8 Popular Video Games That Fell Apart After Incredible Openings

1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty

Leapfrogging over the fact MGS 2's most replayable and downright best part was the completely optional Tanker level, even as the story unfolded we hoped there'd be more of that socio-political analysis that makes the franchise tick. And it did come - the messages at the heart of MGS 2 surrounding the dominance of technology on a mass populace are more resonant today than ever - but the execution of its final third leaves a lot to be desired.

Retrospectively ridiculous is how the Russian mercenary Olga became the athletic forward-flipping Cyborg Ninja, how completely random Raiden being naked for part of his final level looked and felt, how Arsenal Gear's rooms are named after parts of an anus, and how the Colonel and Rose aren't only A.I. constructs, but literally the will of American patriotism given sentience and form.

Seriously, check out this dialogue:

"We're not what you'd call "human." Over the past 200 years, a consciousness appeared layer by layer at the crucible of the White House. It's not unlike life started in the oceans four billion years ago. The White House was our primordial soup, a base of evolution. We are formless. We are the very discipline and morality that Americans invoke so often. How can anyone hope to eliminate us? As long as this nation exists, so will we. "

The game's final cutscene literally feels like Hideo Kojima getting the actors to read his high school dissertation, and whilst our younger selves were thoroughly entertained and there IS some good in there, it's not a series of events that hangs together well the more you think about it.

Let us know in the comments which other games started with a bang and ended on a whimper!