'The Princess is WHAT?!' Your favorite subverted cliche in a game.

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

As time has gone by not just games but all forms of media have developed common plot fragments, but many of them play off our expectations to surprise us or even question the rationale behind the cliche in the first place. What subverted plot point in a game would you consider the most interesting or shocking? If you need help getting an idea of what I mean, TVTropes has entire section of 'Subverted Tropes' which is pretty much that.

 

[maninahat]

She's his brother?

 

[Ordinaryundone]

Bioshock's subversion of the typical "railroad" plot is pretty famous. Also works as a subversion of the more modern "guy on the radio is always right, tells you what to do" plot element.

 

[pulse2]

Finding out Princess Peach was having an affair with bowser all this time was pretty suprising....oh wait, no, that truth hasn't been revealed yet :/

 

[Brawndo]

Braid of course.

Finding out Princess Peach was having an affair with bowser all this time was pretty suprising....oh wait, no, that truth hasn't been revealed yet :/

Internet fan art says otherwise.

 

[Balls Mandingo]

the first 10 minutes to almost every horror game: "hey man! over here! there's a way out, food, and naked women everywhere! I SWEAR the entrance won't just cave in when you get within 10 feet of me"

Along the same lines, any game in which you inevitably get separated from your AI team mates. the F.E.A.R. games were bad about this. You'd be together long enough for an elevator ride or to cross a courtyard, a grand total of 5 minutes before they would say something along the lines of "hold on a second, I'm gonna go check this out , you go that way!". Hell, I remember once in F.E.A.R. 2 the screen just flashed white for a sec and Stokes was like "the hell happened? there was a door right here"

I mean, I know games are much scarier when you're all by your lonesome, but can't developers create some kinda character-separating plot element that I can't see from 10 miles away?

 

[L4Y Duke]

Wild Arms 3 pretty much runs on subverted cliches.

The female PC is the Leader, and goes around in a fully covering outfit

Spoiler: Game art of said character

The character that has the most health points is also the best Mage of the group. The character that has the sniper rifle is also the most friendly, is married, AND whose family doesn't die.

 

[RemoteControlRox]

Ah, finally! I've whittled down all the HP from that boss, and it's finally dead! That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be oh wait it has a second form. Nevermind.

 

[Balls Mandingo]

The betrayal of the main character by another main character who's motives were always murky at best. The thing is, these betrayals would be far more interesting and shocking if they didn't occur half way through the damn game. That's what happened in modern warfare 2, the main bad guy is on the run, we've got the damning piece of intel which is the linchpin of his plans and we're on our way to be evac'ed now. But wait? there's no way the game is over THAT quickly..oh, that must mean..yep..damnit."