Why Bioshock's Ending Kinda Sucks [Possible Spoilers in Discussion]

[ouba]

===YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED===


Although the ending was very clever and had an unexpected twist that came out of nowhere to smack you in the face, I felt that a bit too much was sacrificed to deliver that one twist.

I felt the link that the ending held with the beginning was fairly week. For example, the only things that tie together the ending with the start of the game were a few vaguely ominous phrases: 'Bring us the girl, wipe away the debt', the name 'Anna', the phrase 'Will the Circle be Broken' and the idea that Elizabeth might come from a different dimension/world.

Although the ending cleverly links together every single one of these mildy ominous phrases together in one go, I feel that there seriously was not enough solid information delivered in the events leading up to the ending to make it 100% solid. The majority of the information that really gave the ending meaning [BIG SPOILERS AHEAD], such as the fact that Booker sold his own daughter, Booker was an alternate version of Comstock and the realisation that Elizabeth was his daughter were all rapidly thrown in your face in the last thirty odd minutes.

Another major gripe I have with the ending is how when Elizabeth gains full control of all her powers from the destruction of the siphon, she immediately assumes this God-like all knowing persona. There is very few trace of her personality demonstrated throughout the game left in with the grand speech where she makes an 'explanation'. The ending completely disregards the Booker-Elizabeth relationship/dynamic that was built up throughout the game in exchange for all the impact and relevations need for the 'wow-factor' that was the twist.

Even though both Elizabeth and Booker have clearly built up a strong relationship over the game and obviously care for one another, there is not a single goodbye, apology or even talk with one another before Booker's head is pushed down underneath the water. Elizabeth, (or the army of Elizabeths for that matter) show absolutely no emotion as they drown booker. Elizabeth, who should have now realised Booker is actually her father, would have at least been thankful that Booker had come for her (even if his reasons were selfish at the start), and been glad that she had been able to spend with her father.

Now, for me to ♥♥♥♥♥.
I feel insulted that out of the 17 hours I spent playing through the game, the 14-16 hours of character development for both Booker and Elizabeth that I had so happily lapped up, are pretty much COMPLETELY discarded and forgotten for the sake of a couple of 'SHOCKING RELEVATIONS'. What the hell happened to the relationship that Booker had with Elizabeth? Why the hell does the army of Elizabeths - who from their respective universes may hateor love booker - show no emotion at the end and turn into a pack of bloody zombies!?. If the game had managed to tie together a more emotional factor along with the the huge twist, it would have had FAR more impact and be FAR more satisfying.

Now, before you lot go ape-♥♥♥♥ on my post, I would like to disclaim a few things.
I am not saying the ending was not clever.
I am not saying the ending was not well-written in it's final state.
I am not saying the ending was terrible either.
What I AM saying is that the ending lacks an emotional factor and dosn't properly bring a logical conclusion relationship between Booker and Elizabeth.

What do you guys think?

(no flame plz ._.)

[Ghimel]

Originally posted by Matthew Fawkes:

I'm sorry but i find that dumb.

To be fair, he also agrees and disagrees with you. Much how I've decided to write this reply and also have not... dun dun duuuuuuunnnnn!

[Lykan]

Seriously! Why say goodbye to each other when you drown the original booker, everything will revert back to the original timeline where Booker had Anna and the Luteces and Comstocks and Columbias never existed. There's no use to saying goodbye. Elizabeth knows this because she finds that if she drowns booker, everything will revert back to its original state. Booker realizes this as well when the army of Elizabeths tell him that he is both Comstock and Booker and that he must be drowned so as to stop the infinite amount of universes. Thus, going back to the original timeline!

Why say goodbye when he will be reunited with her at the post-credits?! Well, that's how i figured. everything reverted back to its original state at the post-credits, so Anna is back with Booker. No reason to say goodbye.

sorry. I hate goodbyes. >__<

[Lykan]

Originally posted by Castiron IV, Thane of Pan ♫:

Originally posted by Matthew Fawkes:

O_o seriously? that kind of talk? What, you would expect booker and elizabeth to just hug and wave and have liz say 'Bye, Daddy!' as she drowns him in order to stop the infinite amount of Comstocks that will appear and the infinite amount of universes?

I'm sorry but i find that dumb.

More like she could actually explain things and give him a choice (via QTE), thus leading the player to feel that sacrifice has been made on their part. Either sacrifice yourself and undo everything or watch the world burn and fly to Paris.
I know the ending was written for shock value, but the grand, sweeping flow of the story kinda gets ruined by such an abrupt end.

Show, don't tell, my friend. Show! Don't tell!

[Lykan]

Originally posted by Ghimel:

Originally posted by Matthew Fawkes:

I'm sorry but i find that dumb.

To be fair, he also agrees and disagrees with you. Much how I've decided to write this reply and also have not... dun dun duuuuuuunnnnn!

lol Good one! XD

[Lykan]

Originally posted by Castiron IV, Thane of Pan ♫:

Originally posted by Matthew Fawkes:

O_o seriously? that kind of talk? What, you would expect booker and elizabeth to just hug and wave and have liz say 'Bye, Daddy!' as she drowns him in order to stop the infinite amount of Comstocks that will appear and the infinite amount of universes?

