Five Best Game Endings

Well, I've discussed worst endings.  Far more difficult, of course, are good endings.  What makes a good ending?  Well, the game's plot must be concluded satisfactorily--no cliffhangers that leave half of the game unexplained, no abrupt twists of tone, no petering out of the story.  Often, the chance to see how I affected the game world for better or worse with various actions throughout the game is a plus.

As before, this is a list of the best endings of games I have personally finished, and it is the endings themselves I am rating, not the endgames (that will be another list.  Someday.)


5.  "Arcanum:  Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura"--Although I haven't played this game in far too long, its ending is a good example of showing game actions' future effects.  The various slides after the end of Arcanum not only show the result of individual quests, but also how those quests interact with each other.

4.  "Wolfenstein 3D"--This is a simple but satisfying ending.  After a game of walls and Nazis, there is a slice of blue sky, and then a pan around for the first glimpse of your character, joyfully running for his freedom.

3.  "Fallout"--This is a good example of a melancholy ending.  Your character is tossed out of their home forever, although they have beyond succeeded in their mission.  It fits the often cruel Fallout world, while leaving some hope; your character will survive.  And then you get the slides showing exactly how your character changed the world.

2.  "Dragon Age:  Origins"--While "Dragon Age:  Origins" also has a slideshow showing the effects of the hero (which vary), what pushes this higher on the list is the additional ending segment.  If your character is dead, they get a funeral (which, again, varies depending on character and game choices.)  If not, you get a last ceremony to walk around and talk with your party.  It offers a chance to say farewell to these characters and to the game itself.

1.  "Quest for Glory II:  Trial by Fire"--The Quest for Glory games do a good job of making you feel like a hero.  The end of the second game, with its triumphant celebration of your hero, is no exception.  Characters from the game step forward to tell how he has helped them (and this varies somewhat depending on what you did in the game, an especially nice touch in such a comparatively early game), offering not only good feelings but a nice game summary.  Honors are bestowed and the game ends happily, with possible future dooms left for the teaser after the peaceful credits.