What if you could end it?

[Pelaf]

Right in chapter one, right after you make contact, just the way Walker was supposed to break contact. Wouldn't that be the ultimate guilt trip if you decided to play all the way through?
"Because none of this would've happened if you just stopped!" So what if they gave you an option to just stop in chapter one? I always thought that'd be a really powerful way to get their point across, seeing as they even said that to avoid the part with the phosphorous you should just stop playing.

[Starforsaken]

Yeah it would've been great if you could've just turned back right at the start and get some kind of ending. Amazing game anyway.

[Pelaf]

Originally posted by Starforsaken:

Yeah it would've been great if you could've just turned back right at the start and get some kind of ending. Amazing game anyway.

It would've been awesome, because his orders said that when he made contact he should evac immediately.

[Staatsfeind126]

yes it would be very good because most of the people would keep playing so it would really be there own fault that everybody dies. Nice idea!

[Marik Bentusi]

The common theory is that this line refers to the player not exiting the game and instead pressing on trying to "win" the game or satisfy their curiosity about the plot - just like Walker tries to fulfill his mission and continues to investigate what happened behind the sand storm wall. Walker's on his path to damnation. It's up to you to follow his lead or refuse cooperation.

[Dingo]

It would merely be a neat gimmick for a second playthrough. If you seriously propose this as a valid option for your first sitting with the game, i call you artsy delusional hipster. Because "you" out of all people, would be the first to cry "RIPOFF" demanding your 60 bucks back. Because the only way to give this alternative, very quick, ending emotional impact is, to not touch the game again.

[Roler42]

Originally posted by Dingo:

It would merely be a neat gimmick for a second playthrough. If you seriously propose this as a valid option for your first sitting with the game, i call you artsy delusional hipster. Because "you" out of all people, would be the first to cry "RIPOFF" demanding your 60 bucks back. Because the only way to give this alternative, very quick, ending emotional impact is, to not touch the game again.

Geez calm down...

[Dingo]

Originally posted by Roler42:

Geez calm down...

Geez bring something to the table...

[Pelaf]

Originally posted by Dingo:

It would merely be a neat gimmick for a second playthrough. If you seriously propose this as a valid option for your first sitting with the game, i call you artsy delusional hipster. Because "you" out of all people, would be the first to cry "RIPOFF" demanding your 60 bucks back. Because the only way to give this alternative, very quick, ending emotional impact is, to not touch the game again.

You are right, if I had that be the end of my first playthrough then I would be completely ticked off. But for someone who already beat the game it would be interesting to know that you could've just said, "No."

[Roler42]

The thing is you are not supposed to know "you can end it" until it's too late, that's why the idea of leaving dubai right when you are supposed to is never explored on a second playthrough

If you notice the first thing you do upon arrival is rappel down and after that there's no way to turn back, only after you reach the end of your first playthrough and see what happens all the way through, is when you realize that "stopping the game" was the "best ending"

[Dingo]

Originally posted by owen5ray:

You are right, if I had that be the end of my first playthrough then I would be completely ticked off. But for someone who already beat the game it would be interesting to know that you could've just said, "No."

The thing is, creating content costs money. In a game with such a high concept, regardless for if it actually achieves its goals, you dont want something to seem lazy. In order to not have the "No" option seem lazy, you have to invest hard cash. Question is, does the investment pay off?

Maybe they could have looped the ending of the game directly to the beginning of the second playthrough so that you find yourself standing on the outskirts of dubai again, this time, with additional monologue of your avatar whatshisname (forgot X)) going along the lines of "i could have just turned around, why didnt i", giving you the option to go towards dubai and get caught in the cycle again or leave and get thrown to the title screen. I'd only go with the "NO" choice in form of an additional epilog. You are meant to walk the walk and only know better after the fact.

In general, i like the idea conceptually, i just don't think the game is build in a way to support it properly.

[Roler42]

Originally posted by Dingo:

Originally posted by owen5ray:

You are right, if I had that be the end of my first playthrough then I would be completely ticked off. But for someone who already beat the game it would be interesting to know that you could've just said, "No."

The thing is, creating content costs money. In a game with such a high concept, regardless for if it actually achieves its goals, you dont want something to seem lazy. In order to not have the "No" option seem lazy, you have to invest hard cash. Question is, does the investment pay off?

Maybe they could have looped the ending of the game directly to the beginning of the second playthrough so that you find yourself standing on the outskirts of dubai again, this time, with additional monologue of your avatar whatshisname (forgot X)) going along the lines of "i could have just turned around, why didnt i", giving you the option to go towards dubai and get caught in the cycle again or leave and get thrown to the title screen. I'd only go with the "NO" choice in form of an additional epilog. You are meant to walk the walk and only know better after the fact.

In general, i like the idea conceptually, i just don't think the game is build in a way to support it properly.

Well part of it can be blamed in that the publisher forced a multiplayer element to the game, who knows how different things would have been for the singleplayer if the multiplayer hadn't infected it

[Pelaf]

Originally posted by Dingo:

Originally posted by owen5ray:

You are right, if I had that be the end of my first playthrough then I would be completely ticked off. But for someone who already beat the game it would be interesting to know that you could've just said, "No."

