Favorite Endings

[Kevin Grey]

So, I finished up my fourth replay of MGS3 last night and it has, bar none, my favorite finale/ending in a game ever.  To me it does everything a great ending should do and more.

So what are your favorite endings?  (Preferably spoiler free).

Mine:

Metal Gear Solid 3- new gameplay variations, fantastic final boss battles (one of the best ever IMO), takes the game to graphical heights way beyond what could be expected, outstanding use of music, story is wrapped up in an inventive and satisfying way, etc.  Just a phenomenal final three hours of the game. 


Prince of Persia: Sands of Time- a great game made classic by it's ending.  When people bring up SoT as one of gaming's best stories, it's really the ending they are talking about.  Makes you want to start the game right over when you finish.  A little marred by a disappointing final boss battle. 

Full Throttle- Similar to MGS3 the way that it kept piling on climactic scene after scene without becoming tiring or overstaying it's welcome. Probably the most cinematic "feeling" ending I can remember for it's time.  My memory is kind of hazy since it's been at least ten years since I first played it, but I still remember loving the final sequences in that game. 

[Arkon]

Off the top of my head, I really can't think of any.  99% of the time, the ending sucks compared to the journey.

[Gratch]

Probably my two favorite are Final Fantasy X and Beyond Good & Evil.  I just wish we'd get to see the sequel that was set up for BG&E.   

[ATB]

Probably my two favorite are Final Fantasy X and Beyond Good & Evil.  I just wish we'd get to see the sequel that was set up for BG&E.   

The original Fallout.  Man.  What an ending.

Pop:SOT was one I'll never forget

The ending of DIABLO II was outstanding as well.

Hmm. I'll have to think on what my favorite one is though..



I bet everyone chimes in here about Planescape Torment. I never played it but everyone seemed to love that game.

[whiteboyskim]

I'll go for it and cite "Planescape: Torment" as one of my favorites. Lyrical, emotionally devastating, and note perfect, the finale of "Planescape: Torment" was about as far from an "up" ending as one can find, yet the power that comes from the final moments is that it ends the only way it can. I could talk all day about this game but the finale is something that cannot be discussed further without going into heavy spoiler territory.

I'll second "Full Throttle" as a great ending though, especially if you stayed through the credits and watched the bunnies hopping along the road as "Ride of the Valkyries" played on the soundtrack.

Another great ending would be "Grim Fandango" which is right up at the top of everyone's list of Greatest Games Ever... those few of us who played it at least. Manny Calavera had to fight through a lot of twists and turns (damn you Tim Schafer for some of those puzzles) but the ending was a worth send off.

"Final Fantasy VI" did it for me because after spending so much time with every character it was wonderful seeing how they all integrated back into the new world upon defeating Kefka. This is also an ending that just went on forever because there was so much story to wrap up.

I'm also one of the sicko fans who laughed out loud at sheer audacity of ending "Half-Life 2" at the exact moment they did. Personally I loved it even moreso when "Episode 1" picked up about 10 seconds later.

The sheer magic of "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" could fill tome after tome, but that ending does spin your head around with delirious glee. It's a perfect ending to a mind bending game and encapsulates everything I fell in love with about the game in the first place. The ending wouldn't be anywhere near as laugh out loud funny as it was were it not for how well developed the characters were. I also dug the ending of the trilogy with "Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones" because of how well it plays off of the ending from the first game. Character was one again the focus of the game, instead of brainless combat, and the ending was all the better for it.

[CeeKay]

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault FTW!!!! 

[Kevin Grey]

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault FTW!!!! 

Right up there with "Eye of the Beholder". 

[semiconscious]

final fantsy ix: as teary-eyed/gooey a 'happily ever after' ending as i ever hope to see in a video game - i loved it...

final fantasy vii: completely unexpected & (for me) stunning (was happy to see they started advent children with it)...

&, yeah, grim fandango for sure...

[metallicorphan]

zelda:majoras mask was pretty cool...KOTOR was a good one,just like a star wars movie...but KOTOR 2 was terrible..and yeah metal gear solid 3

[depward]

My favorite ending for any game has to be from Final Fantasy VI.  I'll echo what whiteboyskim said in how it was great how they really covered every character and how they fit in a Kefka-less world.  The music was wonderful too.

