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10 Video Game Endings With
Disturbing Implications You
Totally Missed
http://www.gamebasin.com/news/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-
implications-you-totally-missed
There was once a time when all video games were happy‐go‐lucky affairs, where good triumphed
over evil, a hero vanquished a villain and everyone lived happily ever after. Those days are now
gone, with “edgy” (read darker) writing replacing happy resolutions and everyone ending up either
dead or on the way there. But then, happy endings aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be. Just
last week we posted a run down of the 10 movie endings with hugely disturbing implications that
you totally missed first time out, and it isn’t just the silver screen that sees that sort of short‐
sightedness. A lot of the classic happy endings we’ve been fed over the years probably haven’t
actually turned out as peachy as we might have thought. Just as Hollywood tends to pull the wool
over our eyes when it comes to glossing over what really happened around the edges of these so‐
called happy endings, game developers have proved themselves committed to the same cause,
hoping we won’t see the giant iceberg up ahead for looking at the pretty sea. These examples are
ten of the most extreme disturbing implications from video games, that developers wanted us to
miss. But we’re saying no more, the true must find a way! Needless to say, there are SPOILERS
WITHIN, so proceed with caution…
10. Heavy Rain: The Neglectful Father
Heavy Rain isn’t exactly a cut and dried happy ending, thanks to the presence of seven alternates,
three of which include the suicide of the main protagonist, and some which involve the Origami
killer getting away with it all, and presumably going on to terrorise more families, but there is one
“ideal” ending. In it we see Ethan, his new squeeze Madison and rescued son Shaun setting up
home together in a happily ever after scenario that completely ignores the fact that cuddles can’t
fix severe PTSD and other related mental trauma, with Scott the killer dead, and Norman
miraculously healed of his drug addiction (must have been the cuddles again.) Life is presumably
all good. But wait… Aside from the fact that Ethan still has some severe underlying mental
problems, relating to the death of his first child, how are we supposed to believe that social services
would allow him to continue living with his son having almost caused his death? Okay, so a blackout
isn’t a conscious thing, but carelessly taking your son to the park alone when you have a history of
episodes is not exactly going to win you any parenting awards. I’m pretty sure someone in the
judicial system would have something to say about that, not least because it was Ethan’s neglect
that lead to the death of his first son by losing him in a mall. Carefree, non‐restrictive parenting is
one thing, but when it leads to actual death of one child, and then almost death of a second, it’s
probably time your privileges were revoked. If there’s any justice in the world of Heavy Rain, Ethan
is now in a cycle of depression, having had Shaun taken off him for his own good. So much for the
happy ending.
9. Metal Gear Solid 2: The Hangover
After the giant Arsenal Gear crashes into New York city and Raiden and Solidus Snake are forced to
fight one another (after a myriad of narrative revelations involving pregnancies, double agents and
adoption,) Raiden emerges victorious and is reunited with his girlfriend Rose, who is now with child.
Aside from a few loose ends, the narrative ends on a nice positive note, with man and his love
reunited and a bright new dawn rather insistently represented by the growing life in her belly. But
wait… Half of New York is now squashed. People are no doubt dead, thanks to the Arsenal Gear
stomping a big hole in Manhattan, and those who survived are likely to take a massive beating from
the tax‐man in the coming years to fix the damage caused to the Big Apple. It’s rather short‐sighted
to call this a victory, simply because the hero gets his girl. What about the legacy of destruction,
not to mention the giant robot lying in the middle of the city? Noone ever thinks about the clean‐
up job.
8. Medal Of Honor: Warfighter – AWOL
Warfighter caused some serious controversy – not least when it was revealed that seven members
of Naval Special Warfare Development Group who worked as consultants for EA had been
disciplined for releasing classified information – and the ending was another of those modern
“Horrors Of War” endings that sought to make the player think. EA decided to have Preacher
weighing up whether to report back for duty, or desert to fix his family life, despite the formerly
gleeful embrace of the mythology of the soldier (the idea of them as supermen.) The idea might
be half‐baked, and slightly odd considering the trajectory of the rest of the narrative (and the
presentation of characters specifically) but it was an interesting way to leave the game. But wait?
Doesn’t desertion still carry a fairly hefty punishment? Honour and dedication to his family is one
thing, but winding up locked up in prison for ignoring a mission (which is presumably what awaits
if he were to answer his mobile) is a fairly counter‐productive solution. The key thing is that
Preacher’s desertion would weaken the unit, especially in deployment, and his punishment would
presumably be greater than any “normal” soldier. There’s also a further implication. Though he’s
seen some serious action, and untold horrors of war by the end of the game, and the ending
suggests he has had his fill of duty, Warfighter is keen to stress that the soldiers involved are action‐
hero‐like thrill seekers, as opposed to particularly patriotic men. And if Preacher cannot get his
thrills from his own army, which he may or may not desert (the implication is he does,) he may find
himself tempted to go mercenary, which would presumably be deemed joining another force while
AWOL. That’s often called treason (depending on the client,) and the penalty for that tends to be
fairly severe…
7. Uncharted 2: Shambhala Destroyed
As the events of Uncharted’s excellent sequel come to a head, Nathan Drake is thrust onto a
journey of vengeance when Elena (his new lady friend, obviously) is almost killed by a grenade just
after the pair discover the invulnerability applications of the blue resin found at the Tree Of Life.
