Worst Game Twists Ever

[Insidious Mental Pollution]

Doing some story plotting on my current RPG Maker project, and my mind wandered back to some game twists that really annoyed the crap out of me.


Off the top of my head, one of the most unnecessary was in Final Fantasy X, when...

Spoiler

Tidus found out he was effectively the figment of someone's imagination.  I mean, really?  (Oh yes, REALLY)  It felt as though the writers were looking for one more piece of shock value, and wanted to do something to create drama for the sake of drama, so made him into dream boy.

So what about you?  What game twisted in a way that was just hackneyed or unneeded for the narrative?

 

[Dalph]

FFX storyline was absolutely perfect in my opinion, seriously...that game is a masterpiece.

----

Speaking about the worst game twists ever, I say the unexpected (and useless?) appearance of Trivia\Necron from FFIX.

As much as I like the whole scary concept about that character, the truth is that he's an unoriginal, uninspired and also useless villain.

I mean who the hell he is exactly? And why he suddenly appears without any explanation at all? His existence is not even remotely hinted in the whole game...seriously WTF?

In the italian version of FFIX he's called Trivia, and do you know the meaning of this word? It's Banality. XD

 

[BigEd781]

Mario 2. The whole damn thing was a dream. Lame plot device.

 

[Insidious Mental Pollution]

Mario 2. The whole damn thing was a dream. Lame plot device.

Stories or games that do that are annoying - it invalidates any emotional investment the reader/player puts in.  The exception to me is Lovecraft, but the Dreamlands are treated as a real place, and he is upfront about the story being set there.

Regarding the FFX story, I thought it was overall superb, but it just didn't need the stakes raised in that particular way.  

(thanks for putting the spoiler tag in for me!)

 

[Alexander Amnell]

Unneeded plot twists... the most glaring to me would be anything in the assassin's creed franchise that involves either magic or pseudo-science... It made it hard for me to get into the games at first with the weird dna memory stuff and I only got into it by forgetting about that and pretending it was only about the assassins, then magical apples made their appearance and I just lost interest completely.

Another one I didn't really like was mass effect two where at the beginning you die and are resurrected by people that you were thought were bad, join because they revived you and make a good argument but then at the end it turns out you were right to begin with and they become your enemies again, seems like lazy storytelling in a franchise that normally has really good storytelling, but I guess you can't get it right all the time.

The absolute worst plot twist I've ever seen had to be final fantasy 8... Now this was at one point in  my life one of my favorite games of all time, my first playthrough was great, I was young and didn't know or care about all the ways that the game could be broken which is what most people harp on it for (that or Squall being how he is, but I was a very depressed 14 year old with a lone wolf complex and a social disorder when I first played the game so at the time I thought he was badass) and the game was great, the story made sense and fit up until a certain point, when you go to an orphanage... and find out that with the exception of one person you are all childhood friends or rivals who lived together as children and somehow all ended up back together randomly... but none of you remember it, except for one guy who is like "yeah I remember you all, but I didn't want to say anything because you didn't remember me." What the hell was that?! So then I trudged on and it picked up a little as you participate in an epic battle against the sorceress and it's good again... but then you defeat her and you realize that the sorceress was the head mistress of the orphanage that you grew up in, and that the leader of your military organization that exists to kill this sorceress is her husband... ok, so how the hell are there 3+ said military groups and how the Frick are they so relied upon already by the populous with background implying they go back much further... just how old are Cid and Edea... and your group that you thought were teenagers-young adults?, if you were some of the first "seeds" then, how did all these other instructors and people get ahead of you and where did they come from? The plot just keeps going downhill from there. The only thing I can think happened with it is that it was supposed to end on disk two with the death of Edea but the execs came to the writers and said "wait, this is way to short for a final fantasy game, lets ummm... lets just throw all the random BS you can think of in the next 10-15 minutes into the game to extend it". Thus we end up with timetraveling sorceresses possessing other sorceresses in the past in order to break time or something for some reason that isn't really explained, I mean if Ultimecia is ruler of the future why the hell does she need to rule the past where people can still stop her... it's just does not make any sense.

 

[Archeia]

G Senjou no Maou

Spoiler

All this time you made me believe the protagonist was the main antagonist and omg just how is this going to work out? Nevertheless it'd be AWESOME. But instead it pulls a Deus Ex Machina to me where it's actually his brother plotting and conveniently appearing whenever he has headaches and faints, etc. as well as disappearing when I find ~love~
SO FRUSTRATING.

