Option C was really necessary? [spoilers]

[chilleverest]

The game was tad bit ambitious to include other options. The option A and B should've been outcomes of the decisions you take along the story, more like a karma system. Would've added replay value to play differently. Definitely rushed and shoehorned.

[Algonquin Assassin]

The game was tad bit ambitious to include other options. The option A and B should've been outcomes of the decisions you take along the story, more like a karma system. Would've added replay value to play differently. Definitely rushed and shoehorned.

 

I wouldn't mind options A and B if they felt more like "boss battles". Kind of lame that they're simple chases that lead to simple executions...lame.

[dyspoid]

 

The game was tad bit ambitious to include other options. The option A and B should've been outcomes of the decisions you take along the story, more like a karma system. Would've added replay value to play differently. Definitely rushed and shoehorned.

I wouldn't mind options A and B if they felt more like "boss battles". Kind of lame that they're simple chases that lead to simple executions...lame.

Much agreed. The game is full of over the top missions and intensity - why finish the game on such a dull note?

[HaythamKenway]

Much agreed. The game is full of over the top missions and intensity - why finish the game on such a dull note?

I think it was done intentionally, to feel unrewarding and anticlimactic. In a way, I appreciate that, because the game went so overboard everywhere else, that it's quite refreshing and poignant for the gameplay to be in the service of the story for once.

 

Still, it doesn't change the fact that Michael running doesn't make any sense and the Triad plotline remains dangling in the air after the B ending.

[K1FFLOM]

 

Playing the game for the first time on PS3 at release I couldn't decide to kill one of the 3.

I -had- to go for option "c".

 

All the things those three went through. I just couldn't.

 

From the first meet-up of Franklin and Michael on Vespucci Beach, when they met again driving to Simeon.

How Trevor drives with Dwayne to Los Santos and gets out of the car at the vista overlooking the city.

How Michael laughs about Trevor in the scene after "saving" his daughter at Fame or Shame.

 

It may be a mediocre storytelling for some.

 

But for me it was a great story about friendship (playing C) and the next 4 times playing the story again I chose that ending.

 

For me the protagonists are the modern-day 3 musketeers.

[XenoxX]

The game was tad bit ambitious to include other options. The option A and B should've been outcomes of the decisions you take along the story, more like a karma system. Would've added replay value to play differently. Definitely rushed and shoehorned.

What? Because the they did not design the game in a way YOU would like(including a karma system) its "rushed and shoehorned" at least put forward some arguments instead of making ridicouless claims with no basis...

[Cheatz/Trickz]

It's rushed because they just phone Lester who manages to find the antagonists in 20 seconds using his super hacking skills that he should have used a long time ago. Lester is used as a plot device far too much. It's bizarre.

[XenoxX]

It's rushed because they just phone Lester who manages to find the antagonists in 20 seconds using his super hacking skills that he should have used a long time ago. Lester is used as a plot device far too much. It's bizarre.

Phone lester?

Did you even play the game?

Franklin goes to Lester and sets up a last stand plan with him, finding the locations of Steve Haines(WHO HAS A TV SHOW at the time), Devin Weston(who is known where he lives since long ago) and Stretch who is pretty much clear where he hangs out...at the hood.

 

Its not a "shoehorned in" ending, its a rather fast ending with a cool "you kill my enemy and I kill yours".

The shootout is quite satisfieng with the different types of SWAT teams and Merryweather coming in afterwards...

[Xing of Virtue]

Comparing killing Steve Haines to killing Dimitri is just... A lame joke.

 

Edited November 23, 2015 by Xing of Virtue

[XenoxX]

Comparing killing Steve Haines to killing Dimitri is just ... A lame joke.

 

Well yeah, it certainly isn't compareable IVs ending is objectively more developed.

But i think Vs endings feel way cooler with the 3 charactar mechanic included in option C.

 

But I also like option B(?) in which you kill Trevor, giving you the choice to either burn him or just to shoot him, that and afterwards hearing the song of yeasayer play, that just felt way too good.

Edited November 23, 2015 by XenoxX

[LordRaijin]

Wasn't Franklin suppose to die on choice C? Not sure if this is true or not, but Franklin voice actor got into some legal problem, and wasn't able to attend the session, and therefour forced the writers to alter the story?

[XenoxX]

Wasn't Franklin suppose to die on choice C? Not sure if this is true or not, but Franklin voice actor got into some legal problem, and wasn't able to attend the session, and therefour forced the writers to alter the story?

