When I was a kid and played this game with my dad, the ending hit me really hard. Hysterics and tears. Fittingly bittersweet and pathetic (in the "pathos" sense), but damn if I didn't wish things had turned out differently. I can't think of a character more deserving of a happy ending.
Just wondering how others felt about it.

I completely agree. I played this as a kid too, and to this day, it's the only game that has ever caused me to cry. I was devastated because

SPOILERS!!!! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT BEATEN THE GAME!!!!!




Gorath is my favorite character in the history of video games, and it was a such a punch to the stomach because it didn't happen until the final boss had been defeated. With that said, I think the ending was as great as the rest of the story. Sure, I would have preferred that Gorath live, but the ending had much more impact this way. As hard as it was for me to take, it was brilliant.