Picture it — you reach the final boss and take them down with all the strength and powers you've accumulated throughout the game, enjoy the end credits, and finally close the game with a sense of satisfaction. Then, however long after you've beaten it, you read online that there's a whole other ending that you missed completely.

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Well, we can't have that now, can we? So, you now have a decision to make: load up your old save file to see if it's possible from there, or start over another playthrough to ensure that you meet the parameters to unlock the ending you missed out on. Here are a few games that will make it harder to choose.

9 Metro: Last Light

Metro Last Light The Dark One Helps

Metro: Last Light takes place a year after the previous game, Metro: 2033. The protagonist, Artyom, travels between the Metro and the Surface as a Ranger, tasked to find the Dark Ones, beings that serve as (partially) the antagonists. There are monsters (both human and non-human) and bombs aplenty, so long as you have the bullets to pay.

The default ending is technically the 'bad' ending, where there's a high possibility that lives will be lost. To obtain the good ending, you'll have to make several choices that impact your karma score, many of which you don't realize are impacting it to begin with, making it that much harder to get.

8 Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity

Zelda Age of Calamity Terrako is remembered

Terrako is one of those new characters in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity who claim they've been around the entire time and had only been dormant until now. It started as a comfort toy to Princess Zelda many moons ago until her father had taken it away, feeling it was too much of a distraction from training. Seems like a missed opportunity though, since Terrako has the hands to beat enemies down too. Oh well.

To get both him and the 'true secret' ending, you'll have to gather some materials, aptly named Terrako's Components, and when you've gathered 45 of the 50 you need to unlock his character, you then open the final quest challenge, which rewards you with the last five components you need to reclaim your friend and see his ending.

7 Ending E - Nier Replicant Remake

Nier Replicant Ending E Kaine's fight

The DrakeNier universe has become infamous over the years for its requirements for opening different endings and asking philosophical questions about the human condition or if it's even really a thing, and the Nier Replicant remake is no different. It's discussed at length everywhere, and someone is always bringing a new point of view. It's refreshing.

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The new ending in the remake does something that is a rarity in the series: it renews your hope. Of course, this isn't made easy. Not only are you fighting against the fact that you've deleted your save file, but as Kaine, you must fight much stronger enemies before facing down a more powerful version of an old foe.

6 Octopath Traveler

Octopath Traveler The Final Dungeon

Eight different protagonists with eight different story arcs and eight different endings, and you're still not done? Alas, Octopath Traveler holds one final secret dungeon within the game that holds another secret for you to uncover. It will be the most challenging dungeon yet and utilizes everyone's unique abilities, putting the whole party to the test.

If you don't have everyone in your party, then you are in for a bad time. It's probably not possible to finish the dungeon without them all, but players have been known to pull off a miracle or two, so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

5 Code Vein

Code Vein the hero thirsts

Code Vein is a tragic story of death and loss as the land of Vein slowly decays and rots. You play as a Revenant, vampire-like creatures who hunt the Lost, beings who are driven only by thirsty bloodlust and a violent need to quench it. It's up to your team to determine how long.

Having the conditions tied to defeating certain enemies is understandable in a game where combat is the whole point, but it's how that's implemented where players could run into trouble. You must strike a balance of when — and when not to — give into the bloodlust that will be the ultimate deciding factor in which ending you get.

4 Purification - Sekiro

Purification - Sekiro Kuro's faithful wolf

Sekiro's difficulty is From Software's norm, so you already know there's a hard battle to be fought to get to the end. It comes with the territory. What makes Sekiro stand out from its brethren is it has a more immersive story than its Soulsborne counterparts, and therefore has more of a focus on what to do and what to gather in terms of items, which will determine the ending you get.

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To get the Purification ending, you'll need to stay loyal to Kuro throughout the entire game and meet your old master, who will test your resolve. Then from there, it's a lot about having the right items and eavesdropping on the right conversations that will get you the ending you fought for.

3 Final Fantasy 10-2

Final Fantasy 10-2 Girl Power Pose

Okay, this one is long. The story in Final Fantasy 10-2 breaks itself down into five chapters with more than ten missions per chapter. Some of those missions don't reveal themselves until you visit a place manually. Even with a guide book (or site), this game still demands a lot of your time and the ability to go over details with a fine-tooth comb for you to get everything you need to reach a 100 percent completion rate.

On top of that, even if you do everything required to unlock the best ending, if you manage to choose the wrong faction in chapter two, then you are locked out until you start a new game. It's exhausting, and you can't be blamed for looking it up on the internet instead. The ending gives the audience more questions than answers, but you'll have to be satisfied with that until the rumored 10-3 gets announced.

2 Ending A - Valkyrie Profile

Valkyrie Profile Ending A The Fight Against Loki

Ending A in Valkyrie Profile requires a calculated song and dance of balancing your Estimated Worth and your Valkyrie Seal Rating. In some chapters, your Estimated Worth needs to be high, and for others, you'll need to perform some less-than-savory acts to bring it down at key moments. Then, you need to make sure you have the right amount during a specific cutscene to trigger the true ending.

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Now, how are you supposed to choose the right choices and know your worth throughout the game without a guide? Well, it's almost impossible. Sure, there's a possibility you wind up there naturally, but the chances of that are slim.

1 Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid 5 The Phantom Nuke

Listen, opinions of the last Hideo Kojima-led Metal Gear Solid game are divisive, which is a pretty solid understatement for sure. Say what you will, the man is great at hiding easter eggs for lore hunters to dig at years after the game is no longer supported. Sure, cassette tapes filled with Kojima's playlists are always fun to find (and he has great taste in music), and we already know about the ending that was cut out, but that wasn't the end.

Enter the Disarmament ending. It was first accidentally revealed on the Steam version due to a 'bug'. Konami confirmed this in a vague statement once the revelation came to light. But, it wasn't until two years later, in 2020, that the ending had been legitimately unlocked on the PlayStation 3 console, when everyone finally deactivated all the nukes on their respective bases.

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