Drake gets to the tree just after the nick of time, and watches his latest mortal enemy drink from
the tree’s sap and become almost invincible, before deciding the best way to kill him is to explode
the sap and then leave Lazarevic to be killed by the Guardians of the secret, sacred city of
Shambhala. He dies, Nathan and Elena kiss, and sunsets are ridden off into. But wait… Much like
Indiana Jones – the single most careless archaeologist in the history of the subject, thanks to his
tendency to destroy previously perfectly preserved artefacts – Nathan Drake is awful at his job. He
is supposed to be committed to discovering and preserving articles and locations of historical
significance, and yet his destruction of the Tree Of Life pretty carelessly destroys the wonderful
kingdom of Shambhala. Rather than sharing the spiritual significance of the place, or helping its
inhabitants (such as those Guardians) escape, Drake blows the entire place up, and enjoys a sexy
kiss to seal the deal. Quite how he deserves his reputation in the industry is beyond me.
6. Streets Of Rage – The King Is Dead, Long
Live The King?
Streets of Rage had two endings – the first was achievable in single player, and involved nothing
more than completing the game, beating seven bells out of everyone and overcoming the big boss.
This was proclaimed the Good Ending. The second ending was only unlockable while playing two
player. When you encountered the boss at the end, he gave you and your fellow player the
opportunity to join him. If one player says yes, and the other no, the boss then fiendishly turns the
players against each other, charging them with fighting to the death so that his new cohort may
prove his allegiance. Former friend brushed aside, the turncoat player is then able to fight the big
boss (having turned down his final offer) and take over his evil empire, laughing maniacally as the
credits roll from atop his new throne. The motif “BAD END” might appear at this stage, but it is
preceded by the wonderfully ego‐stroking mantra “You Became the Boss! You are Great!” Finally,
some recognition. But wait… How long exactly would a new boss last at the head of an empire that
he had just decimated almost single‐handedly with violence? There can be only two likely
outcomes: first off the ranks are so depleted that the former hero is left to defend his entire empire
on his own, and will inevitably be overcome in double‐quick time, making his efforts and betrayal
entirely pointless. Or alternatively, the remaining foot‐soldiers (mostly ginger, for some reason)
would rise up and pull their new boss off his lofty perch and kill him for the crazed and misguided
despot that he is. Either way, not much of a legacy to enjoy.
5. Freedom Fighters: The Russians Are Coming
(Back)
Hurray, we killed the Russians and stopped them from invading Good Old America! Just like
Hollywood always promised us we could. We’ve saved democracy, and hot dogs, and Mountain
Dew. It’s time to party, since there definitely won’t be any come back from defying a nation of the
might and malevolent will to invade the Greatest Country In The World EVER! But wait… It’s not
over. Like termites temporarily pushed away from their quarry, the Russians will inevitably return,
and in greater numbers with greater force. They are not to be denied, and though they were once
defeated, they won’t be again, with the morbid realisation then being that America is not long for
this Earth. It might be a victory party by the end of Freedom Fighters, but there’s no chance it lasted
long, as Chris himself points out in the clip below… And he’s not just setting up a sequel (well, okay,
maybe he actually was) – because it never came, probably due to the impending Russian attack
that wiped out Chris and all of his partying buddies who celebrated a little bit too hard after the
end of the battle.
4. Mario Gleefully Killed All Of Koopa’s
Kids
It’s been said before that some video game heroes aren’t actually all they seem to be, and the little
Italian plumber who finds himself locked in a perpetual loop of rescuing his promiscuous princess
girlfriend from the evil clutches of Bowser/King Koopa is usually top of that list. He smashes
innocent (and mostly harmless) creatures on his way to storming Koopa’s various castles, stealing
coins and conquering lands under the ruse of rescue and vengeance, but we still love him. It’s the
moustache. So when he triumphs over King Koopa and his horde of maniacal offspring in Super
Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World we can briefly suspend our thoughts on why Koopa is so
committed to stealing princesses if he has (or had) a wife to give him kids, to indulge in triumph.
But wait… It’s no surprise that Mario – an unskilled warrior, whose only apparent skills were honed
by fixing toilets – is able to vanquish the Koopa herd with such ease, and so little remorse, given
that all of them, apart from the Big Daddy himself, are children. Whether they have been
indoctrinated, or forced to fight out of some misguided dedication to their father, Iggy, Ludwig,
Wendy and co are fatally unsuited to open warfare, and yet find themselves dispatched with glee
by a little portly man who can’t keep a tight enough rein on his girlfriend. Mario should have set
the child soldiers free, or at least gave them a bit of a spank and sent them packing, but instead,
he kills them, and then needlessly explodes their castles, crushing their infant corpses for double
the effect. He’s never done that before, and even King Koopa was able to escape his attempts to
kill, so why the over‐zealous over‐compensation now – when the opponents are kids?
