Summary
Post-credit sceneshave been popularized in most major motion pictures thanks to Marvel always teasing their fans with the next movies if they have the patience to sit through a film’s credits, sometimes sneaking in two, which viewers might miss after seeing the first one.
Games have been doing this for a lot longer, resulting in some very cool cutscenes, some of which tease upcoming sequels or spin-offs. Thankfully, players can access post-credit scenes in games much more easily, as they can skip past the credits for the immediate gratification of seeing the hidden cutscene.
The firstMetroidgame introduced players to the sci-fi run-and-gun platforming gameplay the franchise would adopt over continuous sequels, reboots, and spin-offs. In each title, the players control Samus Aran, a mysterious soldier donned in a huge set of bulky armor, to help fend off inhospitable surroundings and dangerous aliens.
Most players would have erroneously assumed Samus Aran was male, but this famed post-credit scene smashed this assumption, revealing Samus to be a woman as she removed her helmet. This scene was a nice-touch by Nintendo, and Samus has gone down in history as one of thebest female characters in gaminghistory since her first appearance.
This fantastic Rocksteady title kicked off theArkhamseries, which had players donning the cowl and scowl of the Dark Knight as he escorts Joker into Arkham after managing to capture him. With the aid of his sidekick, Harley Quinn, and a corrupt cop, Joker escapes captivity, takes Commissioner Gordon hostage, and threatens to set off bombs he has planted around the city if anyone else dares set foot inside Arkham.
This kicks off Batman’s struggles against the various inmates inside Arkham and his bid to stop Joker from getting his hands on Titan, a newer and stronger version of the venom that gives Bane his strength. Titan makes a reappearance even after the credits in a small scene that has some larger, more sinister implications. One last creation of Titan is seen floating on the water, and one of three possible hands reaches out to grab it: Bane, Killer Croc, or Scarecrow. This impliesmultipleBatmanvillainssurvived the Asylum, and they will likely be returning for revenge in a sequel.
Resident Evil Villagetook the gaming world by storm with the final thread of the Winters' storyline being tied up, as Ethan searches for his kidnapped daughter Rosemary in a remote Romanian village. The truth about his being is revealed at the end of the game, confirming that Ethan has been dead all along and that the mold that affected the Bakers is responsible for keeping him alive.
He successfully saves his daughter Rose but is thought to have died by doing so. A post-credits scene throws this into question, as a mysterious figure is seen approaching the now-teenaged Rosemary. Sadly, the release of theShadow of RoseDLC confirmed that Ethan is functionally dead, but a remnant of him lives on in the Megamycete. Nevertheless, the post-credit scene fromVillagestood out as a fantastic tease for a follow-up.
The grand finale in the Shepard trilogy,Mass Effect 3, showcased the Reapers finally invading Earth, razing entire cities and slaughtering thousands. In a bid to save Earth, and by extension the rest of the galaxy, from the Reapers, Shepard forged alliances withmany Council racesfor one last stand against the race of ancient sentient machines who are hellbent on culling every advanced civilization.
It is very possible Shepard can die when choosing how to deal with the Reaper threat in the twelfth hour, though survival is also a possibility should players gather enough resources and make the right choices. Regardless of Shepard’s fate, every player will still see a scene after the credits of an adult and small child walking through a snowy landscape, as though the entire trilogy was narrated from a parent to his son. This also suggests that there might be more adventures to tell of Shepard to come, but with the following release ofAndromedaand Shepard not set to return inMass Effect 4, it seems like fans will never see the return of the Commander.
The third entry in theBioshockfranchise sees players taking control of Booker DeWitt, who is tasked with infiltrating the skyborne city of Columbia to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman with the power to open small portals between dimensions, who is being held prisoner by Zachary Comstock. The ending of the game reveals that Zachary is Booker from an alternate dimension.
The ending of the game is a tragic one, as many Elizabeths drown Booker. If players are patient enough to see the cutscene waiting for them after the credits, they will see Booker in his office, who will walk to the next room where his daughter lies in her crib. Finally, it seems one Booker might get his happy ending, or maybe the timeline has reset, and the tale of tragedy will repeat.
Horizon Zero Dawnkicked off theHorizonfranchise to great success, introducing players toa futuristic world, where machines have overrun the planet, and the series' fantastic main character, Aloy. The aforementioned machines were once peaceful, but a mysterious force caused them to turn violent. There is one machine that rises as the main antagonist called HADES, which Aloy destroys.
A small post-credits scene reveals that HADES survived Aloy and is in the custody of the Sylens in order to find out the secrets behind the signal that activated it, thus setting up a sequel. It is a simple post-credits scene that serves to build excitement and ensure future success for subsequent releases.
Konami’s stealth game series has some of the most ambitious and confusing stories, with bizarre plots that take completely unpredictable twists and turns and usually a post-credit scene that throws a complete spanner in the works of the plot that was initially laid down. The fifth installment,The Phantom Pain, is no different, revealing a twist that directly affects the experience of the player.
The end reveals that Venom Snake, who was thought to be Big Boss, is not actually Big Boss, throwing into question what the game was all for and who the player was actually in control of for all those hours. MGS always has shocking scenes placed after the credits, but this was one of the most unexpected.
This long-running and bloody shooting romp features manygreat and memorable characters, such as main protagonists Marcus Fenix, Dom, and Cole Train in their struggle against the Locust, a race of genetically altered humans that are seeking to stomp out human civilizations.Gears of War 2continues this fight, taking place half a year after the finale ofGears of War.
The post-credits scene ofGW2is a jaw-dropping moment for fans of the franchise, as it confirms Adam Fenix, Marcus’s father, who was thought to have died a long time ago, is, in fact, still alive and radioing for help. Players would need to wait for the release of the following game,Gears of War 3, for the pay-off for this short but very crucial scene.
The third game in Insomniac’s take on theSpider-ManIP brought fans more fantastic web-slinging action as the two Spider-Men, Miles Morales and Peter Parker, contend with major series antagonists, such as Kraven, Lizard, Sandman, Venom, and more. The two villains in question, Norman Osborne and Doctor Octavius, won’t be contending against the wall crawlers themselves, but they have a brief appearance in the post-credits.
Osborne is seen visiting Doctor Octopus, who is still being held prisoner in the Raft and appears to be writing in a notebook. When quizzed, he simply replies that he is writing the final chapter, which has some very exciting implications that fans will be treated to aSpider-Man 3, which will feature a return ofthe iconic villain, Doc Ock.
Inquisitionbrought in many scraps of Thedas lore and characters from pastDragon Agegames, such as the series' favorite companion, Varric, and the main antagonist, Corypheus, a Magister with lofty ambitions who entered the Golden City seeking power.Solas is one such important characterfrom the lore, but players won’t realize this until the credits for the game have already come and gone, leaving them with a scene that reveals the truth.
In a meeting with Flemeth, it is revealed to players that Solas is the God, Fen’Harel, which is very slightly hinted at throughout the game in some of Sola’s dialogue. He attacks her and absorbs her power, setting himself up as a possible antagonist. Players have already had the chance to confront him in theTrespasserDLC, and he is also set to return inDragon Age 4. As far as post-credits scenes go, this one proved to be one of the most shocking.
