Multiple endings
Encyclopedia
Multiple endings refer to a case in entertainment (usually video games) where the story could end in different ways, described as an alternate ending
.
series and Heather McElhatton
's bestselling novels Pretty Little Mistakes
and Million Little Mistakes. In both books the protagonist is "you," the reader and you are given choices that lead to multiple outcomes.
The Charles Dickens
1860 novel Great Expectations
underwent a change in ending just before publication. Modern editions often print both versions. (However, this situation is more akin to an alternate ending
.) However, perhaps the first true multiple-ending novel was Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar
in 1963.
In some comic book stories the readers are advised to make a choice, and then turn to another page, from which the story will continue. The 1983 strip Cliff Hanger
was based entirely around this premise.
Goosebumps
also made books with branching storylines and multiple endings in the Give Yourself Goosebumps
and Give Yourself Goosebumps Special Edition series.
The novel Life of Pi
offers the reader two choices as to how the protagonist's story ends.
1934 play Night of January 16th
allowed the audience to affect the ending by acting as the "Jury" and voting the defendant "innocent" or "guilty".
The 1985 musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood
, based on the incomplete 1870 Charles Dickens novel of the same name
, has several possible endings. In the middle of the second act, one of the actors announces that it was at this point that Dickens died, leaving the mystery unfinished. The audience votes on who they believe committed the murder. Each character—even the ones considered unlikely of having been Dickens' choice—has a song in the score claiming that he or she is, in fact, the murderer. The audience also votes upon which of the two sets of lovers they'd like to see together in the end, and these two sing a duet. However, the same number, "The Writing on the Wall", always closes the show.
Dario Fo
's 1970 play, Accidental Death of an Anarchist
, provides two endings to the play. Firstly, the journalist, Feletti, leaves the policemen to die. Once this happens, though, the Maniac, who was off stage, returns to tell the audience that the ending would not appease everyone, and so another ending is played out. The second ending sees Feletti freeing the policemen, who then handcuff her instead, and she dies. This ending serves to show the police's corruption whilst also being comical for the audience, and providing endings that suffice more of the audience.
The long-running play "Shear Madness
" has multiple, audience-selected endings. Several characters may end up as the murderer.
as a special feature. These are often interesting in terms of characterization and provide insight to the production team's vision for the movie, but are usually not considered canon
.
When it was first shown in theatres in 1961, horror film Mr. Sardonicus
featured a "punishment poll", in which audiences could vote (with glow-in-the-dark thumbs-up-or-down cards) on whether the evil lead character should die at the end of the picture. Naturally, audiences always voted for Sardonicus' death, which was fortunate, as producer William Castle
did not actually film a scene where Sardonicus lived.
It is rare for a film to have true multiple endings, but one notable example is the movie Clue
. Three different endings were used in the final version of the film (plus one unreleased fourth ending), with each having a different killer. This is a unique case in that the theatrical release had only one of the three endings, depending on the theater. For the DVD
and video releases, all three endings were included, preceded by screen text such as, "That's how it could have happened..." The home viewer can either choose who he or she wants to be guilty, or the viewer can allow the DVD to choose randomly instead. A fourth ending (where the butler did it all) was filmed but scrapped. Clue was orchestrated this way in part because it was based on a board game
which offers multiple outcomes. The stage version of Clue also has multiple endings to a certain extent; the killer is randomly selected before the show. However, the true mastermind is always the same at the end.
Also, in the movie Wayne's World
and its sequel, Wayne's World 2
, there are three endings; each of the first two end with the two main characters appearing on screen and suggesting a different ending, until ultimately deciding on the "mega happy ending". This was done completely for comedic effect
.
Multiple endings also occur in the movies Drift (where the main character is seen to make one choice, then when the movie seems to end, it begins again back at a previous point in the film, where the main character makes a second choice, and it happens again for a third time) and Sliding Doors
(where we see two versions of the film concurrently after "splitting" when the main character catches, and misses, her train). Neither of these films offers any ending as the "right" ending, but seem to offer both as plausible outcomes to different choices and events.
The movie Run Lola Run
features three different "realities", with each story having its own ending.
The movie I Am Legend
features an alternative ending where the protagonist does not die.
and Space Ace
had multiple situations and endings, with two "false" (wrong), and one "right" (successful).
The Rooster Teeth Series, Red Vs Blue, had three different endings (with an additional 4 on the Season 5 DVD) -
s, RPGs
, or survival horror, as opposed to games that are action-driven
(like puzzle games, shooter game
s, platform game
s, or sports games). This was innovated and popularized by the RPG Chrono Trigger
. Many such games will artificially enhance their length by encouraging more than one play-through via multiple endings. Generally, endings have to be vastly different in terms of plot to be considered multiple endings; having obtained certain characters to get slightly different results at the end of the game (as in Final Fantasy VI
) does not count as a distinct ending. Also, the "Game Over
" outcome is usually not counted as an ending in this context (although "bad endings" are counted).
Examples of multiple endings in video games:
, only one of a film or game's different endings could possibly have occurred. Sometimes this is left unresolved, allowing an individual to interpret the end of the story as they will.
However, if a sequel
is made, it usually becomes important to establish a narrative conclusion to the previous story (unless the sequel has little to do with the characters or certain settings of the previous game). Generally, one of the multiple endings is explicitly established as the "true" ending through the description of past events, with the other endings assumed to be speculation as to what might have happened. However, in some cases (such as the Resident Evil
games), elements of more than one ending are drawn together to create a story that does not quite make sense if only one ending is to be accepted as canon
. This is usually seen as a plot hole
. Most Fighting Games have an ending for all characters, however, many of these endings either contradict one another or have no purpose story-wise, The next game in the series will tell whose ending, if any canonically happened, and often has parts of other characters' endings happening under different circumstances. For example, Guilty Gear X
had many of the events that occurred to characters in their Guilty Gear
endings, such as the rebellion on Zepp and May's "rescue" of Johnny, all happen, even though only Sol Badguy canonically fought and defeated Justice.
Sometimes, like in the Sonic the Hedgehog
games, the player must beat more than one or all of the possible endings to reveal the "true", or canonical ending. Deus Ex: Invisible War
dealt with all three of the endings of the original game by positing they all happened. The video game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, allows the player to choose which ending to the first game actually occurred, however, the Light-sided ending is considered canon.
In Mass Effect 2
, the player can transfer their save file from the previous game
, allowing decisions made in the first game to affect the second. The upcoming sequel
will feature the same system, although one ending will not be transferrable.
This sort of issue also arises when games have to similar but different plot-wise campaigns that can be played. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans featured a human
and an orc
campaign and winning either would have one race dominate the other. In Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
it is was decided that the orc scenario is canon and the human one is not.
Or, all endings may be made Canon, like in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. All of them happened due to a time rift created by the main character.
Alternate ending
Alternate ending is a term used to describe the ending of a story that was planned or debated but ultimately unused in favor of the actual ending. Generally, alternate endings are considered to have no bearing on the canonical narrative...
.
Literature
Since multiple endings usually require audience participation, books are able to capture the concept better than movies or television. However, for the sake of telling a story, this device is rarely used. The best examples are the popular 1980s children's Choose Your Own AdventureChoose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure is a series of children's gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actions and the plot's outcome. The series was based on a...
series and Heather McElhatton
Heather McElhatton
Heather McElhatton is a writer and producer for Public Radio International. McElhatton produced the literary series Talking Volumes from 2001 to 2006. From 2005 to 2007 she hosted the live variety show Stage Sessions for Minnesota Public Radio at the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul, Minnesota...
's bestselling novels Pretty Little Mistakes
Pretty Little Mistakes
Pretty Little Mistakes is a book written by Heather McElhatton and published on May 1, 2007 by HarperCollins.The novel is written in Second-person narrative and allows the reader to direct where the story will go, similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. The book has more than 150...
and Million Little Mistakes. In both books the protagonist is "you," the reader and you are given choices that lead to multiple outcomes.
The Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
1860 novel Great Expectations
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times....
underwent a change in ending just before publication. Modern editions often print both versions. (However, this situation is more akin to an alternate ending
Alternate ending
Alternate ending is a term used to describe the ending of a story that was planned or debated but ultimately unused in favor of the actual ending. Generally, alternate endings are considered to have no bearing on the canonical narrative...
.) However, perhaps the first true multiple-ending novel was Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar
Julio Cortázar
Julio Cortázar, born Jules Florencio Cortázar, was an Argentine writer. Cortázar, known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, influenced an entire generation of Spanish speaking readers and writers in the Americas and Europe.-Early life:Cortázar's parents, Julio José Cortázar and...
in 1963.
