8 Hugely Controversial Video Game Endings That Divided The Fans

7. Red Dead Redemption

Easily many peoples' Greatest Game of All Time sheerly because of how much you get pigeonholed into a fairly dour final scene, Red Dead's ballsy choice to kill off the main character in one of its final scenes always brings about some of the staunchest opposition from those who thought it was way too forced. In a nutshell: After tracking down all his former comrades and taking them out, retired outlaw and family man John Marston eventually returns home to his wife and son. However, disgruntled and bitter Sheriff, Edgar Ross, randomly leads a militant force to take him out, where despite Marston putting up one hell of a last stand (letting you try and take down as many law enforcement as possible before the inevitable happens), still gets mercilessly gunned down. Following this we jump ahead three years, switching control to former-farmhand and son, Jack, as the game gives you the option to track down your father's killer, should you know where to go and what to do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU1vbPbm9r4 The case for: Delivering your own redemption by emptying a six-shooter into Edgar Ross's chest is one of the most satisfying moments in gaming history. Sending him floating off down the river makes for a perfect showcase of everything games can do better than film, and because you seek out Ross of your own volition, makes avenging him fairly personal for you, too. The case against: Many gamers simply felt betrayed they couldn't do anything against the inevitability of Ross' betrayal. His decision to hunt and kill Marston only comes from a few embittered exchanges, and can feel fairly cheap considering how much of RDR we'd spent surviving far worse, outnumbered circumstances. Hunting down the Sheriff was a fantastic endpoint, sure, but by switching you over to a character who'd only really been in a couple of scenes, made it feel like a last-minute inclusion designed to get people talking, as oppose to something truly earned.