10 Video Game Bad Endings BETTER Better Than Good Ones
Cyberpunk 2077's secret cutscenes.
Generally speaking, video games like to divide their endings between the good and the bad ones. The good endings tend to require more effort to attain but promise greater payoffs, while the bad endings are mostly treated as punishments for failure or finishing the game the easy way.
However, sometimes this golden rule of gaming can be broken, and the bad ending can feel more right than the supposedly good one. Despite the developers leading you to believe that you’re getting punished for not playing the right way, the "terrible punishment" of your character turns out to be far more satisfying than whatever the alternative has to offer.
It’s almost as though the developers wanted you to play their game the wrong way.
Let’s examine some of the best and worst endings the video game world has to offer. Although everyone wants you to believe they’re there to punish you, in reality, they’re likely the most satisfying endings you can get.
10. Going Back For The Money - Red Dead Redemption 2
Although the main cast of Red Dead Redemption 2 are all hardened criminals, most players tend to keep Arthur's honor levels relatively high. The man is just too loveable to turn into a scoundrel or to make him turn on his friend during the final act of the game.
The last Arthur mission in Red Dead Redemption 2 has the player decide between helping John Marston escape from the Pinkertons gang or leaving John to his fate and going back for the robbery money you've left behind in Dutch's camp.
Naturally, ditching John is considered a bad choice, but on the other hand, no one can deny that Arthur turning back and taking revenge on all the people who betrayed him is easily one of the most badass moments in the game.
From Arthur's rage-filled taunts to the epic soundtrack playing in the background, the scene makes you feel like a total menace. To top it off, you get to have a proper knife fight with Micah and leave him some scars to remember Arthur by.
It may not be right to leave John behind, but at the same time, this choice is the right way to say goodbye to Arthur.