History GenreDeconstruction / VideoGames

** Likewise, X's fate deconstructs the HurtingHero by showing what happens when said hero finally decides to quit ([[VideoGame/MegaManX7 for good this time]]). X realized his compassion had been worn away by the years of endless fighting and abandoned his position as the leader of post-apocalypse Earth to become the living seal for the {{Macguffin}} that had destroyed most the world. Unfortunately, his disappearance necessitated the creation of a Copy X that lacked the original's 100-year morality testing, resulting in this Copy X becoming a genocidal dictator that strives to protect humanity by exterminating innocent reploids (and the original plan was for ''X himself'' [[FaceHeelTurn to become this genocidal dictator]]). X may have needed to quit to preserve his sanity, but because he was such an important figure, his departure wound up having dire consequences.

* ''VideoGame/{{Helltaker}}'' serves as a self-aware deconstruction of the HaremGenre that doesn't take itself that seriously. The plot involves the title character journeying into Hell with the goal of assembling a harem of demon girls, and he only succeeds in this endeavor mostly because he uses cheesy pickup lines that get misinterpreted as more innocuous offers (i.e., Malina thinking "I'd sure love to play with you" is an offer to play video games), he gives them {{Comically Small Bribe}}s (offering Lucifer, THE top demon in Hell, [[SweetTooth chocolate pancakes]]), or they join simply because they can (in the case of Zdrada and Justice). By the time of the epilogue a few weeks later, Helltaker has found out the hard way something many fans of the genre have trouble internalizing; that having several attractive women living with you ''doesn't'' mean they'll be devoted to you, nor does it automatically guarantee they'll even be attracted to you in the first place. And it certainly doesn't stop them from constantly misbehaving, bossing Helltaker around, breaking his stuff, threatening and inflicting bodily harm, and (oftentimes literally) stabbing him in the back, with Cerberus having done ''[[NoodleIncident something]]'' to get the police banging on their door in full SWAT gear. In other words, with the exception of [[HornyDevils Modeus]], they act more like rowdy, troublemaking housemates than the HotAsHell thirsty demon girlfriends another game might portray them as. The only ones that actually seem romantically interested in Helltaker are Beelzebub in the secret ending and possibly Modeus, given her blushing at the idea of going on a date with him and being the only one who's hugging him in the normal ending. None of the rest apparently even view him as a sexual partner, including Azazel, who's only interested in "studying" the demons and [[WordOfGod confirmed by vanripper]] to be a lesbian who's ''[[ArmoredClosetGay deeply]]'' in the closet due to being an angel. While Helltaker is visibly stressed out by the entire situation, Beelzebub's narration notes that living a life without suffering is impossible, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying yourself whenever you have the chance. The normal ending shows that Helltaker sees things this way too and is simply happy to have made friends.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' is a deconstruction of TheChosenOne narrative, and in a meta sense, the classic ''Zelda'' formula that the previous games in the series ran on. As seen in the OpeningNarration, the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Hero of Time]], who was an explicit ChosenOne, became a MessianicArchetype to the people of the ancient kingdom [[spoiler:of Hyrule]] after he saved them from the great evil, the BigBad Ganondorf. The people then counted on the same hero [[TheSecondComing spontaneously appearing to save them generations later]], when the evil returned... and he ''didn't.'' The people of the kingdom, unable to defend themselves, were relegated to praying to the gods for salvation, and the gods responded by [[spoiler:[[TheGreatFlood flooding Hyrule]] to keep Ganon from taking over, drowning any who could not make it to the safety of the kingdom's mountaintops.]] Then, in the present day, the main hero of the game is very much an average boy, with no HeroicLineage to speak of, and only leaves his home island to rescue [[BigBrotherInstinct his sister when she is kidnapped]] at the beginning of the game. Even when he's recruited into opposing Ganondorf's plans to [[spoiler:get at the Triforce]] by the [[spoiler:King of Hyrule, disguised as a CoolBoat]], he's still very much TheUnchosenOne, stated to have no connection to the older heroes. He has to quest to prove himself worthy of being the Hero at all, but in the end manages to [[spoiler:[[KilledOffForReal permanently kill Ganondorf]]]], having risen to the challenge of his own accord, rather than [[BecauseDestinySaysSo Because Destiny Said So]].

** As explained in [[https://www.reddit.com/r/TNOmod/comments/ldohc7/goerings_germany_is_the_pinnacle_of_hoi4_modding/ this Reddit post,]] it also does this to its base game and to the grand strategy and FourX genres in general through Hermann Göring's run as leader of Germany. Göring believes that, to restore German national pride after the death of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, it needs to go back to what made Germany a global superpower: military conquest, the player's goal in any number of strategy games. Crushing the remaining independent states in Europe, then conquering the rest of Russia, and finally facing off against the world's other superpowers, the United States and Japan... and at every step of the way, you are shown the staggering human cost of what it would be like to live in, fight for, or be conquered by an empire built upon a dream of [[TakeOverTheWorld world conquest]], especially when that empire is the Nazis, one of the exemplars of the tendency among real-life conquerors to engage in a pattern of RapePillageAndBurn wherever their armies went. And, since the game takes place in an AlternateHistory 1960s during a ColdWar that's kept frozen by the threat of MutuallyAssuredDestruction, going forward with [[WorldWarIII the final phase]] of Göring's plan for world conquest can only end [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt one]] [[AfterTheEnd way]].

** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' deconstructed [[SpyFiction spy]] films such as ''Film/JamesBond'' and (to a lesser extent) action films like ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}''. Most of the usual tropes are there -- beautiful BondGirl [[spoiler:[[DoubleAgent who is actually a spy for the enemy]]]], the FakeDefector, the Soviet scientist defecting to the U.S. and so on. Most are unexpected plot twists, all are horribly tragic, and all combine to make the protagonist into the biggest villain in the series.

* ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' has all of the standard RPG conventions; you recruit party members who follow you forevermore, an Obi-Wan equivalent who explains everything, and you gain XP, levels and new abilities through combat. [[spoiler: And then several important characters ''call you out on all of this,'' saying, "Have you ever stopped to ''think'' about how you get stronger by killing everything? Don't you ''wonder'' why these people follow you without question? Has it ''occurred'' to you that your Obi-Wan only knows so much about both us and the villains because she's ''worked for both?''" It turns out that these standard RPG conventions aren't GameplayAndStorySegregation at all, but rather, things that actually happen in the plot, caused by the plot's AwfulTruth. The standard aspects of the genre we as the player take for granted are seen by the people involved not because [[BreakingtheFourthWall they can see through the fourth wall,]] but because any sane person would look at this behavior and realize that it's not the way reality should work, even the reality of ''Star Wars''.]] Light or darksided, it says something about the Exile that she doesn't even notice it.

* The ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' franchise often plays around with tropes and expectations, but one of the main thrusts of the recent ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' title is an ''unrelentingly vicious'' deconstruction of "{{Mons}}" games in the vein of ''Pokémon''. During the course of the game, many people obtain small handheld devices that allow them to summon various kinds of demons which essentially work like the Mons do in other games. Needless to say, it doesn't take very long before many start using them for power, or "justice", or the like, resulting in chaos and death on the streets of a locked-down Tokyo.

** It also scoffs at the prevalence of how lowering one's KarmaMeter in {{WesternRPG}}s just tends to revolve around StupidEvil actions. In this game, wantonly killing everyone in sight will just invoke the wrath of [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Lady of Pain]] (which you ''[[HeroKiller absolutely do not want]]''.) You want to be evil? Be prepared to commit some actual, non-juvenile, cringe-worthy acts of cruelty and psychological torture, often against your own party members, and then [[YouBastard be prepared to feel bad about it afterwards.]]
* The VideoGame/TalesSeries in general enjoys taking various [=RPG=] tropes [[DeconstructorFleet and then brutally deconstructing them]].

** Speaking of deconstructing nostalgia for the past, ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' features Caesar's Legion as one of the two main powers in the Mojave Wasteland. As the name suggests, they are essentially the Romans [[RecycledINSPACE placed into]] a post-apocalyptic setting, and without any of the good parts. As the progenitor of modern Western civilization, the glory of Rome is often seen through an intense NostalgiaFilter. You get to see some of Roman culture up close in this game, and it is [[DeliberateValuesDissonance ugly]]. There are probably no more monsters in the Legion than most other factions, but the slavery, misogyny, and sheer brutality of the Caesar's Legion makes it the [[BlackAndGreyMorality black to the NCR's grey]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Far Cry 3}}'' attempts to do this for many tropes that are StrictlyFormula in WideOpenSandbox action games. Elements meant to invoke CatharsisFactor in sandbox titles including the EscapistCharacter protagonist, the requisite CrapsackWorld setting, and the use of RPGElements to mark your progression from ActionSurvivor to ActionHero, are taken to their logical conclusion here. The protagonist's transformation into a BloodKnight in an environment so uncannily tailored for him to do so is constantly discussed in the game, often to draw a disturbing parallel between his motivations and [[YouBastard the motivations of the player]].

** The Occultist occasionally yells phrases in an eldritch language and is implied to channel the energies of [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]].

* ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' is a deconstruction of TheChosenOne narrative, and in a meta sense, the classic ''Zelda'' formula that the previous games in the series ran on. As seen in the OpeningNarration, the [[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Hero of Time]], who was an explicit ChosenOne, became a MessianicArchetype to the people of the ancient kingdom [[spoiler:of Hyrule]] after he saved them from the great evil, the BigBad Ganondorf. The people then counted on the same hero [[TheSecondComing spontaneously appearing to save them generations later]], when the evil returned... and he ''didn't.'' The people of the kingdom, unable to defend themselves, were relegated to praying to the gods for salvation, and the gods responded by [[spoiler:[[TheGreatFlood flooding Hyrule]] to keep Ganon from taking over, drowning any who could not make it to the safety of the kingdom's mountaintops.]] Then, in the present day, the main hero of the game is very much an average boy, with no HeroicLineage to speak of, and only leaves his home island to rescue [[BigBrotherInstinct his sister when she is kidnapped]] at the beginning of the game. Even when he's recruited into opposing Ganondorf's plans to [[spoiler:get at the Triforce]] by the [[spoiler:King of Hyrule, disguised as a CoolBoat]], he's still very much TheUnchosenOne, stated to have no connection to the older heroes. He has to quest to prove himself worthy of being the Hero at all, but in the end manages to [[spoiler:[[KilledOffForReal permanently kill Ganondorf]]]], having risen to the challenge of his own accord, rather than [[BecauseDestinySaysSo Because Destiny Said So]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Hatred}}'' viciously deconstructs the killing rampage popularized by Grand Theft Auto and other crime sandboxes. [[VillainProtagonist Not Important/The Antagonist]] is not some victim of society but a violent killer unleashed upon a city that isn't filled with AcceptableTargets and bigger fish to fry but scared civilians fleeing in vain from a sociopath killer out on a killing spree.

* The ''VideoGame/HeartsOfIron IV'' mod ''VideoGame/TheNewOrderLastDaysofEurope''.