In some comic book stories the readers are advised to make a choice, and then turn to another page, from which the story will continue. The 1983 strip Cliff Hanger
Cliff Hanger (comic strip)
Cliff Hanger is the name of two different 1983 comic strips, one published in the United Kingdom and the other in the United States.The British Cliff Hanger was written and drawn by Jack Edward Oliver...
was based entirely around this premise.
Goosebumps
Goosebumps
Goosebumps is a series of children's horror fiction novels written by American author R. L. Stine and first published by Scholastic Publishing. It is a collection of stories that feature semi-homogenous plot structures, with fictional children being involved in scary situations...
also made books with branching storylines and multiple endings in the Give Yourself Goosebumps
Give Yourself Goosebumps
Give Yourself Goosebumps was a children's horror fiction gamebook series by R. L. Stine. After the success of the regular Goosebumps books, Scholastic Press decided to create this spin off series in 1995. In fact, Stine had written gamebooks in previous years.Fifty books in the series, including...
and Give Yourself Goosebumps Special Edition series.
The novel Life of Pi
Life of Pi
Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist, Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age...
offers the reader two choices as to how the protagonist's story ends.
Theatre
Ayn Rand'sAyn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
1934 play Night of January 16th
Night of January 16th
Night of January 16th is a play written by Ayn Rand, inspired by the death of the "Match King", Ivar Kreuger. First produced under a different name in 1934, it takes place entirely in a court room and is centered on a murder trial. It was a hit of the 1935-36 Broadway season...
allowed the audience to affect the ending by acting as the "Jury" and voting the defendant "innocent" or "guilty".
The 1985 musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (musical)
Drood is a musical based on the unfinished Charles Dickens novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It is written by Rupert Holmes, and was the first Broadway musical with multiple endings . Holmes received Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score...
, based on the incomplete 1870 Charles Dickens novel of the same name
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the final novel by Charles Dickens. The novel was left unfinished at the time of Dickens' death, and his intended ending for it remains unknown. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, the story focuses on Drood's uncle, choirmaster John Jasper, who...
, has several possible endings. In the middle of the second act, one of the actors announces that it was at this point that Dickens died, leaving the mystery unfinished. The audience votes on who they believe committed the murder. Each character—even the ones considered unlikely of having been Dickens' choice—has a song in the score claiming that he or she is, in fact, the murderer. The audience also votes upon which of the two sets of lovers they'd like to see together in the end, and these two sing a duet. However, the same number, "The Writing on the Wall", always closes the show.
Dario Fo
Dario Fo
Dario Fo is an Italian satirist, playwright, theater director, actor and composer. His dramatic work employs comedic methods of the ancient Italian commedia dell'arte, a theatrical style popular with the working classes. He currently owns and operates a theatre company with his wife, actress...
's 1970 play, Accidental Death of an Anarchist
Accidental Death of an Anarchist
Accidental Death of an Anarchist is perhaps the best-known play by the Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo.- About the play :...
, provides two endings to the play. Firstly, the journalist, Feletti, leaves the policemen to die. Once this happens, though, the Maniac, who was off stage, returns to tell the audience that the ending would not appease everyone, and so another ending is played out. The second ending sees Feletti freeing the policemen, who then handcuff her instead, and she dies. This ending serves to show the police's corruption whilst also being comical for the audience, and providing endings that suffice more of the audience.
The long-running play "Shear Madness
Shear Madness
Shear Madness is one of the longest-running nonmusical plays in the world, owned by Marilyn Abrams and Bruce Jordan.-Creation:David Eastwood and Bruce Jordan acquired rights for a murder mystery originally titled "Scherenschnitt," written by German playwright Paul Pörtner , and made it into "Shear...
" has multiple, audience-selected endings. Several characters may end up as the murderer.
Movies
DVDs often include an alternate endingAlternate ending
Alternate ending is a term used to describe the ending of a story that was planned or debated but ultimately unused in favor of the actual ending. Generally, alternate endings are considered to have no bearing on the canonical narrative...
as a special feature. These are often interesting in terms of characterization and provide insight to the production team's vision for the movie, but are usually not considered canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
.
When it was first shown in theatres in 1961, horror film Mr. Sardonicus
Mr. Sardonicus
Mr. Sardonicus is a 1961 horror film produced and directed by William Castle. It tells the story of Sardonicus, a man whose face becomes frozen in a horrifying grin while robbing his father's grave to obtain a winning lottery ticket. He tries to force a doctor to cure him, but eventually dies when...
featured a "punishment poll", in which audiences could vote (with glow-in-the-dark thumbs-up-or-down cards) on whether the evil lead character should die at the end of the picture. Naturally, audiences always voted for Sardonicus' death, which was fortunate, as producer William Castle
William Castle
William Castle was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Castle was known for directing films with many gimmicks which were ambitiously promoted, despite being reasonably low budget B-movies....
did not actually film a scene where Sardonicus lived.
It is rare for a film to have true multiple endings, but one notable example is the movie Clue
Clue (film)
Clue is a 1985 comedy mystery film based on the board game of the same name . The film is a murder mystery set in a Gothic Revival mansion, and is styled after Murder by Death and other various murder/dinner parties of mystery...
. Three different endings were used in the final version of the film (plus one unreleased fourth ending), with each having a different killer. This is a unique case in that the theatrical release had only one of the three endings, depending on the theater. For the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and video releases, all three endings were included, preceded by screen text such as, "That's how it could have happened..." The home viewer can either choose who he or she wants to be guilty, or the viewer can allow the DVD to choose randomly instead. A fourth ending (where the butler did it all) was filmed but scrapped. Clue was orchestrated this way in part because it was based on a board game
Cluedo
Cluedo is a popular murder/mystery-themed deduction board game originally published by Waddingtons in Leeds, England in 1949. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the United States game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired its U.S...
which offers multiple outcomes. The stage version of Clue also has multiple endings to a certain extent; the killer is randomly selected before the show. However, the true mastermind is always the same at the end.
Also, in the movie Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
and its sequel, Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
, there are three endings; each of the first two end with the two main characters appearing on screen and suggesting a different ending, until ultimately deciding on the "mega happy ending". This was done completely for comedic effect
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
.
Multiple endings also occur in the movies Drift (where the main character is seen to make one choice, then when the movie seems to end, it begins again back at a previous point in the film, where the main character makes a second choice, and it happens again for a third time) and Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors
Sliding Doors is a 1998 British-American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Howitt and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah, and featured John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Virginia McKenna. The music was composed by David Hirschfelder...
(where we see two versions of the film concurrently after "splitting" when the main character catches, and misses, her train). Neither of these films offers any ending as the "right" ending, but seem to offer both as plausible outcomes to different choices and events.
The movie Run Lola Run
Run Lola Run
Run Lola Run is a 1998 German crime thriller film written and directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente as Lola and Moritz Bleibtreu as Manni. The story follows a woman who needs to obtain 100,000 German marks in 20 minutes to save her boyfriend's life...
features three different "realities", with each story having its own ending.
The movie I Am Legend
I Am Legend (film)
I Am Legend is a 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man. Smith plays virologist Robert...
features an alternative ending where the protagonist does not die.
Animation
The Saturday morning animated versions of laser-disc arcade games Dragon's LairDragon's Lair
Dragon's Lair is a laserdisc video game published by Cinematronics in 1983. It featured animation created by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth....
and Space Ace
Space Ace
Space Ace is a laserdisc video game produced by Don Bluth Studios, Cinematronics, and Advanced Microcomputer Systems...
had multiple situations and endings, with two "false" (wrong), and one "right" (successful).
The Rooster Teeth Series, Red Vs Blue, had three different endings (with an additional 4 on the Season 5 DVD) -
- Everyone kills each other
- It was a video game, and they move to play a new map whilst speaking in a Halo 2 post-game lobby.
- They continue fighting the war (canon ending)
- Elites invade and kill both teams
- Church wakes up from a nightmare, and discovers that it was just a dream (Going back to after being shot by the Tank). But when he tries to explain the dreams events to the Red Team, he and the other Blues are shot dead.
- Tex comes back and blows both teams up
- An explanation of what happened to each character after the series ended.
Video games
Due to their interactive nature, multiple endings have become popular in video games. This device is most often used in games that are story-driven, such as adventure gameAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
s, RPGs
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
, or survival horror, as opposed to games that are action-driven
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
(like puzzle games, shooter game
Shooter game
Shooter games are a sub-genre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. It includes many subgenres that have the commonality of focusing "on the actions of the avatar using some sort of weapon. Usually this weapon is a gun, or some other long-range weapon". A common...
s, platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
s, or sports games). This was innovated and popularized by the RPG Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
. Many such games will artificially enhance their length by encouraging more than one play-through via multiple endings. Generally, endings have to be vastly different in terms of plot to be considered multiple endings; having obtained certain characters to get slightly different results at the end of the game (as in Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
) does not count as a distinct ending. Also, the "Game Over
Game over
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
" outcome is usually not counted as an ending in this context (although "bad endings" are counted).
