History CursedWithAwesome / VideoGames

* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/BaldursGate I'' and ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGateII II]]'' (and his brother) is "cursed" with supernatural powers due to being descended from an evil god. Depending on which character alignment the player picks at character creature, and on later choices during the game, the character's divine powers differ and grow. "Good" characters may view the ability to destroy the universe as a curse, evil ones probably don't.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter 4'' introduces the Frenzy Virus, which infects monsters and sets off their "rage mode" permanently. As for human hosts, the target is slowly infected over time, and when the infection meter maxes out, their natural health recovery stops. However, if the infectee does enough damage to monsters while infected, they not only recover, but also gain offensive boosts. In fact, the post-Frenzy boosts are vital to the usage of Chaotic Gore Magala weapons, which both have CriticalHit and "feeble hit" chances, and the post-Frenzy boost turns the feeble hit chance into additional crit chance for the duration of the buff; in other words, if you're using a CGM weapon, you ''[[ViolationOfCommonSense want]]'' to get infected.

** Northrend also brought us the backstory about the "Curse of Flesh", a curse created by the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]] which mutated the Titans' stone and metal servants into fleshy organic beings to make them easier to manipulate. The result: the evolution of humanity, dwarves and gnomes. Unlike their earthen predecessors, being organic has helped these mortals [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming think and feel beyond the Titans' rigid, machine-like blueprints for the universe]], and the struggle with dealing with their newfound weaknesses gave rise to strengths that made them better equipped to fight the Old Gods and other threats to Azeroth.

* TheHero of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'' gets [[BalefulPolymorph cursed]] into the form of a [[LizardFolk Lizardman]], and gains other forms along the way. Getting turned into various animal humanoids is a rather small price to pay for [[BreathWeapon fire breath]], [[LavaIsBoilingKoolAid immunity to heat]], CeilingCling powers, {{Flight}}, [[SuperNotDrowningSkills underwater breathing]], and SuperStrength.

* Nero's arm in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' is [[EvilHand demonic]], which makes him go to great lengths to hide it from his fellow demon slayers. He's also not happy with the fact that he has [[RedRightHand a demonic arm]], but in all honesty, it's the main reason why he's such a badass, since it bestows all kinds of asskicking powers. He finally [[CharacterDevelopment lampshades it]] at the end of the game, admitting that it's pretty useful in spite of the grief it causes him. [[YankTheDogsChain Then he ends up getting it torn off him]] by [[spoiler:a semi-conscious Vergil]] in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5''. C'est la vie.

* Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog:

* Prior to becoming friends with Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog, this was how [[PlayingWithFire Blaze the Cat]] felt about her pyrokinesis, as it brought her nothing but loneliness and misery.

* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', Frog is a human squire [[BalefulPolymorph who was turned into]], [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well]], a frog by Magus. Although Frog initially regarded his new form as a curse, he later realized that being an anthropomorphic form has kickass side-effects, like increasing your strength, and making your tongue long and versatile enough to use it effectively in battle. He actually ''thanks'' Magus for the "curse" at one point. NiceJobFixingItVillain

* ''VideoGame/MarioParty 3'' gave players the Reverse Mushroom as a usable item. When used, it made the target go backwards instead of forwards with their dice roll. While this could be used to hurt a player's progress, it was mostly a GameBreaker in practice. For one, the most common reason it was used was to move backwards to a Star Space that a player had either just missed, or because it reappeared right behind them when someone else bought a Star. Also, a player under the effects of a Reverse Mushroom could pick which direction they wanted to go if they reached any junction, even if that route could normally not be accessed without a Skeleton Key or a special event. Even the developers realized how broken the Reverse Mushroom was, since it never reappeared after ''Mario Party 3''.

* ''Franchise/{{EXTRAPOWER}}'': V's ore heart gives him the power to transform into the beast god Vezerga, which makes him phenomenally physically powerful and even equal to Zophy. Unfortunately, his heart draws the attentions of the demon Malice's minions, who wish to use his heart to power their demonic plans. He must live each day actively hunted, and has already lost his sister Victoria to the demons.

---> '''Nassana Dantius''': Shepard! But... you're dead!
---> '''Shepard''': [[UnexplainedRecovery I got better.]]

* TheHero of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'' gets [[BalefulPolymorph cursed]] into the form of a LizardMan, and gains other forms along the way. Getting turned into various animal humanoids is a rather small price to pay for FireBreath, [[LavaIsBoilingKoolAid immunity to heat]], CeilingCling powers, {{Flight}}, UnderwaterBreathing, and SuperStrength.

** The "Gamma Company" of SPARTAN-IIIs can also be considered this, as they were given an illegal enhancement drug that modified their frontal lobe so that, when under extreme stress, to be virtually impervious to both pain and the effects of extreme bodily injury. It also made them more aggressive in these situations. This means that a SPARTAN-III could, as shown in ''Literature/HaloGhostsofOnyx'', practically have their ribs blown apart yet continue to fight, whilst possessing even greater strength than they already would. The downside? If they don't get drugs known as "Smoothers" every 12 hours (or via subcutaneous implants), they will begin losing control of their emotions, virtually rotting their brains until they enter a psychotic state.

* The Ghouls in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' were created by being subjected to a megadose of radiation, most commonly during [[WorldWar3 The Great War]], when most who couldn't get to a Vault were heavily exposed. The downside is that they look like the living dead (which leaves them subject to [[FantasticRacism much discrimination]]), and their brains may eventually decay, causing them to go [[TechnicallyLivingZombie feral]]. The upside is that they are [[RadiationImmuneMutants healed by radiation]] and have much [[TheAgeless longer lifespans]] than any other normal human, with pre-war ghouls still common over 280 years later. Almost all cases of ghoulification are against the subject's will though, since in addition to the aforementioned discrimination, exposure to massive doses of radiation usually leads to death.

* ''VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks'': [[WesterinAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Cutie marks]] are treated like a curse in [[TownWithADarkSecret Sunny Town]], even though they just marked awareness of your special talent. The thing you were ''awesome'' at. However, with the release of episode [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E6TheCutiePox "The Cutie Pox"]], it makes their horrific crime even worse as it comes off as a case of either ignorance or irrational paranoia on their part.