* While the first two ''Franchise/MetalGear'' games played everything relatively straight, the ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' sub-series is intended as a deconstruction of action movies (and, to a lesser extent, video games), twisting tropes common to them around in extremely horrible ways to establish how damaged everything and everyone would have to be for an action movie scenario to work in the real world. By the second game it's way out into the nastiest parts of the DeconstructorFleet territory, shamelessly attacking fandom, the video game industry, the expectations of fans and even its own prequel and characters. Some would argue it goes a bit too far, to the point where it feels very painful to play a game which clearly hates you so much.
** The setup of the first ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' is simple; a terrorist attack on a government nuclear warhead disposal facility occurs and a legendary mercenary is brought back to stop it. However, all the characters are unbelievably screwed up, ''precisely by the character traits that they'd plausibly need in order to do what they do'', and the plot gets very complicated very quickly. Unfortunately, [[MisaimedFandom not all members of the fandom saw the deconstruction; they instead thought the game was the ultimate action film and wanted to be Solid Snake.]]
*** The aforementioned MisaimedFandom [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor got precisely what it wanted]] with ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'', which deconstructed the way people related to the first game. So, [[IJustWantToBeBadass you want to be just like Solid Snake, huh?]] You get to play as a [[ThisLoserIsYou player proxy character]] that, like Snake, is an emotionally crippled badass with buckets of blood on his hands and [[BloodKnight a killer instinct]]. Unfortunately, your girlfriend [[NeverLiveItDown is deep-down scared of you and calls you in the middle of your mission to discuss your lack of emotional warmth]], the only way you could've acquired these oh-so-badass skills is TrainingFromHell that you have repressed the memory of, and indeed your desire to be just like Snake is going to be granted [[spoiler: via a mind-control experiment that the entire game's sequence of events is]].
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' applied the same approach (if much less viciously than in [=MGS2=]) to [[SpyFiction spy]] films such as ''Film/JamesBond'' and (to a lesser extent) action films like ''Franchise/{{Rambo}}''. Most of the usual tropes are there -- beautiful BondGirl [[spoiler:[[DoubleAgent who is actually a spy for the enemy]]]], the FakeDefector, the Soviet scientist defecting to the U.S. and so on. Most are unexpected plot twists, all are horribly tragic, and all combine to make the protagonist into the biggest villain in the series.
*** It should be noted that, except for ''Metal Gear Solid 2'', the series was somewhat affectionate in its dismantling of said tropes. At the end of the day, the heroes find a reason to justify their personal suffering and the battles they just fought.
** Finally, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'' raises the question of what exactly happens to {{action hero}}es after the action movie ends. The choices that are presented are dying in a blaze of glory, suicide, or falling into obscurity.
*** [=MGS4=] also explores the concept of the OldSoldier: Snake's willingness to fight in spite of his advanced physical age isn't solely depicted as being admirable but also as being foolish and suicidal, people who idolized Snake back in the day patronize him and treat him as a burden, and in general Snake's age is the subject of cruel jokes. In fact, Snake's lifebar is changed to ''Old Snake'' to emphasize this.

** [[VideoGame/CallOfDuty4ModernWarfare The first game]] juxtaposes typical American posturing about freedom/democracy/"restoring stability to the region" with unsettling hints that the Middle Eastern country being invaded was an oil-rich U.S. puppet state, and contrasts [[{{Eagleland}} the macho, cowboy attitude of the American grunts]] with a [[MisaimedFandom U.S. Army tank named after a famous anti-war song]], [[Music/BlackSabbath "War Pig"]], and levels named after anti-war movies like ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' and ''Film/DrStrangelove'' (which, like the American campaign, ends with [[spoiler: massive nuclear devastation]]). While you're playing, the Americans ''seem'' like good guys championing peace and stability (due to your player character being on their side), but there remains an implication that, to the other side, it's an imperialist bully who can only be defeated with nuclear weapons. By the end, any player who doesn't [[ConfirmationBias already have some predisposed patriotism towards NATO countries]] will be left feeling like the game world is just a bunch of political structures throwing propaganda at each other to cover up the void where the truth should be. [[TruthInTelevision Sort of like real life]].

** [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare3 The third and final game]] in the trilogy was made after Infinity Ward's founders were fired, taking on a more generic AmericaSavesTheDay tone, but still doesn't betray the anti-jingoistic, WarIsHell attitude. The United States never actually ''defeats'' the ultranationalists (they only manage to deter them), nor is Russia portrayed as monolithically evil. Moderates on both sides just get tired of conflict and quickly make plans for a truce. However, [[spoiler: said peace talks are interrupted when the Inner Circle--an extremist organization [[RenegadeRussian which was forced out of the Ultranationalist party]] due to its criminal activities--kills most of the Russian cabinet and kidnaps [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure the president]], consequently 'hijacking' the military and launching [[EasyLogistics a full-scale invasion of Europe]] in their bid to [[PostSovietReunion restore the glory days of Soviet-era dominance]]. Thus, the war only ends when a coalition of American, Russian and British special forces manage to locate and rescue the Russian president from his extremist captors so that he can order the military to stand down. The trilogy ends with both NATO and Russia in disarray, countless civilian lives lost and nearly every player character or fellow soldier dead, having fought and died for the sake of ending a war which--as stated above--was only ever instigated for the pettiest of reasons.]]

** While the earlier games promised hard decisions with no easy answers, they mostly left [[TakeAThirdOption an easy way out in the major quests.]] But the additional ending in the Extended version manages to deconstruct that. After fan outcry for a way to resist taking a choice from a [[UnreliableExpositor possibly untrustworthy source]] that determines your ending, Creator/BioWare put just that in the ending. You can take a fourth option now. If you do, TheBadGuyWins and kills all sapient life in the galaxy. At least everyone [[DoNotGoGentle went]] [[IDieFree down]] [[LastStand fighting]] and the next generation put the Reapers down for good; by (likely) taking one of the options you turned down.

** While the earlier games promised hard decisions with no easy answers, they mostly left [[TakeAThirdOption an easy way out in the major quests.]] But the additional ending in the Extended version manages to deconstruct that. After fan outcry for a way to resist taking a choice from a [[UnreliableExpositor possibly untrustworthy source]] that determines your ending, Creator/BioWare put just that in the ending. You can take a fourth option now. If you do, TheBadGuyWins and kills all sapient life in the galaxy. At least everyone [[DoNotGoGentle went]] [[IDieFree down]] [[LastStand fighting]], and the next generation put the Reapers down for good; by taking one of the options you turned down.

* Fitting for a game inspired by ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'', ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' deconstructs ''many'' [=RPG=] tropes, but perhaps the most prominent and unique version of this is [[spoiler:what they did to a simple [[SavePoint game mechanic]]]]. It was transformed into a CosmicHorrorStory of [[spoiler:an outside entity that can reset time at will, and is able to control a potentially all-powerful avatar -- i.e. the Human Child -- and operates on a different morality than the characters.]] Furthermore, the game discourages you from playing it like a typical RPG by deconstructing experience points and levels. [[spoiler:EXP and LV in Undertale stands for Execution Points and LOVE; Levels of Violence. Your character doesn't get stronger when they kill. It simply becomes easier to hurt people the more you do it.]] Attempting to follow traditional gameplay styles anyway will lead to the ''characters'' discouraging you through [[YouBastard speech]], frustration, or [[LevelGrinding sheer mundanity.]]

