Another Top 10 Betrayals in Video Games

"A Way Out" (2018)



A two-player, story-driven, split-screen, cooperative experience all helmed by the camaraderie of two prisoners eager to make a break for freedom. As you can guess, trust is sort of a big factor here. Whether you found the game's gimmicks to be impressive or a bit out there, the interactions between Leo and Vince remained solid all throughout...until it was revealed that the latter was actually an undercover cop all along. With the game forcing players to suddenly work against each other, Vincent's revelation doesn't only shatter the friendship between these two, but likely caused a few rants between the players too!

“Life Is Strange” (2015)



As each episode of this time-traveling graphic adventure was released over a period of months, fans had plenty of opportunity to put together theoretical evidence regarding the true nature of this photographer-turned-teacher. Perception of this suave hipster often fluctuating as his charisma charme Max and other students, while his cold, insensitive side lead Kate to attempt suicide. It’s only at the end of episode four that we finally see the artistically obsession psychopath come show his true colors. Drugging up Max, shooting Chloe in the head, if Jefferson was capable of this much, we shudder to think how many other innocents he ended up destroying over the course of his career.

“Metro: Last Light” (2013)



Turns out that despite Artyom saving his life at least three times within their first hour of meeting, it still wasn't enough to win the loyalty of this Red Line soldier. Welcome to post-apocalyptic Moscow. Considering Morozov is named after a real-life 13-year-old boy who betrayed his parents in service to the Soviet state, it should be no surprise that Artyom’s drink of comradeship got laced by his new unlikely companion. As Artyom eventually prevents Pavel’s mission to release a virus within the Rangers’ HQ, you have the choice to save the man who, despite being slavishly committed to his superiors, has actually experienced the same bond of friendship he was forced to exploit. Decisions, decisions.

“Final Fantasy Tactics” (1998)



This tactical RPG has been out for nearly two decades now, yet fans still debate the merits of this knight’s grand deception. When Delita and Tietra’s poor farming family died, House Beoulve took them in, ostensibly making them adopted members of the nobility. After Tietra is killed by corrupt Order of the Northern Sky knights, Delita blames his adopted brother Ramza and begins a complex plan to manipulate each of Ivalice’s factions to end the lower classes’ oppression. Incredibly, he’s actually successful and his reign as king begins 50 years of peace in the region. This prosperity comes at a cost, however, and players will always struggle to justify Ovelia’s death and Ramza’s false ignominy.

“Borderlands 2” (2012)



This siren may have been manipulated by her cruel father, Handsome Jack, and even been reluctant in her betrayal, yet that doesn’t diminish the impact of her deception. This deceit began in the first game as she exploited the Vault Hunters through ECHOnet, leading them to a store of eridium that, when pumping through Angel, would awaken the Warrior and tighten Jack’s grip on Pandora. With this lethal dependence controlling her, she again betrays the Vault Hunters’ trust in the sequel, disabling Sanctuary’s shields and leaving the city open to Jack’s bombardment. Following this, she genuinely switches sides and voluntarily ends her subservient existence, giving Jack a fitting send off in the process.

"Red Dead Redemption 2" (2018)



Ugly as a burnt boot, so crooked he swallows nails and spits out corkscrews, Micah truly is the worst thing the old west ever spat out. A reckless and selfish gunslinger disliked even by career criminals, this slimeball didn't think twice about betraying the Van der Linde Gang by feeding information to the Pinkertons, all the while twisting Dutch and the others around his unwashed fingers. By playing both sides, his actions ending up costing the lives of many fellow gang members, most notably our main man Arthur. At least John was able to finally put him in his place with his superior trigger finger. Enjoy your dirt nap, ya varmint!

“Dishonored” (2012)



At what point did these revolutionaries think that double-crossing a master assassin might end badly for them? Although the Loyalists initially sprung Corvo from prison and aided him in avenging the Empress' death Havelock and company soon realised the former Royal Protector would never allow them to manipulate Emily, the rightful heir, and as such decided to try their hand at killing Corvo off. Their poisoning turned out to be sloppy, however, and as such it's not long before the Outsider's Chosen comes a'calling. Whether Dunwall has been consumed by High or Low Chaos, Havelock still ends up meeting the same fate as any who would dare hurt Corvo's beloved daughter-figure.

“The Last of Us” (2013)



Hardcore yet maternal, this fellow survivor ended up forging a similarly parental relationship with Ellie that Joel has since became famous for, which makes their final confrontation all the more painful. With a potential cure lurking inside of her, Ellie it set to under go fatal operation that will reverse-engineer her immunity into a global vaccine, a quandary that Marlene, as leader of the Fireflies, reluctantly agrees to for the survival of the human race. As Joel can't face losing another daughter, he instead chooses to mercilessly cut down Marlene when she tries to reason with him, leaving you wondering who really committed the ultimate betrayal in the end.

“Far Cry 3” (2012)



It’s rare to have genuine allies in any Far Cry title, and so when this warrior goddess aligned herself with Jason throughout his escalating acts of violence, something immediately smelt fishy. After becomes part of her tribe in order save his friends from Vaas and his hordes of pirates, the beautiful Rakyat leader starts to become exceptionally cosy with our lead. While Jason sees her as a mysterious ray of hope, she’s only interested in him becoming a fabled “perfect warrior” who can provide her with a son. Of course Jason also has to be sacrificed for this all to happen. Oh – did we mention she’s Vaas' sister? Now it all makes sense.





Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.



Dickson

“Xenoblade Chronicles” (2012)



Otto Octavius/Doc Ock
"Spider-Man" (2018)



The Seven
"Divinity: Original Sin II" (2017)

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#1: Big Smoke

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“Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” (2004)



When CJ returns from Liberty City to rebuild the Grove Street Families’ pedigree and gain justice for his mother’s murder, we meet a cast of exceptionally absorbing characters, including this eccentric, highly driven gang member. Looking back now, Smoke is suspiciously nice to CJ and his aloof behavior – like chomping on fries instead of shooting Ballas – hint towards his ongoing involvement with a wider criminal conspiracy containing the CRASH police unit and other gangs. Although Smoke’s desire to become a drug baron strikes bitterly at how CJ believes the gang should be run, it becomes a truly gutting, familial betrayal when Smoke is revealed to be complicit in the death of CJ’s mother.