* Nero's arm in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' is [[EvilHand demonic]], which makes him go to great lengths to hide it from his fellow demon slayers. He's also not happy with the fact that he has [[RedRightHand a demonic arm]], but in all honesty, it's the main reason why he's such a badass, since it bestows all kinds of asskicking powers. He finally [[CharacterDevelopment lampshades it]] at the end of the game, admitting that it's pretty useful in spite of the grief it causes him. Then he ends up getting it torn off him by [[a semi-conscious Vergil]] in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5''. C'est la vie.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'':
** Bedivere's Noble Phantasm is a replica of Airgétlam, the arm of the Celtic War God Nuadha, which is as powerful as the name implies and allows him to keep up with the other Knights of the Round Table despite [[spoiler:being just a human]]. The cost for using it? [[spoiler:Destroying part of his soul every time he activates it]].
** Mordred's Gift in the Camelot Singularity allows her to deploy her Noble Phantasm every single turn... [[spoiler:and destroy her soul in the process]].
** Gawain's Rank Up Quest upgrades his "Charisma" skill to "Nightless Charisma", which allows him, on top of the attack boost, change whatever field he's in into "sunny". This enables him to use his extremely powerful SituationalSword at any given time. Why is it a curse? [[spoiler:Because "Nightless Charisma" is the Gift he received from the Lion King during the Camelot Singularity, in which he committed atrocities in her name out of BlindLoyalty. He considers this [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest failure]], and "Nightless Charisma" is a permanent reminder of what he has done.]]

* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', Frog is a human squire [[BalefulPolymorph who was turned into]], [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well]], a frog by Magus. Although Frog initially regarded his new form as a curse, he later realized that being an anthropomorphic form has kickass side-effects, like increasing your strength, and making your tongue long and versatile enough to use it effectively in battle. NiceJobFixingItVillain

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: Rites of War'', most of the Eldar relics you find have unreservedly beneficial effects, except for one, the Armor of Gorhu, which makes it impossible for the unit wearing the armor to gain any experience, and causes every adjacent friendly unit to lose two points of leadership, but also makes the wearer unkillable. But since the armor can only be found in the very last scenario of the campaign mode, by which time all your units are at maximum experience anyway, the inability to gain experience doesn't really matter, leaving only the leadership penalty, which is a nuisance, but nowhere near enough of one to negate the fact that the unit wearing the Armor is '''unkillable'''.

* ''VideoGame/MarioParty 3'' gave players the Reverse Mushroom as a usable item. When used, it made the target go backwards instead of forwards with their dice roll. While this could be used to hurt a player's progress, it was mostly a GameBreaker in practice. For one, the most common reason it was used was to move backwards to a Star Space that a player had either just missed, or because it reappeared right behind them when someone else bought a Star. Also, a player under the effects of a Reverse Mushroom could pick which direction they wanted to go if they reached any junction, even if that route could normally not be accessed without a Skeleton Key or a special event. Even the developers realized how broken the Reverse Mushroom was, since it never reappeared after ''Mario Party 3''.
* The SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III super-soldiers in the ''{{Franchise/Halo}}'' series are an interesting example. Each one was kidnapped or "recruited" at the age of six (or under), given TrainingFromHell, and given painful augmentations (which for the [=IIs=], killed or crippled most of them), but became godly badasses in the process. That said, it's a greater than 50% chance of being dead or disabled by your twenties, plus more or less a lifetime of military service against ScaryDogmaticAliens and LaResistance, even if you can punch through a tank with your bare hands. Not surprisingly, the people who helped create the Spartans, including both the [=IIs=]' project head and main trainer, often think about the ethical cost of what they did and sometimes wonder if it was really worth it. However, the Spartans themselves are mostly thankful for the experience and would willingly go through it again if they had a choice; of course, they've been pretty much been brainwashed since early childhood be soldiers.
** When the process of augmentation improves decades later, allowing it to work for adults, there's no shortage of adult volunteers for the SPARTAN-IV program, so even in-universe most think it's awesome and worth the pain and modifications they undergo.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' has several examples:
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', you wake a sleeping imp, who curses you for your impudence by halving your magic... although what he actually does is halve your magic ''cost'', effectively doubling your magic. Thanks, buddy!
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'', a similar imp "curses" Link with greater inventory room, the idea being that Link now has to carry more stuff, and does this three times.
** [[{{Animorphism}} Link's wolf form]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', which he turns into when he enters an area covered with Twilight, and it not only makes a few things a bit simpler, but also has the ability to [[WarpWhistle warp]]. [[spoiler:Although it's played a bit more straight later, when [[HijackedByGanon Zant]] actually does curse Link, [[ShapeshifterModeLock locking him in wolf form]]. When you get the curse removed (and can now freely switch forms), [[DeadpanSnarker Midna]] [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the fact that the curse has turned out to be quite useful.]] On the "cursed" side of things, there's the fact that people are frightened of Wolf Link. Besides the first time he goes to Ordon Village in that form though, no one actually tries to attack him or hinder him.
** Also in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', you see a scene where [[spoiler:the Sages attempt to execute Ganondorf, leading him to discover he has the Triforce of Power. Furthermore, the Sages seal him away by sending him to the Twilight Realm, where he ends up turning into a god-like mass of pure power]].
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'', Princess Zelda is cursed into [[spoiler:being a ghost]]. This allows her to [[spoiler:fly, turn into a fairy-orb and possess Phantoms, effectively making her physically stronger than she was when she was actually, well, physical]].
* LampshadeHanging in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'': In order to receive certain ([[BrokenBridge required]]) abilities, Mario must open locked chests containing demons that dramatically "curse" him with the ability to turn sideways, fold into a paper airplane, etc. Voluntarily, and with no downsides. By the fourth one, Mario can see where things are headed and tells[[note]]or rather, he [[HeroicMime mimes it]] and the chest [[RepeatingSoTheAudienceCanHear repeats it so the audience can hear]][[/note]] the chest to just shut up and curse him already. The chest expresses disappointment at not being able to perform his big scene. Mario then relents and lets him do so, after which the chest goes through the motions and then, as an aside, thanks Mario for letting him do his thing. These demons are actually the legendary heroes who [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]] the BigBad the first time, only to fall victim to said BigBad's own curse and become demons locked in chests, fated to curse whatever gullible sap they can trick into letting them out. They use a bit of LoopholeAbuse to get away with giving curses that are actually beneficial.
* The Sand Wraith form in ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin''. The Mask of the Sand Wraith displaces its user in time a few hours, allowing them to meet themselves in the past to avert some unpleasant fate. The mask comes off when the "past" version dies, so you have to end up killing yourself. In gameplay terms, while playing as the Sand Wraith, your health is slowly depleted. While the may sound bad at first, it only depletes to about a quarter of your original health bar. This is at least enough to survive one solid hit from pretty much anything in the game (during the time you use the form). Add on to that the fact that your sand tanks regenerate at a steady rate, and any competent player using this form becomes borderline unkillable because you can just rewind time to heal the tiny bit of health you have.
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' (and later versions), as an ''extremely'' rare occurrence (a 1 in 21,845 chance per battle), Pokémon may be infected with Pokérus. This highly infectious disease cannot be cured, though the affected Pokémon will heal naturally in a few days. What does this horrible disease ''do'', you ask? They make your Pokémon grow ''twice as fast''--not in experience levels, but in "effort values," which affect their stats on the next level-up--even after the disease goes away. It has no negative effects, although [[GuideDangIt the game doesn't mention its positive effects]], nor are you told this rare anti-illness exists unless your team contracts it. For this reason, players do well to make sure the disease keeps spreading among their Pokémon.
** On the subject of Pokémon, the hero in ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' never seems to find being turned into a Pokémon really awesome (seeing all the cool powers and stuff they have). However, the hero also rarely ever mentions a desire to go back to human form.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', when you attempt to use one of the first three (four in the Final Mix[=/=]2.5 versions) Drive Forms Sora gets, you occasionally go into [=AntiForm=] instead. It comes with dramatically increased agility, the ability to perform absurdly fast and powerful combos that can range across the screen, and of course [[ImpossiblyCoolClothes black, wispy tendrils from your outfit]] and [[GoodHairEvilHair your hair]]. The downside? The complete inability to heal while the form is active, receiving double damage, you're unable to kill bosses due to a lacking a combo finisher, and the inability to gain experience while in the form. Thus, while it's incredibly powerful, there are often very good reasons to want to avoid it.
** On the other hand, after a certain point in the game (the [[spoiler:Sora/Roxas fight]] scene), the number of times you've gone into Anti-Form is directly correlated to your chance of unlocking the most powerful Drive form when you use one of the other three/four Drive Forms[[note]]for Final Mix players, unlocking Final Form is faster with the Two Become One Keyblade equipped if Sora enters a Drive Form in battle, but at the cost of Anti-Form being the sole Drive available[[/note]].
* Terra in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''. She considers her magic a curse because it distances herself from others and she fears she may never truly connect with other people. In the meantime, she's the only [[spoiler:half-Esper]] in the world and as such is more or less a demi-god. In fact, until the Big Bad turns himself into a full-fledged god, Terra is arguably the strongest mage on the planet.[[note]]At least [[spoiler:in her Esper form]]; otherwise, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Relm's Magic power is actually higher]].[[/note]] There's also an issue with the fact that magic use by humans really isn't all that weird after the first quarter of the plot. They may not get their powers from the same place she does, but she's not the only human with magic powers, and her existence itself proves that [[spoiler: Espers]] can feel love.
* Vincent in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. He let the chick he was crushing on let her boyfriend turn her into a science project, and when he objected he got turned into one too. He considers it a fitting punishment. The experiments have made him immortal, so he gets to spend eternity in his late 20s, and allow him to transform into various demons that can kill normal enemies in a single hit. ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' reveals that one of his monster forms is actually Chaos, a herald of the end of the world who is destined to kill every living being on the planet so Omega can consume the lifestream and go to another planet to re-seed life. While this lets Vincent activly stop the group working to end the world prematurely as part of a [[GodhoodSeeker god gambit]], it also means Vincent's going to live, and eventually, ''have to'' fulfill his purpose when the Planet's time comes up for real.
* Ashton Anchors, in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory/[[VideoGameRemake Evolution]]'' gets possessed by a two-headed dragon [[NiceJobBreakingItHero (Thanks to the party)]], its heads being fused onto his back. Outside of making him look like a freak, it's not nearly as terrible as it sounds, as the dragons are actually rather friendly (Mostly showing hostility towards one another, which is a source of irritation for him), and while despite being capable of taking complete control of him, only choose to do so on one occasion where they had something important to say. On the plus side, they help him in battle by using symbology and breathing fire and ice at foes with his strongest killer move.
** When presented with a method of removing the dragons in an optional quest, he ultimately chooses to not go through with it as it would kill them, having developed a soft spot for them in the meantime. However, he's ''still'' stuck with them in the sequel game that takes place two years later, in which they've also learned some new attacks, such as a lunging bite that makes their host do a comical faceplant.
* The main character in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'' survived the curse placed on Trodain [[spoiler:due to a curse placed on him as a baby, that had the side effect of making the cursed immune to any ''other'' curses]]. In an odd case of GameplayAndStoryIntegration, this even makes him immune to the status effect "Cursed".

