10 Last-Minute Plot Twists That Ruined Amazing Video Games
Lessons in how not to do plot twists.
Ever since we could tell stories, plot twists have been used to subvert audience expectations. They are most often used to reframe the story in such a way that forces you to reevaluate everything that preceded its revelation. In this way, they can be incredibly powerful and elevate a work of fiction to new emotional and intellectual heights.
However, plot twists are a tricky narrative technique to get right, and half of the time they just don't work. Video games in particular are prone to this problem, often throwing in twists at the last minute in a misguided attempt to shock gamers. Whether this common problem exists because video game writing isn't typically of the same quality as other mediums is a topic for another time, but regardless of the reason, there are a lot of video games that contain plot twists that fall flat.
Even worse is the fact that this problem isn't relegated only to bad games. There are plenty of great games that threaten to ruin the good will they built through terribly contrived plot twists. It's bad enough when a bad game contains a bad twist, but when a genuinely good game ends with a flat swerve, it's painful.
These are some of the most notable examples of good games ruined by last minute plot twists.
Oh, and it goes without saying: spoiler alert!