Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/OctopathTravelerII'' has some significant plot twists in a few of the travelers' first chapter.
** Partitio's first chapter involves him fighting to free his hometown from a landowner who is exploiting it. After defeating Giff, the landowner's enforcer, he learns the landowner's true name- Rocque, an old friend of his father, who turns out to be the main antagonist of Partitio's storyline.
** Hikari's first chapter ends with his evil brother Mugen overthrowing and killing their father, the king, who was about to hand his throne to Hikari. Hikari's friend Ritsu betrays Hikari by throwing in his lot with Mugen, becoming a recurring antagonist in Hikari's storyline.
** Partitio's first chapter involves him fighting to free his hometown from a landowner who is exploiting it. After defeating Giff, the landowner's enforcer, he learns the landowner's true name- Rocque, an old friend of his father, who turns out to be the main antagonist of Partitio's storyline.
** Hikari's first chapter ends with his evil brother Mugen overthrowing and killing their father, the king, who was about to hand his throne to Hikari. Hikari's friend Ritsu betrays Hikari by throwing in his lot with Mugen, becoming a recurring antagonist in Hikari's storyline.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 54,55 (click to see context) from:
** The main Hero Mode campaign has same start as previous entries: someone stole the city's Great Zapfish and the New Squidbeak Splatoon recruits a teenager off the street to help get it back. Given who the culprits were in the previous two games, a now-retired Cap'n Cuttlefish is not unjustified in accusing the Octarian Army of committing the deed. Except their leader DJ Octavio appears as first boss, blaming Cuttlefish for his missing Octarian troops. Given the aftermath of ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', this isn't unjustified either, but the fact that DJ Octavio isn't reprising his role as the FinalBoss should be setting off alarm bells for series veterans. Sure enough, this was just an extended tutorial section; after the two men express confusion about what's going on, the ground gives way and New Agent 3 is flung into the underground world of Alterna, where the campaign truly begins.
** The ''Side Order'' DLC saw [[SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer its trailers lack the presence of Marina]], a character who was already confirmed to appear in the new story campaign in the initial announcement and promotional art. This was done both to maintain the campaign's fake-out opening where it's implied that she's the final boss -- Eight and Pearl rescue her in the tutorial run -- and to hide the subsequent reveal that the setting isn't ''actually'' Inkopolis Square, but a virtual reality game created by Marina that has been co-opted by a rogue AI for its own ends.
** The ''Side Order'' DLC saw [[SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer its trailers lack the presence of Marina]], a character who was already confirmed to appear in the new story campaign in the initial announcement and promotional art. This was done both to maintain the campaign's fake-out opening where it's implied that she's the final boss -- Eight and Pearl rescue her in the tutorial run -- and to hide the subsequent reveal that the setting isn't ''actually'' Inkopolis Square, but a virtual reality game created by Marina that has been co-opted by a rogue AI for its own ends.
to:
** The main Hero Mode campaign has the same start as previous prior entries: someone stole the city's Great Zapfish and the New Squidbeak Splatoon recruits a teenager off the street to help get it back. Given who the culprits were in the previous two games, a now-retired Cap'n Cuttlefish is not unjustified in accusing the Octarian Army of committing the deed. Except their leader DJ Octavio appears as the first boss, blaming Cuttlefish for his missing Octarian troops. Given the aftermath of ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', this isn't unjustified either, but the fact that DJ Octavio he isn't reprising his role as the FinalBoss should be setting off alarm bells for series veterans. Sure enough, this was just an extended tutorial section; after the two men express confusion about what's going on, the ground gives way and New Agent 3 is flung dropped into the underground world of Alterna, where the campaign truly begins.
** The ''Side Order'' DLC saw [[SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer its trailers lack the presence of Marina]], a character who was already confirmed to appear in the new story campaign in the initial announcement and promotional art. This was done both to maintain the campaign's fake-out opening where it's implied that she's the final boss -- Eight and Pearl defeat and rescue her in the tutorial run -- and to hide the subsequent reveal that the setting isn't''actually'' actually Inkopolis Square, but a virtual reality game created by Marina that has been co-opted by a rogue AI for its own ends.
** The ''Side Order'' DLC saw [[SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer its trailers lack the presence of Marina]], a character who was already confirmed to appear in the new story campaign in the initial announcement and promotional art. This was done both to maintain the campaign's fake-out opening where it's implied that she's the final boss -- Eight and Pearl defeat and rescue her in the tutorial run -- and to hide the subsequent reveal that the setting isn't
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 54 (click to see context) from:
** The main Hero Mode campaign has same start as previous entries: someone stole the city's Great Zapfish and the New Squidbeak Splatoon recruits a teenager off the street to help get it back. Given who the culprits were in the previous two games, a now-retired Cap'n Cuttlefish is not unjustified in accusing the Octarian Army of committing the deed. Except after going through a few levels, you encounter their leader DJ Octavio as your first boss, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops. Given the aftermath of ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', this isn't unjustified, but the fact that DJ Octavio isn't reprising his role as the FinalBoss should be setting off alarm bells for series veterans. Sure enough, this was just an extended tutorial section; after the two men express confusion about what's going on, the ground gives way and you're flung into the underground world of Alterna, where the actual campaign begins.
to:
** The main Hero Mode campaign has same start as previous entries: someone stole the city's Great Zapfish and the New Squidbeak Splatoon recruits a teenager off the street to help get it back. Given who the culprits were in the previous two games, a now-retired Cap'n Cuttlefish is not unjustified in accusing the Octarian Army of committing the deed. Except after going through a few levels, you encounter their leader DJ Octavio appears as your first boss, who accuses blaming Cuttlefish of stealing for his missing Octarian troops. Given the aftermath of ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', this isn't unjustified, unjustified either, but the fact that DJ Octavio isn't reprising his role as the FinalBoss should be setting off alarm bells for series veterans. Sure enough, this was just an extended tutorial section; after the two men express confusion about what's going on, the ground gives way and you're New Agent 3 is flung into the underground world of Alterna, where the actual campaign truly begins.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 53 (click to see context) from:
* The story of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' begins with Craig Cuttlefish accusing the Octarians of stealing the Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was the impetus of the first two ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games' main story modes, he's not entirely unjustified. The first few levels even play out as exaggerated versions of those prior campaigns. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given the end result of the previous two games, he's not unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? Well, the fact that DJ Octavio is the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background. Sure enough, once the fight ends, the ground gives way, both Octavio and Cuttlefish go missing, [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded in Alterna with the new Captain, the Squid Sisters, and Smallfry as their only company, and the misson/gameplay structure switches to one more akin to the prior game's ''Octo Expansion'' DLC.
to:
* ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'':
** Thestory of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' begins with Craig Cuttlefish accusing main Hero Mode campaign has same start as previous entries: someone stole the Octarians of stealing the city's Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was and the impetus of New Squidbeak Splatoon recruits a teenager off the street to help get it back. Given who the culprits were in the previous two games, a now-retired Cap'n Cuttlefish is not unjustified in accusing the Octarian Army of committing the deed. Except after going through a few levels, you encounter their leader DJ Octavio as your first two ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games' main story modes, he's not entirely unjustified. The first few levels even play out as exaggerated versions of those prior campaigns. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, boss, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given troops. Given the end result aftermath of the previous two games, he's not ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', this isn't unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? Well, but the fact that DJ Octavio is isn't reprising his role as the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, FinalBoss should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background. setting off alarm bells for series veterans. Sure enough, once this was just an extended tutorial section; after the fight ends, two men express confusion about what's going on, the ground gives way, both Octavio way and Cuttlefish go missing, [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded you're flung into the underground world of Alterna, where the actual campaign begins.