* In ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'', there is an idiosyncratic price a human in a pact with some eldritch creature has to pay for that creature's services. Caim and Leonard have obvious curses - they have lost their voice and sight respectively - but Seere loses his "time", making him immortal. While it is arguable that [[WhoWantsToLiveForever no one wants to live forever]] (especially as a six year old child), Seere has already lost anyone dear to him by this point, and it is very hard to say this is a real, immediate curse compared to the others. The hierarch Verdelet also isn't very cursed, since all he lost was his body hair; unfortunately, his condition isn't very awesome either since his dragon pact-partner happens to be petrified.

* Both Kain and Raziel from the ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'' series get this, but Raziel is ''doubly'' cursed with awesome - first for being a vampire, and second by being thrown into a maelstrom of [[strike:acid]] water and turned into a vampire-hunting soul wraith. As a result he loses many of his [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampiric weaknesses]], such as his aversion to water, weakness in sunlight and need to drink blood, while still keeping his useful abilities, like super-strength and (limited) flight.
** This is a reoccurring plot point in the series; whether or not vampirism is a curse or a blessing, whether they are parasites or gods, whether they are banished from god's grace or liberated from the wheel of fate. The true result of Raziel's cursed with awesome is that because of his curse, he is the one creature in existence with free will.
* In ''VideoGame/NetHack'', many "cursed" items can be helpful if applied right, for example a cursed genocide scroll will create monsters instead of kill them, allowing for many useful tactics, such as nurse dancing. (Nurses will raise your HP maximum if they attack you when you have no armor on, surround yourself with lots of nurses and... works best on no teleport levels, so the nurses can't flee.)
** There are a handful of benefits to using certain cursed items, equipping cursed items, et cetera. For example, a cursed potion of gain level does ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: it raises your level by one. By which it means, of course, [[ExactWords it brings you to the previous dungeon level.]] In the endgame, this is ''exactly what you need'', since you need to travel upward while carrying an item that prevents teleportation; magically floating through the ceiling [[LoopholeAbuse technically isn't teleporting]].
* From the ''[=NetHack=]'' mod, ''VideoGame/SlashEM'', there's the Lycanthrope character class. Lycanthropes are permanently cursed with randomly turning into a wolf. They take large penalties to how much they can carry in a game where you ''need'' to be CrazyPrepared. They also have greatly increased hunger, requiring them to constantly be on the lookout for more food. Despite that.. It's AWESOME. The food penalty is countered by insane regeneration and being a werewolf is just plain fun. Compared to other classes agonizing choices over how to fight, being able to maul the face off anyone you meet is straight up cathartic.
* And based on Slash'EM, there is ''VideoGame/SlashEmExtended'' that has enemy werecockatrices. A player infected by them may randomly turn into a cockatrice and [[OneHitKill turn enemies to stone with melee attacks]].

