Summary
- Some open-world games offer players moral choices leading to good or bad endings with significant consequences.
- Titles like Spider-Man, Elden Ring, and Far Cry 3 showcase brutal bad endings based on player decisions.
- Games such as The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 present emotionally complex endings with sad tones.
Gaming has progressed to the point where certain titles allow players to pursue multiple branching story paths instead of just strapping themselves in for a linear adventure. This eventually leads players to the so-called good and bad endings that are present in many titles.
10 Best Open-World Games With A Focus On Player Morality And Consequences, Ranked
Lots of games make players make tough decisions, but these open-world games are full of hard moral choices and dire consequences.
The open-world genre is no exception to this approach, with players being rewarded for their tenacious exploration and decision-making with either a good ending that redeems the adventure or a bad one that has dire implications. However, some bad endings are particularly brutal and make it clear that the player's choices were far from great.
8 Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows
The Black Suit Endings See Peter Embrace The Dark Side And Conquer New York With The Symbiotes
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
- Released
- October 21, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Animated Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence (PC, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360) E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Animated Blood, Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes (PS2, PSP, DS)
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Beat 'Em Up
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows lets Peter make decisions that either help him conform to his heroic side or slowly give in to the influence of the Black Suit. Depending on the choices players make, they will be restricted to one of the suits in the final battle against a souped-up Venom.
This bad ending has two variants. The symbiotes take over New York, and Spider-Man leads them, with him either in the arms of Black Cat or swearing to get Mary Jane back. Either way, the ending has dire consequences for the city and doesn't paint a great picture of the upstanding, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
7 Elden Ring
Boasts Two Of FromSoftware's Saddest Endings
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Elden Ring is one of the greatest open-world games ever made, featuring multiple endings in line with most FromSoftware titles. However, fans can argue that the morality and implications of the game's bad endings are way less ambiguous than most other titles made by this developer, and players have to go out of their way to uncover these possible conclusions.
The Lord of Frenzied Flame ending sees players burn down the Erdtree and scorch the Lands Between as the Tarnished becomes the Lord of Chaos. Meanwhile, the Blessing of Despair ending sees the Tarnished accept the Dung Eater's flawed ideology, fixing the Elden Ring and dooming the Lands Between to a cycle of death and despair.
6 Grand Theft Auto 5
Killing Either Trevor Or Michael Is Far From A Happy Conclusion For The Game
Grand Theft Auto 5
- Released
- September 17, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
Grand Theft Auto 5 is the first game in the series to feature multiple protagonists. It also takes a page out of Grand Theft Auto 4's book and lets players follow one of three ending paths.
8 Great Open-World Games That Focus On Storytelling
Storytelling is often times the best part of a video game. Here are some open-world games that do it best.
Deathwish is the best ending of the lot, but players can also choose to kill either Michael or Trevor to make for a harrowing and brutal conclusion. The former is especially heartbreaking, with Franklin killing a man he'd grown to love as his mentor before calling Lamar and speaking the same words that Michael told him a long time ago, hammering in just how affected Franklin is by his mentor's demise.
5 Far Cry 3
Jason Can Become Extremely Violent, Siding With A Woman Who Kills Him After Using Him
Far Cry 3
- Released
- November 29, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Open-World
Far Cry 3 is a game that married the gameplay and story harmoniously to make for one delectable combination. During his quest to get revenge and save his friends, Jason Brody can be convinced by Citra to give in to the madness and kill his friends in a brutal rampage.
This allies him with Citra, only for her to kill him after they spend a passionate night together. It's one of the most brutal endings to a Far Cry game, which is why most players prefer to just walk the sane path and reject Citra's wish.
4 Fallout: New Vegas
The Horrible Things That The Courier Can Do Have Lasting Consequences
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The sheer depth of Fallout: New Vegas' role-playing options is immense, with players being able to turn the Courier into one of the most infamous individuals in the Mojave who goes out of their way to make everyone's life a living hell.
Towns can be given over to raiders, companions can be sent to Caesar's Legion as slaves, and entire settlements can be decimated by the Courier's actions. All of this is summarized in the ending, where the player's actions and their consequences are summarized in a chilling manner if they decide to be pure evil in their playthrough.
3 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Losing Ciri Leads To A Downward Spiral For Geralt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is CD Projekt Red's magnum opus, with countless fans loving just how beautiful and engaging Geralt's final video game adventure is. During the course of their journey, players are forced to make several important choices that have dire consequences further down the line.
10 Games With No Happy Ending
Sometimes, there are no good options left. These games may offer some hope, but by their endings, it's clear that only bad choices remain.
While Geralt's treatment of Ciri is what leads to the worst ending, other actions can also have horrid consequences. Aside from losing Ciri and recovering his medallion from a Crone while he's surrounded by monsters and left to a doomed fate, Geralt's actions can lead to the Bloody Baron's death, cause Olgierd to lose his soul, and doom the duchy of Toussaint after failing to uncover a grand conspiracy.
2 Red Dead Redemption 2
With Low Honor, Arthur's Death Is Anything But Poetic
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
The honor system in Red Dead Redemption 2 can be a bit too binary and simple at times, but the impact it has on the story is monumental and makes for a magical experience. Arthur Morgan is a respectable and selfless protagonist when he has high Honor, making him a stand-up dude who redeems himself and manages to enjoy the sunset one final time.
Meanwhile, an Arthur Morgan when he has low Honor turns out to be a despicable scumbag who goes out of his way to be horrible to people, turning a black coyote into his spirit animal. His confrontation with Micah is bloodier and ends with him getting shot, brutally snuffing his life out without giving him a chance to meet his fate on his terms.
1 Cyberpunk 2077
Every Ending Has A Sad Tinge That Hammers In Emotional Complexities
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
If there's one thing fans unequivocally agree on when it comes to Cyberpunk 2077, it's the incredible endings of this game and how emotional they feel. By far, the saddest one of the bunch is when V refuses to put anyone in harm's way and shoots themselves, ending the game on a low note as fans witness the saddening messages of V's friends, with each of whom not understanding why their friend went down such a dark path.
The Arasaka endings instill a sense of hopelessness, with Johnny Silverhand being forcefully yanked from V's mind, only for their body to be on a limited time anyway. The other endings may be slightly happier in comparison, but there's always an underlying tinge of sadness since V has no way to recover their body and live a normal life (that is unless players use the help of Solomon Reed and the government in Phantom Liberty).
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Some open-world games address important mature themes, such as loss, sacrifice, honor and redemption.