** The ''Side Order'' DLC saw [[SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer its trailers lack the presence of Marina]], a character who was already confirmed to appear inAlterna with the new Captain, story campaign in the Squid Sisters, initial announcement and Smallfry as their only company, promotional art. This was done both to maintain the campaign's fake-out opening where it's implied that she's the final boss -- Eight and Pearl rescue her in the misson/gameplay structure switches tutorial run -- and to one more akin to hide the prior game's ''Octo Expansion'' DLC.subsequent reveal that the setting isn't ''actually'' Inkopolis Square, but a virtual reality game created by Marina that has been co-opted by a rogue AI for its own ends.
** The
** The ''Side Order'' DLC saw [[SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer its trailers lack the presence of Marina]], a character who was already confirmed to appear in
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' starts with Link waking up in his underwear inside an empty cave and slowly builds up to the reveal that [[AmnesiacHero he is suffering from amnesia]], that [[AfterTheEnd Hyrule was nearly wiped out 100 years ago]] and that [[RipVanWinkle he has been sleeping]] in the [[HealingVat Shrine of Resurrection]] since [[FirstEpisodeResurrection he died during the Great Calamity]]. In other words, [[StrictlyFormula the usual formula]] that has become a staple for the series doesn't apply anymore.
to:
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' starts with [[YouWakeUpInARoom Link waking up in his underwear inside an empty cave cave]] and slowly builds up to the reveal that [[AmnesiacHero he is suffering from amnesia]], that [[AfterTheEnd Hyrule was nearly wiped out 100 years ago]] and that [[RipVanWinkle he has been sleeping]] in the [[HealingVat Shrine of Resurrection]] since [[FirstEpisodeResurrection he died during the Great Calamity]]. In other words, [[StrictlyFormula the usual formula]] that has become a staple for the series doesn't apply anymore.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' starts with Link waking up in his underwear inside an empty cave and slowly builds up to the reveal that [[AmnesiacHero he is suffering from amnesia]], that [[AfterTheEnd Hyrule was nearly wiped out 100 years ago]] and that [[RipVanWinkle he has been sleeping]] in the [[HealingVat Shrine of Resurrection]] since [[FirstEpisodeResurrection he died during the Great Calamity]]. In other words, [[StrictlyFormula the usual formula]] that has become a staple for the series doesn't apply anymore.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example(s)
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/OuterWilds'' looks like a cozy space exploration game, where you play as a funky alien cruising your solar system in a mostly-wooden spaceship. Then, 22 minutes after liftoff, your sun goes nova. ''Then'' you wake up next to the campfire you started at before the tutorial, but already knowing the launch codes you learned at the end of it. Suddenly the game is a cosmic mystery, as you try to work out why you're stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop and how you might escape it, using knowledge you discover from exploring different sites each loop.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/MasterDetectiveArchivesRainCode'': Trailers and marketing heavily focused on the TheHero Yuma's fellow Master Detectives from the World Detective Organization. In the game proper, all of them are murdered early into the first chapter, and Yuma's actual allies are a different group of detectives.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 46 (click to see context) from:
* In ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', the fact that Elh [[GenderReveal is a girl]] is shown fairly early. This makes tropes involving her rather ''difficult'', due to both some serious PronounTrouble and the amount of ShipTease she has with Red, who is creeped out by CampGay Alman ([[FridgeBrilliance perhaps that's the ''reason'' he flipped out so much when he finally learned the truth]]: he was getting SweetOnPollyOliver and worried it was a case of YouAreWhatYouHate, and wished she'd spared him the mental grief).
to:
* In ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter'', the fact that Elh [[GenderReveal is a girl]] is shown fairly early. This makes tropes involving her rather ''difficult'', due to both some serious PronounTrouble and the amount of ShipTease she has with Red, who is creeped out by CampGay Alman ([[FridgeBrilliance perhaps that's the ''reason'' he flipped out so much when he finally learned the truth]]: he was getting SweetOnPollyOliver and worried it was a case of YouAreWhatYouHate, and wished she'd spared him the mental grief).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' possibly tops the above twists by having Dante ''[[DefeatingTheUndefeatable lose]]'' in the Prologue, after which all Hell breaks lose.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 15,16 (click to see context) from:
** Nero's right arm is slinged in the prologue cutscene, implying that he's handicapped. Mid-way through the first mission, Nero uses said arm to block Dante's sword, revealing his arm to be of demonic nature which grants him SuperStrength.
** The plot starts with Dante, the protagonist of every other game in the franchise, killing Sanctus, the leader of the Order of the Sword, after which demons begin plaguing the streets of Fortuna and [[{{hellgate}} Hell Gates]] start popping up across the island. Nero is left to investigate where the demons are coming from and what part Dante plays in the whole mess.
** The plot starts with Dante, the protagonist of every other game in the franchise, killing Sanctus, the leader of the Order of the Sword, after which demons begin plaguing the streets of Fortuna and [[{{hellgate}} Hell Gates]] start popping up across the island. Nero is left to investigate where the demons are coming from and what part Dante plays in the whole mess.
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'': Nero's right arm is slinged in the prologue cutscene, implying that he's handicapped. Mid-way through the first mission, Nero uses said arm to block Dante's sword, revealing his arm to be of demonic nature which grants him SuperStrength.
to:
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'': ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'':
** Nero's right arm is slinged in the prologue cutscene, implying that he's handicapped. Mid-way through the first mission, Nero uses said arm to block Dante's sword, revealing his arm to be of demonic nature which grants himSuperStrength.SuperStrength.
** The plot starts with Dante, the protagonist of every other game in the franchise, killing Sanctus, the leader of the Order of the Sword, after which demons begin plaguing the streets of Fortuna and [[{{hellgate}} Hell Gates]] start popping up across the island. Nero is left to investigate where the demons are coming from and what part Dante plays in the whole mess.
