I personally enjoy a narrative that wraps up with a clear ending. However, some developers like to toy with the player and keep the journey open-ended leaving the IP ready for a new installment at any point. We’re going to showcase some of the biggest cliffhangers that have left players wondering what’s to come next. Some of these games may have a sequel or new installment in the works which is slated to launch soon while others may never see an official sequel. Take note that this list in particular is not ranked in any order but a collection of video game titles we can’t wait to see continue on.
WARNING: Spoiler Ahead!
#10 Resident Evil Gaiden
The Resident Evil series has its share of spin-off titles across multiple platforms, one of those was for the Game Boy Color called Resident Evil Gaiden. This game was developed by Capcom and M4 though it was not a favorably reviewed title. Gameplay was mixed between top-down and a new combat system which turned into first-person shooter as players timed out their attacks through a moving meter. Overall, the narrative followed Leon Kennedy and Barry Burton who received word of a BOW on a luxurious ship. Throughout their investigations they end up fighting a parasite monster that is able to shape-shift with the only sign of a person actually being the monster is by the blood color. Instead of bleeding red, the blood of the monster would be green.
There is a battle between the monster which showcases the cast of characters questioning who the parasite due to its shapeshifting capabilities. For the most part, it looked as if the team managed to kill off the monster but at the final scene, we see Leon Kennedy bleeding green from a cut. We didn’t get any continuation to the story but most of the fans agree that this title is non-cannon and only provides players with a what-if scenario. It’s doubtful that we’ll ever get closure to this title since Capcom likely written it off due to poor reviews.
#9 XIII
XIII was a unique FPS when it first launched into the market in 2003. The title took on the style of a graphic novel and acted as a mystery which put players in control of a man who has no memories while also being the United States most wanted criminal for the assassination of the President. Throughout the game, players slowly uncover a conspiracy that leaves our protagonist in a fight to discover the truth and as expected things seem to have finally gone our hero’s way at the end. However, the final few scenes showcase that the assassination was put together by the President’s brother and our protagonist is left stranded with a hostile group. Before the credits rolled and the screen goes dark, we’re left with a “To Be Continued” message which indicates that a sequel is underway.
Unfortunately for fans of the game, there was no sequel and Ubisoft has yet to touch the series since. Instead, XIII has received a remaining for the PC, iPad, and iPhone platforms but it takes on a point-and-click style gameplay approach. For now, it looks like there is no interest in bringing back XIII or continuing the story.
#8 Half-Life: Episode 2
We all know about the Half-Life series and how it ended back in 2007 with Half-Life: Episode 2. Fans who have been following the franchise for years have been waiting to see what would come with the characters who are still alive and the resistance such as Gordon Freeman but since then there has really been no news. Instead, Valve is working on their own projects with Half-Life 3 rumors only circulating out every few years. One of the more prominent rumors came from a writer from the franchise at Valve who posted a fan fiction story which most indicate that the story was what Valve had originally worked on before being scrapped. This left plenty of fans excited for closure but it appears that we may never actually see it come to life officially from Valve. Instead, there is a fan game being made using the story called “Project Borealis” though it doesn’t have any official release date attached to the project quite yet.
#7 Advent Rising
Advent Rising was developed to be a trilogy for PC and Xbox platforms. There was a big push for gamers to pick up this science fiction title where humans and alien races intertwine in an epic journey surrounding the main protagonist. We’ve even seen promotions within the cinemas to showcase the game prior but this all fell flat as the game failed to hit numbers that Majesco Entertainment projected. Instead, players who picked up the game followed a journey that features a war between humanity and an alien race only for it to end on a massive cliffhanger where our protagonist discovered to have powers. Instead of closing out, we’re met with a strange character who promises us answers and a lower third stating “To Be Continued” though that wouldn’t be the case.
Instead, Majesco Entertainment scrapped the franchise completely and left it as a standalone title with no actual ending. Instead, there were plans to bring out a closing title in 2008 from Chair Entertainment but the opportunity never came and as a result, Advent Rising will likely remain as a failed project. However, over the years we’ve seen Shenmue, a franchise that also had a massive cliffhanger, come back from the ashes so perhaps after so long a campaign will launch to see Advent Rising return.
#6 The Last of Us
The Last of Us was an epic cinematic journey and a new IP for Naughty Dog. Coming off their Uncharted franchise, the developers offered gamers another narrative-driven video game which put players into a world full of despair. After a plague unleashed on the world turning most of humanity into mindless zombie-like creatures, players step into the shoes of a man named Joel. Early into the game, he gets swindled into delivering a young girl named Ellie across the country which is full of hostilities. The two quickly bonds as Joel turns into the guardian father-like figure for Ellie though as we near the end of their trip it’s discovered that Ellie will be dissected in order to find a cure to solve the plague pandemic.
