As much as I loved the previous Kilrathi saga games... this sequence for me is why Wing Commander 4 is my favorite of the series. They could have gone with a typical epic space battle but instead they went with this confrontation on the senate floor. It's so unorthodox yet so effective. This is right up there with the ending with The Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3 - gaming memories that I will cherish until I die. People love Mark Hamill for Luke Skywalker and the Joker, which I love, but for me, Colonel Christopher Blair is his role for the ages. The man is a legend.
David Tourian amen... As someone who has just played though all the games and literally just finished the final mission a few hours ago, I do have to say this was a amazing way to finish off the game and in all, the wing commander series. Mark Hamill did a great job with his role in wing commander 3 & 4. Overall, as a cinematic experience in a game in 1995, before the rise of cinematic gaming I have to say it was nothing short of amazing to see and play.
This was one of the high points of the live-action cutscene era of gaming. At this point, they couldn`t produce convincing human characters as CGI so having live actors in the scenes was a necessity. With the Wing Commander games from 3 onwards, they really went to town and got a first-rate cast to appear in the scenes and with this one they got to almost movie quality. As CGI got better we got better-looking animated characters but they can`t act as well even now.
7:48 This. This is one of the highlights of Mark Hamill's career. Right here. I thought Joker's eulogy to Batman was already up there (even when he made it BETTER during a Star Wars Celebration and more menacing to boot), but it turns out he had an even better monologue up his sleeve the entire time, slipped right under our noses for those who didn't know of this once popular series. I can't tell you how much I was smiling ear-to-ear like an absolute fool listening to this just learning about these games recently. And I had called it by the end of the third game, too. He was obviously so focused on absolute power, on having an obvious enemy to fight, that the fourth game's beginning made it clear as day what he was going to become. And Blair gets to chew him out AND the scenery at the same time. Even if this series may have fizzled out a short time after this, I'm glad we got the first four games. They are a masterfully built up quadrology of titles.
Indeed. Mark Hamill did an oscarworthy job in this cutscene. Mcdowell killed it as well though, such a great villain. And he is so damn convincing as well.
@@Tr1pleZeroI could listen to McDowell read the phone book. It's funny; this cutscene from a flight simulator game is the single most memorable speech I can think of in my lifetime
I remember how devastated Tolwyn was in the third game when his cannon ship was destroyed. He fell into depression after that. Would explain his mentality in this one.
That’s exactly what happened. He threw everything he had into the G.E. Program and forming the Black Lance and making sure it was up and running as soon as possible after the Behemoth went down.
Interesting theory, but I'm not personally so sure it was that one defeat that did it. Like he said, he believed mankind was at its peak while it was fighting for its survival against the Kilrathi. Peace meant complacity and stagnation in his eyes. He craved war. He had the same mindset as the Shadows in Babylon 5. Evolution and progress paid for in blood. He wasn't evil, he was just extremely misguided and obsessive in his aims to make humanity perfect.
10:18 What you see here is nothing less than the best finale of a computer-game. Regarding music, script, sceneplay, text. Loaded with pathos but nothing cheesy. Never before, never since.
@@JnEricsonx I heard that he prefers voiceover work because the schedules are less demanding - go sit in a sound booth for a week and you're done for a while. It also allows him greater control over the actual "film/tv" roles he does, since when he attaches to them, he's not constrained by other projects.
The music during the tribunal for Tolwyn was so well done. You really felt all the emotions you experienced during the game come out in that few minute recap of everything that had transpired and the music played a huge part of it. I wish they would remake these.
Same or a proper 6th game set after Prophecy as the ending of it hints at Christopher actually surviving his supposed sacrifice to save humanity. As I love this series. But given that EA holds the rights to the series chances of a proper remake of the original 5 games, or a official 6th game is slim to none and even if a remake of the original 5 games, or a official 6th game was announced there would be a chance that EA would screw it up by adding in tons of pay to win Microtransaction BS.
I like how Admiral Tolwyn sounds like the Terran Federation from Starship Troopers. Also his argument about being ready would have some merit with the next alien menace in Wing Commander Prophecy. That said, he's still in the wrong.
The Wing Commander series was great to play, and you actually felt for all the characters you worked with, and when the story killed off ones you liked ... well that hurt.
