12 Great Games Ruined By One Moment (2024)

Video games are primarily a source of entertainment. Like movies, television shows, and books, they can have their ups and downs as you progress through them. There can be moments of pure joy, exhilaration, excitement, and more. Video games can elicit many emotions from players. But there can also be moments of anger, frustration, confusion, annoyance, and disappointment.

Even the very best video games can falter. Numerous great video games can have one moment that ruins them, where either the narrative rocks or the gameplay quality dips. Considering the length of certain video games, it’s only natural that after many hours, something gives way. Sadly, some of the best video games that have these moments don’t always recover afterward.

Spoiler Warning

Updated on August 27, 2024, by Dominic Allen: Nothing's worse than a game that blows your socks off, only to come across a moment that ruins the entire experience and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Sometimes, it's just a bump in the road, while other times, it severely damages the game in a reprehensible fashion. It could be game-breaking bugs, frustrating missions, or terrible endings that do the damage here.

12 Signalis

A Final Boss So Bad, It'll Make You Uninstall The Game

Signalis

Survival Horror

Indie Games

Adventure

Shooter

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:82/100 Critics Recommend:86%

Platform(s)

Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , Microsoft Windows , Xbox Series X/S

Released

October 27, 2022

Developer

rose-engine, Rose-engine games

Publisher

rose-engine, Rose-engine games

Engine

unity

ESRB

m

How Long To Beat

9 hours

One of the best indie horror games in recent memory has to be Signalis. Sure, it has plenty of influences, but it takes that to create something new here, and most of the game is a phenomenal time. That is until the final boss. The final boss is very much influenced by Silent Hill 4, with you needing to hit Falke with all the spears available.

The issue is staggering Falke, as the boss has rotating shields that'll block your gunshots. Kind of odd for a retro survival horror game to require proper aiming. This is actually the first time in the game where you have to manually aim in this tricky fashion, and it's so frustrating that after you beat it, you very well could uninstall the game instead of doing a second playthrough for the platinum trophy.

11 Rage

Where's The Explosive Finale?

RAGE

FPS

Systems

Platform(s)

PC , PS3 , Xbox 360

See Also

Chapter 2 Secret - Kingdom of Sahali Walkthrough - Black Myth: Wukong Guide - IGN

Released

2011-10-4

Developer(s)

id Software

Publisher(s)

Bethesda Softworks

ESRB

m

How Long To Beat

11 Hours

Release

2011-10-04

FPS games have a knack for explosive, incredible climaxes that end the experience on a high note. They're often so good that they redeem the title, like Serious Sam 4, which is a fairly mediocre to decent game until the final level, which is one of the greatest single-player FPS levels of all time. Rage doesn't fully suit because the ending is a total stinker.

You think it will be awesome because you get some seriously powerful weaponry beforehand, but the final level is just like any other. No massive hordes of enemies, not even a final boss. It's a total letdown in what's an otherwise pretty underrated FPS.

10 The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword Wii Version

A Game-Breaking Bug Showing How Outdated The Wii Was

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

4.0/5

Action

Adventure

Systems

Franchise

The Legend of Zelda

Platform(s)

Wii

Released

November 20, 2011

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

Proprietary Engine

ESRB

E10+ for Everyone E10+: Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence

How Long To Beat

31 Hours

Believe it or not, Wii games could not receive patches at all. This led to several game-breaking bugs, the most infamous of which was in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Getting the bug was incredibly easy. It focused on the Song of the Hero quest, which is very late into the game.

You'll have to go to three locations, but you must do the Lanaryu Desert first, then talk to Golo twice, and at that point, the game's unbeatable. So many people caught this bug that a separate update had to be released on the Wii Shop Channel just to fix it, and due to how late in the game it was, it devastated many players.

