The Best Game Endings ever

[The Other Steve]

I really don't see how you could like VI and not VII. Seven had much more detailed characters and a generally more involved plot. Six had about eight more characters than it needed, and I personally consider IT overrated.

Sure, anime-style games are unrealistic, but they're more fun that way. Same reason we have health bars. I wouldn't say that an eight-foot sword that shoots fire that shoots more swords is all that different from a gun that "shoots shurikens and lightning", no?

I personally miss turn-based combat. I play a fair amount of pencil-paper RPGS, so it's natural to me. Sure, it doesn't require reflexes, but there's plenty of strategy and thinking involved.

I like Final Fantasy endings because they typically have a well-developed world with characters you can understand and relate to. Which is more than what 90% of video games have to offer. You're certainly entitled to your opinion though, I was just answering the question. Personally I've had more trouble with the anti-FFVII people than the fanboys, though the latter do get annoying.

More on topic, of the Half-Life games that people keep bringing up, I like the ending to the original Half-Life 2 best. Running around with the super Gravity Gun and then blowing up the huge building? And the way Gman came in was beautiful.

 

[pieeater911]

I dunno. It's probably just because I generally don't like JRPGs. Just for some reason I really liked FFVI. Kefka was just an awesome villain. The story in FFVII was just kind of.....dumb. It didn't really make much sense, and what parts of it did make sense were just uninteresting. That, and I REALLY hate FFVII fanboys. Not people who just liked the game, thats ok. I'm talking about the people who go to conventions dressed up as Cloud, writing fan fictions and generally getting big stiffies every time they hear the words "Final" and "Fantasy" in the same sentence.

And the Super Gravity gun was awesome. I miss it.

 

[Phantom6]

I'd definitely have to say The World Ends with You. The ending to that one just shocked me. A plot twist like THAT at the very end makes the game's storyline up to that point seem bad in comparison, when it really isn't at all.

 

[Sasha Janre]

I'd definitely have to say The World Ends with You. The ending to that one just shocked me. A plot twist like THAT at the very end makes the game's storyline up to that point seem bad in comparison, when it really isn't at all.

I TOTALLY AGREE. I was a complete mess of confusion afterwards and I'm STILL Trying to figure out what the hell is going on and the Another Day Chapter .. when you climb Pork City? I was like "ABUH?"

Great game :3

 

[HYPERPOWERi]

Dreamfall. Best ending ever.

Thief 2: The Metal Age. Viconia's death followed by Karras' own demise, all very nicely done.

 

[Gravy Devil]

Xenogears, if you can sit through that ending, you can sit through any

 

[superpope89]

The end of Portal. I just love that song. This was a triumph...

 

[friedmetroid]

The original Metroid... the ending that made the gaming community collectively go

WUT

 

[TJ rock 101]

well i thought the ending on prince of persia: the two thrones was good for wrapping up the story but the only game in that series i bothered to unlock was warrior within and that was a pretty bad one.
And the ending to diablo II: lord of destruction was quite good...

 

[Jhereg42]

I'm going to go on a limb and say Torment. The idea of the Nameless One owning up to his endless sins, accepting damnation, with Grace swearing to seek him through all the hells before her rushes off to his punishment? Yeah...

I was going to bring this one up if nobody else did. Agree 100% This was one game that I was always torn about. One one hand the ending made me want more, but at the same time it was so perfectly poetic that I knew another game would ruin it.

I was also partial to the endings of Thief 1 and Thief 2. They both really brought out aspects of the character's nature and when compared side to side they show how he has changed between the two games. The ending of Thief: Deadly Shadows brought the whole story full circle perfectly.

 

[NKYJYB]

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[MercFox1]

Freespace 2.

Watch the videos, get the SCP, and play "Into the Lion's Den". You will shit yourself, for two different reasons; both of which will become clear.

 

[AceUk]

World in conflict has a great ending - SPOILER - just two buddies sitting in the aftermath having fought to reclaim thier country and sit listening to whitesnake - Here i go again

Bad Company is also great just as they think they lost the gold the army commander orders them to "transport this truck of uuuuuhhh scrap metal" "SIR YES SIR!" then they drive off in the sunset.

Halo 3 and cod4 have good endings but Cod4's is a bit of a shock to say the least.

 

[meone007]

portal, of course, I liked FFX, and I did not understand Shadow of the Collossus's ending at all. I'll admit, never played Ico, but poor dude all he wanted was his chick back and he killed all these giant beasts, just to becoma a fricken baby?? she better breastfeed him or he got nothing from that

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

COD4 by a very long way. THE most awsome ending ever. Better than the games where everone just lives happily ever after, they seem to be based on "cus the game writer says so" than the actual story.

