10 MORE Video Games That Started At The End
A taste of the finale.
Whether you're watching a movie, reading a book, or playing a video game, storytellers absolutely love the framing device known as "in medias res," where the narrative begins at a late point in the story, before flinging us back to the start and working back to that point.
While it can often feel like a storytelling cliche, it can also be a great way to give audiences/players a taste of what's to come, and even toy with expectations by revisiting the scene later in an entirely different context.
Video games have commonly used in medias res to tantalise players with a hint of what's to come at the end of the game, whether a breakneck action scene, a shocking plot development, or even a character death.
In a follow-up to our first article on the subject, here are 10 more video games which dared to start in the middle, before rewinding back to hours, days, or even weeks prior to show how things got to that point.
In its best cases, it only enhances the journey for the player and the awe of finally experiencing that unforgettable climax in its full glory...
10. Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3's single-player campaign kicks off right in the middle of the action in New York, with players taking control of Sgt. Blackburn as he leaps on top of a commuter train that's been hijacked by the PLR (People's Liberation & Resistance) and makes his way inside.
For about two minutes, players are able to shoot their way through the train, taking care of any terrorists who get in their way, before they're blindsided by the game's primary villain, Solomon.
Blackburn gets knocked to the floor and presumably unconscious, at which point we're thrown back eight hours to Blackburn being interrogated by the CIA. From here, most of the game is comprised of flashbacks as Blackburn recounts some of his prior missions.
The final 10 minutes of the game then end up wrapping back around to the beginning, with Blackburn being sprung from CIA custody, getting onboard the train, and once again being hit by Solomon.
However, this time we see that Blackburn wasn't actually knocked unconscious, and a few moments later players regain control for a climactic chase which ends with the pair throwing down in Times Square, and Blackburn beating Solomon to death with a brick. Nice.