20 Video Game Twists That Were Completely Pointless
Seriously, can video games retire the "it was all a dream" trope forever?
There are plenty of plot twists in video games which have become infamous for how predictable or non-sensical they are. The Origami Killer in Heavy Rain opens up an avalanche of plotholes; many players correctly deduced the villain's true identity in Batman: Arkham Knight before the game came out, just to name a few.
But it's more frustrating when a bombshell isn't just silly but pointless. Rather than revolving around a head-scratching mystery, some platformers, shooters, and RPGs throw in a curveball at the eleventh hour that has no effect on the narrative whatsoever. These revelations are more annoying when they aren't built up in any way or contradict relationships and established lore.
Sometimes, the reason why these big reveals fail isn't necessarily the fault of the developers. If a sequel is cancelled, any twist from its predecessor that was intended to be explored in detail becomes redundant.
If these "earth-shattering moments" were removed entirely, it wouldn't affect the plot in any way. As a result, it makes it all the more bizarre why the creators were keen to include these twists in the first place.
20. The Little Girl - Bayonetta
In Platinum Games' cosmic hack-and-slash, the titular witch must face the forces of Paradiso to prevent the resurrection of their ancient deity, Jubileus.
Throughout the adventure, Bayonetta repeatedly encounters a bespectacled girl called Cereza. Over time, it’s unveiled that Cereza is a child version of Bayonetta who has been displaced in time. Bayonetta's interactions with her younger self causes a causality loop, inspiring Cereza to become a universe-saving warrior.
However, there are two problems with this revelation. Firstly, players should see it coming a mile away due to the girl's resemblance to her adult counterpart. (Couldn't the developers have given Cereza a different hairstyle at least?)
Now, this detail could be forgiven if the twist blossomed into something more. However, Cereza's inclusion is a drop in the ocean, since the story is already stuffed with betrayals, love interests, interdimensional wars, battles with gods, and reality-ending cataclysms. Why Platinum Games were pushed to throw in yet another overelaborate subplot into the mix is anybody's guess.
This subplot has no baring on the sequels either, making Cereza even more meaningless in hindsight.