We all know that all good things must eventually come to an end. That is true of all of our favorite video games. We enjoy the journey as long as we can, but eventually we have to come to some sort of conclusion. Only then can we move on to the next game and the next new adventure. Some of these video game endings very concisely wrap up all the hopes and dreams we had tied into the characters and the world. Others… not so much. Here are some of those games who that us feeling everything from let-down to full on rage.
Mirror’s Edge
Our first entry in this list of video game endings that didn’t please us is Mirror’s Edge . This made it to the top of this list because it definitely sucked, but it was also more of a non-ending than anything else. No real solid closure is given to the players. You’re basically left feeling like the whole game, and the events that happened during, were pointless. No one likes leaving a game behind feeling like they wasted their time.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War
Middle-earth: Shadow of War got all kinds of flack for its ending. First was the problem that the endgame was only achievable after hours and hours of grinding. If that didn’t bother you so much, then there was also the fact that Middle-earth: Shadow of War majorly messed with Lord of the Rings canon. At the least, those who have seen the movies were left scratching their heads. If there are any fans you don’t want to mess with, it’s those that love Lord of the Rings . Middle-earth: Shadow of War disappointed many fans by messing with the lore when it could have just been left alone.
Fallout 3
Out of all the entries in our list, this one probably has the happiest real-life ending. The original conclusion of Fallout 3 was highly disappointing, because after you make the final story-altering choice, the game simply ends. Everyone knows the best part of open-world games, and the Fallout series in particular, is being able to wander around after the main storyline ends. This wasn’t the case in Fallout 3 originally. It was only after some subsequent DLC was released that this was made possible. Even still, the original ending warrants a spot on this list.
Assassin’s Creed (2007)
Never was there a game with more setup for a sequel than that of the original Assassin’s Creed . The first entry in the now vast Assassin’s Creed franchise had an awful cliffhanger that did nothing but anger people. As the story of the title comes to a close, players see the literal writing on the wall, and… it cuts to black. There is no explanation, and no follow-up. It was clear even then that you’d have to wait until Assassin’s Creed II to find out what in the world was going on. But the developers could have at least given some small feeling of closure for the first one, before opening up to a sequel. What if that sequel had never happened for some reason? Assassin’s Creed would be higher on our list, if that had been the case.
Mass Effect 3
If you mention video games with terrible endings, almost anyone and their mother would say, “ Mass Effect 3 .” This was the ending that went down in history for being so lame and unsatisfying that the developers were practically forced to fix it. I can personally remember making the decision to not play all the way through Mass Effect 3 until the new ending was released. And even when that happened, I still didn’t finish it for some time because I was afraid the new one wasn’t much better. My fear was that the new Mass Effect 3 endings only seemed good because they were better than what came before it. Either way, Mass Effect 3 ‘s original ending is still remembered as one of the worst in video game history.
No Man’s Sky
There’s nothing like traveling the universe, exploring new worlds, and discovering cosmic secrets. No Man’s Sky set itself up to have a spectacular ending. The gist was that you had to travel to the center of the universe. There a great mystery was waiting to be solved. What in the world could it be? Well, it’s the end of the game, and you can start over. That’s quite literally it. No Man’s Sky gives you the option to destroy your current universe and regenerate a brand new one so you can start over. This was the last straw for a lot of players, as they felt they’d been slapped in the face for their efforts.
Borderlands
Much like No Man’s Sky , the last entry in our list left players feeling like they’d been taken on a wild ride, and then given the equivalent of a commemorative t-shirt at the end. Borderlands concludes with a massive boss fight that will seemingly give you access to the vault. You know, the one that contains the best loot that’s ever been there to loot? Yeah, well you don’t get to have it. After defeating the last monster in the game, the vault remains locked and will not open for another 200 years. It’s because of this that Borderlands will remain in history the worst blue ball ever experienced in a video game.
What video game ending do you remember hating the most? Have any thoughts to share about the ones that made it to the list? Let us know in the comments!