10 Terrible Video Games With Incredible Endings

"Always leave them wanting more" - these words by PT Barnum have been immortalised as the golden rule when it comes to closing out a show. Endings are not only the last thing audiences see, but are also responsible for the biggest impression they leave behind.

Fairly mediocre pieces of entertainment have been elevated to acclaim with both fans and critics on the back of a final shock or surprise twist at the end, and the same can certainly be said for the world of gaming.

With video games, players put more time in than any film or television series, and grow a different sort of attachment to the worlds, characters, and storylines that encompass their favourite title. Even releases with poor receptions still get countless people throwing dozens of hours away attempting to reach that final cutscene.

So, whilst it would be a serious stretch to say any of these titles were universally redeemed by their endings, they are good examples of how a writer's imagination can still manage to give even the worst video games a semi-satisfactory feeling at the end.

Not only did the poor reception of Drake of the 99 Dragons scupper any plans for a series, but also a whole planned multimedia franchise that would have spanned comic books and even an animated television show. That's how short this game fell of expectations.

Drake of the 99 Dragons follows the story (unsurprisingly) of the protagonist Drake, an assassin that belongs to a clan known as (again, no prizes here) the 99 Dragons. The plot of the game revolves around Drake attempting to stop antagonist Tang from harvesting lost souls from the soul realm to power his cyborg army.

The game was labelled the worst-ever title to be released on the Xbox, with critics complaining about the control scheme, glitchy gameplay, and camera system that often ends up stuck behind a wall or obstacle.

There are a few good ideas bubbling away underneath the surface, however, with the game's ending perhaps being the best example of this.

Having defeated Tang, Drake's final fight comes when he falls down into a pit containing a three-headed beast named the Spirit Lord Supreme. Defeating it will reward players with a satisfying closing scene of Drake reviving his Master and being told he's proven himself to the Gods in a way no one else has managed.

A nice moment, in an otherwise infuriating game.