 

[Seacliff]

Mario 2. The whole damn thing was a dream. Lame plot device.

Then all of Mario 3 was a stage setup.

For all we know Mario 1 is some random drunk guys adventure XP

 

[Omnimental]

Then all of Mario 3 was a stage setup.

For all we know Mario 1 is some random drunk guys adventure XP

Not drunk.  Shrooms, remember?

 

[Seacliff]

Not drunk.  Shrooms, remember?

Oh, I remember, but knowing Mario... he claims to walk on miniature planets y'know.

 

[Quigon]

Speaking about the worst game twists ever, I say the unexpected (and useless?) appearance of Trivia\Necron from FFIX.

As much as I like the whole scary concept about that character, the truth is that he's an unoriginal, uninspired and also useless villain.

Thematically, Necron is a pretty cool villain actually. He's effectively the embodiment of death - appearing after Kuja messes up the crystal and pretty much dooms mankind. Death is a really prevalent theme towards the end of the game - Kuja realising he's mortal being the big thing for his character. I think it's pretty cool that you're effectively killing 'death' at the end of the game, given that Kuja is so bent on himself not dying. Symbolically he's pretty cool. I think his execution could've been better, but I wouldn't say he's uninspired. (also he looks like a Necrophobe from FFV/XII, so it's a little callback too).

As for worst twists, I didn't particularly think the Dishonoured twist was much good, because I pretty much saw the whole thing coming. That said I did really enjoy the game regardless.

 

[Dalph]

Thematically, Necron is a pretty cool villain actually. He's effectively the embodiment of death - appearing after Kuja messes up the crystal and pretty much dooms mankind. Death is a really prevalent theme towards the end of the game - Kuja realising he's mortal being the big thing for his character. I think it's pretty cool that you're effectively killing 'death' at the end of the game, given that Kuja is so bent on himself not dying. Symbolically he's pretty cool. I think his execution could've been better, but I wouldn't say he's uninspired. (also he looks like a Necrophobe from FFV/XII, so it's a little callback too).

From what I know, he isn't that popular (and beloved) by FF fans...along with Ex-Death, since he's too stereotypical, distant and mysterious.

The game kinda explains who he is (although vaguely), but if you compare him to other awesome and well developed FF villains, like Kefka, Sephiroth, Seymour, Kuja or Caius, he's bland, mostly because he was introduced too late in the game.

Even Zemus, who appears only at the end of FFIV, is still the one who is responsable for everything in the game.

Even Yu-Yevon (who doesn't speak at all and also appears at the end) is directly involved to the storyline of FFX.

Necron's presence in the game seems so unnecessary, he's like an intruder....if you think about it, his appearance is in fact a plot twist, he's 100% symbolic and has no litteral role in the storyline.

Don't get me wrong, I like him, I think the whole concept about the incarnation of death is awesome as hell, but this idea could've been implemented better.

He doesn't even die at the end (you can't kill him...death is eternal), he will always exist as long as there is life.

He's just an evil entity to me, not quite an antagonist.

 

[arekpowalan]

FFXIII-2's ending

Spoiler

Caius Ballad forces Noel to stab and kill him. Everything seems to go well at the end, with beautiful music and all. Then suddenly everything goes downhill. Serah dies, Cocoon falls, Hope's crushed, and the bad guy wins.

I'm never convinced how Noel "kills" Caius (and therefore the Goddess.) Caius can't seem to kill himself despite he wants to, so he needs somebody else to finish him off. Though it turns out it's the man himself who forces Noel's blade into his own guts. It's an indirect suicide at best. Noel doesn't even have an intention to kill him with the right choice.

If a murderer is classified simply by whoever holding the sword, why couldn't Caius find a random shopkeeper and provoke the same situation?

 

[numfanklewhat]

I'd say Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time, the entire built up to the main premise is really epic, war between space empire, symbology stuff, and then through artifact discovery in space, mankind finally discover the higher being, those who may be responsible for their creation (e.g. God itself). But then it turns out:

Spoiler

All the characters and people in the universe is just a computer simulation and this "God" is the real human, you are basically a character in computer simulation that glitched out and ended up in the real world thanks to that "artifact" power.

After that I lost motivation to play it, way to ruin an epic story with brilliant "twist".

