End game on the console

To go with my recent theme of talking about single players games on an overwhelmingly MMO-centric site, this article focuses on what happens after the end of single player games. What does that even mean? I don’t know, but let me try to explain. You might be thinking: “well, the reason it’s a single player/console game is because it has a definite end, so what’s the point of talking about what comes after that?”. Well, even traditionally, this isn’t even correct.

Single player/console games are known to have some of the most engaging end-game content in the gaming industry. The ability to unlock new modes of play (Chrono Trigger, anyone?) and experience the same content again from a new standpoint (Half-life: Opposing Force) differs from the MMO end-game lineup. In an MMO, you play the same content over and over again. In a single player, you play the same content, but there’s an entirely new twist to it. Whether you’re playing at warp speed, playing from the beginning with all of the weapons you had when you beat it, or playing from a completely different perspective, single player is able to deliver fresh gameplay by barely lifting its metaphorical hand. In addition to this, there is even “MMO”-style end game content in some games out today.

Super Paper Mario. A seemingly simple game, which turns out to be quite long and engaging. A very well-planned and perfectly-paced RPG that doesn’t seem like an RPG. Attack power, health points, experience, item upgrades, and the like; all of the components of a traditional RPG are there, but the gameplay is so well-meshed with the Mario universe that even seasoned RPG veterans might not care to notice. In addition, this game also boasts and impressive end-game itself. Players patient enough to let the credits roll without turning off their Wii are rewarded with a save point at the end of the credits, and an open-ended plot stem as they step back into the starting town, Flipside. From here, the game is totally open. Visits to all of the worlds previously visited for any number of reasons: grinding points (experience), finding new items and powerups, finding ingredients for cooking, finding recipes, engaging in any number of the end-game minigames (mini is sort of a misnomer here, as some of them are quite long). In fact, there’s even a way to go back and fight amped-up versions of most of the bosses encountered throughout the game itself! At the end of the story-based game, the recipe book is left unfilled, and the key-card index is far from complete. The end game consists of completing all of these tasks, a pursuit which would likely take longer than beating the game itself.

So what’s the point in all of this? Well, as yesterday’s article mentioned, I believe that the same euphoric feelings of accomplishment achieved in MMOs can be had in single player games, as well. In that article, I didn’t even acknowledge the existence of any sort of end-game in the single player games, though. Adding this fact into the mix makes the case even clearer: I believe that, even socially, just as much fun and reward can be had from a single player game in all of it’s forms (story and after-story, that is, end-game) as in an MMO.