46 réponses à ce sujet

[areopi]

Well, it's not really an ending is it? I mean one of the things they're clearly doing here is setting up the game to really continue past beating the big baddie. In previous games all the save files reverted to just before the big battle so you could do new DLC, but this time it can happen after the end of the game. (Actually, DA2 kind of did this too right?).

 

The final battle didn't have any major choice, so yeah it could have been more impactful, but it doesn't feel like an ending because it kind of isn't. I'm actually okay with that. It's a longer form of story-telling, one that continues to develop long after the game release (also one that nets them profit long after release...). Still I was satisfied.

[Megakoresh]

You're kidding about ME2, right? Mass Effect 2: The Holding Pattern. Literally NOTHING changed from ME1 to ME3 in the big picture. We knew the Reapers were coming, this was just the filler while we waited for them to get here. Granted, the end mission was the entire point of the game, but it was a straight up cliffhanger. DA2 was just as bad as a sequel hook.

Being a cliffhanger doesn't make it bad though. ME2 was awesome, but without resolution. DA2 definitely felt like the end of the Champion's story but without resolving the story. DAI's problem was that the resolution was kinda boring; the sequel/dlc hook at the end was more interesting and wasn't the problem.

No I meant in how it was paced, the feedback on decisions, satisfaction from the results in both gameplay and story. ME2 had a LOT of buildup. So much. All the missions for your companions affecting their survival, a really challenging (well, relatively anyway...) "pre-ending" mission, unbelievably epic end cutscene and a good transitional aftermath. It it did not come as a surprise, it did not cut off unexpectedly, it was epic, and above all it felt like an ending - it had feedback on the entire game and it had a great buildup, like I said.

 

It's more of a case, I think, that DAI is a SP MMO and the end, just like the rest of the game, doesn't offer enough story feedback on all the stupid filler work it puts you through. I mean what's the story-wise point of doing the various operations and getting influence? None. You might as well just cheat your power points and you'll have the exact same effect. And thats just one example.

[TeraBat]

I did enjoy the side missions, though. I'm big into exploration in games, and I liked the shards and astrariums and random side quests, because I got a reward for crawling all over the map. And that also gave me more banter! 

 

However, I really wish that there was a mod which let me cut my XP and Power awards in half, or that at least that was a setting for Nightmare mode. *That* is what would make the game harder, not beefier enemies. 

[Mushashi7]

My only thought is:

What is wrong with a happy ending?

[Bethgael]

I think part of it was the last battle was supposed to be the last stage of the 3 battles that came before it (as a side note, if you choose to drink, I believe you do have to fight the dragon instead of Morrigan--I haven't tried that first hand though). That's not to defend the pacing of the main storyline, which is, frankly, terrible. I tend to agree with the OP (except as below).

It also felt like content has been cut between "oh, there he is" and "hey, here we are--suddenly.... what's with the breaking castle? There's a castle at haven? Whot?"

It isn't even so much the lacklustre there-he-goes-oh-it's-done (I feel part of the point of fighting Cory is that he's supposed to be so arrogant he doesn't even realise he's actually easy to take down). I don't care if it's happy. I'm okay with happy. (I like the d'awwww ending, myself--but don't tell anyone). It doesn't need to be "gut wrenching" or even lead to a Bad Ending, etc. It's the fact nothing you do in the game changes what happens. Nothing. Except maybe you get to fight his dragon instead of Morrigan.

And, as someone else has pointed out, starting the game after the explosion is, story-wise, like starting Origins at Ostagar. Or, to take it further for people who didn't play O but did DA2, starting DA2 after Yr 1, at the point Hawke & Sibling meets Varric. We never get to know our character, not really. Apart from a conversation with Josephine where we can briefly mention a bit about ourselves and our family. I understand this is a VO issue, but also, I do miss the Origin/Hawke runs from his/her home type of beginning. It hooked you to your character.

I "solved" that by headcanon-ing my Inquisitor as an AU of one of my Wardens (Mythal Experiments ), but, still. I miss that hook.

[TeraBat]

My only thought is:

What is wrong with a happy ending?

 

Nothing. I just would have liked to have had to work harder for it. My first Origins playthrough had a relatively happy ending - despite telling my lover he had to do something none of us wanted him to do with someone he hated, we all survived the Blight and lived happily ever after. 

 

Also, just to clarify - I liked the pacing of the main storyline. I just felt a little let down during the final boss fight. I realize a lot of people didn't think much of the choices you had to make, but I loved them. I am an inveterate fanpoodle for Dragon Age; I have the books and the RPG in addition to the digital games. So I really, really wanted to love the ending. And I was disappointed that, as much as I wanted to, I just couldn't. 