Examples of multiple endings in video games:
- The Ace Attorney series (also known as the Phoenix Wright series) contains special game over sequences in some cases which can be considered multiple endings (such as when the defendant is given a "Guilty" verdict). The best example of this is near the very end of the fourth case of the second game, where a series of three correct choices will result in the canon ending, whereas making a mistake results in a much shorter, "bad" ending. In the good ending Phoenix brings out the truth and defeats the villain, in the bad ending the guilty party gets away and despite the fact Phoenix's assistant is let free from De Killer Phoenix says "I never saw Maya again." Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney also has a bad ending if in the final case you choose guilty when playing as the juror.
- And Then There Were NoneAnd Then There Were None (video game)Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None is the title of a 2005 point-and-click adventure game developed by AWE Productions and published by The Adventure Company for Microsoft Windows. It was the first in The Adventure Company's Agatha Christie series...
has four possible endings, depending on whether the player saves the last two victims or not. Saving both results in a happy ending, saving one and not the other results in a semi-happy ending, and not saving either results in an unhappy ending. A similar multiple-ending scenario, with similar conditions and outcomes, occurs in Castlevania: Rondo of BloodCastlevania: Rondo of BloodCastlevania: Rondo of Blood, known in Japan as is a platform video game developed by Konami for the PC Engine. The tenth installment of the Castlevania video game series and a 2D side-scroller, it acts as a middleground between the earlier, typically linear Castlevania games and the later...
. - Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick ObscuraArcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick ObscuraArcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a single player / multi-player computer role-playing game developed by Troika Games and published by Sierra Entertainment. It was released in North America and Europe in August 2001 for Microsoft Windows...
has different endings for locations and certain characters in the game, resulting in different combinations of endings depending on what the player did during the game. For example, if the player helps the local thieves in the city of Shrouded Hills to destroy bridge materials, the player will get the bad ending for Shrouded Hills, with the town stagnated due to no communication with other cities. If the player completes the good quests for Shrouded Hills, however, the ending will be Shrouded Hills flourishing, and eventually becoming a big metropolisMetropolisA metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
. Similar things are done with certain important characters in the game and other locations. - Bible BlackBible Blackis an eroge PC video game developed by ActiveSoft and published on July 14, 2000. Sei Shoujo is the original creator of the games artwork, character design and penned the original script for the game....
has 12 endings depending what decisions does the main character takes during the game, in 10 of them the main character loses or dies, but in the ending No. 1 or 12 he wins. - The Settlers: Rise of an EmpireThe Settlers: Rise of an EmpireThe Settlers: Rise of an Empire , a real-time strategy game, is the sixth game in The Settlers series. It was developed by Blue Byte and published by UbiSoft, with a US release date of September 25, 2007, a European release date of September 28, and an Australian release date of September 30...
has two possible endings, for women and for men (depending did he choose himself to be a king or queen). - The BioShockBioShock (series)BioShock is a video game series developed by Irrational Games—the first under the name 2K Boston/2K Australia—and designed by Ken Levine. It was originally released for the Windows operating system and Xbox 360 video game console on 21 August 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe...
games have multiple endings based on the player's moral decisions, mainly the choice to either harvest (kill) or rescue the little sisters. - Blade Runner on the PC is notable for its many multiple endings, all of which can be deemed authentic. It has been argued how many endings there really are, but thirteen is the most accepted answer. Many of the endings depend on the way the whole game is played which also depends on random events, different decision making, and different sequences of triggers. The endings deal with either the main character realizing he's a replicant, fulfilling the title of being a true blade runner, or running off with a loved one.
- Bubble BobbleBubble Bobbleis an arcade game by Taito, first released in 1986 and later ported to numerous home computers and game consoles. The game, starring the twin Bubble Dragons and , is an action-platform game in which players travel through one hundred different stages, blowing and bursting bubbles, avoiding...
was possibly the first game to feature multiple endings (or at least the forebearer of the concept). The player would receive different outcomes at the end of the game depending on whether the second player was alive, and whether they had completed the "bonus" levels. - CatherineCatherine (video game)is a horror puzzle-platformer adventure game developed by Atlus Persona Team and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is Atlus' first internally-developed game for seventh-generation consoles in high definition, and is described as an "adult-oriented" title by the game's...
has multiple different endings, depending on whether Vincent the main character choses to live his life with Katherine (his longtime girlfriend ready to marry him) or Catherine (who is just his type). - Clock Tower had different endings based on where the player goes and which methods are used to escape. They may escape by themselves, or with other members of the party, or they may not escape. Most of the other gamesClock Tower (series)Clock Tower is a stealth-based survival horror adventure video game series, created by Human Entertainment and continued by Sunsoft. The series plays like a horror film and unlike some of the other survival horror games, the Clock Tower series does not focus on shooting creatures or using violence,...
in the series also have many possible endings. - Chrono TriggerChrono Triggeris a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
(and its sequel, Chrono CrossChrono Crossis a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger, which was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
) is the most prominent early example of multiple endings. A few endings could be obtained on the first play-through depending on the player's choices during the game; however, most of the endings were granted as a bonus available on subsequent play-throughs, depending on when the player transported to defeat the final boss. - Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, and released internationally in March 2007...
contains a choice between a good or bad ending in the last GDI campaign mission. The player's objective is to destroy a large control node which apparently holds control over the alien species (known as the Scrin) invading planet Earth. In the middle of this mission, the player is offered to use a Liquid Tiberium Bomb to instantly destroy the control node. If the player does so, a bad ending plays after victory, where you are told that millions of civilians have been killed by the chain reaction set off by the bomb. If you refuse to use the bomb, and instead chooses to destroy the node in another way, the good ending plays, with no civilian casualties. - Crash BashCrash BashCrash Bash is a party video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment, produced by Universal Interactive Studios and developed by Eurocom for the PlayStation. The game was released in North America on November 6, 2000 and in Europe on December 1, 2000...
has 2 possible endings depending on whether the player plays as a good or evil character. However, if the game is completed with 2 players, with one being good and one being evil, after the final boss is defeated, the players will be forced to fight each other and the winner will determine the ending. - The Crystal KeyThe Crystal KeyThe Crystal Key is a graphic adventure video game published by DreamCatcher Interactive in 2000.- Story :The storyline is set in the future, where the protagonist is sent to another planet to investigate the source of a cryptic message from an evil alien race...
has multiple endings, all taking place aboard Ozgar's mothership. One happens after the power station on level 2 is activated, but a multitool there is not taken, leaving the player with no way to escape from a prison cell in the next level. Another happens after first seeing Ozgar through a window. If the player moves forward instead of left when leaving, Ozgar will approach, and use his telepathic abilities to kill the player. The rest occur if the trap to destroy Ozgar at the game's end is not set up correctly. Ozgar will then telepathically summon his guards (the only thing he actually says in English), who arrive to shoot the player dead. - Deus ExDeus ExDeus Ex is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines gameplay elements of first-person shooters with those of role-playing video games...
, and its sequel Deus Ex: Invisible WarDeus Ex: Invisible WarDeus Ex: Invisible War is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive. Released simultaneously for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox video game console on December 2, 2003, the game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Deus Ex...
, featured three and five endings, respectively, based on which of several factions the hero sided with. The sequel used a blend of the first game's endings as canon. The endings depended mainly on the player's actions at the very end of the game. The sequel also featured a joke ending accessed by a bizarre sequence of actions in the final level. - Disgaea: Hour of DarknessDisgaea: Hour of Darknessis a tactical role-playing video game developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by Nippon Ichi Software in Japan, Atlus USA, Inc. in North America, and Koei in Europe for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
included a character who explicitly mentioned "multiple endings." The main plot could end in several ways, depending on whether Prince Laharl killed any allies as collateral damage during battles, and whether or not he defeated a certain optional boss. Radically different endings would also appear if Laharl accumulated many "ally kills" before certain moral decisions, or let comic-relief character Vyers defeat him, or attacked the Netherworld Senate one hundred times, or conquered a secret area instead of fighting the normal boss. Finally, defeating a hidden, extremely hard boss would give an "ending" that resolved a plot thread without actually ending the game. - Earthworm JimEarthworm JimEarthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created by Doug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment, released by Sega for the Mega...
