about Gman. I don't like mysteries that aren't long enough to ponder on. Once X-files began explaining things, their ratings took a nose dive. Same things happened with many other TV shows.
@All
The semi-official word I've dug up, is that the next release will be an along-side story told from Alex's point of view. Much like Opposing Force and BlueShift.
11/30/2004 (12:56 pm)
I also loved HL2s ending. It wasn't a surprising point to end, as I had just scaled to the top of the largest building in C-17. I knew it would end here.@Nauris
I would have been _really_ upset if they had explained anything about Gman. I don't like mysteries that aren't long enough to ponder on. Once X-files began explaining things, their ratings took a nose dive. Same things happened with many other TV shows.
@All
The semi-official word I've dug up, is that the next release will be an along-side story told from Alex's point of view. Much like Opposing Force and BlueShift.
Torque Owner Max Thomas
They kinda were. I loved the game nevertheless and I am happy that they are makin a sequal. But I do think that the ending really could have used some work.
Max