Nope,

Lamar was supposed to play a more major part in the Story with Franklin but Lamars Voice actor got jailed and therefor he only "reapears" in Lamar Down.

[Xing of Virtue]

 

Comparing killing Steve Haines to killing Dimitri is just ... A lame joke.

 

Well yeah, it certainly isn't compareable IVs ending is objectively more developed.

But i think Vs endings feel way cooler with the 3 charactar mechanic included in option C.

 

But I also like option B(?) in which you kill Trevor, giving you the choice to either burn him or just to shoot him, that and afterwards hearing the song of yeasayer play, that just felt way too good.

That's the A ending, I prefere the B one where we wack Townley. I liked how the trio suddenly fell apart in that one, it felt so refreshing when the story suddenly got all dark and serious in the end.

[Cheatz/Trickz]

And that line about legs not working anymore. I get why Mike says it, it's a cheesy movie type line, but it's so forced when Franklin says it in the end, almost as if he has "become" Michael. So bad.

[LordRaijin]

 

Wasn't Franklin suppose to die on choice C? Not sure if this is true or not, but Franklin voice actor got into some legal problem, and wasn't able to attend the session, and therefour forced the writers to alter the story?

Nope,

Lamar was supposed to play a more major part in the Story with Franklin but Lamars Voice actor got jailed and therefor he only "reapears" in Lamar Down.

Oh ok thank you for clarifying that with me. I guess rockstar decided to give Lamar that major part in online instead.

[LordRaijin]

 

 

Comparing killing Steve Haines to killing Dimitri is just ... A lame joke.

 

Well yeah, it certainly isn't compareable IVs ending is objectively more developed.

But i think Vs endings feel way cooler with the 3 charactar mechanic included in option C.

 

But I also like option B(?) in which you kill Trevor, giving you the choice to either burn him or just to shoot him, that and afterwards hearing the song of yeasayer play, that just felt way too good.

That's the A ending, I prefere the B one where we wack Townley. I liked how the trio suddenly fell apart in that one, it felt so refreshing when the story suddenly got all dark and serious in the end.

I like that option too but it was written so bad and so wrong. I prefer that Trevor is the one to kill Michael, and then use some psychological manipulation to adopt, and then to be accepted by his mournful family.

[cp1dell]

It's rushed because they just phone Lester who manages to find the antagonists in 20 seconds using his super hacking skills that he should have used a long time ago. Lester is used as a plot device far too much. It's bizarre.

They couldn't have done it a long time ago. There were no points prior in the story that they could have.

 

They couldn't f*ck with Steve Haines because he was under close watch by the FIB since he was being investigated. Before that Michael had to use the FIB and do what they asked since he was trying to figure a way to get rid of Trevor.

Michael didn't want to f*ck with Devin before "Meltdown" because of his ties with Solomon, and Franklin was still getting the cars together for Devin - hoping to get a big paycheck.

The Triads were somewhat actively being dealt with ("Fresh Meat") but the greater FIB and Devin problems arose.

Stretch was always on the back-burner. Even Franklin says: "Stretch? We wanna throw him in too?" To which Michael responds with: "Trevor will throw in anyone to satisfy his blood-lust." So lets officially stop complaining about Stretch, because Rockstar was well aware that Stretch wasn't that big of a problem - it's right there in the dialogue. Like Trevor says, "it's a loose-end" - albeit a small one. If they didn't cover it, you guys would instead be complaining that they didn't tie up the loose end that is Stretch.

 

Ending C had the perfect opportunity arise for the protagonists. Devin is expecting Franklin to kill Michael, Haines is expecting Franklin to kill Trevor. Merryweather and the FIB catch wind that the three of them are going to be at the refinery melting down the gold and attempt to ambush them. Devin Weston doesn't learn that Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are alive until Trevor shows up to his house to kidnap him. This is emphasized when you approach Devin and he's hiding, talking on the phone: "What do you mean they're (Merryweather team sent to refinery) all dead?!"

 

After the failed ambush by the FIB and Merryweather, Steve Haines and Devin Weston are assuming that Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are dead. They let their guard down. It was the perfect moment to strike, since their dealings with them were pretty much done already and they have that surprise factor. It's the same reason why "Deathwish" works as one mission. That window of time where the FIB and Merryweather think M, T, and F are dead from the refinery ambush - that's one of the only times in forever that they have to successfully get the jump on everyone.