** From the lore, the story of Wheedle. Wheedle was the 13th child of the king of Valenwood, and so had little chance to claim any wealth or titles, so he sought wealth, power and a legacy that would be remembered for all time. By chance, Wheedle came upon a poor beggar and saved her from some angry townsfolk, only for her to reveal to his surprise that she was in fact Namira, the Daedric Prince of disease and revulsion. After he begged her for power and patronage for a whole month, she laughed at the irony of his situation, and gave him three "blessings": disease, pity, and disregard. He could take up any disease that had visible symptoms, so long as he had one. Horrified, Wheedle saw them as curses individually, and altogether horrible. Forced to turn away from his noble heritage, he became a beggar who wandered Tamriel, only to find that he became so pitiable, so tragic, that no-one could walk by his huddled and wretched form without being urged to throw a coin at his feet, and subsequently Wheedle never needed for money - in fact, he became ironically rather wealthy in his own right. He simultaneously became ignored by all, and the people said things around Wheedle that they wouldn't dare say with anyone else in earshot, and soon Wheedle also knew all the closest secrets of all of Tamriel's most powerful citizens. Wheedle has long since passed on from Nirn, but his name is legendary as the Beggar Prince, his exploits chronicled in books, and to this day it is oft said that if you want to know anything about anyone, you need only ask the beggars, as they know all the little secrets of the people and their lives. In a twisted way, Namira granted him everything he ever wanted: wealth, power and a legacy that would last for all time.
* Adelle of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'', as well as a few other characters are Gifted, which grants them unique powers and nigh immortality, but not all can control it. Adelle initially agonizes over it after her village was wiped out by a plague that didn't affect her. It's also something that makes her desirable by the bad guys, with her consent or not. Many of the other Gifted are outcasts of one kind or another, either because people don't trust them or because of their own desire. Lennart for example states that he couldn't bear being friends with normal people that die within a normal lifespan anymore. She feels that she's been BlessedWithSuck at first, but as she meets other Gifted and is given their power for her unique class (Heritor), she comes to realize it's not so bad after all--which allows her to release her own Gift--"the power of life, in all its forms and splendor". [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Which is just a free Regen spell.]]
* In ''VideoGame/MetalSlug 3''[='=]s second stage, getting attacked by a zombie turns you into a zetta slow zombie... but in return, you become immune to human attacks and you gain a [[ZombiePukeAttack special attack in which you vomit a powerful blast of blood]].
* In ''VideoGame/FZero X'', machines with E-ranked grip aren't that bad... in fact, using one allows you to (ab)use several {{Game Breaker}}s that will let you take massive shortcuts and gain ridiculous bursts of speed.
* When Samus defeats the Omega Pirate in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', it falls on her, "corrupting" her Power Suit into the Phazon Suit. The "beneficial side effects" (decreased damage and immunity to blue Phazon) from this corruption are all that the player ever experiences, and the ''only'' negative consequences show up in the [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes sequel]], in a bit of {{Retcon}}. The Phazon corruption of Samus herself in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', on the other hand, has both ups and downs, in that she can use it to enter the very powerful [[ExplosiveOverclocking Hypermode]], which [[CastFromHitPoints uses health as ammo]] and can lead to [[NonstandardGameOver total]] [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil corruption]] if not managed well.
* Kubikiri Basara, first appearing in ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown 3'', is a ghost. In the living world, Basara can teleport through shadow, transform into a shadowy bat, and control his bladed disc with his mind. He wants his "accursed" existence to end so he can stay with his beloved Kagaribi in the afterlife. In his [=SS5=] ending, he recovers a repressed memory: [[spoiler:''he'', not Zankuro, had killed Kagaribi]].
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 3'', the bug associated with the [=BusterMAX=] program is basically PowerIncontinence; it causes [=MegaMan=] to use all of his uploaded chips in rapid fire at the beginning of the turn, aiming and timing be damned. The Website/GameFAQs community held a contest to see who could produce the best character with that glitch as a stipulation.
** There is another bug in ''Battle Network 4'' where instead of firing of a powerful buster shot, you drop a rock cube onto the field in front of you. (This seems like BlessedWithSuck, until you realize that chips like Poltergeist and the [=JunkMan=] Soul Synchro both like objects on the field. Also, if timed correctly, an enemy running into a rock cube as it is created takes 100 damage and destroys the rock cube. This is better than most chips in the game.)
* Corporal Matthew Kane of ''VideoGame/QuakeIV'' is captured and [[PainfulTransformation painfully transformed]] into a {{cyborg}} by the Strogg about halfway through the game, but he is rescued by his squadmates before the mind-controlling chip inserted into his brain during the "Stroggification" process can be activated. You can see the whole disturbing process [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3clVvh5gbGE&feature=related here.]] Despite having most of his organic body crudely replaced with cybernetic parts, his increased strength, speed, and resistance to Strogg technology such as teleporters (which are instantly fatal to regular humans, as demonstrated when one soldier attempts to go through and it rips him in two) are huge bonuses - especially as his aforementioned resistance to teleporters and the like render him the only member of the Rhino Squad capable of destroying the enemy.
* The hero in the platformer game ''Demon Returns'' in ''Game Center CX 2''/''VideoGame/RetroGameChallenge 2'' seems to be a form of this: he's turned into a purple imp-like demon by the BigBad of the game, but all it does is to give him sharp claws from which he can fire small tornadoes when sufficiently powered up and the ability to use any enemies he runs across as his personal form of transportation. It does seem to hinder him in that he needs to [[WizardNeedsFoodBadly consume apples constantly to stay alive]], though.
** In general, any game where the BigBad transforms the protagonist into a creature, such as [[VideoGame/BubbleBobble a bubble blowing dragon]], [[VideoGame/{{Toki}} a fireball spitting primate]], or [[VideoGame/JellyBoy2 blobs that can climb on walls and ceilings]]. Said creature has powers that the protagonist could only dream of when he or she was a human. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain If it weren't for that transformation, the villain would probably be more successful]].
* ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'': After two years of [[PlayingWithSyringes torture and experimentation]], Jak gains [[AppliedPhlebotinum Dark Eco]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide powers]]. The Baron and the Oracle warn that it will drive him insane and kill him horribly, people who watch him in action are terrified, and Count Veger in ''VideoGame/{{Jak 3|Wastelander}}'' concludes that because of it Jak is an abomination who deserves only death. Nevertheless, it makes him immensely powerful and exactly what he was intended to be: the only thing capable of taking down the [[BigBad Metal Head leader]].

