I just replayed and finished Republic Commando this weekend, having not played it since last year some time.

I won't be spoiling too much if I reveal that one important character is left behind at the end of the game, prompting his friends to be extremely torn up and emotional about the whole thing.

I remember refining this twist with Director Tim Longo, who I partnered with on another memorable ending. (In Mysteries of the Sith, he and I came up with the novel solution of winning a boss fight by turning off your weapon. It was a fun idea, and it drove gamers crazy!)

We reasoned that a cliffhanger was a more memorable ending. Difficult, but memorable. Rather than tying everything up neatly and cleaning the table, we would leave players with something to gnaw on.

I'm reminded here that my favorite of the SW movies is ESB-- another unresolved ending. I think I naturally gravitate toward stories that end with a hint of ongoing dilemma.

I'm not talking about happy versus sad... I mean open-ended versus all tied up.

Post your thoughts below...