10 Recent Video Game Plot Twists NOBODY Saw Coming
6. Selene Is Still Trapped In The Loop - Returnal
From one existential horror game to another, Returnal is all about astronaut Selene, who finds herself trapped in a timeloop after crash landing on the alien planet Atropos. Every time Selene is killed by the beasties who reside on the planet, she reawakens from the moment she crashed, even though previous dead versions of her are still scattered across the environment.
As the player, you attempt to fight your way off the planet and escape the loop. After three tough-as-nails levels and an insane boss fight, it appears that you've done just that. You manage to make it to the top of the world, find the source of the mysterious signal that's been calling to you the whole game, and manage to call in a rescue ship.
After this, players are treated to a cutscene that shows Selene enjoying the rest of her life on Earth. After returning home, Selene starts a family, grows old, and puts her time on the planet behind her. The cutscene ends with Selene dying of old age, and her coffin being lowered into the ground. Not a bad life.
Only, she then reawakens on Atropos, with the planet having aged in the time she's been away. While she might have escaped, she hadn't broken the loop, and the second half of the game is trying to sever those ties.