[PeteRock]

The final stage in Halo.  It wasn't necessarily a storyline ending, but instead a final level to close out an amazing game.  It was the most exciting and immersive experiences I had ever experienced up to that point in a game.  It was so immersive and exciting that it had me and a friend screaming "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH" out loud as we just barely missed a jump in the Warthog and fell for what felt like forever into a tunnel, all the while feeling a sense of urgency and panic as we frantically made our way to the extraction point.

Never up to that point had I experienced anything like that level of immerision in a game, and it was definitely an adrenaline-filled, memorable end to an amazing journey.  I have yet to experience that same level of excitement when finishing the final level of a game.     

[kathode]

My favorite ending for any game has to be from Final Fantasy VI.  I'll echo what whiteboyskim said in how it was great how they really covered every character and how they fit in a Kefka-less world.  The music was wonderful too.

Yup, this was my first thought as well.  Also Sands of Time.  And Fallout, definitely.

[Big Jake]

Fallout #1 with a bullet.

Others would be PS:T, Strife, Freespace 2, and maybe the ending of Fear.

[Sparhawk]

FFIII(US), FF7, FF9, and FF12.

FF9 was just spectacular, I was so happy to see them hold eachother. A very moving moment.

[unbreakable]

FF7.  It was funny having Sepheroth mock Cloud and boast about how powerful he was, right before Cloud unleashed a multi-slash ass-whoopin on him.

And for the worst ending... I name every single Psygnosis game.

[Arkon]

happy ending at the massage parlor?

Errr, yeah still gotta stick with my first answer, no endings stick out as they usually suck compared to the journey to get there.  I can't even remember the ending to 99% of the games I have ever played.

[EddieA]

Final Fantasy X - When you-know-who jumps into the you-know-what and meets you-know-who and then Yuna's final speech.  Just beautiful.  FF can be counted on for great endings, and this was the best of them.

[Destructor]

My favorite ending for any game has to be from Final Fantasy VI.  I'll echo what whiteboyskim said in how it was great how they really covered every character and how they fit in a Kefka-less world.  The music was wonderful too.

Yup, this was my first thought as well.  Also Sands of Time.  And Fallout, definitely.

All of those, and I'll toss in FFIX as well.

And Halo 2. Oh, wait, it didn't have an ending. More like a 'game over' screen. 

[Natjak]

I agree with a lot of the ones already mentioned but one of my fav endings is Wind Waker. The last battle and it's following cutscene was really good. Fist pumping good.

[Andrew Mallon]

I thought the way Deus Ex handled its multiple endings was fantastic. You could pretty much change which ending you got until the very last moment of the game. Although the actual endings themselves were brief, they gave you a quick look at the consequences of your decision and then had a nice quote that encapsulated the moral philosophy underlying the ending.

I especially liked the Tracer Tong ending where:

Spoiler for Hiden:

Tracer Tong calls out "Find me, JC!" just before the entire global communications system collapses. Really haunting moment for me.

I'd also agree with Final Fantasy IX. It was really poignant when

Spoiler for Hiden:

I realized that the letter being read was Vivi saying goodbye before he died.

It was the perfect way to close the book on the Playstation era Final Fantasy games.

I also really liked Sands of Time and thought the ending t Paper Mario: TTYD was pretty good, too.

[Temjin]

Super Metroid:

Spoiler for Hiden:

The final battle against Mother Brain, the sacrifice of the baby metroid, the little blip leaving the planet signaling your animal buddies escaped, all around greatness.

Eternal Darkness:Sanity's Requiem :

Spoiler for Hiden:

Unfathomable horrors from beyond space eating each other, zombie gladiators, chick in wife-beater casting magic spells, I loved every minute of it.

Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker:

Spoiler for Hiden:

Kapow!  Sword in the Forehead!  That little midget elf knows how to handle the bad guys.

Fallout - already covered

Freedom Force and Freedom Force vs The Third Reich :

Spoiler for Hiden:

Heroic sacrifice, colossal showdowns, and just a taste of what's to come.  They perfectly channeled the feel of 60s/70s Marvel comics.

Max Payne and Max Payne 2:

Spoiler for Hiden:

Mainly for that "Late Goodbye" song which perfectly fits the mood of the sequel.

Others that I feel are great but don't have time to comment on:

Starcraft
Warcraft III
Quest for Glory I: So You Want to be a Hero?
Metal Gear Solid 3
Paper Mario 2
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Psychonauts
Suikoden III
Shenmue II
Skies of Arcadia
Ninja Gaiden series

[Nth Power]

I guess I'm happy when I actually finish a game and get to see the ending!  It doesn't happen too often. 

