Good Bad Endings
Bad endings that I consider to be extremely interesting and/or they contribute to the story in a meaningful way.
Spoilers in all notes.
Spoilers in all notes.
9 Games
Snowgrave is legit maybe the coolest shit Toby has ever done
I don't have genocide route on here because I find it, frankly, rather plain. A self fulfilling prophecy, if UT lets you spare everyone then I suppose it's only fair for it to let you kill everyone. And while it definitely hurts to kill your favorite bosses, I think ultimately after the first few you really do kind of get over that part. Not that this isn't intentional, but it's just not as gripping for me.
Snowgrave, meanwhile, is less about the systematic killing and is more about the fact that you are forcing someone else to do it. The manipulation, the feeling of twisted romance, the knowledge that Kris isn't even in control either, and perhaps my favorite, the fact that Noelle doesn't get any closure on it. (real ones show her the watch) In short, it's like genocide route with extra sauce, and something that I'm genuinely interested in seeing the progression of.
I don't have genocide route on here because I find it, frankly, rather plain. A self fulfilling prophecy, if UT lets you spare everyone then I suppose it's only fair for it to let you kill everyone. And while it definitely hurts to kill your favorite bosses, I think ultimately after the first few you really do kind of get over that part. Not that this isn't intentional, but it's just not as gripping for me.
Snowgrave, meanwhile, is less about the systematic killing and is more about the fact that you are forcing someone else to do it. The manipulation, the feeling of twisted romance, the knowledge that Kris isn't even in control either, and perhaps my favorite, the fact that Noelle doesn't get any closure on it. (real ones show her the watch) In short, it's like genocide route with extra sauce, and something that I'm genuinely interested in seeing the progression of.
Refusing to kill Julius and instead killing the entire party IN COMBAT (this is super cool because earlier in the game one of the AUs you go to is one where this basically happened)
The bad endings in this game, even when not relevant to the true ending, are some of my favorite parts. Special shoutout to the Axe Ending.
I like basically all the endings in this game. Special shoutout to one of the Other endings where you don't confront Basil in the bathroom and then go home to commit suicide. peak tragedy
idk how I feel about adding something from this when it is required for the main story, but VLR's use of bad/neutral endings to do foreshadowing is very cool. I think my favorite is the clover ending where you walk in and fucking everybody is dead
It's rather simple, but having a bad ending that showcases that, after the 3rd case, there truly wasn't anyone left with the intention to kill was really cool.
I also just love Case 5 and I think allowing the player a special ending for fucking up at that point specifically was a super good choice, because it's the precise point where you have to realize that DR1's genre shift has been completed
I also just love Case 5 and I think allowing the player a special ending for fucking up at that point specifically was a super good choice, because it's the precise point where you have to realize that DR1's genre shift has been completed
Initially I had mixed feelings on this ending. It felt less like something with thematic intention, and more just a "Haha, you didn't do enough content to get the real ending!"
While I do generally prefer bad endings to come from a direct choice, I like what the CS4 bad ending represents enough to give it a pass.
Throughout Cold Steel, a recurring theme is that the main protagonist has a big thing for self sacrifice. Blocking blows from monsters, doing side quests for literally ANYONE that asks, and regularly endangering himself by busting out his demon powers when things get dangerous. Characters get increasingly worried about this tendency as the arc progresses across 4 games. In CS4 it's at its peak, when it seems as if Rean sacrificing himself is legitimately the only long term way to deal with the global threat. He says he'll try his best, that he won't give up, but ultimately it's clear that he thinks it's going to happen. And it does, in the bad ending, while in the true ending, the power of love and friendship causes a miracle that can save him. Any other franchise, I'd call this an asspull, but it works because Trails is Trails, and it's spent about 10 games at this point working on the thesis that the power of love, friendship, and belief does, in fact, reign supreme over all else. The existence of the bad ending, to me, highlights this. It shows that, yes, you DO have to fight for it. If you just coast through and rush to just ending it already, then it ends precisely as a pragmatist would expect.
While I do generally prefer bad endings to come from a direct choice, I like what the CS4 bad ending represents enough to give it a pass.
Throughout Cold Steel, a recurring theme is that the main protagonist has a big thing for self sacrifice. Blocking blows from monsters, doing side quests for literally ANYONE that asks, and regularly endangering himself by busting out his demon powers when things get dangerous. Characters get increasingly worried about this tendency as the arc progresses across 4 games. In CS4 it's at its peak, when it seems as if Rean sacrificing himself is legitimately the only long term way to deal with the global threat. He says he'll try his best, that he won't give up, but ultimately it's clear that he thinks it's going to happen. And it does, in the bad ending, while in the true ending, the power of love and friendship causes a miracle that can save him. Any other franchise, I'd call this an asspull, but it works because Trails is Trails, and it's spent about 10 games at this point working on the thesis that the power of love, friendship, and belief does, in fact, reign supreme over all else. The existence of the bad ending, to me, highlights this. It shows that, yes, you DO have to fight for it. If you just coast through and rush to just ending it already, then it ends precisely as a pragmatist would expect.
Pushing a guy into the TV specifically, though I also like the accomplice ending. Dojima thanking you for doing the job was really chilling for me.
i can't make a list about bad endings and NOT put the moon crash, c'mon
