Collider ranks video game endings for their memorability, originality, narrative impact, gameplay, design and emotional connection, with spoiler warnings throughout. The visible selections emphasise finales that provide either a fitting conclusion to major conflicts or a bittersweet reversal of players’ expectations.

– Halo 3 (10): Master Chief’s unresolved fate and the Arbiter’s return to Earth create an epic trilogy finale.
– Shadow of the Colossus (9): Mono is revived, but the protagonist is possessed and sealed away, making the victory tragic.
– Outer Wilds (8): Players accept the universe’s end, gathering surviving races for a final campfire before renewal.