I did enjoy the ending to Ico, as one that stands out in my memory. 

[Eel Snave]

For some reason, Zelda: Link's Awakening always sticks out in my mind.  It was the first game I ever beat, and the first I played that actually had a story.  Can't put my finger on it, but it was good.

Also, Final Fantasy Adventure's ending was a poignant one for me, for some reason.

8-bit handheld FTW!!

[Destructor]

I did enjoy the ending to Ico, as one that stands out in my memory. 

I'll add in two more - Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Shame on all you fans who forgot the ending to this game. 

[Misguided]

I'll go with Sanitarium.  Grim Fandango is ok, but over-rated, IMHO.

[semiconscious]

I did enjoy the ending to Ico, as one that stands out in my memory. 

I'll add in two more - Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Shame on all you fans who forgot the ending to this game. 

i am, indeed, filled with shame (especially re: ico - absolutely great ending!)...

[whiteboyskim]

Grim Fandango is ok, but over-rated, IMHO.

But then again I hate both Halo's so I'm not exactly in a position to throw stones. But I will anyway!

[unbreakable]

Freedom Force and Freedom Force vs The Third Reich

OMG...  +1000

FF had incredible, even emotionally stirring, endings.


BTW, killer avatar!  HB4Life!!

[TheMissingLink]

Shadow of the Colossus was f'n amazing.

Metal Gear Solid 3 was awesome.

Kingdom Hearts had me pumped for a sequel

Final Fantasy 3 (U.S.) really made an impact when I was young.

[Fellow]

Eh, looks like all the best ones've already been said.

On the console side...
Final Fantasy 7, 8(especially this one), 9, 10 ....what? They had some nice, good endings, okay??
Suikoden 2. 108 stars collected ending, that is. Yeah, it was a pain in the ass to get, but really, the most fitting.

On the PC side...
Planescape Torment. Lordy, this game. I wish I could find a savegame somewhere that's close to the ending, because I'd love to play through it again.
Fallout. You know why, if you played it.
Baldur's Gate 2: TOB. Although I thought the expansion in itself became a continuous hack'n slash experience, the ending summed up wonderfully what happened to your companions based on the choices you made.
Grim Fandango. The whole game was a wonderful experience, and the ending wrapped it up into a perfect little package.
Full Throttle. Keep on rocking, Ben.
Max Payne 2. Poor Max, just can't catch a break. Excellent music to end it all off to.
Starcraft. First time I watched it, it gave me chills.
Thief - The Dark Project. The exchange at the end between Garrett and the guild, and then cue the bitchin' music. Perfect segway to the sequel.
Star Control II. One word - funny.

[Canuck]

Nobody mentioned Final Fantasy Tactics yet?  It certainly gets my vote for most shocking ending.

[Purge]

Wing Commanders were pretty freakin' awesome.

Ultima 7 and part 2 were pretty damned good too. Heh. "So you saved the world, ed? good for you. Now I'm gonna screw you UP!!"

Pagan and Ascention sucked ass though.

[Gratch]

Nobody mentioned Final Fantasy Tactics yet?  It certainly gets my vote for most shocking ending.

I would love to mention it, but through 3 tries I never managed to get all the way to the end.

[Canuck]

*bump* lets keep this one at the top, above all the bullshit.

[Captain Caveman]

Jennifer Lopez.

[unbreakable]

Jennifer Lopez.

Vida Guerra.

[Dimmona]

Runner Ups:
Zelda 64:OoT had an excellent climax followed by a great ending.

Super Mario Bros 2 is way up there - so much more advanced than any other game ending for its time.

Full Throttle and Kings Quest 4 are probably my two favorite PC endings.

Overall though, I can't think of any ending that was as kickass and overall satisfying as Bionic Commando on the NES.

[Mikagami]

Tetris for the nes!
Man, nintendo characters playing instruments because of your high score?
Brought a tear to my eye.

[Kevin Grey]

Overall though, I can't think of any ending that was as kickass and overall satisfying as Bionic Commando on the NES.

GREAT call!  Probably my favorite ending of the entire NES era.  Wasn't topped until Phantasy Star 2 hit (which is another fantastic ending that was probably way ahead of it's time). 

[IkeVandergraaf]

Resident Evil.  Sucks that all the sequels (that I've played anyway) seem to have the exact same ending.