TA Top Five: Sad Endings

By Marc Hollinshead,
When I came home from work last night, I found my brother watching none other than the original Snow White on the TV. I ate my dinner while watching Ms. White get kissed to life again from the charming prince and walk off into the distance on horseback. Don't you just love happy endings? As the film finished, my brother flicked through the channels and came across Titanic. From there on in, we spent the next hour and a half watching a giant ship tear in two and people fall into the icy ocean and perish. It's not what I expected my Saturday night to turn out like to be perfectly honest.

Watching that classic film from 1997 got me thinking that the world can sometimes be a harsh place. In last week's Top Five, we took a look at some of the happiest endings we've come across in games, but this week, we're taking a sharp U-turn and grabbing those tissues. Just like the Titanic's tragic end, we experience depressing and saddening endings in our games that make us think "What is life?", "What is the world coming to?", or simply "Why...just...WHY!?" Take a look below and see if any of your saddest moments made the list.

Honorable Mentions

Farewell Ezio - Assassin's Creed Series
Ezio

Nowadays, whenever a new Assassin's Creed game is released, we have to be acquainted with a brand new assassin. When we were greeted with Ezio Auditore back in 2009 in Assassin's Creed II, though, we had three whole games to get to know him. By Assassin's Creed: Revelations we knew him inside out and we knew that we were going to be saying farewell. Upon entering the final resting place of Altair, that moment was rapidly encroaching and a three year gaming relationship was coming to a close. Ezio's exit marked the end of a memorable chapter for the franchise and it could be said that he remains the best assassin of the series, in terms of personality at the very least.

The Dark Brotherhood - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Dark Brotherhood

While this is not the ending of the game itself, this was one of the most memorable questlines of Oblivion and ended with a shocking and saddening twist.
*** Spoiler - click to reveal ***


Top Five

5. L.A. Noire
Cole Phelps

*** Spoiler - click to reveal ***


4. Red Dead Redemption
John Marston

*** Spoiler - click to reveal ***


3. Solaire of Astora - Dark Souls
Solaire

The moment you are given control of the Chosen Undead, death and despair lurk around every corner. Lordran is a miserable place and only very rarely are you given moments of happiness. One character you meet on your journey, and one that all fans of the series will know and love, is Solaire. This humble knight always tries to be cheerful whenever you come across him, but, depending on how you proceed, this man can end up on the receiving end of Lordran's sorrowful sting.
*** Spoiler - click to reveal ***


2. Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Valiant Hearts

As I am yet to experience this one for myself, I thought it would be best that MegsonGrove would do the honour of explaining:
*** Spoiler - click to reveal ***


1. The Walking Dead
Clementine

Both seasons one AND two of the acclaimed Telltale series have brought many gamers to tears because of the sheer heartache that Lee and Clementine have had to go through. What the game does so well is that is shows normal people, like you and me, having to cope in impossible situations. They don't have super powers, they aren't the "chosen ones" and they certainly don't save the world. All they can do is keep going as long as they can and this is what makes the characters so real and relatable.
Season One:
*** Spoiler - click to reveal ***

Season Two:
*** Spoiler - click to reveal ***


The TA Team will be bringing you The TA Top Five every Sunday until we run out of coolness to debate and discuss. If you have an idea for a Top Five you'd like us to do, be sure to let us know in the comments!
Marc Hollinshead
Written by Marc Hollinshead
To summarize Marc in two words, it would be "Christian Gamer." You will usually find him getting stuck into story heavy action-adventure games, RPG's and the odd quirky title when he isn't raving about Dark Souls and Mass Effect. Outside the world of gaming, Marc attends and helps out in his church on a regular basis and has a not-so thrilling job in a supermarket.
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