Video games were never supposed to have depressing endings. After investing many of our valuable hours in beating the game, we want to be gratified with a happy ending where the heroes overcome evil and go down to their local for a few pints while the bad guys are put in the slammer; Mario saves the princess, Crash puts a beating on Doctor Cortex and Andy is reunited with his dog Whiskey (hats off to those of you who get that one). The modern era of video gaming has seen a shift in this happy ending dynamic, however. With games becoming more and more frequently regarded as a legitimate artform, the endings have adapted to reflect this artistry, trying to evoke an emotional response or challenge gamers rather than rewarding us with what we want to see. Huge innovations in technology also mean that game creators now - unlike in the earlier years of gaming - have the capability to produce the visuals to carry an intricately devised story much like in a big-budget animated film. Combine this with growing numbers of top-level actors like Ellen Page, Liam Neeson and Willem Dafoe lending their voices and likenesses to games and suddenly you see why a games finale now has the ability to carry us off on an emotional roller-coaster. No longer do we start playing a video game expecting all the good guys to merrily return to their fairytale homes in the Mushroom Kingdom by the end. This pessimistic expectation is indicative of the video gaming industrys evolution into more of an adult medium overall. Here are the 10 Most Depressing Video Games:
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
