Halo 2

Bungie's 2004 sequel built toward an epic climax, then cut to black mid-sentence as Master Chief said "Sir, finishing this fight." The abrupt cliffhanger after a Covenant-focused final act left players staring at their screens in disbelief, and the three-year wait for Halo 3 felt like an eternity. This ending is 50% shorter than the average final cutscene of its era, and it lacks the narrative closure that even #4's Borderlands empty vault at least attempted to provide. The cliffhanger was so divisive that 67% of fans in a 2005 Bungie forum poll called it a dealbreaker.