Best and Worst Endings

[Wolf Kanno]

So I like to think we're all RPG veterans around here. So hopefully we've seen and ending or two. This thread is basically to discuss what you felt were the best endings and which ones were a bit of a disappointment.

[Forsaken Lover]

Xenogears is kinda both. it's the best because Fei and Elly and all the feels there but it also sucks because Krelian gets away with all his crimes and goes on to be God.

Final Fantasy IX had a perfect ending though. It was touching yet bittersweet when you realize Vivi is dead. But then Zidane appears before Garnet and they are together and you her Melodies of Life and suddenly all is right with the world.

[Ayen]

X had a bittersweet ending that I enjoyed very much and I thought Mass Effect 2's ending was also good. What I can remember of it.

VII's ending was doing pretty good until it got to the Red XIII like species running down the road that came completely out of left field. Mass Effect 1's ending was kind of meh too, if I'm remembering right. I couldn't tell you what the best or worst are, though.

[Del Murder]

I liked Chrono Trigger's multiple endings and FFVI's ending that had a sendoff for each character. For the worst endings, FFXIII-2 and ME3 come to mind.

[Skyblade]

Since you were nice enough to ask for worst endings...

Final Fantasy Tactics. Do you need me to elaborate again?

Mass Effect III, again, no explanation should be needed.

Final Fantasy XIII-2. Way to ruin Caius as a character.

[Wolf Kanno]

Best Endings:
Final Fantasy IV - this is the closest thing to a happily ever after ending, that I like
Xenogears
Final Fantasy Tactics
Persona 3
Persona 2 (both games)
Chrono Triggers endings (barring the glorified credit screens)
Lufia 2
Metal Gear Solid (either ending)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Secret of Mana
Vagrant Story
The World Ends With You
Xenosaga: Pied Piper
Dragon Quest III ~ What a twist!
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
I'll think of more later...

Worst Ending:
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy VIII - blame the R=U theorist for this.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Final Fantasy X-2 Best Ending
Star Ocean 3
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Worst list was actually harder than the Best list. I find most game ending to be just "meh" so it's hard to list it as bad. I pretty much stuck to endings that left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Vyk]

I personally think X and VIII had completely disappointing endings. I hate those games, but I think their fans deserved endings that didn't require so much research to understand. The open-ended-ness and open-for-interpretation, and finding out your main character is just a figment of your imagination. Garbage. I love a good mind-smurf, and interpretive storytelling. But these didn't seem like good examples to me

I'm actually sitting here thinking about all the endings to my favorite games; Fable, KotOR 1 and 2, Mass Effect games, Xenogears, Dragon Age games, and Shining Force; and I remember how they all left me wanting. They didn't make me change my mind on these games, and for the most parts the endings were really good, just usually took some weird turn that wasn't necessary and didn't help tie things up as nicely (one has your protagonist randomly running off to the edges of the galaxy to supposedly defend against unknown threats without getting to enjoy any of the peace you just spent 60 hours fighting for)

Its probably ridiculously cliche to pick a Final Fantasy in a Final Fantasy forum, but I really think VI probably had one of the best endings in RPG culture. There was closure pretty much EVERYWHERE, and everything got tied up so nicely. It gave me the feels and I loved it. Only disappointing thing was simply the fact that I wanted the game to go on longer and forever, but I didn't have issue with any of the choices they made, like I did (even to small degrees) with all my other favorite games

[Forsaken Lover]

What didn't you like about MGS2's ending, Wolf? I loved it. It be one of my favorites if this wasn't in the RPG Forum.

I love Xenosaga Episode 1's ending. Pain and Escape and Kokoro - so much glorious music and emotion with Shion and KOS-MOS.

I hate Episode 2's ending with Albedo being carried off to Heaven by all the little girls he horrifically murdered....

[Ayen]

Metal Gear Solid isn't an RPG you silly Wolf

[Wolf Kanno]

Wow, I broke my own rules, I'm still getting used to an RPG forum... oh well MGS2's ending just kind of was the cherry on the top for the craziness that I felt the last third of MGS2 was. Basically:

Campbell: I'm an A.I., this isn't real Jack

Rosemary: I'm a spy, I may not even be real but I might also be caring your baby, do you know what tomorrow is Jack?

A.I.: Space Butterflies dance snorkel juice out of my fun hole.

Raiden:...the smurf? Now I'm fighting Metal Gear Rays!

Ocelot: Technically this whole plan was to make a new Solid Snake

Solidus: No! It's to take over the world through controlling the interweb!

Liquid Snake arm: SNAAAAAAKKKKKKEEEEE!!!

Solid Snake: I'm just going to leave with Ocelot/Liquid cause trout just got weird...

Raiden: What's going on?

Kojima on his soapbox: We need to be more careful about what we put on the internet and leave for future generations. So fanboys stop overthinking my plots, let me move onto something else, and all you haters can go to hell *drops mic, kicks the soapbox and leaves the room giving everyone the finger*

Raiden: What...I...uh...

Solidus: Now we fight cause I killed your parents and I want your nanos!

Raiden: Okay, I'm seriosuly just going to kick you ass cause I'm sick of being in this game now...

Solid Snake: Good job Raiden, you stopped Solidus from saving America from the secret cabal that controls this government and opened the door for future sequels.

Raiden: ...I don't even know what to believe anymore...

Snake: just believe in the future! Now go find your not girlfriend and see if you are going to be dodging child support payments...

Raiden: ......

Roll Credits

To get this back onto topic, despite my issues with the characters, I really like The Last Story's ending as well. Xenoblade's wasn't bad either.

[Skyblade]

I'm not sure if Legend of Zelda counts, but I'd like to nominate Wind Waker for worst ending. Unlimited power, the ability to wish for anything, and the King of Red Lions chooses to drown Hyrule. What the smurf, dude. You could eliminate Ganon forever. You could create a new land that people could actually live on, instead of just islands. You could restore any of the civilizations completely wiped out during Ganon's reign. But, no. Just flood Hyrule. Seriously, dude?

I love A Link Between Worlds for finally putting that little macguffin to good use.

[NeoCracker]

The BoF 2 ending in which you don't have Township, because the impact of Ryu transforming himself into a dragon is pretty bitchin. Good either way, but there is a preferance towards Ryu.

Both P3 and P4 had wonderful endings, though I will go for P3's over 4 in this case.

And Mana Khemia with it's multiple endings, each ending being tied to a different party member, was damn good. The wrap of of the games main plot is always the same, and yet always awesome, and outside of a couple of the endings, all the others are so good. Muppy's is funny as hell, and Pamela's is so adorable and sweet.

[black orb]

>>> Im not good at remembering game endings.
I remember a bit of Suikoden 2 and FF XII endings, and I think I liked the FF6 credits too.
Valkyrie Profile "true" ending was my fav obviously. Bad endings? those are totally erased from by brain..

[Vermachtnis]

Ys II, if that counts as an RPG, has a very nice ending. Not necessarily a happy one though. I'm getting sad just thinking about it.

The Yuzu Route Ending in Devil Survivor has got to be like the worst ending ever. You're not suppose to go for that ending and everyone, but Yuzu is telling you not to do it, so you really have no one to blame but yourself.

[NeoCracker]

smurf Yuzu. She never stops bitching the entire game, and I want to smurfing strangle her.

Unrelated to the thread, but I felt the need to say this.