While Ellie is aware and accepting of what is about to happen, Joel powers through and rescues her. The big cliffhanger to this narrative is that Joel lied to Ellie saying that there were other individuals who had a similar gene which repelled the plague virus. We’re all wondering what has come of the two and if Ellie ever discovered the truth.
Luckily we’re not having to wait too long before we get those answers as a sequel is in the works for the PlayStation 4 though we don’t have an official release date to the project quite yet though rumors have circulated online that suggest we’ll get the sequel this year. We’ll soon know what has come of Ellie, Joel and the current progress to fight off the plague. As a result, this point will hopefully not remain on this list very long so expect an update in the near future.
#5 Alan Wake
We’re quite surprised to see Alan Wake never had a full sequel release. This episodic style title followed a man who is on the hunt for his wife when a supernatural force takes over the town. Most would compare the game to a cinematic series with twists and turns to leave players to continue on until the very end, but it’s the ending that left players asking development studio Remedy Entertainment to go back and pick the narrative back up. To get a condensed version of this game, throughout the battle to retrieve his wife, Alan Wake manages to free her but it came at the cost of his own life. The game ends with Alan Wake trapped in this other world where the DLC narratives follow his time within the world and attempt to escape but it seems that he is still trapped.
There was a sequel in the works that was scrapped and instead served as the new title IP, Quantum Break. Fans have been asking for a sequel for Alan Wake but it looks like it’s completely up to Microsoft if Remedy Entertainment will be able to finish up the story. Instead, the main focus on the IP now is a television series that Contradiction Films is shopping around to different networks in hopes that the live-action series will become a reality.
#4 Mother 3
Mother 3 was similar to Earthbound as a wacky story narrative that kept players interest. There’s plenty of learning about the game but for the most part, players follow Lucas in an epic adventure which involves fighting off a Pig Mask Army, defeating a mysteriously masked antagonist and pulling out a needle which triggered a dark dragon beneath the island to awake. The problem here is that once players pulled the needle out and prepare for a big battle the game cuts to black. Developers wanted the ending to be open with players deciding on their own as to what happens next but it definitely left players wanting a continuation. This title is pretty big worldwide despite it only releasing officially on the Game Boy Advance in Japan. Fans have since patched the game to provide a local translation but what they can’t patch is a final ending.
#3 Too Human
Too Human actually has an interesting backstory. The narrative follows a protagonist fighting against Hod and Loki in a cyber-Norse world when players find that our leading hero was actually brought back from the death previously. Before the end we find Loki who has stumbled upon a titan, showcasing that there is definitely more twists and turns to be uncovered in this epic story. This was supposed to be a trilogy developed by Silicon Knights but a court battle happened after the launch of Too Human between the development studio and Epic Games. At the end of it all, it was discovered that Silicon Knights used the Unreal Engine from Epic Games without paying the appropriate dues which resulted in Too Human to be recalled from store shelves and removed the digital marketplace thus ending the trilogy before it really could take off.
#2 Conduit 2
Back during the days of the Nintendo Wii, we received a shooter series known as Conduit. We’ve only received two installments but the ending of Conduit 2 left players with a massive surprise. Before we get too ahead of ourselves, the title followed players fighting off an alien race and saving humanity where the ending left us defeating a major threat. However, there was a new alien invasion threat inbound when suddenly a portal opens up and out comes George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to help. Overall, the game received mixed reviews and apparently it wasn’t enough to bring out a follow-up title. This is a bummer as it appears we’ll never see George Washing and Abraham Lincoln fighting alongside our protagonist in hopes to save humanity from the impending doom.
#1 Dino Crisis 2
Dino Crisis was a fantastic survival horror video game series from Capcom that was similar to Resident Evil franchise, just without the zombies. Instead, the real threat was dinosaurs and it became a hit with a growing cult following, though it was unfortunately not enough to keep the series afloat. Instead, Capcom has not really touched the franchise in years which can be pretty frustrating for those who have been waiting for the conclusion of Dino Crisis 2. Within the game, players follow the events of the first installment where a secret operations raid team was sent to the future to seek out the destruction of Edward City. There was plenty of twists and turns throughout the game but the biggest is that our protagonist, Regina, heads back to present day in order to save her fellow partner and daughter.
We didn’t get a follow up to the game, but instead the next main installment was Dino Crisis 3 a title that that took place in 2548 with a setting mainly in space. This particular video game launched in 2003 and was by far the worst title in the franchise leaving Capcom to not continue the series any further. However, for years fans have been asking Capcom to reboot, remake, or simply remaster the franchise for today’s platforms.
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