The Darkest Endings In Open-World RPG History

Open-world RPGs often have multiple endings because they blend the freedom of exploring a vast world with the storytelling and character choices common in RPGs. These endings usually depend on the decisions you make during gameplay, leading to a conclusion that feels personalized and rewarding.

Most games of this type have at least a ‘good’ and ‘bad’ ending, but nowadays they often feature multiple endings that aren’t simply good or bad. Even with these choices, open-world RPGs frequently include a particularly bleak and memorable ‘bad’ ending that can stay with players long after they finish the game.

Cyberpunk 2077 (Path Of Least Resistance)

It’s Not Just The Ending; It’s The Video Calls Afterwards

Cyberpunk 2077 has four different endings, including one added with the Phantom Liberty expansion. While none of them are particularly happy, the most depressing ending is called “Path of Least Resistance.” It involves letting Johnny Silverhand completely control V’s body.

In this ending, V realizes that attacking Arasaka would lead to the deaths of their friends, so they choose to end their own life instead, protecting their loved ones from a devastating, incurable virus. Ultimately, V makes a final, independent decision, taking control of their fate. However, the most heartbreaking part isn’t V’s suicide itself, but the video calls shown during the credits. These calls reveal the profound impact V’s death has on everyone who knew them, making for a very difficult, yet powerfully emotional experience.

Fallout: New Vegas (Legion Ending)

Slavery And Slaughter Abound

How Fallout: New Vegas ends largely depends on which group you choose to support. You can play the game without picking a side, but if you do align with a faction, they’ll end up controlling most of the Mojave Wasteland by the time the story is over. Each group has its own unique beliefs and ideas about how the desert should be run, and Caesar’s Legion has the most ruthless and harsh vision.

The Legion draws heavily from the Roman Empire in both its appearance and ideology. They are a brutal and relentless force determined to take control of the Mojave Wasteland. If you support them, they will succeed in conquering the region, leading to a bleak outcome where most inhabitants are either enslaved or killed.

Elden Ring (Multiple)

How Will You Destroy The World?

Similar to other games from FromSoftware like the Dark Souls series, the six different endings in Elden Ring aren’t very clear about what they mean for the future of the Lands Between. The main choice, however, is straightforward: you can either take the Elden Throne, or destroy the world to create something new in its place.

Completing the Dung Eater’s questline results in the “Blessing of Despair” ending, which curses everyone in The Lands Between. This prevents their souls from being reborn in the Erdtree, trapping them in endless torment. The “Lord of Frenzied Flame” ending could be even more devastating. By siding with the Three Fingers, the player triggers an apocalypse, burning the Erdtree and destroying most of The Lands Between and its inhabitants.

Diablo

He Can’t Be Killed, Only Contained

The main objective in Diablo is to defeat Diablo himself, the Lord of Terror. The story reveals he’s been possessing Lord Albrecht, using a Soulstone to control him. When you finally beat Diablo, he transforms back into Albrecht, but this leads to an even more unsettling situation.

The Hero realizes that destroying Diablo isn’t possible – he can only be imprisoned inside a human body. To achieve this, the Hero selflessly sacrifices themself, embedding the Soulstone into their own forehead and becoming Diablo’s prison. The game concludes with a scene of the cloaked Hero gazing across a desert, a faint glow visible beneath their hood. However, the story takes a darker turn in Diablo 2, revealing that the Hero wasn’t powerful enough to permanently contain Diablo and ultimately succumbed to possession, mirroring the fate of Albrecht.

NieR Replicant (Ending D)

Humanity Dies, The Hero Dies, And Everyone Forgets It Even Happened

Ending D for NieR Replicant provides a poignant and somewhat sad conclusion to a game filled with characters you genuinely care about. It begins after Nier defeats the Shadowlord, who is revealed to be a duplicate of Nier himself (the story gets complex, but stay with us!). Following the battle, Kainé starts to revert to a previous state, where her personality fades and she becomes aggressive.

After a climactic battle, Nier faces a heartbreaking choice: sacrifice his beloved Kainé, or erase himself from existence, saving her but making it as if he never lived. While Ending C is bleak, Ending D is even more devastating. The core of the story revolves around Nier and Kainé’s relationship, so their separation right after winning is incredibly painful. To make matters worse, the deadly Black Scrawl plague continues to spread, sealing humanity’s fate. As a final, crushing blow, Ending D permanently deletes your game save, emphasizing that Nier is completely forgotten and his actions have no lasting impact. Although Ending E allows you to restore your save and Kainé’s memories, offering a slightly more hopeful outcome, it still doesn’t save humankind.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Alone Ending)

Just You And Your Bird

The main ending of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – the one that ties the game’s story to the modern-day narrative – remains the same no matter your choices. However, the personal conclusion to Alexios or Kassandra’s story, called the Family Arc, does change based on how you navigate their relationships with their family.

