However, there are also scriptwriters who go against this structure, turning the villain into the victor while the heroic protagonist suffers a great defeat at the hands of their opponent. This could be due to the protagonist’s own actions, being deceived, or inadvertently aiding the enemy; in one way or another, the scriptwriter aims to show gamers that the game’s story has much deeper layers than it seems.
Many games have quite bleak outcomes; often, this is not the main part of the series, but could be a side story, spin-off, or an alternate version with a different ending. Here is a list of 10 games where the protagonist does not emerge victorious.
Resistance 2
Typically, in a trilogy, the second installment is the darkest, setting the stage for the protagonist’s grand comeback in the third. Resistance 2 is one such game. Developed by Insomniac Games, this is a “lost” series from the PS3 era. This second installment continues the journey of Sergeant Nathan Hale in America, fighting against the Chimera invasion.
You will be a member of the elite soldier team The Sentinels, consisting of individuals infected with the Chimera virus who possess extraordinary powers. Later, Hale attempts to control this virus, stopping the Chimera leader Daedalus but inadvertently absorbing his abilities. Hale escapes with another Sentinel, Corporal Joseph Capelli. However, their ship is destroyed, and when Capelli wakes up, he finds Hale completely infected with the Chimera virus and is forced to shoot him.
In the third installment, the good news is that the Chimera have been completely eradicated, but at the end of Resistance 2, many players expressed sadness and sorrow for both Hale and Capelli.
Shadow Of The Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most iconic games on the PlayStation system. In this game, you play as Wander, seeking a way to resurrect Mono, a maiden sacrificed because people believe she is cursed. After finding a strange land, Wander makes a pact with Dormin, a mysterious entity with the power to resurrect the dead. To save Mono, our hero must complete a task for Dormin, which is to destroy 16 giant statues (Colossi) scattered across the map.
However, Wander does not realize that Dormin has his own plans. When the final Colossi is killed, Wander finally understands everything. Each Colossi is a guardian, holding Dormin’s soul captive to prevent it from wreaking havoc, and when killed, Dormin gets closer to achieving his goal. As a result, Wander is possessed by Dormin and transforms into an evil giant. But then Lord Emon intervenes in time, trapping Dormin (and Wander) in that land forever.
inFamous
inFamous is famous for its morality system. You play as Cole MacGrath, a bike messenger who gains electric superpowers after surviving an explosion in Empire City. At this point, you have two choices: use your powers to protect the city and earn karma for yourself, or become selfish and “create karma.”
As you progress, you will encounter the villain Kessler, leader of the First Sons, who caused the earlier explosion. After several confrontations, including one where he kills Cole’s friend Trish, the player finally faces Kessler. Regardless of whether you have been good or evil, Kessler reveals that he is Cole from a parallel future, a future destroyed by his own actions.
Kessler also explains that he killed Trish to prevent you from marrying her, because this family would prevent Cole from stopping the looming threat known as The Beast. While Kessler’s intentions are ultimately for a good purpose, his methods cause suffering for others, and in the end, his plan succeeds.
Halo Reach
Halo is one of the games with the largest universe, attracting a vast number of players to explore since the first installment was released in 2001. Among them, The Fall Of Reach marks a pivotal moment in the war between humans and the Covenant. This might be why Bungie chose this setting for Halo Reach, the prequel to the first Halo: Combat Evolved.
You will play as SPARTAN-B312, also known as Noble Six, the newest member of Noble Team. You will learn that the Covenant forces have discovered the planet Reach, where the Spartan-II program was created, and they are launching a full-scale attack on this planet. When meeting the program’s creator, Dr. Halsey, Noble Team is tasked with transporting the AI Cortana (believed to hold information about an artifact that could end the war) to the UNSC Pillar of Autumn.
True to its name, The Fall of Reach, one by one, members of Noble Team must sacrifice themselves to complete their mission, and Noble Six stays behind to ensure the Pillar of Autumn can safely leave the planet, ultimately sacrificing himself there. The Covenant could be defeated later, but the brave sacrifices of Noble Team will echo forever.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a successful title from Firaxis Games. Set in an alternate Earth, you will command XCOM, a military organization tasked with protecting Earth from the invasion of alien Ethereals with extraordinary powers. After discovering they are using humans for experiments to create a new species, XCOM swiftly acts and defeats the Uber Ethereal leader, causing their ship to explode.
Believing everything is resolved, in XCOM 2 (2016), you learn there was a completely different outcome. 20 years after the events of Enemy Unknown, the Council of Nations has surrendered, and humanity has lost this war. Subsequently, a puppet regime called ADVENT is established, and XCOM becomes an underground resistance force.