's Special Edition included a "bad ending", which is accessed by completing the game on Practice difficulty. The ending includes a long, humorous speech about worms, which becomes weird and out of shape due to the narrator being bothered to read it. - Epic MickeyEpic MickeyEpic Mickey is a 2010 Mickey Mouse action-adventure platforming video game designed by Warren Spector and developed by Junction Point Studios for the Wii console...
has several different endings (albeit in the same credit sequence) depending on how the player clears the first 3 of 4 boss fights, using Paint or Thinner, and treating certain NPCs, such as Small Pete, Big Bad Pete, and Animatronics Donald, Goofy, and Daisy. - Visual novelVisual novelA is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s usually have multiple endings, depending on the choices of the player throughout the game. Some visual novels, such as Ever17 or Clannad feature additional endings or continuations of the story that are unlocked after a given set of endings are reached. Princess Maker 2Princess Maker 2Princess Maker 2 is the second installment in the Princess Maker series of life simulation games developed by the Japanese computer game and anime production company Gainax. It has been translated into Korean and Chinese; an English-language beta version exists, but was never formally released. In...
has 74 different endings, depending on statistics given to player character and accomplishing plot requirements during play. - Final Fantasy X-2Final Fantasy X-2is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
has- in addition to a bad ending in which Vegnagun is not destroyed in time- 4 additional endings: sad, neutral, good (which also includes the neutral portion), and perfect (which also includes the neutral and good portions). The ending depends on objectives met during the game. - Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas both end according to the choices the player makes, or who/what faction the player is working with. For example, if the player is working with the Legion at the end of Fallout: New Vegas, the ending would be much different than if the player was working with the NCR. Not only are there four possible main endings, but there also exist multiple endings for each of the settlements you visit, depending on your actions. In Fallout 3, the player is given 2 choices at the end of the game which will impact how the ending will occur (either sacrifice yourself or someone else for Project Purity). Karma serves as an in-game reminder of how good/bad you did in general. Also, multiple endings for some settlements exist.
- Guilty Gear X2 possesses a Story Mode in which, if certain criteria are met, the character that the player is playing as can see a number of varying plot points, which end with three endings which usually differ from each other in that the character interacts with characters not seen in the other two endings.
- God of War IIGod of War IIGod of War II is an action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2 by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March, 2007....
shows an alternate ending to the boss battle or an alternate ending to the first gameGod of War (video game)God of War is an action adventure video game for the PlayStation 2 first released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division in March 2005...
. If, when fighting Atropos, the player ignores Atropos as she attacks the sword (in which case the sword will start to crack, and eventually will fall apart), the sword parts collapse into the water; Kratos falls in with them, overhearing Atropos saying, "This is the power of the fates, Kratos; none can change their true destiny!" As Ares proceeds to finish Kratos in his final battle in the past, when Kratos looks at the broken sword, instead of picking it up (since it's no use broken), Kratos returns to his sad stance and is then stabbed the same way Zeus did by Ares and is killed, as the present day Kratos also dies from the time paradox, and the player is taken to the "You Are Dead" screenGame overGame Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
, making them redo the battle. - Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
involves the game's main protagonist, Niko BellicNiko BellicNiko Bellic is the main protagonist and playable character in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows. He is a 30-year-old former soldier from Eastern Europe who moved to Liberty City to escape his troubled past and pursue the "American Dream"...
, having to decide whether to seek revenge, or to strike a deal. But no matter his choices are, someone he cares for dies. If the player chose Revenge, Niko will kill the game's antagonist, Dimitri Rascalov early, his girlfriend eventually gunned down by Pegorino's men, and Niko pursues to take his second revenge. If Deal is taken, it is Niko's cousin, Roman, who is killed, and Niko goes after Dimitri, who will be the final boss of the game. - Half-Life ends with the player having to make a choice (the famous "It's time to choose" sound file used here later having been used in Counter-StrikeCounter-StrikeCounter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe...
to let the players vote on a new map) between cooperating with the man in the suitG-Man (Half-Life)The G-Man, voiced by Michael Shapiro, is a mysterious recurring character in the Half-Life series of first-person shooter video games. He is known to display peculiar behavior and capabilities beyond that of a normal human, and his identity and motives remain almost completely unexplained...
or refusing to do so. Refusal leads to the player being killed by the man, and cooperating leads to being transported into another dimension. Either way, the player has lost control of his/her own destiny, indicating the so-called choice was really a Hobson's choiceHobson's choiceA Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one option is offered. As a person may refuse to take that option, the choice is therefore between taking the option or not; "take it or leave it". The phrase is said to originate with Thomas Hobson , a livery stable owner in Cambridge, England...
. The sequelHalf-Life 2Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
assumes that the player chose to cooperate. - All Halo games have an extended ending if they are beaten on Legendary mode.
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a action-adventure game published by Electronic Arts and developed by both EA's internal development team and Eurocom for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and Game Boy Advance systems. It was simultaneously co-developed by Amaze Entertainment for...
has two endings; if the player earns enough points for Gryffindor House, then it shows an ending with Gryffindor House's victory in the House Cup. If not, then Slytherin wins. - Heavy RainHeavy RainHeavy Rain is an interactive drama psychological thriller video game created by Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game is written and directed by Quantic Dream's founder and CEO David Cage....
has 18 endings, following the game premise of "Every single choice you make will change everything". - The House of the DeadThe House of the Dead (series)The House of the Dead is a video game franchise published by Sega and created by in-house designer Atsushi Seimiya of AM1....
series (with the exception of Overkill) all have alternate endings depending on the player's performance. In the firstThe House of the Dead (video game)The House of the Dead is a first-person, light gun arcade game developed in 1996 and released in 1997 by Sega.Players assume the role of agents Thomas Rogan and "G" in their efforts to combat the products of the dangerous, inhumane experiments of Dr. Curien, a madman.-Gameplay:The House of the Dead...
game, Rogan's wife-to-be, Sophie, is shown to be severely wounded by the first boss, The Chariot, and it's later revealed she manages to escape the house alive, or as a zombie. In 2The House of the Dead 2The House of the Dead 2 is a light gun arcade game with a horror theme and the second game in the The House of the Dead series of video games, developed by Sega for video arcades in 1998 and later ported to the Dreamcast and Microsoft Windows, and also found on the Xbox as an unlockable bonus in...
, either James and/or Gary is greeted by Rogan, or a Zombie Goldman. In 3, of four endings, either one- Daniel Curien reflects upon his father's intentions, two- Daniel transforms into a zombie, 3- a zombie hijacks Lisa Rogan's car, or 4- an unidentified "mystery man" picks up a glass vial containing Daniel Curien's antidote, and ambiguously says the compound has a "true purpose". In 4The House of the Dead 4The House of the Dead 4 is a light gun arcade game with a horror theme and the fourth installment of the House of the Dead series of video games, developed by Sega. The game is an interquel and takes place between the events of The House of the Dead 2 and The House of the Dead III, and introduced...
, either a pre-recorded message from Goldman plays (standard), plays and reveals Goldman is zombified (bad), G honors James' sacrifice, or shows the "mystery man", who reveals his disgust for the human race and reveals there is a second Pandora's Box. - Indiana Jones and the Fate of AtlantisIndiana Jones and the Fate of AtlantisIndiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a point-and-click adventure game by LucasArts originally released in 1992. Almost a year later, it was reissued on CD-ROM as an enhanced "talkie" edition with full voice acting and digitized sound effects...
has two endings, depending on the player's actions during the endgame. In the normal ending, Ubermann unsuccessfully attempts to transform himself using the god machine, which kills him and destroys Atlantis. In this ending, Indy and Sophia watch Atlantis sink, and Indy kisses Sophia. The bad ending occurs if Sophia is not freed from prison or Nur-Ab-Sal's influence. In this case, she enters the god machine instead of Ubermann, and is killed. Indy is alone as he watches Atlantis sink, and laments that Sophia did not listen to him. - King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone TomorrowKing's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone TomorrowKing's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow is the sixth installment in the King's Quest series of adventure games produced by Sierra Entertainment...
features several endings, depending on which of two main branches the player takes during the game and which optional actions the player performs. In the best ending, peace is restored to the Land of the Green Isles, Cassima's parents return from the dead, the genie is still alive, the royal family of Daventry is present at Alexander and Cassima's wedding, and Jollo the jester performs at the wedding. In the alternate endings, many of these elements are not present. - KKnDKKnDKKnD, or Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy is a series of post-apocalyptic real-time strategy games by Beam Software. KKnD was released in 1997, while a sequel - KKND2: Krossfire was released in 1998...
features two different endings for the two factions. The Survivors campaign ending shows the re-building of civilization while the Evolved campaign ending shows a destruction of survivor infrastructures. The Evolved campaign ending is canonical as hinted by its sequel, KKnD 2: Krossfire. - La Pucelle: TacticsLa Pucelle: TacticsLa Pucelle: Tactics, released in Japan as , is a tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Nippon Ichi Software. It was released in Japan in January 2002, and in North America by Mastiff in May 2004...
