20 Video Game Twists That Were Completely Pointless
11. Getting Rid Of Vaas - Far Cry 3
On paper, swapping one antagonist for another late in a story sounds gimmicky, especially if players are invested in the initial villain. However, bait-and-switches can work, so long as the latter baddie is more compelling than the former.
Which begs the question - Why was iconic antagonist, Vaas Montenegro, sidelined in Far Cry 3?
Before Ubisoft's threequel was released, the promotions were hyping up the charismatic smuggler, portrayed masterfully by Michael Mando. There was an overwhelming sense of dread each time Vaas appeared in the game, due to the his volatile mood swings and unpredictable nature. More importantly, he feels like a dark reflection of the hero, Jason Brody, making the conflict more personal.
So when the mohawk-sporting psycho kicks the bucket halfway through, Far Cry 3 loses its emotional core. What's worse is Vaas is substituted for smug crime boss, Hoyt Volker, who lacks his predecessor's philosophical bite and psychological manipulation.
Looking back, it feels like the marketing team built Vaas up as the be-all-and-end-all solely to make his exit more shocking. Ironically, this rug-pull deflated the entire story in an instant.