Yeah years ago I was pretty sad to find out that Devereaux had only a small part to play in III and then she was gone. Losing Shadow in Wing Commander II really hit hard too, she was a good wingman. Spirit's death... yikes, some things you never forget.
I still remember this as if it was yesterday. Both part 3 and 4 are among the best games ever made and the beste games of the 90s. Everything about this games is great. The story with the tragedies, the victories and you really felt like you accomplished something. The friendship you had in the game with characters made it very personal. If you lost a Wing man that you really liked it was difficult not to reload and if the story killed them off I was really pissed. Most games nowadays don't even come close the level of this game. I you have never played any of the first 4 games in de the series you have missed something. There is nothing out there that does the same thing and if they try to do so they fail miserably.
My 14 year old self always thought Tamara Farnsworth to be pretty cute..lol! In all honesty WC4 is an excellent piece of space opera, and i'm glad it was part of my childhood. Wish current space sims had this level of drama. There's more to sims than just the cockpit and walking around outside your ship with no clear reason.
@@Praxographist It's not about ideals, it's about being able function afterwards and be at peace with ourselves to have the drive to keep living. If we give up our humanity to live, then frankly what drive is there to live? How long before self-preservation just drops to zero?
@@EmptyMan000 And what is it that gets in the way of accepting the price of survival? Ideals. Self preservation is a sovereign instinct and will never falter. And the future is assured by those who have the strength to put a sock in their bleeding heart's mouth and do what is necessary.
Admiral Tolwyn's actions and behavior in this game is very similar to the Ringleaders faction of the Galactic Federation as mentioned in Metroid Fusion. And Col. Blair blew the cover off of Black Lance as Samus Aran blew the cover off of the Ringleaders' plans regarding the X-parasites, Metroids and even Space Pirates.
The unfortunate thing is how confused it made us in the English version, AND in Other M. They tried to paint the entire Federation as the ones at fault, that everyone higher up was responsible for those projects. It was only a rogue group, someone like Tolwyn who had engineered these projects, and would try to see Samus hung out to dry with their position. But Samus has friends in the Federation, ironically in Other M Anthony would be her Paladin to vouch that she deserves a voice.. Buuuuuuuuut as of Metroid Dread, it seems like that debate never needed to happen. The Federation likely already weeded out the splinter factions and Samus can go on her merry way.
Actually there are several variances that can lead to the same ending; I have always chosen differently on two questions here and still got the same ending. I believe the ones you absolutely need to get right are "Seize the moment", "Like BIOWEAPONS?" and "Tell them more..."
I know this is a year old comment I am replying to. You have to get any three of the five choices correct to get the council to vote for no war with the Border Worlds. Any less and they vote to go to war and Blair gets death by firing squad. He also gets death by FS if you choose fools rush in because Paladin will decide to "Remove that turncoat". That is called the no debate ending.
@@dustman820 There is also the "remain loyal" ending where, if you decide not to defect to the Border Worlds after you get asked the second time the game ends with Blair getting drunk in a bar after being discharged from the service and watching Tolwyn launch his war on a vid.
Great sequence. Blair is basically goading Tolwyn into revealing his monstrous personal philosophy to the Senate. Which if you think about it, is basically American Imperialism in a nutshell.
Late responding, but I have a feeling those 10% who still voted yes were Tolwyns' co-conspirators who stood to benefit in some way from the war. After all, he wouldn't have been able to secure the resources and financing for such a large scale operation all on his own without at least a few like-minded backers at the very top of the Confed hierarchy.
Try the F2P Wing Commander Saga! Its an epic story during WC-3 Heart of the Tiger, but told from a different perspective, on a different carrier on the Front. FS-2 engine. Runs stable, maybe lacks the famous ingame cutscenes, but they did a really good job on this! ITs F2P as its a community-development. I'd highly recommend it!
@@sgtsnokeem1139 I wouldn't say he's a "hack" but he's like George Lucas - a good storyteller and has skill in getting the right people around him when he's not unnecessarily constrained by budgets and timelines. Part of the reason the WC movie sucked was that they blew half their budget on casting Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard at the heights of their film careers so they didn't have the money to do other things that it needed, like better CG.
