Cliffhangers are tricky. A story should always have some sort of resolve, even if it’s part of an ongoing series. When done right, there is both closure and a big surprise that leaves the audience, or player, wanting more. Great examples of this in cinema are The Italian Job (which is literally where the term came from), The Empire Strikes Back (which was initially derided upon release for not having a concrete ending) and The Avengers: Infinity War.
Video games also have their share of cliffhangers. The biggest titles always try to find ways to hook people on to the series and have them swoop up each game in a series. However, given the unsure nature of the industry, this can sometimes backfire. Countless games end up as flops, never getting the chance to resolve their stories. Adversely, some games do a poor job of following up on them, making players wish they never got an answer in the first place. This list will take a look at both of these situations: cliffhangers that never got resolved, and those that would have been better off if they didn’t.
10 Never Got Resolved: XIII
XIII, based on a Belgian comic book series, stood out from the crowded early aughts first-person-shooter crowd with its gorgeous cel-shaded graphics. Unfortunately, it wasn’t successful enough to warrant a sequel. It’s too bad, because the game ends on a stunning cliffhanger.
The brother of the assassinated president and ally to the protagonist is heavily implied to be the leader of the evil organization the player has been trying to stop. Just when this happens, the credits roll. A remake is coming out in November, which will hopefully revive interest in the series.
9 We Wish Wasn’t Resolved: Mass Effect 2
After Mass Effect 2, there was only one thing left for Shepard to do, and that was take the fight to the Reapers. Mass Effect 3 is still a great game, but stirred controversy with its half baked ending that didn’t take the player’s prior decisions into account.
Instead, it all boiled down to one choice. On top of that, none of the endings make much sense.
8 Never Got Resolved: The Force Unleashed 2
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 has two endings. The dark ending sees the main character, Starkiller, impaled by his clone. This ending was expanded upon in DLC.
The other ending where the protagonist spares Darth Vader sees him and his love interest, Juno, flying off into space while Boba Fett follows in the Slave I. Because Disney bought Star Wars and deemed these games non canon, it is unlikely this story will ever see a conclusion.
7 We Wish Hadn’t Resolved: Call Of Duty: Black Ops
By the end of Black Ops, Alex Mason is heavily implied to have assassinated JFK. What does the sequel do with this information? Absolutely nothing.
It’s a pretty big thing to not bring up again. Black Ops 2 is still an excellent shooter, and perhaps the best in theCall of Duty series, but this omission is a glaring sore spot in the narrative.
6 Never Got Resolved: Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando ends with Nathan Rad Spencer falling from a height no normal human could survive. Spencer is no normal human, but this drop would still leave a mark on him.
A coded message telling an unknown party to activate Project Albatross also appears, whatever that is. The game garnered average reviews, but sold poorly, dooming any chance for a sequel.
5 We Wish Hadn’t Resolved: Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII has many spin-offs of varying quality. A pattern one tends to notice is that the good spin-offs are prequels. Crisis Core is generally considered the best of these, while Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus don’t do the game’s legacy justice. The game ends with the fate of humanity left up in the air.
A post-credits sequence indicates earth’s survival, with an image of Midgar’s ruins covered in plant life. The sequels confirm mankind’s survival, but don’t push the story forward in interesting ways.
4 Never Resolved: Mega Man Legends 2
This one is painful for how close it got to being resolved. Mega Man Legends 2 ends with the titular character stuck on the moon and his comrades promising a rescue. Mega Man Legends 3 was announced for the 3DS, but it was canceled shortly into development.
Just wait a little longer, Mega Man, someone will fetch you from the lunar surface someday.
3 We Wish Hadn’t Resolved: Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow
Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow revived the series, giving fans something contemporary to enjoy from the vampire slaying franchise. The first game ends with Gabriel Belmont, the player character, becoming Dracula.
This twist seemed like it would bring new and exciting elements to the sequel. The developers tried, but Lords of Shadow 2 didn’t live up to its predecessor’s standard, stopping the rebooted series in its tracks.
2 Never Got Resolved: Half-Life 2: Episode 2
This cliffhanger is probably the most tragic on the list. Gordon’s old friend, Eli Vance, is abruptly killed in an ambush and his daughter weeps over his lifeless body as the credits begin to roll.
It’s a brutal gut punch that begs for a continuation, but it looks like Valve will never give fans what they want. Half-Life 3will forever remain an unobtainable dream.
1 We Wish Hadn’t Resolved: Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear Solid 2 is chock full of wild twists and turns. The biggest one is perhaps the final revelation where the Patriots, the shadowy organization controlling world events in secret, are revealed to have died over a hundred years ago.
In Metal Gear Solid 4, a single line reveals this info to be false, referring to the Philosophers, a similar group that formed after World War I in the lore. Hideo Kojima intended to end the series after MGS2, and then again after MGS3, so that could explain the cliffhanger’s weak explanation.
