Whether it’s Serena Williams’ shocking return to tennis at age 44 or Hollywood’s obsession with aging action stars with a drop of juice left in the tank, we collectively fixate on the same theme: the defiant veteran refusing to fade away. In pop culture, we call it the ‘One Last Ride’ or ‘One Last Hurrah,’ and while sports and cinema love the trope, video games handle it the best.
Social media sits abuzz with the shocking announcement of the greatest-of-all-time female tennis player’s return to competitive doubles at the HSBC Championships in London, with Williams writing a new final act that seeks to spit in the face of Father Time. These types of narratives tend to always strike a chord, and gaming might be responsible for the best example of the ‘one last job’ journey.
Spoiler warning for all the upcoming games, as I cannot completely avoid discussing their endings. I try to be a bit vague, but I need to go into some details.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
5
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End & The Allure Of Adventure
Nathan Drake Puts His Legendary Treasure Hunter Identity To Rest
Unlike live-action movies, video games are not subject to actors going through the natural process of aging, and plenty of series and characters might stick around until the end of time. Consequently, when developers tell a beloved hero’s last chapter, the conclusion feels even more definitive – an organic finale not influenced by external factors. At the start of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Nathan Drake has already transitioned to a “normal” life, spending his time doing paperwork and playing Crash Bandicoot with Elena. However, he itches for that ideal retirement, an opportunity to pull off that one final adventure. When his brother, Sam, suddenly shows up asking for help in finding Captain Avery’s pirate treasure, Nathan agrees, and not only out of brotherly love. He needs this.
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Most ‘One Last Ride’ stories use an inciting incident that forces the protagonist back into action, despite them desperately wanting peace. Narratively, this creates a little bit of extra tension, so it makes perfect sense. However, Uncharted 4 flips the script: Nathan is a veteran who finds peace, hates it, and weaponizes a family crisis to get his fix of adrenaline. Throughout the entire game, Nathan’s vulnerabilities as a guy in his 30s with plenty of wear-and-tear shine through, gradually chipping away at the legendary adventurer persona he seeks to revive. Drake’s final hurrah strips away the glamour and romanticism, and by the end, he yearns to put the past behind him so he can move on.
When I started playing Uncharted 4, I really wasn’t prepared to say goodbye to Nathan Drake, but that gradually changed throughout the campaign. By the end, we were both ready to let go, and I don’t mean that as a criticism of the game’s quality (as it is awesome).
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Mass Effect 3 And The Weight Of A Galaxy
Commander Shepard’s Final Mission Was an Agonizing Long Goodbye
Mass Effect 2‘s final mission arguably deserves a spot, as it might be the most famous ‘one last stand’ in gaming history; however, Mass Effect 3‘s ending(s) expand that to a whole new level, even if the mission itself does not hold a candle to its predecessor’s conclusion. By the time of the third entry, Commander Shepard feels more like a ghost than an actual person, one that is barely tethered to his human body. Having died once, been reconstructed by cybernetics, and forced to work with terrorists just to slow down an ancient synthetic threat, Shepard starts Mass Effect 3 under house arrest and stripped of his rank.
Then, the sky falls, the Reapers arrive, Earth’s cities become graveyards, and Shepard steps back onto the Normandy with the galaxy’s existence on the line. Exploration and diplomacy no longer matter; this is the final desperate struggle in the face of a cruel Grim Reaper. The whole game feels like ‘one last job,’ with Shepard growing increasingly isolated as people turn to him for answers and salvation. Cracks in the commander’s armor form, showing the sheer toll these expectations have on his psyche. When the actual final missions begin, there’s no escaping the knowledge that Shepard is on a one-way trip.
Frankly, I don’t particularly enjoy Mass Effect 3‘s final mission, but I think the rest of the game fits this mood well. Every time I visited a planet or reunited with an old friend (or enemy), it felt like a farewell. The whole campaign had that impact on me.
3
Red Dead Redemption 2 And The End Of An Era
Arthur Morgan Turns A Death Sentence Into Redemption
I went back and forth on whether to go with Red Dead Redemption or the sequel, as they both fit this topic pretty well. However, Red Dead Redemption 2 captures that “end of an era, death of a lifestyle” spirit a bit more than its predecessor, despite the latter being set a few years later. Initially, Arthur Morgan is simply the Van der Linde gang’s muscle, who believes wholeheartedly in Dutch’s dream of a completely free America. As the very long story progresses, we gradually see that dream fade into oblivion in the face of the relentless encroachment of modern civilization. The Wild West is a relic of the past.
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Focusing specifically on the protagonist’s story, Arthur eventually is diagnosed with tuberculosis, a guaranteed death sentence at the time. Running from the law and running out of oxygen, Arthur ultimately only has the strength for one last action, and his final ride is defined by personal stakes rather than some big move that impacts society at large. He simply wants to save one family. There’s no attempt to ride into the sunset, or any hope of a life beyond this moment. No, Arthur uses every last bit of himself to extend somebody else’s future.
The events of RDR make Arthur’s sacrifice even more bittersweet, paving the way to John Marston’s own final ride.
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Max Payne 3 And The Comfort Of Violence
Max Payne’s Final Chapter Is A Beautiful, Violent Disaster
Sticking to Rockstar for the time being, Max Payne 3 might be gaming’s best example of an “I’m too old for this sh*t” finale, albeit with a deeply depressed and utterly burned-out protagonist. By this point, Max has abandoned any attempts to be righteous or noble. Living in Brazil, he spends his days numbing the pain and working a security job to get the capital required to continue numbing the pain. Stuff happens that thrusts Max deep into an underworld beyond his understanding, and he eventually realizes that he’s just a patsy. Consequently, with nothing left to lose, he shaves his head and changes his wardrobe in preparation for an all-out final mission. Let’s burn it all to the ground.
Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2‘s Arthur, Max’s actions aren’t driven by a sense of heroism; instead, he’s a relic built entirely for violence. A gunfight to the death helps him feel alive again for the first time in a decade. Old, heavy, and brutal, Max is a force of nature and not a force for good. Unlike so many final rides, Max not only survives but ends up in a far better place as he finally puts his demons to bed.
I know Max Payne 3 isn’t generally regarded as the best entry in the series, especially due to its differences from the original two games. Still, as the final chapter in Max’s story, it is pretty incredible.
Solid Snake’s Agonizing Final Bow Will Never Be Surpassed
In Guns of the Patriots, Solid Snake shows up looking like an old man, despite supposedly being in his 40s. As a genetic clone with accelerated aging that basically acts as a termination switch, his best days are clearly behind him; however, when Liquid Ocelot sets out to destabilize the world, Old Snake puts on a special suit, an eye-patch, and gets back to work. Rather than a savior, Snake is essentially the military’s cleanup crew, whose purpose is to wipe away the past.
No other game in history embodies the ‘one last mission’ trope as fully as Metal Gear Solid 4, even incorporating Psyche and Stress systems that keep track of Snake’s discomfort. Despite playing a walking biological weapon superspy, the game constantly makes you aware of Snake’s frailty or vulnerabilities. The actual final strips everything away from Snake and the player, switching over to a single button press as Snake burns himself alive to complete his goal.
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