10 Video Games That Didn't End The Way Any Of Us Wanted

Rage certainly lived up to its name.

The Rolling Stones had it right when they said you can’t always get what you want and if, in this case, what you wanted was a completely satisfying ending to a game you were more than likely enjoying given the quality of the titles on this list, you’d be out of luck.

While even an average ending doesn’t necessarily spoil the game that came before, it still stands as a disappointing note to go out on. Whether due to a narrative let down, unfinished nature, or senseless plot twist, all these games fumbled at the final hurdle.

While Fallout 3, Prince of Persia, Ghosts ‘n Goblins, and plenty more games would have been equally at home on this list they aren’t because I only had 10 spots. I’m sorry, let me know your picks down in the comments.

--

10. Alan Wake

alan wake ending
Remedy

In what is probably our most topical entry for this list given Alan Wake 2’s 2023 release 13 years after the original, fans weren’t only rewarded because of the cult status of the first game, but also because of their eagerness for the sequel to address the not so great ending to the 2010 classic.

Remedy’s action adventure casts you in the unlucky shoes of the titular author Wake as he investigates his wife’s disappearance and encounters all sorts of spooky baddies called the Taken.

Your investigation takes you all the way to an encounter with the head honcho baddie, the Dark Presence who is trapped within Cauldron Lake. Said Dark Presence is trying to blackmail Alan into using his writings to escape the lake by hanging onto his wife. In the end, Alan dives into the lake which transports him to the Dark Place. Though you do defeat the big bad and free your wife, Alan then finds himself permanently trapped in the lake.

A cool ending to a thriller, but a disappointing ending to a video game. Luckily, Alan Wake 2 turned out to be an absolute banger.

Advertisement
In this post: 
Rage
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Jess has been a journalist and content creator in the games industry for over 15 years and has been WhatCulture's resident Australian import and sorry cop since 2020, upping the quotient of swearing and apologising in WhatCulture Gaming's annual blooper videos considerably. She previously worked at GameSpot for 10 years, most notably hosting GameSpot News in addition to E3 live shows, and PAX panels. She regularly livestreams a variety of games on her 'jessmcdonell' YouTube and Twitch channels and hosts the 'Do It On The Day' podcast. She has won awards for her news and feature work in gaming as well as an accolade for her comedic writing (likely an admin error). She can be found on X at @jessmcdonell and Instagram at @jessicamcdonell sharing her current videogame fixations, industry insights, and videos of her cat, Karma.