Summary
Gaming has progressed to the point where certain titles allow players to pursue multiple branching story paths instead of just strapping themselves in for a linear adventure. This eventually leads players to the so-called good and bad endings that are present in many titles.
The open-world genre is no exception to this approach, with players being rewarded for their tenacious exploration and decision-making with either a good ending that redeems the adventure or a bad one that has dire implications. However, some bad endings are particularly brutal and make it clear that the player’s choices were far from great.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadowslets Peter make decisions that either help him conform to his heroic side or slowly give in to the influence of the Black Suit. Depending on the choices players make, they will be restricted to one of the suits inthe final battle against a souped-up Venom.
This bad ending has two variants. The symbiotes take over New York, and Spider-Man leads them, with him either in the arms of Black Cat or swearing to get Mary Jane back. Either way, the ending has dire consequences for the city and doesn’t paint a great picture of the upstanding, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Elden Ringis one of the greatest open-world games ever made, featuring multiple endings in line with most FromSoftware titles. However, fans can argue that the morality and implications ofthe game’s bad endingsare way less ambiguous than most other titles made by this developer, and players have to go out of their way to uncover these possible conclusions.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame ending sees players burn down the Erdtree and scorch the Lands Between as the Tarnished becomes the Lord of Chaos. Meanwhile, the Blessing of Despair ending sees the Tarnished accept the Dung Eater’s flawed ideology, fixing the Elden Ring and dooming the Lands Between to a cycle of death and despair.
Grand Theft Auto 5is the first game in the series tofeature multiple protagonists. It also takes a page out ofGrand Theft Auto 4’s book and lets players follow one of three ending paths.
Deathwish is the best ending of the lot, but players can also choose to kill either Michael or Trevor to make for a harrowing and brutal conclusion. The former is especially heartbreaking, with Franklin killing a man he’d grown to love as his mentor before calling Lamar and speaking the same words that Michael told him a long time ago, hammering in just how affected Franklin is by his mentor’s demise.
Far Cry 3is a game thatmarried the gameplay and story harmoniouslyto make for one delectable combination. During his quest to get revenge and save his friends, Jason Brody can be convinced by Citra to give in to the madness and kill his friends in a brutal rampage.
This allies him with Citra, only for her to kill him after they spend a passionate night together. It’s one of the most brutal endings to aFar Crygame, which is why most players prefer to just walk the sane path and reject Citra’s wish.
The sheer depth ofFallout: New Vegas' role-playing options is immense, with players being able to turn the Courier into one of the most infamous individuals in the Mojave who goes out of their way to make everyone’s life a living hell.
Towns can be given over to raiders, companions can be sent to Caesar’s Legion as slaves, and entire settlements can be decimated by the Courier’s actions.All of this is summarized in the ending, where the player’s actions and their consequences are summarized in a chilling manner if they decide to be pure evil in their playthrough.
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis CD Projekt Red’s magnum opus, with countless fans loving just how beautiful and engaging Geralt’s final video game adventure is. During the course of their journey, players are forced to make several important choices that have dire consequences further down the line.
WhileGeralt’s treatment of Ciri is what leads to the worst ending, other actions can also have horrid consequences. Aside from losing Ciri and recovering his medallion from a Crone while he’s surrounded by monsters and left to a doomed fate, Geralt’s actions can lead to the Bloody Baron’s death, cause Olgierd to lose his soul, and doom the duchy of Toussaint after failing to uncover a grand conspiracy.
The honor system inRed Dead Redemption 2can be a bit too binary and simple at times, but the impact it has on the story is monumental and makes for a magical experience.Arthur Morgan is a respectable and selfless protagonist when he has high Honor, making him a stand-up dude who redeems himself and manages to enjoy the sunset one final time.
Meanwhile, an Arthur Morgan when he has low Honor turns out to be a despicable scumbag who goes out of his way to be horrible to people, turning a black coyote into his spirit animal. His confrontation with Micah is bloodier and ends with him getting shot, brutally snuffing his life out without giving him a chance to meet his fate on his terms.
If there’s one thing fans unequivocally agree on when it comes toCyberpunk 2077, it’s the incredible endings of this game and how emotional they feel. By far, the saddest one of the bunch is when V refuses to put anyone in harm’s way and shoots themselves, ending the game on a low note as fans witness the saddening messages of V’s friends, with each of whom not understanding why their friend went down such a dark path.
The Arasaka endings instill a sense of hopelessness, with Johnny Silverhand being forcefully yanked from V’s mind, only for their body to be on a limited time anyway. The other endings may be slightly happier in comparison, but there’s always an underlying tinge of sadness since V has no way to recover their body and live a normal life (that is unless players use the help of Solomon Reed and the government inPhantom Liberty).