[Megakoresh]

I did enjoy the side missions, though. I'm big into exploration in games, and I liked the shards and astrariums and random side quests, because I got a reward for crawling all over the map. And that also gave me more banter! 

 

However, I really wish that there was a mod which let me cut my XP and Power awards in half, or that at least that was a setting for Nightmare mode. *That* is what would make the game harder, not beefier enemies. 

Well I am glad you enjoyed it, but... Really, you call "Gather 30 Elfroot" "exploration" quest? Because that's all the side quests are about. Or at least 99% of them. If you want to know what good side quests are in an open world game, play the recent Risen 3. Funny character, unique mechanics, good background, those are just the general things that every side quest is guaranteed to give you in that game.  Or hell, even Kingdoms of Amaleur is better, because of all the interesting self-contained, yet integrated, stories you get to discover about every small village and whatnot. What do you get for exploration in DAI? 20x Veridium, that's what. If that works for you, good for you, but I think that is way below the standards I used to hold BioWare up to.

[Mushashi7]

Nothing. I just would have liked to have had to work harder for it. My first Origins playthrough had a relatively happy ending - despite telling my lover he had to do something none of us wanted him to do with someone he hated, we all survived the Blight and lived happily ever after. 

 

Also, just to clarify - I liked the pacing of the main storyline. I just felt a little let down during the final boss fight. I realize a lot of people didn't think much of the choices you had to make, but I loved them. I am an inveterate fanpoodle for Dragon Age; I have the books and the RPG in addition to the digital games. So I really, really wanted to love the ending. And I was disappointed that, as much as I wanted to, I just couldn't. 

.
True. Your efforts could be challenged a lot more. The final prize is definetely depending on how much you had to fight for it. I agree.

But let me be clear on one thing: I don't play games to experience a bad ending.

Like in Mass Effect 3. I was utterly disappointed. I immediately downloaded the Happy Ending Mod. I just don't see the point in using more than hundred hours on a story just to watch it end bad. This is not what I call good entertainment.

Now we have cleared we can get back to your main point. Its only fair to expect a hard struggle to reach this 'happy end'. Isn't it?
I can't say that Dragon Age: Inquisition has a bad ending. It's just a bit tame. I would have preferred a mystery end instead. An end that might put up some expectations for a sequel? Yeah, well, that probably wouldn't sell lots of games some would say? Or would it not? When you are in the high end area of games, as ME and DA are, I think it could survive it, and maybe even grab the next step in gaming?

[TeraBat]

Well I am glad you enjoyed it, but... Really, you call "Gather 30 Elfroot" "exploration" quest? Because that's all the side quests are about. Or at least 99% of them. If you want to know what good side quests are in an open world game, play the recent Risen 3. Funny character, unique mechanics, good background, those are just the general things that every side quest is guaranteed to give you in that game.  Or hell, even Kingdoms of Amaleur is better, because of all the interesting self-contained, yet integrated, stories you get to discover about every small village and whatnot. What do you get for exploration in DAI? 20x Veridium, that's what. If that works for you, good for you, but I think that is way below the standards I used to hold BioWare up to.

Haven't played Risen 3 (it got a really bad review on RPS, so I'm unlikely to pick it up), but I did play Risen 2 and loved it. 

 

And no, I don't mind the gathering quests. I never once went out into the world with the prime goal of collecting 30 elfroot. Rather, I walked from one camp in the Emerald Graves to set up a new camp, and kept my eyes open for elfroot. 

 

The thing about this game is, it's trying to offer up a lot of conventions for RPGs that people enjoy. But not everyone is going to enjoy the same thing. I don't like mounts. They're hard to maneuver, usually expensive and a pain to get on and get off while fighting or trying to crawl around rock formations. So after getting my first horse from Dennet and riding it around for a little bit, I never summoned my mount again and never spent a single coin on one, either. And I'm not bitching at Bioware for including mounts in the game. Some people thought they were great! Awesome! The more people who find enjoyable elements in this game, the more it will sell and the likelier we are to get a new one! 

 

So don't like the gather quests? You don't have to do them. There's more than enough content to occupy your time with other missions. 

[Genadine]

After 170 hours I've just finished my first play through, and completely agree with the OP. 

 

More than once throughout the game I've had a lump in my throat. 

 

Some of the choices I've had to make have been painful but exhilarating at the same time.

 

The final battle due to previous decisions was over too quickly, but then after sitting through the credits, I was OMFG didn't see that one coming, hoping now for an awesome DLC.

 

Thank You for what has been a fun journey and one I intend to repeat, so many styles, so many romances, so many stories.

