10 Earth-Shattering Video Game Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming
3. The Flaw That Was Not - Jade Empire
With Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Bioware treated gamers to the earth-shattering Revan reveal, and in Jade Empire the legendary masters of the RPG gave us another.
The story begins with the player character, the Spirit Monk, training under the wise and likeable Master Li. Then their home is attacked, Li is captured by the villainous emperor Sun Hai, and the Spirit Monk takes up their destiny to rescue him.
Throughout the game both opponents and admirers remark on the Spirit Monk’s technique, noting a ‘flaw’ that appears to be a weakness but is instead a deadly trap, one their opponents unwittingly fall into. But the trap works both ways and in a blindside to end all blindsides Master Li dismantles the iron-clad technique and kills the Spirit Monk in a matter of seconds.
As it turns out Master Li wanted to be emperor and you were his all too willing, and unwitting, stooge.
Gut punch though it is you can’t help but admire the genius of Bioware: dangling the truth under our noses without ever tipping their hand is a delicate balancing act, and one they pulled off with fiendish aplomb.