They say it’s all about the journey, but a sour ending can impact the view of the experience as a whole. This is especially true for video games. We spend hours completing missions and making hard oral choices, so it is expected that the end wraps everything up in a decent conclusion.
While this is the case for some games, others had an ending that just did not hit the mark. This could have been due to technicalities in the writing or something similar. Here are five (5) of the best PS4 game endings and five (5) of the worst.
8 Best: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Nathan Drake took players on several adventures that awed audiences, and while the ending of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was not spectacular, it was wholesome. Nate and Elena are living a blissful domestic life with their daughter Cassie. After messing around a bit, Cassie discovers a collection of artifacts from her parent’s past. This ties up the ending in a sweet way as the two recall their first meeting. The Uncharted series has put out some crazy things in the past, but this ending was a welcomed change.
7 Worst: Batman: Arkham City
Batman is a long-standing figure in many circles, so it is expected that some works are better than others. Batman: Arkham City ended in a bizarre twist of fate. The sick Joker failed to achieve immortality but in his last act of brilliance, decided to stab the bat holding the cure (not at all considering he might drop it if suddenly stabbed).
He then proceeds to die in the most awkward way possible and gets carried out in the classic princess fashion. Carrying the Joker’s corpse, Batman passes by multiple henchmen and the police, and no one stops him to ask questions. The ending just did not do the most iconic villain in the franchise justice which is criminal.
6 Best: God of War 4
If you have been following the story of the God of War series, then you can appreciate the ending to the game. There is so much new information, lore, and attention to detail that the end felt like a well-executed ending. Another highlight to take from God of War 4 ending was the character interactions with one and another. The display of emotion was great and added to the experience of watching these characters play out the final moments. Overall, the adventure came to an adequate conclusion.
5 Worst: Grand Theft Auto V
Crazy only leads to more crazy. Grand Theft Auto V starts off being insane, and gamers are thrust into a dysfunctional family where everyone is terrible in their way. If the start wasn’t bad enough, the game gets progressing worse as there are no lows too low for this game. That being said, the plot has its moments. Eventually, everything comes to a head when the game wraps up. There are a few choices to choose from on how the player wants the game to end. Although all of them seem like gangster clichés.
4 Best: Detroit Become Human
Games that have multiple endings usually always have a good or bad ending. This concept is true for Detroit Become Human too. With that in mind, there is a reason we consider it to have the best ending. That reason being that every ending is a masterpiece that weaponizes emotions and plays on what it means to be alive.
Players get attached to almost every character in the game. Based on the choices of the player, different endings will occur. Every ending is amazing in its way and has us playing multiple times just to achieve each one of them.
3 Worst: Dead Rising 4
The Dead Rising series is well known amongst zombie lovers as an interesting take on zombie apocalypses. While it is known for being comedic, and sometimes just plain ridiculous, Dead Rising 4 had by far the worst ending of the lot. Not only do you lose faith in humanity when you learn that this outbreak happened to try and use the virus for cheap labor, ignoring everything that happened in the previous games. The game ends with the most iconic hero from the series, the man who has survived impossible situations before, Frank West plummeting to his death. Ending on that note felt a lack of luster. However, it leads to the DLC Frank Rising which is a whole other animal to dissect.
2 Worst: Far Cry 5
Logistics aside, Far Cry 5 had the worst “I was right, and you were wrong” ending every. There are so many cults promising the end of days, and, not surprisingly, they are never right. False prophets present themselves as these saviors to humanity appointed by god(s) when they harbor unholy motives.
Joseph Seed appears to be a mentally disturbed man with delusions of grandeur. Throughout the game, it appears that he only wants to take power and gather resources. Joseph and his followers commit countless crimes, and gamers genuinely believe there is no way this lunatic with the tattoos and cuts could be an actual prophet. However, the ending was a shock, to say the least. In the end, Joseph was right about the apocalypses, and you just sent the whole game destroying things that could have been very helpful.
1 Best: Horizon Zero Dawn
Aloy’s journey through the world of Horizon Zero Dawn was filled with conflict and emotion. The story played out well with each new addition of information and character development. The overall message was impactful. Aloy starts the game simply wanting to learn more about herself, but due to the negative presence of mankind, she finds herself fighting man and machine to protect the future of those around her. After defeating her enemy, the story comes full circle. She has learned everything about the tragedies that lead up to her post-apocalyptic world, she explored the land and meet interesting people along the way, but when everything was said and done, Aloy finally found a piece of herself she wanted to find.