* Fitting for a game inspired by ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'', ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' deconstructs ''many'' [=RPG=] tropes, but perhaps the most prominent and unique version of this is [[spoiler:what they did to a simple [[SavePoint game mechanic]]]]. It was transformed into a CosmicHorrorStory of [[spoiler:an outside entity that can reset time at will, and is able to control a potentially all-powerful avatar -- i.e. the Human Child -- and operates on a different morality than the characters.]] Furthermore, the game discourages you from playing it like a typical RPG by deconstructing experience points and levels. [[spoiler:EXP and LV in Undertale stands for Execution Points and LOVE; Levels of Violence. Your character doesn't get stronger when they kill. It simply becomes easier to hurt people the more you do it.]] Attempting to follow traditional gameplay styles anyway will lead to the ''characters'' discouraging you through [[YouBastard speech]], [[DifficultySpike frustration]], or [[LevelGrinding sheer mundanity.]]

** Earlier versions of the mod had Germany constructing the Atlantropa project to dam the Strait of Gibraltar, lower the sea level of the Mediterranean, and create new land in Southern Europe. Proposed but unrealized in real life, it is often featured in Axis victory scenarios as the kind of world-shaping megaproject that the Nazis had planned but were never able to build. Here, the Nazis build it, only for it to become an unmitigated economic and [[GaiasLament environmental]] disaster that creates only useless salt flats in the former Adriatic Sea, destroys fisheries and trade along the Med, and breaks the Rome-Berlin Axis as Italy and other nations along the Med are left extremely bitter towards Germany for what they see as an act of HostileTerraforming. The creators of the mod, however, eventually decided that Atlantropa both stretched plausibility too far[[labelnote:Specifically...]]It would have required more concrete than the entire world, let alone Nazi-occupied Europe, had the capacity to make at the time, would have taken ''far'' longer than a decade to build, and would have taken longer still to cause the bottled-up Med to start evaporating. Even if it ''was'' built, the global environmental impact would have reached far beyond the Mediterranean Basin, including desertification across Southern Europe, a new ice age in Northern Europe, and global sea level rise as the water evaporating from the Med has to go ''somewhere''.[[/labelnote]] and, more importantly, created hundreds of issues with writing the various paths for Italy and the Mediterranean nations, so later versions of the mod removed it.

** Earlier versions of the mod had Germany constructing the Atlantropa project to dam the Strait of Gibraltar, lower the sea level of the Mediterranean, and create new land in Southern Europe. Proposed but unrealized in real life, it is often featured in Axis victory scenarios as the kind of world-shaping megaproject that the Nazis had planned but were never able to build. Here, the Nazis build it, only for it to become an unmitigated economic and [[GaiasLament environmental]] disaster that creates only useless salt flats in the former Adriatic Sea, destroys fisheries and trade along the Med, and breaks the Rome-Berlin Axis as Italy and other nations along the Med are left extremely bitter towards Germany. The creators of the mod, however, eventually decided that Atlantropa both stretched plausibility too far[[labelnote:Specifically...]]It would have required more concrete than the entire world, let alone Nazi-occupied Europe, had the capacity to make at the time, would have taken ''far'' longer than a decade to build, and would have taken longer still to cause the bottled-up Med to start evaporating. Even if it ''was'' built, the global environmental impact would have reached far beyond the Mediterranean Basin, including desertification across Southern Europe, a new ice age in Northern Europe, and global sea level rise as the water evaporating from the Med has to go ''somewhere''.[[/labelnote]] and, more importantly, created hundreds of issues with writing the various paths for Italy and the Mediterranean nations, so later versions of the mod removed it.

** Both it and the very similar mod ''VideoGame/ThousandWeekReich'' (which offers a [[SlidingScaleOfAlternateHistoryPlausibility more realistic and toned-down take]] on the subject) do this to the AlternateHistoryNaziVictory scenario. Even in a world where the Nazis managed to achieve all of their goals in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and reign supreme as the master of Europe, that doesn't change the fact that national socialism was a fundamentally broken system that was completely dependent on military conquest, plunder, slavery, and [[VetinariJobSecurity the willpower of the Fuhrer]] to hold together. They [[WonTheWarLostThePeace lose the peace]] as decisively as they won the war, plunging into economic meltdown in TheFifties that they remain mired in by the game's start in 1962 and can only truly recover from with massive economic reforms. And when UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler dies in 1963, all the petty politicking and backstabbing that he had cultivated to thwart any challengers to his absolute authority immediately explodes, plunging the Third Reich into civil war in a matter of weeks. Events go a bit differently in ''Thousand-Week Reich'', with Hitler dying in 1953 instead, it being possible to avoid an outright civil war, and there being no Atlantropa project, but the BroadStrokes of Germany's postwar malaise are all still there.

** Both it and the very similar mod ''VideoGame/ThousandWeekReich'' (which offers a [[SlidingScaleOfAlternateHistoryPlausibility more realistic and toned-down take]] on the subject) do this to the AlternateHistoryNaziVictory scenario. Even in a world where the Nazis managed to achieve all of their goals in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and reign supreme as the master of Europe, that doesn't change the fact that national socialism was a fundamentally broken system that was completely dependent on military conquest, plunder, slavery, and [[VetinariJobSecurity the willpower of the Fuhrer]] to hold together. They [[WonTheWarLostThePeace lose the peace]] as decisively as they won the war, plunging into economic meltdown in TheFifties that they remain mired in by the game's start in 1962 and can only truly recover from with massive economic reforms. The Atlantropa project to dam the Strait of Gibraltar, lower the sea level of the Mediterranean, and create new land in Southern Europe (often featured in Axis victory scenarios as the kind of world-shaping megaproject they had planned) was an unmitigated economic and environmental disaster that created only useless salt flats in the former Adriatic, destroyed fisheries and trade along the Med, and broke the Italian-German alliance as Italy and her allies were left extremely bitter towards Germany. And when UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler dies in 1963, all the petty politicking and backstabbing that he had cultivated to thwart any challengers to his absolute authority immediately explodes, plunging the Third Reich into civil war in a matter of weeks. Events go a bit differently in ''Thousand-Week Reich'', with Hitler dying in 1953 instead, it being possible to avoid an outright civil war, and there being no Atlantropa project, but the BroadStrokes of Germany's postwar malaise are all still there.

