(Major spoiler warning)
Because they conclude the player’s several hour-long adventure, successfully executing games’ endings remains paramount. These moments reward the player for his/her commitment and enjoyment of the game, and should subsequently satisfy the player with a worthwhile conclusion. While many games are not designed with a set ending, such as many of the classics in the arcade genre, the inclusion of a proper denouement can elevate a game to a higher status, resulting in greater enjoyment, memorability, and value to the player. Game designers can incorporate many different approaches to craft a strong ending, and when executed well, such final moments can be a game’s best.
Cutscenes
A common method to end a game is to show a heartfelt cutscene Often conveying character growth, these cutscenes can emphatically resonate within the player, reminding him/her of the long journey they enjoyed. Throughout its unapologetically cheeky story, Bayonetta 2 balances character development in storytelling with intense gameplay in combat. Once the final battle is won, a quiet cutscene concludes the protagonist’s relationship with her companion. This companion, Loki, demonstrates a motivation to reach a spiritual area throughout the entire game to uncover who and what he is. Once that mission is accomplished, his character reaches a satisfying conclusion. After a heartfelt goodbye, the characters depart, similar to how the player soon leaves the game. This cutscene, like many others among games, justifies the previous adventure; it illustrates what the player’s time and effort have produced: the game’s fitting and emotionally satisfying end.
Catharsis
As hinted in the previous section, a strong sense of emotionality exists near a game’s conclusion. Although cutscenes serve many functions ranging from producing cinematic awe to detailing plot, they partly aim to emotionally satisfy the player. When games predominantly focus on such emotion, however, they can more directly fulfill player expectations. Throughout its entire campaign, the world within Golf Story denies the protagonist’s golfing skill. NPCs often remark how the player’s great gameplay is due to luck, the wind, or cheating. Even when the player wins tournaments against strong opponents, news reporters choose to not interview the protagonist as they have done for every previous winner. This continual refusal to acknowledge the protagonist’s skill results in the player subtly believing that the game does not recognize his/her own skill, subsequently resulting in heightened motivation and drive to succeed. When the final tournament is won, the player finally enjoys the respect he/she deserves with a rewarding news interview. Spectators become fans as everyone cheers for the player’s accomplishment, culminating in a satisfying and long sought-out admittance of the player’s skill.
Pokémon Firered and Leafgreen reach similar feelings of catharsis with their conclusions. The games continually detail how the player’s rival is one step ahead. Near the end, the player learns that his/her rival already reached the game’s final goal of becoming champion. Once again, this rival is one step ahead of the player. To complete the game, the player must triumph over his/her rival in one final clash. In the final showdown for the Champion title, the player endures a grueling battle against this rival’s best team, representing the culmination of a heated childhood rivalry, and upon victory, the player earns the title of Champion. The significance of this title is heightened by earning it from the player’s rival. A generic strong opponent would generate a thrilling battle in terms of gameplay; however, the strategic choice of making the rival the final boss introduces added emotionality to the fight; this is no longer just a match of wits and skill, this clash is personal. Pairing this dramatic situation with its racing music further escalates emotional tension. By triumphing over this rival, victory seems sweeter, and the player relishes their accomplishment more deeply. The cathartic release of finally besting the rival at his best satisfyingly signifies the player’s growth, determination, and strength.
