THIS AND THIS AND THIS AGAIN!
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So...games with ACTUALLY good endings
- Thread starter dmshaposv
- Start date
THIS AND THIS AND THIS AGAIN!
GuessMyUserName
Member
House of the Dead: Overkill best ending
Matt Attack
Member
The conclusion of Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations is a perfect example how you should end a game. No matter how many times I go through that game, the ending always gets to me with just how good it is.
The Walking Dead hasn't been mentioned enough. I don't think any other ending, ever, has made me feel so
. And then this song plays to make
Also:
Spec Ops: The Line (the ending of this game really makes you think)
Mass Effect 1 (the credits music!) and 2
MGS2 (even though I still don't completely understand it)
Fable 3
Batman: Arkham City
Each episode of Life is Strange so far
TLOU (already mentioned a ton of times)- this one is actually pretty interesting in that the ending isn't
at all, yet it is still so good (in fact it is because of that that it is so good)
The Walking Dead Season 2- Both of the
endings
Mass Effect 3
- An amazing send-off to the series and the characters I had grown to care about, it's a million times better than the atrocity that is the actual game's ending
Valiant Hearts
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
To the Moon
sad 
it even sadder.
Also:
Spec Ops: The Line (the ending of this game really makes you think)
Mass Effect 1 (the credits music!) and 2
MGS2 (even though I still don't completely understand it)
Fable 3
Batman: Arkham City
Each episode of Life is Strange so far
TLOU (already mentioned a ton of times)- this one is actually pretty interesting in that the ending isn't
satisfactory
The Walking Dead Season 2- Both of the
Kenny
Mass Effect 3
Citadel 
Valiant Hearts
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
To the Moon
ZeroMaverick
Member
This was on purpose. Kojima wrote MGS3, Peace Walker, and MGS5 all so that they could lead into MG1.
Benzychenz
Member
The Wonderful 101
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Ico
Shadow of the Colossus
Metal Gear Solid 3
Persona 3
Persona 4 Golden (vanilla P4 is good as well but the extra epilogue and Marie stuff adds a lot imo)
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Ico
Shadow of the Colossus
Metal Gear Solid 3
Persona 3
Persona 4 Golden (vanilla P4 is good as well but the extra epilogue and Marie stuff adds a lot imo)
Omega Kirby
Member
Soul Sacrifice.
Someones got to agree with me there. Right?
Someones got to agree with me there. Right?
Agreed. I especially liked how Delta twisted things.
Zelda series: Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker all have great endings. Yoshiaki Koizumi is doing a good job with Mario games, but I want him back writing and co-directing Zelda games.
Planescape: Torment has a superb ending with some of the best dialogue I've ever seen for wrapping up a role playing game.
Planescape: Torment has a superb ending with some of the best dialogue I've ever seen for wrapping up a role playing game.
The final scene of The Last of Us was good, but the final hospital level and climactic events were a bad case of ludonarrative dissonance to me.
A great ending should sum up and remind you of most of what you enjoyed about the experience while also revealing significant things that change your interpretation of everything that came before. Very very few games do either of these things.
The most satisfying game endings I have ever experienced were Metroid NES, Star Fox SNES, Marathon Infinity, Portal, and Fez.
A great ending should sum up and remind you of most of what you enjoyed about the experience while also revealing significant things that change your interpretation of everything that came before. Very very few games do either of these things.
The most satisfying game endings I have ever experienced were Metroid NES, Star Fox SNES, Marathon Infinity, Portal, and Fez.
dickgumshoe
Member
NSMB games with playable credits... I can't think of a more fitting ending for a mechanics centric platformer.
Alcotholic
Banned
People may not agree with this, but Fatal Frame 2
It was a bold decision to end with
It was a bold decision to end with
You killing your sister in the twin ritual. Not too many games have Intense endings like that.