In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the Eagle Bearer, Kassandra or Alexios, has four family members: Stentor, Nikolaos, Myrrine, and Deimos (the sibling you don’t play as). You’ll encounter them throughout the game. If you fail to save all four, or if you kill them, the game ends with a somber scene: your character returns home to an empty dinner table. This is considered the ‘bad’ ending, and while difficult to trigger accidentally, it’s incredibly poignant after everything the protagonist has experienced.

The Witcher 3 (Bad Ending)

Geralt’s Life Loses All Meaning

Most players know your decisions in The Witcher 3 affect the story. This is usually seen in how quests end, how characters react to Geralt, and who shows up to help him. However, the biggest impact on the game’s ending comes from how you interact with Ciri. If you want the bad ending, simply criticize her, be harsh during her training, and consistently question her skills.

In the fight against the White Frost, Ciri will tragically lose hope and ultimately die, which devastates Geralt. Consumed by grief, he seeks revenge on the Crones of Crookback Bog, believing they were responsible for stealing Ciri’s amulet. While he recovers the amulet, it doesn’t bring him peace – instead, it deepens his sorrow. The story ends with Geralt running through a forest, facing an approaching horde of monsters, leaving his future uncertain.

Dredge (Bad Ending)

Resurrection At A Price

Once you’ve collected all the relics the Collector asks for in Dredge, he’ll send you to a specific spot at sea – the place where a fisherman’s wife tragically died. When you arrive, the Collector will throw the relics into the water, starting a ritual to bring the woman back to life. This seems like a dangerous plan, and it turns out to be even worse than you think. Soon after, a ghostly figure rises from the waves, but she isn’t alone – something far larger and much more terrifying appears with her.

A colossal, tentacled monster rises from the ocean depths, triggering a devastating apocalypse that destroys the game’s world. The screen goes dark, but during the credits, you see glimpses of the aftermath of the ritual: huge storms, blood-red skies, and the familiar mansion burning to the ground. Though you, playing as the Fisherman, are reunited with your wife, the price of her return is shockingly high.

Pathologic 2 (Nocturnal Ending)

The Beasts Rule Now

In Pathologic 2, the conflict between the natural world and human society is a central idea, and the “Nocturnal Ending” shows nature ultimately triumphing. This ending is triggered on Day 11 by choosing to dismantle the Inquisitor’s Orders and letting the Polyhedron remain untouched. As a result, the town is plunged into a permanent, oppressive darkness, and the Sand Plague – the disease you’ve been trying to cure throughout the game – is allowed to spread unchecked, obscuring the sun.

When the original people of the plains, known as the Kin, return, the town’s residents are driven into hiding, lost and desperate to escape. Giant, bull-like spirits appear in the sky, signaling a time when the Earth will flourish, even if humanity struggles. While not a complete disaster, this outcome isn’t really a victory either.

Yume Nikki

Does It Even Mean Anything?

Yume Nikki is a bit different from most open-world or RPG games. While it does have some typical RPG features like customizing your character and improving their equipment, and it lets you explore a world freely with a non-linear story, it’s fundamentally a psychological horror JRPG. Because of this, the game’s very dark ending isn’t unexpected.

Okay, so as a fan, let me tell you what happens at the end of this game. You spend the whole time exploring this really bizarre dream world as Madotsuki, collecting 24 different Effects. Once you’ve found them all, you drop them in this central room, and they magically turn into eggs. Then, when you leave and come back, the eggs are arranged in this weird, new pattern. After that, the goal is to ‘wake up’. It seems simple enough, but then… when you’re back in the real world, you control Madotsuki to walk out onto her balcony, and she jumps. The credits roll after that. It’s a really shocking ending, and everyone’s been debating what it means ever since. Some think it’s a deep metaphor for something, while others believe it’s a trick – that she’s still dreaming. Whatever the developer intended, it’s definitely a dark and unsettling way to finish a game after everything you’ve been through in her dream world.

2026-01-21 08:36