10 Video Games That Messed With The Player
1. BioShock
Yes, the game that is featured in lists far and wide couldn’t be left out of this one. You probably know the story by now, but for those that don’t: Bioshock follows protagonist Jack as he attempts to escape Rapture, an underwater utopia that has seen rapid decline due to ADAM, a genetic substance that grants supernatural powers.
As Jack, the player fights various enemies with the help of Atlas, a revolutionary who needs help to stop Ryan, the brains behind Rapture, from killing his family. It is ultimately revealed that you are in fact Ryan’s son, and that Atlas is the true enemy, directing your behaviour, and that of the player, through repeated use of a hypnotic trigger phrase: “would you kindly.”
The realisation that this phrase has been spoken multiple times throughout the game and that you have been mind controlled represents one of the biggest and most famous twists in gaming, and makes you question every decision you think you made during the game. It’s one that stays with you long after it’s finished, and may well give you trust issues long into the future.