Opinions on warning for cruel twist ending?

[cesullivan]

It's already been said, but generally I agree that breaking the fourth wall to warn the player about the ending is something that would be appropriate for comedy, but would probably be out of place elsewhere.

However, I think it could be really intersting to imply that the ending is going to be depressing (probably in the voice of a character), but long before the player has actually gone down that path. That way, the twist is that there's actually a way to avoid the ending that the player was warned about. I know that if I was warned early enough in an interactive story that the ending was going to be a downer, it would make me look even harder for a way to "cheat destiny."

Then again, I think the warning in the beginning of 500 Days of Summer that "This is not a love story" works because we hope it isn't true, that everything is really going to work out for the main character, and the twist is that the warning really is true. (Of course, 500 Days of Summer is kind of like a drama with elements of dark comedy, masquerading as a summer date film - I actually took a guy to it as my weird way of trying to tell him how I really felt about him, but I don't think he got it, 'cause he still hung around after that...).

On the other hand, if I was playing a game and was given a completely serious warning at the last minute that I might just want to stop playing because I wasn't going to like the ending...I might just take that advice. Honestly, years ago, someone told me not to finish watching a certain anime series (I won't say what, because I'd hate to ruin it for anyone else, even though it's an OLD series now), and to find a happier series to watch. And that's what I did--not because I didn't want to see an ending that wasn't happy, but because being given the knowledge beforehand that the ending wasn't happy RUINED it for me. Telling someone explicitly how an ending is going to make them feel is pretty much the worst spoiler you can give them, in my opinion.

[Trixar_za]

I should probably also mention that this could be used for the reverse effect too. For example you could warn the player about imminent death, lead them to the point of death... and then they don't die - surviving at the last minute. I have only seen this work once or twice, but sometimes false warnings can be fun too.

@trooper6: I agree with you. Unearned happy endings or endings or plot twists that make no sense really piss me off too. Like this one movie had a woman knows hero for 15 minutes, hated him for the last 14 minutes, but is suddenly in she's love with him because he's going to do something really stupid (aka heroic) and she wants to kiss him goodbye.

[trooper6]

I
@trooper6: I agree with you. Unearned happy endings or endings or plot twists that make no sense really piss me off too. Like this one movie had a woman knows hero for 15 minutes, hated him for the last 14 minutes, but is suddenly in she's love with him because he's going to do something really stupid (aka heroic) and she wants to kiss him goodbye.

Oh, that is the worst! I just want writing to be good! And consistent for whatever genre of writing it is.