When it comes to the horror genre, most books, movies, shows, and games tend to end on a dark note. It comes with the territory, as horror masters know when to leave their viewers or players wanting more. It’s rare for horror projects to have satisfying or even sweet endings, but there are a few notable examples in gaming.
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That doesn’t mean the characters in the following games get away scot-free. As wholesome as these endings are, there are still disturbing things about how they turn out. From character deaths to unexplained events, these endings have creepy twists to otherwise tender moments.
There will be spoilers, as the endings of each of these games will be explored in detail.
The Last Of Us
A Little White Lie
The Last of Us
- Released
- June 14, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
The Last of Us starts with Joel losing his daughter during the cordyceps outbreak, and this event darkens his soul for decades. Upon meeting his “cargo,” a girl named Ellie, he is nonplussed. However, as the game continues, the two start to bond, and there are some genuinely sweet moments between them. The whole point of the journey is to get Ellie to a hospital in Seattle, as the Fireflies think she can help find a cure for the disease with the help of Ellie's immunity. What they don’t tell Joel or Ellie is that she has to die to make their cure, and it isn’t even guaranteed to work. Joel cannot have another daughter of his die, surrogate or otherwise, so he goes on a rampage, killing nearly every Firefly in the hospital while Ellie is asleep.
When she wakes up, miles outside of Seattle, Joel lies to her and says that the Fireflies couldn’t make a cure. In that moment, it’s clear Ellie does not believe him. What Joel did was both wrong and right, because no father would want to let his daughter die, even if it meant saving humanity. However, there were a lot of innocent people in Seattle that he slaughtered, too. While it is technically a good ending because the characters players fell in love with over the course of the game didn’t die, it does lead to some bad tidings in the sequel, and it all begins with this lie to Ellie.
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (Good Ending)
A Family Reunited
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
- Released
- February 24, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Unlike most Resident Evil games, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 actually has multiple endings, and they change things up significantly. However, while each ending may be entertaining in its own right, the good ending is the one to aim for. In each episode, the game divides itself into two chapters, and on one side, players will take control of Claire Redfield and Moira Burton, who are trying to escape their island prison. In the other campaign, Moira’s father, Barry, is trying to look for her when he comes across a mysterious girl named Natalia.
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In the good ending, Claire and Moira will escape thanks to Barry and Natalia’s help. In their escape helicopter, Barry and Moira make up, as they were a bit estranged before. Also, Barry says he wants to help give Natalia a home by inviting her to live with them. With her teen angst gone, Moira is more than happy to be their daughter again and a sister figure for Natalia, which is sweet. The disturbing part is Natalia’s past, which comes up during the bad ending, with Natalia acting like she came from The Omen movie series. Even though the bad ending technically isn’t canon, Moira still has powers lurking in her, which could creep up again.
The Evil Within 2
Goodbye, Mommy
The Evil Within 2
- Released
- October 13, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Tango Gameworks
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
The Evil Within 2 starts with Sebastian going through yet another nightmare within the virtual dream world. His daughter, Lily, is kidnapped and taken there, which is why he has to go back inside. Along the way, he’s haunted by his wife, Myra, who becomes the obvious perpetrator of this latest mind-bending reality. There are other antagonists and monsters within, but the big conflict is between Sebastian and Myra, culminating in an unforgettable final boss battle.
Myra’s monster form looks a lot like the Female Titan from the Attack on Titan anime, except that Myra is goopier in The Evil Within 2. After defeating her, Sebastian saves Lily, and the two of them escape the simulation together, which is good. As they are about to leave through the mirror portal, Sebastian gets a glimpse at his non-monster wife, and everything becomes clear. Myra sacrificed herself to stay in the other world so that Sebastian and Lily could be happy. While it is great Lily was rescued, Sebastian has to live with the fact that he can’t rescue his wife at the same time, which can’t be easy for him.
BioShock 2 (Good Ending)
Goodbye, Daddy
BioShock 2
- Released
- February 9, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- 2K, Irrational Games
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
BioShock 2 is another game with multiple endings depending on how players approach its morality system. Like the first game, players can choose to be nice to Little Sisters or harvest them for ADAM, a currency used for unlocking new abilities. As for the story, it begins before Rapture's fall, with a prototype Big Daddy, Delta, exploring alongside his assigned Little Sister, Eleanor. After an incident, Delta goes offline for over a decade and wakes up again to find himself on a new mission in a much more ravaged version of the underwater city he knew.
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If players decide to spare those Little Sisters around them, this will lead to Delta escaping with the Big Sister antagonist, who turns out to be Eleanor, who is all grown up now. In this ending, Delta dies, but thanks to his sacrifice, Eleanor will use his ADAM to live on, along with the Little Sisters they both helped save. It’s a bittersweet ending because Delta dies, looking at the sunset on the surface one last time. Of course, the mysterious thing here is how Eleanor is going to get herself and the Little Sisters away from Rapture since they’re trapped in the middle of the ocean. They can’t go back underwater now.
Parasite Eve
The Cycle Begins Anew
Parasite Eve
- Released
- September 9, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Animated Violence, Mature Sexual Themes
- Developer(s)
- Square
- Genre(s)
- Horror, Action RPG
Parasite Eve is a forgotten PS1 classic set in New York City. The premise finds Detective Aya Brea working a case with her partner, Daniel, to track down a mysterious entity named Eve. Along the way, they meet a scientist named Maeda, who helps the detectives understand how Eve is manipulating mitochondria to turn citizens into goo and animals into monsters. The final conflict takes place on a ship, where Aya has to defeat a powerful being born from Eve. It ends with Aya blowing the ship up. Then the game flashes forward to an indeterminate time afterward to find Aya returning to the theater where the story began.
She’s going with her partner Daniel, his son Ben, and Maeda as one big happy survivor family, which is sweet. As they watch the play, something inside Aya awakens as her eyes turn red along with the rest of the audience. No one turns to goo, but it can be assumed Aya has been chosen as the new Eve or some other higher being. It’s left on a mysterious note, which isn't touched on in the sequel, but it can at least be assumed that she didn’t go on a murderous rampage at that moment. Still, it's very unsettling and serves to wrap up one Square Enix game that fans desperately want to see return.
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