Games with NO ❌ happy ending.

[RanmyakuIchi's iconRanmyakuIchi]

Dragon's Dogma, you exist forever as an unseen, overlooking entity that can't interact with anything, and the only way out is to commit suicide. Somewhat bittersweet as you at least pass your humanity on to your pawn.

 

[MegaHiro91]

The Chant is one of those typical horror movie endings where you (seemingly) survive. Escaping the evil and going back to your normal life, though with the essence of something eerie looming in the air, as if "everything is TOO sweet". Plus, unless you get one of the alternate endings where "it was all just a fever dream"...... mostly all your buddies die to the monster.

Post automatically merged: Feb 5, 2025

Crisis Core intro: Zack is unaffected by bullets as he chats on a cellphone.

Crisis Core ending: Zack succumbs to bullets.

I hate it when anime games are inconsistent like that. I spoiled Zack's death for myself and I was like ".... naahh come on, don't tell me THAT gets him?"

 

[Ikagura]

While BioShock 2 is a bittersweet ending for sure, it's still beautiful in my opinion that your daughter gets to see the surface, the little sisters are rescued once more, and through your actions of sparing all the people who wronged you you taught your daughter the art of forgiveness, in that she keeps her mom from drowning inside the tank. Sure, YOU die, but your story was done anyway.

And I kinda prefer Bioshock 2 over Infinite.


Also while I don't want to spoil too much if you check the lore of the game the ending of PSO isn't really happy

 

[Sumea]

Also while I don't want to spoil too much if you check the lore of the game the ending of PSO isn't really happy

I played this on my xbox last year, indeed the lore is kinda sad.

 

[Ikagura]

I played this on my xbox last year, indeed the lore is kinda sad.

Glad that it finally works again in solo.

What a mood whiplash to think about it.

 

[IDMTINP]

View attachment 21864

I have played some sad games, watched some sad movies - Shadow of the Colossus is the most emotionally devastating game I have ever played in my entire fucking life.

 

[regnor]

Shinobi on the PS2. The protagonist has to kill all the members of his clan because they've been enslaved by the enemy. Ultimately he chooses to die himself to seal away the cursed sword he uses.

 

[MegaHiro91]

And I kinda prefer Bioshock 2 over Infinite.

Infinite I never even finished. I lost all interest. Maybe because the game early on failed to make me care for Booker. I might have to give it another go sometime.

 

[_-_AceDragon_-_]

Terranigma.
If you know, you know. That game's ending hits hard and the soundtrack, particularly that ending theme, is great.
Some aspects of the ending didn't sit well with me, but it was definitely sad.

 

[Ian Naxieas]

The original Nier, the endings just get more bleak with each new one. Especially the fourth and final ending. If you know, you know. Automata gets more bleak as you go through the endings too, but the final one has some hope in it at least.

 

[DunkeyKong]

I have played some sad games, watched some sad movies - Shadow of the Colossus is the most emotionally devastating game I have ever played in my entire fucking life.

That's true lmao, it's just THAT devastating

 

[Ian Naxieas]

I thought of more endings rather quickly! Dun dun dunnnn.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth does not end on a happy note, as is the standard with most Cthulhu stories. Even if you manage to get the full ending, it changes nothing.

Mad Max has probably the least happy ending to all the Mad Max media, except for the first film I suppose. All of Max's main allies are dead and he's left alone once more. At least he got his car back I guess?

Amnesia: The Bunker has probably the least happy ending of the series. Well, you can get worse endings in other games, but you can also get good endings in those games. The Bunker just ends with Henri (and possibly the Beast) escaping and gets found by German soldiers. He is not on Germany's side. Oof. I guess it's ambiguous, being a POW isn't certain death, but that's some real bad luck.

Dead Space 3 is kind of a stinky game to begin with (though I don't hate it as much as most fans), but it ends on a bit of a downer. Ellie (somehow) survived and it seems Isaac and Carver died stopping the moon (yes the moon is the final boss, it makes sense in context). However if you play the Awakened DLC you find out Isaac and Carver survived. They make it back to the derelict flotilla and get the Terra Nova working, jumping to Earth. Their joy is short lived when they discover the planet under attack by many other moons, thus ending the series on either a cliffhanger or with the end of humanity. Obviously it was meant to be a cliffhanger, but the game didn't sell a trillion copies so EA killed the franchise. The (pointless) 2023 remake of the first game didn't sell a trillion copies either, so I think it's pretty safe to assume the series is dead, unless a comic or book or something comes along to wrap it up. Probably for the best. Even if the series ends with the extinction of humanity, it's fitting for the name. Everything truly is dead space then.

