3. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Perhaps it's something in the water, but the first sequel for many games always seems to the one that tries to be a bit out there. Like Halo 2 earlier in this piece, Metal Gear Solid 2 rapidly descends into too many ideas, creating a confusing plot that has too many twists and turns in it to keep track of. Don't get me wrong though - this is an awesome game. It's just that the end of it was utterly bizarre and I really, even to this day, don't have a clue what was going on.
Original Ending After crashing the massive fortress Arsenal Gear directly into Manhattan, Solidus Snake engages Raiden in sword-to-sword combat. Our floppy-haired hero emerges triumphant from this battle and chucks the former President off the roof the building. Raiden then emerges out into the street to meet with Solid Snake, and meets Rose, his fake girlfriend, properly for the first time. The real gripe I have about this ending is the fact that absolutely no-one around Raiden and Snake seems bothered that half of Manhattan has been destroyed by a massive fortress thingy, that the former President has been brutally murdered or that two gentlemen are standing there in suspicious sneaking suits. Although there's loads of people walking around them, they simply ignore everything that's going on. Snake then waffles on for ages about life and stuff to Raiden for reasons I forget. We also find out that the Patriots are all dead - OOH LA LA.
Alternate Ending Arsenal Gear still crashes into Manhattan and we have the sword fight as was promised. Raiden emerges triumphant and throws the Pres off the building, leading to many thinking he is a villain who has slain a former hero of the country. Raiden, along with Snake, are then forced to flee the area as they realise they may have been branded as terrorists, even though they did all the can to save the day. As they retreat underground and Snake reveals all that has happened to Raiden, we learn for the first time that the Patriots are all dead, but something is still controlling them...
Alternate Alternate Ending Otto Ocatvius, a wandering doctor who loves experiments with robotics, comes across the body of George Sears. He then takes the octopus arm thingies from the body of the President and puts them on himself, becoming Doctor Octopus. Spiderman watches all this from the top of Arsenal Gear, and knows there's gonna be trouble. Meanwhile Raiden and Snake pop off for a drink in a cafe nearby as every New Yorker pointedly ignores the ridiculous huge battle fortress that's just invaded their privacy.