I'm sorry but i find that dumb.

More like she could actually explain things and give him a choice (via QTE), thus leading the player to feel that sacrifice has been made on their part. Either sacrifice yourself and undo everything or watch the world burn and fly to Paris.
I know the ending was written for shock value, but the grand, sweeping flow of the story kinda gets ruined by such an abrupt end.

Seriously! Allowing the player to simply sit through a whole discussion between the two characters is boring as ♥♥♥♥. Since this is a visual medium, it's better to show us what is happening and let us piece it all together rather than simply saying 'Booker, you are Comstack by such and such and so on and so on'. Explaining things outright is boring.

[ElvisIncredible]

Originally posted by Matthew Fawkes:

Seriously! Why say goodbye to each other when you drown the original booker, everything will revert back to the original timeline where Booker had Anna and the Luteces and Comstocks and Columbias never existed. There's no use to saying goodbye. Elizabeth knows this because she finds that if she drowns booker, everything will revert back to its original state. Booker realizes this as well when the army of Elizabeths tell him that he is both Comstock and Booker and that he must be drowned so as to stop the infinite amount of universes. Thus, going back to the original timeline!

Why say goodbye when he will be reunited with her at the post-credits?! Well, that's how i figured. everything reverted back to its original state at the post-credits, so Anna is back with Booker. No reason to say goodbye.

sorry. I hate goodbyes. >__<

Can you really say that? it's what the player interprets really, for all we know she's not even there...

[xX_GrillMast3r_Xx]

Did any of you find the log that stated jumping through different realities might deaden a persons traits? Well, Elizabeth is in all realities.

[Lykan]

Originally posted by ElvisIncredible:

Originally posted by Matthew Fawkes:

Seriously! Why say goodbye to each other when you drown the original booker, everything will revert back to the original timeline where Booker had Anna and the Luteces and Comstocks and Columbias never existed. There's no use to saying goodbye. Elizabeth knows this because she finds that if she drowns booker, everything will revert back to its original state. Booker realizes this as well when the army of Elizabeths tell him that he is both Comstock and Booker and that he must be drowned so as to stop the infinite amount of universes. Thus, going back to the original timeline!

Why say goodbye when he will be reunited with her at the post-credits?! Well, that's how i figured. everything reverted back to its original state at the post-credits, so Anna is back with Booker. No reason to say goodbye.

sorry. I hate goodbyes. >__<

Can you really say that? it's what the player interprets really, for all we know she's not even there...

That's why i said 'that's how i figured'. this whole idea is my own interpretation of the ending. Not posing it as fact. Never did.

[Lykan]

Originally posted by Azathoth:

Did any of you find the log that stated jumping through different realities might deaden a persons traits? Well, Elizabeth is in all realities.

Ahh that is a good po----*GASP* THAT'S RIGHT!!! It's in one of the Lutece's audio logs!! when you're going through Emporia and searching for the three tears. Good one, man! :D

[Ghimel]

Originally posted by Matthew Fawkes:

Originally posted by Azathoth:

Did any of you find the log that stated jumping through different realities might deaden a persons traits? Well, Elizabeth is in all realities.

Ahh that is a good po----*GASP* THAT'S RIGHT!!! It's in one of the Lutece's audio logs!! when you're going through Emporia and searching for the three tears. Good one, man! :D

Interestingly enough, and on a meta-level, I feel like I lost a bit of investment in Columbia once Elizabeth and Booker started hopping through tears during the weapons for Fitzroy arc.

[Ruzinusと]

Personally I didn't find the ending shocking at all.

Except for the Rapture thing, everything in the ending I either already knew, or felt that I should have figured out but just failed to (like I missed that Elizabeth is Dewitt's daughter, but the information behind that is absolutely there).

If you don't go around grabbing up all the Voxophones you can, it will seem absolutely random. But if you have been listening to them, you shoulda figured out a lot of it before Comstock House.

[pleb]

Great article (which I have no affiliation with/ did not write) explaining the storyline (and ending):
http://venturebeat.c om/2013/03/28/understanding-bioshock-infinites-ending-ending-explanation/

[pleb]

Originally posted by Azathoth:

Did any of you find the log that stated jumping through different realities might deaden a persons traits? Well, Elizabeth is in all realities.

*mind explodes*
Another one of those details....just like the coin flip with the Lutece twins which shows that Booker has already been to this reality multiple times to try and save Liz.

[Throne]

I don't think it sucks at all. I'm also too lazy to go into a long winded expression of why you should see things my way because you shouldn't. we are all entitled to our own experience and how it makes us feel. Bummer you didn't like it. I loved the game though, as a whole and the ending tied itself up nicely in a bow for me- instant replay.

[GreatBigMike]

Elizabeth was all knowing at the end because the syphon that was supressing her memories since she was young was destroyed letting her see the other parralel universe versions of herself and their memories just like booker could remember that he died and was a martyr for the vox in one of his other existences, i think the game was 10 out of 10 and have no complaints id recomend this game to everyone because over the past few years its been hard to find a game with the graphics, AI and story of this quality, this is up there with the best.