* In the PC version of ''VideoGame/PowerSlave'' (aka ''Exhumed'' in Europe), mummies sometimes launch a spell which turns the player into one of them for a few seconds -- and he can launch a very powerful attack meanwhile.
* Female lead Reimi Saionji in ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheLastHope'' was genetically enhanced as part of a project to enable humans to live on the nuclear-wasteland surface of Earth. She has a superhuman immune system and healing ability which even allows her to recover from having most of her body turned to stone. She feels guilty about it because as a little girl, she survived severe radiation poisoning when some of her friends didn't. This was aggravated by the fact that she still felt the effects of the radiation poisoning as her body adjusted and she was then forced to listen to her friends parents rant about how she should have died with them.
* In ''Devil Summoner 2: VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsKingAbaddon'', its revealed that [[spoiler:Gouto's role as TheMentor is meant to be a ''punishment'' for an unknown crime he committed. [[SarcasmMode Because forcing him to help his descendents become true Summoners and protect the world from evil is]] ''[[SarcasmMode such]]'' [[SarcasmMode a bad thing]]. That said, he'd probably be happier if it didn't come with the obligatory requisite of being forced to assume the shape of a cat. Also, the "punishment" actually is to live through his protegés' lives... until he inevitably sees them ''die'']].
* Alex Mercer from ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' begins the game furious and vengeful concerning his condition which lets him run up walls, glide, pick up cars, become immune to falling damage and be generally nigh-invincible. On the other hand, he can also eat people to regenerate faster and [[BrainFood gain their knowledge and memories]], it also comes with the unpleasant side effect of [[AndIMustScream his victims still existing inside his head]]...
** Well, at least [[VideoGame/Prototype2 James Heller]] didn't complain about his condition.
* At the start of the game, the Curse of the Worgen from ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' transforms the player into a bloodthirsty and mindless werewolf. Shortly after, they receive a partial cure which gives them back their human mind, though it's specifically noted to be temporary, with the risk of reverting to the werewolf mind at any moment still present. But then you get a better cure with the Tal'doren ritual, which permanently "rebalances" the player, allowing the player to not only keep their mind, but also to shift between human and wolf forms at will. Lore-wise, maintaining the human mind requires significant willpower and self-control, but for the most part, Gilnean worgen are just humans with the power to transform into stronger and faster werewolves. Even after it's proven they will retain control and the ability to transform between human and worgen, some [=NPCs=] still treat becoming worgen as a FateWorseThanDeath.
** There are quite a few encounter specific debuffs that actually make the target more powerful and are often key to defeating the boss. Vaelstrasz the Corrupt, for example, gives all players in the raid "Essence of the Red", which increases the players' mana/energy/rage/runic/focus regeneration by huge amounts.
** Undead with their own will (Forsaken and Death Knights) can be considered cursed, but don't have any real drawback gameplay wise while enjoying some of the perks of their new existence, much like the Worgen.
*** The game's original version of the Forsaken played this very straight. Permanent immunity to sleep, charm, and fear, no need to breathe, and the ability to speak the Alliance's common tongue, making you an obvious liaison for combined faction operations. In exchange, you're vulnerable to holy and undead-affecting spells, have a widespread and powerful enemy NPC faction specializing in exactly that, and Alliance players can kill you pretty easily if they want to. ...As it turned out, they wanted to, and the feeling was mutual, so the races came out more [[PlayerVersusPlayer PvP]] balanced.
** Northrend also brought us the backstory about the "Curse of Flesh", a curse created by the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]] which mutated the Titans' stone and metal servants into fleshy organic beings to make them easier to manipulate. The result: the evolution of humanity, dwarves and gnomes. Unlike their earthen predecessors, being organic has helped these mortals [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming think and feel beyond the Titans' rigid, machine-like blueprints for the universe]], and the struggle with dealing with their newfound weaknesses gave rise to strengths that made them better equipped to fight the Old Gods and other threats to Azeroth.
** There's also a series of weapons that can [[http://www.wowhead.com/spell=95678 "curse"]] you with extra CriticalHit chance.
** Several enemies hit you with debuffs that allow you to deal extra damage. Often (but not always) they also deal damage to ''you'' in addition, basically invoking CastFromHitPoints.
* Most of [[VideoGame/WarioLand Wario's]] transformations fall into this category. Being on fire isn't that bad if it makes you invincible and allows you to burn away blocks blocking your path.
* {{The corruption}}s in ''[[VideoGame/AncientDomainsOfMystery ADOM]]'' are supposed to be a mixed bag of advantages and disadvantages and most of them are actually quite nasty to have (even the advantages tending towards BlessedWithSuck), but at least one is extremely useful to have even though it theoretically has a huge disadvantage. It makes you gradually degenerate into a caveman by periodically raising all your physical attributes and at the same time lowering your mental ones. This would theoretically make you a gibbering mindless mass of muscle, attribute-wise. However, there is a trainer in a town in the game who can help you increase any of your attributes. The higher the attribute is already, the harder it is to raise it, and doubly so once it hits its "natural maximum". But it's easy to re-train your mental attributes to their old level (or at least a reasonable level) each time they've fallen while letting your physical attributes go on increasing uninhibited because the corruption doesn't care how high they are already.
* ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' expansions have several life states that a Sim can become, most with several different nifty traits, but only Knowledge Sims want to become them. Indeed, most infected Sims want nothing more than to be [[TallPoppySyndrome cured of their weirdness]]. While justified in some cases (becoming a werewolf or a zombie involves a drastic personality shift), many states have [[GameBreaker such cool side effects]] that it's hard to understand why you'd want to get rid of the "affliction":
** Vampires' needs don't decay at night, nor by day if they're asleep in a coffin. They also ''don't age''.
** Plant Sims need only water, sunshine, and "love" (social interaction) to live-- they never get tired, commune with plants, and can asexually produce young [[LamarckWasRight with all their own skills and talents]].
** Witches and warlocks can perform FunctionalMagic with many useful effects.
** Aside from nonhuman Sims, the ''University'' expansion has the hidden "Grilled Cheese" Aspiration, granted by having a horrible accident with the [=ReNuYu=] reward. The bad news: your Sim has just deep-fried their brain. The good news: their new obsession with grilled cheese sandwiches makes their wants predictable and easy to fulfill, they [[RequiredSecondaryPowers have access to the recipe no matter what their cooking level is]], and with the Free Time expansion, they can summon sandwiches out of thin air for a snack whenever they want at the cost of some energy, eliminating the need for cooking altogether.
* ''VideoGame/TheSims3'' also has life states falling under this category. Unlike the previous game, becoming an "occult" no longer is considered a curse in and of itself, but some life states do balance certain advantages and disadvantages, so they at least count as this trope.
** Vampires can only regenerate their "thirst" need (equivalent to hunger for normal sims) by consuming plasma, which can either come from "drinking" from other sims, drinking plasma juice, or eating plasma fruit (''Late Night'' only). They are also [[WeakenedByTheLight weakened by spending too long in sunlight]] (which drains their powers and [[StalkedByTheBell causes their thirst meter to drain faster]]), unless they have the Immortal lifetime happiness reward. On the upside, they get a learning boost during nighttime hours, can run faster than ordinary humans, have a very long lifespan[[note]]Starting at Young Adult, five times as long as an ordinary sim; the Immortal lifetime happiness reward stops the age meter from increasing at all[[/note]], and have a set of social interactions that can play with the minds of other sims a great deal.
** Werewolves in ''Supernatural'' are said to be cursed (with the life state spread via a "Cursed Bite"), but the benefits of the life state generally outweigh the problems. The problems being that the wolf form isn't pretty, they're forced into said wolf form every full moon, the wolf form has several antisocial interactions by default, it's impossible to design a wolf-form sim's wardrobe, and the wolf form (but not the human form) is slow to recover Energy through sleep. The benefits: werewolves have an adult lifespan 50% longer than an ordinary human Sim, an increased chance to win fights in wolf form (and, unless they're somehow locked out of the form—say, due to pregnancy—they'll transform into the wolf form to fight), a slower Energy drain ''and'' a +30 positive moodlet while in the wolf form, and the ability to hunt for gems, metals, and bugs on public property (and also their ''own'' property). Transforming into the wolf form can also cure certain magical afflictions, such as the Tragic Clown and even permanent zombification—and with few exceptions, they can transform freely between forms. Going both ways in this regard is that a Sim can't get pregnant in wolf form, so any [[{{unusual euphemism}} WooHoo]] while the female partner is in wolf form will never result in pregnancy. On the one hand, it's an excellent contraceptive; on the other hand, it becomes a problem if your Sim is ''trying'' for a baby...or is already pregnant, as pregnancy locks a Sim into human form. In gameplay terms it's generally better to stay in the wolf form unless your Sim is trying to get some sleep, trying to do something the game won't let you do in wolf form, or you want to leave the Sim on autopilot for a while.
** Sims with the Unlucky or Loser trait are cursed with awesome in a much more literal way. While they occasionally receive negative moodlets and are generally less successful than others sims, they are also incapable of dying by any means other than old age: the Grim Reaper will refuse to collect them. If a sim with one of those traits can find their way around ageing (and several methods exist) will ''never'' die. But will be more likely to fail at most things they do because of the effects of the trait.
* At the start of ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', Shepard [[LateArrivalSpoiler dies and is resurrected,]] meaning s/he now has bulletproof skin, unbreakable bones, super-biotics (Sometimes ''without having them before''), an almost unpoisonable digestive system, enhanced reflexes and numerous other modifications. Any potential moral, psychological or existential problems arising from this are [[AngstWhatAngst glossed over entirely]], leading to Shepard shrugging off nearly every remark relating to his/her death with a witty remark.
---> '''Nassana Dantius''': Shepard! But... you're dead!
---> '''Shepard''': [[UnexplainedRecovery I got better.]]
** The Cursed part comes from who revived Shepard in the first place: [[NGOSuperpower Cerberus]], an incredibly shady organization who happens to be the only one with the budget to bring [[{{Gorn}} what was left of Shepard]] back from the dead[[note]]They also rebuilt the [[SuperPrototype highly advanced frigate they commanded]], but bigger, faster and better armed, and it was ''still'' less expensive than the Lazarus project[[/note]]. Thus when Shepard wakes up, their hands are completely tied to doing whatever Cerberus tells them to, resulting in a huge rift between their former allies from the first game. It takes until the end of the sequel for Shepard to cut ties completely.
** By ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', there are a number of implications that Shepard is less comfortable with all of this than s/he initially let on. There's a conversation at one point with [=EDI=] about transhumanism, during which Shepard shows discomfort at the idea that his/her cybernetics might make him/her a {{Transhuman}}. Then, in the attack on the [[spoiler:Cerberus HQ]], after seeing some videos of the Illusive Man talking about attempts to bring him/her back to life, Shepard reveals that s/he's had heavy doubts as to whether or not s/he is really the real Shepard, or just a VI who thinks that s/he's Shepard.
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', [[DisabledSnarker Joker]] invokes this trope when talking about human biotics facing discrimination for their powers. That said, some human biotics really do suffer from being BlessedWithSuck, since in addition to suffering prejudice, they have very serious medical issues, at least before the better implants were developed.
* In ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'', Ignus was punished for torching a district of Sigil by being made into a living portal to the Plane of Fire. Turns out that he thoroughly enjoys being able to burn himself (and everything around himself) to his heart's content.
* In the Creator/LucasArts SimulationGame ''VideoGame/Afterlife1996'', both Heaven and Hell have respective disasters in which flying animals fly around and [[{{Fartillery}} defecate]] on Heavenly Rewards and Hellish Punishments, causing them to have a drastic increase in [[SwirlyEnergyThingy Bad Vibes]]. Of course, Hell is ''improved'' by Bad Vibes, so constantly deploying the Bats Out Of Hell 'disaster' is a positive. The game itself says, "[...] After all, the only thing worse than being in Hell is being in Hell while covered in bat droppings."
* In ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'', the people of a fallen kingdom were transformed into anthropomorphic rabbits. The upside is that they get ageless immortality, assuming [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Armageddon]] is averted. With the world reborn, two of the main characters, who become these creatures, wished to live a normal life as humans after several thousand years, and so succeeded in the end.

