Games with downbeat endings

[Jack Of Owls]

The vast majority of games make you the conquering hero by the conclusion. But what if that's not the case? Might be meaningless if the game has C&C and you pick the wrong ending, but what are some games you liked with downbeat endings? I recently completely Dying Light and its expansion The Following and though my character manages to get the vials of serum that save the human race at the end, I turn into a hideous mother-thing with necrotic claws for hands and a face and jaw that's literally falling off and that even the predator's mother couldn't find it in her heart to love. I don't think you can choose any other ending.

In Fay Cry 3, you can choose to rescue your boring friends or enjoy a selfish but very nice erotic interlude with the story's bad girl. Of course you already know what I chose. I am in the act of coitus with her and she stabs me to death with a large hunting knife. I had no complaints, no regrets, and it remains one of the more memorable endings in any game for me.

In Fallout, I played so poorly and unscrupulously and was such a bastard during my first play-through that I end up kicked out of the vault and left to dejectedly wander the wasteland, practically naked, presumably to soon die a lonely death where not even the carrion eaters will touch my irradiated corpse. I learned the very definition of C&C with this game

What are some of your favorite downbeat game endings?

 

[Viata]

t I end up kicked out of the vault and left to dejectedly wander the wasteland

That is the ending of Fallout 1, though.

 

[Norfleet]

In Fay Cry 3, you can choose to rescue your boring friends or enjoy a selfish but very nice erotic interlude with the story's bad girl. Of course you already know what I chose. I am in the act of coitus with her and she stabs me to death with a large hunting knife.

Sounds like your character doesn't know how to play. That's how it ALWAYS is with the wife, you gotta watch out, when you get too slow you'll be killed and eaten.

 

[bertram_tung]

Primordia. Well it has 6 or 7 endings I think and I haven't actually seen them all. But I am pretty sure they are all either bittersweet or depressing.

 

[Wunderbar]

Knowing that the ending is downbeat is already a spoiler. Why would you want that?

 

[I'm Big Into Anal]

borderlands

whoever thought it was a good idea to make the final moment of the game opening a chest of weapons when you are already at the end of the game deserves to be shot with a ball of their own shit

 

[bertram_tung]

Knowing that the ending is downbeat is already a spoiler. Why would you want that?

Only nu-males care about spoilers. If the product is good, you enjoy it either way. If the consumer's enjoyment relies on "surprise!" it was a gimmicky product.

 

[Mexi]

I think all the endings in Dead State are downbeat.

Spoiler

No cure and all of them have you getting left behind, IIRC. Even the best ending with the military evacuation has you forcibly conscripted.

 

[Falksi]

Divinity 2 TDKS. Genius.

 

[Watser]

Puzzle Agent 1, that game in general completely subverted my expectations.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Primordia. Well it has 6 or 7 endings I think and I haven't actually seen them all. But I am pretty sure they are all either bittersweet or depressing.

Not all of them, but that's all you're getting from me.

The problem with downbeat endings is that so many games (indie games in particular) are using them to make themselves appear to be relevant... but completely fail in the process and only make things worse as they leave the player feeling like they wasted their time. I'm sure you can all think of at least one title where this is the case, but off the top of my head I can name a few examples like Yume Nikki (which actually holds its own despite the ending), the recently-released REDO! and possibly MO: Astray.

 

[agentorange]

 

[Alphons]

In Fallout Resurrection you either go off into the Wastes with your 10mm to shoot yourself when you start rotting or if you join Rebirth you get killed by Empire trooper during the Albuquerque Slaughter.

On my first playthrough I also made some pretty naive choices:
-I've made a deal between Crimson Caravan and New Hope, so town flourished.
But I also left Julian alive in Rat Hole, who didn't want to leave his mercs without a job, so he formed a raider crew, tracked the caravans and slaughtered everyone in New Hope.

-I've listened to the pleas of Sedit ghouls and wiped out Mexicans in Lost Town. Without their protection local dealer got killed and Lost Town was consumed by desert.

 

[Reinhardt]

Most japanese games have bad endings.

 

[Sranchammer]

Most japanese games have bad endings.

Mirroring Japanese reality.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

t I end up kicked out of the vault and left to dejectedly wander the wasteland

That is the ending of Fallout 1, though.

Okay, that's interesting because I assumed the game had multiple endings depending on your C&C. But there's only one ending??? I'm a little disappointed to hear this.

 

[agentorange]

t I end up kicked out of the vault and left to dejectedly wander the wasteland

That is the ending of Fallout 1, though.

Okay, that's interesting because I assumed the game had multiple endings depending on your C&C. But there's only one ending??? I'm a little disappointed to hear this.

There is a slightly alternate ending if you choose to initiate combat as the overseer is walking away and blast him. But the end result is still you walking off into the wasteland alone. It's the perfect ending, there only needs to be the one.

 

[oldmanpaco]

The Revenant . Good game too.

https://af.gog.com/game/revenant?as=1649904300

 

[vota DC]

Ogre battle is interesting because best ending isn't truly the best for you character, the mid endings are great.
The lawful heir to throne can be a follower if you find him and recruit, else is just a scavenger that will pop after you destroyed the dictatorship and take the power for himself.

RECRUIT HEIR TO THRONE
-Perfect ending----->You will go in a kamikaze/very dangerous mission against Rodisti people after two of your companions are MIA. Heir become king.
-Almost perfect ending--->You become king. Heir is happy because he avenged his parents and now is just the captain of your guards.
-Half perfect ending---->You are exiled
-Bad ending with heir recruited----> You are the new general and expanded the land conquering for the king.

DON'T RECRUIT HEIR TO THRONE
-Decent reputation ending--->You are murdered by one of your commanders just after the final battle.
-High charisma but low everything else ending---->You become a living god ruling the old empire and forge a new era crushing the Rodisti people
-Worst ending--->You are the new king, everyone says you are worse than the dictator you deposed....in least of a year a popular rebellion led by the heir destroy you


Age of Wonders with Talic has the same feeling. While the butthurt can be predictable if you side with Highmen (those guys make no mistery that they just want to pave the way to human domination) or Undead you get a downbeat ending even if you stay loyal to Dark Elves.....like vultures your "dead" allies show again after you won the war for them.

 

[Grimwulf]

Banner Saga, hands down.

Although the whole trilogy is downbeat throughout the whole playthrough. Not much left to beat by the end of it. One of the greatest stories I've experienced in video games.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Grimoire, because we'll have to wait another two decades to continue with the sequel.

Spoiler

Worth it though.

 

[oddech_wymarlych_swiatow]

Drakengard 1 & 3 are the kings.

Endings A are, kind of, good ones but every another hidden ending brings up some horrible shit, much worse than in the previous one.

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

Blood Omen 1's canon ending is Kain saying, "fuck all y'all" and ending human civilization leaving Nosgoth as a desolate wasteland.

Tecmo's Deception has an ending where you help Satan successfully cross into the world so he can end everything ever.

 

[Latro]

Drakengard 1 & 3 are the kings.

Endings A are, kind of, good ones but every another hidden ending brings up some horrible shit, much worse than in the previous one.

the sister and time stop endings are among the best bad ends in the biz imo

 

[sser]

Mafia, though it's the perfect ending.