Poll: What do you like in your game endings? (RPG mainly)

[Xaositect]

I was having a discussion with someone recently, and I decided to make a poll here to see if any Escapists would offer their view on it.

Basically the argument was about the importantance of New Game Plus in a games replayability. They consider it paramount, and I personally think its worthless for the most part, its the plot that interests me (along with the gameplay of course). Anybody else agree or disagree?

(The discussion was started because Mass Effect 2 is most likely going for a "play after the credits" approach. My only interest is as long as Bioware think it fits with the story. The other person however, thinks Mass Effect 2s replayability is now ruined.)

 

[Jandau]

Speaking of RPGs I usually dislike New Game + or playing after I've finished the game. I do enjoy starting new characters and trying to get through a game in a different way and experiencing the story from a different angle. If an RPG doesn't offer me this opportunity (due to lack of character options and/or story choices), I tend to count it as low replayability.

 

[Xaositect]

Speaking of RPGs I usually dislike New Game + or playing after I've finished the game. I do enjoy starting new characters and trying to get through a game in a different way and experiencing the story from a different angle. If an RPG doesn't offer me this opportunity (due to lack of character options and/or story choices), I tend to count it as low replayability.

Thats pretty much my definition of "replaying" a game. Not going through the story once more will all your gear and power, cheapening the experience a second time around.

(Sorry to NG+ fans if it looks like Im hating, but I am. Ive never cared about NG+)

 

[Sampler]

I think fallout3 has been fantastic to play after the credits, there's so much in there that you wouldn't cover playing through - locations not related to the main storyline and not anywhere near something that is.

It really is down to the game though - I can't see Zelda being much fun once completed.

So idle speculation on a game that's not out yet let alone not played is a little pointless. As many things in life it's horses for courses and what works with one game might not necessarily fit another, even in the same genre.

[edit]

RE5 was fun to replay with ng+ upgrade handgun with unlimted ammo and such, finding nooks and crannies missed first time through. As the game environment is smaller and more linear than the other two mentioned this works for this game. Again, playing after the credits wouldn't work

Spoiler: click if you know or don't care how RE5 ends

unless you really enjoy wandering around a volcano with no enemies or areas to explore

but, as I said, in this instance new game+ adds life to a game and some replay enjoyment, after paying so much for the game it's nice for it not just to be "IT" because you've managed to get to the end.

 

[the_duke_CC]

I'm not a fan of the new game plus option, I much prefer finishing a game and that being it. Might sound dull but I don't like tacked on extras at the end of a game, unless justified. Such as a different game mode were you can play through the story from a different view point or a different characters perspective.

 

[KingPiccolOwned]

One that levels with me.

 

[Shadowfaze]

it always cool to have extra things to do after the credits roll- i liked the extra dungeons in dragon quest VII- it made the game even bigger, and it was already nearing the 100 plus hour mark. double awesomeness.

 

[Andy_Panthro]

I tend to just play for the story really.

Although I enjoy replaying my RPGs, I wouldn't want NG+, not a fan of that system.

 

[Tartan_Ninja]

New Game+ doesn't sit right with me at all.

I like playing after the credits, but that only ever really works with games involving lots of sublots, massive open worlds, or sandboxes, ie Fallout 3, any GTA game.

Spiderman 2 for the PS2 did this as well. EPIC WIN.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

options 1&2 from the poll are always classics.

plus having something extra to do after the credits,not just being able to finish up after you've beaten it,something you can only do after you've beaten it.

 

[Dancingman]

I almost always demand to continue playing after I finish the main story. One game where I thought it was done well was Mass Effect, even though everyone calls "Cliffhanger" on it, I don't think that's such a bad thing, it makes me wonder what will be happening next game, it helps me get stoked for Mass Effect 2. One game where I thought it was done poorly is the old whipping boy for crappy endings, Fallout 3, sorry Bethesda, but I'm not paying you so that you can give me the complete game I bought in the first place.

 

[Imat]

Well, it's the story that counts when it comes to RPGs. But having the option is good because then people can, as has been said, look for all the nooks and crannies they missed the first time through without having to worry so much about dying every other second.

Open World RPGs are different tho. Games like FO3, Oblivion, and to a lesser extent GTA3-4 can all be continued after the main questline is done. And this works because they have tons of side quests just waiting to be completed for the loot. And that's exactly what makes them amazing.

 

[Proteus214]

I just like to be able to see good story closure. Preferably the kind of epic endings that the Final Fantasy series usually has where it wraps up every character's story line.

 

[Mymla]

Options 3 and 4. If a game is really good, I might play it again some time later, using different characters or weapons or whatever than the first time.

Although new game + can be done really well, as for example Chrono Trigger demonstrated, where you can basicly play the game again and defeat the final boss at various points in the game for different endings.

And so can playing after the credits, I certainly enjoyed collecing all power stars in Mario 64 and all gold skulltulas in Ocarina of Time. (Although admittedly I was ten years old and impressionable at the time, so those might not count.)

 

[Apache2142]

Kinda like Final Fantasy X, possibility to mess about before you challenge the end boss.

 

[Jedoro]

I want to stick around in the game once it's over, and just explore, or maybe kill some more stuff.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

I do play RPGs for the story, but it's nice to have the option of New Game+, or playing after the credits, as well as just restarting with a different character.

In short, I don't mind if a game doesn't have New Game+, but it's a nice bonus to have.

 

[klakkat]

It depends a lot on the game. With a more open-world game (Fallout style) then continuing to play after the ending is good. For a game that is more linear, having New Game+ can work, since it lets you screw around more with characters and set ups, as the more linear games don't tend to have much variety in character builds (Thinking JRPGs here, mainly, though there are a few exceptions). Provided there aren't random encounters, anyway, or at least a way to avoid them easily. Nothing says annoying quite like fighting thousands of lvl 1 enemies when you're lvl 50 in a JRPG.

 

[Unit Alpha]

Play after credits is much better, although NG+ is still kinda fun in games that it makes sense in (i.e. Jade Empire, Mass Effect.)