10 Near-Perfect PS1 Games That Dropped the Ball With Their Endings

Creating a truly satisfying ending to a game has always been a challenge, but it was particularly tough back in the PlayStation era. The original PlayStation brought more cinematic storytelling to games, making narratives more central to the experience. This meant endings became incredibly important, and sadly, some otherwise great games stumbled when it came to the final moments.

Many classic PlayStation 1 games suffer from disappointing endings. Some ran out of funding or time during development, resulting in rushed conclusions. Others simply had poorly planned or executed final sequences, which slightly detract from the overall experience.

Twisted Metal Just Ends With Text

The original Twisted Metal helped popularize car combat games, but it definitely feels dated now. Each game features a cast of over-the-top characters who are all competing for a wish from the tournament’s host. The endings are typically darkly funny, with each character getting a fittingly ironic fate.

It’s a shame the first game handled those endings through just text and a static picture of Calypso. I heard they were supposed to have full-on live-action cutscenes, but apparently they ended up being too cheesy and over-the-top, so they had to cut them before release. It would have been cool to see those endings play out, but I guess they didn’t quite work!

Gex’s Ending Mocked Completionists

Gex: Enter the Gecko was a well-made platform game and started a popular series. While the original hasn’t aged perfectly, it was still enjoyed by many players who remember it fondly. However, the game’s numerous different endings haven’t stood the test of time.

The game’s main ending shows Gex landing back on his couch, grabbing his remote, and saying, “Hey, cool. I wonder what’s on HBO,” before immediately falling back into the same lazy habit that caused all the trouble. Even more discouraging is Gex’s secret ending, which just displays a series of screens congratulating and then ridiculing the player for spending time on the game.

Incredible Crisis Is a Weird PS1 Game With a Disappointing Ending

Incredible Crisis is a unique and unusual game developed by Polygon Magic. It’s a collection of fast-paced mini-games connected by a strange story about an ordinary Japanese family. The game begins with a rhythm-based section where you control the father, Taneo, as he dances with his colleagues. The next level throws you into a chaotic situation – surviving a runaway wrecking ball – and things only get more bizarre from there.

The game was memorable thanks to its crazy situations, upbeat ska music, and unique visual style. However, the ending felt unsatisfying. It showed the family being wiped out by a comet, but simply ended with a promise of more to come.

Rayman’s Final Cutscene Was An Insult to Players

The first Rayman game is already a classic, but getting the true ending is incredibly challenging. You need to find hidden creatures called Electoons in each level, and they’re notoriously difficult to locate. Many Electoons won’t even show up until you’ve touched a very specific, often unmarked, spot in the level.

When you add frustrating controls, a punishing level of difficulty, and a lot of guesswork in the game’s design, it creates an experience that will likely leave players very annoyed. And after all that struggle, the payoff is a short, less-than-20-second cutscene.

Chrono Cross’ Story Falls Apart At the End

Chrono Cross, a game similar in spirit to the beloved Chrono Trigger, received a mixed reaction from fans. Some loved it, considering it one of the best, while others criticized its story, visual style, and how it portrayed the characters from the original game.

The story aims to show that altering the past is wrong, but this message is weakened by the fact that players have to change the past to save Schala. This contradiction makes the ending – and the fates of Kid, Schala, Lavos, and all the other characters – difficult to understand.

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee’s Good Ending Isn’t Worth the Effort

Getting the good ending in Abe’s Oddysee doesn’t feel rewarding considering how frustrating it is to rescue enough Mudokons. The puzzles are incredibly unforgiving – even a single mistake forces you to start over. To make matters worse, you can lose all the rescued workers if Abe dies before reaching a checkpoint.

As a reward for finishing the main story, players see a brief cutscene where Abe is rescued and celebrated as a hero, complete with his signature flatulence. Afterward, the game asks if players want to challenge themselves further by rescuing any Mudokons they didn’t save during the main game.

Final Fantasy VII’s Ending Is Frustratingly Ambiguous

Long before the divisive ending of The Sopranos, Final Fantasy VII had a similarly controversial conclusion. After defeating Sephiroth, the game didn’t clearly explain what happened to the heroes or the city of Midgar. Just when things looked hopeless, a powerful energy source, strongly suggested to be connected to the character Aerith, appeared and saved everyone.

The scene creates a sense of rising tension, leading to a shot of Aerith looking directly at the viewer before the screen goes black. Following this, Red XIII and others of his species are shown observing the destroyed city of Midgar from a high vantage point, leaving many viewers with unanswered questions.

Parasite Eve II’s Ending Goes Out With a Whimper

The follow-up to Square’s popular RPG-survival horror game started as a separate story with a new character named Kyle Madigan. Eventually, it was changed into a true sequel to Parasite Eve. That explains why the game feels so different from the first one, even though Aya Brea and the monster designs are back.

Unlike its predecessor, Parasite Eve II has a wandering and predictable plot that ultimately leads to a letdown of an ending, capped off by a poorly executed twist. It seems Square Enix believed a multiple-choice ending would somehow make the weak conclusion more acceptable.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver’s Budget Cuts Changed Kain’s Fate

Okay, so Soul Reaver was a big deal for the Legacy of Kain series. It switched developers from Silicon Knights to Crystal Dynamics, and instead of playing as Kain, you got to play as his former right-hand man, Raziel. The whole game is about Raziel getting revenge on Kain, which was awesome. But honestly, it could have been even better! There was a huge legal battle with Silicon Knights, and because of that, they had to cut a bunch of stuff from the game. It’s a shame, because you could tell a lot was missing.

The cancelled game lost a lot of content, including several boss battles, fully acted-out scenes, and its planned ending. Instead of Raziel defeating Kain as originally intended, the game ends with Kain escaping, leaving the story unfinished.

Xenogears’ Finale Was Cobbled Together

The second half of Xenogears is famous for being a surprisingly drastic change of pace in JRPG storytelling. The first part of the game successfully combined a complex story with strong religious undertones and exciting mech battles. However, the second disc relies heavily on lengthy text and static images. For a long time, players believed this noticeable decline in quality was due to the game running out of money.

It wasn’t until 2017 that fans learned the real reason behind the issues. Game director Tetsuya Takahashi explained that the team had to make sacrifices due to tight deadlines. He noted that working with early 3D technology caused unexpected delays.

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PS1 Endings That Left Us Hanging: Test Your Retro Knowledge!

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2026-04-06 20:45