Top 5 ‘final’ games and why they live up to their name

3. Star Ocean: The Last Hope

Help me, Star Ocean! You're my only hope! Okay, admittedly, that was a little silly, but here's another naming anomaly that follows suit with the "last" conventions. This gorgeous behemoth of a game follows Edge Maverick (yes, that's his real name) as he eventualyl becomes the captain of the SRF-003 Calnus, after the maiden voyage of the vessel is launched. It's all in a bid to save the whole of mankind from imminent extinction. In a way, we're specifically dealing with "the last" name all over again, but in this case, the end of the human race. It's a plodding adventure at times, to be sure, but still worth a look.

4. The Last of Us

The Last of Us is a tricky list item as it hasn't been released yet and is not an RPG, contrary to the previous items, but it's still "the last" in a series or in terms of finality. This time, the narrative follows the only known survivors of a plague spread by fungus that has absolutely cleared out modern life as we know it. The survival horror/action-adventure hybrid is awaiting a release in 2013, but it's definitely worth a mention on our round-up since it still shares a similar naming trait.

5. The World Ends With You

Not only is this "the end," but it's the end of the world. Of course, that's only if you go by the English title. The Japanese name is more like the complete opposite: It's A Wonderful World. In a strange underground world, players compete to earn back the privilege to be brought back to life or ascend to a new, enlightened plane of existence. It's certainly more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it — is the entire world ending? It might seem that way, if you're competing in the bizarre game and lose, as you'll be erased from existence. The obsession with finality and the "end" of life as you know it makes TWEWY an honest example of the same naming motif we've discussed all along — and interestingly enough, the Western adaptation was responsible.

Final Fantasy has an interesting story behind its name. For the uninitiated, the classic series received its name due to the fact that the NES release wsa then-failing Square's last-ditch effort at making a dent in the game industry. With the company facing bankruptcy, designer Hironobu Sakaguchi saw the RPG as their last hurrah — if they couldn't flourish, Sakaguchi planned to exit the business and quit the industry completely. But as we're all well aware, Final Fantasy was indeed a hit. So while there are numerous Final Fantasy entries, there was a meaning behind the fated title. It's another story then, when it comes to other games that adopt similar monikers, each referencing a "last," "end," or some sort of conclusion, whether it be the end of a journey, the last of a race, or even the extinction of mankind. There are quite a few, curiously enough, and we've gathered some of them here for your personal reference. Not every single one may be on par with the best of Final Fantasy's moments, but they're still interesting nonetheless.

1. The Last Story

The expansive Wii RPG that just released sports a "final" title that mirrors the plight of Square and Final Fantasy is also one of the Wii's possible last great adventures. How fitting then, that it's also a work from Hironobu Sakaguchi and even Nobuo Uematsu. Mistwalker's sprawling yet simple journey follows a band of mercenaries across Lazulis Island, but it isn't exactly the "final" push for a succecssful traditional Japanese role-playing narrative. It is, however, an excellent adventure that shouldn't be missed, especially for fans of the genre. And with its awesome naming mechanics, it certainly fits in with the theme we're going for.

2. The Last Remnant

The Last Remnant had pitfalls of its own when it comes to both gameplay and storytelling, but you have to at least credit it for trying. Coincidentally, this is another Square Enix title — what's with these naming conditions? The in-game world followed the protagonist Rush Sykes on a quest to rescue his kidnapped sister Irina. Strange artifacts known as Remnants are scattered all over the world, each bound by fate to one specific person who may utilize its power — these will eventually bind to a user for that particular purpose. The game was poorly received due to graphical issues and rather uninspiring gameplay, but let no one say it wasn't ambitious.