Games That Took An Absolutely Bizzare Turn In Their Narrative

I’m a sucker for good gameplay narratives, so naturally, I’ve always kept a curious eye out for titles that could make me go “holy heck” at a certain point playing them. Call it a plot twist of a sort, but when these hit, they really take things off to another level, and I’m glad there are developers out there who have been focusing on this specific element.

As such, I’ve decided to put together a carefully curated list of games that strive to pull off this kind of feeling and hit the nail on the head while doing so. Make sure to sift through each listing, as I’ll leave some description with each entry as to explain what type of games they are. 

There’s A Lot More Than What Meets The Eye Here

In case you have another suggestion to make, feel free to comment down below and add to the discussion. 

1. Inscryption 

Starting off the list is the brilliant, multi-category Inscryption that, God knows how really, blends different genres together and pulls it off seamlessly while doing so. At the beginning of the title, it comes off as a card game mixed with some elements of the escape room genre, but oh boy, not only does it do a lot more than just that, but also keeps you on the edge while doing so.

It’s an underrated masterpiece that makes you doubt the AAA experience, plain and simple. My colleague wrote a feature on the game, expressing his belief that every PC player needs to go ahead and play Inscryption, remarking, 

Inscryption is an offline game, but this boss accesses the internet, your Steam account, and other files. It displays cards made by other players with their profile pictures from Steam on them. This boss also brings out actual pictures from the internet and puts them into these cards, and this is just breaking the surface of what the game offers.”

2. Inside

Coming out all the way back in 2016, Inside is full of mystery. It’s about a small boy trying to survive in a desolate world, and encountering threats of all sorts trying to take his life away. However, nothing compares to the huge end-game plot twist that knocks players down with a feather. I won’t spoil much here, of course, being the good guy I am, but you have to give this one an honest shot, especially if side-scrollers are your thing. 

Quite fortuitously, Inside is currently going for less than a dollar on Steam. No better time to get it,

3. Halo: Combat Evolved

I’m no mega Halo fan, but when you talk about bizarre turns in gaming, you have to remember the introduction of The Flood in Halo: Combat Evolved. Talk about a fantastic first-person shooter loaded with fantastic narrative action. Intelligent enemy AI, tight gunplay, great level design—this one had it all back in the day. A shame the Halo series has lost its quality over time, though looks like recent developments have put it back in a good spot.

I think of the first time I played Halo CE, I was like ‘Wow, this is a fun action adventure’ and then at the reveal of the flood I was like ‘THIS GAME IS HORROR!’ says one 

4. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune

Naughty Dog’s Uncharted IP is no less than a masterpiece in the realm of action-adventure, but let’s talk a bit about where the franchise took flight from. The first iteration in the series — Drake’s Fortune — introduced the series in terrific fashion, featuring another of those bizarre twists in gaming where literal freaking zombies show up in what is otherwise easily called an “Indiana Jones” simulator. 

Who else got freaked out during the Nazi bunker zombie scene in uncharted 1
byu/oofusrufusshootus inuncharted

God, that was unexpected.

5. Disco Elysium 

Now here’s one game that deserves all the praise in the world for what it brings to the table. Disco Elysium is an RPG, one of the best ones at that, that has you starting out as a cop trying to get to the bottom of unresolved crime cases. As you make explorations and start navigating the in-game world, you seeing through some of the most unhinged mysteries and baffling truths that shock to the core, in all fairness. 

6. Doki Doki Literature Club

When you look at Doki Doki Literature Club, what do you see? Of course, a certain assumption takes over the mind, but let me tell you this: This is not the innocent dialogue-based adventure you think it is. I really recommend you going into this blindly, so I can’t say much about the title’s plot or story. However, since it managed to grab a spot on this list, go ahead and expect the worst diving into it.