Current Events > How should sequels handle multiple endings?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Sci-Fantasy Epic gave players a choice between multiple endings for the story. Now Sci-Fantasy Epic 2 is coming out, how should the writers handle the open-ended nature of the previous game?

A) Just pick one of the endings and build off of that one.
B) An amalgamated "compromise" story that takes pieces from all the endings.
C) All roads lead to Rome. The player's choice doesn't matter because with a big enough time skip all the endings could've ended up at this new story.

A) Pick a canon ending

Completely valid is spinoff sequels though where Game 2 is a sequel that takes ending A as canon, and Game 3 is not a follow up to Game 2, but follows after Game 1 and takes ending B as canon.

A, pick one. Establish that clearly as the canon and just have the side endings be what-ifs.

C can work, but i feel A tends to work better... and is more common.

I do prefer D, but that can have its own problems

D being the bioware route, where your options do matter in future games... just not always in the way players might want.

A will always work. Pretty easy if there is a clear cut "good" ending.

I don't mind developers getting a little crazy though. Daggerfall's canonical ending is complete madness and I'm all for it.

"A" usually works. It's fighting games have always done.

A, but pick and choose elements from other endings which dont conflict with the canon route

like if ending A is romance is girl A and you learn X
and ending B is romance with girl B and you learn Y, the canon ending should romance with girl A and in the sequel you know X and Y

A

If I was the author of a game's plot, I'd likely have an ending I'd see as the proper one, but then there's alternatives for players that chose routes I wouldn't have favored. I'd then build my story off the one I viewed as the proper ending.

I think of Red Dead Redemption 2. I felt like the proper ending is the redemption path wherein Arthur ends up as a not-so-bad guy that we love and respect, but players can choose not to go that route. I'd consider the former the true, proper path, however, and I'd build off of that one specifically.