* [[IronWoobie Fenris]] of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. He had [[AppliedPhlebotinum lyrium]] tattoos burned into his skin in an incredibly painful process, resulting in memory loss and chronic pain. The result of the tattooing gives him the ability to ''reach into a man's chest and effortlessly pull out his heart'', as well as turning him into a plain badass and a [[GameBreaker killing machine]] when built right.
** In the DownloadableContent "Legacy" it's revealed that Hawke's father Malcolm felt that his magic was a burden and that he hoped his children would not be mages. When at least one of his children did turn out to have magic he took great pains to teach them that with great power ComesGreatResponsibility.
* Lagging in online games can be an advantage, depending on how the game handles it. In some games, it makes the person lagging almost unpredictable in movement, letting them do roughly [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmSstAuV0oQ this]]
* The player character of ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' is under the effects of a curse that spontaneously brings the victim back from the dead, but saps his or her humanity every time it happens.
* In ''VideoGame/RetroGameChallenge'', the opening of the game features Game Master Arino doing the incredibly evil act of *gasp* turning the player into a kid and sending them back in time to TheEighties. Anyone who really was a kid in the 1980s thought that this was awesome for the nostalgia. Anyone who wasn't a kid in the 1980s thought this was awesome just cause it is.
* In ''VideoGame/NeverDead'' the protagonist is "cursed" with immortality and can regrow the rest of his body from his head if given a few minutes. Though it can end up becoming a legitimate curse, as he can end up becoming a digested pile of ooze that, while still sentient, is incapable of regenerating and has him stuck in that form forever. Lampshaded by Yahtzee in his ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' review.
-->'''Yahtzee''': Bryce is also immortal having been cursed by the King of the Demon 500 years ago when the King of the Demons wasn't clear on what the word ''cursed'' means.
* In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'' the [[PlayerCharacter Knight-Captain]] is afflicted by a curse that requires him/her to periodically consume spirits or die. Whether this is Cursed With Awesome or BlessedWithSuck depends on how you approach it. An evil character who sees it as a blessing and eats spirits willy-nilly will find that the more souls they eat the faster they die. However, if the KC approaches the curse with practical restraint (pushing one into good-aligned) can get most of the benefits with few of the side effects.
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: Rites of War'', most of the Eldar relics you find have unreservedly beneficial effects, except for one, the Armor of Gorhu, which makes it impossible for the unit wearing the armor to gain any experience, and causes every adjacent friendly unit to lose two points of leadership, but also makes the wearer unkillable. But since the armor can only be found in the very last scenario of the campaign mode, by which time all your units are at maximum experience anyway, the inability to gain experience doesn't really matter, leaving only the leadership penalty, which is a nuisance, but nowhere near enough of one to negate the fact that the unit wearing the Armor is '''unkillable'''.
* In ''VideoGame/RogueLegacy'', some traits that may sound detrimental to your heroes are either harmless or wind up being beneficial. For instance, a hero with [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny A.D.H.D.]] will move much faster than normal, while a hero with peripheral arterial disease won't trigger [[SpikesOfDoom spike traps]] due to having "no foot pulse"[[note]]in real life, however, P.A.D. can be quite painful if not treated properly[[/note]].
* in ''VideoGame/AtelierIris2TheAzothOfDestiny'' Gray is a dragon slayer cursed into the form of a dragon-man, and while a dragon killer becoming a dragon may be an uncomfortable idea, it has given him powers he would never have had as a human and since he is famous and his story is widely known, he is accepted everywhere so he doesn't even have the excuse of being an outcast after being turned into a monster. At the end of the game after he [[spoiler:kills the one who cursed him, he says its better he didn't change back as he would lose all the dragon powers he gained and they will need all the power they can get to fight Palaxius]].

