The Best Final Levels In Video Games

Summary

From Celeste’s “The Summit” to Mass Effect 2’s “Suicide Mission,” these levels provide epic finales.
Adrenaline-inducing sequences like Guitar Hero 3’s “Through The Fire and Flames” deliver unforgettable gaming experiences.
Game developers like Bungie showcased their storytelling prowess in levels like Halo 3’s “Halo.”

Even the best video games need a strong finish. Many beloved classics are remembered for their exciting build-up, but a disappointing final level or boss fight can really take away from the overall experience.

Unlike some games with disappointing endings, these titles – ranging from action-packed platformers and brain-teasing puzzles to challenging Soulslike games – all deliver fantastic finales. They either leave you eager for more or provide a perfectly satisfying conclusion, making them some of the best final levels in video game history.

Just a heads-up: spoilers follow for the games mentioned below. Don’t worry, the titles themselves are spoiler-free! If you want to know which games are included but avoid plot details, simply skip the descriptions.

The Summit – Celeste

Madeline And Badeline Sort It Out

Okay, so Chapter 7 of *Celeste*, “The Summit”, is a *beast* – seriously, it’s way longer than any other chapter in the game. But it totally earns that length! It basically throws you back through everything you’ve learned, with little sections inspired by the core ideas from the previous chapters. The catch? It ramps up the difficulty *big time*. Plus, you finally get the double dash ability, which is awesome, and it feels so rewarding because it represents Madeline finally accepting Badeline – that part of herself that embodies her anxiety and depression. It all just clicks!

The Summit is an incredibly impressive section of the game, both to look at and to play. It’s a true test of skill, demanding that players use everything they’ve learned – and by the end, they’ll need to have fully mastered it. This final chapter showcases *Celeste’s* addictive platforming at its absolute best, and it concludes what is already considered one of the greatest platformers of the last ten years with a truly exceptional level.

One Card Left To Play – Max Payne 3

Just Max, His Guns, And An Airport Full Of Soldiers

Max’s search for Victor and Becker takes him to Sao Paulo’s Piratininga Airport, but he’s noticed right away. He runs, hiding in the baggage claim area, and soon finds himself in a gunfight within the airport. The chase continues through the main lobby, into underground tunnels, and onto the airport’s train, ultimately leading Max to a final showdown with Becker on the runway.

The ‘One Card Left to Play’ level provides the ideal backdrop for the intense, slow-motion gunplay and realistic physics that define *Max Payne 3*. The level design shifts from a large open terminal to tight corridors and the airport’s internal machinery, giving players diverse tactical options in combat. The final boss fight pits Max against Becker, who is heavily fortified with a riot shield and grenade launcher while his forces attack from below. After defeating Becker, Max commandeers the grenade launcher and fires it from a speeding car while pursuing Victor’s plane. This thrilling sequence is a standout moment and ranks among the most spectacular finales in any Rockstar game.

The Part Where He Kills You – Portal 2

Crumbling Labs, Surprise Bosses, And Portals In Space

Unlike the first game, Portal 2 quickly sets itself apart by moving Chell – and the player – beyond the carefully constructed test chambers and into the wider, more rundown Aperture Science facility. This allows for exploration of less polished areas using the Portal Gun, culminating in the dramatic final level, “The Part Where He Kills You.”

From the beginning, players explore the ruined remains of Aperture Labs. Instead of creating portals on convenient walls, they must search for suitable surfaces amongst the debris of the abandoned facility. They continue this until they face the final boss: a surprising return by Wheatley, the AI who initially awakened Chell and guided her to the Portal Gun. This boss battle is as impactful, if not more so, than the fight against GlaDOS in the original game, but it’s the ending that truly stands out. After defeating Wheatley, the roof opens up, revealing the moon. Players then create a portal to the moon and use space’s vacuum to pull the malfunctioning AI out of the facility for good. It’s a stunning moment and one of the most unforgettable conclusions in puzzle game history.

