The ending... is that REALLY it? [SPOILERS, DUH!]

Raistlin82

So, after a lot of planning, fighting, dying, reloading, re-planning and fighting again (many times)... I finally managed to defeat the final boss.

I got a message about my character being saved.
Then the game crashed.

So, I go to reload and proceed to the fight... again... =_= ... and it takes me two tries, this time around. As you can imagine, I'm already pretty annoyed, by now.
I get that strange message again, followed by a puzzling cinematic that doesn't tell much (guy dissolving, statues, tower-like building with weird internal architecture, Baldur's Gate icon).
Then the game freezes for a few seconds, and then I find myself out in the main menu.
It didn't crash this time, so I'm led to believe that's all there was intended to be.
Underwhelming.

It's the first time I play BG, and I guess I'm used to BG2 and ToB, with their awesome ending sequences, and story wrap-ups.
But this is just not enough!

So, I have to ask: REALLY? Is that it?

shawne

1998 was an awkward year for video games - it's right in the middle of that transitional period where game developers realized the medium had the potential to tell really intricate and deep stories, but they weren't quite sure how to go about doing it.

Comparatively speaking, BG1 comes off worse for being older: the party members are flat and thinly-written, the plot beats are awkward (ie: the truth of your heritage relegated to a letter from Gorion that you might not even read) and the ending doesn't really demonstrate the consequences of your actions.

But... well, it was 1998. I like to think most game developers know better these days, even if most of them rarely get the process quite right.

Madhax

I thought the original ending cinematic, while basically the same, managed to convey the information better.

Here's what that cinematic should have told you: Sarevok died, and elsewhere a statue of him dissolves into dust and swirls away. Then, as the camera moves back, you see countless more statues like Sarevok's lining the walls of a tower, with the symbol of Bhaal (AKA the BG icon) at its base.

The implications for what's in store for your character in the sequels is pretty frightening, in other words.

Sorry that your game crashed upon your first win over Sarevok and messed with your catharsis moment, that must have sucked.

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atcDave

hmmm, I always think of the real ending as being the BG rap. Makes me laugh every time...

Raistlin82

Madhax said:

Sarevok died, and elsewhere a statue of him dissolves into dust and swirls away. Then, as the camera moves back, you see countless more statues like Sarevok's lining the walls of a tower, with the symbol of Bhaal (AKA the BG icon) at its base.

The implications for what's in store for your character in the sequels is pretty frightening, in other words,

Ooooh, thanks. I get it, now.
It totally flew over my head, while I was watching the video.

CoM_Solaufein

Its all good.

Kirkor

Madhax said:

I thought the original ending cinematic, while basically the same, managed to convey the information better.

Here's what that cinematic should have told you: Sarevok died, and elsewhere a statue of him dissolves into dust and swirls away. Then, as the camera moves back, you see countless more statues like Sarevok's lining the walls of a tower, with the symbol of Bhaal (AKA the BG icon) at its base.

The implications for what's in store for your character in the sequels is pretty frightening, in other words.

Sorry that your game crashed upon your first win over Sarevok and messed with your catharsis moment, that must have sucked.

I totally agree. The original cinematic somehow showed the player much more of the story, than the enhanced eition cinematic.
As for opening and ending cinematics - original wins. As for the rest - enhanced ones are better (too bad they didn't remake ALL of the clips).

leeho730

Well when I first finished BG1, I was like, that was a tough SOB, now how many left?

Then I saw all the statues... I was like, "Holy s#it... Now am I gonna have to play BG99 to kill all of them..."

Since you've played BG2/TOB first the ending of BG1 wouldn't be so much of the cliffhanger to you...

Necroblivion

I really liked the ending. You kill a super-ultra-evil-bad-guy-of-darkness, only to realize there're 10000000000000000 more. Its so awesome!