Poll of the Day > Games where the Villain causes the finale instead of the Player/Hero?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Just a random thought I had, many games have storylines often dictated by the villain, but the final usually starts when the hero goes to the villain's base, or atleast a place where they can stop what is happening.

I understand that for game-play reasons, it is easier to place the point of no return in an obvious place for the player, but I tried to think of any games where the final sequence occurs because of the villain's actions and not because of the hero doing something/going somewhere?

If that makes any sense...
---

Mass effect 3. The entire game is about getting ready for the reapers to attack. The beginning happens when they attack earth and the hero's have to flee. Then the finally is the hero returning to try and stop them once and for all with whatever resources they scavenged up.
---

Sensual_T_Rex posted...

Mass effect 3. The entire game is about getting ready for the reapers to attack. The beginning happens when they attack earth and the hero's have to flee. Then the finally is the hero returning to try and stop them once and for all with whatever resources they scavenged up.

That's not really any different from what TC said though, Shepard is the one who engages the Reapers while they're doing something.

Red Dead Redemption I guess, The FBI shows up in what almost feels like an unassuming mission and kills Marston There's technically another mission after it but that feels more like an epilogue.

Maybe FFXV? Been a while since I played through the story, while there is a point of no return The villain is the one who ends up attacking the city you're in and kick off the events that railroads you to the end of the game, even if there's a decent amount of time before the end.
---

Clive Barker's Jericho
Azurik: Rise of Perathia
---

most of the time, the villain is not an active entity in the world, and can't cause *anything* to happen. it's up the player to push things forward.

some exceptions could be:

if I recall, in mass effect 2, the end part of the game starts when you are attacked "randomly" by the bad guys. there is something the player does to allow that to be able to happen, but it's not an obvious thing without looking it up. and until the attack actually happens, you're not in the end game yet. there is still another "point of no return" that the player has to actively and knowingly access, though.

in the game Lords of Magic, the bad guy wanders the map for the whole game, and can attack you at any time. if you beat him you win. often you will amass an army and attack his lands directly, but sometimes you will just win if he comes across your armies and attacks, and you manage to win.
---

Warcraft 3 comes to mind. Both the main game and the expansion conclude with a last ditch attempt to prevent the antagonist from succeeding.

Diablo 2 expansion as well.
---