This was inspired by the 'What are your RPG hates?' thread, but it's somewhat different, so I've started a new thread for it. The question I pose to you is simple:
What, in your opinion, is the worst game ending ever?
You can apply this to whatever game you like, on whatever console you like, in whatever genre you like. There are no limitations - just tell us what you thought sucked the most, and why. I'll kick-start the subject with two of my least favourite endings.
Skies of Arcadia (Originally Dreamcast, later released as Skies of Arcadia Legends on the Gamecube). I spent forever levelling my characters up, gaining all the bonuses, putting up with the horribly cliched writing, and when I finally beat the game - good god.
Endings in RPGs are supposed to reassure you that your time has been well spent, and that the story you've been playing ends as well as it's started. Skies of Arcadia's ending does none of these. It stinks the room up with the most cheesy and appaling conclusion to a story that I have ever beared witness too. The ending was cloyingly stupid, the characters were by the numbers, and, worst of all, the hero was now just an annoying, cynical Cloud/Squall type character whom I had found myself hating long before the game was done. The best thing they could have done was kill him off, but instead they had him sailing off into the sunset. Sigh. (BONUS SEXIST REMARK: You can tell a woman was behind this.)
Half Life 2 (PC). I know, I know, but I'm not blasting the game - that was FANTASTIC (Cue Christopher Eccleston-stye grin). I'm telling it off because of the ending. What the hell happened?
If, like me, you played through the game wondering what the hell had happened to the world, then you lapped up every scrap they gave you. Dr Breen? Never saw him in HL1, but Okay. Dr Vance and whats-her-name finally being together again? Expected, but alright. But the clincher is right at the end - you beat the end boss and... poof. That's it? No magical explanation? Nothing? Oh sure, we get the G-Man giving us blurb about how good we are, but what the hell happened? What's going on? Someone tell me something! WAH! A huge dissapointment, I'm sure you'll agree.
Well, those are mine. Now tell me yours.