8 Video Game Bosses That Subtly Told You How To Beat Them

One of the core elements of the Mass Effect series is its branching dialogue, which allows you to take each conversation in a handful of different directions. You can charm people and get them on your side, or, if you're feeling particularly devious, you can opt for the path that leads to more destruction and death.

By following the latter route, you can easily defeat the demon-faced Saren Arterius, because if you choose the correct prompts from the conversation wheel, you can convince him to forget his villainous crusade and make him shoot himself in the head.

You would know which prompts to choose if you've played the game before (or if you're following a guide), sure, but you can also pay close attention to the way that Saren speaks to get a subtle hint that he can be manipulated into suicide.

Early in your conversation on Ilos, Saren will brag about how he's changed and improved since your last encounter, before mentioning that certain doubts "began to eat away" at him, that he was worried about "indoctrination", and that he feared he was being manipulated by the Sovereign.

It's a bit unusual for a bad guy to openly admit such things to the hero, and that's because this entire exchange is a clue that Saren has a weak mental resolve, and that it's possible to get inside his head using the power of words.

And sure enough, you can do just that, with the correct dialogue options making his doubts bubble to the surface, causing him to blow his own brains out all over the surrounding area. Clean up in aisle three!