featured multiple endings to individual chapters. For instance, in one chapter heroine Prier could respond to reports of a monster in the forest by simply killing it or by investigating the matter further, leading to completely different outcomes without changing the game's overall plot. - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's MaskThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Maskis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...
ends with the credits being rolled over a series of cutscenes for each of the sidequests the player completed. If the player did not complete a sidequest, instead the game shows a black screen and the mask that the player failed to earn, encouraging the player to go back and complete the sidequest. The game also shows a nonstandard "game over" cutscene if the player lets the game's three-day time limit run out. - Mana-Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis has 8 endings, 1 of which is a bad ending. To obtain one of the 7 good endings, the player must complete all of a party member's character quests throughout the game, with the last one for all characters becoming available on the last Free Time week in Chapter 11. If this is done, the player can fight the true final boss, in which Vayne can join, and the player has one last chance to reposition the party after fighting the 1st final boss. Defeating the final boss will unlock the ending for whoever's character quests the player has completed. Consequently, if the player wants to view endings for multiple characters, he/she would have to save at the last Free Time week in Chapter 11, complete another character's final quest, and fight through the bosses in Chapters 11 and 12 again, all while saving in a separate slot for each character. If the player did not complete all of a character's quest, then the true final boss cannot be fought, and Vayne's ending, the bad ending, is unlocked.
- Mega Man X5Mega Man X5Mega Man X5, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the fifth main installment in the Mega Man X series. It was first released for the PlayStation in Japan on November 30, 2000 and in North America and PAL territories the following year.Mega Man X5 is set in the 22nd century...
There are two endings in this game. The first ending in which X was trying to save Zero while suddenly Sigma shot a laser at X, while Zero shoots Sigma with the Z-Buster. While X was repaired, he brought Zero's saber as he said "Forever.. We will be together.. Zero..", while in the second ending, Light repaired X and deletes his memories about Zero. The second ending can be unlocked by letting Zero go maverick. - MetroidMetroidis an action-adventure video game, and the first entry in the Metroid series. It was co-developed by Nintendo's Research and Development 1 division and Intelligent Systems, and was released in Japan in August 1986, in North America in August 1987, and in Europe in January 1988...
and its sequels featured slight variations on the ending depending on how quickly the player finished the game, or on how many of the game's items were found (as in Prime trilogy sub-series). - Metroid Prime HuntersMetroid Prime HuntersMetroid Prime Hunters is a first-person shooter and adventure game for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was developed by American video game developers Nintendo Software Technology, and was released by Nintendo in North America in March 2006, in Europe and Australia in May 2006, and...
concerns two endings when fighting Gorea at the end of the game. If Samus defeats Gorea's first phase but not fulfilling the Alimbic Prophecy, then the scene will play showing the Oubliette, the planet she is on, explodes with Samus and all the hunters remaining within its chambers. If, however, she fulfilling this, Gorea in the second phase appears and upon its defeat, Samus and the other hunters flee as the Oubliette explodes. - Metal Gear SolidMetal Gear Solidis a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
has two endings concerning the fate of the character Meryl Silverburgh. At one point, the player is presented with a choice; either they must endure and survive a torture, or submit to the torture. If they choose to submit, Meryl dies. Since Meryl reappears in Metal Gear Solid 4, the former ending is canon, despite the fact Snake mentions his stealth camo in Metal Gear Solid 2, at the opening section of 'Tanker', which he only receives if Meryl dies. - In many games, such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicStar Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and on September 7, 2004 for Mac OS X. The Xbox version is playable on Xbox 360 with its...
, Baldur's GateBaldur's GateBaldur's Gate is a computer role-playing game developed by BioWare and released in 1998 by Interplay Entertainment. The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms, a high fantasy campaign setting, using modified Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules...
, and FableFable (video game)Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
, the player can choose whether to side with the forces of good or evil. This will affect many aspects of the game, including the ending. - Meteors has multiple endings in the Space Trip mode, depending on the path is taken by the player.
- The plot of most games in the Mortal Kombat series revolves around a martial arts tournament. Depending on who the player wins the tournament as, a different ending occurs.
- MystMystMyst is a graphic adventure video game designed and directed by the brothers Robyn and Rand Miller. It was developed by Cyan , a Spokane, Washington––based studio, and published and distributed by Brøderbund. The Millers began working on Myst in and released it for the Mac OS computer on September...
, RivenRivenRiven is a puzzle adventure game and the sequel to Myst. Developed by Cyan Worlds, it was initially published by Brøderbund. Riven was distributed on five compact discs and released on October 29, 1997, in North America; it was later released on a single DVD-ROM, with improved audio and a...
, Myst III: ExileMyst III: ExileMyst III: Exile is the third title in the Myst series of first person adventure video games. While the preceding games in the series, Myst and Riven, were produced by Cyan and published by Brøderbund, Exile was developed by Presto Studios and published by Ubisoft...
, Myst IV: RevelationMyst IV: RevelationMyst IV: Revelation is the fourth installment in the Myst computer game series, developed and published by Ubisoft. Revelation was the first game in the series released exclusively on a DVD-ROM format; a multiple CD-ROM version was not produced as it would have taken twelve compact discs to fit all...
, Myst V: End of AgesMyst V: End of AgesMyst V: End of Ages is a 2005 adventure video game, and the fifth and final installment in the Myst series. The game was developed by Cyan Worlds, published by Ubisoft, and released for Macintosh and Windows PC platforms on September 20, 2005...
, and Uru: Ages Beyond MystUru: Ages Beyond MystUru: Ages Beyond Myst is an adventure video game developed by Cyan Worlds and published by Ubisoft. Released in 2003, the title is the fourth game in the Myst canon. Departing from previous games of the franchise, Uru takes place in the modern era and allows players to customize their onscreen...
all have multiple endings, some of which (In Myst, Riven, Exile, and Revelation) end in the player's demise. - Access Software's 1996 interactive movieInteractive movieAn interactive movie is a video game that features highly cinematic presentation and heavy use of scripting, often through the use of full-motion video of either animated or live-action footage.-Philosophy:...
The Pandora DirectiveThe Pandora DirectiveThe Pandora Directive is an adventure game for the PC. It takes place in the world of Tex Murphy, hero of Mean Streets, Martian Memorandum, Under a Killing Moon, and Tex Murphy: Overseer....
features three different narrative paths and nine possible endings depending on the path taken by the player in shaping the playable character's personality through certain actions and conversations. - Psychic DetectivePsychic Detective (video game)Psychic Detective is the title of a 1995 video game that used extensive amounts of live-action footage and featuring dozens of professional character actors....
has more than a dozen alternate endings; which one is seen depends on the player's actions throughout the game and the outcome of a board game at the end. The best ending is "The Grand Slam", but other endings offer a mix of positive and negative outcomes for the characters. - In Rayman 2: The Great EscapeRayman 2: The Great EscapeRayman 2: The Great Escape is a platform game and the sequel to Rayman. It was developed by Ubisoft and first released on October 29, 1999. It is considered to have raised standards regarding 3D, level design and game play, being praised by numerous reviews...
, after the player defeats Jano in The Cave of Bad Dreams, Jano offers the player a treasure instead of the Elixir of Life (Which is required to progress in the game). If the player chooses to collect the treasure, the scene changes to Rayman, now grown terribly obese, sleeping on a small island with the treasure, with a large "THE END" title. - In the game Saw (video game) there are two endings. The first is a freedom door where you, Detective David Tapp, and all of the people still alive in the asylum will be free. If the player choses the Truth door people left alive will have to find their way out on their own terms while David must pursue JigsawJigsaw KillerJohn Kramer is a fictional character and the central character of the Saw franchise. Jigsaw made his debut as the primary antagonist in the first film of the series, Saw, and he's later portrayed as an antihero in Saw II, III, IV, V, VI and 3D...
up to the point where he beats up (unknowingly) Melissa Sing who the Pighead dressed as jigsaw. She later gets killed by a tripwire. Tapp then is later in the Asylum being watched by unknown people while he is tied down to a table. - In the final boss battle of Shaman King: Power of SpiritShaman King: Power of SpiritShaman King: Power of Spirit is the second Shaman King game released on the PS2, while the first being Shaman King: Funbari Spirits which was a Japan exclusive cel-shaded fighter. Much confusion has erupted over if the two games are related, but are in fact, not. Power of Spirit was developed for...
, if the player defeats the final boss but depletes Meril's HP in the process, the ending will be almost exactly the same, except that Meril will remain in a coma forever; if she survives the battle, she will still be in the hospital, but will wake up in the end. Note that it is extremely difficult to defeat the boss without letting her get killed. - Shadow of Destiny has a series of multiple endings that unlocks game content based on the characters actions during that event sequence.
