A game that gradually turns you into a villain

Just like people in real life, for game characters I always want to know where I am. I believe in second chances, but betrayal is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reverse. So when developers subvert these kinds of expectations, it's always very emotionally effective. Sometimes they give you entire plots of the game's story to help you bond with the main character, only to find out he's not who you thought he was at all. There's nothing like a game that completely betrays the player's expectations.

In other titles, choices can be made that ultimately lead to villainy, in which case it's more the player's fault than anything else. The games discussed here offer a mix of both approaches, but they all tackle the idea of ​​turning into a villain in slightly different ways.

SPOILER WARNING: Due to the nature of the title, this article provides major detailed descriptions of Little Nightmares, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Warcraft 3, Shadow of the Colossus, Undertale, and Braid, so be careful if you haven't finished them yet!

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6

little nightmare

six strikes back

I'm a huge horror fan and extremely anxious person. These two characteristics can easily creep you out, but that's okay because you actually enjoy it. The most important thing is that the developers try something unique to make it happen. That was definitely the case in my case. little nightmareIt follows little Six as they navigate the Maw, a massive and terrifying ship filled with inhuman monsters. Throughout the game, she seems almost helpless in these massive environments, hunted and cowering in the shadows. But I had no idea that hunger was causing terrible things.

I was horrified by the scene where Six eats a harmless bastard instead of the sausage offered to her, and was completely appalled to learn that the DLC's Runaway Kid was that bastard (who also appears as an unassuming little creature later in the series). The ending of the game was also far from what I expected. Six pounced on the Lady and devoured her, using her malevolent powers to drain the lives of the Maw's ravenous and monstrous guests.

It's a very clever way to completely upset the balance of power we're used to, and seeing her passively destroy her tormentors on her way to the exit of the Maw (especially with the change in camera perspective) leaves a truly eerie impression. It's downright villainous behavior, but the degree to which Six becomes a villain depends on the developer's stance (as the developer intended).

5

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

power of the dark side

Due to differences in equipment availability, etc., the 'better' choice between embracing the dark side and the light side is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic It's up to the individual player. Of course, you only have one moral choice, but you are given the freedom to be as villainous as you want.

The battle for the Star Forge and the defeat of Darth Malak can play out very differently depending on your choices, as can the explosive revelation that the protagonist is actually Darth Revan. As a former Dark Lord of the Sith, you don't have to be completely evil to accept your destiny, and you don't have to be completely good and pure to reject it, but you can certainly commit some pretty dastardly acts on your way there. Without really important decisions to be made across the board, a system like this would fall apart quite a bit. It's actually here. I don't think there's any other choice in any game that bothers me more than asking for Bao Mission's death in the temple, and I've only played it once. Some of the most evil decisions you can make in any situation. star wars The title appears here.

The slow and steady increase in Light Points and Dark Points fuels your character's progression, the latter of which can actually take a heavy toll on your conscience.

4

warcraft 3

From hero to zero

One of the most iconic moments final fantasy The series follows Cecil Harvey's transformation from a dark knight to a heroic paladin. But a character going in the opposite direction is a sure sign that a questionable life decision or two is being made. This is exactly what happened to Arthas Menethil, the tragic (former) hero of the Human Campaign.

The Silver Paladin's story begins with Reign of Chaos content. Here we see him wiping out Stratholme, believing this can stop the spread of the disaster. The shock of his military superiors (“How can you think of that? There must be another way!”) causes him to disband the man and his army, and what makes the whole situation even worse is that the purge doesn't simply happen in a cutscene. We must play to the end and 'race' with Mal'Ganis to kill the plagued villagers before he can convert them into his army.

The former possessor of righteous powers such as the Divine Healing Light believes he is fighting to save the land, but continues to commit terrible deeds in his efforts. Finding and obtaining the Frost Blade cost him forever his humanity, ultimately leading him to assume the role of the fearsome Lich King. It's an interesting and tragic backstory for the villain, and it has additional impact by being playable in Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne.

3

shadow of the colossus

Destroy gentle giants for your own purposes

now, this Twist I didn't appreciate it at all.

in shadow of the colossusWe continue to battle huge and challenging bosses. The dark and gloomy aesthetic of the game reminds me of: dark soul Both the game and the creature design, I just love great cinematic battles with giant enemies like that. We're on a mission to kill them all in order to (potentially) bring Mono back to life, a very important person to him, so I think there's some good intentions as well.

I mainly participated for the boss fight, which went very well. The first scene where Gaius slowly rises from the ground and stands up to face me filled me with absolute horror. The grueling mission of slamming a giant club into the ground and then climbing onto a body felt like a Herculean task, and I liked the puzzle element of approaching weak points to deal damage. This concept applies to all bosses, and they vary widely between them as well. From the flying Avion to the giant eel Hydrus, you'll need to quickly figure out how to put them out of commission.

As more creatures die, protagonist Wander's appearance becomes more and more inhuman, a physical sign that something is very wrong with this whole process. Of course, we learn too late that killing them all will allow the previously imprisoned Dormin to escape confinement. Or it would have been had it not been for the efforts of the warriors sent to stop Wander. Stricken with grief, this unfortunate young man was unaware that this gigantic creature was essentially an innocent victim of Dormin's plan for freedom.

2

Undertale

Become the scariest thing around

Undertale It became a phenomenon for several reasons. One important thing is how many options there are. If a dedicated player really enjoys an RPG, they will indulge in multiple playthroughs and make it as different as possible to see what changes. with UndertaleThere are famously two very different extremes. One is to kill all enemies and the other is to not kill any.

In both cases, the game adapts to your situation, making it more difficult, and enemies react accordingly. If you're super vicious, you can destroy every enemy in every area until they literally stop spawning, completely changing the boss's behavior and attitude. Taken out of context, you wouldn't think the “Papyrus saves you” battle message could have such an emotional impact, and you wouldn't believe how unpleasant the boss battle with Sans is. But you did it all through genocide.

It's a slow, absolutely deliberate and almost noticeable descent into complete villainy. Moreover, it's not just about making your enemies fear you or making them do everything they can to stop your terrible crusade, it's about literally draining all life from the world around you and steadily silencing it. It's great, experimental RPG storytelling at its best.

1

braid

When you think you're a hero

One very traditional image of a hero is a knight in shining armor. You know, missions like slaying dragons, rescuing princesses, etc. This is exactly what I thought a beautiful, artistic side-scrolling puzzle title would be like. braid It was ready for me. From my first experience, I found it quite evocative. celeste When it comes to structure, it's divided into several worlds, each centered around a variety of clever mechanics. Also like celesteDeath and failure are quick, but you're back in action much quicker, so you're never really set back too much.

The ability to briefly turn back time if a mistake is made (think Tracer). Overwatch) is absolutely important. This is especially true in the final, very difficult section, where you have to run on parallel paths towards the princess and think very quickly to clear obstacles (it'll probably take you about 100 tries to find your way past the chubby-haired enemies). The clever thing happens when he finally catches up with her and discovers that the time manipulation machine is hiding a secret. You thought you were saving her, but it was actually you who made her run away.

Although the nature of the relationship between the two remains ambiguous, much of the game's plot revolves around his search for her. We steadily gain insight into Tim's past, with many emotions displayed in text boxes between actions (referring to the trauma of his experiences in college, for example). Each is a piece of the wider puzzle that shapes Tim and his actions, detailing how he became the 'villain' of this thought-provoking adventure.