** While the earlier games promised hard decisions with no easy answers, they mostly left [[TakeAThirdOption an easy way out in the major quests.]] But the additional ending in the Extended version manages to deconstruct that. After fan outcry for a way to resist taking a choice from a [[UnreliableExpositor possibly untrustworthy source]] that determines your ending, Creator/BioWare put just that in the ending. You can take a fourth option now. If you do, TheBadGuyWins and [[KillEmAll kills all sapient life in the galaxy]]. At least everyone [[DoNotGoGentle went]] [[IDieFree down]] [[LastStand fighting]], and the next generation put the Reapers down for good; by taking one of the options you turned down.

* The ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' trilogy, despite what the [[MisaimedFandom misaimed fans]] and detractors will tell you, is a deconstruction of jingoistic, AmericaSavesTheDay military shooters. The games are set in a more tumultuous version of the 2010s wherein Russia suffers a second civil war that ends with an extreme "[[CommieNazis Ultranationalist]]" movement--founded by rogue military leaders--taking over the nation, which leads to a second Cold War between NATO and Russia. Throughout the trilogy, several tropes which one might expect from such a premise are deconstructed in a manner which paints [[GreyAndGreyMorality both sides of the conflict with shades of grey]], with a major theme being that 'extremism on either side is bad' (though the Ultranationalist-led Russia is still portrayed as being more in the wrong than NATO--mainly because their actions result in more civilian casualties):

** [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2 The sequel]] goes even further. It starts with a U.S. task force performing [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror three separate acts of unilateral action]], but things quickly sour when the Russian military invades the U.S. in response to a botched CIA operation that resulted in Russian civilians dead and an American soldier's finger on the trigger. But to the American grunts fending off the invasion, it's obvious they're the victims. The two sides, inflamed by nationalism, fight to avenge their countries with PatrioticFervor, [[spoiler: [[UnwittingPawn unaware that]] this is ''exactly'' why a ranking American general purposefully botched the CIA op. In-game, the war is portrayed as a jingoistic power fantasy between aggrieved nationalists looking to restore their nations' former, self-righteous glory, while the human beings on the front lines--actually fighting for their countries--[[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness are treated like disposable pawns by their leaders]].]]

** [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle The sequel]] is relatively light on this due to not having as much input from Suda, but it's still there. Several characters in it [[MisaimedFandom were inspired by Travis' actions in the first game and idolize him]], and the main villain is getting revenge for what [[AscendedExtra seemed like minor throwaway side missions in the first game]] [[HarsherInHindsight in which Travis killed CEOs of a random corporation]]. This time, Travis experiences CharacterDevelopment as he's three years older than he was in the original, and while he doesn't exactly become a good guy, he does express disgust at it all and only reluctantly returns to the assassin job.
** ''[[VideoGame/TravisStrikesAgainNoMoreHeroes Travis Strikes Again]]'' can both be seen as a deconstruction of series that insist on bringing series back to life long after their cultural relevance has ended as well as the relationship between a game developer and the game they make. The former due to most of Travis not actually making any dramatic return to form with most of the game about how his past actions haunting him and how the spotlight has made him tired of the life of a celebrity, and thus resists making that 'grand return' until the end of the game when he finds meaning in his life again. The latter can also be seen if put Travis as an analogue for the series director Suda 51. He hasn't been in the director position in the games his company produced since the first ''No More Heroes'' and the game can be a metaphor for his struggling with returning to that position. It's further evidenced by the character Dr. Juvenile, whose vision for their games were twisted beyond their original ideas and the regrets that came from that, with a lot of her frustration seemingly eerily similar to Suda's own he expressed in The Art of Grashopper Manufacture released a few years earlier.

* [[http://www.cracked.com/article_15660_ultimate-war-simulation-game.html This article]] from ''{{Website/Cracked}}'' proposes an ultra-realistic war game. That is, you spend two hours pushing across a map to destroy a nuke silo only to find out later it was an orphanage, complete with celebrities decrying the attack. Public Support rises and falls depending on entirely arbitrary factors, mission objectives change frequently and without warning, the cool superweapons kill 100 of ''your'' soldiers because the contractors cut corners, etc. The article was intended as a joke, but [[FunnyAneurysmMoment five years later]], ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' was released (see below) and included several of the suggestions.

** [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare3 The third and final game]] in the trilogy was made after Infinity Ward's founders were fired, taking on a more generic AmericaSavesTheDay tone, but still doesn't betray the anti-jingoistic, WarIsHell attitude. The United States never actually ''defeats'' the ultranationalists (they only manage to deter them), nor is Russia portrayed as monolithically evil. Moderates on both sides just get tired of conflict and quickly make plans for a truce. However, [[spoiler: said peace talks are interrupted when the Inner Circle--an extremist organization led by [[BigBad Vladimir Makarov]] (who [[RenegadeRussian was forced out of the Ultranationalist party]] due to his criminal activities)--kills most of the Russian cabinet and kidnaps [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure the president]], consequently 'hijacking' the military and launching [[EasyLogistics a full-scale invasion of every capital city in Europe]] in their bid to [[PostSovietReunion restore the glory days of Soviet-era dominance]]. Thus, the war only ends when a coalition of American, Russian and British special forces manage to locate and rescue the Russian president from his extremist captors so that he can order the military to stand down. The trilogy ends with both NATO and Russia in disarray, countless civilian lives lost and nearly every player character or fellow soldier dead, having fought and died for the sake of ending a war which--as stated above--was only ever instigated for the pettiest of reasons.]]

