Regardless of whether it is Serena Williams' shocking return to tennis at the age of 44 or Hollywood's obsession with aging action stars with a drop of juice left in the tank, we fixate together on the same theme: the defiant veteran who refuses to fade away. In pop culture, we call it “One Last Ride” or “One Last Hurrah,” and while sports and movies love the trope, video games handle it best.
Social media is abuzz with the shock announcement of the all-time leading female tennis player's return to competitive doubles at the HSBC London Championships, with Williams penning a new final act that seeks to spit in Father Time's face. These types of stories tend to always strike a chord, and gaming may be responsible for the best example of the “one last job” journey.
Spoiler warning for all upcoming gamesas I cannot entirely avoid discussing their endings. I'm trying to be a little vague, but I have to go into some detail.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End & The Allure Of Adventure
Nathan Drake puts his legendary treasure hunter identity to rest
Unlike live-action films, video games are not subject to actors going through the natural aging process, and plenty of comics and characters can stick around until the end of time. Consequently, when developers narrate the final chapter of a beloved hero, the conclusion feels even more definitive—an organic finale unaffected by external factors. At the beginning of Uncharted 4: A Thief's EndNathan Drake has already transitioned to a “normal” life and spends his time doing paperwork and playing Crash Bandicoot with Elena. But he longs for that ideal retirement, an opportunity to complete that last adventure. When his brother, Sam, suddenly shows up and asks for help finding Captain Avery's pirate treasure, Nathan agrees, and not just 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 their desperate desire for peace. Narratively, this creates a little 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 adrenaline fix. Throughout the game, Nathan's vulnerabilities as a guy in his 30s with plenty of wear and tear shine through, gradually shedding the legendary adventurer persona he's trying to revive. Drake's last hurray takes away the glamor and romance, and by the end he longs to put the past behind him so he can move on.
When I started playing Uncharted 4I certainly wasn't ready 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 (because it's great).
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Mass Effect 3 and the importance of a galaxy
Commander Shepard's last mission was an agonizingly long goodbye
Mass Effect 2s final mission undoubtedly deserves a place, as it may be the most famous “one last stand” in gaming history; however, Mass Effect 3s ending(s) expands it to a whole new level, even if the mission itself doesn't 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 barely tethered to his human body. After dying once, being reconstructed by cybernetics, and forced to work with terrorists just to slow down an ancient synthetic threat, Shepard begins 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 into the Normandy with the galaxy's existence on the line. Exploration and diplomacy no longer matter; this is the last desperate fight before a cruel Grim Reaper. The entire game feels like “one last job,” with Shepard becoming increasingly isolated as people turn to him for answers and salvation. Cracks in the commander's armor form, showing the impact 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.
Honestly, I don't particularly like Mass Effect 3s 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 goodbye. The whole campaign had that effect on me.
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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 along Red Dead Redemption or the sequel, as they both fit this topic quite 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. At first, Arthur Morgan is simply the muscle of the Van der Linde gang, who believes wholeheartedly in Dutch's dream of a completely free America. As the very long story progresses, we gradually see the 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 is eventually diagnosed with tuberculosis, a guaranteed death sentence at the time. On the run from the law and running out of oxygen, Arthur ultimately only has the strength for one last act, and his final ride is defined by personal stakes rather than any big move that affects society at large. He simply wants to save a family. There is no attempt to ride off into the sunset, or any hope for a life beyond this moment. No, Arthur uses every bit of himself to prolong someone else's future.
The events in RDR makes Arthur's sacrifice all the more bittersweet, paving the way for John Marston's own final ride.
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Max Payne 3 and the consolation of violence
Max Payne's final chapter is a beautiful, violent disaster
Sticking with Rockstar for now, 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 totally burnt out protagonist. At this point, Max has abandoned any attempt to be righteous or noble. Living in Brazil, he spends his days numbing the pain and working a security job to get the capital needed to continue numbing the pain. Things happen that push Max deep into a netherworld beyond his understanding, and he eventually realizes that he's just a wuss. Consequently, with nothing left to lose, he shaves his head and changes his wardrobe in preparation for a complete final mission. Let's burn it all down to the ground.
Similar Red Dead Redemption 2s Arthur, Max's actions are not driven by a sense of heroism; instead, he is a relic built entirely for violence. A shooting 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 much better place when he finally puts his demons to bed.
I know Max Payne 3 is not widely considered the best entry in the series, particularly due to its differences from the original two games. Still, as the final chapter in Max's story, it's pretty incredible.
Solid Snake's harrowing final arc will never be surpassed
IN Guns of the PatriotsSolid Snake appears looking like an old man, despite being supposed to be in his 40s. As a genetic clone with accelerated aging that basically functions as a kill switch, his best days are clearly behind him; but when Liquid Ocelot sets out to destabilize the world, Old Snake dons a special suit, an eyepatch and gets back to work. Rather than a savior, Snake is essentially the military's cleanup team, whose purpose is to wipe out the past.
No other game in history embodies the “one last mission” trope so completely Metal Gear Solid 4even with psyche and stress systems keeping track of Snake's discomfort. Despite playing a walking bioweapon super spy, the game constantly makes you aware of Snake's weakness or vulnerability. The actual finale takes everything away from Snake and the player and switches to a single button press as Snake burns himself alive to complete his objective.
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