** Nero's right arm is slinged in the prologue cutscene, implying that he's handicapped. Mid-way through the first mission, Nero uses said arm to block Dante's sword, revealing his arm to be of demonic nature which grants him
** The plot starts with Dante, the protagonist of every other game in the franchise, killing Sanctus, the leader of the Order of the Sword, after which demons begin plaguing the streets of Fortuna and [[{{hellgate}} Hell Gates]] start popping up across the island. Nero is left to investigate where the demons are coming from and what part Dante plays in the whole mess.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* One of the main goals of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'' is to find Zelda. You very quickly learn that she was actually sent back into the past, to the time of Hyrule's founding.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 37 (click to see context) from:
* ''VideoGame/Mother3'': Lucas's mother is killed in the first chapter--[[PlayerPunch only a few minutes after we got to name her]]. And then his twin brother Claus runs off to avenge her and is presumed dead, [[DecoyProtagonist despite him being playable in the prologue battle]].
to:
* ''VideoGame/Mother3'': Lucas's mother is killed in the first chapter--[[PlayerPunch chapter -- [[PlayerPunch only a few minutes after we got to name her]]. And then his twin brother Claus runs off to avenge her and is presumed dead, [[DecoyProtagonist despite him being playable in the prologue battle]].
Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
* The story of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' has Craig Cuttlefish (no longer Captain) accusing the Octarians of stealing the Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was the impetus of the first two ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games' story mode, he's not entirely unjustified. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given the end result of the previous two games, he's not unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? [[spoiler:The fact that DJ Octavio is the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background, and sure enough, once the fight ends, the ground gives way, both Octavio and Cuttlefish go missing, and [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded in Alterna with the new Captain, the Squid Sisters, and Smallfry as their only company.]]
to:
* The story of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' has begins with Craig Cuttlefish (no longer Captain) accusing the Octarians of stealing the Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was the impetus of the first two ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games' main story mode, modes, he's not entirely unjustified.unjustified. The first few levels even play out as exaggerated versions of those prior campaigns. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given the end result of the previous two games, he's not unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? [[spoiler:The Well, the fact that DJ Octavio is the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background, and sure background. Sure enough, once the fight ends, the ground gives way, both Octavio and Cuttlefish go missing, and [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded in Alterna with the new Captain, the Squid Sisters, and Smallfry as their only company.]]company, and the misson/gameplay structure switches to one more akin to the prior game's ''Octo Expansion'' DLC.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 47 (click to see context) from:
* The story of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' has Craig Cuttlefish (no longer Captain) accusing the Octarians of stealing the Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was the impetus of the first two ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games' story mode, he's not entirely unjustified. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given the end result of the previous two games, he's not unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? [[spoiler:The fact that DJ Octavio is the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background, and sure enough, once the fight ends, the ground gives way, both Octavio and Cuttlefish go missing, and [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded in Alterna with the new Captain, the Squid Sisters, and Little Buddy as their only company.]]
to:
* The story of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' has Craig Cuttlefish (no longer Captain) accusing the Octarians of stealing the Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was the impetus of the first two ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games' story mode, he's not entirely unjustified. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given the end result of the previous two games, he's not unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? [[spoiler:The fact that DJ Octavio is the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background, and sure enough, once the fight ends, the ground gives way, both Octavio and Cuttlefish go missing, and [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded in Alterna with the new Captain, the Squid Sisters, and Little Buddy Smallfry as their only company.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'': Yuta Asahina is introduced in the first chapter and the fact that he quickly bonds with Komaru and is the brother of one of the survivors from the first game would lead one to think he’d be a major character. Only a few minutes after his introduction, he tries to swim away from Towa City, leading to the reveal that the bracelets on those targeted by the Warriors of Hope have bombs in them that will explode if they get too far away from the city.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 46 (click to see context) from:
* The story of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' has Craig Cuttlefish (no longer Captain) accusing the Octarians of stealing the Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was the impetus of the first two games' story mode, he's not entirely unjustified. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given the end result of the previous two games, he's not unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? [[spoiler:The fact that DJ Octavio is the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background, and sure enough, once the fight ends, the ground gives way, both Octavio and Cuttlefish go missing, and [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded in Alterna with the new Captain, the Squid Sisters, and Little Buddy as their only company.]]
to:
* The story of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' has Craig Cuttlefish (no longer Captain) accusing the Octarians of stealing the Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was the impetus of the first two ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games' story mode, he's not entirely unjustified. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given the end result of the previous two games, he's not unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? [[spoiler:The fact that DJ Octavio is the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background, and sure enough, once the fight ends, the ground gives way, both Octavio and Cuttlefish go missing, and [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded in Alterna with the new Captain, the Squid Sisters, and Little Buddy as their only company.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* The story of ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' has Craig Cuttlefish (no longer Captain) accusing the Octarians of stealing the Great Zapfish from Splatsville; given that this was the impetus of the first two games' story mode, he's not entirely unjustified. However, not long into the story, you find DJ Octavio, who accuses Cuttlefish of stealing his Octarian troops; given the end result of the previous two games, he's not unjustified, either. So who's the real criminal here? [[spoiler:The fact that DJ Octavio is the ''first boss'' of this game, instead of the last like the previous two story modes, should be a five-alarm fire warning that something much bigger is afoot in the background, and sure enough, once the fight ends, the ground gives way, both Octavio and Cuttlefish go missing, and [[PlayerCharacter New Agent 3]] is stranded in Alterna with the new Captain, the Squid Sisters, and Little Buddy as their only company.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 37 (click to see context) from:
* After the tutorial of ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' wraps up, the player is introduced to Omori's real-life self Sunny, revealing that Omori is not real, and that the actual plot of the game is Sunny attempting to reconnect with his friends and come to terms with his [[MyGreatestFailure greatest failure]].
to:
* After the tutorial of ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' ''VideoGame/{{OMORI}}'' wraps up, the player is introduced to Omori's real-life self Sunny, revealing that Omori is not real, and that the actual plot of the game is Sunny attempting to reconnect with his friends and come to terms with his [[MyGreatestFailure greatest failure]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 40 (click to see context) from:
* In ''VideoGame/ReturnOfTheObraDinn'', you play as an insurance investigator on a GhostShip. Initially, the only supernatural element in the game seems to be the gameplay mechanic of using a magic pocketwatch to see people's deaths, and the player is led to believe everyone was killed simply due by mundane causes such as mutiny. Then the fifth death scene, barely half an hour into the game, gives the WhamShot reveal that the ship was attacked by a kraken, and it becomes clear [[MagicRealism what kind of world the game takes place in]].