** [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare3 The third and final game]] in the trilogy was made after Infinity Ward's founders were fired, taking on a more generic AmericaSavesTheDay tone, but still doesn't betray the anti-jingoistic, WarIsHell attitude. The United States never actually ''defeats'' the ultranationalists (they only manage to deter them), nor is Russia portrayed as monolithically evil. Moderates on both sides just get tired of conflict and quickly make plans for a truce. However, [[spoiler: said peace talks are interrupted when the Inner Circle--an extremist organization led by [[BigBad Vladimir Makarov]] (who [[RenegadeRussian was forced out of the Ultranationalist party]] due to his criminal activities)--kills most of the Russian cabinet and kidnaps [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure the president]], consequently 'hijacking' the military and launching [[EasyLogistics a full-scale invasion]] [[PostSovietReunion of every capital city in Europe]]. Thus, the war only ends when a coalition of American, Russian and British special forces manage to locate and rescue the Russian president from his extremist captors so that he can order the military to stand down. The trilogy ends with both NATO and Russia in disarray, countless civilian lives lost and nearly every player character or fellow soldier dead, having fought and died for the sake of ending a war which--as stated above--was only ever instigated for the pettiest of reasons.]]

** [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2 The sequel]] goes even further. It starts with a U.S. task force performing [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror three separate acts of unilateral action]], but things quickly sour when the Russian military invades the U.S. in response to a botched CIA operation that resulted in Russian civilians dead and an American soldier's finger on the trigger. But to the American grunts fending off the invasion, it's obvious they're the victims. The two sides, inflamed by nationalism, fight to avenge their countries with PatrioticFervor, [[spoiler: unaware that this is ''exactly'' why a ranking American general purposefully botched the CIA op. In-game, the war is portrayed as a jingoistic power fantasy between aggrieved nationalists looking to restore their nations' former, self-righteous glory, while the human beings on the front lines--actually fighting for their countries--are treated as disposable pawns by their leaders.]]
** [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare3 The third and final game]] in the trilogy was made after Infinity Ward's founders were fired, taking on a more generic AmericaSavesTheDay tone, but still doesn't betray the anti-jingoistic, WarIsHell attitude. [[spoiler: The United States never actually ''defeats'' the ultranationalists (they only manage to deter them), nor is Russia portrayed as monolithically evil. Moderates on both sides just get tired of conflict and quickly make plans for peace. However, said plans are interrupted when the Inner Circle--an extremist organization led by [[BigBad Vladimir Makarov]] (who was forced out of the Ultranationalist party due to his criminal activities)--kills most of the Russian cabinet and kidnaps [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure the president]], consequently 'hijacking' the military and launching [[EasyLogistics a full-scale invasion]] [[[[PostSovietReunion of every capital city in Europe]]. Thus, the war only ends when a coalition of American, Russian and British special forces manage to locate and rescue the Russian president from his extremist captors so that he can order the military to stand down. The trilogy ends with both America's coast, Europe, and Russia in disarray, countless civilian lives lost and nearly every player character or fellow soldier dead, having fought and died for the sake of ending a war which--as stated above--was only ever instigated for the pettiest of reasons.]]

* The ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' trilogy, despite what the [[MisaimedFandom misaimed fans]] and detractors will tell you, is a deconstruction of jingoistic, AmericaSavesTheDay military shooters. The games are set in a more tumultuous version of the 2010s wherein Russia suffers a second civil war that ends with an extreme "[[CommieNazis Ultranationalist]]" movement--founded by rogue military leaders--taking over the nation, which leads to a second Cold War between NATO and Russia. Throughout the trilogy, several tropes which one might expect from such a premise are deconstructed in a manner which paints [[GreyAndGreyMorality both sides of the conflict with shades of grey]] (though the Ultranationalist-led Russia is still portrayed as being more in the wrong than NATO):

** [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare3 The third and final game]] in the trilogy was made after Infinity Ward's founders were fired, taking on a more generic AmericaSavesTheDay tone, but still doesn't betray the anti-jingoistic, WarIsHell attitude. [[spoiler: The United States never actually ''defeats'' the ultranationalists (they only manage to deter them), nor is Russia portrayed as monolithically evil. Moderates on both sides just get tired of conflict, and the end comes when a coalition of American, Russian and British special forces rescue the Russian president from extremist captors so that he can order the military to stand down (though not before the ultranationalists still manage to launch chemical attacks on every major capital city in Europe so as to clear the way for an invasion). The trilogy ends with both NATO and Russia in disarray, countless civilian lives lost and nearly every player character or fellow soldier dead, having fought and died for the sake of ending a war which--as stated above--was only ever instigated for the pettiest of reasons.]]

* Fitting for a game inspired by ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' deconstructs ''many'' [=RPG=] tropes, but perhaps the most prominent and unique version of this is [[spoiler:what they did to a simple [[SavePoint game mechanic]]]]. It was transformed into a CosmicHorrorStory of [[spoiler:an outside entity that can reset time at will, and is able to control a potentially all-powerful avatar -- i.e. the Human Child -- and operates on a different morality than the characters.]] Furthermore, the game discourages you from playing it like a typical RPG by deconstructing experience points and levels. [[spoiler:EXP and LV in Undertale stands for Execution Points and LOVE; Levels of Violence. Your character doesn't get stronger when they kill. It simply becomes easier to hurt people the more you do it.]] Attempting to follow traditional gameplay styles anyway will lead to the ''characters'' discouraging you through [[YouBastard speech]], [[DifficultySpike frustration]], or [[LevelGrinding sheer mundanity.]]