 

@Xing of Virtue

How is that refreshing? It's totally jarring and comes out of nowhere with the tone of the story. Personally, I wish the story was more serious like IV was. Admit it or not, GTA IV had comic relief and wasn't a constant gray cloud like some of you remember. Bury the Hatchet was a perfect balance, and the whole story should have been like that. Same goes for "Did Somebody Say Yoga," nice turning point for Michael. Still, Ending B comes out of nowhere with Franklin acting like he's always had it out for Michael, and the dark tone it suddenly takes.

 

@XenoxX

That's another thing I love about Ending C. After fighting and arguing for the whole story, only working together when it was for someone else or a heist - the three of them finally put everything aside and work together, and the mission puts a lot of emphasis on the "Switch" mechanic. Whereas you have Endings A and B kill off one character, in a game where "being able to play as three people" was emphasized.

Edited November 23, 2015 by cp1dell

[chilleverest]

 

The game was tad bit ambitious to include other options. The option A and B should've been outcomes of the decisions you take along the story, more like a karma system. Would've added replay value to play differently. Definitely rushed and shoehorned.

What? Because the they did not design the game in a way YOU would like(including a karma system) its "rushed and shoehorned" at least put forward some arguments instead of making ridicouless claims with no basis...

 

The karma system is not what i personally want, i only used it as an example to justify other options. Why would you want either portags to be dead in the first place when the game does terrible job in giving a solid rational choice to the players. Just because their history ? or the way trevor acts ? or the way they treat themselves and their family you decide their fate ? Not justifiable enough in my book so i wanted the end options to be more context heavy or tie into a gamplay or story mechanic to make it more worth, (spoiler)like mgs V did for those who played. (executing your infected soldiers)

 

Since, you have made your life's personal goal to attack anyone that disagrees with you, attack anyone that speak against micortransactions and other things, you should be banned entirely from this community for being irrational, immature and insignificant. And its not just me saying, other users agree on this too.

Edited November 23, 2015 by chilleverest

[CarlitoDorito]

I quite liked it. My fault, I played a few other recent games, a lot of which end in 'bad guy has won actually, everybody is now super miserable, death, feel somber about this ending gamer as this is life!!' Kind of thing.

 

Eventually that USB charger cable starting looking dangerous, like maybe a few more really depressing endings later and I may just strangle myself with it. Happy endings are rare, so I liked it for that. A smile rather than a bleak feeling. I quite like having the 3 characters too, good for vehicles in director mode and the option is nice. Options are good.

[Cheatz/Trickz]

 

It's rushed because they just phone Lester who manages to find the antagonists in 20 seconds using his super hacking skills that he should have used a long time ago. Lester is used as a plot device far too much. It's bizarre.

They couldn't have done it a long time ago. There were no points prior in the story that they could have.

 

They couldn't f*ck with Steve Haines because he was under close watch by the FIB since he was being investigated. Before that Michael had to use the FIB and do what they asked since he was trying to figure a way to get rid of Trevor.

Michael didn't want to f*ck with Devin before "Meltdown" because of his ties with Solomon, and Franklin was still getting the cars together for Devin - hoping to get a big paycheck.

The Triads were somewhat actively being dealt with ("Fresh Meat") but the greater FIB and Devin problems arose.

Stretch was always on the back-burner. Even Franklin says: "Stretch? We wanna throw him in too?" To which Michael responds with: "Trevor will throw in anyone to satisfy his blood-lust." So lets officially stop complaining about Stretch, because Rockstar was well aware that Stretch wasn't that big of a problem - it's right there in the dialogue. Like Trevor says, "it's a loose-end" - albeit a small one. If they didn't cover it, you guys would instead be complaining that they didn't tie up the loose end that is Stretch.

 

Ending C had the perfect opportunity arise for the protagonists. Devin is expecting Franklin to kill Michael, Haines is expecting Franklin to kill Trevor. Merryweather and the FIB catch wind that the three of them are going to be at the refinery melting down the gold and attempt to ambush them. Devin Weston doesn't learn that Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are alive until Trevor shows up to his house to kidnap him. This is emphasized when you approach Devin and he's hiding, talking on the phone: "What do you mean they're (Merryweather team sent to refinery) all dead?!"

 

After the failed ambush by the FIB and Merryweather, Steve Haines and Devin Weston are assuming that Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are dead. They let their guard down. It was the perfect moment to strike, since their dealings with them were pretty much done already and they have that surprise factor. It's the same reason why "Deathwish" works as one mission. That window of time where the FIB and Merryweather think M, T, and F are dead from the refinery ambush - that's one of the only times in forever that they have to successfully get the jump on everyone.

