Best and Worst Game Endings

[entrerix]

Ok so remembering how awesome the end of fallout1 is made me wonder what other games have AAA endings.

 

NOTE: you dont just have to list the post game cinematic, but the whole climax of a game is acceptable (ie the last fight and then ending of Zelda OOT is soooo awesome, but without that last ganon fight and then run through the castle the cinematic is way less exciting)

 

NOTE: lets try not to spoil TOO much since many endings have surprises in them which are best seen unspoiled.

 

A few of my personal favorite game endings:

 

Fallout 1: heartbreaking and melancholy, it fits the setting and atmosphere of this game perfectly. One of the all time best endings (and the encounter with the Master is one of the all time best "final" boss encounters EVER.)

 

Planescape torment: the ending cinematic I can take or leave, but the entire last dungeon is a real gem and ties up so much of the game. A perfect cap for a near-perfect game (i know im totally corny, deal with it)

 

Zelda OOT: possibly the best console game ending of all time, fighting ganon in the rain = so goddamn awesome

 

Metal Gear Solid: tied with zelda oot for best console game ending of all time. Also has the best music for a game ending ever, which is put to fantastic use in MGS4.

 

Double Dragon: wait what?? I have to fight my friend now?? omgwtf?!

 

Red Dead redemption: cant talk about it without spoiling it.

 

 

I've got more, will post later.

 

oh and for fun: some of the worst game endings of all time

 

fallout 3. nuff said.

 

golden axe 2. I went through ALL THAT FOR THIS?

[HoonDing]

Best:

 

Loom

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Prince of Persia: the Two Thrones

American McGee's Alice

Syberia, Syberia 2

The Longest Journey

Divinity 2: Ego Draconis, Divinity 2: Dragon Knight Saga

 

Worst:

 

Drakan: Order of the Flame

Drakensang

Heavy Metal: FAKK2

Dreamfall

Arx Fatalis

Risen

[Gorth]

Only games that I've completed (yes, I'm looking at you NWN!)

 

Best ending experience:

Beating Nikademus in Phantasie I (with a helping hand of some epic Mike Oldfield tracks blaring out of my stereo at the time)

Beating Doomdark in Lords of Midnight (after spending 200+ hours on my first game)

Beating Demogorgon in Forbidden Forest (still the only game that has given me goosebumps playing it. The little celebratory "jig" and victory music was worth it)

Icewind Dale/Heart of Winter ('nuff said)

PS:T (Not so much the actual ending, as the end game, discovering the nature of your immortality. Joining the Blood War was just an added "bonus").

 

Worst ending experience:

Kotor II (still waiting...)

 

Not counting another group of games either, which doesn't really have "endings" (strategy games), but a lot of them gives an immense feeling of satisfaction when You've created your own tale and it reaches the end.

[Oblarg]

Best ending: Total Annihilation ARM campaign ending. No, really, it ends with the ARM commander stepping on the CORE commander's face. How awesome is that?

 

Worst ending: Gears of War 2 - I really have no clue what the **** happened, they have to hire some new writers.

[entrerix]

More

Bests:

ending/final encounter: Final Fantasy 6. omgkefkasotall

 

ending cinematic: MGS3, not all the cinematic, (the whole china twist was a bit meh), but the office salute where you can see in snake's eye the resentment that would eventually lead him to terrorism is so poingnant, and the song that plays is really really great ending music

 

ending scene: shadow of the colossus. *tears*

 

 

 

worst:

fable 2. totally contrived and tacked on "choice". laaaaaaame.

[Orogun01]

ending cinematic: MGS3, not all the cinematic, (the whole china twist was a bit meh), but the office salute where you can see in snake's eye the resentment that would eventually lead him to terrorism is so poingnant, and the song that plays is really really great ending music

I cried on that scene

 

Worst ending: Last Remnant, also my number one pick for worst game ever.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Best: Shadow of the Colossus.

 

It's the only one that managed to move me in some way. That and MGS3, which was really a kick in the nuts by how depressing it was.

Edited November 16, 2010 by WILL THE ALMIGHTY

[Hurlshort]

Quest for Glory 1 and 4 had great endings. QFG3 had one of the worst though.

[Calax]

Ace Combat 5 gets props from me. It's not the end of the game but just before the end there's a massive scene where you see two massive air forces combining and literally singing together.

 

FFX does get a small prop from me simply for the whole sacrifice schtick.

 

I'm gonna add PoP (the cell shaded one) with the ending being you basically undoing everything to save the girl. Of course, that would have been MUCH better if their relationship was better.

 

Seconding MGS3.

[Aram]

Planescape Torment: It's not so much the ending, but definitely the dramatic climax -- when you enter the limbo space with your three past incarnations. You give the incredibly evil and manipulative one what he deserves, you put the paranoid and crazed one to rest, and learn the truth about yourself from the original. Extremely powerful. And it feels like something you actually worked for, since you need the stats and to have experienced all the past memories to completely understand it.

[mr insomniac]

Planescape Torment: It's not so much the ending, but definitely the dramatic climax -- when you enter the limbo space with your three past incarnations. You give the incredibly evil and manipulative one what he deserves, you put the paranoid and crazed one to rest, and learn the truth about yourself from the original. Extremely powerful. And it feels like something you actually worked for, since you need the stats and to have experienced all the past memories to completely understand it.

I'll add to that entire sequence: getting the Transcendant One to merge with me was the first time I'd ever dealt non-violently with an end boss and it fit in so well with everything I'd done in the game up to that point.

 

As for worst endings: In recent memory, Borderlands. Bah. At least the Secret Armory of General Knoxx made up for it.

[Niten_Ryu]

Planescape Torment - Ending where Nameless One accepts his fate and prepares to fight eternity in the Bloodwar. Ironically because of game rule changes, the war ended just few years later.

