February 10, 2012 – Spoiler alert! Today, Guinness World Records, the global authority on record-breaking, announced the Top 50 Videogame Endings of All Time as voted for by 13,519 online fans. Conducted for the new Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer’s Edition book, the list is sure to cause heated debate among passionate gamers.
From the bestselling series, Call of Duty: Black Ops, developed by Treyarch, tops the list. The dramatic finale features a frantic shoot-out inside a submarine and provides our hero Mason the chance to take vengeance for a murdered friend. The closing sequence offers a new twist on the classic JFK conspiracy theory.
Runner up in the list is 2010’s Halo: Reach developed by Bungie. Another First-Person Shooter, Halo: Reach takes place in the year 2552, with humanity locked in a war with the alien Covenant. During the post credits sequence your character, Nobile Six, makes a final stand against impossible odds. Although he is eventually overwhelmed, his sacrifice ensures that the ‘Master Chief’ survives.
More than 13 year’s old, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time takes third place in the list. One of the best loved games of all time ends in classic fashion with our iconic character defeating Ganondorf and rescuing Princess Zelda.
The rest of the 50 offers a definitive list of the greatest video game endings of all time. Notable entries include Red Dead Redemption (2010) which comes in at number 6. Rockstar’s mega-hit finishes like all good Western films — with retribution, revenge and bloodshed.
At number 7 is Portal (Valve, 2007). The highly memorable ending breaks from tradition, with the final boss, GLaDOS, appearing to be defeated but then going on to perform a musical number titled ‘Still Alive’. The song, written by nerd-folk artist Jonathan Coulton, has become a cult hit and been immortalised in several online tributes.
Quantic Dream’s highly innovative Heavy Rain (2010) makes up the 10. The game features 22 possible endings which add to the excitement of the thriller. Will your in-game choices result in the ‘all round happy-ending’ or will they instead lead to an ending so dark that you’ll witness the deaths of most the game’s major characters?
Gaz Deaves, Gaming Editor for Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer’s Edition said: “Everyone has an opinion on how to end a game whether it’s an epic boss fight, a clever plot twist or a 90-minute movie. This list recognises some of the greatest endings and hopefully will get gamers talking about their favorites and why.”
The full list is featured in the new Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer’s Edition book out now, and can also be found below. The book is also available in a fully illustrated, full color eBook format at B&N.com, Kobo and Apple’s ibooks. For more information please visit www.guinnessworldrecords.com/gamers