9 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The Most Frustrating Missions In The Series

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Action

Adventure

Systems

Franchise

Grand Theft Auto

Platform(s)

PS2 , PS3 , Xbox (Original) , Xbox 360 , PC , macOS , iOS , Android

Released

October 26, 2004

Developer(s)

Rockstar Games

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs

Publisher(s)

Rockstar Games

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Engine

RenderWare

How Long To Beat

30 Hours

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a large game. Its world, its scale, its scope, the variety of things you can do, the amount of customization available — it all makes for a big game. There are many tasks and missions in the game too, some of which are necessary to progress the story, and others are optional.

These optional missions are the most frustrating in the game, with missions like New Model Army or Supply Lines. One such optional mission that almost ruins the entire game is Air Raid. If you're unfamiliar, this mission has you sitting on a rooftop shooting down drones, and it's incredibly challenging. It's not only frustrating, it's anger-inducing, especially if you don't realize the mission is optional.

8 Alien: Isolation

Instead Of Being Scared Stiff, I'm Getting Bored Stiff

Alien: Isolation

Survival Horror

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:81/100 Critics Recommend:76%

Franchise

Alien

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , PC , Android , iOS

Released

October 7, 2014

Developer(s)

Creative Assembly

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence

Publisher(s)

Sega

Engine

Cathode

How Long To Beat

19 Hours

Metascore

83

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium

How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)

34 Hours

After several hours of creeping and running away from the monstrous, terrifying alien, the story and gameplay of Alien: Isolation reaches a crescendo. You lock the creature in a remote module and launch it into space. Most would assume that would be the end of the game.

The moment that ruins Alien: Isolation is the realization that you’re only about halfway through the game at that point. Once the alien is gone, the androids become a problem to contend with, and then more aliens show up. Alien: Isolation is a game that outstayed its welcome, with enough content for two or three games crammed into one.

7 Batman: Arkham Asylum

Joker Wouldn't Do This

Batman Arkham Asylum

Action

Adventure

Systems

Franchise

Batman

Platform(s)

PS3 , PS4 , macOS , PC , Xbox 360 , Xbox One

Released

August 25, 2009

Developer(s)

Rocksteady Studios

ESRB

T for Teen: Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Publisher(s)

Warner Bros. Interactive

Engine

Unreal Engine 3

How Long To Beat

12 Hours

Metascore

92

Batman: Arkham Asylum reinvigorated the superhero video game genre. It put Batman inside the asylum with many of his infamous foes, allowed you to combat them with a fun, unique fighting style, and gave us an Easter egg-filled playground to explore.

The story of the game is also interesting — there are nods to comics and the animated series throughout, with twists, turns, and dramatic moments abundant. The ending, however, was a disappointment. Specifically, the final boss fight, where Joker transforms into a generic, mutated creature, and you do battle with him in a basic, classic, video game fashion. That's just not how the Joker would go about things, and not in his character.

6 Assassin’s Creed 3

A Bad Character Switch-Up

Assassin's Creed 3

Action

Open-World

Systems

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , Nintendo Wii U , PC , Stadia

Released

October 30, 2012

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Montreal

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

anvilnext, havok

How Long To Beat

17 Hours

How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)

55 Hours

Assassin’s Creed 3 starts off very promisingly. You are introduced to Haytham Kenway, a cool-looking, finely-dressed man who infiltrates a lavish theater and assassinates his target in stylish fashion.

It was, therefore, disappointing to suddenly be pulled away from that character and forced to play the rest of the long game as Connor. Connor lacks the charisma and likeability of Haytham, and his story takes on the format of a very generic revenge tale.

5 Star Wars: Battlefront 2

The Status Quo Remains

Star Wars Battlefront 2

FPS

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:68/100 Critics Recommend:28%

Franchise

Star Wars

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , PC

Released

November 17, 2017

Developer(s)

DICE

ESRB

T for Teen: Violence

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

Frostbite

How Long To Beat

7 Hours

File Size Xbox Series

79 GB (June 2023)

Much of the promotion and marketing for Star Wars: Battlefront 2 was on the campaign. More specifically, the fact that the campaign would have you taking on the role of the Empire, giving Star Wars fans a long overdue alternate perspective on the series’ story.