to:
* In ''VideoGame/ReturnOfTheObraDinn'', you play as an insurance investigator on a GhostShip. Initially, the only supernatural element who is sent to investigate an abandoned ship that has reappeared in the game seems to be 1807 after being lost at sea. Other than the gameplay mechanic of using a magic pocketwatch to see people's deaths, the story initially seems to be a realistic age-of-sail mystery, and the player is led to believe everyone was killed simply due by mundane causes such as mutiny. Then the fifth death scene, barely half an hour into the game, gives the WhamShot reveal that the ship was attacked by a kraken, and it becomes clear [[MagicRealism what kind of world the game takes place in]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 41 (click to see context) from:
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' appears to take place in the 15th century in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, a middle-ages civilization where demons roam underground and warriors known as "Samurai" are tasked with slaying them. However after passing through a gate deep underground that has gone unopened for a thousand or so years, the heroes discover what the Monastary has been calling "The Land of the Unclean Ones"...which is in fact a modern-day Tokyo that has been living in the aftermath of a demon apocalypse. While the player does have unusual dreams about Tokyo at the start of the game, at the time the exact context wasn't made clear.
to:
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' appears to take place in the 15th century in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, a middle-ages civilization where demons roam underground and warriors known as "Samurai" are tasked with slaying them. However after passing through a gate deep underground that has gone unopened for a thousand or so years, the heroes discover what the Monastary has been calling "The Land of the Unclean Ones"...which is in fact a modern-day Tokyo that has been living in the aftermath of a demon apocalypse. While the player does have unusual dreams about Tokyo at the start of the game, at the time the exact context of why Tokyo appears in a game supposed to be set in the 1400s wasn't made clear.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' appears to take place in the 15th century in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, a middle-ages civilization where demons roam underground and warriors known as "Samurai" are tasked with slaying them. However after passing through a gate deep underground that has gone unopened for a thousand or so years, the heroes discover what the Monastary has been calling "The Land of the Unclean Ones"...which is in fact a modern-day Tokyo that has been living in the aftermath of a demon apocalypse. While the player does have unusual dreams about Tokyo at the start of the game, at the time the exact context wasn't made clear.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'': It's all a simulation imposed on a man in the near future. It's the very first thing we actually find out in game but when it first came out, all the promo material tried to hide it, and several fans complained that sites were giving away the "twist" in their reviews, though some reviewers tried to hide it.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'': This game reveals that the human race was originally created as worker drones by a [[{{Precursors}} superior race]], who later died off in a [[{{Gotterdammerung}} catastrophic event]]. This immediately became the base premise of the overarching ''Assassin's Creed'' storyline, to the point where it's difficult to explain the modern-day story without covering this basic information.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'': the safehouse where Desmond was transported to for most of the second game is not only in Italy, but a few hours' drive from the Monteriggioni villa.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' has you start off playing as British noble Haytham Kenway, despite all the hype for the game being about playing as a Native American Assassin. After a few missions with him, it's revealed Haytham defected to the side of the villainous Templars and the group he spent so much trouble putting together were all Templars. Once you start playing as Native American Connor, Haytham is set up to be the BigBad.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'': Edward is not an Assassin for most of the game, instead [[DeadPersonImpersonation impersonating an Assassin]] [[KlingonPromotion he had just killed]] and spends a good portion of his time playing both the Assassins and Templars for his own benefit.
%% * ''VideoGame/ADarkRoom'' initially appears to be set in the pre-industrial past, possibly as far back as the Neolithic era, but once the player character gains the capacity to explore the world beyond their own village it becomes apparent that it is in fact [[AfterTheEnd a post-apocalyptic setting]]. This is not the biggest twist in the game.
%% * ''VideoGame/DeadlyRoomsOfDeath'':
%% ** ''Journey to Rooted Hold'': The Rooted Empire exists.
%% ** ''Gunthro and the Epic Blunder'': Gunthro witnesses the King's assassination. (Though it's not until the end that it becomes clear that this is in fact the "epic blunder" [[JustifiedTitle mentioned in the title]]).
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'': Near the end of the prologue, Trish removes her sunglasses and looks back at Dante. The camera then quickly focuses on Eva's portrait, revealing that this mysterious woman looks just like Dante's mother.
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'': Nero's right arm is slinged in the prologue cutscene, implying that he's handicapped. Mid-way through the first mission, Nero uses said arm to block Dante's sword, revealing his arm to be of demonic nature which grants him SuperStrength.
* The prologue for ''VideoGame/DigimonStoryCyberSleuth'' ends with TheHero getting attacked by an [[EldritchAbomination Eater]] while trying to log out of [[{{Cyberspace}} EDEN]], causing their consciousness to manifest in the real world in a part-digital, part-physical body. A surprising turn of events to be sure, but their nature as an {{Energy Being|s}} and the abilities it grants them are integral to the game's story and form the basis for at least one major game mechanic, so it's difficult to discuss the game without addressing it in some way.
* In ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'', you play as one character while exploring the HubLevel, but every time you find a page of the titular TomeOfEldritchLore, you get a flashback sequence where you play as a past member of TheChosenMany. Except the first of these you play as, a Roman Centurion named Pious Augustus, does a FaceHeelTurn at the end of his chapter, transforms into a [[OurLichesAreDifferent liche]], and becomes TheHeavy the rest of the cast ends up opposing in their chapters.
%% * In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', some players will be spoiled about a major plot point in the game's first act if they played ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' and are pretty perceptive. When searching through Kellogg's memories, one of the first ones you stumble into is him as a young boy sitting on his bed as the radio at his bedside announces the formation of the New California Republic. The NCR was formed in 2189, '''100 years''' before the events of ''4''. With the reveal that [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Kellogg happened to have lived a very long life before you killed him]], you may not be too surprised to find that your son is now an old man and has been with the Institute a very long time.
* ''VideoGame/FateExtra'': The game starts off in an ordinary school setting filled with recognizable characters from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and presents itself as a pretty standard Visual Novel in the same vein. After about 20 minutes of play, you discover that the school environment was a digital simulation, all those recognizable characters are [[NonPlayerCharacter NPCs]] to add to illusion, and you have entered into a massive tournament within the computer for the sake of an all-powerful wish. ''Then'' the RPG mechanics show up.
%% * ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
%% ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' reveals very early on in Lyn's story that her real name is Lyndis and she's actually the rightful heir of Caelin. This becomes a major part of her character arc throughout the rest of the game.
%% ** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', Ike's father Greil dies early into the story and he's forced to assume leadership of the Greil Mercenaries.
%% ** The prologue of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' reveals that your Avatar will, for some reason, stab Chrom to death. Part of the plot involves figuring out ''why'' the Avatar would backstab Chrom (Short version, possession by the BigBad.) and if there was a way to change that. To hammer it in, Chapter 23 takes place in the same battlefield the prologue does.
%% ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'': technically it's chapter six, but that Queen Mikoto of Hoshido suddenly gets assassinated is the focal point where the storyline diverges into either ''Birthright'', ''Conquest'' or ''Revelation''.
%% * The [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys first game]] in the ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' series largely goes with an ExcusePlot during gameplay, and keeps its [[WouldHurtAChild blood-soaked]] [[HauntedTechnology backstory]] hidden through randomly seen posters (meaning one might catch it as early as Night 1). The sequels and spinoffs, however, aren't so coy about hiding it.
* More of a Second-Episode Spoiler, but in ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'', Torque reveals the "shellduck" look was just a disguise and that he's actually a SpacePolice officer sent to Planet Avalice to capture Lord Brevon. This happens right after the 2nd stage (out of 12). Furthermore, the promotional media (official posters, trailer and website's character page) doesn't even try to hide the "spoiler", outright depicting him in his true alien form, with no "shellduck" disguise on.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' drops several major drama bombs in the ''tutorial mission'', an ActionPrologue detailing the nature of Michael and Trevor's friendship (and even revealing that "Michael De Santa" is a WitnessProtection cover for Michael Townley, who wanted out of the game and betrayed his best friend to the FIB), all of which had been kept under wraps before release. It also happens to be the only mission in the game where you can't skip any {{Cutscene}}s, so good luck trying to replay the game for a friend without giving away some major spoilers. Given how critical this is to the story, it becomes impossible to talk about single-player without spoiling at least some of it.
%% * Cortana's survival is confirmed by the end of the second mission of ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians''. This revelation drives the plot of the game and Cortana becomes the main antagonist by taking control of most of the galaxy by the end of the game.
%% * ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'': Jason's death happens not even 30 minutes into the game's prologue.
%% * The [[AtmosphereAbuse Burning]] of [[DoomedHometown Kharak]] in ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}''.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' starts with the player controlling Roxas, an all-new character living in Twilight Town (which wasn't explored in depth in its first appearance). Then, it's revealed that Roxas is actually living in a simulation with fake friends and memories, and that he's actually the Nobody of Sora, the first game's protagonist, and he must disappear so Sora can be awakened. The rest of the game is played from Sora's perspective, so it's hard to not spoil that something will happen to Roxas.
%% * The entire plot in ''VideoGame/TheLastExpress'' revolves around Robert trying to find out who killed Tyler. Most players will discover Tyler's body within a minute of starting the game, but most advertisements and contemporary reviews of the game still avoid mentioning his death.
* The prologue of ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'' reveals that Joel had a daughter that was killed by a soldier just hours after the outbreak of the Cordyceps strain.
* Commander Shepard's resurrection at the beginning of ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' would be a surprising and dramatic opening, except that it's practically impossible to discuss the game in any sort of depth without that coming up. This doubles-up with TrailersAlwaysSpoil: the announcement trailer had a long list of Shepard's personnel file, ending with: "Killed in action", with a pull-back reveal that Shepard's N7 armor you were seeing had, in fact, just been a piece of chestplate that was grafted onto a Geth unit. [[WildMassGuessing Fandom speculation abounded]] about whether Shepard was faking dead, had somehow been turned into a Geth, or if they HAD died and you were now playing a new character.
%% ** Another example in the first game is the revelation of the [[EldritchAbomination Reapers]].
* It's practically impossible to talk about ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' in-depth without mentioning the [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent early-game character switch]]. Unlike the ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' example above, however, most reviewers tried their best to write around the twist until it became ItWasHisSled territory. Konami themselves also tried their best to hide the twist in each subsequent UpdatedRerelease, finally relenting in the HD Collection version which included a brief blurb about the Plant Chapter in its official summary.
%% * ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'': Ivor, the (apparent) main villain is a member of The Order of the Stone. The legends have been distorted.
* ''VideoGame/Mother3'': Lucas's mother is killed in the first chapter--[[PlayerPunch only a few minutes after we got to name her]]. And then his twin brother Claus runs off to avenge her and is presumed dead, [[DecoyProtagonist despite him being playable in the prologue battle]].
* After the tutorial of ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' wraps up, the player is introduced to Omori's real-life self Sunny, revealing that Omori is not real, and that the actual plot of the game is Sunny attempting to reconnect with his friends and come to terms with his [[MyGreatestFailure greatest failure]].
%% * Right after the movement/combat tutorial in ''VideoGame/Persona5'', the protagonist is captured by the police, who reveal that one of his teammates was a [[TheMole traitor]]. Much of the rest of the game is a series of flashbacks made through interrogation.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' takes place during the distant past of the Pokémon universe, with all of the promotional material revolving around you as a person living in ancient Sinnoh, serving as a talented new member of a surveying group trying to learn more about the area's Pokémon. What all the marketing hid was the actual plot of the title, which reveals almost immediately that it's actually a TimeTravel story wherein the player character actually hails from the present-day and is tasked by Arceus to assist in the development of Hisui into the modern region of Sinnoh, while investigating mysterious space-time rifts that are causing chaos in Hisui.
* In ''VideoGame/ReturnOfTheObraDinn'', you play as an insurance investigator on a GhostShip. Initially, the only supernatural element in the game seems to be the gameplay mechanic of using a magic pocketwatch to see people's deaths, and the player is led to believe everyone was killed simply due by mundane causes such as mutiny. Then the fifth death scene, barely half an hour into the game, gives the WhamShot reveal that the ship was attacked by a kraken, and it becomes clear [[MagicRealism what kind of world the game takes place in]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', the fact that Elh [[GenderReveal is a girl]] is shown fairly early. This makes tropes involving her rather ''difficult'', due to both some serious PronounTrouble and the amount of ShipTease she has with Red, who is creeped out by CampGay Alman ([[FridgeBrilliance perhaps that's the ''reason'' he flipped out so much when he finally learned the truth]]: he was getting SweetOnPollyOliver and worried it was a case of YouAreWhatYouHate, and wished she'd spared him the mental grief).
* ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' was marketed as a straightforward modern military shooter in the vein of ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'' or ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'', but it rapidly became common knowledge that it is in fact a GenreDeconstruction. Exactly what point in the game this becomes clear is subject to debate, but the first instance the player has to fight against American troops (about forty-five minutes into the game) is a fairly good indicator that it's not a straightforward shooter. %% White phosphorous incident doesn't count, it's too far into the game.
* Andrew Plotkin's ''VideoGame/SpiderAndWeb'': The entire game is premised on the fact that you are not just a tourist, despite the opening's attempt to mislead you otherwise.
* ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'' reveals a major villain (Dr. Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus) immediately after the opening tutorial level ends. Played with, as the character (pre-villainous transformation) is introduced as an ally of Peter's, and many plot points [[AdaptationDeviation toy with the audience's expectations and prior comic knowledge about the character's inevitable fate]].
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' does this ''[[InvertedTrope backwards]]'' by cutting off as Lloyd is about to name the WorldTree. ''Symphonia'' is a prequel to '' VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'', in which the World Tree Yggdrasil was just one mundane example of many gratuitous references to Norse mythology.
%% * ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' has the pre-Opening beginning of the game involve finding a horrible secret in the Research Center. The center houses the Lance of Kresnik, a huge WaveMotionGun that is [[PoweredByAForsakenChild powered by people]]. This revelation is the reason that starts up why Jude is following Milla to begin with.
%% * At the end of Stage 1 of ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis 4'', Giorgio, Evan, and Captain Rush investigate the dead body of stage endboss Marcus Black, who they just defeated, and discover that Black and the soldiers he was leading have U.S. military dog tags, revealing that the terrorists in this game are not the Western Order Liberation Front like in past games, but an entire branch of the American military that has gone rogue.
* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'''s first area, the ruins, will throw some curveballs at you if you take things at face value.
** Flowey's the first character you encounter, and is described as "your best friend" in the demo manual. He also reveals himself to be a villain soon after tricking you into following a fake tutorial wherein he's actually trying to kill you.
** Following the encounter with Flowey, you are introduced to a friendly monster named Toriel, who makes herself your adoptive mother. Shortly after, you are forced to fight her to progress, which would already be a dramatic twist, but on top of that, the battle will probably end with you killing her, whether you meant to or not, unless you know what to do, which [[WhatTheHellPlayer the game will call you out on]]. The game will also call you out if you killed even one of the random encounters, establishing that ''Undertale'' doesn't treat death (even [[WhatMeasureIsAMook of minor enemies]]) the same way that other [=RPGs=] do. This is a major part of ''Undertale'''s premise, but it's bound to be unexpected if you somehow played it without any prior knowledge.
%% * ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'': From a literal standpoint, everything that happens in Episode 1 ''could'' be considered this, but considering its length, a better example is Shawn's death and Hershal kicking everyone off the farm as a result, which comes less than halfway through the first episode and kicks off the story.
%% * The story of ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2'' begins with the death of King Foltest, which one might guess from the ''subtitle'' being ''Assassins of Kings''.
* ''VideoGame/WorldsEndClub'' starts off with a ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}''-esque scenario where a group of kids find themselves trapped in a surreal location with no memory of how they got there, and a MascotVillain tells them to play a DeadlyGame where they must outwit everyone else so that one of them can escape to the real world while the rest perish. At the end of the first level, it seems like the Deadly Game will continue, but it ends up abruptly coming to an end and everyone escapes alive. The real story is their [[TheHomewardJourney journey back home]] halfway across Japan and uncovering the mystery of what happened to the outside world while they were gone.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', Fiora, one of your party members and [[TheHero Shulk]]'s {{Love Interest|s}}, dies trying to fend off the Mechon attack on [[DoomedHometown Colony 9]] at the start of the game. While players going in blind might be shocked by this, anyone who's seen or heard of anything from later in the game will probably be expecting it, both because Shulk's main motivation for the first half of the story is avenging her death, and because it's hard to look at any later scenes involving the party and not notice Fiora's conspicuous absence. In fact, the real twist is that she ''didn't'' actually die, but was turned into a Mechon and later rejoins the party.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', Azurda performs a HeroicSacrifice at the end of the first chapter and then regenerates into a smaller, younger form. Thus, it can be rather difficult to explain why everyone refers to that wise, soft-voiced pixie as "Gramps."
* ''VideoGame/YomawariNightAlone'' begins the main character, a little girl, walking her dog, with the game providing a tutorial for the controls. One of these tutorials ends with the dog getting rammed by an oncoming truck. Luckily, most trailers and promotional material keep this a secret, saying that the dog simply went missing. It helps that the little girl believes he's missing, spending much of the game in complete denial over his death.
** ''VideoGame/YomawariMidnightShadows'' begins with one of the main characters, Yui, burying one of her dead dogs and taking her living dog out for a walk as part of the tutorial. The tutorial ends with her commiting suicide, spending the rest of the game as a spirit that Haru, her best friend, is trying to reunite with. Like the first game, the trailers and promotional material kept the spoiler a secret by saying the two got separated during a festival.
----
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'': It's all a simulation imposed on a man in the near future. It's the very first thing we actually find out in game but when it first came out, all the promo material tried to hide it, and several fans complained that sites were giving away the "twist" in their reviews, though some reviewers tried to hide it.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'': This game reveals that the human race was originally created as worker drones by a [[{{Precursors}} superior race]], who later died off in a [[{{Gotterdammerung}} catastrophic event]]. This immediately became the base premise of the overarching ''Assassin's Creed'' storyline, to the point where it's difficult to explain the modern-day story without covering this basic information.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'': the safehouse where Desmond was transported to for most of the second game is not only in Italy, but a few hours' drive from the Monteriggioni villa.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' has you start off playing as British noble Haytham Kenway, despite all the hype for the game being about playing as a Native American Assassin. After a few missions with him, it's revealed Haytham defected to the side of the villainous Templars and the group he spent so much trouble putting together were all Templars. Once you start playing as Native American Connor, Haytham is set up to be the BigBad.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'': Edward is not an Assassin for most of the game, instead [[DeadPersonImpersonation impersonating an Assassin]] [[KlingonPromotion he had just killed]] and spends a good portion of his time playing both the Assassins and Templars for his own benefit.
%% * ''VideoGame/ADarkRoom'' initially appears to be set in the pre-industrial past, possibly as far back as the Neolithic era, but once the player character gains the capacity to explore the world beyond their own village it becomes apparent that it is in fact [[AfterTheEnd a post-apocalyptic setting]]. This is not the biggest twist in the game.
%% * ''VideoGame/DeadlyRoomsOfDeath'':
%% ** ''Journey to Rooted Hold'': The Rooted Empire exists.
%% ** ''Gunthro and the Epic Blunder'': Gunthro witnesses the King's assassination. (Though it's not until the end that it becomes clear that this is in fact the "epic blunder" [[JustifiedTitle mentioned in the title]]).
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'': Near the end of the prologue, Trish removes her sunglasses and looks back at Dante. The camera then quickly focuses on Eva's portrait, revealing that this mysterious woman looks just like Dante's mother.
** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'': Nero's right arm is slinged in the prologue cutscene, implying that he's handicapped. Mid-way through the first mission, Nero uses said arm to block Dante's sword, revealing his arm to be of demonic nature which grants him SuperStrength.
