Summary
- Portal's deceptive promise of cake highlights how misdirection enhances the game's dark narrative.
- BioShock's "Would you kindly" twist manipulates player actions, delving into control and resistance.
- The Last of Us Part 2's perspective shifts challenge players' sympathies and perceptions of good and evil.
In gaming, misdirection can be an excellent storytelling device wherein the players are pointed in one direction only to have their expectations twisted in a clever way. Great games perfect this art to make memorable and sometimes shocking moments that make a player doubt whatever they thought they knew. It can be in the narrative twists, the mechanics of the game, or the character revelations, but misdirection ensures that the player is entertained and caught unawares.
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These outstanding games have mastered the art of misdirection. Whether it be traditional story-based tales or gameplay twists and turns, they employ clever duplicity not merely as a shock tactic, but to further invest the player with emotional context and perspective, as well as put their comprehension of the game's story and even their own self to the test.
8 Portal
The Cake Was a Lie
Portal
- Released
- October 10, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
Portal begins as what seems to be a simple puzzle game in which players traverse test chambers with a portal gun. The sparse design and dry humor of the game create a light-hearted atmosphere, yet just underneath the surface is the creepy attitude of GLaDOS, the AI conducting the tests.
The final red herring is the promise of cake and easy passage made by GLaDOS, which gradually fall apart to show a darker motive. The cake is a lie and has become a notorious expression that is associated with false hope and deception. The sheer genius of Portal in combining gameplay and narrative layers of deception leaves the player in suspense, not knowing what is real and who to believe.
7 BioShock
Pulling Strings Behind the Curtain
BioShock
- Released
- August 21, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
BioShock is a first-person shooter game whose events take place in the spooky underwater city of Rapture. The player gets to uncover a dystopian universe of bioengineered abilities and philosophical questions.
The main red herring is the feeling of free will given to the player, which is destroyed by the bone-chilling realization that so many of their actions were dictated by the words, "Would you kindly?" This mind control is a test of player agency and poses some profound questions about control, obedience, and resistance, which is why BioShock is a masterclass in narrative tricks.
6 Silent Hill 2
The Real Monster Within
Silent Hill 2
- Released
- September 25, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Team Silent
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Prequel(s)
- Silent Hill
- Franchise
- Silent Hill
- Number of Players
- 1
- PC Release Date
- December 2, 2002
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 8 Hours
Silent Hill 2 follows the story of James Sunderland, who comes to the fog-covered town of Silent Hill in search of his dead wife. Psychological horror and the haunting atmosphere engulf those brave enough to embark on this journey with James.
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This is where the misdirection of the game is. The protagonist himself, James, is not the innocent hero he thinks he is. The journey slowly reveals to the players the gruesome fact of what James has done and what has happened to his mind, recontextualizing the story as a dark trip into the nature of guilt and self-denial.
5 The Last of Us Part 2
Perspectives and Loyalties Change
The Last of Us Part 2
- Released
- June 19, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Franchise
- The Last of Us
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 24 Hours
The Last of Us Part 2 is an emotionally evocative story of vengeance and loss set in the post-apocalyptic world. In this title, players accompany Ellie in her pursuit of justice, which is full of cruel murders and intimate arguments.
The red herring is accompanied by the audacious perspective change in the middle, with players being left to continue viewing the narrative through the eyes of a different character, someone who, at this point in the game, every player thought was the main antagonist of the story. This story twist tests players' sympathies, draws the borders between the hero and villain, and makes the player confront the issues of revenge, forgiveness, and the cycles of violence.
4 Slay the Princess
Trust is the Biggest Lie
Slay the Princess
- Released
- October 23, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Engine
- ren'py
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 4 Hours
Slay the Princess looks like a typical fantasy adventure game where the task of the players is obvious: They are to kill an alleged danger, the princess.
The outstanding aspect of the game as a misdirection mechanic is that it severely tests the trust and choices of players. The princess is not who she appears to be, and the game plays with the expectations of whom the actual antagonist is and leaves the players questioning every decision and plotline with suspicion and amazement.
3 BioShock Infinite
Combat With Yourself and an Infinite Loop
BioShock Infinite
- Released
- March 26, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Irrational Games
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Franchise
- BioShock
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium (Complete Edition)
Taking place in the floating city of Columbia, BioShock Infinite unites colorful graphics with a controversial plot about alternate dimensions and political tensions. The main gimmick of the game is its use of misdirection as a plot twist that no player could ever have expected.
Well, to give more credit to the game, almost every single reveal comes out as a plot twist, with several variations of the lead character fighting both internal and external demons. This idea of fighting with one's very self goes down to the very depth of the story, with the layers of reality being peeled off only to display circular destinies and paradoxes. This will leave players doubting their perception of self and fate along the way.
2 Braid
Time Manipulation and the Breaking Truth
Braid, Anniversary Edition
- Released
- May 14, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Language
- Developer(s)
- Thekla Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Thekla Inc.
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
Braid is a puzzle platformer with time-manipulation elements, all tied up in a story that at first seems to be a straightforward one of love and rescue.
The misdirection comes in the last reveal, where the story makes a full turn, foreshadowing much darker motivations and consequences of the actions of the protagonist. This twist puts a new meaning to the whole gameplay and story, causing players to rethink each step they took and what the story really was.
1 NieR: Automata
When Nothing is What it Seems
NieR: Automata
- Released
- March 7, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- NieR
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 22 Hours
NieR: Automata is an action RPG, the events of which take place in a post-apocalyptic world where androids have to fight against alien machines. The game combines frantic action and deep philosophical issues concerning awareness and reality, mainly being created to cause players to have an existential crisis (or was that not the plan?)
It is a hefty mix of misdirection, with mysterious characters, alternate endings, and ever-changing loyalties. Players will have to reconsider their beliefs regarding the characters and their intentions several times. This ingenious narrative fragmentation and shifting of the perspectives of the player provides an unforgettable journey into the questions of identity and truth in the game.
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