Best Plot Twists in Video Games [Probably Lots of Spoilers Inside]

[Pike]

So. What moments in video games had you going :eek: with how unexpected they were?

I'm gonna start with the obvious one:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Kotorbox.jpg

Yeah you know the one. The one where GUESS WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY DARTH REVAN. I know some people say they saw it coming, but me, man it caught me flatfooted.

Okay guys, your turn!

[Slothy]

I was disappointed that I knew exactly what post numero uno would be.

Silent Hill 2, MGS2, and probably having you activate Rex in MGS for that matter are the bigger ones that jump out at me right now. I also love the final level of Braid in the context of it being a save the princess love story game. There's little foreshadowing but the way it uses the rewind to subvert your narrative expectations is clever.

[Karifean]

Umineko wins this one in my book. Reading people's first Umineko impressions is such a joy, and half the fun is seeing how people react to its twists for the first time. Like so. (https://i.imgur.com/mBamunV.png)

But honorable mentions to Ever17 - think Zero Escape twists except executed way better - and The Devil on G-string whose ending made it literally shoot from "a decent read" to "one of the best stories I've ever experienced".

For a change of pace and something a bit more recent, I'll also mention Undertale's normal ending.

[Pike]

Undertale is a good call. A lot of the stuff that happened towards the end with Flowey and so forth was stuff I was definitely not expecting.

[Midgar Mist]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Aerith in FF7 yet. I was expecting to quote someone and go" THIS!"

[Slothy]

I made the mistake of doing through the strategy guide before getting that far. They had pictures of her impaled just right there on the page.

[Peter1986]

Final Fantasy 6.
The whole fake final dungeon (Floating Continent) followed by the destruction of the world was smurfing genius.

[Forsaken Lover]

Knights of the Old Republic. You know the one.

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. You prob don't know this one .Shame on you.

[Fox]

Final Fantasy VIII, where it turns out they were all from the same orphanage but f-

...OK fine. I'll be serious. Let's go for FFX. ​The Dream of the Fayth

[Wolf Kanno]

Probably due to playing it recently, Wild ARMS 2Nd Ignition has a great plot twist.

The founder of A.R.M.S. the private military force dedicated to save Filgaia from any threat that comes its way is also the main financial backer of Odessa, the secret organization trying to conquer the world. He created both organizations because he discovered years earlier that an eldritch horror in the form of an encroaching sentient universe was going to swallow their universe and end all life. To combat this, he knew he needed to unite the world so he created an organization whose goal was to conquer the planet and an organization that could potentially unite the various nations in their self-interest. Either way, the world would end up being united in time to face off this new threat. He even weaponizes the previous Eldritch Abomination that tried to destroy Filgaia in the game's backstory. Have I mentioned how fucked up this series is?

Others include the truth about Fei, the Eldridge, and planet's history in Xenogears.

The truth about Nigredo and Yuriev in Xenosaga.

The various mind screws in Metal Gear Solid but special mentions go to Raiden in MGS2, and the Man Who Sold the World mission in MGSV.

The truth about Flynn, The White, and the Alternate Tokyo's in SMTIV. While not so much a surprise, they do change the course and tone of the story.

Big Sis and the revelation about the origin of the Masked Circle in Persona 2 is probably one of the best twists in the Persona series.

Zoma's Dark Kingdom in Dragon Quest III as well as the ending.

Why Dracula's Castle reappeared so quickly in Symphony of the Night, including both the red herring answer and the truth.

The Reapers in ME1.

The Metroid coming to save Samus in Super Metroid.

The truth about the war between the Brood and Garr's Tribe as well as the revelations concerning Myria and the fate of the world in Breath of Fire III

The truth about Origin, Nina, and Bosch's past in Dragon Quarter.

The truth about Lordlake Rebellion, the Royal Assassination, and Sialeeds plan in Suikoden V.

I'll think of more eventually.

[Ayen]

Gotta second Knights of the Old Republic, and both MGS answers by Vivi.