9 Video Games Where You Lose No Matter What
2. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare
In the original Modern Warfare you play as a few major players in the fight against Russian ultra-nationalist Imran Zakhaev, including Sgt. John "Soap" McTavish and Sgt. Paul Jackson.
Well we can get this out of the way right now - as Jackson you die from radioactive fallout after narrowly surviving the detonation of a nuclear warhead. So we're already not doing great with one of our two main heroes dead halfway through the game.
As Soap you eventually save America from a bunch of nuclear missiles that Zakhaev fires, but in the process of chasing him down much of your unit is either killed or wounded.
Your allies come to your aid and you are able to kill Zakhaev - saving the world from a potential catastrophic war between Russian and the US and everything is ultimately covered up to preserve international relations.
Except that in Modern Warfare 2 you learn that thanks to the cover up, the Russian people commemorate Zakhaev as a martyr and his ultranationalist party takes control of the country. Meanwhile an American, a leader betraying his own men ensures a war starts anyway.
In the end, Zakhaev posthumously won, getting exactly what he wanted.