 

Bloodlines - Some poor choices with allies and you end up thrown into the bottom of the sea. Enjoy the hunger!

 

Dragon Age - Full utilitarian run ending with ultimate sacrifice. Tied up things nicely.

 

Deus Ex - Destroying the whole modern tech based society.

[Thorton_AP]

Ending where Nameless One accepts his fate and prepares to fight eternity in the Bloodwar. Ironically because of game rule changes, the war ended just few years later.

 

Coincidence? I think not!

[Cantousent]

Okay okay For my sins, I'm part of the PS:T crowd also.

 

I'll also throw in with American McGee's Alice.

 

I don't think the cinematic was all that great, but getting the 'good' ending on Painkiller was pretty cool.

 

Also getting the good ending on Max Payne 2 was awesome, and the attending cinematic was also good.

 

hmmm, what else? I guess I could throw in the ending for Diablo where you stick the gem in your head and run off to the east.

 

I also liked the ending to Ultima 4.

 

The ending of Zork III was great. Not so much for the ending but because I knew it was the end of the trilogy.

 

I also liked the ending for Zork Nemesis.

[kirottu]

Worst game ending I

[Calax]

Oh, crap, I forgot the worst endings!

 

Fable2 for reasons mentioned.

FF8 mainly because of the stupid twist.

ZoE1, Basically the end is you getting your butt kicked and then having to leave your adventure undone.

Of course, the half life episodes are a bit of a blocker.

 

And honestly? Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising. Basically in the best ending you've got a huge task ahead of you and they set it up to continue, but currently it doesn't continue. Now this is changed given that there is another expansion (retribution) coming out, but still...

[mkreku]

The worst ending in recent years award has to go to Risen. I mean, I love the game, but the ending.. holy crap. But Piranha Bytes aren't exactly known for their strong endings. Gothic's ending was OK (decent, actually). Gothic 2's ending sucked, but the ending cinematic was nice. Gothic 3's endings were.. forgettable (I actually forget them all right now).

 

The worst ending of all time has to be in that old Commodore 64 shoot'em up Delta (**** you, Finns!). Something like 32 excruciatingly difficult levels with only three lives. I think I spent a MONTH of real time learning all the enemy routes and obstacles, and when I finally beat the game.. "Game Over". That was it. Oh, and it played new music and let you do all 32 levels again.. but with a higher difficulty. **** YOU, FINNS!!

 

(It was made by a lone Finnish programmer, Stavros Fasoulas, a legend)

 

The best game ending I've ever seen was in the game Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. It has an ending that was a bit sad, but very touching and beautiful. But then the game actually let you do the end part again where you got a choice where it used to be sad, and you could make it into a happy ending. Which I did. I loved it.

[Azure79]

I second the ending for FF6 and Prince of Persia, Two Thrones. The whole escape sequence of FF6 and the ending were really great. The Two Thrones ending made everything come together nicely in a full circle and I thought it was a fitting ending for the Sands of Time Prince.

 

I really enjoyed the ending for the more recent cel-shaded PoP as well. Tugged on the heartstrings it did.

 

The endings for the NES Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2 always have a special memory for me. After hours of grueling platforming and action the ending was great for the time.

 

Super Metroid! The final boss battle, the frenetic escape. Great stuff.

 

Of course Torment.

[Guest Slinky]

Worst:

Arx Fatalis

How was that bad? It's been a while and I can't remember feeling anything negative about it.

[HoonDing]

Worst:

Arx Fatalis

How was that bad? It's been a while and I can't remember feeling anything negative about it.

Beat Boss. You win. Kthxbye.

 

Which reminds me that Dark Messiah's ending was pretty horrible as well.

Edited November 16, 2010 by virumor

[Azure79]

Worst:

Arx Fatalis

How was that bad? It's been a while and I can't remember feeling anything negative about it.

Beat Boss. You win. Kthxbye.

 

Which reminds me that Dark Messiah's ending was pretty horrible as well.

 

I forget exactly, but you could be possessed by a succubi or something right?

[Guest Slinky]

Beat Boss. You win. Kthxbye.

 

Which reminds me that Dark Messiah's ending was pretty horrible as well.

Okay. Otherwise I think the ending in Dark Messiah is cool but it does kinda scream for a sequel. Not that I wouldn't want one anyway.

 

I forget exactly, but you could be possessed by a succubi or something right?

You mean Dark Messiah right?

 

 

No, Xana (the demon in you) doesn't do anything like that. The ending is the usual beat the boss, but then you can set the demon "king" loose on the world or not. End cinematic doesn't reveal anything what happens next.

 

[LadyCrimson]

TBH I can't think of any best....not because there weren't any, but because I can't remember. I haven't played nearly as many rpg's or adventure or other plot driven games as most here, I think, and most were years ago now. Kotor2's ending got the shaft, but I still didn't feel like it was a 'worst'. I think one of the earlier Tombraider endings really annoyed me, but I can't recall why.

 

In recent memory however, for me one of the worst was Borderlands. Not because of story (what story haha) but that was one terrible ending (and boss monster).

[Humanoid]

I can't really name much either - owing to the fact that I leave the majority of my games unfinished. Even the Black Isle 'classics' - I'm yet to complete the likes of BG. PS:T, IWD and indeed, Fallout. Nor more modern titles like any of NWN1/2 and any of their expansions, KoTOR2, DA:O, etc. I'll get to it someday - after all, I finally finished Ultima 8 16 years after first playing it....

 

 

But for the sake of providing a title - Wing Commander 4. Both best and worst for the gratuitous FMV extravaganza, and that it turned into choose your own adventure title.

Edited November 16, 2010 by Humanoid

[Labadal]

Worst:

No game ending is worse than Assassin's Creed, period.