A Question About Computer Games With Very Grim Endings.

[Clochette]

I went into mourning after I finished Red Dead Redemption. I'm not even kidding, I was depressed for days.

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I started crying as soon as Uncle was killed and kept going until John opened the barn doors and went into Dead Eye mode before being shot dead by the FBI, and kept sniffling quietly up until the scene where Abigail and Jack bury him and "Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie" plays, at which point I started sobbing almost hysterically. I know it's just a video game, but damn it, I spent more than 30 hours playing as this character.

[Askold]

I went into mourning after I finished Red Dead Redemption. I'm not even kidding, I was depressed for days.

(click to show/hide)

I started crying as soon as Uncle was killed and kept going until John opened the barn doors and went into Dead Eye mode before being shot dead by the FBI, and kept sniffling quietly up until the scene where Abigail and Jack bury him and "Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie" plays, at which point I started sobbing almost hysterically. I know it's just a video game, but damn it, I spent more than 30 hours playing as this character.

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Did actually finish the game? I mean after John's death you still have the final quest as Jack to kill the FBI agent behind John's death. Doesn't make the ending any happier since at that point it is a pointless death and simply means that Jack has taken up the same life as his father had, which was something John struggled to prevent.

I consider games to be stories just like books and movies. I don't mind "bad" endings, even in a linear game, any more than I am against sad endings in movies or books.

Generally though, I prefer happier endings, but a well made story with a sad ending is better than poorly done with a happy one.

[Katsuro]

For me a lot of games are more about the journey than the destination.  Or with some open-world games like Skyrim I just like being in the game world.  In games like Skyrim, GTA and Red Dead Redemption I can dick around for hours without doing a single mission or anything story related and be quite happy.

[RavynousHunter]

For me a lot of games are more about the journey than the destination.  Or with some open-world games like Skyrim I just like being in the game world.  In games like Skyrim, GTA and Red Dead Redemption I can dick around for hours without doing a single mission or anything story related and be quite happy.

Tis one of the reasons I love Minecraft so much: the story is whatever you want it to be.  Also one of the reasons I like playing on my current (modded 1.6.2) Minecraft server, as I've got a very general goal that I can achieve in many different, interesting ways.