By: Tyler Miller

When it comes to the end of a game, it’s very easy to decide if its ending is great or if it’s simply okay. But what is it that causes us to decide what it is that makes the end of a game great? For me at least, there are a couple of aspects that come into play when deciding if the end of a game is great: the music, emotion, and the finality of it all. These aspects all come together to create endings that are great, or even perfect. There are plenty of games whose endings I’ve enjoyed, but the following ones stand above all the others. With all that being said, here are five of my favorite video game endings.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Quite possibly the best game in the Assassin’s Creed series, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has one of the best video game endings. Anyone that has played through the game understands why I say that this game has a great ending. Take a look at it here:

Throughout the whole story, our protagonist Edward has been trying to be a better man. He went from being a pirate that was only in it for himself, to being someone that really cared about his friends and the greater good. Along the way he lost many of his friends (the ones seen at the table), ending his journey by himself. This wouldn’t resonate with us as much though if it wasn’t for the song being sung in the background, and the fact that we got to know these characters and see them as our own friends. The way that the lyrics match with what is happening on screen and the events of the story just make it hit us even harder.

This all culminates with the reveal of Edward’s daughter, a surprise that makes us happy for Edward. He had never met his daughter, and now all he wants is to just do right by her. He wants to be a great father for her, and we can see that. It makes us feel for him more and connect with the ending. Although there is post-credits scene that serves as a sort of lead-in to Assassin’s Creed III, it still closes the book on Edward’s story. There is no more to tell of it, and that just makes it even better. It’s a bittersweet ending, and it ranks as one of my favorites.

The Walking Dead (Season 1)

The Walking Dead absolutely had to have a place on this list, as it was the very first game to ever make cry because of its ending. Although there are two endings, I’m only highlighting this particular one as this is the one that I chose when I played, and I feel it is the better one of the two. Get some tissues ready because this is a sad one:

Aside from being the first game to ever make me cry, this ending is great because of the raw emotion on display from both characters. The fact that there’s very little music in the scene only makes it more poignant and emotional, as your full focus is on what’s happening in the scene. Clementine’s voice conveys so much sadness, it’s hard not to feel the same way as her. The thought of Clementine having to kill Lee, someone who’s been her protector, her friend, and a father figure of sorts to her is incredibly heartbreaking. After playing through this game, you grow to care about both Lee and Clementine, and you don’t want either one to die.

Now although this is a cliffhanger ending, it’s a good cliffhanger. The reason why is because everything that came before was so great and satisfying. Had the rest of the game been average, this cliffhanger might not have been that great. It makes us wonder what’s going to happen to Clementine, this character that we’ve grown to love and care for as our own daughter. It’s one that closes the chapter that we just left, and at the same time teases the possible future just enough to make us wonder what’s going to happen in the next game.

Journey

What is there to say about the end of Journey? I honestly feel as if I could write a whole other piece on the game itself, so I’ll try to keep my thoughts on the ending brief. Journey itself is an amazing game, and an even more amazing work of art. For the two to three hours you spend with the game, you’re trying to make it to the top of the mountain in the distance. The end of this game is the culmination of your long journey (see what I did there?) to the mountain in the most beautiful way imaginable.

The moment you ascend above the clouds to the top of the mountain, everything comes together and it’s wonderful. The music is the biggest factor in this, as the song “Apotheosis” adds a sense of wonder to the ending. You end up just being in awe at everything that you’re seeing and hearing, and it makes for a beautiful ending.

Final Fantasy X

Do you like bittersweet endings? Do you like to be happy for your heroes, but at the same time be on the 5 o’ clock train to Sadness City? Well then look no further than Final Fantasy X (my girlfriend’s favorite game of all time). This game has one of the most bittersweet endings of any game I’ve ever played. After beating the final boss, you’re excited and happy about your victory, only for the game to give you a nice gut punch and make you sad that Tidus has to leave.

This wouldn’t be so sad if it wasn’t for the fact that Tidus and Yuna are in love and can’t be together. The entire game you’re rooting for these two, hoping that they end up together by the end and live happily ever after, just for that hope to get squashed. Although it is a bittersweet ending, it’s a great one because of the music that accompanies it, further adding to the emotion of the ending, and the fact that it wraps the story up nicely. It doesn’t need to be continued, as everything was resolved. Sin was destroyed, the world of Spira was saved, and everyone was able to live in peace. Sure there was a cliffhanger, but it didn’t need to be capitalized on. It could’ve been there, never been resolved, and this ending still would’ve been great because everything is done. Instead we got Final Fantasy X-2.

Kingdom Hearts II

Now there was no way I could make a list of my favorite endings and not have the ending of my favorite game on it. The ending of Kingdom Hearts II is probably my favorite ending of any game I’ve ever played. The moment that Riku and Sora share together in the world of darkness, Kairi’s letter to Sora, and their return to Destiny Islands are just all great moments that create a near perfect ending.

The music that plays in the background helps as well, making it all even better. Throughout the ending there’s just no way that you can’t have a smile on your face. It just kind of forms and then stays there. This ending is (to me at least) the closest thing to a perfect ending in a game, as everything gets wrapped up so nicely. The only thing holding it back in this case is its cliffhanger ending.

When the game first came out in 2006, the cliffhanger at the end wasn’t a bad thing at all. It was extremely exciting to see that we would be getting a sequel to the game. This helped make it a perfect ending. What no one knew was that ten years later we would still be waiting to play Kingdom Hearts III. The fact that we’ve had to wait so long for the sequel is what keeps this ending from being perfect. Now the cliffhanger is just a tease of an promise that hasn’t been kept yet. Sure we know that the sequel exists and looks amazing, but we still don’t have it yet. Had the sequel come out sooner, then the cliffhanger wouldn’t be an issue. The ending would definitely be perfect. But alas, things didn’t work out that way, and the wait for Kingdom Hearts III continues. Hopefully we’ll get it next year and a perfect ending to the series (or at least this part of it).

There are certainly plenty of other games that had great endings, but these are the ones that I always think of when I think about great endings.  Now I want to know what some of your favorite video game endings are. Leave them in the comment section below and let’s see what everyone thinks!