RPGs That Change Drastically Midway Through

Role-playing games feature epic storytelling that many gamers can’t seem to get enough, constantly coming back for more time and time again. Countless gamers tend to love the ambitious plots that change the status quo in meaningful ways, letting them enjoy masterful titles that know how to keep fans on the edge of their seats.

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Some RPGs can change drastically midway through a playthrough. This can come in the form of major story developments, unexpected twists, or anything else that will keep players on the edge of their seats for the game’s second half. Here are some of the most noteworthy titles that do just that.

8

Final Fantasy 6

Witnessing The World Of Ruin Is A Shocking Experience

Final Fantasy 6 is a title that gamers can check out if they want to enjoy the very best that this series has to offer. The focus on an ensemble plot ensures that almost every party member gets their chance to shine as they resist the Gestahlian Empire’s plans for world domination.

However, it turns out that the emperor himself was just a tool for the true main antagonist to sow the seeds of chaos that would destroy the World of Balance. On the Floating Continent, Kefka betrays Gestahl and disturbs the balance of the Warring Triad, ushering in the onset of the World of Ruin, where he rules as an oppressive, divine dictator that the heroes must band against in order to bring peace to the world.

7

Chrono Trigger

When Players Get Access To The Spaceship, Things Change For The Better

Chrono Trigger is one of the best JRPGs ever made, with many players loving the time-traveling adventures of Crono and his allies. While hopping through different timelines happens at scripted intervals early on, it doesn’t take long for players to acquire a time-traveling spaceship that changes the game in a meaningful way.

Players can travel across different timelines at will and choose to take on Lavos at any point in the story. Fighting this boss can be a challenge before the intended climax, but players can unlock different endings if they test themselves against this parasite’s immense might.

6

Shadow Hearts

Yuri’s Failure To Fuse With Seraphic Radiance Has Dire Consequences

Shadow Hearts

Systems

Released

December 12, 2001

One of the most underrated JRPGs on the PlayStation 2, the gothic world of Shadow Hearts makes for an engaging role-playing experience, where players must manage the Sanity of their party members to ensure that nobody goes berserk. In this title, players try to stop Dehuai and Roger Bacon from summoning Seraphic Radiance and destroying the world, with a climactic confrontation taking place in the city of Shanghai.

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However, the heroes fail in this endeavor, with Yuri trying to desperately fuse with Seraphic Radiance to prevent the destruction that would follow. He fails and is consumed by this entity, going berserk as the city of Shanghai is wreathed in flames shortly before a six-month time skip that ushers in the story’s second half.

5

System Shock 2

SHODAN Rears Her Ugly Head And Flips The Script

System Shock 2 is an immersive RPG that lets players control a Hacker who must explore the desolate halls of the Von Braun, with another survivor by the name of Dr. Janice Polito serving as the only friendly voice in an otherwise hostile environment. Unfortunately, the Hacker will soon realize that he was being manipulated all along.

Instead of meeting Polito in the flesh, players are greeted with the sight of her corpse. It turns out that SHODAN was manipulating the Hacker all along, making her presence known for the first time in System Shock 2 as the story takes a compelling turn.

4

Deus Ex

JC Uncovers A Conspiracy That Involves His Employer, Too

Systems

Released

June 23, 2000

Developer(s)

Ion Storm

Deus Ex is one of the greatest video games ever made, and it has aged like a fine wine. Players work as a UNATCO agent named JC Denton who fights against terrorism, only to be left puzzled after realizing that their brother has seemingly joined the enemy.

There’s more to this story than what meets the eye, with JC eventually uncovering a larger conspiracy to dominate the world, where UNATCO is also involved. It’s an iconic moment when JC is captured by his former employers and jailed; watching him mount an escape and explore once-friendly environments where everyone is gunning for his head is the icing on the cake.

3

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Features An Iconic Twist That Recontextualizes The Game’s Events

This twist doesn’t arrive exactly at the midpoint of Knights of the Old Republic, but the way KOTOR flips the script and makes players question their actions makes for one of the most compelling moments in any form of Star Wars media. In this title, players control an amnesiac Jedi who slowly becomes stronger before their true origins come to light.

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It turns out that the player was none other than the fearsome Darth Revan himself, who was given a second chance by the Jedi Council, wiping his memories in a bid to make him join the Light Side as a valuable ally. Depending on the player’s actions, this can either be a resounding success or a crushing failure, with both paths being pretty compelling in their own right.

2

Dark Souls

The Quality Of The Experience Dips After Players Ring The Two Bells And Go Through Anor Londo

Dark Souls‘ impressive level design and amazing bosses make the first half of the game a compelling experience that is simply unputdownable. However, after ringing both bells and exploring Anor Londo, it’s clear that budgetary constraints prevented the title from making its second half just as memorable.

Trying to acquire the Lord Souls and fighting Gwyn doesn’t feel as great and tightly developed as one would’ve hoped. However, players who don’t compare this portion of the game to the immaculate first half will find this experience to be more entertaining than what most give it credit for.

1

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Before Reaching Act 2, Many Party Members Die After A Surprise Assault By Dallis

Larian Studios is a master of their craft, knowing how to make their RPGs as consequential and rewarding as ever. This can be seen at the end of Divinity: Original Sin 2‘s first half, where players will make an innocuous decision to put certain people in their party only to be ambushed by Dallis.

After this battle, every other character not in the party at that moment dies, which is a shocking and compels players to approach the game’s challenging combat differently. Players will eventually recruit mercenaries to fill the void left behind by these party members, making a second playthrough a necessity for those who want to see everyone’s stories to completion.

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