What is your favorite game ending?

[Helegad]

Undoubtedly. He was one of the best protagonists.

[Canas Renvall]

I loved SH2's In Water ending. It was so sad. D:

Also, I'd say Golden Sun's ending was pretty good. When Sheba falls off of the top of Venus Lighthouse and Felix jumps after her... even though they end up being okay, it's still pretty sad for the moment. Maybe it's just that I really liked the game.

Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age for GBA. Play 'em, love 'em.

[Carnivol]

Final Fantasy VI.

May not have passed the test of time in terms of presentation very well, but the general idea is still something modern games have failed miserably hard at re-creating.

Spoiler:

show spoiler

The ending to Final Fantasy VI is a magical piece of awesome that includes you having to play as nearly every single character you've recruited and not just the 1-4 you've decided to make your main party. The game enabled you to recruit a total of 14 characters, whom up to 12 of may be used in the final dungeon.

From the moment you set foot in Kefka's tower you're put into the fantastic situation that forces you to form 3 active parties that go separate ways in the tower. Each party depends on the progression of the others to open the road that leads you to Kefka.

Upon reaching Kefka, you're once again face-to-face with a mad man that after many years finally can be compared to something; Heath Ledger's take on The Joker in The Dark Knight. A person that is nothing but an insane wild card that seemingly has no real motive to back up his destruction, only a bunch of philosophical questions that he may or may not be seeking answers to.

Once you've reached him and you're fighting him, you're no longer split up in 3 parties. All characters are now gathered in front of a boss that is accompanied by a long-ass music piece that keeps building itself up and over into new segments as you fight your way to the top. The rules for this fight is very different from normal battle. If a character in your party is defeated, he or she will be replaced by another character from your pool of available characters to the point where you do not have any characters left to take from.
Once you reach the top (Kefka), the music changes to the title screen tune, which this time takes a different turn and goes over into the final boss theme.

Once this is done, you're treated to an ending sequence that may be as long as nearly half an hour.

The length of the ending sequence, who's involved in which parts and such, heavily depends on which characters you've recruited for your party and what events you've completed during your playthrough of the game.

It's a long piece of an ending that seamlessly weaves together the musical themes of each character as there are scenes focusing on each individual character you've recruited and the escape from a collapsing Kefka Tower. All this with a focus on the relationships between the characters and various nods to their past.

All of this is followed by one single piece of escape drama and the ending credits + some tiny segments showing the world "living on."

Some YouTube clip of the final boss + a rather somewhat complete ending.

It's quite possibly one of the most "complete" and elaborate endings I've ever seen. It was both a technical marvel at the time and is still what I'd call an artistic masterpiece.

I can't even recall any games doing anything similar (though, Star Ocean 2 got kinda close with its insane amount of variations based on the relationship status between the different characters, but the presentation isn't nearly as fantastic as the stuff that was done in Final Fantasy VI. The stuff in Final Fantasy VI was also taken to the next level with the clip-show-like CG FMV they added to the end in the PlayStation version (along with a CG intro).

I think it's also in place to mention the epilogue "handycam clip" during the credits roll for Final Fantasy VIII.



Another game really worth mentioning is Terranigma. Anyone who's played through that game from start to end knows what a fantastic ending that is (and how Terranigma also contains one of the best main stories told in a game... ever.)

[Vector]

No comparison.

That was the first video game to ever make me cry like a little bitch. Oh, and cry I did...


"She was a true patriot!"

*tear rolls down Big Boss's cheek*

...

*timeline begins*

1972: The 'Les Enfants Terribles' Project. The sons of Big Boss are born.




*credits roll*

*cue 'Way to Fall' by Starsailor*

...


BAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!!

[Harry Mason]

Shadow of the Colossus had one of the most shocking endings I've ever seen. MGS 2 was pretty good too.

[REmaster]

Shadow of the Colossus had one of the most shocking endings I've ever seen. MGS 2 was pretty good too.

Agreed, the end of SOTC was truly one big WTF moment lol.

[nemesiswontdie]

No comparison.

damn MGS3's ending is amazing i love it.

[missvalentine]

No comparison.

i agree completely.

MGS3's ending is the most epic ending ive ever seen. i cried at the end of MGS3.

Best. Ending. Ever.

RE3's ending comes as a close second as well.

[Branden_Lucero]

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
Final Fantasy X
Banjo-Kazooie
Twisted Metal: Black

[aris13]

For me MGS2 has the best video game ending followed by RE 1 and Mafia.

[Sephiroth]

I have to say The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time when the credits row and the music start's evan now it still gets to my heart.

[Mr. Spencer]

You Kojima fanboys. =P

[atlier00]

These are just a few I'm adding to the list.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly - The original ending, with something I totally did not really expect them to do. I was like.... WTF!


Final Fantasy VIII - I felt it tied up the game well and I was satisfied after beating it.


Resident Evil 2 - Still the best RE ending to me(hell, still the best RE game to me).


Dreamfall:The Longest Journey - .....only for the fact I hated to see it just end with so many unanswered questions, and what a way to leave the main character


I'm pretty sure there are more games that I love the ending, I just have to think back on them.


I think a lot of great games are RUINED by their ending just like movies can be. I think its so cheap to make a really great game that builds up an awesome story and then they try to close it up in less than a minute after the final boss fight. I really annoys me when that happens.

[The Dude]

RE2: Leon's B scenario & Ending.

Final Fantasy VII: Being admittedly the first FF I bothered finishing I really liked the ambiguity of the ending *Until Advent Children buggered it all up*.

MGS3: Really didn't enjoy the game the PAL port was god awful but the ending I really liked.

MGS4: Brilliant way to tie up the series, but overly preachy.

Maximum Carnage: Finishign the game to see the credits...ONLY for there to be the real last boss fight :p

[Itchy...Munch!]

Crisis Core : Final Fantasy 7 the build up to that moment was amazing, the ui starts breaking down and aeris keeps apearing....That damn song kicks in and i am gone *tissues fly*

I have never cried during a movie but 3 games so far have made me bawl Mgs3, Mgs4 & Crisis core