 

They just decide to grow a brain at the end. Stretch may have been a loose end, but he really wasn't a threat to Franklin throughout the main portion of the game. Franklin should have done away with him earlier rather than recklessly throwing him in for good measure.

Steve Haines was under such close watch that he was at the pier completely free from watch. Trevor easily could have killed him earlier and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Dave Norton evidently wan't affected following Steve's death anyway, Trevor got away scot free, and Michael remained in WitSec. They all won. Devin isn't one of the 3 antagonists they kill first, so I wasn't referring to him.

 

I can also see how Ending C offers the most efficient way to kill the antagonists, but that's down to plot contrivances aligning the stars so that the antagonists are in vulnerable positions to be executed all at the same time. Yes it's just perfect! ... That's exactly the problem with it.

[Zello]

I always Pick option A killing Trevor looking at the whole situation from Michael's point of view he finally gets to finish the job that he couldn't do 9 years ago back in North Yankton getting rid of Trevor.

If Trevor was kept alive he could have snapped at any second any time randomly and killed Michael or his family he's a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off what I didn't like in all the endings was that Franklin gets to choose who dies. It should have been up to Michael or Trevor not the guy who hardly does much throughout the whole game except eat chips and iron shirts.

Edited November 23, 2015 by Zello

[cp1dell]

They just decide to grow a brain at the end. Stretch may have been a loose end, but he really wasn't a threat to Franklin throughout the main portion of the game. Franklin should have done away with him earlier rather than recklessly throwing him in for good measure.

Steve Haines was under such close watch that he was at the pier completely free from watch. Trevor easily could have killed him earlier and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Dave Norton evidently wan't affected following Steve's death anyway, Trevor got away scot free, and Michael remained in WitSec. They all won. Devin isn't one of the 3 antagonists they kill first, so I wasn't referring to him.

 

I can also see how Ending C offers the most efficient way to kill the antagonists, but that's down to plot contrivances aligning the stars so that the antagonists are in vulnerable positions to be executed all at the same time. Yes it's just perfect! ... That's exactly the problem with it.

 

At that point he wasn't under close watch anymore. That was the whole point of The Bureau Raid. Did you even play the game?

 

There was always something going on in the story that prevented them from wanting, or being able to kill the antagonists. Whether it was a fued between Michael and Trevor, Michael being gone, working for one of the guys because they needed something etc. Always something.

 

They don't just "all of a sudden decide to do it at the end." At that point everything is out of the way, and there is no longer anything holding them back. I don't know how else I can explain this.

[dyspoid]

 

They just decide to grow a brain at the end. Stretch may have been a loose end, but he really wasn't a threat to Franklin throughout the main portion of the game. Franklin should have done away with him earlier rather than recklessly throwing him in for good measure.

Steve Haines was under such close watch that he was at the pier completely free from watch. Trevor easily could have killed him earlier and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Dave Norton evidently wan't affected following Steve's death anyway, Trevor got away scot free, and Michael remained in WitSec. They all won. Devin isn't one of the 3 antagonists they kill first, so I wasn't referring to him.

 

I can also see how Ending C offers the most efficient way to kill the antagonists, but that's down to plot contrivances aligning the stars so that the antagonists are in vulnerable positions to be executed all at the same time. Yes it's just perfect! ... That's exactly the problem with it.

 

At that point he wasn't under close watch anymore. That was the whole point of The Bureau Raid. Did you even play the game?

 

There was always something going on in the story that prevented them from wanting, or being able to kill the antagonists. Whether it was a fued between Michael and Trevor, Michael being gone, working for one of the guys because they needed something etc. Always something.

 

They don't just "all of a sudden decide to do it at the end." At that point everything is out of the way, and there is no longer anything holding them back. I don't know how else I can explain this.

While Haines wasn't under close watch by the government, that Kortz Centre debacle revealed that he was, in fact, a known asshole and criminal. The raid was useless. He had the FIB and the trio after him, because, after all, he wanted Michael whacked.

 

Also, why would Weston be walled up at his own house? How can one feel secure in such an obvious location?

[Niobium]

I just couldn't believe how Dan Houser managed to f*ck up so badly after writing IV.

 

i can

 

he and his stupid brother were snorting coke all day long

 

 

 

[cp1dell]

While Haines wasn't under close watch by the government, that Kortz Centre debacle revealed that he was, in fact, a known asshole and criminal. The raid was useless. He had the FIB and the trio after him, because, after all, he wanted Michael whacked.

Also, why would Weston be walled up at his own house? How can one feel secure in such an obvious location?

