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* The campaigns of ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' follow a mission structure where the player can start a series of missions on a planet in any order in a given tier (in ''Wings of Liberty'', separate arcs can be played at any time so long as they're in each arc's order. Following games would restrict that player to a chosen planet until the missions on that planet are completed).
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* The campaigns of ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' follow a mission structure where the player can start a series of missions on a planet in any order in a given tier (in tier. In ''Wings of Liberty'', separate arcs can be played at any time so long as they're in each arc's order. Following games would restrict that player to a chosen planet until the missions on that planet are completed).completed.
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** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' started off on Taris and Dantooine, before opening up and letting you search for [[PlotCoupons Star Maps]] on Tatooine, Kashyyk, Manaan, and Korriban. Finding all Star Maps revealed the location of Rakata Prime and the Star Forge, where the finale took place.
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** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' started off on Taris and Dantooine, before opening up and letting you search for [[PlotCoupons Star Maps]] on Tatooine, Kashyyk, Manaan, and Korriban. Finding all Star Maps revealed the location of Rakata Prime and the Star Forge, where the finale took place. Though by Creator/ObsidianEntertainment instead of [=BioWare=], ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' kept the same formula: start off on Peragus and then Telos, then opening up as you search for the lost Jedi on Dantooine, Nar Shaddaa, Korriban and Onderon, returning to Dantooine once they've all been found before the endgame takes you back to Telos and then on to the finale on Malachor V.
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* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' mostly features complementary branches in the Prologue and the first two Acts. The Prologue shows how V and Jackie came to work with each other and starts along one of three [[MultipleGameOpenings lifepath-specific openings]], before bottlenecking the story into the rescue of Sandra Dorsett, and V's meeting with Dexter [=DeShawn=]. Act I main missions branch once during the preparation for [=DeShawn=]'s heist to steal the Arasaka Relic (namely, one mission has V meet the client, while the other has them purchase a Militech bot from the Maestrom), before bottlenecking into the execution of the heist proper. Act II branches into ''three'' storyline early one, each consisting of multiple missions: namely, Judy's, Panam's, and Takemura's respective story arcs. The first bottleneck merges Panam and Takemura's storyline into [[spoiler:the latter's ill-fated attempt to contact Hanako Arasaka]], while Judy's storyline cues directly into the Voodoo Boys'. The latter and Goro's last mission are finally bottlenecked into the (only) Act III mission "Nocturne [=Op55N1=]", which serves as the PointOfNoReturn and cues the MultipleEndings.
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* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' mostly features complementary branches in the Prologue and the first two Acts. The Prologue shows how V and Jackie came to work with each other and starts along one of three [[MultipleGameOpenings lifepath-specific openings]], before bottlenecking the story into the rescue of Sandra Dorsett, and V's meeting with Dexter [=DeShawn=]. Act I main missions branch once during the preparation for [=DeShawn=]'s heist to steal the Arasaka Relic (namely, Relic[[note]]namely, one mission has V meet the client, while the other has them purchase a Militech bot from the Maestrom), Maestrom[[/note]], before bottlenecking into the execution of the heist proper. Act II branches into ''three'' storyline storylines early one, on, each consisting of multiple missions: namely, Judy's, Panam's, missions with Judy, Panam, and Takemura's respective story arcs. Takemura. The first bottleneck merges Panam and Takemura's storyline storylines into [[spoiler:the latter's ill-fated attempt to contact parley with Hanako Arasaka]], while Judy's storyline cues directly into the Voodoo Boys'. The latter and Goro's respective last mission missions are finally bottlenecked into the (only) Act III mission "Nocturne [=Op55N1=]", which serves as the PointOfNoReturn and cues directly into the MultipleEndings.
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* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' mostly features complementary branches in the Prologue and the first two Acts. The Prologue shows how V and Jackie came to work with each other and starts along one of three [[MultipleGameOpenings lifepath-specific openings]], before bottlenecking the story into the rescue of Sandra Dorsett, and V's meeting with Dexter [=DeShawn=]. Act I main missions branch once during the preparation for [=DeShawn=]'s heist to steal the Arasaka Relic (namely, one mission has V meet the client, while the other has them purchase a Militech bot from the Maestrom), before bottlenecking into the execution of the heist proper. Act II branches into ''three'' storyline early one, each consisting of multiple missions: namely, Judy's, Panam's, and Takemura's respective story arcs. The first bottleneck merges Panam and Takemura's storyline into [[spoiler:the latter's ill-fated attempt to contact Hanako Arasaka]], while Judy's storyline cues directly into the Voodoo Boys'. The latter and Goro's last mission are finally bottlenecked into the (only) Act III mission "Nocturne [=Op55N1=]", which serves as the PointOfNoReturn and cues the MultipleEndings.
