Best Open-World Games That Lie To Players

Summary

Some games deceive players through narrative twists or gameplay mechanics, enhancing the gaming experience.
Titles like “Bully,” “Dragon Age: Inquisition,” and “Fallout: New Vegas” incorporate deceptive elements in open-world settings.
Games like “Cyberpunk 2077,” “Yakuza 2,” “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” and “Batman: Arkham Knight” use unreliable narrators and twists to keep players engaged.

Some games may stretch the truth, whether intentionally for their storyline, unintentionally due to technical issues, or as a result of pre-release promotion. For example, players might recall that the game Watch Dogs didn’t appear quite as visually stunning in actual play as it did in its E3 trailer, or that No Man’s Sky was not as expansive as initially advertised at launch.

Occasionally, a touch of deception can add excitement to a game, as players might think they’ve discovered a loophole in the gameplay or been caught up in an unexpected storyline. Whether they perceive it as creative embellishment or outright fabrication, these are some of the most captivating open-world games that employ such tactics.

Warning! Spoilers Ahead!

Bully

Where Bullies Are Never Safe

Although relatively mild compared to expectations, the game Bully sparked a great deal of controversy. Given that it was developed by Rockstar, many believed it would be a kid-friendly version of Grand Theft Auto, mocking the serious issue of bullying in schools. In some regions, it was even renamed Dog Eat Dog upon release due to the uproar. However, once people understood it wasn’t as problematic as they initially thought, it regained its original name.

As Jimmy Hopkins, players may try to bully others, but if any of Bulworth Academy’s monitors spot them, there will be consequences. However, these monitors can’t be everywhere at once, right? The game itself informs the player that during the Halloween mission, they are all attending a party. Yet, anyone aiming to be a bully should be aware that some of the many uninvited prefects might still catch them in the act. Oops.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Is It An Oversight Or A Trick?

If school life became tiresome for players, they could instead journey to the fantastical realm of Dragon Age: Inquisition. There, their mission would be to contain the various creatures that have emerged from a rift in reality. This tear was caused by an immense explosion, miraculously survived only by the player’s character. One might assume that this world is now safer, but the magical barriers within it are not as robust as they appear.

In the game, players learn that they can perish only by a magical spell of an opposite element. However, they are vulnerable to any type of spell and can also be neutralized by a non-magical Explosive Shot. Yet, things could be more dire. A Dalish from Bull’s Chargers must disguise her archery skills because openly confessing she’s a mage would result in being charged as an apostate and facing execution.

Fallout: New Vegas

Raise Stats To Call Out A Character’s BS

In the actual world, retrieving a delicate package can be tricky; in the barren, post-apocalyptic landscape of Las Vegas, as depicted in Fallout: New Vegas, it’s an even more perilous undertaking. The courier’s mission to recover the Platinum Chip becomes entangled in a power struggle among the New California Republic, Caesar’s Legion, and Mr. House. Filled with danger, hazards, and questionable allies, this quest is anything but straightforward.

In contrast to certain games, Fallout: New Vegas (FNV) allows players to challenge dishonest NPCs about their merchandise, much like Ricky in the Honest Hearts DLC. Ricky claims to be from Vault 22, a place that is actually abandoned and overrun, he boasts of killing a Brotherhood of Steel Paladin with a lucky shot through their bulletproof visor, and fights “deathjaws” – deathclaw variants with mouths instead. If the player’s character has suitable statistics, they can test Ricky’s claims, and if he fails, they can make him carry items or persuade him to leave.

Cyberpunk 2077

Surely You Can Trust This Face?

Cyberpunk 2077’s launch day issues serve as a prime example of this problem, with the game turning out to be more chaos than anticipation. However, after resolving most of its initial problems, the game is quite impressive. What keeps it on the list is its innovative use of the Unreliable Narrator trope through its memorable character, Johnny Silverhand, voiced by a well-known celebrity.

