Poll: Best Endings? *SPOILERS AHEAD*

[iamtonedef]

I am really picky with the endings to my games. I get very frustrated when I invest many hours into an amazing game, only to be disappointed by a rushed ending. Case-in-point, Bioshock. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, only to be given a 10 second FMV to sum up a 30 hour quest.

So I pose these two questions.

What is your favorite ending to a game this year? Half Life: Episode 2
What is your favorite ending of ALL TIME? Hitman: Blood Money

 

[Chris Evans]

I don't always expect an amazing ending, or the best ending I will ever see, but I like a good ending to my games.

Bioshock failed this leaving me feeling just like "Oh, ok...."

Not completed Blood Money yet, but from what I have played the ending is bound to be good.

This year Portal/Episode 2 and Call of Duty 4 are my favorites.

All time favourite....C&C Red Alert 2 - either endings

 

[roo18]

I thought Portal had a brillient ending.

Most other games I've played this year though have been really good, but I thought they had a let down in the endings.

 

[mrblackett]

When I first started playing games (1984 or '85) they didn't have endings. I'm grateful for whatever I can get.

 

[Ownagecake]

My favourite is CoD4's ending. It's the only time I actually felt sad playing a game.

 

[PurpleRain]

Oddworld anyone? Most of their endings are brilliant. I haven't play the first one sadly but I did enjoy Abes Exoddus.

 

[p1ne]

Favorite this year: Portal!!! The final confrontation though, since what happens afterward is really just implied.

All-time favorite: If it's not Portal, then man... I dunno. So few games really have great endings. Knights of the Old Republic, maybe. The evil ending was so awesome haha. I liked the end of Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal as well, where it told you what all the other characters had gone on to do afterwards (most of which were affected by the way you'd played the game).

A bad ending really does make a difference, though. You don't want to spend all that time playing through a game, especially if it purports to get you interested in some kind of plot, only to get a big F-you at the end. Unreal 2 for example.... the game itself was decent, but man, the ending was so f*ckin horrible it actually made you regret having played the game at all.

 

[NeoSpriggan]

I pretty much take what i can get. If the ending sucks, then it sucks. If i liked the rest of the game, i can live with it.

 

[I3ucky]

Half Life 2: Episode 2's ending was quite simply amazing. But as far as all time....maybe KOTOR? That twist left my brain spinning for weeks.

 

[Xineph]

Portal had an ending befitting of a brilliant science fiction story.

 

[The Electric Victorian]

I would say KOTOR, but someone had the gaul to actually RUIN it for me. I mean, who does that? I'd have to go for a tossup between Portal and...oddly enough...Freedom Fighters. I mean, Portal was (to quote Yahntzee) "balls tighteningly excellent." But the last level of Freedom Fighters, where you and your fellow New York freedom fighters fucking swarm over the last ditch Soviet defense at Fort Jay just took my breath away. I think part of it might be my New York City bias taking over. *****, dis is mah city! Take your pinko asses and get out before I kick you out!

 

[blackfly01]

I haven't beaten a 2007/8 game yet (yes I know I'm a loser), but my all time favorite ending is the ending to Deep Fear. The drama is strong, the composition is perfect, the graphics are fantastic and the feeling of accomplishment is only fairly personal, but well delivered.

 

[Jercurpac]

I can't say it's my absolute favorite, but what comes to mind is Prince of Persia: Two Thrones. It deftly ties together the plot of the first game and brings everything full circle in a clever and satisfying way. It's rare to play a series of games that makes an effort to connect each individual game's plot in a meaningful way.

 

[stevesan]

remember the ending of Doom 1? with the rabbit? how great was that?

 

[Strike_Freedom]

woo! first post!

The ending that sticks out the most to me is Final Fantasy X. The characters [well most] were so well developed that by the end of the game you actually really cared about what happened to them. Even the World was beautifully crafted. The chaos that Sin brings to Spira seems so tangible and when Yuna gives her speech at the end, it's like a huge weight has been lifted.

A very well crafted ending for a masterpiece in gaming.

As for this year....I've gotta say my favorite ending has been Halo 3. I enjoyed the fact that everything was brought to a close and although I've never been a huge Halo fan, it was fun to finish the fight after so many years and hear Chief say it again..."wake me when you need me". A very fitting ending. And hearing The Arbiter yell stuff throughout the game was really fun too.

 

[Archaeology Hat]

The original half-life had an ending that I loved.

Its not really a game ending but the end of the dark-brotherhood storyline in Oblivion was one of my favourite parts of that game, although I saw something along those lines coming from when the briefings changed.

The various endings of Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura were also some of my favourites I was so not expecting what actually happened.