- The Shadow HeartsShadow Heartsis a series of role playing games for the PlayStation 2. The original Shadow Hearts was developed by Sacnoth and released by Midway in the United States on December 11, 2001. The sequel, Shadow Hearts: Covenant , was also made by the same group, although Sacnoth reformed itself into a company...
video game series has been known for having two endings (Good and Bad endings). For example, in Shadow Hearts 2, near the end of the game the main character is asked a question and you will have two choices, you will get the good/bad ending depending on your choice. - Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne has 6 possible endings: Yosuga, Musubi, Shijima, Neutral, Demon, True Demon.
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 has two possible endings: the bad ending, which is triggered by accepting Ryoji's request to kill him, thus wiping out the SEES team's memories of the Dark Hour and letting Nyx destroy the world, and the good/canon ending which is achieved by refusing Ryoji's request, reaching the top of Tartarus within a month and defeating the final boss, Nyx.
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, originally released in Japan as simply , is a role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for Sony's PlayStation 2, and chronologically the fifth installment in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series. Persona 4 was released in Japan in July 2008, North...
features three possible endings: the bad ending, which is triggered by the player's decision to kill Taro Namatame or failing to identify the true killer, the normal ending, which is attainable by apprehending the real culprit behind the murders, and the 'true/canon ending', which is achievable only by performing a series of actions during the last day of the story and defeating the mastermind behind the whole case. - The Silent HillSilent Hillis a survival horror video game series consisting of seven installments published by Konami and its subsidiary Konami Digital Entertainment. The first four games in the series, Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4, have been developed by an internal factor, Team Silent...
series has become known for its multiple endings, each with a different outcome for the player and thus a different theme or tone to view the entire game's events. Most of the games have also included a "joke" ending, for the consummate gamers. - The Resident EvilResident Evil (series)Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a media franchise owned by the video game company Capcom. It was created by Shinji Mikami as a survival horror game series that was initiated with the eponymous PlayStation title Resident Evil in 1996. Since then, the game series has strayed from its roots to...
series' multiple endings varied in the fates of the main characters or final bossesBoss (video games)A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
. For example, in the first title, if the player does not save his main supporting character, they will not fight the final boss (who will be shown free to roam the forest.) Subsequent games show which of the endings from the previous ones are canon. Also, files presented in Resident Evil 5Resident Evil 5Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the seventh installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series, and was released on March 5, 2009 in Japan and on March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe...
also confirm the canon events. - Shadow the Hedgehog has 10 endings; there are 5 final stages in the game, and your final decision as to whether this play this final level in Hero or Dark determines the ending.. However, there is a true, canonCanon (fiction)In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
ical ending that is unlocked by gaining all of the endings. - Many strategy video games have mutually exclusive campaigns, each leading to a different ending. When a sequel is made, the designers can decide that one side won the previous game (E.g.: Command & Conquer series) or that the side the player chooses won/lost.
- In Soul Blade, endings for the various characters can feature different outcomes depending on commands entered during certain points. For example, one outcome will see the player take Soul Edge and become evil, whilst the other sees him destroy it. A similar system appeared in Soul Calibur IIISoul Calibur IIIis a fighting game produced by Namco and is the sequel to Soulcalibur II and is the fourth overall installment in the Soul series of fighting games...
. - Star Wars III: Revenge Of The SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (video game)Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith is the official LucasArts 2005 video game based on the movie of the same name. It centers around Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as the Clone Wars come to an end. It was released on May 5, 2005, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance and...
gives the player the chance to play as Anakin and fight Obi-Wan after he/she defeats Anakin Skywalker in Level 17. On winning, Obi-Wan is killed and Anakin returns to Darth Sidious (Supreme Chancellor Palpatine), however, upon receiving a new lightsaber from his master, he kills him and declares himself the new ruler of the galaxy. - The plot of most games in the Street Fighter series revolves around a martial arts tournament. Depending on who the player wins the tournament as, a different ending occurs.
- The home version of the Street Fighter: The MovieStreet Fighter: The Movie (home video game)Street Fighter: The Movie, released in Japan as , is a head-to-head fighting game released for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The game is based on the 1994 live-action Street Fighter movie and uses digitized images of the films cast posing as the characters in the game...
game features a Movie Battle mode with two possible endings. As GuileGuile (Street Fighter)is a fictional character in Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games.-Street Fighter series:Guile made his first appearance in Street Fighter II as one of the eight selectable characters featured in the first release of the game...
, the player must find and defeat M. BisonM. BisonM. Bison, known in Japan as Vega, is a video game character created by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, he is a recurring character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games, acting as the final boss and primary antagonist of the Street Fighter II and Street...
within an hour. Success in this mode means that Guile is regarded as a hero, and Shadaloo City is rebuilt to be recognized as a symbol of world peace. Failure to find Bison in the hour will result in the AN being forced to pay Bison the ransom, Guile is court martialed, and Bison uses the ransom money to finance his plot to mass-produce his army of "Perfect Genetic Soldiers" and seize control of the world. - Suikoden IISuikoden IIis a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation video game console and the second installment of the Suikoden video game series. It was released in late 1998 in Japan, 1999 in North America, and in 2000 in Europe. It was also released for Microsoft Windows in...
and Suikoden VSuikoden Vis a console role-playing game developed by Konami and Hudson Soft and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console and the Suikoden video game series...
have alternate endings which are unlocked if all possible characters have been recruited and certain other requirements are met. The other entries in the series also have bonuses for recruiting all characters, but in ISuikodenis a role-playing game series originally created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The game series is loosely based on the classical Chinese novel, Shui Hu Zhuan by Shi Naian and Luo Guanzhong. Shui Hu Zhuan is rendered as 水滸伝 in Japanese, and read as Suikoden...
and IVSuikoden IVis a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console and the fourth installment of the Suikoden video game series...
these are limited to brief extra or changed scenes in the end, while in IIISuikoden IIIis a console role-playing game developed and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console, and the third installment in the Suikoden video game series. It was released in 2002 in Japan and Notrth America, with a manga version published in 2004...
, this instead opens up an extra playable portion of the game after the typical end. - Tales of SymphoniaTales of Symphoniais a video game first released for the Nintendo GameCube and later for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. It debuted in Japan on August 29, 2003, selling 953,000 copies, in Canada and the United States on July 13, 2004, and in Europe on November 19, 2004. The game received a Japanese-only PlayStation 2...
contains two different endings depending on a choice the player makes in Flanoir. If the player waits, and talks to Kratos, Zelos will fight the party when he betrays them, and is killed. Kratos will later rejoin the party later in the game. If the player chooses to talk with anyone but Kratos, Zelos will run away when he betrays the party, but will later rejoin and Kratos will not. This ending has been made canon since Zelos is alive in Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New WorldTales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New WorldTales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, known in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco Bandai for the Wii as a cross of spin-off and sequel to Tales of Symphonia for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of...
. The ending also changes slightly depending on the affection levels of the player's party. - The Fallout seriesFallout seriesFallout is a series of post-apocalyptic role-playing games published by Interplay Entertainment and later by Bethesda Softworks. Although the series is set during the 22nd and 23rd centuries, its retrofuturistic story and artwork are influenced by the post-war culture of 1950s America, and its...
had a set of multiple endings which changed with the player's actions through the game. - Multi-character Tournament games such as the fighting game Mortal KombatMortal Kombat (series)Mortal Kombat, commonly abbreviated MK, is a science fantasy series of fighting games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The first four renditions and their updates were developed by Midway Games and initially released on arcade machines. The arcade titles were later picked up by Acclaim...
and the deathrace game Twisted Metal feature multiple canonical endings, one for each character. The final actual canon ending is composed of parts of these endings. It is not known which parts of which endings would be picked as the true endings until the next game. For example, in Mortal Kombat 3Mortal Kombat 3Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game developed by Midway and released in 1995, first as an arcade game. It is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series...
, CyraxCyraxCyrax is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat series. Making his debut in Mortal Kombat 3, Cyrax is a cyborg ninja who used to be human until he was automated, along with Sektor and Smoke.-In video games:...
's ending finds him being reprogrammed by Sub-ZeroSub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)Sub-Zero is the name given to two video game characters from the Mortal Kombat series. The older Sub-Zero first appeared in the first Mortal Kombat game, being replaced by his younger brother in Mortal Kombat II and the subsequent games...
to defeat Shao KahnShao KahnShao Kahn is a boss, announcer and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. The main antagonist in the Mortal Kombat series, Shao Kahn is the Emperor of Outworld known for his godlike strength, extreme brutality and knowledge of black magic...
and ends up lost in JadeJade (Mortal Kombat)Jade is a fictional character from the Mortal Kombat fighting video game series. She debuted in Mortal Kombat II , at first as an unplayable secret character and became a player character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3...