* In ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', Shang Tsung was cursed to wither and die unless he consumed souls. Turns out that forcing an evil wizard to kill people is not that big of a drawback to him, and it comes with the side effect of allowing him to absorb the powers of those he vanquishes.
** In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', Kabal laments that he's a freak after getting his life saved by Kano's breathing apparatus. His compensation for having burns on his body and being forced to have a cool looking breathing apparatus on his face? Super speed. Being a "freak" doesn't seem so bad when you get that now, does it?
* In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', Frog is a human squire [[BalefulPolymorph who was turned into]], [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well]], a frog by Magus. Although Frog initially regarded his new form as a curse, he later realized that being an anthropomorphic form has kickass side-effects, like increasing your strength, and making your tongue long and versatile enough to use it effectively in battle. NiceJobFixingItVillain
* Prior to becoming friends with Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog, this was how [[PlayingWithFire Blaze the Cat]] felt about her pyrokinesis, as it brought her nothing but loneliness and misery.
-->'''Blaze:''' I am the guardian of the Sol Emeralds... It is a fate that forces me to live with my curse, my flames... Because of my powers, I have always been alone... It's also why I must do this alone! It is my responsibility!
* Talion from ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfMordor'' has been banished from death, unable to pass on and reunite with his deceased family. Of course, this also means he's got a generous array of wraith powers, which he uses to wreak havoc on the Black Captains, the monstrous beings who killed his family, and the AlwaysChaoticEvil Uruk under their command. [[spoiler: This trope is addressed somewhat when it is revealed later in the story that the Mouth of Sauron was trying to cast the "curse" upon himself but messed up the ritual. The wraith played up the "curse" story to manipulate Talion.]]
* Mathias the Masterer, a premium general in ''Videogame/DawnOfTheDragons'', was such a huge example of TheSlacker that the gods themselves were offended. So offended that they made him immortal and declared that his life would only end after he became TheAce at ''everything''. As long as there is a single skill he has yet to master, he will never be able to die. Mathias considers it a curse because [[WhoWantsToLiveForever human minds just aren't able to handle living forever]].
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter 4'' introduces the Frenzy Virus, which infects monsters and sets off their "rage mode" permanently. As for human hosts, the target is slowly infected over time, and when the infection meter maxes out, their natural health recovery stops. However, if the infectee does enough damage to monsters while infected, they not only recover, but also gain offensive boosts. In fact, the post-Frenzy boosts are vital to the usage of Chaotic Gore Magala weapons, which both have CriticalHit and "feeble hit" chances, and the post-Frenzy boost turns the feeble hit chance into additional crit chance for the duration of the buff; in other words, if you're using a CGM weapon, you ''[[ViolationOfCommonSense want]]'' to get infected.
* When you face Scissorwoman in ''VideoGame/ClockTower3'' you'll notice your auto-aim has been disabled for the fight. This is the ''opposite'' of a problem, since the game's normally mandatory auto-aim feature quite frankly sucks: it consists of rigidly aiming you at an enemy to charge your attack but doesn't track them or let you move, meaning you can't follow them when they casually walk out of the way. With Scissorwoman you can aim where she is going instead and unleash a fully charged attack when she walks into it, making her by far the easiest enemy in the entire game.
* Discussed in ''VideoGame/DiscworldNoir''. Lewton isn't very happy about [[spoiler: becoming a werewolf]], but [[spoiler: Carlotta (who infected him)]] says it's a great gift. It does turn out to be pretty useful.
* ''VideoGame/AtelierRorona'' has an example of a trait that's usually negative, but turns out to be positive in one specific case. There is a trait called "Narrow Range", which, if alchemized onto an item, reduces the amount of targets it will hit. You will usually try to avoid getting it onto your items. There is also an item called the Tera Bomb, which deals huge damage but has one flaw: its range is so big, it will also hit your own party, often resulting in a TotalPartyWipe. Alchemizing a Tera Bomb with one level of Narrow Range will shrink the blast radius just enough to leave your side unharmed, while still being big enough to usually get all enemies. A Tera Bomb with Narrow Range can easily become a GameBreaker if you add a few other positive traits that don't expand the range back again.
* Dion, the hero of ''VideoGame/AlphadiaGenesis2'' was born as an "accursed" in his world due to being able to wield Black Energi. As he speaks with his dying father at the beginning of the game, he assures him he never once regretted being an "accursed" because no one in his family or village looked down on him or treated him differently. He's later able to harness the positive aspects of his powers throughout the game.
* The Grineer from ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' are an entire race of [[CloneArmy human clones]] programmed to be fanatically loyal to the Twin Queens, which, thanks to damaged DNA sources, get [[CloneDegeneration worse and worse]] with each successive generation. Occasionally, the production line will churn out a Grineer with more severe defects than most; in some cases (such as [[PintSizedPowerhouse Clem]] and the members of the [[DefectorFromDecadence Steel Meridian]]) these defects include free will, [[WeHelpTheHelpless compassion]], and [[OneManArmy a serious capacity for kicking ass]].