* The ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' trilogy, despite what the [[MisaimedFandom misaimed fans]] and detractors will tell you, is a deconstruction of jingoistic, AmericaSavesTheDay military shooters. The games are set in a more tumultuous version of the 2010s wherein Russia suffers a second civil war that ends with an extreme "Ultranationalist" movement--founded by rogue military leaders--taking over the nation, which leads to a second Cold War between NATO and Russia. Throughout the trilogy, several tropes familiar to the genre are deconstructed in a manner which paints [[GreyAndGreyMorality both sides of the conflict with shades of grey]] (though the Ultranationalist-led Russia is still portrayed as being more in the wrong than NATO):
** The first game juxtaposes typical American posturing about freedom/democracy/"restoring stability to the region" with unsettling hints that the Middle Eastern country being invaded was an oil-rich U.S. puppet state, and contrasts [[{{Eagleland}} the macho, cowboy attitude of the American grunts]] with a [[MisaimedFandom U.S. Army tank named after a famous anti-war song]], [[Music/BlackSabbath "War Pig"]], and levels named after anti-war movies like ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' and ''Film/DrStrangelove'' (which, like the American campaign, ends with [[spoiler: massive nuclear devastation]]). While you're playing, the Americans ''seem'' like good guys championing peace and stability (due to your player character being on their side), but there remains an implication that, to the other side, it's an imperialist bully who can only be defeated with nuclear weapons. By the end, any player who doesn't [[ConfirmationBias already have some predisposed patriotism towards NATO]] will be left feeling like the game world is just a bunch of political structures throwing propaganda at each other to cover up the void where the truth should be. [[TruthInTelevision Sort of like real life]].
** The sequel goes even further. It starts with a U.S. task force performing [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror three separate acts of unilateral action]], but things quickly sour when the Russian military invades the U.S. in response to a botched CIA operation that resulted in Russian civilians dead and an American soldier's finger on the trigger. But to the American grunts fending off the invasion, it's obvious they're the victims. The two sides, inflamed by nationalism, fight to avenge their countries with PatrioticFervor, [[spoiler: unaware that this is ''exactly'' why a ranking American general purposefully botched the CIA op. In-game, the war is portrayed as a jingoistic power fantasy between aggrieved nationalists looking to restore their nations' former, self-righteous glory, while the human beings on the front lines--actually fighting for their countries--are treated as disposable pawns by their leaders.]]
** The third and final game in the trilogy was made after Infinity Ward's founders were fired, taking on a more generic AmericaSavesTheDay tone, but still doesn't betray the anti-jingoistic, WarIsHell attitude. [[spoiler: The United States never actually ''defeats'' the ultranationalists (they only manage to deter them), nor is Russia portrayed as an irredeemable enemy. Moderates on both sides just get tired of conflict, and the end comes when a coalition of American, Russian and British special forces rescue the Russian president from extremist captors so that he can order the military to stand down (though not before the ultranationalists still manage to launch chemical attacks on every major capital city in Europe so as to clear the way for an invasion). The trilogy ends with both NATO and Russia in disarray, countless civilian lives lost and nearly every player character or fellow soldier dead, having fought and died for the sake of ending a war which--as stated above--was only ever instigated for the pettiest of reasons.]]

* The first half of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'' deconstructs the main conventions of the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series. Like most ''Fire Emblem'' games, the main hero, Sigurd, leads a BadassArmy to invade "evil" countries and kill their tyrannical kings and nobles. ''Unlike'' most ''Fire Emblem'' games though, said countries end up ''worse'' off from the invasions rather than better, as the massive power vacuum left after the removal of their rulers leads to them being royally screwed up, which Sigurd's friend Eldigan calls him out on early on. Said friend also examines the realistic consequences of MyMasterRightOrWrong and DefectorFromDecadence that are often used in the series, as expressing his doubts to his corrupt king causes said king to immediately have him executed before he can defect to your army. In the end, Sigurd is involved in a massive political conspiracy he had no idea about, and becomes the UnwittingPawn to ''his'' nation's corrupt nobles as a result. The game also deconstructs HeroicLineage by showing how ensuring the continuation of such a bloodline involves a lot of [[IncestIsRelative incest]], as was the case with real life royalty.

* The ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' trilogy, despite what the MisaimedFandom will tell you, is a deconstruction of jingoistic, AmericaSavesTheDay military shooters. The games are set in a more tumultuous version of the 2010s wherein Russia suffers a second civil war that ends with an extreme "Ultranationalist" movement--founded by rogue military leaders--taking over the nation, which leads to a second Cold War between NATO and Russia. Throughout the trilogy, several tropes familiar to the genre are deconstructed in a manner which paints [[GreyAndGreyMorality both sides of the conflict with shades of grey]] (though the Ultranationalist-led Russia is still portrayed as being more in the wrong than NATO):

* The ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' trilogy, despite what the MisaimedFandom will tell you, is a deconstruction of jingoistic military shooters. The games are set in a more tumultuous version of the 2010s wherein Russia suffers a second civil war that ends with an extreme "Ultranationalist" movement--founded by rogue military leaders--taking over the nation, which leads to a second Cold War between NATO and Russia. Across all three games, several tropes familiar to the genre are deconstructed in a manner which paints [[GreyAndGreyMorality both sides of the conflict with shades of grey]] (though the Ultranationalist-led Russia is still portrayed as being more in the wrong than NATO):
** The first game juxtaposes typical American posturing about freedom/democracy/"restoring stability to the region" with unsettling hints that the Middle Eastern country being invaded was an oil-rich U.S. puppet state, and contrasts [[{{Eagleland}} the macho, cowboy attitude of the American grunts]] with a [[MisaimedFandom U.S. Army tank named after a famous anti-war song]], [[Music/BlackSabbath "War Pig"]], and levels named after anti-war movies like ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' and ''Film/DrStrangelove'' (which, like the American campaign, ends with [[spoiler: massive nuclear devastation]]). While you're playing, the Americans ''seem'' like good guys championing peace and stability (due to your player character being on their side), but there remains an implication that, to the other side, it's an imperialist bully who can only be defeated with nuclear weapons. By the end, any player not under the sway of ConfirmationBias will be left feeling like the game world is just a bunch of political structures throwing propaganda at each other to cover up the void where the truth should be. [[TruthInTelevision Sort of like real life]].

** The third and final game in the trilogy was made after Infinity Ward's founders were fired, taking on a more generic AmericaSavesTheDay tone, but still doesn't betray the anti-jingoistic, WarIsHell attitude. [[spoiler: The United States never actually wins the war, nor is Russia portrayed as an irredeemable enemy. Moderates on both sides just get tired of conflict, and the end comes when a coalition of Russian, American and British special forces rescue the Russian president from ultranationalist captors so that he can order the military to stand down (though not before the ultranationalists still manage to launch chemical attacks on every major capital city in Europe so as to clear the way for an invasion). The trilogy ends with NATO in disarray, countless civilian lives lost and nearly every player character or fellow soldier dead, having fought and died for the sake of ending a war which--as stated above--was only ever instigated for the pettiest of reasons.]]