's desert ruins. While Liu KangLiu KangLiu Kang is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. First appearing in the series' first title, Liu Kang is portrayed as a Shaolin monk who enters the Mortal Kombat tournament to save his world, Earthrealm, from being destroyed due to having lost nine consecutive...
defeated Shao Kahn in the canon storyline, Cyrax still ended up lost in the desert and would return in Mortal Kombat Gold. - Seiken Densetsu 3 has 3 different endings depending on who the player's main character is: one for Duran and Angela, one for Carlie (Charlotte) and Kevin, and one for Lise (Riesz) and Hawk (Hawkeye).
- Starfox 64 has, for the most part, two different endings with minor variations based on the route taken to Venom. Taking the easier default route, by either performing in a typical manner or rejecting every choice of moving to an alternate-route planet throughout the game, the player will face the main boss as a robotic head. By taking mostly the alternate routes, which are somewhat harder, the player will face the main boss as a floating, teleporting brain. The alternate ending also introduces the main character's father in a cut scene. Finally, certain levels that can be avoided involve facing Star Wolf. Depending on where the player defeats him, or if he/she defeats him at all, and which route the player took, he/she may face him as a sub-boss instead of the regular stone robot in the Venom temple.
- StarFox Command has nine different endings that depend on the pathway chosen by the player, that is, the order of the stages played. The initial ending involves Krystal rejoining Team Star Fox, but leaving Fox McCloudFox McCloudis an anthropomorphic video game character and the main protagonist of the Star Fox series. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. As his name implies, he is a red fox and the main player character of the series....
broken-hearted, and alone for life, to be with Panther as part of Star Wolf. The "best" ending quite possibly may be one in which the Star Fox team regroups, adding Amanda, a pink frog resembling Slippy, to the team, and where Venom, now peaceful is under the care of Dash Bowman, Andross' grandson. Three other endings range from Fox and Krystal marrying and having a child, to Krystal separating from Lylat, under the name Kursed. Other endings include Dash, following in his grandfather's footsteps attempting a takeover of Lylat, after he takes charge, and globalizes Venom. Fox and FalcoFalco LombardiFalco Lombardi, known as in Japan, is an anthropomorphic falcon or pheasant character from the Star Fox series of video games. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. Falco acts as the wingman and friend of title character Fox McCloud for the majority of the...
joining the G-Zero GP (a parody of the F-ZeroF-Zerois a futuristic racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America on August 23, 1991, and in Europe on June 4, 1992...
Grand Prix), Falco creating Rival Team "Star Falco", and Slippy leaving the team to settle with his fiance Amanda. The game is reported to be non-canonical however, so it is assumed that all turns out well for everyone. (There was going to be a ninth ending that tied up all of the loose ends, but it was ultimately scrapped. Hackers were eventually able to find its leftover code.) - Star Ocean: The Second StoryStar Ocean: The Second Storyis a action role-playing PlayStation video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix. It is the second game in the Star Ocean series and the first game in the series to be released in North America and Europe , courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment...
(and Star Ocean: Till the End of TimeStar Ocean: Till the End of Timeis the third main game in the Star Ocean series. The game was developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2 console. It was released in Japan, North America, and the PAL territories. The original Japanese release date was in February of 2003 by Enix, its penultimate...
) is one of the most elaborate examples of multiple endings in a videogame. There are 88 possible ending cutscenes, which depend on the relationship system to determine which the player gets. The finale will usually consist of a couple of these cutscenes mixed with the fixed ones that will always be part of the ending. - Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces IIStar Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces IIStar Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II is a first person shooter computer game. It was developed and published by LucasArts and released on October 9, 1997. It was made available on Steam on September 16, 2009. It is based on the Star Wars franchise and is a sequel to Star Wars: Dark Forces...
had two endings depending on whether the hero, Kyle KatarnKyle KatarnKyle Katarn is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, the protagonist of the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces and its sequels....
, turns to the Dark Side of the Force or not, which in turn is based on the player's actions towards NPCs and choice of Force powers. In the first ending, Kyle refuses to kill his love interest, fights his way through the villains, and releases the power of the Valley of the Jedi. In the second ending, Kyle murders Jan in cold blood, kills most of the villains, and uses the Valley's power to rule the galaxy with the main villain's sidekick, Sarris, at his side. - True Crime: Streets of LATrue Crime: Streets of LATrue Crime: Streets of LA is an action-adventure video game developed by Luxoflux and published by Activision for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube in November 2003 and the first game in the True Crime series...
: There are three different endings for the game. The endings are Bad, Average, and Good. The Good ending for the game (by completing the longest mission track) is very different from the other two endings, which are completed by taking alternate mission tracks. The Bad and Average endings are similar as the narration says the same thing for both endings, but the scene is different. While there are three endings, there are also different versions of all of these endings, depending on if the player is defeated by the enemy or defeats the enemy. Technically, there are 6 endings overall that can be obtained by either completing the mission tracks and either being defeated, or defeating the enemy. - Desperate Housewives: The GameDesperate Housewives: The GameDesperate Housewives: The Game is a life simulation adventure game developed by Liquid Entertainment and released by Buena Vista Games in October 2006. It is based on the television series Desperate Housewives. The player takes the part of a housewife with amnesia who has recently moved with her...
has four different endings, depending on which of the three men the main housewife chooses or the fourth, in which she chooses none of them. - The Wing CommanderWing Commander (franchise)Wing Commander is a video game media franchise consisting of space combat simulation computer games from Origin Systems, Inc., an animated television series, a feature film, a collectible card game, a series of novels, and action figures...
series has had a tradition of multiple endings, determined by success or failure on certain key missions, but even in some cases, ending up on the 'losing track' can be diverted by success in later missions. An example comes in Wing Commander III, where if certain missions are failed, the momentum slides in the Kilrathi's favor, and the player has to fight a losing battle to protect Earth, while staying on the successful track will take the fight to Kilrah. - Vampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesVampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesVampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, abbreviated as Bloodlines or VTMB, is a computer role-playing game for Windows developed by Troika Games in 2004...
featured five endings, based on the player's ultimate loyalty. - Vampire: The Masquerade - RedemptionVampire: The Masquerade - RedemptionVampire: The Masquerade – Redemption is a PC role-playing game released on June 7, 2000 by Activision. The game follows the adventures of a French crusader, Christof Romuald, through Prague and Vienna in the Dark Ages and modern-day London and New York City. The game is based on the pen-and-paper...
featured three endings based on character choices, availability of the choices was affected by Humanity. - In Prince of Persia: Warrior WithinPrince of Persia: Warrior WithinPrince of Persia: Warrior Within is a video game and sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Warrior Within was developed and published by Ubisoft, and released on December 2, 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Microsoft Windows. It picks up where The Sands of Time left off,...
, failing to traverse all of the bonus life upgrades causes the end boss fight to be another fight against Kaileena, where the Dahaka takes her body and the Prince's Amulet. But, if the player do traverse the life upgrades, he/she will find the Water sword, which has the ability to defeat the Dahaka and save both the Prince and Kaileena. This is the true ending. - Dead RisingDead Risingis an action-adventure, survivor horror video game, developed by Capcom and produced by Keiji Inafune. It was released on August 8, 2006 exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console. The game was a commercial success. It has been introduced into the Xbox 360 "Platinum Hits" lineup, and a cell...
on the Xbox 360 features 8 different endings depending on how the game was played. The standard endings, ranked 'A', being the best, to 'F', being the worst, had certain conditions to be meet in order to view them, for example, completing all the case files would unlock ending 'A' or 'B' depending if Frank meet with Isabella before 12:00, however if Frank did not complete all the case files but got to the heli-pad a different ending would play. Ending 'F' would be played if Frank did not find all the bombs in the maintenance tunnels. Two other endings could only be unlocked if the player obtained the 'A' ending in normal mode and then played through Overtime mode. - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic includes two unique endings based on whether or not Revan chooses to join former ally and ex-JediJediThe Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
Bastila Shan during a confrontation with her. If he falls to the dark side and chooses to join her, then part of his party is killed or runs away, Darth Malak is killed, the Star Forge remains intact, the RepublicRepublicA republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
fleet is destroyed, and Revan becomes the new Sith Lord with Bastila as his apprentice. If he follows the light side and does not join her, which is the canon ending, then the party stays together, Bastila is redeemed, Darth Malak is killed, the Star Forge is destroyed, the Republic fleet survives, and the SithSith-Sith:The Sith is a name applied to certain characters in the Star Wars universe. In the films they are the central antagonists. They are capable of using the dark side of the Force.-The Invention of the Sith:...
are routed. There is also a special code to unlock a secret ending. - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords offers two different endings. In the light side ending, The Exile leaves Malchor V on the Ebon Hawk which arises from beneath the platform. In the dark side ending, The Exile remains on Malachor V.
