Buckle up, gamers, let’s explore the top 13 video games with tragic endings, exploring the poignant, the tragic, and the downright mind-blowing finales that left us equal parts devastated and fulfilled.
Video games have an incredible power to transport us to fantastical worlds, immerse us in epic adventures, and challenge our skills to the limit. But what happens when the ultimate challenge is to embrace our own demise?
BioShock Infinite
In this mind-bending masterpiece, you play as Booker DeWitt, a man tasked with rescuing a mysterious woman named Elizabeth from the airborne city of Columbia. But in a shocking twist,
you learn that to truly free Elizabeth, you must sacrifice yourself – quite literally. The final scene sees Booker giving his life to drown the malevolent Booker of an alternate reality, ensuring Elizabeth’s freedom at the cost of his own existence.
Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar Games knows how to tug at our heartstrings, and Red Dead Redemption is no exception. After embarking on an epic journey as the outlaw-turned-family-man John Marston, you
ultimately meet your demise at the hands of the very government agents you worked for. The gut-wrenching final scene, where John’s wife and son bury him on their ranch, is a poignant reminder of the price paid for redemption.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Who could forget the shocking finale of Modern Warfare 2, where the protagonist, Soap, is brutally executed by the villainous General Shepherd? After
guiding you through intense battles and cinematic set-pieces, the game pulls the rug out from under you, leaving you to watch helplessly as Soap meets his untimely end – a bold move that left players reeling.
The Walking Dead: Season 1
In Telltale Games’ emotional masterpiece, you play as Lee Everett, a convicted murderer who becomes an unlikely protector of a young girl named Clementine in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.
The heart-wrenching finale sees Lee, bitten and slowly turning, sacrificing himself to save Clementine’s life – a gut-punch of an ending that solidified the game’s status as a narrative tour de force.
Half-Life 2: Episode Two
The iconic Half-Life series is known for its cliffhangers, but Episode Two takes things to a whole new level. After guiding Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance through a harrowing adventure, the
game ends with a shocking twist: Alyx is seemingly killed by a Hunter’s deadly payload, leaving Freeman (and players) to grieve her apparent demise.
Halo: Reach
In this prequel to the Halo series, you take control of Noble Six, a Spartan supersoldier tasked with defending the planet Reach from a devastating Covenant invasion. The game’s finale is a heart-
wrenching display of sacrifice, as Noble Six is overwhelmed by enemy forces, ultimately meeting their end while ensuring the escape of Cortana and the game’s protagonist, Master Chief.
The Last of Us
Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic masterpiece, The Last of Us, is a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. In the game’s haunting conclusion, Joel makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Ellie, a young
girl who may hold the key to curing the deadly Cordyceps infection. The final scene, where Joel lies to Ellie about the events that transpired, is a gut-wrenching reminder of the lengths we’ll go to protect those we love.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
In this iconic entry in the Metal Gear Solid series, you play as Naked Snake, a CIA operative tasked with assassinating his former mentor, The Boss. The game’s finale is a heart-wrenching showdown
between the two, culminating in Snake being forced to take The Boss’s life. The poignant final scene, where Snake salutes her grave, is a powerful moment that solidified the game’s status as a narrative masterpiece.
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line is a game that takes a hard look at the true horrors of war, and its ending is a gut-punch of reality. After embarking on a mission that spirals out of control, the game’s protagonist,
Captain Walker, is left to confront the devastating consequences of his actions – and ultimately takes his own life in a haunting final scene that forces players to confront the weight of their choices.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Season 4
The final chapter in Telltale’s critically acclaimed Walking Dead series is a rollercoaster of emotions, culminating in a heart-wrenching finale. After guiding the young Clementine through the
apocalyptic hellscape, players are forced to make a devastating choice that ultimately leads to her demise – a fitting, yet tragic, end to one of gaming’s most beloved characters.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
In this dark and eerie entry in the Zelda series, Link must relive the same three days over and over again to prevent the moon from crashing into the land of Termina. The game’s finale sees Link
ultimately fail to stop the moon’s descent, but in a poignant twist, he accepts his fate and embraces the end alongside the inhabitants of Termina – a haunting and existential conclusion that lingers long after the credits roll.
Nier: Automata
Yoko Taro’s mind-bending action RPG, Nier: Automata, is a game that constantly keeps players on their toes. In one of the game’s multiple endings, the protagonist, 2B, sacrifices herself to save her beloved companion, 9S – a heart-wrenching
moment that leaves players reeling. But the true gut-punch comes in the game’s final ending, where players must choose to delete their saved data, essentially erasing their entire journey, in order to unlock a secret ending.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Ninja Theory’s Hellblade is a haunting exploration of mental illness and Norse mythology. In the game’s final act, the protagonist, Senua, comes to terms with the harsh reality that the voices she’s been hearing throughout her journey are manifestations of her own psyche.
In a heart-wrenching conclusion, Senua ultimately accepts her condition and embraces the voices, choosing to live with her “curse” rather than reject it – a poignant and powerful ending that resonates long after the credits roll.
Whether it’s a poignant sacrifice, a tragic twist, or a gut-punch of reality, these video games have one thing in common: they’re not afraid to confront the inevitability of death, challenging us to embrace our
own mortality and find meaning in the journey itself. So, grab a box of tissues and prepare to have your heart strings tugged – these are the games that remind us that sometimes, the most impactful endings are the ones that bid us farewell.
