Best RPGs With Multiple Endings

Best RPGs With Multiple Endings



Key Takeaways

  • RPGs offer immersive experiences shaped by player choices, enhancing storytelling.
  • Multiple endings increase replayability and encourage players to consider consequences.
  • Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 provide diverse endings, often being bittersweet.

RPGs offer an immersive narrative experience, often defined by players’ choices throughout the journey. The ability to influence the story, whether through moral decisions, dialogues, or actions, adds a unique emotional weight. These elements make the genre ideal for exploring different perspectives and narrative paths in a single adventure.

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Many of the best RPGs feature multiple endings, further enhancing this immersion by directly reflecting the decisions made during the story’s progression. This dynamic not only increases replayability but also challenges players to consider the consequences of their actions. When a game’s outcome is shaped by the choices made, the experience becomes even more rewarding and meaningful.

10 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Three Endings, But Only One Is Canonical

Released
July 15, 2003

OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is an iconic RPG that allows players to explore the Star Wars universe with great freedom. Throughout the journey, the choices made, whether aligning with the light or dark side of the Force, directly influence the unfolding of the story and lead to multiple distinct endings.

Despite the different possible conclusions, one of the endings is considered canonical within the expanded Star Wars universe. In this outcome, the protagonist Revan embraces the light side of the Force, defeats Darth Malak, and saves the galaxy. Thus, although it allows for various ways to conclude the story, one had to be chosen to continue the universe.

9 Pillars Of Eternity

A Journey Shaped By The Watcher’s Decisions

Systems

Released
March 26, 2015

OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Pillars of Eternity stands out as a classic RPG, offering a deep narrative with multiple endings that directly reflect the decisions made by the Watcher, the protagonist. Choices made throughout the journey, such as political alliances, interactions with the gods, or the fate of the Hollowborn souls, affect both the main outcome and the consequences for entire regions of Dyrwood.

Additionally, the fate of companions is shaped by actions taken, such as the future of Eder, Aloth, Pallegina, and other characters, who face varied destinies depending on interactions and choices within the game. This system of choices and consequences reinforces replayability, making Pillars of Eternity a landmark for RPG fans seeking a rich and engaging narrative experience.

8 Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous

Isometric RPG With Different Endings Based On Various Factors

Released
September 2, 2021

Developer(s)
Owlcat Games

OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Presenting a more classic gameplay rooted in CRPG origins, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous places players against a demonic crisis in The Worldwound, which can change according to the Mythic Path chosen. This leads the main character on a journey where choices, especially in build, impact the ending.

Moreover, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, like other RPGs with multiple endings, also presents new content based on the fate of each companion, making choices, dialogues, or even how much these characters liked the protagonist impact each one’s destiny. Thus, for those who enjoy a classic experience, this RPG offers plenty of content.

7 Cyberpunk 2077

V Can Have Different Endings, But None Are Happy In Night City

Released
December 10, 2020

OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Despite sometimes leaning more towards FPS and adventure game mechanics, Cyberpunk 2077 remains a faithful adaptation of the TTRPG of the same name, taking players on a complex journey through Night City. As a result, the story of V, an edgerunner seeking to become a legend, can have different endings based on whom they choose to help.

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With the arrival of the Phantom Liberty DLC, which has some variations of endings for the expansion’s own story, new ways for V’s journey to conclude were also added. However, it is worth mentioning that the vast majority of these endings are bittersweet, reinforcing the maxim that there are no happy endings in Night City.

6 The Witcher 3

Features Three Major Endings And Many Small Changes In Minor Events

Released
May 19, 2015

OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

There are different ways that Geralt of Rivia’s trilogy can end in The Witcher 3, all of them related to how Ciri also concludes her own arc within the story. However, CD Projekt Red further complemented the story’s conclusion by incorporating the many other smaller choices that players make throughout the narrative.

Therefore, one of the best RPGs with multiple endings ever produced allows for considerable freedom to make choices that profoundly impact the ending or make small alterations in the course of the story, wrapping up the entire plot. In this way, The Witcher 3 offers an interesting experience where decisions contribute to a memorable narrative in the universe.

5 Disco Elysium

A Unique RPG Offering Different Endings

Released
October 15, 2019

Developer(s)
ZA/UM

OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Disco Elysium offers a unique experience where the protagonist’s internal choices directly influence the narrative outcomes. Decisions not only determine the course of police investigations but also affect the detective’s mental state, paving the way for different endings that reflect internal struggles and alliances formed throughout the game.

Beyond the main endings, Disco Elysium presents multiple game overs that capture the complexity of interactions and the protagonist’s fragility. From emotional crises to fatal confrontations, each alternative ending enriches the narrative, encouraging exploration of various approaches and consequences of actions, making each new adventure a singular and introspective journey.

4 Dragon Age: Origins

The Epilogue Can Be Different Depending On The Choice

Released
November 3, 2009

The first entry in the Dragon Age franchise is extremely oriented towards the isometric RPG genre and, therefore, shares many common elements, especially in the narrative. So, Dragon Age: Origins has a well-crafted story, and some choices made throughout the game directly impact how everything ends.

Besides the choices near the end that change the final cutscenes of the story, such as who is the character responsible for defeating the Archdemon, many other smaller decisions also impact the slideshow shown during the epilogue. Thus, players will feel greater immersion in the story, as these changes in the script, even if more superficial, adapt to what was played.

3 Chrono Trigger

A JRPG Remembered For The Quality And Quantity Of Endings

When it comes to games with multiple endings, Chrono Trigger is a major reference for this mechanic, largely due to the quality the game possesses. Here, the choices made throughout the story do not impact how the story ends but rather the moment players decide to defeat Lavos, which leads to new cutscenes.

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So, players will most likely receive the standard ending of the story after completing their first playthrough, but upon starting New Game+, the characters will be strong enough to face him at other times. In this way, it is possible to find endings where the Dinosaurs dominated the world or even find the game’s creators in a secret room.

2 Fallout 2

One Of The RPGs That Coined The Term Choice And Consequence

Systems

Released
October 29, 1998

Developer(s)
Black Isle Studios

Being one of the games responsible for refining the mechanics of choices and consequences, Fallout 2 manages to fit the multiple endings throughout the narration presented after the final combat against the Enclave. Basically, various locations where the Chosen One passes are impacted by actions or decisions taken, altering the entire game scenario.

Decisions made throughout the journey, such as alliances formed, missions completed or ignored, and actions in different locations, directly influence the multiple endings presented. Fallout 2 stands out by creating a dynamic world where even smaller choices can alter the fate of entire communities, reinforcing its position as one of the best RPGs with multiple endings ever made.

1 Baldur’s Gate 3

Characters Have Various Different Fates

Released
August 3, 2023

OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a games that manages to deliver an incredible experience in all aspects, as well as being one of the best RPGs with multiple endings. Throughout the story, different characters join the group, and it is possible to give each of them a different fate when the journey ends.

As a result, allied with the choices the protagonist can make, which also influence the course of the story, access to multiple varied endings is provided, making Baldur’s Gate 3 a highly replayable game. Even endings focused on evil characters were added with the arrival of new patches, further increasing the possibilities regarding the game’s conclusion.

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