Players who entered the game without prior knowledge might be cautious about taking him at his word, especially considering his background as a traumatized narcissist with questionable memories. However, those familiar with the game’s roots in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG) would recognize that he may have exaggerated his character for dramatic effect. Alt Cunningham highlights this in-game, but it’s important to note that he is not always a reliable source of information. As such, players must use their own discernment to separate truth from fiction.

Yakuza 2

Breaking And Rebuilding Trust

The Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, known for its stories revolving around crime conspiracies, isn’t shy about bending the truth a bit. Characters have been known to deceive or conceal vital information, but it’s unclear if they were successful in misleading the players. For instance, Majima’s “death” in Yakuza 5 and the use of “rubber bullets” in Yakuza 4 seemed questionable. However, Yakuza 2 (and its Kiwami remake) managed to pull off these deceits convincingly.

In this scene, viewers witness the 5th chairman of the Tojo Clan, Terada, being fatally shot on screen. His former allies from the Omi clan or their Jingweon associates are presumed to take action following his demise. However, what they didn’t foresee was Terada’s miraculous recovery and his emergence as one of the masterminds behind the Omi Alliance’s scheme. This unexpected twist plays a significant role in the story’s conclusion, where, after confessing he had been deceiving everyone, Terada requests Kiryu, and consequently the player, to trust him one last time before the end credits appear.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Is Spidey Too Trusting Or Too Naive?

Marvel’s Spider-Man places the player in a challenging predicament, for Peter Parker learns that some of his most valued mentors harbor a sinister aspect. Martin Li manifests this darkness as Mister Negative, while both parties openly declare their malevolent intentions. On the other hand, Dr. Octavius initially comes across as humble and friendly, but over time, his obsession with research and growing bitterness transforms him into Doctor Octopus.

Indeed, fans well-versed in Spider-Man lore might have anticipated a villainous transformation from him at some stage, given his recent actions of freeing other Spidey villains. However, his scheme was subtly unfolding right before our eyes since midway through the game. He disguised it with discussions about defense contracts and security enhancements, making it seem convincing, even if his associates like AIM appeared questionable. But upon revelation of the twist, these deceptions appear strikingly apparent, leaving players feeling somewhat deceived for not having seen it earlier.

Batman: Arkham Knight

New Villain Turns Out To Be A Familiar Face

The Arkham series of games often incorporate unexpected plot twists and misleading elements. For instance, in Batman: Arkham Origins, after two games featuring the Joker as the primary antagonist, a change was introduced by making Black Mask the main villain. However, it was later revealed that the masked man was actually the Joker in disguise. While some fans appreciated this twist, others felt that the recurring focus on the Joker overshadowed other notable villains.

In “Batman: Arkham Knight,” there were a few more deceptions employed to prolong the plot twists. For instance, despite actually killing off the Joker, the game featured more of him than ever as Batman’s most persistent figment of imagination. Similarly, Oracle appeared to perish before Batman’s eyes, only for this too to be revealed as a hallucination. Lastly, the identity of the Arkham Knight was a well-guessed secret among Bat-fans. However, developers Rocksteady chose to keep up the ruse that their new villain wasn’t Jason Todd until they could officially unveil their worst-kept secret.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Riddles Wrapped In Enigmas Covered By Falsehoods

The Metal Gear series is notoriously known for its deception, often playing tricks on players with deliberate falsehoods since the ambiguous guidance given by Big Boss in the initial MSX game (“Turn off the MSX!”). This trend continues even in its only open-world title, MGS5: The Phantom Pain, which is a blend of questionable narrators, illusions, manipulation, and outright deceit. Notably, Huey, the scientist from Peace Walker, seems to be constantly protecting himself to dodge blame for a series of wrongdoings.

In the game ‘Ground Zeroes’, Paz appears to have miraculously survived an explosion, only to later be revealed as a delusion stemming from guilt. The character we know as Big Boss is actually a misled figure; he must believe himself to be Big Boss to aid the true Big Boss who is orchestrating Metal Gear 1 elsewhere. This has led some players to speculate that the game’s confusing development and Hideo Kojima’s abrupt departure from Konami were part of a larger scheme. However, this was not the case; it simply took time for many fans to understand this twist in the storyline.

2025-08-07 07:35