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** ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' started off on Eden Prime and the Citadel, before telling you to search for clues to the BigBad's end goal. After finding the {{Plot Coupon}}s on Feros, Noveria, and Virmire, and recruiting Liara T'Soni to help you make sense of them, you learn the location of the planet Ilos, where you finally catch up with the BigBad to duke it out in the final battle.
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** ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' started off on Eden Prime and the Citadel, before telling you to search for clues to the BigBad's end goal. After finding the {{Plot Coupon}}s on Feros, Noveria, and Virmire, and recruiting [[RecruitmentByRescue rescuing/recruiting]] Liara T'Soni on Therum to help you make sense of them, you learn the location of the planet Ilos, where you finally catch up with the BigBad to duke it out in the final battle.
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* The campaigns of ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' follow a mission structure where the player can start a series of missions on a planet in any order in a given tier (in ''Wings of Liberty'', separate arcs can be played at any time so long as they're in each arc's order. Following games would restrict that player to a chosen planet until the missions on that planet are completed).
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[[folder:Simulation]]
* ''VideoGame/YesYourGrace'': The plot has quite a few mandatory elements, including big events closing each of the game's three acts. Certain objectives need to be met to allow those events to go smoothly, but the means by which they are met are up to the player, who is given several options.
[[/folder]]
* ''VideoGame/YesYourGrace'': The plot has quite a few mandatory elements, including big events closing each of the game's three acts. Certain objectives need to be met to allow those events to go smoothly, but the means by which they are met are up to the player, who is given several options.
[[/folder]]
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* MultipleGameOpenings: Exclusive branches that split up before the core gameplay even starts, then are bottlenecked backinto a unified plot.
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* MultipleGameOpenings: Exclusive branches that split up before the core gameplay even starts, then are bottlenecked backinto back into a unified plot.
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* '''Complementary Branches''', a.k.a. TheThreeTrials, are subplots that are usually localized geographically, with the player having to [[GottaCatchThemAll complete them all]] (unless a FractionalWinningCondition is involved) to progress to the linear finale. The player thus chooses the order in which to resolve these subplots, but all of their events will have occurred before the finale. Because TakeYourTime is usually in effect in such games, all subplots are usually assumed to have taken place at roughly the same time; however, if the subplots ''actually'' take place at the same time and feature different character casts, they fall under the specific subtrope, ArbitrarilySerializedSimultaneousAdventures.
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* '''Complementary Branches''', a.k.a. TheThreeTrials, are subplots that are usually localized geographically, with the player having to [[GottaCatchThemAll complete them all]] (unless a FractionalWinningCondition is involved) to progress to the linear finale. The player thus chooses the order in which to resolve these subplots, but all of their events will have occurred before the finale. Because TakeYourTime is usually typically in effect in such games, all subplots are usually assumed to have taken place at roughly the same time; however, if the subplots ''actually'' take place at the same time and feature different character casts, they fall under the specific subtrope, ArbitrarilySerializedSimultaneousAdventures.
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* In one chapter of the ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' Adventure Path ''The Reign Of Winter'', the players are given the option to ally with the occupants of a castle, or the ones besieging it (or neither, in which case they'll have to fight through both) for a PlotCoupon inside. The bottleneck comes after the battle, as [[spoiler:the lord of the assailants has the second PlotCoupon, and to make sure they're enemies of the players, they'll betray the players after the battle if sided with]].
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* In one chapter of the ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' Adventure Path ''The Reign Of of Winter'', the players are given the option to ally with the occupants of a castle, or the ones besieging it (or neither, in which case they'll have to fight through both) for a PlotCoupon inside. The bottleneck comes after the battle, as [[spoiler:the lord of the assailants has the second PlotCoupon, and to make sure they're enemies of the players, they'll betray the players after the battle if sided with]].
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* '''Exclusive Branches''', a.k.a. StoryBranching proper. The player chooses a subplot to follow, [[BigFirstChoice locking out all other options for the duration of the playthrough]]. However, at some point before the ending, every subplot leads back into a unified narrative, and the story is the same for all players again (unless the plot branches again, see below). A ChoiceAndConsequenceSystem is usually employed in this case to avoid devaluing the player's big choice by referencing it throughout the rest of the game.
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* '''Exclusive Branches''', a.k.a. StoryBranching proper. The player chooses a subplot to follow, [[BigFirstChoice locking out all other options for the duration of the playthrough]]. However, at some point before the ending, every subplot leads back into a unified narrative, narrative ("bottleneck"), and the story is the same for all players again (unless the plot branches again, see below). A ChoiceAndConsequenceSystem is usually employed in this case to avoid devaluing the player's big choice by referencing it throughout the rest of the game.
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!!Non-Videogame Examples:
[[folder:Tabletop RPG]]
* In one chapter of the ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' Adventure Path ''The Reign Of Winter'', the players are given the option to ally with the occupants of a castle, or the ones besieging it (or neither, in which case they'll have to fight through both) for a PlotCoupon inside. The bottleneck comes after the battle, as [[spoiler:the lord of the assailants has the second PlotCoupon, and to make sure they're enemies of the players, they'll betray the players after the battle if sided with]].
