Top 10 Biggest Mysteries in Sci-Fi Video Games
Script written by Nick Spake
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Biggest Mysteries in Sci-Fi Video Games. For this list, we’ll be looking at science fiction games that left us with questions that the combined brains of Professor Layton, Cole Phelps, and Detective Pikachu couldn’t crack. This means several spoilers. Which mystery left you scouring the game for any potential Easter eggs? Share your findings in the comments.
#10: Will Our Elizabeth Please Stand Up?
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“Bioshock Infinite” (2013)
The cage or bird pendant? It’s the question that every “Bioshock Infinite” fan carefully contemplated, only to realize by the end that their decision didn’t matter. While the choice was irrelevant, the pendant itself isn’t. When heading to the lighthouse towards the game’s conclusion, Elizabeth’s pendant changes to the opposite of what you chose. Once you return to the baptism scene, the pendant has vanished with several Elizabeths drowning Booker. It’s implied that none of these Elizabeths is the one we’ve been traveling with for most of the game. She seemingly disappears at some point during the mind-bending ending, a detail that’s easy to miss unless you pay attention to the pendant. As for where Elizabeth wound up, there are infinite possibilities.
#9: Who/What is The Board?
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“Control” (2019)
Few locations in “Control” raise as many questions as the Oceanview Motel, which might be an actual place but it just as easily could be a product of the Astral Plane. Speaking of the plane, no entity from this dimension raises more questions than the Board. While we associate this paranatural entity with an inverted black pyramid, the Board’s true form is one of the many mysteries. It’s a force so enigmatic that without subtitles, the Board would be incomprehensible. Whoever or whatever the Board is, the player is constantly conflicted about whether to trust them. Are they on humanity’s side or are their intentions more devious? Even with a badass Director like Jesse, it’s hard to truly feel in control with the Board around.
#8: Where’s the Queen?
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“Alien: Isolation” (2014)
Like the film franchise it derived from, “Alien: Isolation” expertly balances horror and sci-fi as the daughter of Ellen Ripley investigates the Sevastopol space station. In addition to a Xenomorph running amuck, numerous alien eggs can be found aboard as well. But wait, if there are eggs, shouldn’t there be a Queen nearby as well? Although Xenomorph drones are also capable of making eggs, the Queen can supposedly be heard making noises in the background. Yet, she never pops up. While the developers considered giving the Queen an onscreen cameo, they didn’t want to tease a boss battle that never happens. However, they confirmed that the Queen is indeed on Sevastopol. But where onboard is she lurking and why don’t we ever cross paths?
#7: What’s in the Ammo Box?
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“Perfect Dark” (2000)
Rare has a reputation for sneaking in mysterious items that players can obsess over. “Banjo-Kazooie” fans know what we’re talking about, but “Perfect Dark” is the game that still has us lying awake at night. This is thanks to an ammo box behind the warehouse’s question mark grate. What could this be? A cheat for unlimited ammo or the key to unleashing a secret weapon? We never find out, as the box is impossible to reach. Just to tease the player a step further, the game’s strategy guide highlights the box. It doesn’t explain how to attain the box, merely saying, “pretty suspicious, eh?” Maybe it’s an unfinished part of the game, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Rare just wanted to toy with us.
#6: Is Chell the Last Human?
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“Portal” Series (2007-)
As witty as the dialogue is, the “Portal” games are also feats of visual storytelling that’ll have you paying close attention to the background. At first glance, “Portal 2” seems to happily wrap everything up with GLaDOS releasing Chell, who finds herself in an empty field. When you think about it, though, this ending might be bleaker than it seems. While the wheat field suggests that the planet is still inhabitable, there don’t appear to be any other humans on the surface. We’re left on an ambiguous note, never clarifying if Chell is the only person left above ground. If Chell is the last of her kind, the mercy that GLaDOS shows her could be seen as one last lie to go with her cake.
#5: Who Dropped Da Bombs?
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“Fallout” Series (1997-)
October 23, 2077. “Fallout” fans will recognize this date as the beginning of the Great War. After the nuclear bombs hit, billions of lives were lost, society as we knew it collapsed, and the United States turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Exactly who dropped the bombs, though? Despite being a prevalent franchise for more than 25 years, “Fallout” has never definitively revealed which country commenced the Great War or their motive. President Dick Richardson pinned the blame on China given the country’s involvement during the Sino-American War. However, there are various theories pointing the finger at other countries, the Vault-Tec Corporation, and even aliens. We suppose it doesn’t matter who was responsible, as all we can do now is deal with the fallout.
#4: What Are The Guardians?
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“Halo” Series (2001-)
Arguably the biggest mystery in the “Halo” franchise isn’t connected to any of the campaigns. It’s the multiplayer mode that’ll have you asking, “What the crap just happened?” You know what we’re talking about if you’ve ever been shooting up a storm and then suddenly, death mysteriously strikes. The only explanation given is that you were “killed by the Guardians.” Not to be confused with the Guardians from “Halo 5,” these Guardians, or “Ghosts” as some call them, have been deemed responsible for the random deaths that occur during multiplayer, be it via an NPC, an unstoppable object, or an unseen force that emerges as if from nowhere. Maybe it’s a system glitch or maybe it’s an intricate part of the “Halo” lore.
#3: What the Hell Valley Sky?
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“Super Mario Galaxy 2” (2010)
The “Mario” games run on a bizarre logic where tanooki suits enable you to fly. We shouldn’t read too much into any of it, but players couldn’t help but decipher this mushroom-sized mystery. Entering a first-person perspective in Shiverburn Galaxy, you’ll find three ghostly figures emerging from the skybox. Upon further inspection, you can apparently spot a fourth. The game offers no insight into what these are, although the internal code describes them as “HellValleySkyTree” while the surrounding mountain backdrop is known as “BeyondHellValleySky.” Hell Valley could be a reference to Japan’s Jigokudani Monkey Park, but these figures certainly have a hellish look to them. Perhaps they’re the gatekeepers to Hell and “Mario Galaxy 2” was a secret sequel to “Event Horizon” this whole time.
#2: Who is The G-Man?
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“Half-Life” Series (1998-)
Even if “Half-Life 3” one day claws its way out of development hell, we’re unlikely to ever learn the origins of this interdimensional bureaucrat. The “G” in his name seemingly alludes to “government,” although even that is up for debate. If you encountered the G-Man on the street, you might assume he’s an everyday suit. Listening to him monologue for just a few minutes, you’ll find that he’s much more. He’s an all-seeing entity that can hop between dimensions, manipulate time, and appear virtually anywhere out of the blue. Where did he come from, who are his employers, and why is he drawn to Gordon Freeman? Your guess is as good as ours, but we mainly want the name of his tailor.
#1: Is It Even a Real Game?
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“Polybius” (1981)
Okay, we might be cheating on this one, seeing how it’s debatable what genre “Polybius” even falls under. However, the conspiracy theory surrounding this game definitely sounds like something out of “The Twilight Zone.” As the urban legend goes, it was 1981 when a mysterious arcade game popped up across Portland, Oregon. In addition to the game’s addictive nature, the cabinets were said to cause memory loss, hallucinations, and other side effects. Even more enigmatic than the game itself were the men in black who supposedly collected data from the machines. After only a month, the machines vanished, never to be seen again. While there’s minimal evidence that “Polybius” ever truly existed, the mystery has taken on a life of its own.
