Deus Ex H.R.'s Ending (spoilers *Shock!*)

[castlewise]

umm what the hell are you guys talking about with defending malik? i tried, but it quickly seemed obvious that the situation was scripted/pre-destined. are you telling me it is actually possible to save her?!!!?

and, just like many of you i had been playing no killing for the most part up til then too, but after that... and when i saw her again later, well without giving anything away i walked out of that room and went back through the level executing everyone i had knocked out.

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HOLY SHIT: i just watched a youtube video of saving her!!!! i tried hard to save her, and frankly i played a heck of a lot better than whoever was doing the youtube video. hell, i used about 8 rockets and just one shot every enemy as they came. and for that matter i killed at least 2 tanks. i had NO IDEA it was possible to save her.

seriously, i was so pissed off about her murder i went through the next area killing every belltower employee i found in revenge.

I know what you mean. I ended a pacifist run so I could brutally murder everyone from belltower from that point in the game on.

 

[Deadyawn]

Fist off, WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME I COULD SAVE MALIK!
Secondly, WHAT IS THIS SECRET ENDING THING?
Thirdly, I completely agree that the ending was pretty bad. It didn't explain what happened to any of the characters we had become invested in and it didn't represent the reprecussions in a meaningful way. It was also kind of stupid how the way you played the game (read: whether you were a murdering asshole or not) only altered like one line in the end monologue. I am going to be pretty seriously pissed if they give us a proper ending in DLC and I'm not sure if I would prefer it over not getting a proper ending at all. Also the end battle was not only random as hell but also mechanically bad. It could instakill you if you were standing in a bad place when the floor electrified so I had to save scum like a ***** to get through it.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

It didn't feel rushed more like they didn't know what to do with it. I was expecting a slap on the wrist as I chose to tell the truth. I felt pissed at everyone for lying to sexy Adam Jensen all the time so my vindictiveness won out Instead I got a ...well if you've finished it that way you'll know.

The only thing I liked about the ending was the fact that Jensen actually referred to my Pacifist run through in his little spiel.

It was a really crap fizzle out but tbh it's a prequel so there wasn't really much else they could do. I think it was a really bad idea to make a prequel at the end of the day. They could have had a nice franchise going here. Instead they will have to set up a new character and motivations if they want to make another game.

I saved Malik on my first run through on Give me Deus Ex and got my pacifist achivement. It took me ages. I also sacrificed my foxiest of hounds cheevo to save her so she better be grateful!
I also really liked Malik. I thought she was a really well done character. I hope my Adam Jensen ran away with her, lived happily ever after and had pilot babies.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Secondly, WHAT IS THIS SECRET ENDING THING?

Sit through all of the credits.

You will be treated to a prize...or was it prizes?

...mysteries.

 

[jeremysaint]

the quote "secret ending" is irrelevant to the game. it is more like one of the lame scenes at the end of a marvel movie, like thors hammer at the end of iron man 2. that said, if you want to see it i am pretty sure you can just load up the credits from the main menu.

i am still dumbfounded that you can save malik. seroiusly. i was playing the hardest difficulty and i really was just one shotting everything with a rocket launcher, when a poison gas cloud went over the aircraft and i got her death dialogue. i could not see anyway to prevent that.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

the quote "secret ending" is irrelevant to the game. it is more like one of the lame scenes at the end of a marvel movie, like thors hammer at the end of iron man 2. that said, if you want to see it i am pretty sure you can just load up the credits from the main menu.

i am still dumbfounded that you can save malik. seroiusly. i was playing the hardest difficulty and i really was just one shotting everything with a rocket launcher, when a poison gas cloud went over the aircraft and i got her death dialogue. i could not see anyway to prevent that.

I think its if the robot gets a chance to fire on her that's when she dies. You can take it out with an EMP but if you are doing a pacifist run be careful becuase the explosion can kill the nearby guys.

I was more intrigued by the picture of the developers team notice board that said in the bottom corner 'If you see anyone with the Spider pig...' than the actual ending lol.

 

[dyre]

Hmm. I liked the ending (the videos, that is). I felt the game wasn't about Jenson or Reed at all. It was about the future of humanity regarding augmentation, and maybe even more than that (the Illuminati), and in that regard, the ending gives you some good closure. Plus, the videos were pretty well made, with a nice soundtrack.

What disappointed me was the idiotic final level, and the wtf-is-this-why-do-I-have-to-kill-the-three-girls boss fight. Could that ass Darrow really not have thought of a way to get augmentations recalled without killing everyone? Does he really think even his extreme actions will stop the progress of humanity for more than a temporary pause? It seemed extremely forced for a climax, and gameplay wise, fighting civilians armed with their fists, after fighting through installation after heavily guarded installation, is a joke.

I also thought saving Malik was the highlight of the game. Other than Sarif, who I grudgingly respected, and I guess maybe Pritchard, Malik was the only person I liked, and I felt she might just have been the only straight-up good human being in the game. I managed to take out all the Belltower assholes non-lethally in one try, but if it came to breaking out my fully modded combat rifle, I would gladly have done it.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

The endings were never intended to "give you closure". The game was a prequel. Closure is impossible. It was meant to be a philosophical exploration of the ethics of transhumanism. In that respect, the endings did exactly what they set out to do...reflect your personal ethical stance through Adam's speech. It wasn't the story of Adam Jensen, BAD ASS ************. It was the story of a world in the throes of change, standing at the brink of a precipice, confronting the implications of an extraordinary leap forward in scientific progress. About whether or not we should use our own creativity and ingenuity to redefine what it means to be human. To "steal fire from the Gods".

I suppose it is somewhat typical, though, that a game tries to go thematic on us and everyone complains because they don't get a cutscene of Adam getting a fucking medal or boning his girlfriend.

