Best Climax in a Video Game

[Edl01]

Honestly I didn't think so many people in this site where such big fans of dating sims, I mean other than Katawa Shoujo most people have never went out of their way to play them. Well honestly I really liked it in School Days when...oh am I talking about the wrong thing?
Seriously though: I still love the hell out of the School Day endings, even though they aren't my choice.

As for a game - I really loved the endings of Mass Effect 1 and 2, although if I was forced to pick I'd have to go with the first one, since I role-played Mass Effect meaning I had a mix of Paragon and Renegade points, meaning I couldn't get Miranda's loyalty, which kind of soured the ending because I couldn't complete the mission with everyone alive.(To this day Miranda is my least favorite Mass Effect character )

 

[Mikeyfell]

Bayonetta had Infinite Climax, so I guess that counts.

...Ba Dum Tish

Best climax, narratively, obviously...

I almost want to say Halo 4...
You know what Fuck it I'm going to say Halo 4

Now what exactly was the climax of Halo 4? The scene I'm talking about was right after Laskey lands on the planet...ish thing that Chief is on, and he orders Mr. Chief to hand over Cortana to be dismantled.

Cortana has this really deep discussion with Chief about her basically accepting that she's not accepting death. Basically retroactively adding meaning to all the bad acting in the series leading up to that point.

And then there's some stupid stuff with some stupid aliens that nobody gives a fuck about, then Cortana dies (And Steve Downs almost ruins it with his emotional tone deafness)


Last of Us had a pretty stellar climax to, but it's quality didn't surprise me as much as Halo 4's did It also happened a lot closer to the end of the story, so most people would just say the entire last two chapters are "the end" of that game (Understandably so) which would sort of rob Last of Us's climax of a lot of it's power.

 

[Prepare Your Keyhole]

This one is probably not the best one but it is among my favorites:

Final Fantasy VIII disc 1: Assasination of the Sorceress

This one is just awesome: the music, the chanting, the parade,the preparation, the "time limit" of 20:00 (even though there isn't a real timer sadly), saving Rinoa, fighting Seifer and then for the first time you get to fight a sorceress in the flesh
(oh "Premonition" is a Godly soundtrack worthy of "final boss" of disc 1).

And once you think you won the sorceress launches multiple giant icicles (her Limit Break in cutscene style) which pierces your chest .

That close-up of her eye combined with the music still freaks me out.

 

[Someone Depressing]

OFF.

Player: "Wow, I'm so happy I just saved the world from four evil tyrants plotting to destroy the human race! I feel phenomonal, all with the help of the protagonist of this game!"

Spoiler: Something completely mind blowing

Protagonist: "Haha I lied you ruined everything"

Player: "NOOOOO"

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Custer's Revenge... no wait..

I'd have to say Mass Effect, when you're gunning the Mako down the corridors and hurtling full tilt toward the relay, while getting shot at by two Reapers. Awesome.

And Red Dead Redemption as most people have mentioned.

 

[Zaydin]

Hrm, for me, the end to the final level of Thief: The Dark Project. It is both simultaneously anti-climactic and yet utterly fitting for Garrett and the sort of person that he is. It's a 16 year old game, yet I still remember it quite well.

 

[TheRiddler]

How has nobody said Bioshock yet? Despite the underwhelming ending, the climax with Andrew Ryan was freaking incredible, a brilliant deconstruction of games and linear paths.

 

[Dalisclock]

Uncharted 2: Either the train levels or the Mission where you're being chased by a tank around the village both count.

Bioshock Infinite: When you finally get to meet comstock in person. The whole Zeppelin mission itself was pretty awesome as well.

 

[TheMadDoctorsCat]

This will absolutely shock people who've been reading my recent comments on "Bioshock: Infinite", but I'd go with that. Not the fight at the end, the bit afterwards. And especially the very final scene - just superb. My very very minor nitpick would be when a main character scoffs at the notion of an underwater city. (Don't mock games that are better than the one the player is actually playing, jackasses!) But that aside, it's a perfect ending to a great story.

I'd love to give a retro example, but I honestly can't think of a really good one... most of the retro-games I played and enjoyed, much like today, were pretty open-world. Both "System Shock" games - as much as I love them - had weak endings. Most of my fave old Sega games (for the Megadrive and Master System - good times!) just had the credits rolling over a picture of a sunset or something.

Maybe "Streets of Rage 3" and its multiple endings? The "best" ending, with the hand-drawn arts style, was pretty spectacular, and Yuzo Koshiro's music (as always) just made it.

Plus, like the rest of the game, "Streets of Rage 3"'s ending had dialogue. And that dialogue was... bad. Really, really, hilariously bad. Probably "bad Japanese-to-English translation" bad, which was pretty legendary at the time. (SoR3 came out at a similar time and on the same console as Zero Wing, infamous for "All your base are belong to us!" and my personal favorite, "Somebody set up us the bomb.")

