Innovation of the Week: Multiple Endings

The first example of this if asking ChatGPT is Chrono Trigger, which is also a popular example, however the feature actually predates that game by at least 25 years. The actual first seems to be High Noon (PC, 1970), developed by Ivan Vassilievich. It's a wild west-themed, gunfight duel sim of sorts, with turn-based combat. It puts players in the shoes of a sheriff in a small town during the era. The game is text-based meaning you play it through a command-line interface, where commands are typed in to interact with the game world and make choices, although you can also ask for instructions and just use numbers to play.

As you can guess it offers players choices that influences the outcome. One can end up chasing the villain out of town, killing them, leaving town, fleeing or ending up dead, so there are five outcomes in total. Not bad for 1970!

Some other, more well known games with this feature:

Metroid (1986)

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987)

Double Dragon II: The Revenge (1988)

Ogre Battle (1993)

Resident Evil (1996)

What do you think about games having multiple endings and which games featuring them are you faves?