Because of the ambush at the refinery. Haines and Weston didn't expect Michael, Trevor, or Franklin to walk out of that alive. The choice is titled "Deathwish."

 

I'm pretty surprised that Franklin walked out of it, and C wasn't the option where he would die. Still, I'm happy it didn't turn out that way, because with the way content is divided between the protagonists, and on top of that the game's emphasis being "three protagonists," killing one off at the end is a horrible idea. It's a shame they didn't learn from

Red Dead Redemption.

 

 

With the whole heist theme of the game, it should have ended with a mexican standoff - like Reservoir Dogs - and just have the three go their separate ways or something. I'm just against the whole idea of killing one of them off and losing access to whatever stuff they had available to them, and only them. And even replacing them with some other chump wouldn't work, after investing in the original character the whole game.

 

Maybe even actually have two of them be killed in a mexican standoff type thing. People speculated about that before the game was released. I mean, we all have one protagonist we prefer over the other two - right? Just have a way to provide that "exclusive" content to that one protagonist left.

Edited November 24, 2015 by cp1dell

[SmileyBandito]

And that line about legs not working anymore. I get why Mike says it, it's a cheesy movie type line, but it's so forced when Franklin says it in the end, almost as if he has "become" Michael. So bad.

Oh God. This. So cheesy and cringeworthy. The game ending was laughably anticlimactic and rushed. The undeveloped characters didn't help either.

[CodeRedBruh]

Kind of lame that they're simple chases that lead to simple executions...lame.

So says a IV fan. Like most of IV's missions? Drive here and kill the guy? Ring a bell? The irony is real here.

[Xing of Virtue]

 

Kind of lame that they're simple chases that lead to simple executions...lame.

So says a IV fan. Like most of IV's missions? Drive here and kill the guy? Ring a bell? The irony is real here.Except those simple IV missions were not the damn ENDINGS. Lol

[Cheatz/Trickz]

At that point he wasn't under close watch anymore. That was the whole point of The Bureau Raid. Did you even play the game?

 

There was always something going on in the story that prevented them from wanting, or being able to kill the antagonists. Whether it was a fued between Michael and Trevor, Michael being gone, working for one of the guys because they needed something etc. Always something.

 

They don't just "all of a sudden decide to do it at the end." At that point everything is out of the way, and there is no longer anything holding them back. I don't know how else I can explain this.

Haha, "he's not under close watch now guys, lets just leave him alone after that extremely costly investigation, he's all good!" That right there just proves the stupidity, the evidence in the raid goes missing and all of a sudden Haines is off the hook? The Wrap Up shows that Haines was still nervous about the raid, and even after Sanchez's betrayal he shortly thereafter goes filming at the pier totally without protection from his corrupt division, or any other rival agents monitoring him? GFTO.

[HaythamKenway]

Oh God. This. So cheesy and cringeworthy. The game ending was laughably anticlimactic and rushed. The undeveloped characters didn't help either.

I really don't like the writing in the B ending in general. Michael conveniently getting the call from Tracey about her college plans is another good example of awkward writing. I get what they were trying to do, but yeeah, it just doesn't fit naturally in the scene. B is just a trainwreck, from start to finish. The motivations, the writing, the resolution.

 

Franklin's character development was presented much better in the A ending. It doesn't come across as forced and is presented more subtle, he still retains some of his neutral middle-man perspective, but at the same time, his transformation into "Michael" is more complete, without the self-awareness and guilt from the B ending (which, perhaps, shows him as even worse man than Michael is - food for thought).

 

Edit: About the sudden decision to take everyone out in the C ending:

 

It doesn't make much sense for Trevor to hold off taking out Cheng for so long, but it makes sense for the rest. No one, not even Franklin, cares about Stretch, and at least Michael and Franklin shouldn't want Steve and Devin dead before the end. The thing is, again, the message of the story is about the power of the system. That you just can't kill these people and get away with it and live happily ever after. If you want to survive, you have to work within that system, make costly compromises.

 

The decision in the C ending was made on the spot. It wasn't made because "there was nothing holding them back" or that the trio felt like they have a chance to get away with it. No, it was done because they were backed in the corner and there was nothing else they could do. Don't confuse it with hope, or taking advantage or clever planning. It was an action of defiant resignation.

 

And that's why it should have failed. That's why, if nothing else, the trio should have went down with Steve and Devin. That's why, at their very best, they should have ended up on the run. C completely undid the whole overarching message of the game. "Surviving is winning."

Edited November 24, 2015 by HaythamKenway