Endings that genuinely surprised you. (risk of spoilers, obviously)

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Mafia 1. I never thought a video game can have such a mature story and ending. Also, I was a kid when I played it the first time. And I still get goosebumps when I play it.

 

[daunchy]

What endings in games really took you by surprise? Basic as that, what really got the jump on you? What used conventions to draw you one way, then take you another?

SPOILER TAGS PLEASE.

Warhammer 40k: space marine.

Spoiler

The entire story of this one surprised me. I expected the ultramarines to be functional, but boring. What we got was characters who didn't speak much, but what they said, what they did, and how really gave you an insight into some truly interesting characters, and made you warm to them. Heck, even the Ork warboss was kind of a badass.

The enemies were often a little one dimensional, you never got an insight into why the chaos marines turned their back on the emperor, but then again, it would be hard to cover such a complex story in a largely fast paced action game.

Firstly, a little backstory on the ending. One of the story threads in the game was Captain Titus' tolerance to warp energy. Excessive warp energy kills most people, even space marines. Supposedly, space marines that can handle warp energy are possible heretics, on the road to chaos. To the player, it's made clear there is no bone in titus' body that is not dedicated to the emperor, though. His tolerance to warp energy comes in handy at several points, including the end where he tears a dangerous warp energy power source apart in his bare hands. After the end, we get a cutscene though. I expected this. I expected titus to have inexplicably turned to chaos. Or he could have mutated into a demon-esque creature. Or it simply went for the typical "our valiant hero walks into the sunset" ending.

What happened was that one of the ultramarines ratted Titus to the inquisition (warhammer's CIA), and that he is to be taken away and investigated for heresy.

Oh, the rewards of heroism, huh?

The inquisitor gives Titus a choice when he resists; Either he comes with them, or the inquisitor will have plenty of the people titus just saved killed. Titus reluctantly goes with the inquisitor for investigation.

It's not usual that an ending to an action game in which the hero's victory itself was absolute, that the hero is not only left unrewarded, but he is actually punished by the very people he served. It genuinely threw me, and left me hungering for a sequal.

It's kinda par for the course in 40k.

Spoiler

I was actually expecting Titus to turn himself in, at the very least to the nearest Space Marine chaplain. It really cannot be overstated how fucking dangerous the Warp is. The Warp and Chaos go hand in hand, and the corrupting influence of Chaos can often go unnoticed. Any kind of warp-related anomaly in a living being is an enormous red flag to anybody looking for evidence of Chaotic corruption (which in the Imperium is pretty much everyone, all the time).

As somebody who is passingly familiar with 40k fluff (I don't play the tabletop, but Dawn of War got me interested in the backstory), there really is no good explanation for Titus's immunity to the warp. I'd be freaked out too if my captain were suddenly and totally inexplicably immune to the warp and apparently unconcerned by it. Nobody is above corruption in 40k. Google "Horus Heresy" for an object illustration.

tl;dr:

 

[The Madman]

The Longest Journey

Spoiler

April Ryan *isn't* the proverbial chosen one and never has been despite having sacrificed nearly everything. Bit of a downer ending really!

 

[Austin Howe]

Legacy of Kain: Defiance by being the ending to the entire series and not having a freakin' ending.

 

[Bob_Dobb]

The titanic sank.

Gah, it can't be true!

But mine is TWEWY and that's been said.

 

[Jfswift]

In a way the ending to the DLC Lonesome Road for Fallout: NV did.

Spoiler

..because no matter what you do something terrible happens. You can't stop the nukes from destroying one or both camps (NCR and Caeser) at the end. Caeser seems like the obvious choice but there are also innocent slaves there too. You do have the option to sacrifice your little robot buddy, but that made me feel awful too. There is just no good way out. I didn't expect to have my hand forced like that. Interesting ending though.

 

[Zhukov]

The Longest Journey

Spoiler

April Ryan *isn't* the proverbial chosen one and never has been despite having sacrificed nearly everything. Bit of a downer ending really!

I was actually quite glad it turned out that way.

After all, being the 'Chosen One' wasn't exactly going to be a barrel of laughs.

 

[The Madman]

The Longest Journey

Spoiler

April Ryan *isn't* the proverbial chosen one and never has been despite having sacrificed nearly everything. Bit of a downer ending really!

I was actually quite glad it turned out that way.

After all, being the 'Chosen One' wasn't exactly going to be a barrel of laughs.

True, although considering all the sacrifices made under belief that she was her situation wasn't terribly much better. Atleast we get to see her in the sequel(s hopefully) however, so not alls bad, you're right!

 

[Zeema]

RDR

i thought yeah i could totally survive this

 

[Terraniux]

Killzone 3, if only how awful it is.

Spoiler

They killed nearly everyone on Helghan,didn't resolve what happened to the remaining ISA who are completely stranded on/around Helghan afterwards, and then Guerrilla decided to add a sequel hook after the credits.

 

[GarryIsTheHero]

Has too be Medal Of Honor! The last hour of that game turned it from an average shooter too a pretty awesome one. The game literally pulled it out of its arse!

 

[revjor]

the mist fo sho.

 

[CaptainKoala]

Red dead. holy bejesus I never expected that kind of ending
Also assassins creed brother hood.

The double-post god's have unleashed their wrath upon your humble post.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

Red dead. holy bejesus I never expected that kind of ending
Also assassins creed brother hood.

Red Dead didn't really surprise me, but it definitely stung me. That whole game was fantastic. Fuck anyone who says different.

Brotherhood, I saw coming a mile away. Something about the way they were characterizing her, I knew she was doomed. I actually expected the whole team to die.

I have a problem with being able to predict everything long before I'm supposed to.

The only game i can think of that really and truly took me by surprise was Hybrid Heaven. I expected a much less happy ending. Also, the true enemy is on the moon, but I dont count those as plot twists.

 

[nklshaz]

The hero ending to Infamous 2. I really didn't expect Sucker Punch to have the balls to do it, but they delivered in spades.

 

[GarryIsTheHero]

Red dead. holy bejesus I never expected that kind of ending
Also assassins creed brother hood.

I actually called both of those endings, Red Dead about halfway through, Brotherhood before the game even came out.

I did not see the twist in Bioshock however

Has too be Medal Of Honor! The last hour of that game turned it from an average shooter too a pretty awesome one. The game literally pulled it out of its arse!

Might want to spoiler that last bit I deleted, some people may not have played it yet...

I have it edited now, sorry about that buddy.

 

[Iwata]

A lot of them, but as of late, I'll go with in Famous 2, which I ended today. The good ending, that is, which turns everything on its head.

 

[SweetLiquidSnake]

It's still a fairly new game but Arkham City. I absolutely loved the writing on that one. This is more of a revelation rather than an ending but it was still one of the most intense moments ever.

I don't know how to make a SPOILERS drop down but I guess...

**SPOILERS**

When Talia shoved the sword through Joker I was like OH SNAP!

Then when she gets shot and Batman just lets her die I was like HOLY SNAP!!

Then when it did the Saw-like revelation that it was 2 jokers the whole time I was like JESUS FREAKING SNAP!!!!

Then when the imposters hand rippled I knew there was only one character that could have been... Amazing way to take everything you thought you knew and toss it out the window.

**DONE**

 

[BiggyShackleton]

KOTOR for definite, especially when they play that cutscene and you're just like, "HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS". Well I was anyway.