The Lone Courier
Member
Red Dead.
the wind waker, for all the problems that i have with it as a game, has a pretty good message that is ironically not one taken by the development team. it's especially poignant for people who played ocarina of time.
in a short amount of time, the game gives ganondorf more human aspects, betrays expectations of what it means to 'save the world', and buries the past. the ganondorf stuff speaks for itself, but i really like the idea that the ocarina of time world had its shot and it didn't deserve to come back. the world of the high seas was its own thing and that is actually okay. the king of hyrule realizes this to the ultimate degree, deciding to drown with his kingdom.
in a short amount of time, the game gives ganondorf more human aspects, betrays expectations of what it means to 'save the world', and buries the past. the ganondorf stuff speaks for itself, but i really like the idea that the ocarina of time world had its shot and it didn't deserve to come back. the world of the high seas was its own thing and that is actually okay. the king of hyrule realizes this to the ultimate degree, deciding to drown with his kingdom.
Freeman76
Member
You forgot to put "in my opinion" before this, making this look like a fact, when it isn't.
Some of my favourite endings have been Red Dead, Ocarina of time, Arkham City, TLoU and SAW
What? There is no ludonarrative dissonance in TLOU (I hate that word btw). Joel's actions are justified by the character development, narrative and story. Maybe you just dont know what ludonarrative dissonance means?
People love to throw that word at Uncharted, and I can understand it in that case (even though I dont agree at all, because it is a pulp action light hearted series), but TLOU? That is literally the first time I have ever seen someone says that.
In the end of your post you said "The most satisfying game endings I have ever experienced...", maybe that is why you didnt seem to "get" TLOU ending. If your conception of a good ending is a "satisfying ending" then TLOUs one really wouldnt resonate with you. The ending of the game is actually quite the opposite of a satisfying ending, and that is the beauty of it.
It is supposedly a "good ending" if we take in account that both survived and presumably would live happily together, but the sense of emptiness of it is almost tangible by the very end of the last scene.
The Last of Us. It's a perfect ending scene that doesn't do an otherwise overly done as hell ending (like telltale's walking dead S1. How the ending would end is as expected as before the game even release.I guess we have the face mo-cap to thanks since it has alot to do with that to execute that ending so well.)
Mass Effect 2. The plot isn't really very good for the ending, but the choices that are shown and gameplay that leads up to the final battles is one of the most satisfying moments I had for some time, unlike Mass Effect 3 story wise.
Red Dead Redpemtion.Not much to say about this one, but it's well thought out and gives a complete closure without being lame or generic as hell, a rare gem these days.
Shadowrun series (Returns, Dragonfall, Hong Kong) endings have a unique spot in my heart. The main story and your party characters are explored well enough, and you get to care about them (at least some aspects) while there's also always a real life like message of what you did ultimately doesn't matter a whole lot in the universal scheme of things in a realistic way
Mass Effect 2. The plot isn't really very good for the ending, but the choices that are shown and gameplay that leads up to the final battles is one of the most satisfying moments I had for some time, unlike Mass Effect 3 story wise.
Red Dead Redpemtion.Not much to say about this one, but it's well thought out and gives a complete closure without being lame or generic as hell, a rare gem these days.
Shadowrun series (Returns, Dragonfall, Hong Kong) endings have a unique spot in my heart. The main story and your party characters are explored well enough, and you get to care about them (at least some aspects) while there's also always a real life like message of what you did ultimately doesn't matter a whole lot in the universal scheme of things in a realistic way
What ending? It's a
cycle of torment.
Going to echo:
Persona 4 The Golden
Suikoden 2, I actually prefer the bad ending. The true ending is more satisfying but I think the bad is far more powerful.
Shadowrun Dragonfalls, everything is tidied up nicely. Your companions have grown stronger and more determined whilst going through the ordeals of the story with you and at the end we all go our separate ways, most of them to finish up personal problems that the player helped them face mentally.
I really like Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together's ending after the coda chapters. Harassing Cantaloupe is always fun.
I'm also going to say that Trails In The Sky FC did their ending very well. The whole game leads up to it and the ending made you want to play the second chapter. I dislike games that leave a lot of things open but this was done pretty well with the emotional pull and promise of another game. It felt bittersweet. Video.
The ending was so satisfying and while it left me wanting more I am happy in not having a sequel.