XCOM 2 ends with the crimes of ADVENT exposed to the light and their forces overwhelmed. However, the war is not yet over, as the War of the Chosen expansion suggests another battle is on the horizon.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
The Kingdom Hearts series is quite convoluted, but Birth By Sleep is one of the brightest entries in the franchise. Released in 2010, this is the sixth installment but serves as a prequel, taking place 10 years before the events of the first game. In this installment, instead of continuing with the protagonists from previous chapters, Sora and Riku, there are three main characters: Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, each with three different campaign routes.
The game begins with Terra and Aqua completing the Mark of Mastery exam to achieve the rank of Keyblade Master. However, the antagonist Master Xehanort manipulates this exam, causing the darkness within Terra to rise and resulting in his failure. Shortly after, Xehanort disappears right when the Unversed appear. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus set out to find Xehanort.
When the three confront Xehanort, Terra is possessed by him and loses control; Ventus is also possessed by another entity, and after a struggle, Ventus unfortunately falls into a state of unconsciousness. Aqua is forced to seal Ventus in Castle Oblivion to ensure he remains undisturbed. When Aqua confronts Terra, Xehanort commits suicide, causing Terra to fall into a state of darkness. Aqua rushes to save Terra but ends up getting trapped there as well.
It won’t be until Kingdom Hearts 3 that these characters find a happy ending, but it must be acknowledged that Birth By Sleep has a more somber conclusion than ever.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Each new Final Fantasy installment comes with a new setting, storyline, and cast of characters. However, after the sequel to Final Fantasy X, X-2, was released in 2003, another exception arose in 2007 with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII on the PSP. Set seven years before the events of Final Fantasy VII, you play as Zack Fair, a soldier in the Shinra army and the first owner of the legendary Buster Sword. Tasked with finding the SOLDIER Genesis, Zack gradually uncovers a larger conspiracy that directly leads to the events of Final Fantasy VII.
Those who have played the seventh installment know that Zack is Aerith’s first love; and after visiting Gongaga, you learn this is Zack’s hometown after meeting his parents, both of whom are unaware of the tragic fate awaiting their son. Awakening after being captured by Shinra as a test subject, Zack saves Cloud but sacrifices himself in battle against Shinra troops. Zack’s dying wish is for Cloud to carry on his legacy.
Superhot
Upon its release in 2016, this game was indeed super “hot.” The game features a very minimalist graphic style, and the mechanic is easy to grasp: time only moves when you move. The story is quite mysterious; you receive a message from a friend introducing a game called superhot.exe. Naturally, you are curious and open the file to check out what’s “hot,” only to realize that your actions in the game are being monitored by “the system.”
After several rounds, “the system” gradually warns you not to play this game anymore, trying to “kick” you out a few times and even programming the game’s character to break into the very room where you are playing superhot.exe and knock you out. However, you stubbornly continue playing, and this time “the system” not only stops you but encourages you to keep playing. After infiltrating the lab containing the core of “the system,” you will merge with it after completing one final task: you must return to the apartment room you were in and shoot yourself to complete the merger.
When the credits roll, you are instructed to introduce superhot.exe to your friends, sending out messages just like the ones you received at the start. This is not a happy ending at all, but since you repeatedly ignored “the system”‘s warnings, you ultimately got what you deserved.
Diablo
This is Blizzard’s renowned game series and a flagship in the hack-and-slash genre. However, the series’ storyline has an unfavorable outcome for the protagonist, and the first installment is no exception. Released in 1997, Diablo is set in Tristram, the capital of the Kingdom of Khanduras. Players must liberate this city from evil, and in the final battle, you will face Diablo himself, the Lord of Terror. After killing his physical form, the protagonist traps Diablo’s soul in a soulstone, embedding it in their own head, and sacrifices themselves. However, in Diablo II, you will discover that all of this was in vain.
The second installment recounts the story of a warrior trying to imprison Diablo’s soul within his own body. However, everything goes against the initial plan; Diablo begins to take control of this warrior’s body and ultimately becomes a vessel for him to “reside” in. Thus, instead of stopping this demon, your brave efforts yield no results.
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is set in 1911, where you play as John Marston trying to rescue his wife and son after being kidnapped by two federal agents, Edgar Ross and Archer Fordham. To ensure the safety of his family, John is forced to hunt down and eliminate his former gang members.
But despite keeping his promise, John is betrayed by the authorities. After helping his family escape to safety, John is gunned down by dozens of assailants. This is a tragic ending for someone who once lived outside the law, and although his son Jack later kills Edgar Ross in vengeance for his father, it offers little solace.
Source What Culture translated by Gearvn