 

Regards

[TeraBat]

.
True. Your efforts could be challenged a lot more. The final prize is definetely depending on how much you had to fight for it. I agree.

But let me be clear on one thing: I don't play games to experience a bad ending.

Like in Mass Effect 3. I was utterly disappointed. I immediately downloaded the Happy Ending Mod. I just don't see the point in using more than hundred hours on a story just to watch it end bad. This is not what I call good entertainment.

Now we have cleared we can get back to your main point. Its only fair to expect a hard struggle to reach this 'happy end'. Isn't it?
I can't say that Dragon Age: Inquisition has a bad ending. It's just a bit tame. I would have preferred a mystery end instead. An end that might put up some expectations for a sequel? Yeah, well, that probably wouldn't sell lots of games some would say? Or would it not? When you are in the high end area of games, as ME and DA are, I think it could survive it, and maybe even grab the next step in gaming?

 

Technically, there is a mystery ending in the after-credits scene, which I think really does set us up well for the sequel; and a few hooks sprinkled in the epilogue. And I don't think those would have been incompatible with making you make some other kind of choice. 

[Fredvdp]

I think this game has a worse ending than Mass Effect 3, but for mostly different reasons. The one thing they have in common is that your choices don't matter.

The biggest issue is how bland it was.

Spoiler

Kill the bad guy. Credits. Let's have dinner in Skyhold.

At least the post-credits scene redeems it somewhat.

 

I think the game is great and the story is overall very solid, but the ending feels slapped on. It's like they ran out of budget and just reused the breach assets.

[TeraBat]

My really big hope for DA4 is that you play your Inquisitor again, and the Inquisition expands into Tevinter and the Anderfels, and you get a lot more story about what Solas is up to, as well as what the Wardens are up to and the ambivalent response of the Tevinter Imperium to the Venatori and Corypheus. 

[Spectre Impersonator]

My only thought is:

What is wrong with a happy ending?

The problem is... that's what people like. We can't have that! 

[TeraBat]

The problem is... that's what people like. We can't have that! 

 

I suppose a better way to say it would be: Happy ending or sad ending, all the same to me, just make me feel something along the way. 

[AzureAardvark]

After the multi-stage combat in the Siege of Denerim, after having to make the choice regarding Morrigan's Dark ritual; after having to sentence my lover and kill another friend in DA2, after having to take out both Orsino and Meredith... the end battle was disappointing. The combat was over too quickly, and there was no subtlety to it.

 

Still a better love story than ME3.

 

Skipping game play, plot, and writing entirely, though, for a moment (that was a back handed compliment, if you missed it ... 'cause I'm an ass ) ... if you want a scenery chewing villain ... GO. GET. ONE.

 

David Warner could out-chew Cory on the back of a cocktail napkin over a salad bar salad.

 

Spring for it. Buy David Warner a salad. Live a little. 

 

Think of the children.

 

Also, since I just finished the post credits trailer, and was romancing Solas ...

... You are a very very bad man, David Gaider. Oh, yeah, smug it all up, elves are coming for you.

[TeraBat]

Still a better love story than ME3.

 

Skipping game play, plot, and writing entirely, though, for a moment (that was a back handed compliment, if you missed it ... 'cause I'm an ass ) ... if you want a scenery chewing villain ... GO. GET. ONE.

 

David Warner could out-chew Cory on the back of a cocktail napkin over a salad bar salad.

 

Spring for it. Buy David Warner a salad. Live a little. 

 

Think of the children.

 

Also, since I just finished the post credits trailer, and was romancing Solas ...

... You are a very very bad man, David Gaider. Oh, yeah, smug it all up, elves are coming for you.

 

This whole post made me laugh! 

 

I can't wait to see where the Solas storyline goes!! I have my own theories, and I can't wait to see if they are confirmed or not! 

[King Dragonlord]

I don't know about you all but I count the stuff at the elven temple as part of the ending. I just try to ignore the part where after we're done with the elves I have to go have a conversation with Flemeth then go back to my war table and say "Ok, I'm ready for Corypheus to catch me with my pants down." Its kind of like if you did the Siege of Denerim, carved a path to the roof of Ft Drakon, then went back to camp to chat with your buddies only for the Archdemon to show up because you forgot to kill him. 

 

But while I wasn't really keeping close track, it did feel like my choices had some impact during the elf temple sequence. If you did the side quest involving Calpernia, you can show her evidence that Corypheus is using her and avoid a fight. I know I actually had to fight her the first time. 

 

And of course, the choice regarding Morrigan and the Well affects whether you are have her help or have to go catch a dragon yourself. 