* The prologue for ''VideoGame/DigimonStoryCyberSleuth'' ends with TheHero getting attacked by an [[EldritchAbomination Eater]] while trying to log out of [[{{Cyberspace}} EDEN]], causing their consciousness to manifest in the real world in a part-digital, part-physical body. A surprising turn of events to be sure, but their nature as an {{Energy Being|s}} and the abilities it grants them are integral to the game's story and form the basis for at least one major game mechanic, so it's difficult to discuss the game without addressing it in some way.
* In ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'', you play as one character while exploring the HubLevel, but every time you find a page of the titular TomeOfEldritchLore, you get a flashback sequence where you play as a past member of TheChosenMany. Except the first of these you play as, a Roman Centurion named Pious Augustus, does a FaceHeelTurn at the end of his chapter, transforms into a [[OurLichesAreDifferent liche]], and becomes TheHeavy the rest of the cast ends up opposing in their chapters.
%% * In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', some players will be spoiled about a major plot point in the game's first act if they played ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' and are pretty perceptive. When searching through Kellogg's memories, one of the first ones you stumble into is him as a young boy sitting on his bed as the radio at his bedside announces the formation of the New California Republic. The NCR was formed in 2189, '''100 years''' before the events of ''4''. With the reveal that [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Kellogg happened to have lived a very long life before you killed him]], you may not be too surprised to find that your son is now an old man and has been with the Institute a very long time.
* ''VideoGame/FateExtra'': The game starts off in an ordinary school setting filled with recognizable characters from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and presents itself as a pretty standard Visual Novel in the same vein. After about 20 minutes of play, you discover that the school environment was a digital simulation, all those recognizable characters are [[NonPlayerCharacter NPCs]] to add to illusion, and you have entered into a massive tournament within the computer for the sake of an all-powerful wish. ''Then'' the RPG mechanics show up.
%% * ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
%% ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' reveals very early on in Lyn's story that her real name is Lyndis and she's actually the rightful heir of Caelin. This becomes a major part of her character arc throughout the rest of the game.
%% ** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'', Ike's father Greil dies early into the story and he's forced to assume leadership of the Greil Mercenaries.
%% ** The prologue of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' reveals that your Avatar will, for some reason, stab Chrom to death. Part of the plot involves figuring out ''why'' the Avatar would backstab Chrom (Short version, possession by the BigBad.) and if there was a way to change that. To hammer it in, Chapter 23 takes place in the same battlefield the prologue does.
%% ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'': technically it's chapter six, but that Queen Mikoto of Hoshido suddenly gets assassinated is the focal point where the storyline diverges into either ''Birthright'', ''Conquest'' or ''Revelation''.
%% * The [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys first game]] in the ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' series largely goes with an ExcusePlot during gameplay, and keeps its [[WouldHurtAChild blood-soaked]] [[HauntedTechnology backstory]] hidden through randomly seen posters (meaning one might catch it as early as Night 1). The sequels and spinoffs, however, aren't so coy about hiding it.
* More of a Second-Episode Spoiler, but in ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'', Torque reveals the "shellduck" look was just a disguise and that he's actually a SpacePolice officer sent to Planet Avalice to capture Lord Brevon. This happens right after the 2nd stage (out of 12). Furthermore, the promotional media (official posters, trailer and website's character page) doesn't even try to hide the "spoiler", outright depicting him in his true alien form, with no "shellduck" disguise on.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' drops several major drama bombs in the ''tutorial mission'', an ActionPrologue detailing the nature of Michael and Trevor's friendship (and even revealing that "Michael De Santa" is a WitnessProtection cover for Michael Townley, who wanted out of the game and betrayed his best friend to the FIB), all of which had been kept under wraps before release. It also happens to be the only mission in the game where you can't skip any {{Cutscene}}s, so good luck trying to replay the game for a friend without giving away some major spoilers. Given how critical this is to the story, it becomes impossible to talk about single-player without spoiling at least some of it.
%% * Cortana's survival is confirmed by the end of the second mission of ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians''. This revelation drives the plot of the game and Cortana becomes the main antagonist by taking control of most of the galaxy by the end of the game.
%% * ''VideoGame/HeavyRain'': Jason's death happens not even 30 minutes into the game's prologue.
%% * The [[AtmosphereAbuse Burning]] of [[DoomedHometown Kharak]] in ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}''.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' starts with the player controlling Roxas, an all-new character living in Twilight Town (which wasn't explored in depth in its first appearance). Then, it's revealed that Roxas is actually living in a simulation with fake friends and memories, and that he's actually the Nobody of Sora, the first game's protagonist, and he must disappear so Sora can be awakened. The rest of the game is played from Sora's perspective, so it's hard to not spoil that something will happen to Roxas.
%% * The entire plot in ''VideoGame/TheLastExpress'' revolves around Robert trying to find out who killed Tyler. Most players will discover Tyler's body within a minute of starting the game, but most advertisements and contemporary reviews of the game still avoid mentioning his death.
* The prologue of ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'' reveals that Joel had a daughter that was killed by a soldier just hours after the outbreak of the Cordyceps strain.
* Commander Shepard's resurrection at the beginning of ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' would be a surprising and dramatic opening, except that it's practically impossible to discuss the game in any sort of depth without that coming up. This doubles-up with TrailersAlwaysSpoil: the announcement trailer had a long list of Shepard's personnel file, ending with: "Killed in action", with a pull-back reveal that Shepard's N7 armor you were seeing had, in fact, just been a piece of chestplate that was grafted onto a Geth unit. [[WildMassGuessing Fandom speculation abounded]] about whether Shepard was faking dead, had somehow been turned into a Geth, or if they HAD died and you were now playing a new character.
%% ** Another example in the first game is the revelation of the [[EldritchAbomination Reapers]].
* It's practically impossible to talk about ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' in-depth without mentioning the [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent early-game character switch]]. Unlike the ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' example above, however, most reviewers tried their best to write around the twist until it became ItWasHisSled territory. Konami themselves also tried their best to hide the twist in each subsequent UpdatedRerelease, finally relenting in the HD Collection version which included a brief blurb about the Plant Chapter in its official summary.
%% * ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'': Ivor, the (apparent) main villain is a member of The Order of the Stone. The legends have been distorted.
* ''VideoGame/Mother3'': Lucas's mother is killed in the first chapter--[[PlayerPunch only a few minutes after we got to name her]]. And then his twin brother Claus runs off to avenge her and is presumed dead, [[DecoyProtagonist despite him being playable in the prologue battle]].
* After the tutorial of ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'' wraps up, the player is introduced to Omori's real-life self Sunny, revealing that Omori is not real, and that the actual plot of the game is Sunny attempting to reconnect with his friends and come to terms with his [[MyGreatestFailure greatest failure]].
