10 Genius Trick Cliffhangers In Video Games

It's a very good thing that Psychonauts' cliffhanger ending strikes such a brilliant balance between wrapping everything up and teasing at more, considering the wait for that sequel. 

The end of the first Psychonauts sees Raz reach an understanding with his father, stop Loboto's mad scheme, and bring Oleander back to the side of the good guys. Naturally, such a, shall we say, educational week at camp helps secure Raz's place in the Psychonauts. Just in time, too, because right at the end, Sasha and Vodello receive the shocking news that the leader of the Psychonauts,- and Lili's father - has been kidnapped. It's Raz's first day on the job, and it's shaping up to be a big one. 

Now, on paper, that sounds like an infuriating cliffhanger to end a game on, especially when you take into account how long it took Double Fine to make good on that promise. But Psychonauts' ending is saved by two factors: the fact that the ending wraps up every plot point that actually matters, and the Saturday morning cartoon/comic book vibe that has permeated throughout the game. This setup for the next adventure works with the kind of format that Psychonauts' story was built around, while not reducing the main story's effectiveness. 

That isn't an easy balance to achieve, but Psychonauts nailed it.