10 Most Depressing Video Game Endings Of All Time

By Sam Heard /

1. The Walking Dead

The final climatic episode of Telltale€™s superb venture into the world of The Walking Dead is easily the most depressing in a game overflowing with deeply saddening moments. In the closing sequences of the game, Lee €“ the player€™s character €“ has been bitten by a zombie and finds himself embroiled in a race against time to ensure Clementine€™s safety; the young girl he has tasked himself with protecting. After eventually finding her, Lee lays dying and explains to a distraught Clementine what has happened. She begs you not to become one of €œthem€, to which you then have to choose whether to make the innocent young girl shoot you or leave you to rot away into a zombie €“ both extremely tempting choices, right? Regardless of your choice, The Walking Dead€™s ending is as depressing as the medium of video gaming has ever been. Not only do we see a man we€™ve grown extremely attached to in Lee die but we are also subject to a deep feeling of failure as we know we have left Clementine relatively unprepared in the harsh, unforgiving, zombie-plagued world we had vowed to shield her from. Whether you€™re a 14-year-old kid playing or a father-of-six, it is impossible not to feel that parental responsibility for little Clem. The ridiculously strong emotional response provoked by The Walking Dead€™s finale is all the result of Telltale€™s sublime storytelling abilities €“ if ever there was an aptly named developer, they are it (unlike Quantic Dream). A Silver Lining? Over the course of the five episodes Lee was able to prepare Clem for survival in the Zombie-apocalypse, as evidenced in the game€™s second season. Which titles left you just feeling hollow inside as the credits rolled? Let us know in the comments!