Okay I was wrong (although I have read that Bungie has cut the last 3 missions from Halo 2) - but I won't change my opinion: Halo 2's ending was horrible. Why?
Yes, Halo 1's ended with a fairly obvious sequel clue. However, the game itself was over: all the enemies are dead, the big thing blew up, I - was - through - with - Halo. There was nothing left to do in Halo 1 - I felt that the game was over - even with a sequel in the mind, the chapter was closed.
On the other hand, Halo 2's felt incomplete. I mean okay you stopped another Halo for firing, but all the others have received some kind on signal that will doom us all, the covenant is on fire because of a rebellion, Cortana is being held captive by the big flood stuff, you are on a ship back to earth to do everything possible to save everybody, there was PLENTY of butt-kicking left to do. There SHOULD have been at least one more mission before the creds - maybe beating everybody on the ship, meeting with the Arbitor or something, finally: accomplishing something in the whole chapter! But you don't! It ends there right there, and I felt I haven't accomplished anything in the whole game because I just didn't have the chance to!
I don't say that Halo 2 should have closed the door on everything, but at least they could have done something to make the player felt they have finished the game! I don't know about Pirates of the Caribean, I haven't seen the last 2 ones. But at least, when you go see a film, it doesn't cost 400$ for a console to see it all end.
I don't plan to buy a Xbox 360 just for Halo 3 - but my mind would have sure been more at rest by at least closing the Halo 2 chapter properly instead of finishing nothing.
*GASP*
Hey have-I said all that? Dang mornings... I should remember that I am never in pretty good moon in the morning
! Anyway, you see my point here
!
I'll go get some cereal...
With some honey on it. Hmmm... honey...