<3 Missile
RadioHeadAche
Member
"In Water" for Silent Hill 2.
It makes the most sense to me.
It makes the most sense to me.
JediLink
Member
The game with the most thoroughly satisfying ending I've ever played is Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. It starts with an extremely moving farewell scene (with perfect music) followed by an epilogue that shows in great detail how you've touched the life of almost every single character you've met throughout the adventure. I'm pretty sure it's the longest ending I've ever seen in a game because it has so much depth to it to really and it makes you feel that much better about the whole experience.
It's super weird seeing a live action Andy Serkis on a giant TV, but ignoring that minor bit. It's an amazing, morally ambiguous ending.
Imp the Dimp
Member
Why are people answering 999 and VLR or am I misunderstanding the thread? Neither game's ending left me in a good mood lol. 999 might just have the best video game ending ever, mind you, but I didn't consider it a clear cut happy ending given that
.
Junpei lost all contact to Akane
Yes.
SmoothBrain
Member
Most of the games have been listed already, so I'm going with!
Nier.
Really depressing and it only get's worse the deeper you dig into the endings.
Does a good ending have to be a happy ending, though? I don't think so.
Nier.
Really depressing and it only get's worse the deeper you dig into the endings.
Does a good ending have to be a happy ending, though? I don't think so.
Type_Raver
Member
Funyarinpa
Member
good =/= happy
mcz117chief
Member
Ico
Shadow of the Colossus
NieR
Final Fantasy IV, XIII-LR
Metal Gear Solid IV
Freelancer
Ace Combat 5/0 (Zero is kind of bittersweet considering one supporting character dies)
Binary Domain
Mass Effect 3
Valkyria Chronicles
What can I say, I am a sucker for happy endings
Shadow of the Colossus
NieR
Final Fantasy IV, XIII-LR
Metal Gear Solid IV
Freelancer
Ace Combat 5/0 (Zero is kind of bittersweet considering one supporting character dies)
Binary Domain
Mass Effect 3
Valkyria Chronicles
What can I say, I am a sucker for happy endings
Agreed with this. Also would have led to a perfect switch of protagonist focusing on Ellie in the third game.
Graphics Horse
Member
Mutant Blobs Attack.
Spikematic
Member
Non-depressing awesome endings:
The Witcher 3
Persona 4
Valkyria Chronicles
Final Fantasy 6
Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 9
and the GOAT:
Chrono Trigger
There are plenty of awesome 'sad' endings as well, but I decided to focus on the feel-good ones!
The Witcher 3
Persona 4
Valkyria Chronicles
Final Fantasy 6
Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 9
and the GOAT:
Chrono Trigger
There are plenty of awesome 'sad' endings as well, but I decided to focus on the feel-good ones!
Earthpainting
Member
I'm partial to endings where you you are given time to say goodbye. Earthbound was the first game I had played that let me do this. The world learned about your accomplishments, and you got to say farewell to all your peeps, all the while you walk Paula and yourself home. It's just the nicest form of closure I've had in a game. Undertale, which is clearly highly inspired by Earthbound, does something similar.
I'm also partial to Shu Takumi's endings. All endings feel earned, and leave me with relaxed and warm feelings. Ace Attourneys and the excellent Ghost Trick made me turn off the console feeling content.
NieR's endings I also enjoyed, but they were a lot more emotionally taxing.
I'm also partial to Shu Takumi's endings. All endings feel earned, and leave me with relaxed and warm feelings. Ace Attourneys and the excellent Ghost Trick made me turn off the console feeling content.
NieR's endings I also enjoyed, but they were a lot more emotionally taxing.
Especially the ending where you see the Shadow Lord cry because his plan failed, he put Yonah through a lot of hardships really messed with me. You just don't see that sort of stuff in games. Then the final ending is also emotionally draining, where you have to say goodbye to your entire save game, seeing it get obliterated in front of your eyes. The characters then live their lives as if you never existed. What makes it even worse is that in every single one of these endings, the central conflict is not resolved, and doom continues to loom over Yonah and the others.