10 Best "Everything You Know Is A Lie" Moments In Video Games

Turning your world upside down.

prey 2017
Arkane

There have been countless unforgettable and mind-blowing moments in video games over the decades. Ever since developers were able to transform sprites and polygons into captivating narratives, creators have continued to find innovative and intriguing ways to tell their stories.

Shocking reveals, hard-hitting deaths, and ambiguous endings are all effective ways in which games have succeeded in surprising us. However, nothing makes plots more enthralling than a great twist.

When done right, a plot twist has the power to re-contextualise everything that we thought we knew about what we've just seen. Moreover, a well-executed twist should also leave us with something to think about as we ponder over what these new revelations mean, not just in terms of the story, but their grander significance too.

And out of the myriad of twists out there, none are as effective as those which reveal that, up until that point, we've been lied to the entire time.

By pulling the rug from under our feet at just the right moment, these video games created some of the most jaw-dropping moments in gaming history.

Nothing was as it seemed in these video games.

--

Note: There are massive spoilers inside each page's paragraphs.

10. Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) - A Secret Soviet Spy

prey 2017
Activision

Though the Call Of Duty franchise is best known for its high-octane action and big budget spectacle, the series isn't all mindless action. Alongside a selection of jaw-dropping twists in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops, Cold War stands out as being one of the biggest and most unexpected gotcha moments in recent years.

Set in the early 1980s, Cold War sees player-character Bell recruited by the CIA as part of a team tasked with eliminating dangerous Soviet spy Perseus.

Teaming up with fan-favourite characters Woods and Mason, we're told that Bell has known the team for years, serving with leaders Adler and Sims in Vietnam. With the second mission Fracture Jaw framed as a flashback of Bell's time in Vietnam searching for a Russian presence, there's no reason to believe anything is awry.

Towards the finale, however, a bombshell revelation reveals that Bell was previously one of Perseus's associates. After being left for dead, the CIA recovered him and subsequently brainwashed him into believing they were allies.

Understanding the truth about the shady practices of the US government, players now have a choice to tell Adler where Perseus is or lie and, in one ending, even ambush him.

In this post: 
Prey
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.