Ok, one more retro example: "Sonic the Hedgehog" on the Sega Master System. There was something about seeing the chaos emeralds fly and the map suddenly change from this dark smoke-encrusted place to a gleaming emerald island that just hit me back then. Of course I was a very young boy at the time, but it was still pretty amazing to see that.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

First thing that came to mind was Bioshock's Andrew Ryan scene, "A man chooses, a slave obeys". The rest of the game was just meh compared to that bit.

The other great climax I can think of right now is in Spec Ops: The line right at the end when you're faced with that decision. It made me panic so much and then just ended very solemnly.

 

[thefascistpig]

Bastions last levels and kotor 1 and 2 's endings and bioshock infinite had a good climax too was confusing at first but it ends up as one of my favorites and the last of half life 2 ep 2 when you who gets stabbed and the credit s roll

 

[Shoggoth2588]

The original Mass Effect had an amazing ending. You've got that trek across a creepy alien planet, followed by a chat with an enlightening AI that sheds some fresh light on the story and ties up a few loose ends, then finally the climactic finale itself complete with epic space battle and a final confrontation with both the games main antagonists. There were even a few compelling moral decisions thrown in for good measure.

My favorite thing about the ending of Mass Effect was how you could talk your way out of the first phase of the final boss fight. I have never before or indeed, never since encountered something like that! It made the charm/intimidate skills seem worthwhile. I need more RPGs where you can charisma your way through/out of fights boss fights and enemy encounters. Mass Effect just had an awesome climax.

 

[Spider RedNight]

Ones that I agree with that've already been mentioned - Bioshock, Walking Dead game, KotOR, Brothers, Fallout 3, Mass Effect 2, and HOLY CRAP AT those two from Last of Us - the prologue and the end of Winter, holy SHIT.

I wouldn't really call it "super intense" or "crazy", but the climax to Silent Hill 2, in my opinion, was BRILLIANT and the whole deal with the two Red Pyramids was just amazing... I'm drowning in symbolism over here and I'm lovin' it.

Also in Wind Waker when you discover what happened to the Lost Kingdom that disappeared when Ganon's wrath fell upon it. Yeah, it's an older game but I like it~

 

[synobal]

Personally I think almost any of the Asari, but Liara's specifically she does that whole thing where her eyes go black and she does the "Embrace eternity" in that voice of hers, the whole thing is rather dramatic. For a runner up I'd say Morrigan but it just isn't on the same level as Liara.

J/k I'd say honestly the best climax of any game would be the ending of Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines, any of the endings that is. It was just so totally awesome.

 

[The Night Shade]

Saint's Row IV's Punch The Shark mission. Killing aliens with super powers in the real world(ish) while the touch plays in the background will always be epic.

I used to loop that song always, it became the only one i listened to.

 

[RedDeadFred]

I'll put another vote in for Mass Effect 2's suicide mission. It's a lot more effective if you're going in without knowing what needs to be done to get the perfect outcome. The first time I played through, Legion, Jack, and Mordin all died. Is what crushing seeing them go (especially Mordin) and it made me want to beat the Collectors even more. Plus, I kept having these moments where I would go: "holy shit, I can't believe we're actually doing this." The game hyped up what going through the Omega 4 relay would be like and it delivered in awesome fashion.

 

[Phuctifyno]

Conker's Bad Fur Day


After spending the whole game adventuring past zombie-squirrels, lava-surfing cavemen, and a robot-teddy-bear army, all the while being pursued by villains sent forth by The Evil Panther-King who threatens to turn you into a table-leg, then finally making your way up to his intimidating, perpetually storm-ridden castle (which turns into a spaceship and launches all of you into orbit for the final showdown), said Evil Panther-King at last has you right where he wants you...

Spoiler: OMG what happens??!!??!

...and a chestburster pops out of him so you strap on a power-loader and fight the Alien.

 

[Squilookle]

Conker's Bad Fur Day


After spending the whole game adventuring past zombie-squirrels, lava-surfing cavemen, and a robot-teddy-bear army, all the while being pursued by villains sent forth by The Evil Panther-King who threatens to turn you into a table-leg, then finally making your way up to his intimidating, perpetually storm-ridden castle (which turns into a spaceship and launches all of you into orbit for the final showdown), said Evil Panther-King at last has you right where he wants you...

Spoiler: OMG what happens??!!??!

...and a chestburster pops out of him so you strap on a power-loader and fight the Alien.

This is totally the right choice, but not for that reason. It's because the whole game is a foul mouthed, tongue in cheek hilarious platformer from start to end, with over the top violence, toilet humour, really really gross bits and a charming, lovable main character, and yet... the ACTUAL ending, by that I mean the cutscene... hits you like a ton of bricks. For all his selfish, carefree materialistic money grabbing tendencies, Conker is hit with a life lesson so hard it renders everything he has gained in the game in a whole new light.

It's the only game I've played, except possibly for Mafia, that left me silently stunned through the whole credits.

 

[soren7550]

All three Mass Effects. There were a few... hiccups... but overall, just so damn good.

I want to put one that no one has said yet, but I can't really think of one. I'm terrible like that. Or just don't get to play through many good games, either or.