[[/folder]]
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* The main plot of ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'' can potentially diverge at two points: once at the end of Act 1 with Law/Chaos options, and once at the end of the Chaos branch's Act 2, with the options being Neutrality or continued Chaos. However, all three routes have the exact same Act 4, with the only differences being available characters and optional tasks.
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Forgot about Mega Man V
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** The structure of the ''Rockman World'' games [[note]]Bar ''Dr. Wily's Revenge''[[/note]] is as follows: First set of 4 Robot Masters, [[DiscOneFinalDungeon mini-stage]] where the game's [[TheDragon Dragon]] (usually) makes an appearance, 4 more Robot Master stages,[[note]]Nominally set ''[[BiggerOnTheInside within]]'' the Mini-Fortress,[[/note]] final part of the mini-stage wherein TheDragon is fought, Wily Fortress. Add an Intro Stage, swap out the Dragon for Dr. Wily himself in the mini-stage, and skip the "last portion" prior to the Fortress, and you have ''Videogame/MegaMan7'' & ''[[Videogame/MegaMan8 8]]''. ''Videogame/MegaManX4'' and ''[[Videogame/MegaManX5 X5]]'' have a similar formula to ''7'' & ''8''.
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** The structure of the ''Rockman World'' games [[note]]Bar [[note]]bar ''Dr. Wily's Revenge''[[/note]] is as follows: First set of 4 Robot Masters, [[DiscOneFinalDungeon mini-stage]] where the game's [[TheDragon Dragon]] (usually) makes an appearance, 4 more Robot Master stages,[[note]]Nominally stages,[[note]]often set ''[[BiggerOnTheInside within]]'' the Mini-Fortress,[[/note]] final part of the mini-stage wherein TheDragon is fought, Wily Fortress. Add an Intro Stage, swap out the Dragon for Dr. Wily himself in the mini-stage, and skip the "last portion" prior to the Fortress, Fortress,[[note]]along with removing that bit about the stages being nominally set ''within'' the mini-fortress,[[/note]] and you have ''Videogame/MegaMan7'' & ''[[Videogame/MegaMan8 8]]''. ''Videogame/MegaManX4'' and ''[[Videogame/MegaManX5 X5]]'' have a similar formula to ''7'' & ''8''.
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It's not just that one game in Mega Man...
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* ''VideoGame/MegamanZero1'' opens with two linear opening stages, then branches out to an eight-mission mission tree. Once all eight of these complementary branches are complete, the story concludes with a string of three linear missions into Neo Arcadia's stronghold.
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* This is the bread and butter of the "robotics" timeline[[note]]bar ''Videogame/MegaManLegends''[[/note]] of the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' Franchise. Most instances in the ''[[Videogame/MegaManClassic Classic]]'' series has Eight (or fewer) Robot Master stages available from the get go; the Fortress Stages are only available once all of the active Robot Masters have been defeated. The ''[[Videogame/MegaManX X]]'' series and ''VideoGame/MegamanZero1'' opens add an Intro Section to the standard formula.
** ''Videogame/MegaMan3'' {{Remix|edLevel}}es 4 of the Robot Master stages and plops them in after the original Robot Master Stages. Once you beat those, you have to fight Break Man before going to the Fortress.
** The structure of the ''Rockman World'' games [[note]]Bar ''Dr. Wily's Revenge''[[/note]] is as follows: First set of 4 Robot Masters, [[DiscOneFinalDungeon mini-stage]] where the game's [[TheDragon Dragon]] (usually) makes an appearance, 4 more Robot Master stages,[[note]]Nominally set ''[[BiggerOnTheInside within]]'' the Mini-Fortress,[[/note]] final part of the mini-stage wherein TheDragon is fought, Wily Fortress. Add an Intro Stage, swap out the Dragon for Dr. Wily himself in the mini-stage, and skip the "last portion" prior to the Fortress, and you have ''Videogame/MegaMan7'' & ''[[Videogame/MegaMan8 8]]''. ''Videogame/MegaManX4'' and ''[[Videogame/MegaManX5 X5]]'' have a similar formula to ''7'' & ''8''.
** ''Videogame/MegaManAndBass'' is an interesting animal. Even though it starts withtwo linear opening stages, then branches out to an eight-mission mission tree. Once intro level, and the Fortress is inaccessible until you beat all eight 8 Robot Masters, only ''3'' are available immediately after the Intro Stage, 3 of the others require beating a particular 1 of the first 3 each, with the other 2 set between these complementary branches are complete, latter 3 in the story concludes CampaignTree, allowing 2 ways to get to them.
