Not every game has a happy ending. Like the 3 games below are examples. There, your main character will have to make a last-minute sacrifice.
Mass Effect 2
In Mass Effect 2, if the player fails to keep the protagonist Shepard alive, it will be a sad ending.
When Shepard dies, Normandy flies to a remote planet, and Shepard’s teammates will organize a memorial service together. The screen then switches to a picture of Shepard, placed on Commander Anderson’s desk aboard Cerberus, while a goodbye from Shepard is heard over the loudspeaker.
This ending is considered one of the saddest endings in the Mass Effect series and has left many fans of the game feeling emotional and mourning for Shepard and the other characters.
Cyberpunk 2077
In Cyberpunk 2077, the sad ending depends on the player’s decisions and their actions throughout the story. There are different ways to end the game, some of which can be considered sad.
A sad ending in Cyberpunk 2077 is when your protagonist, V, has to sacrifice himself to save the Night City. In this scenario, V must enter a land called “The Blackwall” to eradicate the spread of an AI virus that is harming the city. However, after V completes the mission, they learn that they have been infected with the virus and will not have long to live. The player can choose to let V sacrifice himself to save Night City or let V live and accept his end.
Red Dead Redemption
In Red Dead Redemption, players play as John Marston, an assassin who has just been released from prison to help the US government hunt down and kill members of the Van der Linde gang. During the game, players will have to perform many different tasks and help many different characters.
The end of Red Dead Redemption occurs when John Marston with his wife and son live in seclusion on a farm. A group of mysterious assassins appear and ask John to help them hunt some people. John accepted and after completing the mission, he was surrounded by a government army. John Marston then decides to go out to face the government and is killed in battle. The game’s ending focuses on dealing with John’s relationships with his wife and son, and shows the devastating consequences of Western life.