Games That Only Bring An Illusion Of Free Player Choice

It’s not every day that a wild Cyberpunk 2077 appears out of nowhere and offers a grand campaign experience, loaded to the brim with meaningful choices that not only influence the ending at a later point but also open up different side missions along the way. As far as most titles are concerned, things don’t go that way, with some games especially being high-firing upfront but failing to deliver in the areas that truly count. 

I decided to put together a list of such titles that know exactly how to get your expectations up and let them down horribly afterward. But the ridiculous part is, these are not entirely bad games per se. They’re fairly entertaining when it comes down to it—not just in the storyline department. 

Expecting A Dynamic Ending To The Story With These Titles? Don’t

Think there’s another game or two that can make it into this list? Post a comment down below and tell me all about it. 

1. Dying Light 2

One of the finest zombie survival games out there in the business with the “fun” aspect blossoming all across its campaign, Dying Light 2 falls short when it comes down to meeting story-centric expectations. Back in 2021 when Techland showed off the title’s cinematic trailer, fans — myself included — were taken aback by the seeming amount of depth involved.

Fast-forward to 2024, there are many aspects in which the sequel takes a considerable nosedive as compared to the original release, and player freedom is one of them. 

The trailer hyped it up so much with aligning with different factions and whatever, when in reality there are only like 4 endings which had almost nothing to do with that part of the game. What a disappointment,” says one u/Dark_Wolf04.

2. Hogwarts Legacy

Trumping WB’s expectations by far and large, Hogwarts Legacy has been nothing but a commercial mega-hit over the course of its release, but whether that’s due to nostalgia or just the game being a visual treat, I can’t help but say that the open world of this game is relatively shallow, and lacks depth. You could even effectively say that the latter is low-effort in that regard, and I’m willing to die on this hill. 

Only if WB and Avalanche went for a more focused affair that would concentrate only on certain areas within the world of Hogwarts Legacy in an attempt to better polish the gameplay instead. The clear lack of end-game content followed by hum-drum side missions that too are wound up repetitively oftentimes makes a strong case for a sequel that improves upon the original in such ways. 

In other news, eXputer reviewed Hogwarts Legacy and rated it 4.5/5.0, praising its characters, graphics, and combat.

3. BioShock Infinite

I feel like BioShock Infinite deserves a mention on this list, even though it does not really belong here. That’s because the whole point of the franchise is that you cannot break the cycle no matter how much you fight back or how hard you try. The game, during the campaign, presents choices for the player, but only in vain, because none of it matters by the time you beat it. 

On a side note, though, it seems like Cloud Chamber is working on the next mainline iteration of BioShock as some of the title’s gameplay screenshots were recently leaked online. I sure hope 2K ends up doing a good job with it, considering the sheer amount of fan expectations tied to it. 

4. Mass Effect 3 

Don’t get me wrong: The Mass Effect franchise is one of the best Western RPGs out there, sporting epic character development, terrific gameplay, rewarding exploration, and pretty much all of the bells and whistles that an RPG should have … except delivering on the promise of adequate player freedom. Folks are not a fan of the way Mass Effect 3 ends. 

What are your thoughts on Mass Effect 3's ending 11 years later?
byu/Direct-ME2989 inmasseffect

What should have been the dramatic climax to 3 games and 100-150 hours of gameplay was stopped to have a confusing conversation with the ghost that’s been in Shepards’ PTSD nightmares,” says one u/crazicelt online. 

5. The Walking Dead

Although The Walking Dead’s episodic adventure delivery is nothing short of flawless, a common gripe that players have had over the years with the game is unsubstantial player agency. The choices given to you are pretty much meaningless at the end of it all, so don’t get sucked into that notion. Perhaps, it would’ve been significantly better if the title did not attempt to give the player any decision-making options at all.