Favorite Video Game Endings (WARNING: SPOILERS FOR VARIOUS GAMES HERE)

[Menace2Society]

We all enjoy video games, but sadly, many of them have to come to an end at some point. What we can at least hope for is for them to end with a bang, and thankfully, many of them do. What are some of your favorite video game endings?

One of my favorite video game endings would have to be Klonoa: Door to Phantomile's own.

Spoiler

It just comes out of nowhere unexpectedly after a fairly happy game (for the most part). I just love the emtional impact that comes from it and the dialogue shows that while Huepow is sadden by Klonoa's disappearance, he's happy he's back in his own world now. This is one of the few endings that actually made me cry a bit.

So, any endings that you found satisfying enough to be one of your favorites?

NOTE: Don't forget to spoiler tag your posts, because while there is a warning for spoilers in the thread title, people might want to check this thread to post their favorite endings without accidentally getting the ending for the game that they're currently playing.

Also, my first thread. Yaaaaay.

[Lucid Dream]

I would say that Transistor has my favourite ending.

It's a beautiful experience. The story is the type which is mostly shown in small pieces, often through symbolism. There isn't much exposition, most of it is found in the little snippits of information you find through the story in the Transistor. It's a game where you collect the information and slowly piece it together yourself as the story takes you along. It makes the ending, the point where everything comes together and you understand everything, that much more amazing, beautiful and emotional. You understand why Red is doing what she is doing, but you can't help but ask "Why?" and tearing up a little.  

I'm just going to put the ending song.

Spoiler

The game is georgous, and everything fading into white is a really powerful imagery. The music is also wonderful and increadibly powerful. Paper Boats is an increadible love song. The story is also quite powerful and sad. The entirety of the story happens due to the good wishes of the people in power. They wanted to take a leap forward, and they had the means to do so, but instead everything returned to zero. 

It's not a particularly amazing game, nor is the story perfectly executed or the music flawless, but everything put together makes an increadible experience, that I rarely find in other games. It's one of my favourite games, simply due to how well everything is put together. A fantastic experience indeed. 

[Hyp3hat]

Shadow OF The Colossus

Spoiler

The game slowly hints throughout that you're actually committing a heinous act of deicide, from Wander's increasingly pale and evil appearance to the taunting of the light and the pursuers, but I think it really nails the horror of it all when Wander turns into the promordial devil blob - it's awkward, scary and difficult to control or comprehend, much as you would be a lumbweing confused mess if you suddenly turned into a 25ft tall orb of demonic energy. The girl wakes up, and then you realise that you've condemned her to a life in purgartory (raising baby you, which may or may not still be infused with that demonic power). So you succeed, but it's an incredibly hollow and sad victory.

But at least Agro's ok.

 

[skull902]

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, no doubt.

Spoiler

After the Yoshis' long journey to unite the two brothers and Green Yoshi (with Baby Mario in tow) beats Baby Bowser, the dinosaur finds the Stork and Baby Luigi, bringing the two siblings back together. We get a scene of the Stork flying through the night sky as the credits roll to the tune of a beautiful song, after which we see the babies dropped off to their parents. The last screen of the game has them hold Mario and Luigi up high as the text "Heroes are born!!" pops up to a music box-esque remix of the victory theme from Mario 1. One of, if not the best ending to a video game of all time.

...Too bad Yoshi's New Island kinda screwed that up.

 

[Big Panda]

Pokemon Black and White

 

Previous installments in the core series always had the main "evil organization" plots resolved before taking on the final gym at the latest, with the Pokemon League part always feeling like an underwhelming conclusion in comparison.

The first pair of Generation V games, however, broke away from that formula. Earlier in the game, Team Plasma's leader, the manipulated and misguided N, acquired one of the games two legendary mascots (Reshiram or Zekrom). N took his dragon partner and challenged the Elite Four. By the time the protagonist reaches the Pokemon League, N is already miles ahead of him and already in the process of challenging the champion. To catch up to N, the protagonist must do as any challenger must: challenge the Elite Four and ascend to the champions room. What follows is a series of the most tense, most urgent Elite Four battles I've ever experienced in a Pokemon game. The music that accompanies these battles adds to the tension all the more:

Once you've finally conqured all four trainers, you ascend to the champions room to find N and champion Alder at a war of words over the use of Pokemon. It's at this point that N's castle rises from the ground, towering over the league building. The protagonist presses on into the castle to challenge N. He's joined by not only his rival Cheren, but by nearly all of Unova's gym leaders, in a raid of the castle. When he's finally reached, N voices his noble but misguided desire to create two seperate worlds for people and Pokemon. Calling upon his dragon partner, the other of the two dragons arrives and allows itself to be captured by the player. Once this has been done, N engages the player in battle, once again with a pretty nifty remix of his previous battle theme backing it up:

After N is defeated, Team Plasma's true leader shows himself, Ghetsis, and reveals that the organizations goal was a lie. In reality, he was manipulating N and his followers into freeing Pokemon so that he himself would be the only person allowed to control Pokemon. Of course we can't have that, so it all finally comes down to this moment, in this final battle high above the region of Unova, against the true face of Team Plasma, battled to the tune of the games most chilling soundtrack yet:

Ultimately, Ghetsis is defeated and arrested. N apologises for everything that has happened and, after bidding the player a final farewell, flies off on his dragon. Roll credits:

[Kaze no Klonoa]

Hey, I'd also say Klonoa's ending was pretty spectacular as well! Probably one of my favorite endings in a game thus far. There's another game though, and it's the entire final climax of Tales from the Borderlands. The whole game ends on a incredibly cliche note, but the whole final fight was absolutely epic.

Finishing the fifth episode felt pretty much like walking out of a great movie, that kind of exhilaration you feel rushing down on your entire body. That's the kind of feeling you get a kick out of when you are just that attached to the adventure and characters the piece of entertainment brings. I don't think I've ever experienced this kind of rush from a video game, ever, so experiencing it really made me enjoy the game that much more.

[Polkadi~☆]

20 hours ago, 风之Klonoa said:

Hey, I'd also say Klonoa's ending was pretty spectacular as well! Probably one of my favorite endings in a game thus far. There's another game though, and it's the entire final climax of Tales from the Borderlands. The whole game ends on a incredibly cliche note, but the whole final fight was absolutely epic.

Finishing the fifth episode felt pretty much like walking out of a great movie, that kind of exhilaration you feel rushing down on your entire body. That's the kind of feeling you get a kick out of when you are just that attached to the adventure and characters the piece of entertainment brings. I don't think I've ever experienced this kind of rush from a video game, ever, so experiencing it really made me enjoy the game that much more.

I'd say the same. Telltale had something phenominal with this series, too bad we won't get another like it. Unless they write for the main series, which I'd love!

The finale had everything. An epic fight, supposed death scene (Sasha), a real death scene (Jack), ship tease, ascended ship (GortysxLoaderbot), callbacks, nice bits of humor sprinkled here and there, some really deep thinking topics, and a cliffhanger to boot. Also, CLAPTRAP!

We need season 2!

[Nightly]

Yume Nikki's ending is pretty simple, but I find it really personally impactful.

Throughout the game you're traveling the player character, Madotsuki's, surreal disturbed dreams in the Dream World and collecting "effects" along the way. After you've collected all the effects in the game and wake up from the Dream World, Madotsuki jumps off of her balcony committing suicide.

I cried when I first saw the ending. As someone that has really strange uncomfortable dreams, sees a lot of my own personal ordeals in the game's symbolism, and has dealt with suicidal depression, especially around when I first played this game, I found myself really relating to this game and Madotsuki. Like I was already relating to it when I was playing it, but the ending sealed the deal for me. It made me feel like I had a personal connection with the game. In a strange way it made me feel like I wasn't alone, like there are other people that deal with similar issues that I do even though this is just a video game.

I think the most powerful thing a piece of media can do is resonate with someone on a deeply personal level, and Yume Nikki does that for me.

[Kiah]

This topic is seriously lacking in Sonic at this point. Time to fix that .

Spoiler

 

Sonic at this point has just defeated Alf Layla wa-Layla, but Erazor subsequently boasts that he is immortal and will always return.

Sonic then reveals that he possesses Erazor's lamp with a smug look on his face which abruptly ends Erazor's boasting and overconfidence.

Then Sonic plops himself down on the throne like a boss! 