The Fishing Hamlet – Bloodborne: The Old Hunters DLC

As Lovecraftian As It Gets

Many players consider *Bloodborne* to be the perfect example of a FromSoftware ‘Soulslike’ game, and this is especially true in the final area of *The Old Hunters* downloadable content, called “The Fishing Hamlet.” The game is heavily inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, with creatures like the multi-armed Amygdalas and the bizarre Celestial Minions. Lovecraft often focused on horrors from the sea, and The Fishing Hamlet really captures that unsettling, aquatic atmosphere.

This rundown village is patrolled by mutated fishmen and fishdogs, and sometimes they’re accompanied by a terrifyingly large shark giant. These massive creatures are among the most challenging enemies in *Bloodborne*, and they’re surprisingly fast for their size. A particularly memorable – and difficult – encounter involves two of them cornering players at the bottom of a well. The area culminates in a boss fight against the Orphan of Kos, considered one of FromSoftware’s hardest bosses ever. This entry would likely rank higher, but some might argue it’s a bit much to include since it’s ‘just’ the final level of a DLC, despite how incredible it is.

Through The Fire And Flames – Guitar Hero 3

So You Think You Can Rock?

When people think of famously difficult video game levels, even those who don’t play games often mention the final song in Guitar Hero 3: Dragonforce’s “Through the Fire and Flames.” While it’s mostly known for being incredibly challenging, the level also had a significant impact on Guitar Hero players, creating a sense of accomplishment and humility for many.

By the time *Guitar Hero 3* came out, the game series was already incredibly well-known and popular worldwide. Many players had become experts, having already mastered the songs in the first two games, and “Through the Fire and Flames” remained a notoriously difficult challenge. Even finishing the song required serious commitment, and achieving a perfect score marked you as an exceptional player. Though the rhythm game craze of the late 2000s didn’t last long, it was a significant moment in gaming history, and this song represented its peak.

Killing Gods – Chained Echoes

How About A Brand New Map?

Despite being primarily developed by one person, *Chained Echoes* is an impressively large and loving tribute to classic Japanese role-playing games. It boasts a compelling story, a complex combat system, and a beautiful art style that combines retro pixel art with modern effects. Reaching the final area, “Killing Gods,” takes a significant amount of time, but players will eventually unlock Magic Academy Nhysa – a location long believed to be lost. This isn’t a typical final level, though; it’s a completely new map, and one of the biggest in the game.

What makes Magic Academia Nhysa so clever is how it turns familiar game mechanics against players. For example, players who used to scout ahead for enemies now face mobs that ambush them from underground. Buildings aren’t simple interiors anymore; they’re confusing labyrinths haunted by ghosts, and doorways can teleport you across the map – offering shortcuts but also a good way to get lost. Throughout it all, *Chained Echoes* maintains its quirky sense of humor (like an enemy called the Two Headed Wyvern dropping an item named “Tiny Third Head”). This all builds to a thrilling, multi-stage final boss fight against a resurrected god, providing a fantastic ending to the game.

To The Top Floor – NieR: Automata

9S And A2 Face Their Destinies

As a huge fan of NieR: Automata, the whole A2 and 9S storyline just breaks my heart. It’s so tragic because their conflict is all based on a big misunderstanding! 9S thinks A2 killed 2B, but what actually happened is 2B was seriously corrupted and A2 did her a mercy, saving her from going completely insane. He just doesn’t *know* that, and it fuels his desire for revenge. It takes them a long time to actually confront each other, though, because they both have to make this really difficult journey to and up The Tower that suddenly appeared in Chapter 11. It’s a really powerful story, but man, it’s tough to watch!

One of the coolest things about the game is how it handles the characters’ progress – even though A2 and 9S are doing their own things, you experience both of their stories at the same time. It really shines during the fights with Ko-Shi and Ro-Shi, these two parts of one big boss. They switch between attacking A2 and 9S, and it’s amazing because you realize they’re actually helping each other without even knowing it! It’s a powerful moment that really makes you think about how pointless their conflict is, but sadly, they still end up facing off. You get to choose who to play as in that final fight, but trust me, you *have* to replay it with the other character too. That’s the only way to see the true, best ending – and it’s totally worth it!