* ''Videogame/ShovelKnight'' has the map sectioned off into quarters, witha string all but the last[[note]][[VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon for obvious reasons]][[/note]] occupied by members of three linear missions into Neo Arcadia's stronghold.the Order of No Quarter. In the first quarter, there are only 2 members (plus an intro stage) with 3 members each in the other 2 quarters. The set in each quarter must be defeated to move on to the next set.
** ''Videogame/MegaMan3'' {{Remix|edLevel}}es 4 of the Robot Master stages and plops them in after the original Robot Master Stages. Once you beat those, you have to fight Break Man before going to the Fortress.
** The structure of the ''Rockman World'' games [[note]]Bar ''Dr. Wily's Revenge''[[/note]] is as follows: First set of 4 Robot Masters, [[DiscOneFinalDungeon mini-stage]] where the game's [[TheDragon Dragon]] (usually) makes an appearance, 4 more Robot Master stages,[[note]]Nominally set ''[[BiggerOnTheInside within]]'' the Mini-Fortress,[[/note]] final part of the mini-stage wherein TheDragon is fought, Wily Fortress. Add an Intro Stage, swap out the Dragon for Dr. Wily himself in the mini-stage, and skip the "last portion" prior to the Fortress, and you have ''Videogame/MegaMan7'' & ''[[Videogame/MegaMan8 8]]''. ''Videogame/MegaManX4'' and ''[[Videogame/MegaManX5 X5]]'' have a similar formula to ''7'' & ''8''.
** ''Videogame/MegaManAndBass'' is an interesting animal. Even though it starts with
* ''Videogame/ShovelKnight'' has the map sectioned off into quarters, with
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* ''VideoGame/OutRun'':
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* ''VideoGame/OutRun'':''VideoGame/OutRun'', which uses an exclusive branch structure:
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** In ''[=OutRun=] 2019'', Stages 2 and 3 have branching routes like the other stages, but only one choice of a final route.
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** In ''[=OutRun=] 2019'', Stages 2 and 3 have branching routes like the other stages, but only one choice of a final route. Stages 1 and 4 downplay this trope, each giving you two choices of a final route.
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[[folder:Driving Game]]
* ''VideoGame/OutRun'':
** The ''SEGA Ages 2600'' version of the original ''[=OutRun=]'' features an ArrangeMode where the stage map is shaped like a diamond rather than a pyramid: For the first half of the game, each stage end has a 2-way fork, but at the halfway stage the stage branching starts to collapse until you reach the same final stage no matter which set of stages you took up to that point.
** In ''[=OutRun=] 2019'', Stages 2 and 3 have branching routes like the other stages, but only one choice of a final route.
[[/folder]]
* ''VideoGame/OutRun'':
** The ''SEGA Ages 2600'' version of the original ''[=OutRun=]'' features an ArrangeMode where the stage map is shaped like a diamond rather than a pyramid: For the first half of the game, each stage end has a 2-way fork, but at the halfway stage the stage branching starts to collapse until you reach the same final stage no matter which set of stages you took up to that point.
** In ''[=OutRun=] 2019'', Stages 2 and 3 have branching routes like the other stages, but only one choice of a final route.
[[/folder]]
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Between [[NoSidepathsNoExplorationNoFreedom linear video game narratives]] and massively [[StoryBranching branching]] ChooseYourOwnAdventure affairs lies a "branch-and-bottleneck" story structure. In it, the game follows the same plot for all playthroughs [[TutorialLevel early on]], before giving the player a choice of where to take it next. This comes in two main variations:
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Between [[NoSidepathsNoExplorationNoFreedom linear video game narratives]] and massively [[StoryBranching branching]] ChooseYourOwnAdventure {{Gamebook|s}} affairs lies a "branch-and-bottleneck" story structure. In it, the game follows the same plot for all playthroughs [[TutorialLevel early on]], before giving the player a choice of where to take it next. This comes in two main variations:
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* In ''VideoGame/AlterAila'', you make one choice after the opening mission that determines your initial path. Then, at the end of Act I, you make a second choice to stay on your initial path or switch paths for Act II. [[spoiler: There's also a hidden route that modifies the end of Act I and throws Act II off the rails, leading to a different story structure.]]
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** ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' opens with a linear chapter in Two Rivers, before splitting up into three plotlines in Tien's Landing, where you have to resolve the crisis caused by the opening of the Great Dam, to wipe out Gao the Greater's pirates' den, and to lift the haunting of the Great Southern Forest. After all three are complete (in any order), the Spirit Monk travels to the Imperial City, where the story again splits in two, where they have to impress the Lotus Assassins by either reaching the top tier of the GladiatorSubquest, or by performing some dirty work for their Inquisitor branch -- except you [[FractionalWinningCondition only need to complete one objective to proceed, but can then do the other for the extra XP]]. After that, the game proceeds pretty much linearly before it reaches the MultipleEndings.
