Stranger Things Finale Flopped: Did Video Game Influence Go Too Far?

The Stranger Things series finale left fans with a lasting impression, albeit not entirely a positive one. The climactic battle with Vecna and the Mind Flayer has been widely panned, with many viewers scratching their heads over the uneven fight choreography. Specifically, the jarring contrast between Eleven and Will’s intense showdown with Vecna, while the rest of the gang relied on an assortment of makeshift weapons, from flamethrowers to slingshots, to take down the Mind Flayer. This narrative misstep has been attributed to an unlikely source: video games.

In a recent interview with Variety, Matt Duffer revealed that his experience playing Baldur’s Gate 3 significantly influenced the final battle’s conception. The game’s emphasis on party synergy and individualized skills seems to have inspired Duffer’s vision for the Stranger Things finale. He wanted the characters to “work together” and utilize their unique abilities to defeat the seemingly insurmountable foes.

This creative decision has been met with skepticism, as fans struggle to reconcile the tone and logic of the final battle. The Duffers’ reliance on WETA’s visual effects expertise to bring the fight to — has also been noted, with Ross Duffer highlighting the practical challenges of staging the scene in ← →