 

[KaiserKnight]

In short I was extremely disappointed in the game and was very close to actually hating the fact that the game was a prequel. I really REALLY wish game developers would stop making prequels to games that have been out longer than three or so years, the ending was another thing I disliked. Rushed, nothing really gained and the fact that it seems like no matter what choice you made the story didn't change.

 

[Catchy Slogan]

The whole end level was just one big WTF!?! moment, and you could tell they ran out of both time and money at that point. Such a huge dissapointment.

When I saved the scientists, it only felt like I was half-way through instead of at the end.

Also, I wanted my talk with Megan, dammit!

 

[Blondegoth]

The endings were never intended to "give you closure". The game was a prequel. Closure is impossible. It was meant to be a philosophical exploration of the ethics of transhumanism. In that respect, the endings did exactly what they set out to do...reflect your personal ethical stance through Adam's speech. It wasn't the story of Adam Jensen, BAD ASS ************. It was the story of a world in the throes of change, standing at the brink of a precipice, confronting the implications of an extraordinary leap forward in scientific progress. About whether or not we should use our own creativity and ingenuity to redefine what it means to be human. To "steal fire from the Gods".

I suppose it is somewhat typical, though, that a game tries to go thematic on us and everyone complains because they don't get a cutscene of Adam getting a fucking medal or boning his girlfriend.

Ok for starters I understand what you are saying and yes the theme of the game was apparent throughout. However they were telling a story and narrative was a soild part of the experience, to that end they did not close the story.
The theme and feel of the game was so, but they chose to focus on Adam Jenson and his part in the "Revolution". To suddenly switch to the outside and drop off the interpersonal parts completely negates the point of having a personal story.

The prequel argument does not pass muster as that is a poor excuse for bad storytelling. They chose to make the game and they chose to give you multiple choices, so they should show you the outcome of these choices.

Its not about seeing Adam "Adam getting a fucking medal or boning his girlfriend." its about seeing the ramifications of the choices you made in game in context with the game. Showing a series of thematic videos with a voice over is just dissapointing and hollow. It didn't work in metal Gear Solid and it doesnt work here.

Show dont tell.

 

[Rage Builder]

Sure she may have been part of Jensen's motivation to uncover the truth, but she treats him with such flippant disregard once you find her that I don't think she can be considered a 'love interest'.

This was the first time I really got annoyed with the game (I didn't have much problems with the bosses for some reason so I thought that it wasn't that big a deal). Adam and Reed meet eachother after six months of assumeing that the other is dead, she's completely non-caring and gives you the immunity thing and then more or less dissapears completely.

After that everything was downhill for me.

 

[Saulkar]

Since there are people who share my sentiment and can express it much better than I can, all I will say is I concur with your statement.

 

[NitehawkFury]

umm what the hell are you guys talking about with defending malik? i tried, but it quickly seemed obvious that the situation was scripted/pre-destined. are you telling me it is actually possible to save her?!!!?

and, just like many of you i had been playing no killing for the most part up til then too, but after that... and when i saw her again later, well without giving anything away i walked out of that room and went back through the level executing everyone i had knocked out.

-------------------------------

HOLY SHIT: i just watched a youtube video of saving her!!!! i tried hard to save her, and frankly i played a heck of a lot better than whoever was doing the youtube video. hell, i used about 8 rockets and just one shot every enemy as they came. and for that matter i killed at least 2 tanks. i had NO IDEA it was possible to save her.

seriously, i was so pissed off about her murder i went through the next area killing every belltower employee i found in revenge.

I know what you mean. I ended a pacifist run so I could brutally murder everyone from belltower from that point in the game on.

I did the exact same thing. I was so pissed when they killed her, man. I wasn't exactly a pacifist before that point, either, but I just went nuts and started ripping into everyone after that point. And now I find out that you can save her!? Why wasn't this more clearly explained? I felt like I had no choice in the matter, and I was shooting guards left and right the whole time, but suddenly she just "died."

It seemed like such a lame death for a character that was clearly important to Adam.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Ok for starters I understand what you are saying and yes the theme of the game was apparent throughout. However they were telling a story and narrative was a soild part of the experience, to that end they did not close the story.
The theme and feel of the game was so, but they chose to focus on Adam Jenson and his part in the "Revolution". To suddenly switch to the outside and drop off the interpersonal parts completely negates the point of having a personal story.

I agree with "show don't tell", and I'm not saying that there aren't better ways of presenting something like this, but I disagree that you need a closed narrative in order to tell a story. By focusing on the theme and NOT on the further adventures of Adam Jensen, they are shifting the focus of their story AWAY from Jensen and onto the philosophical and thematic elements of the narrative. There are plenty of acclaimed films and novels that don't rely on closed, linear narratives. I don't mind games doing the same thing.

 

[Blondegoth]

Ok for starters I understand what you are saying and yes the theme of the game was apparent throughout. However they were telling a story and narrative was a soild part of the experience, to that end they did not close the story.
The theme and feel of the game was so, but they chose to focus on Adam Jenson and his part in the "Revolution". To suddenly switch to the outside and drop off the interpersonal parts completely negates the point of having a personal story.

I agree with "show don't tell", and I'm not saying that there aren't better ways of presenting something like this, but I disagree that you need a closed narrative in order to tell a story. By focusing on the theme and NOT on the further adventures of Adam Jensen, they are shifting the focus of their story AWAY from Jensen and onto the philosophical and thematic elements of the narrative. There are plenty of acclaimed films and novels that don't rely on closed, linear narratives. I don't mind games doing the same thing.

Ok fair enough, that is true. I agree that it is not the only way to tell a story, the point I was trying to make was I felt that they handled it poorly. it wasn't so much that they left the narrative open as much as they cut off the Jenson and co story like a guillotine. It just felt hollow to me.