The Best 'One Last Ride' Games Ever, Ranked

Whatever 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 collectively focus on the same theme: the defiant veteran who refuses to fade. In pop culture, we call it 'One Last Ride' or 'One Last Hurrah', and while sports and cinema love tropes, video games do it best.

Social media is buzzing with the shock announcement of the all-time leading 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 Father Time's face. These types of narratives tend to always strike a chord, and gaming may be responsible for the best example of the “last job” journey.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

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Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)Start

RestartRear

The results

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Highest score: 0 —

5

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End & The Allure Of Adventure

Nathan Drake lays his legendary identity as a treasure hunter to rest

Unlike live-action movies, video games aren't subject to actors going through a natural aging process, and plenty of series and characters can stick around until the end of time. As a result, when the developers tell the last chapter of the beloved hero, the conclusion feels even more definitive – an organic finale unaffected by external factors. In the beginning Uncharted 4: A Thief's EndNathan Drake has already moved on to a “normal” life, spending his time doing paperwork and playing games Crash Bandicoot with Elena. But he longs for an ideal retirement, a chance to live one last adventure. When his brother Sam suddenly shows up asking for help in finding Captain Avery's pirate treasure, Nathan agrees, and not just out of brotherly love. He needs this.

Most “One Last Ride” stories use an inciting incident that forces the protagonist back into action despite his desperate desire for peace. It creates a little extra tension narratively, so it makes perfect sense. However, Uncharted 4 twists the script: Nathan is a veteran who finds peace, hates it, and weaponizes a family crisis to get an adrenaline rush. Throughout the play, Nathan's vulnerability as a thirty-something with a lot of wear and tear shines through, gradually chipping away at the persona of the legendary adventurer he's trying to revive. Drake's last hurrah strips away the glamor and romanticism, and at the end, he longs to put the past behind him to move on.

4

Mass Effect 3 And The Scale Of The Galaxy

Commander Shepard's last mission was an agonizing long goodbye

Mass Effect 2The final mission probably deserves a spot as it might be the most famous “one last stand” in gaming history; however, Mass Effect 3The ending(s) take this 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 a real person, barely attached to his human body. After Shepard died once, was reconstructed by cybernetics and forced to work with terrorists just to slow down an ancient synthetic threat, he begins Mass Effect 3 under house arrest and stripped of rank.

Then the sky falls, the Reapers arrive, Earth's cities become graveyards, and Shepard returns to the Normandy with the galaxy's existence at stake. Exploration and diplomacy no longer matter; this is the last desperate fight in the face of the cruel Grim Reaper. The whole game feels like a “last job” and Shepard is increasingly isolated as people turn to him for answers and rescue. Cracks in the commander's armor that show the toll these expectations take on his psyche. When the actual final missions begin, there's no escaping the knowledge that Shepard is on a one-way street.

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 a sequel, as both fit the theme quite well. However, Red Dead Redemption 2 it captures the “end of an era, death of a lifestyle” spirit a bit more than its predecessor, despite being set a few years later. At first, Arthur Morgan is simply a muscleman of the Van der Linde gang who wholeheartedly believes in Dutch's dream of a completely free America. As the very long story progresses, we gradually see this dream fade into oblivion in the face of the relentless encroachment of modern civilization. The Wild West is a relic of the past.

Focusing specifically on the protagonist's story, Arthur is eventually diagnosed with tuberculosis, a guaranteed death sentence at the time. As Arthur runs from the law and runs out of oxygen, he ultimately only has the strength for one last action, and his final drive is determined more by personal stakes than any big move that impacts society as a whole. He just wants to save one family. There is no attempt to ride off into the sunset, no hope for life beyond this point. No, Arthur is using every bit of himself to expand someone else's future.

Events from GDR making Arthur's sacrifice all the more bittersweet and paving the way for John Marston's own final ride.

2

Max Payne 3 and the comfort of violence

Max Payne's final chapter is a beautiful, violent disaster

We're sticking with Rockstar for now, Max Payne 3 may be gaming's best example of an “I'm too old for this shit” finale, albeit with a deeply depressed and completely burnt out protagonist. At this point, Max abandoned any attempts to be righteous or noble. He lives in Brazil and spends his days numbing the pain and working in security to raise the capital needed to further numb the pain. Things happen that throw Max deep into the underworld beyond his understanding and he finally realizes that he is just a piece of cake. Consequently, with nothing left to lose, he shaves his head and changes his wardrobe in preparation for the all-out final mission. We'll burn it all to the ground.

Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur, Max's actions are not driven by a sense of heroism; instead, it's a relic built solely for violence. A life-and-death shootout helps him feel alive again for the first time in ten years. Old, heavy and brutal Max is a force of nature and not a force of good. Unlike so many finale rides, Max not only survives, but ends up in a much better place when he finally puts his demons to bed.

Solid Snake's agonizing final arc will never be surpassed

IN Arms of the PatriotsSolid Snake looks like an old man despite being said to be 40 years old. As a genetic clone with accelerated aging that essentially functions as a termination switch, his best days are clearly behind him; however, 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 an army clean-up squad whose purpose is to erase the past.

No other game in history embodies the 'last mission' trope as fully as it does Metal Gear Solid 4including the Psyche and Stress systems that track Snake's discomfort. Despite playing a super spy with a walking bioweapon, the game constantly informs you of Snake's weakness or vulnerability. In the true finale, everything from Snake and the player zooms out and switches to a single button press as Snake burns himself alive to complete his objective.