Sonic then wishes for Erazor to bring Shahra back to life, restore the book to its original state, and be trapped in his lamp for all eternity. Erazor refuses to do so, but is helpless against the power of his lamp. After granting the third wish, Erazor pleads for Shahra to stop Sonic and save him, but she refuses, leaving him to be sucked into his lamp, which Sonic definitely making it known who was boss, topping it off with Sonic exclaiming "I'M A HEDGEHOG!" once Erazor is in the lamp, and blowing the flame off the lamp spout with a quick blowout of it.

Shahra then bursts into tears, and Sonic wishes for a mountain of handkerchiefs to help her through her crying which is a nice nod to the introduction of the game while telling Shahra it was okay to cry. I don't think this was a corny request at all. In fact, this kind act of Sonic resonates with me very much due to my efforts to be a comforter to others myself.

In short, this is my favorite ending in video games due to it being full of characterization (something I am very big on) of Sonic being bold, cocky and confident and ruthless in his dealings with Erazor Djinn to finish him off after he harassed and tortured both Sonic and Shahra in "revenge-like" fashion, only to quickly adjust to tend to a grieving Shahra with kindness, sympathy, selflessness and compassion. I feel this range of qualities was definitely a defining moment for my favorite character of all time and I absolutely love it!  

 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Pretty much the final world of Kingdom Hearts 2.

Spoiler

It's just a gauntlet of challenges that all build up the climax of the game. You start off in the streets of The World That Never Was, fighting through low class nobodies, and racing to stop the Organization's final plans, until Sora is ambushed from inside by Roxas, leading to the two halves fighting against each other in a confrontation building up since the beginning of the game, representing Sora finally becoming whole once more, and at peace.

After that, they make it to the Organization's castle, where it's a straight boss rush where Sora finally reunites with Kairi and Riku, Diz and Mickey work to stop Kingdom Hearts, and Sora goes up against the rest of the organization, as each boss confrontation stalls Sora for time, to the point where Diz has no choice but to give himself up in order to save everyone else. After that, they finally make it to the head of the Organization, Xemmas. Xemmas forces the group to split up as he makes his way to what remains of Kingdom Hearts, in a final attempt to use it's power for himself. This leads to a series of fights where Sora and Riku tag team Xemmas' multiple forms, leading to his final form:

This leads to one of the best battles in the series, where Xemmas manages to handle both Sora and Riku, leading to the two keyblade masters pulling out every single stop they can in an attempt to try stop Xemmas once and for all, and restore balance to all of the worlds. At one point, Xemmas manages to capture Sora, and begins draining the life energy from him, while using clones to keep Riku busy. Riku charges him and forces him to unleash Sora, and this all leads to one of the best moments in the series:

Xemmas unleashes a barrage of extremely powerful light beams around the two, and the two then begin flipping over each other in an attempt to swing and block the light beams, finally managing to force Xemmas off balance, and defeat him. The final boss music is pretty good too.

After beating Xemmas, and stopping Kingdom Hearts once and for all, Sora and an injured Riku find themselves along in the Realm of Darkness, a bleak empty place, looking out to a moon shining over a blue ocean.

Alright, so I'm gonna admit it here. I ship Sora and Kairi (and to a lesser extend, Namine and Roxas), so this is something that made the ending for me. After Riku notices a bottle drifting through the ocean, he goes over and picks it up, and hands it to Sora. It's a letter that Kairi wrote to him earlier in the game when he was still asleep, and everyone had forgotten Sora, Donald, and Goofy, with only Riku barely holding onto his memories of Sora. Thanks to an experience with Roxas that Kairi and he had when both were in danger, and Sora was able to communicate with her, Kairi managed to regain one memory of Sora's name, and wrote a letter to him with that information.

The letter basically sums up one of the key themes of the series, that despite not being together, Sora, and all of the people he meets will still share a connection, and not forget about each other, and using this as inspiration, Sora, and Riku manage to open up a pathway back to Destiny Islands. What happens next is one of my favourite moments of the series as we see all of the characters reunite, Riku reunites with King Mickey, while Sora reunites with Donald, Goofy, and Kairi, with a brief glimpse that finishes off Roxas' plot as well by showing him and Namine smiling to each other as the game ends.

Also, I fucking love the ending song. It's a more somber remix of the game's main theme.