Summary
- Games with false endings amp up the final battle, leading to new surprises beyond expected content.
- Examples like 'The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past' and 'Monster Hunter Wilds' showcase lengthy surprises.
- 'Dragon Quest 11' and 'Bravely Default' implement twists, extending gameplay with unexpected extra acts.
One of the most exciting things that can happen in a game is a false ending. This does not mean a game that has bad and good endings. Instead, these examples are games that pump the player up for the final battle. A character or text in-game may say there is no turning back.
14 Video Games with the Most Endings
As games give players more choices, these choices can potentially change the outcome of the story and, in some cases, lead to different endings.
This warning can affect how players approach a final battle, like in an RPG where leveling up is a factor. These games subverted expectations with lies, wherein there was still a good chunk of their campaigns left. These examples go beyond post-game or New Game+ content and will be ranked based on the surprise factor and quality of this new content. Some will be slight and some will be lengthy.
To fully explain these twists, spoilers will need to be discussed, so be forewarned.
8 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
To The Dark Ages
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Released
- April 13, 1992
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- Platform(s)
- SNES, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, 3DS
The days of the SNES were wild, as was the Zelda franchise, as there was no real concrete formula yet. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past would change that with its big gameplay twist. The bulk of the early game had Link exploring Hyrule to get items and pendants to unleash the Master Sword.
Once Link did this, he could return to Hyrule Castle and rescue Princess Zelda from Agahnim. Even though it may have seemed short, players would have thoroughly explored Hyrule. However, after defeating Agahnim, Link got sent to the Dark World, wherein players would have to explore a distorted Hyrule, find seven crystals, and then face Ganon to truly end it all.
7 Mario & Luigi: Brothership
Hatched To Be Evil
Mario & Luigi: Brothership
- Released
- November 7, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Acquire
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is the latest entry in the series and the first one not developed by AlphaDream, who started it all on the GBA. Mario and Luigi are helping the citizens of this game get their islands linked up again, ending with a final confrontation with the game’s main villain, Zokket, in a spectacularly designed evil flying fortress.
Upon defeating Zokket, the brothers learn that Zokket is being controlled by an entity known as Reclusa. Once the mind control is broken, Reclusa emerges into the world again, and it takes a while before the dynamic duo can get things back on track and end Reclusa once and for all.
6 Monster Hunter Wilds
Just Getting Started
Monster Hunter Wilds
- Released
- February 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
This series is usually divided into the main story and then the post-game, but Monster Hunter Wilds made this post-game much more detailed. Not only do several mechanics open up like new versions of armor, but a monster arena, Layered Armor, and more monsters are available on top of stronger repeats.
Open-World Games With Controversial Endings
These open-world games offer great exploration and stories, but their controversial endings didn't sit right with every player.
That’s honestly typical in the series, but the differing factor is that the story keeps going, albeit at a slower pace. Players have to work harder to unlock new story beats, but when they get to the final mission, they’ll have a bigger finale than the first half, which will end with a confrontation with the real Arkveld.
5 Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Trying Again
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Released
- September 4, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
The Dragon Quest series is known for being long, so when players reached the end in Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age, it seemed fitting. They faced the final boss, Mordegon, and with the help of the Sword of Light, they defeated him.
One of the party members died leading up to this climactic battle, leaving players feeling a bit forlorn, but this wasn’t it. Players could leave the game there, or they could travel to a new destination on the map, which would cause the hero to travel back in time and redo certain segments of the game to open up a new act to go after the game’s real oppressor.
4 Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Back To The Beginning
Bravely Default
- Released
- February 7, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Silicon Studio
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
This one deserves an extra spoiler warning, given that the Switch 2 remaster of Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is impending. Warning aside, players will get their group to the final boss of the whole adventure in typical RPG fashion. However, during the final battle, the party will be thrown into light and then wake up to find themselves at the start of their journey—literally.
They went back in time and found themselves repeating the same encounters. Stuck in a time loop, players will have to go through this several times before they can confront the final enemy, Airy, who was the mastermind all along as the party’s “faithful” companion.
3 Hades
Daddy Issues
Hades
- Released
- December 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, macOS, Nintendo Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Hades is a roguelike about the son of Hades, Zagreus, who wishes to get out of the underworld and go above to find his mother. Hades is against this, so players have to painstakingly get stronger one death at a time. When players eventually have the strength and luck to defeat Hades, Zagreus finally gets to go to the surface world, but there is a twist.
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Underworld citizens cannot breathe on Earth, so it is back down to the underworld for Zagreus. This is honestly where the game begins, as players have to repeat defeating Hades to get seconds more time on Earth with Zagreus’ mom, Persephone.
2 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The Hidden Act
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
- April 24, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is all about a group of explorers going after a giant woman named The Paintress, who can erase entire generations of people by writing down their age through a process called The Gommage. She is the end-all-be-all evil entity that the players work toward, and the game does the typical warning before the final battle.
It made sense that this would be the end despite so much of the map looking unexplored. After the fight, an Epilogue begins, which then transforms itself into Act 3. There is at least still a third of the game left, and it was a big shock without going into too much other detail.
1 Pokemon Gold/Silver
The Master Returns
Pokemon Gold and Silver
- Released
- October 15, 2000
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Cartoon Violence, Simulated Gambling
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Game Boy Color
Between playing Pokemon Blue, Pokemon Red, and Pokemon Yellow, fans assumed they knew what they were in for when the next big generation leap happened. Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver added new Pokemon and new mechanics, but still centered on collecting eight Gym Badges to face their rival and an elite squad of Trainers at the end.
There was a big celebration as per usual, but that wasn’t it. Players could travel from Johto to the original Kanto and take on another round of Gym Badge collecting to ultimately face the original game’s hero, Red, which is a surprise that has yet to be matched in the series.
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