The G-man is the king of anti-climatic.

I can almost see him now, judging Gordon's actions at every turn, waiting for the right time to appear and completely spoil his fun and ruin everything that he has worked for until that point. Point of fact: (hear ye all of thee who dost not want the spoiler) the Freeman had slaughtered battalions of incredibly well trained marines with superior weaponry; he had put a stop - apparently - to a whole combine of races' plans; he saved himself from Black Mesa, teleported to an alien world and generally KICKED BUTTOCKS! Then, the G-man appears. He gives Gordon a choice: ally with whomever the G-man represents or be tortured and mutilated by apparently endless numbers of alien warriors.

Bah. I don't know about you, but I'd take them all on with my bare hands! Gordon = wuss after all.

But, unfortunately, the Xbox is not free from such devilry either. Why, Halo 2 sports what could be considered the worst ending since Monkey Island 3! Why? Simple: it has no ending! Don't get me wrong, though, I had a blast playing through Halo 2. I'd almost go as far as saying that it's the best game on the Xbox... But there is only so much you can do to prove your point and create a great story and atmosphere... Here too I can see the G-man, encumbered by the armor of the Grunts, masking his voice so Spartan 117 doesn't recognize him, waiting for the right moment to pop out.

Please, video game developers everywhere... If you are reading this (which I sincerely doubt), and you are unsure on how to end a game... Remember that a fade to black screen and the words 'The End' may not be the best choice... Especially if the characters are in the MIDDLE of something.

Hey, I'm all up for cliffhangers, but let me keep the safety line, eh?