(Forgotten) Siren doesn't really end on a happy note either. Harumi makes it back to the real world, but the surviving three characters are stuck in the underworld forever. At least Kyoya continues the good fight against the underworld and I do remember reading that one of the developers said Tamon and Yoriko go off to have adventures in the underworld.

Finally, XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within. "But Ian, that has a perfectly super duper happy ending you stupid furry!" It does, yes, but the good ending is meaningless because XCOM is Doomed by Canon to fail, due to the second game taking place after the failure to repel the aliens in the first game. So humanity is in for some dark times before XCOM remerges.

BONUS ROUND! Silent Hill: Origins! Sure, Travis survives and all is well, but then you realize that nothing of value was explained or happened in the entire game and you just got six hours closer to your death playing the game for nothing. Unless you're into fursuits.

Post automatically merged: Feb 6, 2025

Oh, I almost forgot! Any Warhammer 40,000 game. No matter who or what was beaten, it's still grimdark, eternal war, etc. I'm sure you could tell a good personal story in the 40k universe, but I haven't seen it in a game yet.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

This thread is about videogames that had no happy ending, that stimulated your brain and you never forgotten them. I have a few in my mind right now and i want to know more about what other people think about them.

Old or New doesn't matter or the genre either. Write about it i want to expand my gaming knowledge.

I don't care for the popularity, rating, good or bad taste. Maybe this is a test to find out more users in this FORUM with culture and maybe it is not.

Any SMT game will still have a depressing end even if you choose Law or Neutral

Also, Azure Striker Gunvolt, they just don't give that dude a break

Also Also, Mega Man Zero. Especially Zero 2 if you've listened to the radio drama and read up on Elpizo's lore

Also Also Also, shmup shilling time! Ketsui's player characters all have to die at the end no matter what, but they get a wish granted before they do. There's also the endless cycle of the R-Type pilots inevitably becoming Bydo due to the very thing they use to stop the Bydo and the time loop of death and destruction in DoDonPachi. That's also not to mention Espgaluda, the game where the neglected youngest child is manipulated by her father to kill her siblings in the hope he will pay attention, only to die at the end and be replaced by a robot in the sequel like she didn't matter in the first place. Said father dies in the sequel, so only the first Espgaluda qualifies.

Metal Black is another interesting one because you warp time and space...and kinda get stuck there, doomed to drift.

 

[Krazy Kat]

Fear & Hunger Series​

Dread Out​

Max Payne Series​

Final Fantasy X​

I'm no spoilers just play it yourself to see why

 

[Guel Jeturk]

Fear & Hunger Series​

Dread Out​

Max Payne Series​

Final Fantasy X​

I'm no spoilers just play it yourself to see why

MAX PAYNE

i sense culture

Post automatically merged: Feb 6, 2025

Shinobi on the PS2. The protagonist has to kill all the members of his clan because they've been enslaved by the enemy. Ultimately he chooses to die himself to seal away the cursed sword he uses.

i sense culture

 

[ConanTheDestroyer]

Red Dead Redemption ends on a depressing note. Felt even worse cause I was loving the more peaceful missions on the farm towards the end where you just get to spend time with your family. I do like the ambiguity of what happened to Jack ( unless RDR 3 would want to tackle that story someday).

 

[_-_AceDragon_-_]

The original Nier, the endings just get more bleak with each new one. Especially the fourth and final ending. If you know, you know. Automata gets more bleak as you go through the endings too, but the final one has some hope in it at least.

Great soundtracks too

 

[Mr. SyS]

Witch's House. Twist: You were the witch all along who did a body-swap spell before the game started. It gets worse from there. So much worse.

 

[AnonymousCookieMonster]

I hear Mass Effect 3 had a bad ending. Specifically no matter what route you took, the galaxy exploded...

 

[What's His Face]

While the games have good endings, every title in the Fatal Frame series is built on from the previous games' Normal ending. The normal endings are not happy endings.

 

[jiyuuboyetsvi]

Signalis... My poor lesbian girls...

 

[kanesha]

I Won... but what at cost?

Not all games need a happy ending, and this thread is an example, which game has an ending so sad or dark you don't feel like you won a damn thing? Obviously Spoilers Ahead, so use the Spoiler function 1734989400 I came prepared Knowing than SMT's endings can be cruel even on the alleged "Good"...

retrogametalk.com