World 1-1 – Braid

Forget Everything You Thought You Knew

Braid is a cleverly deceptive game that became one of the first big indie hits. It tricks players by appearing to be a simple, classic platformer – like a watercolor version of Mario with a princess to save. It even starts with ‘World 2’! The main twist is that the character, Tim, can control time, using this ability to solve puzzles. At first glance, aside from the unusual starting point, Braid seems like a standard puzzle platformer – nothing too special.

Time travel stories often have a clever twist, and this game is no different. The final area, World 1, plays with that idea by making everything happen backwards. So, when the character Tim ‘reverses time’ in this world, it actually makes things flow forward as normal. When Tim enters World 1-1 and runs through the level, the Princess appears to assist him by creating platforms. But if everything is reversed, that means she’s actually the one acting in reverse, doesn’t it?

When Tim finally finds the princess, she instantly falls asleep, forcing him to relive the level over and over. But things quickly change – the princess isn’t grateful for the rescue. Instead, she runs from Tim, even dropping obstacles to try and stop him. It turns out the knight everyone thought had kidnapped her was actually saving her *from* Tim. She’d been hiding in other castles, escaping the game’s real villain. Like a classic movie twist, *Braid* makes you see everything that happened before in a completely new light.

Operation 009 Exoatmosphere – The Wonderful 101

Platinum’s Underrated Gem Saves The Best For Last

PlatinumGames is now known for creating fantastic action games, but in 2013, they were still establishing themselves. A key moment in their rise was The Wonderful 101, a surprisingly overlooked superhero game. You play as the Wonderful 100 – a team of 100 heroes led by Wonder-Red – and control them all simultaneously, essentially commanding a large, unified force. The game is all about creating incredibly large-scale battles, and things get especially intense during “Operation 009.”

The final challenge is a multi-stage boss fight. It starts with waves of mechanical tentacles, each with different weapons. After defeating them, players face Jergingha – a massive, powerful enemy resembling a robotic dinosaur mixed with a giant mech, and armed with huge pistols. Players must defeat him and pull him out of a dimensional rift. But the battle isn’t over yet! The next phase is a fast-paced, on-rails shooting sequence similar to the classic game *Star Fox*.

The entire climax unfolds within a space station that dramatically explodes when players leave, revealing a massive mech hidden inside-think *Pacific Rim* in space! Platinum Games keeps raising the tension in this final level, but never loses its signature sense of humor. The game culminates in players being asked to literally “Press B to Protect Earth.” *The Wonderful 101* has always been underrated, and this final mission, “Operation 009,” perfectly exemplifies why it’s one of the most overlooked action games ever made.

The World That Never Was – Kingdom Hearts 2

A Well-Earned Gauntlet

Trying to simply explain the story of *Kingdom Hearts 2*, all the way to the final level, “The World That Never Was,” is incredibly difficult. The series is known for its complicated plot, even just considering the first two games, and it only gets more intricate with all the additional games and sequels. Basically, Sora faces many challenges, gathers a great team of friends from both Disney and original characters, and ultimately confronts Organization 13.

The game immediately throws players into action with a wave of easy enemies, which is a satisfying way to start. Soon after reaching Twilight’s View, the challenge ramps up significantly. The rest of the level focuses on intense boss battles against the most powerful members of Organization 13, each requiring a unique victory. Players will also team up with Riku, who boasts one of the game’s most impressive special abilities. After three tough boss fights and gaining a new ally, it’s time for the final showdown with Xemnas. This climactic battle is what truly elevates “The World That Never Was” from a great level to a legendary one.

The battle against Xemnas is a challenging, eight-part boss fight that will really test your skills – though there’s a short rest midway through. Some sections are so complex, they feel like entirely new levels. At one point, Xemnas rides a robotic dragon, and Sora and Riku get to pilot a machine of their own. The fight ends with Xemnas firing a relentless stream of lasers that players must perfectly block. If you succeed, you’ll defeat Xemnas, concluding an amazing and unforgettable battle that perfectly caps off a truly fantastic JRPG.

2025-09-21 05:37