Epic conclusions
To reach such cathartic moments, games can often infuse their final act with intense gameplay that challenges and grips the player. Shovel Knight adopts a thrilling boss rush near its conclusion to both remind the player of previous accomplishments and to entertain him/her with daunting difficulty. Much like in the Mega Man series, each level in Shovel Knight culminates in a thematic battle against a boss. These bosses are highly individualized, thereby diversifying gameplay. Plague Knight’s bombastic battle style, for instance, requires a different approach from Propeller Knight’s aerial assault tactics. By throwing all of these boss battles onto the player one after the next, the player once again enjoys the game’s peak moments, thereby constituting a highly memorable and enjoyable component within the game’s conclusion.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also successfully incorporates a boss rush in its final moments, but expands upon it with an intense fight against its dueling antagonists: Galeem and Dharkon. The true joys of this fight, however, lie within the buildup. First, the player fulfills a lifelong desire and plays as Master Hand to defeat over 50 clone fighters. For several Smash Bros. entries, Master Hand has been a towering opponent, yet never a playable character. In this one moment, however, the player plays as Master Hand in a cathartic rampage of destruction upon the forces of Galeem and Dharkon. Next, the player engages a challenging Metroid-esque escape section where he/she must quickly climb platforms before being destroyed while occasionally fighting enemies. To further complicate gameplay, Galeem and Dharkon both destroy platforms, requiring tremendous flexibility and reactivity on the player’s behalf. By balancing both platforming and enemy control, the player most likely enters a highly engrossing state of flow. Then, the aforementioned boss rush taxes the player with a relentless onslaught of the game’s toughest opponents. With that beautiful buildup complete, the player finally engages both Galeem and Dharkon in a brutally tough and chaotic match to the death. Previously, these bosses were engaged separately to great difficulty. Now with the inclusion of both bosses in one battle, the player is overwhelmed with another instance of platforming and enemy control. The game’s signature fugue blares a dramatic rendition of its title theme as the player engages these formidable opponents. The meatiness of this final battle in addition to its substantial lead-up results in a highly satisfying and engaging conclusion to Smash Bros. Ultimate’s already remarkable World of Light story mode.
More game to enjoy
Paradoxically, the best way to end a game is to introduce more gameplay. The previous entries have discussed many methods to succinctly finish a game; however, if a game is truly enjoyable, it remains tragic to end such fun. Several games can sneakily surprise the player with extended gameplay upon their “completion,” resulting in heightened excitement and thankfulness that more gameplay can be relished. Kid Icarus: Uprising does so upon clearing the game’s boss Medusa. The protagonist has been motivated to save the world by overhauling this evil goddess. Upon defeating Medusa, credits roll and triumphant music plays. Player expectations are subverted, however, when a new opponent, Hades, rips apart the screen. He taunts that Medusa was merely a pawn in his army and that he is the game’s real antagonist. Moments ago the player believed that he/she beat the game, yet now he/she must usurp the ruler of the underworld. Hades’s dry and witty dialogue also aids this transition; he jokes that the difficult battle against Medusa which the player just completed will be nothing compared to the clash against himself. This surprise design element more than doubles gameplay, resulting in more entertainment for the player to savor.
Super Mario 3D land takes a similar approach of elongating gameplay upon the game’s supposed conclusion, but expands upon it with heightened difficulty. The regular campaign of Super Mario 3D world is not too challenging because it was marketed for a predominantly general, child audience. Upon clearing the game’s eight worlds, however, the game doubles in scope and difficulty. New worlds open up for the player to tackle with a greater emphasis on skill. By now, several hours into the game, designers can justify harder level designs because the player has increased his/her gameplay skill over the game’s campaign. Now, harder levels challenge the player with tighter platforming, thereby keeping players engaged. Super Mario 3D Land would have a great ending if it merely doubled its level count upon the game’s supposed completion, but by enhancing the difficulty of these additional levels, the game becomes richer and more enjoyable for players striving to further hone their platforming prowess.
Conclusion
As the final experience that players will enjoy, a game’s ending remains a highly important component to execute well. Unsatisfying endings can profoundly hamper a consistently strong game. Primarily for economic reasons, many game designers believe that a game’s initial components should be the most compelling. After all, if a game is not good from the beginning, the player might return it, resulting in a loss of profit for the game designer. The dutiful game designer, however, respects the value of a strong start in addition to a strong finish. Such exceptional endings help commemorate a game as something special, something unique that extends beyond its campaign’s main gameplay. With a well designed ending, games are better remembered as compelling pieces of art while satisfying the player’s commitment to their service.
Comments