10 Awful Plot Twists That Completely Ruined Great Games
4. Grand Theft Auto V: The Obvious "Happy Ending" Mission
Man, you almost had it, Grand Theft Auto V. Right up until the very end. Grand Theft Auto is about our better natures. Michael is a reformed criminal who finds himself stifled by his cushy suburban life - and ultimately finds himself alive and happy and virile for the first time in over a decade because he goes back to his life of crime, despite bemoaning it all the way. Meanwhile, Trevor is a criminal, lives in a crappy trailer, but of all the characters is seemingly the most happy simply because he knows what he is - a monster, and has some great fun with it. Thus at the end of Grand Theft Auto V it's up to Franklin to decide which of these two ideologies is worthwhile - Michael's "this is so much fun but I definitely shouldn't be doing this," hedging of the bets, or Trevors "This is so much fun, why wouldn't everyone do this" mentality. if handled correctly, this moment would make Grand Theft Auto V's plot masterful - having the player decide what purpose Grand Theft Auto itself serves - is it a mass murder simulator you dink around with (and that's okay), or is it something more? Are the chaotic elements players engage in just a piece of the actual experience, or the entirety of the draw? And Grand Theft Auto V offers a cop-out, with a 'suicide' option that results in the happiest of happy endings, with all the characters ultimately making amends, taking out the guy who set them all up, and riding off into the sunset, presumably until the next DLC pack. The twist of having a third 'happy ending' option for the game's final mission ruins the point the game was trying to make spectacularly. That point? That there's a reason you can play golf or tennis see a 20 minute french film in Grand Theft Auto. That reason? You won't. There's a reason why you've given a car and the number of a taxi service at the start of the game too - so you have the option to be a mostly law abiding citizen when not on a mission. But you won't. See, Grand Theft Auto V, more than any other game in the series, is deliberately deconstructing itself and the people who play them. What draws a person to massively violent game where you engage in murder, slaughter, theft, torture, and drug use? Is it fun? Is it escapism? And if yes, what's that say about a person? Are the people playing and buying Grand Theft Auto like Michael? Who hypocritically turn their nose up at the 'offensive' elements while still engaging in the actual game? The kind of folks who bemoan Grand Theft Auto's sexism and racism, but are somehow okay with a game that has you shooting countless cops and murdering dozens of human beings? Or are the people that play Grand Theft Auto more like Trevor? Life's a party, bring beer, ya know? Grand Theft Auto is fun because it's about things we shouldn't do. It's a marijuana cigarette or pirated movie or porno on your big screen TV. Who cares if it's not what you 'should' do, it's what you want to do. And to say that only 'certain' parts of the game are 'okay' is essentially woefully hypocritical, considering, again, the game is literally a sandbox of destruction. Thus when it comes down to Franklin, dead in the center of the spectrum, the choice he makes ultimately informs you as a person, and adding the third, cop-out option, ruined what was a very interesting and startlingly creative subtext that many gamers simply didn't really pay attention too, and the disappointing nature of the ending ensured they never would.
