I don’t know why it is, but games, almost universally, seem to have terrible endings. The last few games I’ve completed have all disappointed with their conclusions; ZombiU is a fantastic survival horror with an unparalleled sense of tension – all of which gets pissed away in the final moments. Far Cry 3 is an amazing open-world experience, that builds up to…nothing – and the less we say about Assassin’s Creed 3’s abysmal denouement the better.
And then of course, there’s Mass Effect 3’s triad of endings, all of which were considered so unfitting and out of place that unappeased fans demanded new ones.
There’s probably a good reason for this. According to game-tracking service Raptr, as few as 10 per cent of gamers actually play things all the way through to the end – so why should designers and developers even bother putting so much effort in to something that just a handful of people will actually see? Still, a poor ending is akin to the guy at Subway leaving the bacon off of your B.L.T sandwich; a crime against humanity.
There has to be a game or two that’s concluded satisfactorily – but I’m struggling to come up with good examples.
So you tell us; what games have you played recently that left you satisfied with their climaxes? If you’re struggling to come up with any, let us know which ones were the worst.
Header Image courtesy of peshewa, via Deviant Art
Last Updated: January 18, 2013