 

But overall I did experience disappointment with the ending too. Not because I didn't get a larger battle or have more of my choices reflected but because the villain feels underdeveloped. Never do I feel that more than with Calpernia actually. The camera shows this random blonde girl like its all supposed to be ominous and a big deal but I was like "Who is this? Have I met her before?" I only remember her name now because the effect of the sidequest on my second playthrough but she still didn't feel like anyone I was supposed to care about. Kai Leng may have been annoying Manga Nightwing boy but at least he made me want to kick his ass.*

 

What I will say for it is the second playthrough, I found the ending was better than I remembered it being. I think once you get the disappointment out of the way and your expectations are sufficiently lowered, its not that bad. I know thats not what anyone wants out of an ending but at least on future playthroughs, I don't think this ending will be bugging people quite the way the ME3 one does. At least you can get it over with quicker and everything leading up to the battle is pretty good. 

 

*Actually, I wanted to kick his ass more. It would have been satisfying for many of us but it would also have played into their botched theme of Commander Shepard slowly being worn down and almost cracking over the course of this game. The fall of Thessia really got to him/her, why not show it here? 

[Nerevar-as]

I think BioWare can be officially marked (no pun unintended) as the "Bad ending company". I would say that "First ME3", but to be honest if you think about it, the last good ending they did was ME2. DA2 was not an ending, it was an obvious cliffhanger going into Inquisition, as that was the main point of DA2 - Origins was so conclusive, EA was afraid people'd loose interest in the franchise, so they rushed DA2 and the ending was made a complete cliffhanger so Inquisition would have more development time.

 

Speculation aside though, we have seen a lot of really bad endings in the last two years. To be honest the only one I remember to find satisfying was Transistor. Of all the games I played from 2013-2014, that was the only one when I had actually felt that my experience at the end was complete, and credits didn't roll too quickly or I wasn't screwed over somehow, or there wasn't some giant loophole, or it wasn't a bloody prequel...

 

Seriously, is this a new trend? I don't like it.

Actually, the plan was to finish the tale in an expansion, but they miscalculated how well DAII would sell, or understimated players´ intelligence and thought they would rush to such a poor game. So it was left hanging intentionally so you´d have to buy the end later, and then forced to finish that part in Inquisition as an expansion wouldn´t be approved.

[Sidney]

How was either me3 or this a bad ending. ME3 you save the universe. Here you stop Cory's crazy plan. That is pretty darn good. They might be badly written or you might not like them but these aren't bad endings in terms of outcome.

In ME3 personally for Shep it sucks to be dead in some endings but in DAI you don't even have that problem. He's dead, sky healed all right with the world. The fact that there is now potentially another threat is immaterial. It is like arguing DAOs ending is bad because beating the blight doesn't save the world because the is a Mage Templar war and another Darkspawn inspired threat right down the road.

[Zwingtanz]

They shouldn't have beamed you straight to the endboss, that's for sure. I was ok with what came after, though. Would have preferred character closures in the epilogue, like Fallout does it but that's just personal preference. More room for "head canon" i guess.

[King Dragonlord]

How was either me3 or this a bad ending. ME3 you save the universe. Here you stop Cory's crazy plan. That is pretty darn good. They might be badly written or you might not like them but these aren't bad endings in terms of outcome.

In ME3 personally for Shep it sucks to be dead in some endings but in DAI you don't even have that problem. He's dead, sky healed all right with the world. The fact that there is now potentially another threat is immaterial. It is like arguing DAOs ending is bad because beating the blight doesn't save the world because the is a Mage Templar war and another Darkspawn inspired threat right down the road.

For outcomes on me3, the consensus is that you don't get closure with your squad, that the space baby comes out of nowhere and his revelations about the reapers are nonsensical and that your choices aren't reflected on screen. This was all more true before the extended cut dlc which added the stills of your squad mates showing where they are now. The original ending also made it sound like you blew up the mass effect relays for good, effectively destroying galactic trade and community and stranding lots of aliens in our solar system (some of which are biologically incompatible with our ecosystem). And the destroy ending made it sound like all tech would be destroyed.

For DAI you're right that everything more or less ends up ok, but a happy ending doesn't automatically equal a good ending. The only thing it really resolved was "we beat the bad guy". But given the games focus on building armies and alliances, we expected what we built to play more of a role where basically in the final battle it played none, apart from the squad mates you recruited. A satisfying ending should pay off the things it sets up. There's also the questions of what do we do now. There is a repeated theme throughout this game about what you do with power you gathered out of need once the immediate need passes. Remember, you were given this power in the first place because you could close the rifts and because your were thought to be the chosen. Does any of that really give you the right to keep wielding that power?