Upon its launch, the game was met with controversy surrounding its implementation of loot boxes. But the campaign was another issue. Very early in the campaign, the main character, Iden Versio, leaves the Empire and joins the Rebellion. Becoming one of the “good guys,” in what was supposed to be a twist or a surprise. Instead, it was a disappointment and perhaps even false advertisem*nt. What was supposed to be something different, turned out to be something very familiar.

For A Series Known For Great Plot Twists, This Isn't One Of Them

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was released to much acclaim, particularly for its gameplay. It was also met with a lot of debate and discussion surrounding Hideo Kojima and his relationship with developer/publisher, Konami. The result was that Metal Gear Solid 5 was also released in an unfinished state, with little closure to its story.

The Metal Gear story is considered by many to be convoluted and a little silly. The moment that ruined Metal Gear Solid 5 was the revelation at the end of the game that, after however many hours you put into it, you were not, in fact, playing as Big Boss. Instead, you were playing as a random Big Boss lookalike. The story of this game was divisive, but the ending, in its unfinished state and ridiculous nature, was almost universally derided.

3 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

A Return To Form, Minus The Last Third

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Survival Horror

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:86/100 Critics Recommend:91%

Franchise

Resident Evil

Platform(s)

PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , Switch , Stadia , PC

Released

January 24, 2017

Developer(s)

Capcom

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Publisher(s)

Capcom

Engine

RE Engine

How Long To Beat

10 Hours

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was considered a return to form for the series. In certain regards, it was also seen as a reboot. In this game, the series reverted to its survival horror roots, doubling down on the scares and the tension, and toning down the action.

That is, until the back end of the game reverted to the action-heavy ways of the prior Resident Evil games. Once you reach the tanker, the game gives you access to better guns and more ammo, and the scares are reduced in impact and frequency. The final chunk of the game becomes a first-person shooter, and not a particularly good one.

2 Batman: Arkham Knight

Never Has The Batmobile Been Less Cool

Batman: Arkham Knight

Action

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:86/100 Critics Recommend:82%

Franchise

Batman

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , PC

Released

June 23, 2015

Developer(s)

Rocksteady Studios

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

Publisher(s)

Warner Bros. Interactive

Engine

Unreal Engine 3

How Long To Beat

17 Hours

File Size Xbox Series

47 GB (November 2023)

Metascore

87

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium

Batman: Arkham Knight was billed as the final entry in the series. It was the one that would wrap up the story and bring resolution to Batman’s journey. And it did. This was also the game that would finally allow you to drive the Batmobile. The Batmobile operated in two distinct ways in Arkham Knight: as a vehicle to go from one point to another, and as a tank.

As a vehicle, the Batmobile was a well-received and appreciated addition to the series. Even the tank combat was admired by some. The moment that ruined Arkham Knight was when the tank combat kept forcing its way back into the game, with missions and objectives requiring its use, repeatedly.

1 Mass Effect 3

The Ending Heard Around The World

Mass Effect 3

Action

Adventure

Systems

Franchise

Mass Effect

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox 360 , Nintendo Wii U , PS3

Released

March 6, 2012

Developer(s)

BioWare

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

Unreal Engine 3

Mass Effect was planned as a trilogy of RPGs where every action and decision you make carries over into the next game. By the time the third game in the series came out, players had made hundreds of choices and decisions, big and small. It seemed almost impossible that BioWare would find a way of addressing all of them into a unique, personalized ending.

And they didn’t. The ending of Mass Effect 3 was much derided and caused an online uproar from many of the series’ fans. Instead of ending in a way that resolved all the player’s choices and decisions, it presented three simple options. Red, Blue, or Green, with only slight differences in what each ending did. An extended cut addressed some of the complaints and expanded on the finale, but the core issues were not addressed fully.