Damn, Tolwyn hanging himself was actually... quite saddening, I have seen nothing on this and seeing the man's life just fall apart around him with one conversation and yet me still being able to piece together what he did spoke of this game's story. Not a good way to go for the man who had such hopes but no morals though
When he said that mankind had become lost and confused since the end of the Kilrathi War, I think he was really talking about himself. Tolwyn couldn't seem to live without war. Without it, he lost his life's purpose. His suicide was the inevitable end of a man that never learned to live.
Nice thought, but the Prophecy is explained in the game's intro: 'During the times of the ancient ones, Sivar himself, appeared in a vision, to the first Prophetess of Kilrah. His words are recorded in the Tome of Sivar: "There shall come a time when one who has the Heart of a Kilrathi, but is not Kilrathi-born, shall reign cleansing fire down upon us, and K'nath'rak, a time of great Darkness, shall embrace us".
@@thegreenreaper6660 Sivar's "There shall come a time when one who has the Heart of a Kilrathi, but is not Kilrathi-born, shall reign cleansing fire down upon us" so it mean Blair.
Tolwyn wasn't evil. He honestly believed what he was doing was for the greater good and the survival of the species. Him ambitions were noble. It was his methods that were tragically warped. So we can pity him, even if we must condemn him.
His ambitions were not noble. He was a warhawk in the worst ways, trying to doom mankind to a life of endless combat against some perceived enemy that isn't even there and mindless slaughter for the sake of it. A dead end disguised as good intentioned-self defense. It would be stupid to not call him evil or wrong. It would be the same as defending hyper-deadly cigarettes simply because they make you feel good for short moment.
Man if you feel sorry for Tolwyn you clearly have not played the serries all the way trough. Tolwyn is like that boss that picks on you he is a massive ashole to Blair in all the games.
Mankind was nearly exterminated in the kilrathi war tolwyn wanted to save mankind at any cost. he truely believed that their victory was nothing but good luck and that the next time they faced another race they would not be that lucky. we all condem him for his evil acts but he sadly did them with good intensions. not for personal gain.
This entire ending reminds me of the courtroom scene in the A Few Good Men movie, where Kaffey exposed Colonel Jessup for ordering the code red, which caused the death of Santiago.
+Almega Opha It's a game. The missions are hard as shit. It's basically the same ratio as Mass Effect, you do missions and then you enjoy the goofy story segments.
I love this ending out of one simple reason: Tolwyn, while a monster, understood the things of life and even thou that does not excuse him I am so frightened that I would almost follow him on his ideals. It's a frightening thought and I love this endning, how Blair just compared the who humanity to the Kilrathi. This was one of the best finales in games I have ever seen.
+TheOneZytel He was a Social Darwinist, warmonger, and an elitist. Believing only the strong will survive when the one he viewed as the strongest died so easily. He understood life no more than any aggressive lunatic. To follow him would have been to follow a madman.
EmptyMan000 Sounds awfully like a guy with a mustache from not too long ago, doesnt it? Even madmen with power command a presence. And if your audience is desperate...anything can happen.
This is insane to me because I would have bet a large amount of money that there was an ending where Mark Hammill hangs himself. In my mind I had combined this ending with the one where Mark gets executed by firing squad. Memory is an interesting thing
you know I wasn't fortunate enough to play this game when it was released, but I have to say I'm mind-blown by the two potential outcomes that are merely affected by your conversation. I look at much newer games such as Mass Effect (and no need to talk about the ending) and I wonder, how hard would it have been to make an ending like this one ??
In 2024, especially in the US Election, this clip needs to be shown to EVERYONE! Mark Hamill is a ROCK STAR, and you can hear his passion in this game like it really was coming from his heart!
+Ace Acabras You can give one answer thats not designated as "the right one" I think the one you remember is the third where i chose "dance around him" the other is "confront him" or something.
+Ace Acabras As i have said, one or maybe two choices can be "wrong" and you will still get the good ending. Note that wrong doesnt necessarily mean bad but the other option is simply more convincing to the assembly, seeing how youre dealing with a bunch of politicians it makes sense that making a logical argument will count for more than a blunt confrontation. This is the case for several choices (make a calm argument or start yelling at him) After all you want to convince the assembly not to start a war, Tolwyns trial comes later, thats when everyone yells at him (including blair) All answers shown in the video are the "right" ones, all others are not.