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** ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' opens with a linear chapter in Two Rivers, before splitting up into three plotlines in Tien's Landing, where you have to resolve the crisis caused by the opening of the Great Dam, to wipe out Gao the Greater's pirates' den, den of pirates, and to lift the haunting of the Great Southern Forest. After all three are complete (in any order), the Spirit Monk travels to the Imperial City, where the story again splits in two, where they have to impress the Lotus Assassins by either reaching the top tier of the GladiatorSubquest, or by performing some dirty work for their Inquisitor branch -- except you [[FractionalWinningCondition only need to complete one objective to proceed, but can then do the other for the extra XP]]. After that, the game proceeds pretty much linearly before it reaches the MultipleEndings.
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** ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' opens with a linear chapter Two Rivers, before splitting up into three plotlines in Tien's Landing, where you have to resolve the crisis caused by the opening of the Great Dam, to wipe out Gao the Greater's pirates' den, and to lift the haunting of the Great Southern Forest. After all three are complete (in any order), the Spirit Monk travels to the Imperial City, where the story again splits in two, where they have to impress the Lotus Assassins by either reaching the top tier of the GladiatorSubquest, or by performing some dirty work for their Inquisitor branch -- except you [[FractionalWinningCondition only need to complete one objective to proceed, but can then do the other for the extra XP]]. After that, the game proceeds pretty much linearly before it reaches the MultipleEndings.
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** ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' opens with a linear chapter in Two Rivers, before splitting up into three plotlines in Tien's Landing, where you have to resolve the crisis caused by the opening of the Great Dam, to wipe out Gao the Greater's pirates' den, and to lift the haunting of the Great Southern Forest. After all three are complete (in any order), the Spirit Monk travels to the Imperial City, where the story again splits in two, where they have to impress the Lotus Assassins by either reaching the top tier of the GladiatorSubquest, or by performing some dirty work for their Inquisitor branch -- except you [[FractionalWinningCondition only need to complete one objective to proceed, but can then do the other for the extra XP]]. After that, the game proceeds pretty much linearly before it reaches the MultipleEndings.
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** ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' opens with a linear chapter Two Rivers, before splitting up into three plotlines in Tien's Landing, where you have to resolve the crisis caused by the opening of the Great Dam, to wipe out Gao the Greater's pirates' den, and to lift the haunting of the Great Southern Forest. After all three are complete (in any order), the Spirit Monk travels to the Imperial City, where the story again splits in two, where they have to impress the Lotus Assassins by either reaching the top tier of the GladiatorSubquest, or by performing some dirty work for their Inquisitor branch -- except you [[FractionalWinningCondition only need to complete one objective to proceed, but can then do the other for the extra XP]]. After that, the game proceeds pretty much linearly before it reaches the MultipleEndings.
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----
Will go under InteractiveStorytellingTropes.
Will go under InteractiveStorytellingTropes.
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Will go under InteractiveStorytellingTropes.
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Created from YKTTW
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Between [[NoSidepathsNoExplorationNoFreedom linear video game narratives]] and massively [[StoryBranching branching]] ChooseYourOwnAdventure affairs lies a "branch-and-bottleneck" story structure. In it, the game follows the same plot for all playthroughs [[TutorialLevel early on]], before giving the player a choice of where to take it next. This comes in two main variations:
* '''Exclusive Branches''', a.k.a. StoryBranching proper. The player chooses a subplot to follow, [[BigFirstChoice locking out all other options for the duration of the playthrough]]. However, at some point before the ending, every subplot leads back into a unified narrative, and the story is the same for all players again (unless the plot branches again, see below). A ChoiceAndConsequenceSystem is usually employed in this case to avoid devaluing the player's big choice by referencing it throughout the rest of the game.
* '''Complementary Branches''', a.k.a. TheThreeTrials, are subplots that are usually localized geographically, with the player having to [[GottaCatchThemAll complete them all]] (unless a FractionalWinningCondition is involved) to progress to the linear finale. The player thus chooses the order in which to resolve these subplots, but all of their events will have occurred before the finale. Because TakeYourTime is usually in effect in such games, all subplots are usually assumed to have taken place at roughly the same time; however, if the subplots ''actually'' take place at the same time and feature different character casts, they fall under the specific subtrope, ArbitrarilySerializedSimultaneousAdventures.
While the structure described above is the basic model, [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible games can also have multiple branching-outs and bottlenecks per playthrough]], including recursively nested ones of varying lengths and types. The first variation is a subtrope of StoryBranching, the second is a type of GottaCatchThemAll. On a more meta level, an OmegaEnding can be seen as a subtype of complementary branches, because you need to clear all other endings in any order to get it.
----
!!Subtropes:
* ArbitrarilySerializedSimultaneousAdventures: Complementary branches that take place [[SimultaneousArcs at the same in-universe time]] and focus on [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent different playable characters]].
