The Last of Us Part II has gamers both enthralled and outraged with its many wild plot twists. The story does not turn out the way many expected, but no one can deny how bold and disturbing of a ride it is. However, it certainly was not the first game to include such incredible narrative revelations.
The following games below include some extreme plot twists, not all of which landed among gamers. Obviously, spoilers are abundant below, so anybody weary of these should look past the text when they see which game is about to be discussed if they do not want to know the whole story.
10 Braid
This puzzle platformer does not seem to have narrative depth at first, but the ending reveals a profound message which recontextualizes the whole experience.
What was initially thought to be a typical journey to save a princess turns into something more sinister. The player character is not a savior, but a stalker or monster and the princess is consistently rescued by a knight while the player continues the chase. Fan theories postulate even deeper analogies as to what the characters and events represent.
9 Half-Life 2: Episode 2
This one is a little similar to The Last of Us Part II, except it happens during Half-Life 2: Episode 2's conclusion. Gordon and Alyx are prepping their trip to the Borealis when the Combine ambushes them.
Alyx's father, Eli, is executed by the Alien monsters and Dog, a friendly robot, saves Gordon and Alyx. The screen fades to black and credits roll over Alyx's tears as she weeps over her dead dad's body.
8 Red Dead Redemption
Players in 2010 thought John Marston's journey was over once he killed Dutch Van Der Linde and reunited with his family. Unfortunately, the Pinkertons were not done with him.
The same people who blackmailed him into hunting down his former outlaw comrades come to execute him. After the tragic scene, players take control of Marston's son to avenge his father's brutal demise.
7 Spec Ops: The Line
What appears as a simple military shooter turns into a criticism of the genre while also being a loose adaptation of Heart of Darkness and, by association, Apocalypse Now.
The main character heads to a ruined Dubai to capture a Colonel who has gone rogue. After a series of uncomfortable decisions the player learns that the Colonel has been dead for months and his communication with him has been in the main character's mind.
6 BioShock: Infinite
Some may consider the first BioShock's twist to be more worthy of inclusion here, but Infinite's closing hours are are filled with more wild narrative implications and connects first two entries to the 2013 title.
The DLC expansions, Burial at Sea Parts 1 and 2, take full advantage of Elizabeth's dimension-hopping powers to further connect the series and dive into wild science fiction ideas. With whispers of a new BioShock on the horizon, one wonders if it will reboot the franchise or be a direct sequel.
5 Bionic Commando
This one is controversial and a major reason many bemoan the title. Turns out, the main character's weaponized prosthetic is made from his wife, as the apparatus would only synch with Nathan Rad Spencer if it had both a physical and emotional connection.
Super Joe, the character Rad Spencer rescues in the first game who reveals himself as a traitor in this sequel, divulges this information. The game ends with Nathan Rad Spencer killing Super Joe and falling hundreds of feet into an abyss, his fate left mysterious.
4 Portal 2
Considering the first game's short length and inclusion in the Orange Box, the whole idea of Portal 2 as a full-length standalone title feels like a video game industry plot twist.
The game subverts expectations quickly. Wheatley, a clumsy AI, helps the player at first as GLaDOS awakens before turning the tables on both of them. Then, a big chunk of the game sees Chell, the player, and GLaDOS team up to defeat Wheatley. The antagonist from the first game finally frees Chell from the science facility after the victory.
3 Silent Hill 2
The Silent Hill series goes for more emotional and psychological scares than cheap jump frights. Silent Hill 2 starts off with James Sutherland searching for his deceased wife in the titular town after receiving a mysterious letter from her.
However, players eventually learn that his ailing wife ultimately died at Jame's hands. Many of the monsters represent parts of his psyche, with the nurses depicting lust while Pyramid Head is guilt.
2 Final Fantasy VII Remake
The newest game on the list, Final Fantasy VII Remake throws some incredible curve balls. Instead of a straightforward remake of the classic PlayStation One title, the 2020 Japanese RPG uses its closing hours to have the characters destroy fate and leave the future open to change.
Their goal of stopping Sephiroth remains largely the same, but no one can tell how the next installments of the remake will turn out.
1 Metal Gear Solid 2
Neil Druckmann has cited Metal Gear Solid 2 as in influence on The Last of Us Part II's story. Similar to the recent Naughty Dog title, the game unexpectedly changes protagonists for a majority of the story, and uses trailer trickery to hide some of the biggest plot twists.
And this says nothing of the developments during the last few hours of Sons of Liberty. The game upset numerous fans upon release when they found themselves playing as Raiden for the majority of the story.