What was the last ending of a game that was genuinely satisfying?

[Ariseishirou]

Definitely agree with the many votes for Metro 2033. Good times. It really fit the series.

Seconding MW3, as well. The ending of the single player campaign wrapped everything up in a really satisfying way and brought all of the series' themes full circle.

 

[Hyper-space]

So the general consensus nowadays is that video game endings are doomed to suck. If it's not Deus Ex's or Mass Effect 3's "press button to see this ending" business, it ends on a bull shit cliffhanger or has no closure and leaves the player completely unsatisfied like Final Fantasy XIII-2. The last game I finished with a great ending was Persona 4. You end the murderer's killing spree, discover the truth behind the murder cases, you've done everything that you needed to do, and it all wraps up on a positive note that makes you feel like you really accomplished something big. So I ask: what was the last game you finished with an ending that you were completely happy with?

Closure isn't a necessity, sometimes the ending can be that much more poignant when it leaves you asking questions, instead of rattling off everything that happens. For example: Would you have remembered the ending to Inception if it had ended with the spinning-top falling down? Probably not, because leaving you with something to think about AFTER you're done makes it much more interesting.

Epilogues that explain what happened to everyone and everything is like the easy way out, it might leave you satisfied, but it won't have an impact on you whatsoever.

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

Just finished Dead Island an hour ago, the ending was ok. The last ending that i really liked was in Binary Domain (having high comrade trust is pretty helpfull for a happy ending).

I`m kind of suprised so many people list the Batman AC ending. I`m not a hardcore Batman fan but i have a few novels and this ending feels out of context to me and ruins the game a bit.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

*Cough* PERSONA 4 *Cough*

Bioshock 1 good ending.

You adopt every cured little sister and head to the surface.

You watch them get older, get married, and say goodbye to you on your death bed.

I shed a manly tear that day.

 

[jpoon]

Red Dead Redemption had a great ending, I finished that one a few months ago but I really thought it was great...sad but good.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Portal 2,
Red dead remdemption I suppose too.

On a side note, I love the way the zombie DLC is ACTUALLY CANNON. Seriously, if you think about it, it slots in just after the farm secton. Not before the ending. Then the game carrys on as normal.... then back to the zombies.

^Had to phrase that oddly, because I still don't know how spoiler tags work. :/

Spoilers are written like so:

[ spoiler ]Whatever you want to write.[ /spoiler ]

But without spaces in the brackets. Remove the brackets and...

Spoiler

Whatever you want to write.

If you don't want it to just say 'spoiler' in the box:

[ spoiler=New spoiler heading ]Whatever you want to write.[ /spoiler ]

Again, removing the spaces in the brackets gives you...

Spoiler: New spoiler heading

Whatever you want to write.

On topic: A truly satisfying ending for me would be the join-then-betray ending for Alpha Protocol. The entire game is great but that ending really sells it as it lists all the factions and people you've brought to your side throughout the game. The tagline for the game is 'your weapon is choice' and it shows in AP far more than in things like Mass Effect.

 

[RJ 17]

I was satisfied with these endings:

1: Dragon Age 2
2: Assassin's Creed: Revelations (satisfied with the ending, very unsatisfied with the game as a whole).
3: Portal 2
4: Arkham City (Kinda-sorta. Thought the game was too short and the play-area too small. Didn't like how they quite obviously left it open for a 3rd. Going with the demands of "bigger and better", what's next? Arkham World, as one soon-to-be-pounded inmate once suggested?)

 

[Varanfan9]

Warhammer 40k Space Marine had a great ending cause it fit so well. Its a grim dark ending to a grim dark game in a grim dark universe. Plus it leaves room for a sequel but can also be a satisfying absolute end.

 

[trooper6]

The last game I played with a satisfying ending was ME3's green ending. That was great for me.

 

[AbstractStream]

I was going to say Persona 4, but Mass Effect 2 is more recent.
Ah, screw it. I'll just list all of the ones I remember, recent or not.

-Persona 4
-Persona 3
-Mirror's Edge (some might disagree, but I was satisfied)
-Mass Effect 2 (only if you manage to save your whole crew/team in my opinion)
-Mass Effect
-FFX
-Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations
-Portal 2
-Portal

 

[Akimoto]

Crysis 2. It made me look forward to the next one and feel bada** at the same time. I enjoyed the MW series but the MW3 ending made me feel worn out from all the death and destruction.

I would include HL2 EP2 but than I remembered there was still EP3...

 

[kasperbbs]

I can only think of Bioshock right now, the first time i finished it i almost immediately started my second playthrough because in my ending i turned out to be.. Well you know what.. Oh and portal 1/2, because its awesome.

 

[Fidelias]

Um, probably Arkham City?

Not that I thought the ending was awesome, but it was good, and I can't think of any games that I've beaten in a while that actually had decent endings.

I played the Assassins Creed games, but like someone else said, they were all crappy mind-fuck endings but without foreshadowing or direction.

 

[Rossmallo]

I really liked the ending to Bayonetta. I was ready to hate the ending for it - The bit with the credits caught me out, and I was already revving up to call bullshit and bad ending on it, but then it came back with more, and ended beautifully but left it open for a (Deserved) sequel. Awesome.

 

[Thatrocketeer]

Katawa Shoujo, Lilly's good ending. After a long emotional route filled with feels and an extremely heart-wrenching scene before the end, the ending of Lilly's route actually left me genuinely satisfied since

Spoiler

Hisao and Lilly will be together even after high school.

 

[Iwata]

Red Dead Redemption's ending was brilliant, and emotional. I admit it tugged at the right strings with me.

Fallout: New Vegas gave us closure to pretty much everything and everyone that mattered, and that's the way RPG's should end.

Modern Warfare 3's ending was a really satisfying one, on a personnal level.

And of course, inFAMOUS 2's ending was great and all, I really loved it, but I must point out, to all the people saying it ends the series without, question, well...

Spoiler

as you know, lightning hits Cole's ship as it leaves with his body... and the shape of the lightning makes it look as it's not over yet.

 

[Montezuma's Lawyer]

Resident Evil 3 Nemesis: Nothing more satisfying than finally putting an end to Nemesis and a Nuke to finally do away with Racoon City.

Batman Arkham City: To me, that was just a brilliant ending for Joker and Batman. Just perfect.

Say what you will about Resident Evil having terrible writing, but if there is one thing they do know how to do right, it is endings.

 

[Richardplex]

Fate/Stay Night, Fate ending and the trueend UBW ending, though I haven't gotten good-end UBW yet. If not counted because it's actually a visual novel, Bastion. The quality of that game never dropped.

 

[Gnoekeos]

There has to have been a more recent one but I was definitely satisfied with Super Mario RPG. I also really enjoyed the ending of singularity I was just a little disappointed that one contingency wasn't covered by an extra ending but that doesn't affect the quality of the actual ending