From Resident Evil Gaiden to Half-Life 2, some video games have constantly troubled fans with cliffhanger endings and unresolved plot points. In these cases, a sequel was always on the cards but low sales or business-related issues meant that the sequels just turned into unfinished projects.
In the case of games like Haven: Call of the King and Too Human, an entire trilogy was planned but unfortunately, the plans never succeeded. At the end of the day, these games are still hailed as fan favorites with some dedicated gamers still waiting that a sequel sees the light of the day.
XIII (2003)
Borrowing themes from the spy thriller and noir genre, XIII weaved an intricate story around its titular character who is an amnesiac caught up in an international conspiracy. Towards, the end, his memories start coming back as he realizes one of his allies was behind all his miseries. And right then, the game ends on a cliffhanger.
The must-play Ubisoft video game definitely had a lot of potential for a sequel but maybe poor sales stopped the company from investing in another one. Instead, XIII received a side-scrolling phone game and a 2020 remake that was subjected to universally negative reviews.
The Punisher (2004)
Serving as the perfect video game homage to its vigilante protagonist, The Punisher was filled with over-the-top violence, superhero cameos, and characters from classic Punisher comic book stories. All in all, it was a treat for Marvel fans. Towards the latter portions of the game, Frank Castle also goes against the crime lord known as Kingpin. The game finally ends with some major character deaths as Kingpin still plots his revenge leaving the possibility for a sequel.
The game was supposed to have a sequel under the same developer, Volition Inc. but it never got a follow-up due to undisclosed reasons. Years later, concept artist Todd Marshall revealed the character designs for characters like Daredevil and Kingpin. Fans can only wish this game was a reality even though 2009 saw the release of an unrelated game called Punisher: No Mercy.
Half-Life 2 (2004)
Set two decades after the original Half-Life, the video game sequel was even better than the original. It continued Gordon Freeman’s adventures as he attempts to free Earth from the control of an alien race. The game incorporates several strategy elements, shooting gameplay, and puzzles. The ending, however, has troubled fans for a long time as it ends with a major character’s death. Even though the protagonists are ultimately saved, Earth’s fate still remains unknown.
Since then, years have passed but there’s no hint of the infamously anticipated Half-Life 2: Episode 3. Apart from two indirect episodic sequels, the only major project in the franchise since then has been the prequel Half-Life: Alyx that was released last year.
Too Human (2008)
After remaining in development hell for over a decade, Too Human finally opened to positive reactions in 2008. It is essentially a sci-fi video game retelling of Norse myths as the cybernetically-enhanced gods protect humanity from Loki’s army of robots.
Video game developer Silicon Knights had actually planned a trilogy but it was revealed later that all plans for Too Human 2: Rise of the Giants and Too Human 3 had ceased. This does not seem surprising given how the company was running on an alarmingly low staff in the early 2010s and even filed for bankruptcy in 2014.
Advent Rising (2005)
“Come with me, human. There is much to be done.” These are the lines with which Advent Rising ends. The sci-fi game finds protagonist Gideon teleported to a mysterious icy planet as a horned alien talks to him. The ending was open on purpose as the game was part of a planned trilogy.
Advent Rising received a spin-off comic series but no other installments and even underperformed in terms of sales. Its storyline and the orchestral score have still made it a modern classic. Designer Charles Mustard had explicitly stated in 2006 that while he did wish to carry on with the series but he didn’t hold the rights to do so.
Dino Crisis 2 (2000)
An iconic survival horror video game from the 2000s, Dino Crisis 2 earned a better reputation than its precursor with its time-traveling premise. The game revolves around the members of the Secret Operations Raid Team, Dylan and Regina, as they get teleported to a timeline dominated by killer dinosaurs. Towards the end, Dylan reconnects with his daughter while being trapped under rubble. Regina escapes to another timeline and vows to come back.
What happens after that? Only a sequel could offer the answers. However, 2003’s Dino Crisis 3 shifted the entire narrative to the year 2548 and had no mention of Dylan and Regina. Fans still await a sequel that would touch upon the aftermath of Dino Crisis 2.
Haven: Call Of The King (2002)
Haven: Call of the King was definitely an ambitious venture for Midway Games as it was marketed as a ‘multigenre’ game. Players can conveniently shift between space combat, shoot’ em up, racing, and other genres for an immersive gaming experience. An intergalactic crusade and its aftermath form the crux of the narrative even though the game ends on a cliffhanger.
This ending was intentional as the game was the first part of a planned trilogy. However, due to the game’s poor commercial performance, players never got the whole series. Since then, it has gone on to become a cult favorite.
Resident Evil Gaiden (2001)
The Resident Evil series has had a slew of sequels, prequels, and reboots but fans still await the follow-up to Gaiden. Even though popular Resident Evil franchise characters Leon S. Kennedy and Barry Burton return, the game is non-canon and ends on an inconclusive note.
As the two protagonists investigate a viral outbreak on a passenger ship, a zombified clone of Leon is shown in the ending leaving players puzzled about the fate of the real Leon. The Game Boy Color game was left like this with no sequel to carry its story forward.
Alan Wake (2010)
Alan Wake‘s titular protagonist is a mystery writer who finds his books coming to life after his wife goes missing. In the pursuit to find her, Wake embarks on a third-person shooter adventure. Towards the end, he also enters a surreal, alternate dimension called the Dark Place.
Wake is stranded in this dimension with the plot left unresolved. Thomas Puha, director of communications at the game’s developer Remedy Entertainment, blatantly told VG247 that ‘We were working on Alan Wake 2 years ago and it just didn’t pan out, so there’s nothing.’
Mother 3 (2006)
Even though it retains the roleplaying elements of its franchise, Mother 3 is a darker and more dramatic installment. The plot revolves around Lucas, a boy with psychic abilities as he attempts to stop an army from destroying the world. The ending is heavily emotional as Lucas destroys his own home and his twin brother takes his own life. And then all of a sudden, it is revealed that the lead characters survived despite everything.
The fate of the open-ended conclusion remains uncertain as in 2006, writer Shigesato Itoi told IGN that he lacks the interest to create a fourth chapter in the series. Even though Mother 3 was never released outside Japan, it continues to be a cult classic.
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