Question

• How can we end the game in a satisfying way, both gameplay-wise and narratively, in a way that doesn’t inflate the art budget, and makes use of existing assets, mechanics and levels?

Relevancy

• The player wants the game to end in a satisfying way
• Narrative team needs to know what to expect from the ending gameplay
• Level Design team needs to prepare safe zone for potential altered gameplay
• Art team needs to make sketches and moodboards well in advance

Bias: I think that…

• The final stage should be a final skill check for the player, and not introduce (many) new mechanics
• The ending should contain some form of fakeout ending
• The final battle should take place in the Safe Zone, to subvert mechanics and expectations set earlier
• The final stage should be a battle of some sorts
• The final battle could be a boss battle, or horde battle
• The game should end on a positive note, and have the player feeling “glad it happened, sad it ended”

Similar/relevant works research

• Ace Combat 7:
  • This game is relevant because it is combat heavy, movement based, level based, with the occasional boss battle. There are 20 missions, which each take about 20-30 minutes to complete, which is significantly longer than our game.
  • Both missions 19 and 20 are climactic: 19: Battle with big final boss and hordes of regular enemies. Feels great to play, not very challenging. 20: Battle with two small “final final bosses”, focussed action. Precision movement skill check. Very challenging.
  • In this Reddit thread, players discuss the secon-to-final mission. https://www.reddit.com/r/acecombat/comments/bmlu2e/why_ace_combat_7s_mission_19_lighthouse_is_one_of/ Players call it one of the most epic fights in the entire franchise.
  • In this Reddit thread, players discuss the final mission. https://www.reddit.com/r/acecombat/comments/dsopam/about_dark_blue/ The final bosses are not interesting. The movement check is too difficult but feels good to master. It’s a difficult mission.
  • “Mission 19 is so good that Mission 20 was kind of a big letdown.”
  • “I personally see Missions 19 and 20 as one single big mission, kinda like how Missions 17 & 18 in Zero are played continuously. Both Mission 19 in AC7 and Mission 17 in AC0 have you engage in a large scale assault battle that ends with you apparently ending the war. However, enemy aces show up flying in superplanes and threatened to ruin all your efforts as they try to set their plans in motion again, necessitating a dedicated final mission in which we desperately try to shoot those aces down before their plans can succeed. Something like that.“
• Doom (2016):
  • Near the end, the player expects a boss battle, which doesn't happen, despite the buildup (vega cores).
  • The game has a noticeable "point of no return," which gives the gameplay a climactic feel. Once you reach that point, you know the game is about to end. This happens about 20 minutes before the end, the game lasts 10 hours, but it's not very story-focused. Other games with more story content place this point much sooner.
  • A final boss battle ends the game, without any buildup. It fits the tone of the game (non-stop nonsensical action). Some players found it a bit disappointing, but this is not a major point of discussion in the fanbase.
  • There is some sequel-baiting, which works because the game was received very well, the only thing a player could ask from it is “I want more of this”, especially since it is so long and monotonous. If a player finishes it, they probably want more of the same.