The thing is, creating content costs money. In a game with such a high concept, regardless for if it actually achieves its goals, you dont want something to seem lazy. In order to not have the "No" option seem lazy, you have to invest hard cash. Question is, does the investment pay off?

Maybe they could have looped the ending of the game directly to the beginning of the second playthrough so that you find yourself standing on the outskirts of dubai again, this time, with additional monologue of your avatar whatshisname (forgot X)) going along the lines of "i could have just turned around, why didnt i", giving you the option to go towards dubai and get caught in the cycle again or leave and get thrown to the title screen. I'd only go with the "NO" choice in form of an additional epilog. You are meant to walk the walk and only know better after the fact.

In general, i like the idea conceptually, i just don't think the game is build in a way to support it properly.

Yeah, I can see how that'd be true. I thought it was a cool idea, but you bring up a good point by saying that the game's overall feel and story don't support it very well.

[Starforsaken]

Originally posted by Dingo:

Originally posted by owen5ray:

You are right, if I had that be the end of my first playthrough then I would be completely ticked off. But for someone who already beat the game it would be interesting to know that you could've just said, "No."

The thing is, creating content costs money. In a game with such a high concept, regardless for if it actually achieves its goals, you dont want something to seem lazy. In order to not have the "No" option seem lazy, you have to invest hard cash. Question is, does the investment pay off?

Maybe they could have looped the ending of the game directly to the beginning of the second playthrough so that you find yourself standing on the outskirts of dubai again, this time, with additional monologue of your avatar whatshisname (forgot X)) going along the lines of "i could have just turned around, why didnt i", giving you the option to go towards dubai and get caught in the cycle again or leave and get thrown to the title screen. I'd only go with the "NO" choice in form of an additional epilog. You are meant to walk the walk and only know better after the fact.

In general, i like the idea conceptually, i just don't think the game is build in a way to support it properly.

Not really saying "no" but just turning around and walking in what would seem like an infinite desert or something that would trigger a "You're leaving" animation. I'm pretty sure no one would get this as a first experience, but it would improve the 2nd playthrough for those who prefer that option.

Kinda off-topic but I've always wondered why, mostly in older (NES/SNES) RPGs, you were often asked at the beginning of the game "Are you the hero? / Do you want to save our village? / Are you up for the challenge?" and you could always answer no but it never did anything. Would've been nice to have some kind of ending there. "Oh okay, we'll find someone else" and you see a short cutscene of your guy in normal clothes just walking in the town carrying water or something. I mean, why ask the question if it doesn't impact anything?

And that's kinda why I would've loved that option in Spec Ops. Why hint that the best ending would've been to just quit when the game doesn't facilitate that ending in any way (you can close the game, sure, but it's "paused" waiting for your return, there's no real conclusion).

[Dingo]

Originally posted by Starforsaken:

Not really saying "no" but just turning around and walking in what would seem like an infinite desert or something that would trigger a "You're leaving" animation. I'm pretty sure no one would get this as a first experience, but it would improve the 2nd playthrough for those who prefer that option.

Kinda off-topic but I've always wondered why, mostly in older (NES/SNES) RPGs, you were often asked at the beginning of the game "Are you the hero? / Do you want to save our village? / Are you up for the challenge?" and you could always answer no but it never did anything. Would've been nice to have some kind of ending there. "Oh okay, we'll find someone else" and you see a short cutscene of your guy in normal clothes just walking in the town carrying water or something. I mean, why ask the question if it doesn't impact anything?

And that's kinda why I would've loved that option in Spec Ops. Why hint that the best ending would've been to just quit when the game doesn't facilitate that ending in any way (you can close the game, sure, but it's "paused" waiting for your return, there's no real conclusion).

Not bad at all. As you said, it would only create an odd situation for new players, where they don't fully grasp what is happening. It is not saying "congratulations! you beat the game!". But for someone who beat it, that scene would have a whole new layer of meaning. I kinda like it, really. However, it wouldnt make sense, the way the game is set up at the start. The logic of the scenario would be, that they come to investigate, stand on the outskirts of dubai without even meeting the first group of locals and turn around. Why? Neither did they gather any information nor did they do anything. Unless you embrace it, that the events in the game are not real while you play them and Walker realizes it, and finally breaks out of the cycle.
That might work *shurg* :)

That retro argument... so good. Never made sense before, indeed. In Spec Ops it would have purpose, even if not immediatly evident.

[AgeOfArmageddoส็็็็็]

It would have worked fine. Have one of the squadies say "alright, mission accomplished. Let's head back." Then have the other one say "we need to check this out further", to make sure players were aware of the choice. You would then be given the option to turn around and it would roll credits.

Most new players would just think this is a fake-out ending and likely reload their save. Lots of games have done something like this (Pit Boss trophy in Portal 2, You Chose... Poorly trophy in Saints Row 4, etc) - but here it would actually mean something.