%% * Right after the movement/combat tutorial in ''VideoGame/Persona5'', the protagonist is captured by the police, who reveal that one of his teammates was a [[TheMole traitor]]. Much of the rest of the game is a series of flashbacks made through interrogation.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' takes place during the distant past of the Pokémon universe, with all of the promotional material revolving around you as a person living in ancient Sinnoh, serving as a talented new member of a surveying group trying to learn more about the area's Pokémon. What all the marketing hid was the actual plot of the title, which reveals almost immediately that it's actually a TimeTravel story wherein the player character actually hails from the present-day and is tasked by Arceus to assist in the development of Hisui into the modern region of Sinnoh, while investigating mysterious space-time rifts that are causing chaos in Hisui.
* In ''VideoGame/ReturnOfTheObraDinn'', you play as an insurance investigator on a GhostShip. Initially, the only supernatural element in the game seems to be the gameplay mechanic of using a magic pocketwatch to see people's deaths, and the player is led to believe everyone was killed simply due by mundane causes such as mutiny. Then the fifth death scene, barely half an hour into the game, gives the WhamShot reveal that the ship was attacked by a kraken, and it becomes clear [[MagicRealism what kind of world the game takes place in]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', the fact that Elh [[GenderReveal is a girl]] is shown fairly early. This makes tropes involving her rather ''difficult'', due to both some serious PronounTrouble and the amount of ShipTease she has with Red, who is creeped out by CampGay Alman ([[FridgeBrilliance perhaps that's the ''reason'' he flipped out so much when he finally learned the truth]]: he was getting SweetOnPollyOliver and worried it was a case of YouAreWhatYouHate, and wished she'd spared him the mental grief).
* ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'' was marketed as a straightforward modern military shooter in the vein of ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}'' or ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'', but it rapidly became common knowledge that it is in fact a GenreDeconstruction. Exactly what point in the game this becomes clear is subject to debate, but the first instance the player has to fight against American troops (about forty-five minutes into the game) is a fairly good indicator that it's not a straightforward shooter. %% White phosphorous incident doesn't count, it's too far into the game.
* Andrew Plotkin's ''VideoGame/SpiderAndWeb'': The entire game is premised on the fact that you are not just a tourist, despite the opening's attempt to mislead you otherwise.
* ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'' reveals a major villain (Dr. Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus) immediately after the opening tutorial level ends. Played with, as the character (pre-villainous transformation) is introduced as an ally of Peter's, and many plot points [[AdaptationDeviation toy with the audience's expectations and prior comic knowledge about the character's inevitable fate]].
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' does this ''[[InvertedTrope backwards]]'' by cutting off as Lloyd is about to name the WorldTree. ''Symphonia'' is a prequel to '' VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'', in which the World Tree Yggdrasil was just one mundane example of many gratuitous references to Norse mythology.
%% * ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' has the pre-Opening beginning of the game involve finding a horrible secret in the Research Center. The center houses the Lance of Kresnik, a huge WaveMotionGun that is [[PoweredByAForsakenChild powered by people]]. This revelation is the reason that starts up why Jude is following Milla to begin with.
%% * At the end of Stage 1 of ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis 4'', Giorgio, Evan, and Captain Rush investigate the dead body of stage endboss Marcus Black, who they just defeated, and discover that Black and the soldiers he was leading have U.S. military dog tags, revealing that the terrorists in this game are not the Western Order Liberation Front like in past games, but an entire branch of the American military that has gone rogue.
* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'''s first area, the ruins, will throw some curveballs at you if you take things at face value.
** Flowey's the first character you encounter, and is described as "your best friend" in the demo manual. He also reveals himself to be a villain soon after tricking you into following a fake tutorial wherein he's actually trying to kill you.
** Following the encounter with Flowey, you are introduced to a friendly monster named Toriel, who makes herself your adoptive mother. Shortly after, you are forced to fight her to progress, which would already be a dramatic twist, but on top of that, the battle will probably end with you killing her, whether you meant to or not, unless you know what to do, which [[WhatTheHellPlayer the game will call you out on]]. The game will also call you out if you killed even one of the random encounters, establishing that ''Undertale'' doesn't treat death (even [[WhatMeasureIsAMook of minor enemies]]) the same way that other [=RPGs=] do. This is a major part of ''Undertale'''s premise, but it's bound to be unexpected if you somehow played it without any prior knowledge.
%% * ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'': From a literal standpoint, everything that happens in Episode 1 ''could'' be considered this, but considering its length, a better example is Shawn's death and Hershal kicking everyone off the farm as a result, which comes less than halfway through the first episode and kicks off the story.
%% * The story of ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2'' begins with the death of King Foltest, which one might guess from the ''subtitle'' being ''Assassins of Kings''.
* ''VideoGame/WorldsEndClub'' starts off with a ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}''-esque scenario where a group of kids find themselves trapped in a surreal location with no memory of how they got there, and a MascotVillain tells them to play a DeadlyGame where they must outwit everyone else so that one of them can escape to the real world while the rest perish. At the end of the first level, it seems like the Deadly Game will continue, but it ends up abruptly coming to an end and everyone escapes alive. The real story is their [[TheHomewardJourney journey back home]] halfway across Japan and uncovering the mystery of what happened to the outside world while they were gone.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', Fiora, one of your party members and [[TheHero Shulk]]'s {{Love Interest|s}}, dies trying to fend off the Mechon attack on [[DoomedHometown Colony 9]] at the start of the game. While players going in blind might be shocked by this, anyone who's seen or heard of anything from later in the game will probably be expecting it, both because Shulk's main motivation for the first half of the story is avenging her death, and because it's hard to look at any later scenes involving the party and not notice Fiora's conspicuous absence. In fact, the real twist is that she ''didn't'' actually die, but was turned into a Mechon and later rejoins the party.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', Azurda performs a HeroicSacrifice at the end of the first chapter and then regenerates into a smaller, younger form. Thus, it can be rather difficult to explain why everyone refers to that wise, soft-voiced pixie as "Gramps."
* ''VideoGame/YomawariNightAlone'' begins the main character, a little girl, walking her dog, with the game providing a tutorial for the controls. One of these tutorials ends with the dog getting rammed by an oncoming truck. Luckily, most trailers and promotional material keep this a secret, saying that the dog simply went missing. It helps that the little girl believes he's missing, spending much of the game in complete denial over his death.
** ''VideoGame/YomawariMidnightShadows'' begins with one of the main characters, Yui, burying one of her dead dogs and taking her living dog out for a walk as part of the tutorial. The tutorial ends with her commiting suicide, spending the rest of the game as a spirit that Haru, her best friend, is trying to reunite with. Like the first game, the trailers and promotional material kept the spoiler a secret by saying the two got separated during a festival.
----