 

[KingKamor]

The "worst" ending to Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories. Gotta love the sounds a young child getting crushed and eaten after the screen blackens, followed by the game asking "Do you want to carry over save game data? =D"

Persona 3 ending made me sad, but not in a bad way.

No More Heroes left me hanging, but breaking the fourth wall is always fun.

LoZ: Ocarina of Time had a great ending boss fight that I still play through time to time, and it was overall a good ending that left you thinking.

 

[Nilles]

When thinking of endings, I think of Portal. The ending itself wasn't all that imaginative, but you have to take the credits song into account and that is the icing on the cake.

I did enjoy the ending of CoD4, that was one hell of a rush.

I really can't see why Half Life scores that well. The cliffhanger sucked and it took me a whole minute to realize the game was actually over in the final scene.

As for MGS: are you sure you're not just glad the drag was over at last? ;-)

The ending of Splinter Cell was nice. Not out of the ordinary, but without the bad aftertaste like most shooters have.

I really didn't like the ending of Mass Effect. Truth be told, it was a good story with a 'good' ending and a lot of choices. On the other hand, a RPG needs a twist to it and all in all, Mass Effect was too predictable, too much stereotype in almost every respect. Not a second Kotor at all... I felt more like clicking through a Japanese dating sim at the end: choose the right answers to get where you want.

I recall Runaway. The game rewarded you with revealing the narrator's location and a glimpse of the main actress' bare ass. After all the hassle, the happy ending was really satisfying.

Outcast's ending was a little weird, but still rewarding. At least it felt like the world that needed saving actually deserved it.

World in Conflict's ending made me smile. I thought CoH had my all-time favor for its story, but WiC does the same thing, just better.

 

[jergarmar]

Just a couple to mention, from someone who has never played through any FF or Zelda game.

Just to get it out of the way first: Portal. Song was great but don't forget the hilarious ending sequence and climactic battle. Instant classic.

Megaman 2 -- it was the first game I ever played that had an ending worth watching. It's on YouTube and you need to see it. See? You forgot how good it was.

X-Wing -- first time I had ever played a game like this. Really flippin hard but the final missions, ending with destroying the Death Star, were unforgettable. I'm not normally very "demonstrative" but I completely flipped out. I didn't note the Death Star exploding as a spoiler. I hope everyone's fine with that.

Bad Mojo -- my only explanation for this whole game, including the ending, involves chemical substances. And I DON'T mean bug spray.

Max Payne -- the word "cinematic" is thrown around these days, but that's my word for the ending of this one. Truly cinematic.

City of Villains -- a MMORPG? What the heck, right? Well, it always had a bunch of charm and some decent writing but for me the end of the "Destined One" story arc gave me a great deal of satisfaction.

Phoenix Wright -- pretty much all of them but the ending of the first one with Von Karma was EPIC. I was flabbergasted; it was the first time I started respecting handheld games.

Metal Gear Solid -- what with the hubbub over MSG4, the original is still the one that stays in my memory. The post-credit "cliffhanger/twist" was lame but the ending battles and chases were great.

EDIT: Someone mentioned Grim Fandago and I felt guilty not including it. The story got a little muddled late in the game but the ending itself delivered.

 

[Xaositect]

Half Life: Opposing Force had the best ending of any Half Life so far in my opinion. But Im a fan of bleak and unfair endings.

While I have not even really played this game (to my eternal shame) I do have a large amount of respect for it, but on the subject of bleak endings, I did get the chance to see the ending for Fallout. Again like above, bleak and unfair, (although not always entirely unfair from what I saw )

Mass Effect had a decidedly epic conclusion. It got a little teensy weensy bit cheesy, but when youre acheiving epic better than some films are able, its very easy to do that. At least it no where near as cheesy as any of the Halo games. The criticisms I have seen of this ending so far dont convince me, so Im glad that said criticisms are only "opinion".

Metal Gear Solid, again, had this epic run up to the finish line. The battle with Liquid on Rex is one of my favourite gaming moments "Have at you Snake!"

I liked the ending of the first Baldurs Gate (of course, its my favourite game series ever, and Baldurs Gate II is my favourite game ever) but just hearing the music build up, and then seeing all those other Bhaalspawn statues.....

COD4 was good. All in all I would say its just another mediocre FPS with a few moments of greatness. The nuclear eplosion, chasing the guy from GTA4 and him blowing his own head off, and the end of the game are those moments of greatness. I actually found both somewhat beautiful, so make of that what you will...

Thats all I can think of at the moment.