10 Video Games That Killed The Main Character Early

2. Devin Ross - Clive Barker's Jericho

Clive Barker's 2007 FPS Jericho may not be a great game, but it did do an impressive job of surprising the player and then building on that surprise by using it to introduce a nifty central gameplay mechanic.

The game begins with the player controlling Devin Ross, the captain of the titular special forces unit, but around 45 minutes into the campaign, he's attacked and killed by the primary antagonist, grotesque occultist Arnold Leach.

After Ross dies, the game reminds you that death doesn't have the same meaning in this elevated version of reality known as the Box.

At this point, a possession mechanic is introduced, where a beyond-the-grave Ross can control any of the remaining team members.

Every member of the Jericho unit has their own supernatural ability - be it bullet time, telekinesis or pyrokinesis, to name a few - and switching between them smartly keeps the otherwise unremarkable story and gameplay from becoming too tiresome.