- The PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
version of Time CrisisTime CrisisTime Crisis is a light gun shooter arcade game produced by Namco in 1995 and released in early 1996. It was later ported for the PlayStation in 1997, bundled with the G-Con 45 controller.-Gameplay:...
featured an original story mode with multiple branches depending on performance. Each of these had a good or bad ending depending on whether or not the player can defeat Kantaris, the antagonist of the mode, before she can escape. - Transformers: The GameTransformers: The GameTransformers: The Game is the name of multiple versions of a video game based on the 2007 live action film Transformers, all of which were released in North America in June 2007. Home console and PC versions were developed by Traveller's Tales for the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3 and...
is a game which includes two different play campaigns: one for the AutobotAutobotAutobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
s and one for the DecepticonDecepticonThe Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
s. Ultimately, the use of the Allspark and the fate of EarthEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
would depend on the character alliance. Completing the Autobot campaign will have the game end where Megatron makes one final bid to kill Optimus Prime and take the AllSpark. Optimus Prime shoves the AllSpark into Megatron's chest, killing him and peace continues on Earth. Completing the Decepticon campaign ends with Megatron savagely killing Optimus Prime and using the AllSpark to give life to Earth's machines, leaving the Earth in ruins. - Star Ocean: Till the End of TimeStar Ocean: Till the End of Timeis the third main game in the Star Ocean series. The game was developed by tri-Ace and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2 console. It was released in Japan, North America, and the PAL territories. The original Japanese release date was in February of 2003 by Enix, its penultimate...
also has multiple endings like its predecessor. However, instead of 88, the game has 19 multiple endings (10 of them which are solo endings while the other 9 are shared with the main protagonist). - Wario Land 4Wario Land 4Wario Land 4, known as in Japan, is a video game released for the Game Boy Advance system in 2001. In this game, Wario has to gather four treasures to unlock a pyramid and save Princess Shokora from The Golden Diva...
feature four different endings depending on the time the final boss (Golden Diva) is defeated in. The ending are the form of princess the black cat would take during the final cutscene with the bad ending (3) and worst ending (4) being rather humorous. - In Star Wars: The Force UnleashedStar Wars: The Force UnleashedStar Wars: The Force Unleashed is a multimedia project developed by LucasArts along with Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books...
there's an alternate dark side ending where you can choose to kill VaderDarth VaderDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
(instead of Emperor Palpatine) and you end as Palpatine's new apprentice "Lord Starkiller" and all the Rebel Alliance's founders are shot to death by stormtroopers, but this ending is not considered canon. - The Story Mode of Triggerheart Exelica and Triggerheart Exelica Enhanced also have multiple endings for each character, if the player is defeated and chooses to continue, this will have the "Normal Ending", if the player completes the game without using continues, the "True Ending" is revealed.
- Thunder Force V: Perfect SystemThunder Force VThunder Force V is a scrolling shooter game developed by Technosoft. It is the fifth chapter of the Thunder Force series. It was initially released in 1997 exclusively in Japan for the Sega Saturn with two retail versions, the normal pack which was just a standard release, and a special pack which...
has two ways for end the game: if you destroy the final boss before it escapes will unlock the good ending, if the boss escapes a bad ending will be unlocked. - Spyro the Dragon features an alternate ending. If the player collects all the Dragons and all the Gems, the portal Gnasty Gnork is in will open up. If the player successfully defeats him, Spyro will cheer and the credits will roll.
- In Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's RevengeBanjo-Kazooie: Grunty's RevengeBanjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge is a 2003 handheld action-adventure video game for the Game Boy Advance developed by Rare and published by THQ. It is the third installment in the Banjo-Kazooie series and the second sequel to Banjo-Kazooie for the Nintendo 64.Grunty's Revenge is a interquel, taking...
, if the player collects all the Jiggies before winning the final battle, an ending will be shown, very different to what the player sees if he defeats Gruntilda without collecting every Jiggy. - Even the first Banjo-KazooieBanjo-KazooieBanjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998...
shows two endings, depending if the player found all the jigsaws. Gruntilda's final dialogue, a menace to the main characters, changes a bit, and a little preview to the next game is revealed. - Conker: Live & ReloadedConker: Live & ReloadedConker: Live & Reloaded is an action-platform video game developed by Rare and exclusively released for the Xbox in June 2005. The single player mode is a remake of the 2001 game Conker's Bad Fur Day for the Nintendo 64. However, it includes a new multiplayer mode that is different to the Nintendo...
features a multiplayer campaign, the war between Squirrels and Tediz. There are six missions (plus two out of the campaign), and the player can play as Squirrel or as Tediz. The ending of some missions often changes drastically, depending on who wins the mission. - The InfamousInfamous (series)The series has received critical acclaim from most of the major video game review sites/magazines. Review scores range from 70% to 100% approval ratings.-External links:** at Wikia...
series is known for its multiple endings, which are based on you being Evil or Good.
Multiple endings and continuity
In terms of continuityContinuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
, only one of a film or game's different endings could possibly have occurred. Sometimes this is left unresolved, allowing an individual to interpret the end of the story as they will.
However, if a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
is made, it usually becomes important to establish a narrative conclusion to the previous story (unless the sequel has little to do with the characters or certain settings of the previous game). Generally, one of the multiple endings is explicitly established as the "true" ending through the description of past events, with the other endings assumed to be speculation as to what might have happened. However, in some cases (such as the Resident Evil
Resident Evil (series)
Resident Evil, known as in Japan, is a media franchise owned by the video game company Capcom. It was created by Shinji Mikami as a survival horror game series that was initiated with the eponymous PlayStation title Resident Evil in 1996. Since then, the game series has strayed from its roots to...
games), elements of more than one ending are drawn together to create a story that does not quite make sense if only one ending is to be accepted as canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
. This is usually seen as a plot hole
Plot hole
A plot hole, or plothole, is a gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot, or constitutes a blatant omission of relevant information regarding the plot...
. Most Fighting Games have an ending for all characters, however, many of these endings either contradict one another or have no purpose story-wise, The next game in the series will tell whose ending, if any canonically happened, and often has parts of other characters' endings happening under different circumstances. For example, Guilty Gear X
Guilty Gear X
, subtitled By Your Side, is the second full game in the Guilty Gear series. It was released in multiple versions:*Guilty Gear X ver 1.5...
had many of the events that occurred to characters in their Guilty Gear
Guilty Gear
is a series of sprite-based competitive fighting games by Arc System Works and designed by artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. It is popular with fans for its detailed anime-style graphics, original characters, hard rock/heavy metal soundtrack, unique gameplay, and its numerous references to rock and heavy...
endings, such as the rebellion on Zepp and May's "rescue" of Johnny, all happen, even though only Sol Badguy canonically fought and defeated Justice.
Sometimes, like in the Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog series
Sonic the Hedgehog is the best selling video game series released by Sega starring and named after its mascot character, Sonic the Hedgehog...
games, the player must beat more than one or all of the possible endings to reveal the "true", or canonical ending. Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Invisible War
Deus Ex: Invisible War is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive. Released simultaneously for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox video game console on December 2, 2003, the game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Deus Ex...
dealt with all three of the endings of the original game by positing they all happened. The video game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, allows the player to choose which ending to the first game actually occurred, however, the Light-sided ending is considered canon.
In Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010 and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011...
, the player can transfer their save file from the previous game
Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, allowing decisions made in the first game to affect the second. The upcoming sequel
Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3 is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3...
will feature the same system, although one ending will not be transferrable.
This sort of issue also arises when games have to similar but different plot-wise campaigns that can be played. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans featured a human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
and an orc
Orc
An orc is one of a race of mythical human-like creatures, generally described as fierce and combative, with grotesque features and often black, grey or greenish skin. This mythology has its origins in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien....
campaign and winning either would have one race dominate the other. In Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness is a fantasy-themed real-time strategy game published by Blizzard Entertainment and first released for DOS in 1995 and for Mac OS in 1996...
it is was decided that the orc scenario is canon and the human one is not.
Or, all endings may be made Canon, like in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. All of them happened due to a time rift created by the main character.
See also
- Alternate endingAlternate endingAlternate ending is a term used to describe the ending of a story that was planned or debated but ultimately unused in favor of the actual ending. Generally, alternate endings are considered to have no bearing on the canonical narrative...
- Interactive fictionInteractive fictionInteractive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
- Game OverGame overGame Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...