4 Video Games Twists That I Definitely Didn’t See Coming

Some of the best twists I’ve ever seen in games are ones I never saw coming, even though there were plenty of clues to set them up. A sudden shift in a game’s narrative direction can change your perspective on everything you’ve experienced, making you re-evaluate all the choices and interactions you’ve made up until that point. Whether it’s a shocking revelation or a sudden death of a beloved character, the best twists in games will stick with you long after the credits roll.

What separates a good gaming plot twist from a terrible plot twist in games is how they are built up toward their execution. Sudden changes that come out of nowhere are often confusing rather than impactful, sometimes being used for shock value rather than adding anything to a game’s narrative choices. Great twists cause you to look back, with enough crumbs or moments to give weight to whenever the story decides to pull out the rug from under you.

Obviously there are many spoilers in this List, so proceed at your own risk!

4. You Are The Monster (Braid)

Braid starts out like many games do, with you in the role of protagonist Tim attempting to find and save a princess being pursued by some horrible monster. The side-scrolling puzzles and gameplay of Braid are nothing seasoned players haven’t seen before, but it’s the story that changes preconceived notions about what your role as a “hero” is. As the game continues, you slowly learn that Tim’s relationship with the princess isn’t as it seems, with Tim looking to undo some mistake, which coincides with the time manipulation gameplay of each level.

By the time you reach the final world of Braid, you’ll be questioning Tim’s motivations and background, until a twist reveals the truth. Although Tim searches to erase his past mistakes or seek some sort of forgiveness, it is revealed that he is the monster the princess is trying so desperately to avoid. This re-contextualizes all of Tim’s actions, especially his desperation to find the princess in the first place. Few games are daring enough to change your role from protagonist to antagonist, even if Braid has several interpretations from the story’s context.

3. The Betrayal (Jade Empire)

Your journey in Jade Empire is supposedly one of destiny, as you assemble three parts of a mystical amulet to take down an evil emperor threatening the world. Emperor Sun Hai’s reign of terror is responsible for the death of your character’s people, the Spirit Monks, so why wouldn’t you want to do everything to gain the power to defeat this figure? This quest is given to you by Master Li, your mentor, who is seemingly captured by the Emperor during the early stages of the game. Little do you know, this has all been by design.

I’ll never forget the feeling of finally defeating the Emperor with the powers of the Water Dragon, only to be slain instantly by the man who once was like a father to my character. The twist of Jade Empire is one that has been at your side the whole time, as it turns out that “Master Li” is actually the Glorious Strategist Sun Li, the brother of Emperor Sun Hai.

Not only did Sun Li orchestrate the massacre of the Spirit Monks with Sun Hai, but he also devised a scheme to steal the powers of the Water Dragon for himself. So, for almost 20 years, Sun Li became a humble martial arts teacher in your character’s village, training you for your role. Going back to Jade Empire‘s story, every aspect of your “destiny” made to make you feel special was a ploy from Sun Li, meant to manipulate you into killing the Emperor, restoring the amulet, and dying at his hand.

Even the way you were taught how to fight was designed, as Sun Li left a deliberate opening in your fighting style only he would recognize in order to kill you. Every part of your quest was orchestrated, with Sun Li even allowing himself to be captured to motivate you to “rescue” him. Only through your connection to the Water Dragon do you survive Sun Li’s plans, but his betrayal stings as one of the biggest twists in any game.

2. Darth Revan’s Identity (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

Throughout the story of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, you are told about the evil Darth Revan, a Sith Lord who was betrayed by his apprentice during a battle against the Jedi Order. Revan is a legendary figure within the first Old Republic game, responsible for a galaxy-spanning Civil War that his apprentice Darth Malak continues after his defeat. As your character grows in the Force, everyone seems to have an unusual amount of attention on your progress, as your natural ability surpasses many others.

Small clues suggest you might be more than just someone who gained Force powers, from character dialogue to events and interactions throughout the game. However, it is not until you confront Darth Malak that you learn a shocking truth — your character is, in fact, the Darth Revan everyone has talked about. Turns out that after Malak’s betrayal, Revan was ambushed by Jedi, who wiped his memory completely. This twist changes everything you’ve learned, and introduces a new moral dilemma in the process.

Your ongoing path from this reveal creates several philosophical questions you have to contend with, including whether you recede back into your role as Darth Revan or forge a lighter path for yourself. To learn you are the cause of everything you’ve been fighting is a heavy burden to bear, and as big of a Star Wars twist as Darth Vader’s identity in the movies. Even today, this is considered the gold standard of video game twists, and one that is still hard for new players to see coming.

1. “Would You Kindly?” (Bioshock)

Bioshock drops you into the underwater world of Rapture as the victim of a plane crash, with your character supposedly being a fish out of water in a collapsed society. Quickly, you find an ally over the radio named Atlas, who guides you through the realm of Andrew Ryan in an attempt to escape. With a soft voice and friendly attitude, Atlas asks if you would kindly find a way to dismantle Ryan’s plans and kill the tyrant in a somewhat linear adventure. Yet, confronting Ryan reveals that your agency was never yours to begin with.

In a stunning revelation, it is shown how your character is actually a plant for Andrew Ryan, with the phrase “Would You Kindly?” acting as a hypnotic trigger to control you. Every quest was prompted by Atlas using that phrase, meaning your “journey” was nothing more than you following his commands like a sleeping slave. It is shown later that Atlas is none other than Fontaine, a rival to Ryan’s empire and primary antagonist of the game. Fontaine’s existence is hinted in multiple audio logs in Bioshock, but he is never shown until this moment pays off those clues.

This turn in the narrative elevates your adventure, as it uses the typical mechanics of a linear action-adventure title to reinforce your manipulation. Even the plane crash that landed you in Rapture was planned, showing how your free will has been a sham since the beginning. This twist is one I never saw coming, but it made the following choices and ending of Bioshock instantly memorable, and is a big reason why the game is remembered so well years later.

What is your favorite twist from a game? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

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