** The third and final game in the trilogy was made after Infinity Ward's founders were fired, taking on a more generic AmericaSavesTheDay tone, but still doesn't betray the anti-jingoistic attitude. [[spoiler: The United States never actually wins the war, nor is Russia portrayed as an irredeemable enemy. Moderates on both sides just get tired of conflict, and the end comes when a coalition of Russian, American and British special forces rescue the Russian president from ultranationalist captors so that he can order the military to stand down (though not before the ultranationalists still manage to launch chemical attacks on every major capital city in Europe so as to clear the way for an invasion). The trilogy ends with NATO in disarray, countless civilian lives lost and nearly every player character or fellow soldier dead, having fought and died for the sake of ending a war which--as stated above--was only ever instigated for the pettiest of reasons.]]

** Then the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series comes along and deconstructs the X series. None of the fighting in the X series lead to peace, as we still have reploids that protect humanity fighting against "Maverick" reploids. Only this time though, the reploids fighting for humanity are the ''antagonists'' while the "Maverick" repolids aren't dangerous psychopaths trying to overthrow humanity, but harmless civilian reploids that formed a resistance after being falsely branded as Mavericks and targeted for execution. Not only were X and Zero's efforts throughout the Maverick Wars all for nothing, this situation came about as a direct consequence of the Maverick Wars: Though the Maverick Virus was eventually destroyed, by the time the Maverick Wars ended the planet had been thoroughly devastated; resulting in humans [[FantasticRacism developing a deep distrust of reploids]]. [[note]]Ironically, it was a rogue human scientist that instigated the final and most destructive conflict of the Maverick Wars; in part because he wanted the reploids to be punished for all the devastation their wars caused.[[/note]] This leaves the reploids in a position to be exploited as a scapegoat when an energy crisis breaks out: The government ''deliberately'' misuses the Maverick label to brand harmless reploids as Mavericks then [[DeadlyEuphemism "retires"]] them in what amounts to a ''mass genocide''. Even when true peace is finally achieved, [[VideoGame/MegaManZX it takes another 200 years for the world to fully recover and new laws have to be passed making humans and repolids indistinguishable so they can coexist as equals.]]

* The first half of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'' deconstructs the main conventions of the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series. Like most Fire Emblem games, the main hero, Sigurd, leads a BadassArmy to invade "evil" countries and kill their tyrannical kings and nobles. ''Unlike'' most Fire Emblem games though, said countries end up ''worse'' off from the invasions rather than better, as the massive power vacuum left after the removal of their rulers leads to them being royally screwed up, which Sigurd's friend Eldigan calls him out on early on. Said friend also examines the realistic consequences of MyMasterRightOrWrong and DefectorFromDecadence that are often used in the series, as expressing his doubts to his corrupt king causes said king to immediately have him executed before he can defect to your army. In the end, Sigurd is involved in a massive political conspiracy he had no idea about, and becomes the UnwittingPawn to ''his'' nation's corrupt nobles as a result. The game also deconstructs HeroicLineage by showing how ensuring the continuation of such a bloodline involves a lot of [[IncestIsRelative incest]], as was the case with real life royalty.

* ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'' is a highly effective deconstruction of the SurvivalHorror genre in the way that it goes about BreakingTheFourthWall. The story is fairly standard for most horror titles: stop a centuries old EldritchAbomination from completely destroying the world and wiping out humanity while also facing off against its demonic undead minions. The game however takes this a step further by actually demonstrating just how damaging the constant confrontations with nightmarish creatures would be on the protagonist's psyche. The game gives each playable character a sanity meter, which decreases every time they encounter a horror. If the meter is drained, then both the character and the player would be subjected to a serious MindScrew. Examples include blood dripping from the walls, statue busts coming to life and watching you, and even the console itself pretending to break down, lower the television's volume, switch it off etc. By the end, the players themselves won't even be quite sure what's real.

* ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' is a GenreDeconstruction of {{ActionRPG}}s reminiscent of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]. TheHero, deconstructing LevelGrinding and WhatMeasureIsAMook, is an AxeCrazy psychopath who kills anything that gets in his way. His dragon partner, deconstructing [[ABoyAndHisX A Boy and His Dragon]], is a proud immortal who views humans as being little better than dirt. His sister, the local DamselInDistress, is completely useless, but is [[BarrierMaiden the only thing]] holding an army of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s from [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt destroying the world]].

* ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' is a deconstruction of TheChosenOne narrative, and in a meta sense, the classic ''Zelda'' formula that the previous games in the series ran on. As seen in the OpeningNarration, the [[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Hero of Time]], who was an explicit ChosenOne, became a MessianicArchetype to the people of the ancient kingdom [[spoiler:of Hyrule]] after he saved them from the great evil, the BigBad Ganondorf. The people then counted on the same hero [[TheSecondComing spontaneously appearing to save them generations later]], when the evil returned...and he ''didn't.'' The people of kingdom, unable to defend themselves, were relegated to praying to the gods for salvation, and the gods responded by [[spoiler:[[TheGreatFlood flooding Hyrule]] to keep Ganon from taking over, drowning any who could not make it to the safety of the kingdom's mountaintops.]] Then, in the present day, the main hero of the game is very much an average boy, with no HeroicLineage to speak of, and only leaves his home island to rescue [[BigBrotherInstinct his sister when she is kidnapped]] at the beginning of the game. Even when he's recruited into opposing Ganondorf's plans to [[spoiler:get at the Triforce]] by the [[spoiler:King of Hyrule, disguised as a CoolBoat]], he's still very much TheUnchosenOne, stated to have no connection to the older heroes. He has to quest to prove himself worthy of being the Hero at all, but in the end manages to [[spoiler:[[KilledOffForReal permanently kill Ganondorf]]]], having risen to the challenge of his own accord, rather than [[BecauseDestinySaysSo Because Destiny Said So]].