* MultipleGameOpenings: Exclusive branches that split up before the core gameplay even starts, then are bottlenecked backinto a unified plot.
* TheThreeTrials: If the player can complete said trials in any order to advance the plot, rather than having to do them in an explicitly or implicitly fixed sequence, they become complementary branches.
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Action Adventure]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Outcast}}'' gives you the mission of collecting [[PlotCoupon five "mons"]] in order to save the Earth from imminent destruction. Each mon is hidden somewhere in one of the accessible areas of the world and takes a lengthy subplot to complete, except the Talanzaar mon. The latter is hidden inside the BigBad's palace and thus is only obtained in the linear endgame, which is triggered by collecting the four others.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:First-Person Shooter]]
* ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy'' combines complementary branches with a FractionalWinningCondition: after the prologue and after every story mission, you are given a choice of five side missions and have to complete any four of them to unlock the next story missions (though you still have the option to complete the fifth side mission for an extra SkillPoint).
* Each act of the Campaign mode for ''VideoGame/UnrealTournamentIII'' (sans for the disguised tutorial Act I and the final act, where there's only one, inconsequential branching) has exclusive branches. There's a bunch of missions which are common to each branch, and then the players take paths towards each act's end depending on the choices the player make. Also some paths have useful cards which may be lost depending on the taken path. For example, ''Act II: With Caesar's Coin'' involves both taking control of Axon-guarded territory as well as fend back a wave of Krall attacks as the act advances. The first choice is whether to go full all-in on Axon or reinforce the defenses, while the last choice is usually whether to accept Axon's rendition and absorption of the Iron Guard onto the Izanagi forces, or just wipe out the Iron Guard and take their assets.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Platform Game]]
* ''VideoGame/MegamanZero1'' opens with two linear opening stages, then branches out to an eight-mission mission tree. Once all eight of these complementary branches are complete, the story concludes with a string of three linear missions into Neo Arcadia's stronghold.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real-Time Strategy]]
* The storyline of ''VideoGame/RepublicTheRevolution'' regularly branches out into [[KarmaMeter ideology]]-specific subplots, before converging into unified plots. A complex example happens, for instance, as soon as you arrive in the second city, Pugachev: not only do you have to complete one of three mutually exclusive subplots to gain a foothold in the city (form a criminal syndicate for Force ideology, a FakeCharity for Influence, or a business network for Wealth), but whatever subplot you pick is also a complementary to the one where you have to expose the corrupt Mayor. Only after you've established your foothold and brought down the Mayor does the overall storyline progress.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:RPG -- Eastern]]
* All ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' games are built around complementary branches, giving you a quest to defeat four powerful bosses, each found at the end of one of the respective game's major areas. Said quest usually occupies the middle bulk of the game and is preceded and followed by largely linear sequences of objectives (except in the [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsI first game]], where the first act also contained two complementary branches between the Undead Asylum and the Sen's Fortress[[note]]although the Bell of Awakening atop the Undead Church is ''much'' easier to reach than the one in Blighttown, it doesn't really matter in which order you ring them, as long as do both[[/note]]).
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'': Ephraim and Eirika split into exclusive branches after chapter 8, and you can follow whichever one you like. They reunite in chapter 15, and the plot after that is largely identical, but the twin you followed in the midgame has more focus for CharacterDevelopment.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:RPG -- Western]]
* The "complementary branches" variation has long been a part of the so-called "Creator/BioWare [[StrictlyFormula formula]]":
** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' started off on Taris and Dantooine, before opening up and letting you search for [[PlotCoupons Star Maps]] on Tatooine, Kashyyk, Manaan, and Korriban. Finding all Star Maps revealed the location of Rakata Prime and the Star Forge, where the finale took place.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' started off on Eden Prime and the Citadel, before telling you to search for clues to the BigBad's end goal. After finding the {{Plot Coupon}}s on Feros, Noveria, and Virmire, and recruiting Liara T'Soni to help you make sense of them, you learn the location of the planet Ilos, where you finally catch up with the BigBad to duke it out in the final battle.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is a bit unusual in that it kicked off with MultipleGameOpenings (the eponymous Origins), i.e. exclusive branches, before bottlenecking all subplots for the Battle of Ostagar and the Lothering sequence. After that, however, you are tasked with securing alliances in each of four major areas of the game (the Circle Tower, Redcliffe, Brecilian Forest, and Orzammar), and doing so triggers the unified endgame sequence where you take down the treacherous regent and destroy the Archdemon. The ExpansionPack, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening'' similarly had you take control of Vigil's Keep, then clean up the surrounding areas, which reveals the location of the HiddenVillain, whom you battle in the endgame. Before that, however, the expansion does an exclusive branching, forcing you to defend [[SadisticChoice either your Keep, or the nearby City of Amaranthine]] from the villain's armies.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' is even looser with its complementary branches than the usual BW formula requires. Each major mission (Dossier or LoyaltyMission) after the tutorial takes place in a separate level, and the first bottleneck occurs when you complete any four of them (without DLC, they are the four initial Dossiers, but Zaeed and Kasumi's loyalty missions can take their place) and the game forces you into the Horizon PlotTunnel. Then, it's back to the complementary branches, but after four more, you are again bottlenecked onto the Collector Ship. From there on, however, the player is free to trigger the endgame at any point, so, technically, the final SuicideMission is just another complementary branch, as the game doesn't end even after completing it.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' does both variants: in act one, you have to choose between exclusive branches of allying with the Templar Order or the rebel mages, forfeiting the other faction to the BigBad for the rest of the playthrough, while in act two, you must resolve the Grey Warden insurrection and the Winter Palace assassination plot (and with it, the Orlesian Civil War), before you can proceed to the largely linear act three and finish the game.
* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2AssassinsOfKings'' became notable for having the story essentially split in two separate games (exclusive branches) early on, which don't reconverge into a unified plot until the final chapter.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wide Open Sandbox]]
* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow1'' and ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' both followed a complementary branches-based formula where you started off with a few linear missions introducing you to the game, before being tasked to dismantle three rival gangs. While each of these three (six, if you count both games) arcs is linear, you can tackle them in any order and even switch between them after finishing each mission. After defeating all three gangs, the respective game wrapped up with another short linear sequence of missions leading to the ending. Later installments largely abandoned this structure in favor of tackling rival gangs in a fixed order mandated by the plot.
[[/folder]]
----
Will go under InteractiveStorytellingTropes.
* '''Exclusive Branches''', a.k.a. StoryBranching proper. The player chooses a subplot to follow, [[BigFirstChoice locking out all other options for the duration of the playthrough]]. However, at some point before the ending, every subplot leads back into a unified narrative, and the story is the same for all players again (unless the plot branches again, see below). A ChoiceAndConsequenceSystem is usually employed in this case to avoid devaluing the player's big choice by referencing it throughout the rest of the game.
* '''Complementary Branches''', a.k.a. TheThreeTrials, are subplots that are usually localized geographically, with the player having to [[GottaCatchThemAll complete them all]] (unless a FractionalWinningCondition is involved) to progress to the linear finale. The player thus chooses the order in which to resolve these subplots, but all of their events will have occurred before the finale. Because TakeYourTime is usually in effect in such games, all subplots are usually assumed to have taken place at roughly the same time; however, if the subplots ''actually'' take place at the same time and feature different character casts, they fall under the specific subtrope, ArbitrarilySerializedSimultaneousAdventures.
While the structure described above is the basic model, [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible games can also have multiple branching-outs and bottlenecks per playthrough]], including recursively nested ones of varying lengths and types. The first variation is a subtrope of StoryBranching, the second is a type of GottaCatchThemAll. On a more meta level, an OmegaEnding can be seen as a subtype of complementary branches, because you need to clear all other endings in any order to get it.
----
!!Subtropes:
* ArbitrarilySerializedSimultaneousAdventures: Complementary branches that take place [[SimultaneousArcs at the same in-universe time]] and focus on [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent different playable characters]].
* MultipleGameOpenings: Exclusive branches that split up before the core gameplay even starts, then are bottlenecked backinto a unified plot.
* TheThreeTrials: If the player can complete said trials in any order to advance the plot, rather than having to do them in an explicitly or implicitly fixed sequence, they become complementary branches.
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Action Adventure]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Outcast}}'' gives you the mission of collecting [[PlotCoupon five "mons"]] in order to save the Earth from imminent destruction. Each mon is hidden somewhere in one of the accessible areas of the world and takes a lengthy subplot to complete, except the Talanzaar mon. The latter is hidden inside the BigBad's palace and thus is only obtained in the linear endgame, which is triggered by collecting the four others.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:First-Person Shooter]]
* ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy'' combines complementary branches with a FractionalWinningCondition: after the prologue and after every story mission, you are given a choice of five side missions and have to complete any four of them to unlock the next story missions (though you still have the option to complete the fifth side mission for an extra SkillPoint).