* TheHero of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'' gets [[BalefulPolymorph cursed]] into the form of a LizardMan, and gains other forms along the way. Getting turned into various animal humanoids is a rather small price to pay for FireBreath, [[LavaIsBoilingKoolAid immunity to heat]], CeilingCling powers, {{Flight}}, UnderwaterBreathing, and SuperStrength.
* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'': The Clothier, after you save him, still can use Shadowflame to defend himself.
* In the good ending of ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', Seraph Lamington turns Flonne into a FallenAngel as punishment for aiding the demons in attacking Celestia, meaning that she can stay with Laharl and Etna and has no other effects beyond a wardrobe change. Justified, since Flonne's "betrayal" had been part of [[TheChessmaster Lamington's]] plan to bring about peace between the Netherword and Celestia. Calling it a punishment was merely a case of keeping up appearances.
* By the end of ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheFracturedButWhole'' we learn the origins of the New Kid's incredibly powerful (and versatile) [[{{Fartillery}} farts]]: [[spoiler: They are a side-effect of the medication that their parents sneak into their food to lessen the effects of [[BlessedWithSuck their real super-power]]: the ability to quickly gain online followers]].
* in ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' franchise, some children, usually in some sort of way kidnapped or otherwise forced into this position, are subject to the "trial of grasses", an extremely painful and lethal process which causes mutations, and kills 7 of 10 boys that undergo the process, as well as extensive training, after which they become Witchers. Good effects include: badass monster killing skills, superhuman attributes, extended lifespan, Magic use. Bad effects include: becoming sterile, possible complications from the trial such as [[spoiler: when the group uses the trial of grasses to change Uma back into Avallach, where he suffers permanent brain damage]], and on the receiving end of a LOT of discrimination.
* In ''Videogame/FinalFantasyXV'', Adagium aka the Immortal Accursed aka [[spoiler:Ardyn Izunia aka Ardyn Lucis Caelum]] has absorbed so much Starscourge over his lifetime that he's effectively a Humanoid Daemon. He is a hated cursed individual rejected by his own bloodline and even by the gods themselves. However, his condition also comes with vast powers and immortality, making him effectively a PhysicalGod.
* ''VideoGame/CandiesNCurses'' features a variety of curse items that can be chosen in treasure vaults. They do have negative effects when picked up, but they also grant massive benefits that often outweigh the downsides.
* ''VideoGame/DeathStranding'': [=DOOMS=] is a type of extra sensory perception certain people are born with, that makes them more closely connected to the world of the dead. Abilities vary depending on a so-called [=DOOMS=] level: people on level two, like [[PlayerCharacter Sam]] can sense the presence of [[OurGhostsAreDifferent [=BTs=]]], people on higher levels can use the [[AfterlifeAntechamber Beach]] to teleport (like [[TheGadfly Fragile]]) or even control [=BTs=] (like [[BigBad Higgs]]). The draws are: a tendency to develop various phobias, nightmares about the impending end of the world, commonly an aversion to touch and human interactions and in extreme cases suicidal tendencies and violent behavior towards others. The above mentioned teleport ability also draws some of the user's blood, so if someone teleports too much too often, they'll end up weakened and anemic.
* ''VideoGame/{{Arknights}}'': Some Operators who happen to be the Infected (a term for people who are suffering from oripathy, a disease caused by [[GreenRocks radioactive originium ores]]) have magical abilities called Originium Arts. However this ability has a flaw: Casting Originium Arts too often causes [[TheCorruption the oripathy disease to worsen, and will cause death to the user]]. Rhodes Island Organization attempts to prevent the corruption effect from using Originium Arts and find the cure for oripathy, in which the former appears to be a success.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'':
** Bedivere's Noble Phantasm is a replica of Airgétlam, the arm of the Celtic War God Nuadha, which is as powerful as the name implies and allows him to keep up with the other Knights of the Round Table despite [[spoiler:being just a human]]. The cost for using it? [[spoiler:Destroying part of his soul every time he activates it]].
** Mordred's Gift in the Camelot Singularity allows her to deploy her Noble Phantasm every single turn... [[spoiler:and destroy her soul in the process]].
** Gawain's Rank Up Quest upgrades his "Charisma" skill to "Nightless Charisma", which allows him, on top of the attack boost, change whatever field he's in into "sunny". This enables him to use his extremely powerful SituationalSword at any given time. Why is it a curse? [[spoiler:Because "Nightless Charisma" is the Gift he received from the Lion King during the Camelot Singularity, in which he commited atrocities in her name out of BlindLoyalty. He considers this [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest failure]], and "Nightless Charisma" is a permanent reminder of what he has done.]]

** In the {{DLC}} "Legacy" it's revealed that Hawke's father Malcolm felt that his magic was a burden and that he hoped his children would not be mages. When at least one of his children did turn out to have magic he took great pains to teach them that with great power ComesGreatResponsibility.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': Gawain's Rank Up Quest upgrades his "Charisma" skill to "Nightless Charisma", which allows him, on top of the attack boost, change whatever field he's in into "sunny". This enables him to use his extremely powerful SituationalSword at any given time. Why is it a curse? [[spoiler:Because "Nightless Charisma" is the Gift he received from the Lion King during the Camelot Singularity, in which he commited atrocities in her name out of BlindLoyalty. He considers this [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest failure]], and "Nightless Charisma" is a permanent reminder of what he has done.]]

* Nero's arm in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' is [[EvilHand demonic]], which makes him go to great lengths to hide it from his fellow demon slayers. He's also not happy with the fact that he has [[RedRightHand a demonic arm]], but in all honesty, it's the main reason why he's such a badass, since it bestows all kinds of asskicking powers. He finally [[CharacterDevelopment lampshades it]] at the end of the game, admitting that it's pretty useful in spite of the grief it causes him. Then he ends up getting it torn off him by some demon in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5''. C'est la vie.