Top 10 Video Games That Ended Too Soon

If there’s one thing, anything at all, that can ruin a game, it’s an abrupt ending. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re talking about our picks for the "Top 10 Video Games That Ended Too Soon."

For this list we’re taking a look at games in which the endings felt either rushed or premature.

Homefront may not have taken the world by storm, but that isn’t to say it wasn’t a solid experience. That being said, even the most vocal advocates have to admit that Homefront was not the epic shooter that it was advertised as. For starters, you can beat the entire game in just a few hours. We wouldn’t harp on the game for its length had it not taken its sweet, old time setting up the story. It feels like the ending kicked in just after the first act; like watching Star Wars and having it abruptly end after the Millenium Falcon leaves Tattooine.

We won’t lie; back in 2011 there was something satisfying about opening up a new game and seeing more than one disc inside the case. This was a sign that the game you just bought was going to be huge. In the case of RAGE, hmmmm... not so much. Only a few hours into the story, the game asks you to switch over to Disc 2. Surely there has to be more here, right? Nope. Just another few hours of a different area, and then, your final moments of the game require you to activate computers. So, how did an 11-hour story with a lacklustre final level take up two entire discs? That’s like if Game of Throne's season 1 finale was when Bran got pushed out the window.

SEGA and Platinum Games got so many things right with Vanquish. The fast-paced combat was exciting, and the slide-boosting mechanic was such a blast to pull off. In terms of mechanics and gameplay… it was one of the year’s most entertaining games. And that’s what makes the sudden, premature conclusion so incredibly frustrating! Just when we were starting to hone our skills, the game simply pushed us right to the ending. We couldn’t help but feel like there was supposed to be more. Guys, you had a potential blockbuster in your hands! Why did this game only last us one evening? That’s like if Kingsman ended after the first bar fight.

Over the years you’ve surely seen more than few memes or forum posts saying “Half-Life 3 confirmed”. On the surface, this seems like fans just wanting another game. However, these jokes actually have some merit to the demand. Half-Life 2: Episode 2 ended on a real cliffhanger, almost as if we were going to get an “Episode Three” or a Half-Life 3. Alas, we have been waiting for over a decade, and there’s still no word on a sequel. Considering the wait, we also wish the game had been a bit longer than 6 hours. Come on, Valve, we’re more likely to see the Super Mario Bros movie cliffhanger get resolved first at this rate.

During its GameCube days, the Star Fox franchise went through something of a rough patch. The first entry on the console, Star Fox Adventures, wasn’t terrible, but the ending felt very rushed. The main antagonist General Scales is quickly dismissed without a fight, and Andross is hamfisted into the story at the 11th hour. Fox recognizes the voice, and then we have the same old fight with Andross. Oh, and then Falco shows up without much explanation for his presence! And boom, Andross is defeated. Game finished! Imagine if Thanos in the 2nd Infinity War film got a last minute Bait & Switch with say… The Mandarin. Yeah, it’s like that. And he was already Baited & Switched.

The Halo franchise hasn’t exactly been known for satisfying endings. Seriously, why was the Didact defeated by a quick-time event?! Frustrating as that ending may have been, Halo 2 is the one that still really bothers us. The game ended right when things were getting good. All we get is Master Chief saying how he’s going to “finish this fight” and then some triumphant music?? Nothing happened!! It’d be like if The Return of the King ended with “For Frodo”! Marty O'Donnell, game’s composer later revealed the original ending, which was cut to make the release date.

This one almost feels like a sequel was approved with only a fraction of the budget. The original Deus Ex, and the Human Revolution prequel were both lenghty affairs that felt like immersive adventures. But Mankind Divided felt like a story cut short while also being stretched thin. The game’s initial task is to find out who’s responsible for a train station bombing, and it ends with a fight against the bomber mastermind just as he’s about to launch his 2nd attack, all the while there’s little satisfaction in the buildup. Kinda like if Inception’s entire movie was just the first dream, and 3 times a long.

Alright we’ve brought up this case so many times in the past that we’re just going to give you the cliffnote version: This sequence where a giant robot is stolen… never gets resolved. Seriously, screw you Konami! We’ve given you enough attention.

Don’t get us wrong—Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II filled hours and hours of our time thanks to the abundance of content that they packed into it. We enjoyed almost the entire experience, and we say “almost” specifically because of the ending. Just when you think the ride will never end, the game throws you into the final level with barely any warning. Even worse is that after a very anti-climactic boss fight against Darth Traya; the game poorly handles its closure for all your allies, by having her merely tell you what happens to them. Jar Jar Binks got more closure than our hero, and he didn’t say anything in his last film.

Trust us, there were plenty of reasons why The Order: 1886 was called the most disappointing game of 2015. We could explain all the ways in which it fell short of expectations (*cough* walk and talk), but we’re here to discuss the ending. And The Order: 1886 had one of the most lackluster endings in gaming.The story was barely SIX HOURS long, and just when we thought the game was picking up speed and beginning to live up to its potential, the credits began rolling. Seriously?! The plot is just getting interesting and you’re going to end on a cliffhanger? This was simply a poor attempt at hyping up a possible sequel. Almost like jamming film analogies into a video game list without any payoff. WHO’S IDEA WAS THIS?