* Each act of the Campaign mode for ''VideoGame/UnrealTournamentIII'' (sans for the disguised tutorial Act I and the final act, where there's only one, inconsequential branching) has exclusive branches. There's a bunch of missions which are common to each branch, and then the players take paths towards each act's end depending on the choices the player make. Also some paths have useful cards which may be lost depending on the taken path. For example, ''Act II: With Caesar's Coin'' involves both taking control of Axon-guarded territory as well as fend back a wave of Krall attacks as the act advances. The first choice is whether to go full all-in on Axon or reinforce the defenses, while the last choice is usually whether to accept Axon's rendition and absorption of the Iron Guard onto the Izanagi forces, or just wipe out the Iron Guard and take their assets.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Platform Game]]
* ''VideoGame/MegamanZero1'' opens with two linear opening stages, then branches out to an eight-mission mission tree. Once all eight of these complementary branches are complete, the story concludes with a string of three linear missions into Neo Arcadia's stronghold.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real-Time Strategy]]
* The storyline of ''VideoGame/RepublicTheRevolution'' regularly branches out into [[KarmaMeter ideology]]-specific subplots, before converging into unified plots. A complex example happens, for instance, as soon as you arrive in the second city, Pugachev: not only do you have to complete one of three mutually exclusive subplots to gain a foothold in the city (form a criminal syndicate for Force ideology, a FakeCharity for Influence, or a business network for Wealth), but whatever subplot you pick is also a complementary to the one where you have to expose the corrupt Mayor. Only after you've established your foothold and brought down the Mayor does the overall storyline progress.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:RPG -- Eastern]]
* All ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' games are built around complementary branches, giving you a quest to defeat four powerful bosses, each found at the end of one of the respective game's major areas. Said quest usually occupies the middle bulk of the game and is preceded and followed by largely linear sequences of objectives (except in the [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsI first game]], where the first act also contained two complementary branches between the Undead Asylum and the Sen's Fortress[[note]]although the Bell of Awakening atop the Undead Church is ''much'' easier to reach than the one in Blighttown, it doesn't really matter in which order you ring them, as long as do both[[/note]]).
* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'': Ephraim and Eirika split into exclusive branches after chapter 8, and you can follow whichever one you like. They reunite in chapter 15, and the plot after that is largely identical, but the twin you followed in the midgame has more focus for CharacterDevelopment.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:RPG -- Western]]
* The "complementary branches" variation has long been a part of the so-called "Creator/BioWare [[StrictlyFormula formula]]":
** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' started off on Taris and Dantooine, before opening up and letting you search for [[PlotCoupons Star Maps]] on Tatooine, Kashyyk, Manaan, and Korriban. Finding all Star Maps revealed the location of Rakata Prime and the Star Forge, where the finale took place.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' started off on Eden Prime and the Citadel, before telling you to search for clues to the BigBad's end goal. After finding the {{Plot Coupon}}s on Feros, Noveria, and Virmire, and recruiting Liara T'Soni to help you make sense of them, you learn the location of the planet Ilos, where you finally catch up with the BigBad to duke it out in the final battle.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is a bit unusual in that it kicked off with MultipleGameOpenings (the eponymous Origins), i.e. exclusive branches, before bottlenecking all subplots for the Battle of Ostagar and the Lothering sequence. After that, however, you are tasked with securing alliances in each of four major areas of the game (the Circle Tower, Redcliffe, Brecilian Forest, and Orzammar), and doing so triggers the unified endgame sequence where you take down the treacherous regent and destroy the Archdemon. The ExpansionPack, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening'' similarly had you take control of Vigil's Keep, then clean up the surrounding areas, which reveals the location of the HiddenVillain, whom you battle in the endgame. Before that, however, the expansion does an exclusive branching, forcing you to defend [[SadisticChoice either your Keep, or the nearby City of Amaranthine]] from the villain's armies.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' is even looser with its complementary branches than the usual BW formula requires. Each major mission (Dossier or LoyaltyMission) after the tutorial takes place in a separate level, and the first bottleneck occurs when you complete any four of them (without DLC, they are the four initial Dossiers, but Zaeed and Kasumi's loyalty missions can take their place) and the game forces you into the Horizon PlotTunnel. Then, it's back to the complementary branches, but after four more, you are again bottlenecked onto the Collector Ship. From there on, however, the player is free to trigger the endgame at any point, so, technically, the final SuicideMission is just another complementary branch, as the game doesn't end even after completing it.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' does both variants: in act one, you have to choose between exclusive branches of allying with the Templar Order or the rebel mages, forfeiting the other faction to the BigBad for the rest of the playthrough, while in act two, you must resolve the Grey Warden insurrection and the Winter Palace assassination plot (and with it, the Orlesian Civil War), before you can proceed to the largely linear act three and finish the game.
* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2AssassinsOfKings'' became notable for having the story essentially split in two separate games (exclusive branches) early on, which don't reconverge into a unified plot until the final chapter.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Wide Open Sandbox]]
* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow1'' and ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' both followed a complementary branches-based formula where you started off with a few linear missions introducing you to the game, before being tasked to dismantle three rival gangs. While each of these three (six, if you count both games) arcs is linear, you can tackle them in any order and even switch between them after finishing each mission. After defeating all three gangs, the respective game wrapped up with another short linear sequence of missions leading to the ending. Later installments largely abandoned this structure in favor of tackling rival gangs in a fixed order mandated by the plot.
[[/folder]]
----
Will go under InteractiveStorytellingTropes.
