10 Video Game Finales That Left You Speechless

9. Journey

journey game
Sony

It's a bit of a cliché, but to truly experience Journey you have to just play it.

Words can't do it justice, because by simply describing its vague but complex plot, beautiful music and involving gameplay wouldn't convey how impressive it is when all of these elements come together.

The climax of Journey is a textbook case of how to end your game on a rousing, emotional note, and it's entirely because of this rich interplay of elements. Without words or any of the cliches you'd expect from a regular dramatic video game scene, the final evocative push of the title serves to be more powerful than it ever could have been if the game had a script or conventional characters.

Ebbing and flowing between all-is-lost situations and grandiose, fist-pumping bursts of success, the final moments of Journey pack in more emotional beats than the rest of the game combined, making for one of the most unique and original final levels the industry has ever seen.

Contributor

Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.