3. Tekken 5: Lee Chaolan’s Ending
Very little beats beating a fighting game for pure unadulterated macho joy. As the button bashing
got quicker and opponents harder, it became a thing of the distant past for me to get anywhere
near battling the final boss, but with Tekken 5 I somehow managed it through hard work (cheating)
and dedication (more cheating.) My chosen warrior was Lee Chaolan, a fine specimen of a man
who offed opponents with consummate ease, even under the control of my dangerously inept
podgy fingers. And finally, when the final boss fell, and my fists involuntarily went skyward silently,
I settled down to watch the character’s ending sequence, hoping I’d hit on a good choice. So you
can imagine my dismay when I was treated to the sight of too much naked man‐flesh, with with
victorious Lee Chaolan goading his man‐servant (revealed to be Heihachi Mishimo, his adoptive
father), while threatening him with the explosive bow‐tie around his neck. All of this strange
Oedipal mesh plays out as both men are wearing nothing more than speedos (aside from said bow‐
tie,) and we are encouraged to laugh at the misfortune of the fallen villain (as well as marvel at his
firm, ancient body) while he is powerless to run or fight back. But wait… Seriously, how could this
ever turn out positively? If you can ignore the strangely homo‐erotic fascination Lee clearly has
with his father’s body (and his backside predominantly – which is remarkable for an older gent, I
have to say) you have to consider the context of the situation. Heihachi is an evil genius, capable
of great feats of villainy, who wouldn’t stop at swatting fellow humans off the Earth like bugs on a
picnic blanket, and he is also burdened with the usual mega‐villain traits of pride and vanity. There
is no way he would suffer the indignity of servitude, and would inevitably either escape (the bow‐
tie hardly looks secure) or decide to kill himself and his tormenter in the process. And when that
happens, the collateral damage would be fairly huge, given the size of the explosion in Heihachi’s
mind’s eye in the video above.
2. Link’s Needless Killing Sprees
Link is a hero right? He vanquishes giant monsters and basically makes sure that good and light
triumph in his world, by sending evil packing. Throughout his long and illustrious career, the little
elven warrior has defied expectations of his size and prowess to dispatch a multitude of evil, big
and small, and stopping them marauding through villages and casually eating everyone in sight,
because, like, that’s what monsters do in the world of Zelda. And then the final credits roll on any
Zelda game, and little Link takes all the plaudits – he is a hero, and worthy of the spoils. But wait…
Except they don’t. For a significant number of Link’s quests, he goes looking for trouble, and
effectively kills some creatures for the simple crime of being all big and scary looking. Despite his
slightly girly looks, Link is on an ego‐trip, intent on showing off his macho skills by killing large things
to impress everyone. There is no way King Dodongo can do any harm to anyone who doesn’t invade
his personal space, and neither could The Wind Waker’s Helmaroc King or his
predecessor Helmasaur King from A Link to the Past. These creatures live away from the general
populus, usually with very little way of ever interacting with anyone who doesn’t come to them,
and yet they are viewed in the same light as the megalomaniac supervillains who terrorise other
games. They’re merely existing by the rules of nature, eating as best they can, and defending their
territory, or in the case of the enemies from The Twilight Princess, they’ve been captured and
manipulated into being evil. They are not cold, calculating killers, and there’s pretty much no need
to kill them.
1. Conduit 2: Non-Dead Presidents
Conduit 2 has the most ludicrous ending you’re ever likely to see. Seriously, watch it… Now, you
probably weren’t expecting those vaguely familiar faces to pop out of the portal at the end, were
you? Incredible, isn’t it? Not only that people would actually write this sort of extreme trash, but
the very idea of Conduit 3 featuring bad‐ass undead presidents, sporting heavy artillery and
armour taking on a giant Alien threat in the space where National Treasure and Halo cross‐over.
But wait… Will someone please consider the timeline?! If there’s one thing Back To The Future
taught us (at times,) it’s that messing with the time continuum will spell untold disasters, beyond
making your family rich and famous, and inspiring your own name. Conduit 2 never explored the
complexities of incestuous relationships with our own mothers, but it did present a giant quandry
when it came to the impact that two supposedly long‐dead presidents walking around in Halo‐like
armour would have. Apparently it’s okay to gloss over the impact on the time continuum, as long
as your ending is ridiculous enough and bad‐ass enough to go down in history. But there would
surely be wide‐reaching implications of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln suddenly
revealing themselves to be (presumably) immortal in order to help save the world from the
imminent threat of Tiamat, the giant alien ship. At some point the two would realise that their
unveiling would lead to endless awful chat show circuits, and the same kind of obsessive celebrity
objectification that blights Amanda Bynes. They might be equipped with super space suits, but
there’s no way they’re ready to take on that imminent threat, and foresight would lead to them
either running away and leaving Tiamat to basically eat Earth, or killing Michael Ford to cover their
tracks. Either way, not so much of a happy ending. Did we miss any supposedly happy endings that
ignored disturbing implications? Share your own picks below.
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