-1.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=570&dpr=1.5)
Gaming can be such a serious affair, especially in the hands of triple-A studios who usually feel that a big budget means a big, serious, adult tone. And that's fine! There's plenty of room for stories about rugged old men who are too old for this. But a little variety couldn't hurt. Fortunately, there are developers out there that agree with us, and they've made sure to add moments of hilarity into their games.
We're going to be looking into some games that opted for hilarity instead of gravitas for their final moments. Now, granted, most of these entries are showcasing only one of many endings for these particular games, once again evidencing that comedy is only allowed as an option and not the default, but we're going to keep light and enjoy the moments we have.
7 Death Trips
Starting off strong, Death Trips is an indie “horror” title that lives up to its ominous-sounding name. When the player enters the game, they’re immediately treated to an expository text screen that states that there is a serial killer doing their serial killer thing in a hotel. The player moves through the reception area (with a very traditional low poly aesthetic), into the elevator, and finally gets off on a predetermined floor.
The floor is pure darkness until, slowly, the lights flicker on one by one, revealing a figure at the end of a long hallway. It’s the killer! The killer starts sprinting towards the player, and the elevator door refuses to reopen. Just as the player embraces their inevitable death the serial killer bites it, hard, tripping dramatically on a decorative plant and lying motionless on the floor. And… that’s it! Roll credits!
6 Portal 2
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
It feels as if Valve molded Portal’s aesthetic with the explicit intent of it becoming a foil to their larger property Half-Life. Both are set in the same canonical universe, both are layered with dark secrets and even darker implications for humanity’s future prospects, but where Half-Life doubles down on the foreboding story beats, Portal subverts them with absurdist comedy.
Portal 2 follows Chell’s second attempt to escape from the labs of Aperture Science. On her journey, she puts the antagonist, an AI named GLaDOS, through so much turmoil and potato soil that the exhausted robot/human hybrid essentially kicks her out at the end. As Chell slowly ascends via a severely broken elevator, she gets to witness how the robots have evolved in lieu of humans, and is treated to one final, haunting choral arrangement. Oh, and she gets an old friend back.
5 Far Cry 4
The Far Cry series is Ubisoft’s American Horror Story: A number of games that share a few themes, maybe a side character or two, but are otherwise stand-alone titles in an anthology. Far Cry 4 dared to breach new territory by adding a cheeky little ending that’s accessible from the start and only takes fifteen minutes. All you have to do is… nothing. Seriously!
It goes like this; Ajay Ghale, a man simply trying to respect his mother’s wishes as to how to handle her ashes, is captured by the tyrannical leader Pagan Min. There’s a brief window where the player is left alone with the clear implication being that Ajay needs to flee from Pagan’s compound to start the story, however, if the player allows Ajay to wait for Pagan to return, then the dude literally helps you fulfill your mother’s wish, and that’s it, you’ve successfully avoided multiple hours of bloodshed!
4 The Stanley Parable
Indie games are not known for their linearity. More often than not, their stories branch into multiple endings, and we’re not talking about binary “good” and “bad” endings here, either; we’re talking about endings so obtuse that they require the player to question every single choice that they’re given throughout the game. This is what the Stanley Parable excels at.
The Stanley Parable follows Stanley, a guy, and the Narrator, another guy. The narrator attempts to guide Stanley through a story that leads him away from his dull office job, and depending on the player’s choices, different forms of chaos ensue. One of the funniest endings is called The Zending, where the player pulls a Middle School Move and just does the opposite of everything they’re told, which ends in Stanley jumping off a cliff. Multiple times, actually, all while the Narrator pleads with Stanley to see reason.
3 Silent Hill 2
Konami’s survival horror series Silent Hill is packed with all the gruesome gore and suspense that we’ve come to expect from a franchise that brought Pyramid Head to life. These are not games that often joke, so the fact that there’s an entire joke ending coded into Silent Hill 2 is something of a significant surprise. Here’s how it goes.
If the player has dragged poor, tired James through all three of the standard endings available, or if the player’s received the Rebirth Ending on a single replay, then the Dog Ending becomes available. James can then follow a series of actions that lead to acquiring a special key that opens a special door that reveals… a dog has been behind the whole thing. Seriously, it’s just a cute little puppy wearing a headset, smiling like an adorable idiot as they control James’ morbid fate. Sure, it’s just a joke, but it’s absolutely worth it.
2 The Witcher 3
Developer CD Projekt’s success in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is due in no small part to the massive web of character interactions that they coded into the game. These moments and conversations, both the required ones and the optional ones, have such a varied potential that it’s incredibly easy to feel as though the game is unfolding into something new explicitly for you, the player. Naturally, some are compelled to unlock everything and if the goal is a happy ending, that’s a dangerous thing to do.
Geralt of Rivia has two potential love interests in The Witcher 3; Yennefer and Triss. If this were any other game, then there would be zero repercussions to romancing both of them in their unique side quests, however, CD Projekt decided that actions should have consequences. In this case, hilarious ones. Should the player successfully romance both of the women in Geralt’s life, he will not only end up alone but also tied to the bed after being tricked into expecting a certain reward.
1 Undertale
The meta conversation surrounding Toby Fox’s colossally successful indie game Undertale has unfortunately stripped the number of intricate possible endings away and replaced them with a more simple binary. Still, Undertale is a complex game that offers far more options than a Genocide Run and a Pacifist Run. There are shades of murder, here, and that’s what really matters.
Undertale’s funniest ending comes in the form of a little lazy dog becoming the leader of the Underground, and all that the player has to do is kill a few monsters. Four, to be precise; Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, and Mettaton. Basically, anyone who might be able to replace Asgore. Once achieved, Sans calls to inform the fallen human that somehow everyone important disappeared, so a little dog took the throne, and weirdly everyone’s chill with it! All the while, the Temmie track is playing underneath, because Toby Fox is the master of making music.