10 Most Painful Video Game Cliffhangers EVER

10. Doom (2016)

As modern reboots of retro games go, 2016's Doom is absolutely up there among the all-time best. The chaotic run 'n' gun bloodbath that was the original's gameplay is translated ingeniously into the current generation, with claustrophobic 3D arenas that perfectly capture the feeling of having a horde of demons constantly up in your grill.

On the other hand, a polarising aspect of the reboot was its increased emphasis on story. Throughout the game, the Doom Slayer is guided through both the UAC facilities on Mars and the bowels of Hell by the cyborg, Dr. Samuel Hayden, and along the way, learns of dangerous cultists, ancient holy orders and powerful arcane artefacts.

After the Slayer defeats the Spider Mastermind and returns to Mars, Hayden is waiting for you. He explains that he cannot allow you to destroy everything he has built, taking the Crucible you have obtained and opening it out into an intimidating-as-hell energy sword. He then reactivates the portal and walks away as the Doom Slayer is sent back to be stranded in Hell.

The implication here is that Hayden is being set up as the sequel's main antagonist. And despite Doom Eternal not strictly giving us that, it's the first game's abrupt and eyebrow-raising ending that simultaneously piques your interest and leaves you with that crushing feeling of, "wait, that's the end?!"