 

[Darkanine]

I'd say Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time, the entire built up to the main premise is really epic, war between space empire, symbology stuff, and then through artifact discovery in space, mankind finally discover the higher being, those who may be responsible for their creation (e.g. God itself). But then it turns out:

Spoiler

All the characters and people in the universe is just a computer simulation and this "God" is the real human, you are basically a character in computer simulation that glitched out and ended up in the real world thanks to that "artifact" power.

Spoiler

After that I lost motivation to play it, way to ruin an epic story with brilliant "twist".

I never played the game much myself, but a youtuber I watched made a whole video of him ranting about how stupid, underwhelming and bad that ending was  .

--

While not as much as a plot twist, one thing stands out in my mind.

In the GBA adaptation of Harry potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (which was a pretty decent RPG I must say) after fighting your way through two hard bosses (The Ogre and Werewolf lupin) you're treated to The North Tower, which the games final dungeon. So in a cut-scene where you're being chased by demonters, you OBVIOUSLY expect them to be the games final battle, three very high level and tough enemies. But then you're meant with with the games REAL final "boss" out of nowhere Malfoy, with nothing to do with the plot, nothing to do with the demonters..just nothing..not even any good boss banter.

It would have been awesome if Malfoy was super hard and challenging, but he was easier then the random encounters. Just sucked.

Also I'm pretty sure the whole plot of Shadow the Hedgehog counts as a bad twist, so that too .

 

[ChaosDecides]

Ditto on Final Fantasy VIII. Had potential but the writing and the twists just ruined that mess of a game.

 

[Insidious Mental Pollution]

Another bad one - Ultima IX.

Spoiler

In the end, you discover that the Guardian, your arch nemesis throughout the 3rd Ultima Trilogy, is in fact your darker half, and ascension was the only way to defeat him (you). When compared to the depth of second Trilogy as well as Ultima VII, it came across as lazy and awfully contrived.

 

[Dark Phoenix]

From what I know, he isn't that popular (and beloved) by FF fans...along with Ex-Death, since he's too stereotypical, distant and mysterious.

Exdeath is awesome.  He is SO stereotypical he frequently flips into self-parody, and what other boss manages to avoid being killed by the heroes by turning into a splinter?

(though I prefer Golbez and his gauntlet; nothing says "YOU FAILED" like seeing Golbez's gauntlet crawling over to the crystal Thing style and then disappearing)

 

[Thalzon]

Starfox Adventures.

Spoiler

General Scales was empowered by a fake Krazoa Spirit, actually Andross in disguise. Totally out of left field, no foreshadowing, no indication Andross was ever on Dinosaur Planet.

No no Kuni.

Spoiler

Oliver's Mother and the sage Alicia are in fact the same person. This isn't so much a BAD twist as one that strains under scrutiny, particularly in regards to Mr. Drippy and the time travel spell. See, Drippy was turned into a doll at some point between Alicia confronting Shadar and her fleeing the battle with the time spell. She goes an unspecified amount of time into the future AND hops dimensions, WITH Drippy. Then she dies. So where did the false memory in the soul stone Shadar kept come from? It's handwaved away as false memories. And WHY DIDN'T DRIPPY CONNECT THE DOTS?! He must have known Alicia was Oliver's mother.

 

[Purple-Inukshuk]

I don't know about you guys but Fallout 3's ending plot twist was not pleasing for me.

Spoiler

The protagonist is put into a tight spot after finishing the extremely short plot, you have to either sacrifice yourself to disarm the bomb (leads to ending the game/game over), let the one with you disarm the bomb and die from radiation (still game end), wait until it explodes (ends game), or buy a dlc pack to make your invincible mutant disarm the bomb and live, you continue the game, but you're known as a coward.

 

[Insidious Mental Pollution]

I don't know about you guys but Fallout 3's ending plot twist was not pleasing for me.

Spoiler

The protagonist is put into a tight spot after finishing the extremely short plot, you have to either sacrifice yourself to disarm the bomb (leads to ending the game/game over), let the one with you disarm the bomb and die from radiation (still game end), wait until it explodes (ends game), or buy a dlc pack to make your invincible mutant disarm the bomb and live, you continue the game, but you're known as a coward.

Oi, yes.  Especially when:

Spoiler

Before Broken Steel was released, Fawkes would actually tell you that "This is your moment, yadda yadda yadda, I cannot take your place here" even though earlier in the game he retrieved the GECK for you in an area that was also lethal. I mean, wow.