I honestly found it to be the only critical option was the first one. it seemed to me that once you selected 'seize the moment' you won the game all you where changing was the dialog in-between. mind you i always did the telemar system mission so one of the options was either unmarked fighters or bio weapons i think there is another option that replaces bio weapons if you miss the telemar mission.
Yeah I remember being given he choice between calling him on the fighters or the bioweapons, the choice seemed obvious, bioweapons is something humanity would not be kosher with no matter the situation. I mean I think there was a consideration of bioweapons during the Kilrathi war and even then they were like "nah, that's too far." So here it seemed the appropriate call out.
Too bad the Kats didn’t feel that way. They used bio weapons in the Locanda system (in the novel and losing track of that system in WC3) as well as similar weapons on Mylon 2, where Hawk (introduced in WC4) was from.
Hahaha, yeah. I actually spoke about this just yesterday with some friends. It's crazy. Current projected release date is 2027 lmao. I originally uploaded this when I replayed Wing Commander 4 after the SC kickstarter and noticed nobody ever uploaded the full ending. Ive been debating removing the advertisement in the past but I decided to leave it for posterity.
@@Tr1pleZero Yeah, the scope creep is sad. I guess that's what happens when the studio is run by devs and not business folk. Hopefully we'll get a good game out of it one day, because the WC series is one my favorites.
@@Tr1pleZero I can't believe that I paid money for this more than ten years ago as I really wanted to play the single player game. From time to time I forget I actually funded this until I get an occasional update. It did teach me something about funding kickstarters. Back then I thought it would result in the games I really wanted to see but were not make because marketing told the CEOs that it wouldn't sell "because this genre is currently popular", and some other nonsense since. Well that optimism went down quickly.
I will say Wing commander 4 did the right thing in terms of story. FAR TOO many games go with the Lets scale everything up, oh you fought this monster in the first game... well now you will fight and even BIGGER monster in THIS game and once its peaked. We see the whole ohh we will reset everything and now you will once again fight a monster so we can keep upping the threat. In the end its gets tiresome, i enjoy a fighting game as much as the next, but there are also great stories to tell post war. Wing Commander 4 touches upon alot of them. What do you do when you won the war? When all your soldiers come back and there isn´t enough jobs to go around for everyone. What do you do when your entire career has been build around fighting one big bad enemy. Well suddenly that enemy isn´t there anymore, the unity that once united everyone of your people in common hatred against the enemy is gone. In short what do you do as a dragon slayer when there are no more dragons left to slay? We get sort on an answer here... you invent new dragons so there will ALWAYS be more dragons to slay, you will never run out. I really wish more games would go into this kind of story show society after the big bad Poobah have been defeated. And show it realistically.
I think one thing that I could never understand he spent forty years fighting the Kilrathi, he should been forced to retire. But that either there or here still would follow him into battle. But smiled when i saw him hanging.
Well, with war between Confed and the Border Worlds averted, the Jedi Order can begin to grow again, and humanity can now focus on the true threat - the First Order. May the Force be with you, and this will be continued in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens!
although some people seek prefection, i think imprefection is better. it gives you the choice of imagination and pretending is good for the soul. if you don't laugh at the world, it will eventually drag you down. if we didn't have imagination or pretending, none of this good and silly movies would be around. it would be a world like that movie: Big Brother is watching you. scary thought.
Tr1pleZero He does end up being an admiral, but that's in the "Dark Side" ending, which you get if you take some bad decisions during the campaign (specifically, choosing to use the FlashPak against the SuperBase or following mostly Hawk's path instead of Panther's.)
11:43 and this is how it should have really ended for COL. Blair being an instructor just like how it was for Maverick in “Top Gun” (at least until “Top Gun Maverick”).
I don't know if this is really the "good" ending or just the happy go lucky one. The "Hawk" ending where Blair is an admiral is still technically a "good" ending, it just has a more ominous tone to it.
It's been a long time but iirc he replaces Tolwyn in that ending and takes over his little secret police force. I think they also talk about some pretty evil stuff in that cutscene ? But yeah, I guess it isnt technically bad, but pretty sad especially in contrast with this one.
