7 Rushed Video Game Endings That Ruined Everything

3. Condemned: Criminal Origins

Launch titles are an unfortunate, but necessary evil for the video game industry. Developing for a new piece of hardware is always a tall order, and doing so with a deadline firmer than two-day-old bread is likely a special kind of hell for programmers. But what are we supposed to do? Not have any games available when a new console hits shelves?

It's a recipe guaranteed to result in cut content and there are few examples of this greater than the ending to Condemned: Criminal Origins.

Set in Metro City, a metropolis coming apart at the seams due to a mysterious force that pushes people towards violent dementia, FBI agent Ethan Thomas is tasked with tracking “Serial Killer X”, a serial killer of other serial killers that emulates their own sadistic methods. After being thwarted at every turn, Ethan tracks down a fugitive named “The Torturer,” who is currently being victimised by SKX.

The two finally come face-to-face... then Ethan fights a creepy samurai monster. The end.

Wait, what?

The ending comes so suddenly that it doesn't feel like the game is even over until the credits start to roll. Within the span of 20 minutes, Ethan goes from being hopelessly outmatched by a craftier, more ruthless opponent to saving the city and seeing SKX brought to justice by handgun.

In an otherwise well-put-together game with a compelling narrative, one has to imagine that the abrupt conclusion stemmed from the looming launch of the Xbox 360. That's a shame, too, since the sequel went in a very different direction.