Poll of the Day > Do you like when games have unsolvable mysteries? (chained echoes spoilers)

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's a conundrum of game design.

Ok, in Chained Echoes there's a mysterious entity that has offers those on the verge of death a deal - the ability to accomplish their wish in exchange for something, usually body parts, family members, the bulk of your lifespan, etc.

They aren't central to the plot at all, although does influence it occasionally. They are never a boss battle, you never discover their motivations, they remain a total mystery.

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On the one hand, mysteries like this really help to expand the lore of a world. Kinda like the mystery of the Elder Scrolls, and why you shouldn't be able to read them.

On the OTHER hand, as a player you don't want to leave any loose ends. You want to kill/converse with every god/daedric prince even if it makes no sense.

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Chained Echoes has a BUNCH of this. Lots of lore and mystery that I WANT to engage with, but is left on the table as just lore/world building. I enjoy the mystery as a reader, but I also don't like it as a gamer.

How do you feel?

Really thought we'd get to fight the other "World Kings" as well, at least the ones we can reach like the giant boar and the kraken.

But to answer, it doesn't really bother me. It just fleshes out the world more and makes it seem like the player character/party isn't the super special chosen people the center of the universe revolves around.

And especially for indie titles, it leaves a little bit of wiggle room for sequel stuff if it sold well enough.

The Plumber in Ratchet and Clank

oh ya, and Chained Echoes is rather excellent. I only have a few minor critiques of it related to pacing.

One mystery if you wanna call it that, that always intrigued me. Was in a link to the past when links uncle dies after giving you the sword. You can find him alive and well but he doesnt speak. But the sign next to him reads pay this man no mind and go away

also in ocarina of time. The poe catcher. Just chillin, smackin his stick at wayward poes, like why are you here?

GTurtlte posted...

One mystery if you wanna call it that, that always intrigued me. Was in a link to the past when links uncle dies after giving you the sword. You can find him alive and well but he doesnt speak. But the sign next to him reads pay this man no mind and go away

also in ocarina of time. The poe catcher. Just chillin, smackin his stick at wayward poes, like why are you here?

umm... those aren't the same person, there's a sign or person that talks about him

the man who has that sign is the desert thief, it's not links uncle lmao

There's this one bum in Deus Ex who just randomly says "Who will help the widow's son?" I know what this means, it's a passphrase used by a Mason in distress, but there doesn't appear to be anything you can do to respond.

I don't like it. I need all questions answered, justice served, and everything settled.

Lokarin posted...

umm... those aren't the same person, there's a sign or person that talks about him

Not the thief. Theres one surrounded by grass near a hill that looks just like his uncle

Also another oddity to add to this topic

Spoilers for the game legend of legaia

always wondered whos idea it was to have you to be albe to get one of the strongest summons in game you first have to be lv 99 to get it. I mean you can beat the game mid lv 40s.

but to add the to mystery. The old guy in Kalm on FF7. Who gives you the master materia and a gold chocobo. Who was this badass back in the day