Video games have developed into a beautiful and respected form of storytelling. Any decent work of fiction creates a deep connection with the world and characters, so any twist has a real impact on those invested in the story.

After sitting with the characters for hours, you feel attached to their story. Plot twists can take place at any time in the narrative, but they have a major effect on the rest of the game. Whether you love them or hate them, you probably won’t see the plot twists in these RPGs coming.

If you play the Mass Effect games, you are well aware of the Reapers, who purge and destroy civilizations so they can rebuild them from a clean slate. The second game in the series adds to the Reaper’s corruptive nature, revealing the true identity of The Collectors.

The insectoid beings are actually previous Protheans who have been twisted into something evil. Realizing the enemies you have been fighting are actually victims of cruelty was a twist that hit many players hard.

Night City is no place for happy endings, but that doesn’t stop players from rooting for the characters. In Cyberpunk 2077, players get to know Evelyn Parker, a doll who hires V in a heist that goes wrong.

After the job goes south, Evelyn’s life is thrown into turmoil as she goes through a comatose is repeatedly abused by her employer. The game leads players to believe they can save her, but she tragically takes her own life after her rescue. No one was expecting such a tragic ending to this prevalent character.

Players were shocked by the plot twist in the fantasy RPG, Bravely Default. Throughout your journey, you have attempted to save crystals from a dark force. In the middle of the game, you realize that the helpful spirit who has been assisting you is actually the main source of darkness awakening the crystals.

It completely subverts your expectations, forcing you to rethink every interaction you’ve had. You feel deceived by one of your closest allies and no longer trust your own perspective.

Persona 5’s plot twist rocked players on multiple levels. After playing as Joker and connecting with the side characters, you are betrayed by Goro as he shoots you in the interrogation room.

As if his betrayal wasn’t enough, it’s revealed the protagonists knew about him the entire time due to a minor slip earlier in the game. This twist has two layers, as the initial shooting is followed by the shock that you missed the traitor even though everyone else already knew.

While most players could guess there would be a massive time jump with Shaun in Fallout 4, finding out he was the 60-year-old leader of the Institute you had been hunting the entire game was an emotional blow.

Creating a dramatic shift in the story, you have to choose whether to side with your enemy or go against your own flesh and blood you have desperately searched for. On top of that, your character is now grieving for the lost years with their boy. It was a big twist that changed the outcome of the story.

In Fire Emblem: Three Houses, war is constantly on your radar. Each faction has their own political agenda, and it’s clear the Flame Emperor is the main antagonist. However, it is revealed that Edelgard, the seemingly noble leader of the Black Eagles, has been the Flame Emperor the entire time.

This plot twist completely changes the narrative as you can either target your former ally or join her rebellion. The game goes from a school setting to a war backdrop as you reevaluate your alliances and motivations.

Red Dead Redemption has one of the most well-written story arcs in gaming, so players become very attached to the characters. As you watch John Marston fight to secure his family’s freedom by working as a government hitman, you root for him to find a peaceful life.

As soon as he settles down on his ranch, however, he is forced to put up one last stand against Federal agents who won’t let him escape that easily. He goes down in a rain of bullets, devestarting players as they realize he was doomed from the start.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Republic is one of the greatest Star Wars games. The main plot twist took fans of the game by complete surprise, as you learn the player-character has been the powerful Sith Lord, Darth Revan, the entire time.

He had his memory erased by the Jedi, so even Darth Revan didn’t know who he was until Darth Malak revealed the truth. Players can then decide which path to take from there, either reclaiming the Dark Side or defeating Malak. It’s a masterfully written plot twist no one saw coming.

A major plot twist in Final Fantasy 7 is still widely discussed as one of the best surprises in gaming. Players were shocked at the revelation that Cloud was operating under a false identity, Zack Fair, the entire time, and was never part of the SOLDIER 1st Class.

This twist is meant to make the audience uncomfortable as they are faced with a challenging perception of morality and trust. This game takes many unexpected turns, making it a great RPG if you’re in need of a decent plot twist.

Elden Ring is widely regarded as one of the best RPGs of all time, particularly due to its rich lore and world-building. This includes the major twist that revealed Ragadon is Marika, the Queen of the Lands In Between.

This ultimate twist barely gives you time to catch up as you are immediately launched into a boss fight. They are at once two different characters and the same entities, though the explanation of how is left vague, leaving players wondering about the twist well-after the game is over.