Interactive Storytelling for Video Games Chapter 8: Multiple-Ending Stories Josiah Lebowitz Chris Klug

What is a multiple-ending story?  Multiple-ending stories are the most basic type of player- driven story.  They’re similar in many ways to interactive traditional stories.  They allow the player to consciously or unconsciously choose between two or more possible endings.  They’re used in a large number of video games.

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain  Released by Silicon Knights in 1996 (PS, PC).  Has a very dark and mature story.  The hero, Kain, is given the choice between ruling over a dying world or sacrificing himself to save it.  It’s up to the player to chose which path Kain takes.

Ending Types and Where to Put Them  Many games have a good ending, bad ending, and maybe a neutral ending.  Some games’ endings focus on what-if scenarios or the different possible outcomes of an important choice.  Adding additional endings just for the sake of having multiple endings is a bad idea.  It’s important to consider whether or not having multiple endings will enhance a given story.  Each ending should fit naturally into and support the story and gameplay.  Depending on the nature of the different endings, it may make sense to place them throughout the game, instead of putting them all at the very end.

CHRONO TRIGGER  Released by Square in 1995 (SNES).  Tells the tale of a group of friends traveling through time to save the future.  Features a New Game+ mode.  On New Game+, players can challenge the final boss at almost any time.  Defeating the final boss at different points in the story will yield a variety of different endings.  There are several joke endings but the majority are what-if scenarios showing what would have happened if the adventure had ended early.

How many endings does a game need?  Most multiple-ending games have two or three endings.  CHRONO TRIGGER has 12 or 13 (depending on the version). Other games have even more.  Think about what you want your endings to show (the possible outcomes of a choice, what-if scenarios, etc) then work out how many endings are needed to achieve that goal.  Keep in mind that every additional ending takes time and effort to create (and money to pay the people putting in that time and effort).

STAR OCEAN: Second Evolution  Released by tri-Ace and Sqaure Enix in 2009 (PSP).  An updated port of STAR OCEAN: Second Story (PS).  Contains over 100 endings based on the heroes’ relationships with each other.  Most of the endings are very short.  Even with multiple save files and a strategy guide, seeing every ending would require playing through the entire game many times.

Determining Which Ending the Player Sees  There are many different ways to determine which ending the player receives.  Many games give the player a straight up choice at or near the end of the game (as in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain).  Some games automatically choose the ending based on the player’s actions or performance over the course of the game (as in STAR OCEAN: Second Evolution).  Other games end early if the player makes a wrong choice or fails to meet certain criteria at various points in the game (as in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow).  Different types of endings tend to work best with a specific system, often making the decision a rather easy one.

Multiple-Ending Stories and Sequels  If a game with multiple-endings has a sequel, which ending should the sequel be based on?  Most often, sequels follow the previous game’s best or most popular ending. This is easy, but can upset fans who liked a different ending better.  Some sequels don’t follow any single ending, but combine elements of all of them to form a new non-existent ending to follow. This can be very confusing for players.  Other games dodge the issue by having the sequel feature different characters or take place in a different location.

Mass Effect  Released by Bioware in 2007 (360, PC).  The start of an epic sci-fi trilogy following the adventures of Commander Shepard.  Players can import their save data into Mass Effect 2, with the story changing based on their actions in the first game.  This is an excellent way of showing players that their choices really mattered, but required a lot of extra design and writing

The Strengths of Multiple- Ending Stories  They give the player a degree of control over the outcome of the story.  The more endings there are, the greater the chance that the player will find at least one he likes.  They increase a game’s replay value.  They encourage the player to approach the game in different ways every time he plays.  They can be used to expand the story by showing alternate outcomes and what-if scenarios.

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness  Released by Nippon Ichi in 2008 (PSP).  A port of the PS2 orignal.  Follows the misadventures of the demon Laharl as he works to become the Overlord of Hell.  Contains numerous endings, some based on what-if scenarios and others playing off of how well Laharl (and the player) have followed the story’s key themes.  The requirements for the best ending make it rather tricky to obtain with careful planning.

The Weaknesses of Multiple- Ending Stories  At the end of the day, players want an ending that provides a satisfying conclusion to the story. Players can become upset if they finish with a bad ending and can’t easily go back and get a better one.  Many players only complete a game once and will therefor only see one of the possible endings.  If the best ending is hidden behind a difficult and/or obscure set of requirements most players will never see it or even realize it exists.  Highly shocking and/or emotional endings lose much of their impact when the player knows he can load his last save and get a different outcome.  Due to time and budget constraints, the endings in multiple-ending stories tend to be shorter than those in interactive traditional stories.

Bioshock  Released by Irrational Games and 2K Games in 2007 (360, PS3, PC).  Has a very unique story set in the underwater city of rapture.  Features three different endings based on how the player treats the Little Sisters.  The bad and neutral endings are nearly identical.  Harvesting a single little sister prevents the player from obtaining the good ending without restarting the entire game.

Things to Consider  List five games you’ve played which use multiple-ending stories.  Pick two of the games from your list. How many endings do they have? How do they determine which ending the player receives?  In both games, were you happy with the first ending you received? Why or why not?  Did you want to replay one or both games in order to see the other endings? Why or why not?  Do you think that the additional endings enhanced or detracted from the games’ stories? Write a short explanation of your reasoning.