12-21-2012, 01:46 AM | #1 |
The Path of Now & Forever
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Favorite End of the World/Universe/Reality Game
Lots of games depict the player as someone who needs to save the world/universe/reality from an end of the world scenario. Some tell you right away that you're the hero that needs to save everyone. Sometimes you have to play along and discover the end is coming. Either way, lots of games have had their own depiction of a doomsdays, but only a few come off as a truly amazing experience.
Say your favorite and give a brief explanation why. Mine is the 1992 PC Adventure game Star Control 2. You start the game off as human space colony cut off the rest of Earth and her allies during the war against the evil alien oppressors known as the Ur-Quan. The Ur-Quan are on a warpath, conquering all sentient life they meet and enslaving them. Your ship is unique, of alien design which is more advanced than anything yet known. After many years separated from your homeworld, you finally go back to help. There you discover Earth has already been conquered. The planet has been declared fallow and it's people trapped on the planet, encased in an impregnable force field. Her allies also conquered, enslaved, or made fallow. So you fight to save the Earth and end the tyranny of the Ur-Quan! Eventually you discover something terrible. The conquering Ur-Quan have a doomsday weapon. And they're fighting for control of it. The Kohr-Ah, another species of Ur-Quan wish to use it to extinguish all life in the galaxy. Eventually a countdown begins as the Ur-Quan are in fact losing. The countdown is never seen as any kind of clock or anything, but you can delay Armageddon by various means, such as making allies who attack the Kohr-Ah or tricking enemy races into attacking them. Eventually, if you don't stop them, you get his awesome message. Spoiler: show Youtube link It's so freaking scary, the bad guys are telling you to run! It's not even worth it for them to kill you because you're dead! Eventually, if you still don't destroy it, this comes. Spoiler: show Youtube Link GAME OVER MAN! |
12-21-2012, 11:57 AM | #2 |
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I don't think I've played many end of the world games, to be honest. I've been scouring my brain for one, but the only game that pops up is Daibanchou: Big Bang Age.
It's set in a genre pastiche, lawless version of Japan after society has collapsed because of a "Hell Hole" that opened up mysteriously in Shinjuku. There are no adults (with authority), and society is governed by number, technology, and martial arts. The gameplay is modestly fun, but like all AliceSoft games, it's frustratingly difficult and constrictive. There's a literal countdown until the world ends; one has 100 turns to beat the game by conquering the world and beating the boss, or else.
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12-21-2012, 03:01 PM | #3 |
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Haven't played many apocalyptic games, the only ones I can think of with a premise as such are the Halo series and hilariously enough, Sonic Adventure 2. And I don't think either of those hardly count, to be honest. This is odd, I'm almost sure I've played some, but I can't for the life of me remember any legitimate candidates...
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12-21-2012, 03:39 PM | #4 |
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Majora's Mask (though unfinished) is the obvious standout for me. Other than that, not too too many that I can think of, the Halo series being the only one I can remember at the moment.
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12-21-2012, 03:43 PM | #5 |
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DOH. How did I forget about Majora's Mask?
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12-21-2012, 10:45 PM | #6 |
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One of the problems is a lot of End of the World games don't give the feel that it's really the end coming for you.
Technically, Mass Effect 3 is about the extinction of all sentient life should you fail. The problem was there was never a feeling that it was an impending doom because you have to progress the storyline and there's no sensation of time progressing. The character occasionally talk about forces being wiped out and casualties in the millions/billions, but it has no real impact on the war from Shepard's perspective. Your War Assets don't go down unless someone decides to break their alliance with Shepard. And the final mission is always just that, the final mission. You can't decide to go to Earth any earlier than the point in the story you've played to. So despite being about the end of all life, it never feels like it. So as an End of the Universe game, it's pretty weak on that part. Majora's Mask on the other hand has constant reminders of the end coming. With a set time to accomplish tasks before forcing you to rewind the clock and repeat the last three days before the world ends. If you don't accomplish your tasks in time, BOOM! You're dead because the moon landed! |
12-21-2012, 11:05 PM | #7 |
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Would Final Fantasy VII and Tales of Symphonia fit this mold?
None of my favorite games have been so-called "end of the world games," so it's hard for me to think of one, much less be certain it's my favorite. I mean, Shenmue technically deals with a world-threatening power ... but it's more something that would threaten human civilization, not the planet or all life on it. (At least, not as far as I know, anyway.) Fatal Frame games have to do with situations that are truly "end of the world"-esque for the people affected by them ... but they only stretch as far as the boundaries of a manor (1), a village (2), an inn (3), or a hospital (4). Super Mario Bros. 3, nope. Super Mario World, nope. Mega Man 3, nope. Mega Man X, not really. ^^; Xenosaga, it's all about finding a world that's already been lost, not saving a world that's still around. ^^; I guess ... ... Pokémon Ruby? ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
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12-21-2012, 11:15 PM | #8 | |
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Probably the only one I can think of (that I didn't play a horribly long time ago like Majora's Mask) is the new XCOM. Each country lost to the aliens is covered by a veritable swarm of UFOs on the radar map (bottom left), to remind you of each ANOTHER FAILURE:
You can also read news feeds in the situation room that reflect And when you finally cock it up for good: Spoiler: show Given the fucked-up science projects you fight throughout the game this implied "betterment" probably isn't. You know, just in case the Thin Men and Sectoid Leader mind-controlling Optimus Prime's voice actor didn't tip you off. Quote:
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12-21-2012, 11:52 PM | #9 |
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Final Fantasy Tactics Advance has a really amazing reversal of this normal storyline.
That said, I'm finding Radiant Historia to be pretty amazing right now, where you basically just keep going back to try to find the right historical path to the world not being destroyed by turning to sand. |
12-22-2012, 12:00 AM | #10 |
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Majora's Mask for me, obviously.
That reminds me: Would Chrono Trigger count?
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12-22-2012, 12:01 AM | #11 |
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12-22-2012, 01:25 AM | #12 |
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Can't think of any games that gave me a feeling of impending doom, although there are a couple in which the destruction of the world is featured.
Talon mentioned FFVII which reminded me of this one cutscene that plays during the final boss fight. One of the boss' attacks summons a meteor which destroys several planets, the sun, and finally the Earth, and it's pretty cool the first time it happens. And then later in the fight he casts the same spell again, and the exact same planets blow up each time. :V A cool one is Chrono Trigger, where early in the game you get the ability to time warp to the final boss fight whenever you want. If you get curious and try despite being horribly underleveled and equipped, you'll inevitably be killed and then it shows a cutscene of said boss destroying the planet. It's quite fun to see. Link's Awakening was like the exact opposite. By finishing the game, you're actually the one destroying the world. The end even shows scenes of the happy villagers singing and playing games as they fade away. Poor villagers. :<
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12-22-2012, 01:57 AM | #13 |
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Ahhh, Link's Awakening. ;; Another reason I associate it with MM (in that I think the latter was also a dream)...
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12-22-2012, 08:31 AM | #14 |
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Star Control is the shit. Love that game.
Favorite end of the world game? Or game that gave impending doom? Uh... The only thing I can think of right now is in the NES game Gloglo 13. There were these 3-D mazes, and you were timed. You had to get out before the time ran out or something or you're dead. For some reason that scarred me horribly for life, and is no way reflected in any games I have made or am making. |
12-22-2012, 05:57 PM | #15 |
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Kind of surprised that no one's mentioned Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. First we have the planet meteored, then we have the planet being paralysed. I would classify these as end of the world situations.
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01-03-2013, 04:09 PM | #17 | |
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