The Most CONFUSING Video Game Timelines

“Call of Duty: Zombies” Series (2008-)

I’m getting this out of the way early, because strictly speaking, this isn’t its own standalone game. The Zombies mode in Call of Duty games are known for their ever-expanding story, which unfolds through dialogue and hidden Easter Eggs. This mode features a variety of characters, including celebrity guest stars on occasion. Call of Duty: Zombies weaves a bizarre narrative involving Nazi experiments, a moon base, magic, interdimensional travel, Lovecraftian-like aliens, multiple timelines, and more - and unlike the intro, I’m not making this up. Piecing it all together often requires hours of research on YouTube just to fully grasp the complex story.

“Resident Evil” Series (1996-)

Nothing makes a game harder to follow than jumping around timelines, filling in empty gaps in the lore, and expanding those gaps more than they ever needed - LOOKING AT YOU, METAL GEAR. While most Resident Evil games were released in roughly chronological order, it sometimes feels like they weren’t, as the series' lore can get deceptively harder to follow than it initially feels it’s gonna be - it’s the exception that proves the rule. As the franchise expanded beyond traditional zombie horror to explore other horror subgenres, the story grew more intricate, introducing different strains of the virus, different ways the virus developed, different things different characters were doing during different games, and different differences that made me feel like playing a different game.

“Assassin’s Creed” Series (2007-)

While the sections of the Assassin's Creed series set in historical memories (particularly on their first visit) may seem straightforward to piece together, the rest of the narrative is far more complex to follow. For instance: Assassin’s Creed 2 and the story following Ezio is easy to track. The "modern day" segments, particularly later in the series, can be more challenging to follow, due to the numerous protagonists and the impact of both technological and supernatural artifacts from the series' lore. The blending of these storylines creates a layered narrative that is so difficult to follow, many players just close their eyes to the modern day lore. Just like me... I’m dumb.

“The Legend of Zelda” Series (1986-)

The Legend of Zelda series didn't initially plan for all its games to be connected in a single narrative. Over time, however, it became clear that the series' direction had shifted. This shift led to the creation of an official three-part timeline, branching from Ocarina of Time, I think… I’m still not f***ing sure. One path followed a timeline where the Hero of Time was defeated, while the other two paths showed the hero's victory, with each focusing on either child Link or adult Link. You might think “this seems fairly shaky, this will probably create a good amount of discourse amongst fans of the games”... You’re right.

“Five Nights at Freddy’s” Series (2014-)

Some games fail to keep fans hooked because of their embarrassingly tough lore. The Five Nights at Freddy's series thrives on mystery, prompting players to dive into the smallest details of each game just to understand the overarching plot. This secrecy makes determining where each game fits in the timeline a complex task. Dedicated lore enthusiasts attempt to piece it together, but what makes it so hard is that these timeline breakdowns need to be changed with new releases, as they undermine theories already set up by players. While the community has agreed on some aspects, the sequence of many events is still a topic of intense debate, even more so than Zelda, and with literally one quarter of the time existing.

“Mortal Kombat” Series (1992-)

Even casual Mortal Kombat fans are probably familiar with its notoriously complicated timeline, especially with the release of Mortal Kombat 1, which marks yet another major shift in the series' chronology. The original games from the arcade and PS2 eras followed a cohesive overarching story, but that all came to an end with the current era. After briefly venturing into the DC Universe, NetherRealm rebooted the series in 2011, turning it into a time-traveling sequel. The next game, Mortal Kombat X, advanced the plot with a time jump, introducing a new generation of fighters, while MK11 ultimately reset everything once more. Now, MK1 introduces an entirely new timeline led by Liu Kang. I’m still trying to wrap my head around why Johnny Cage is so beloved.

“Legacy of Kain” Series (1996-)

Some players only experienced Soul Reaver in this deeply rich world, not realising how many years of lore building had gone into developing the world of Nosgoth and its many branching timelines. The first game Blood Omen (NOT SOUL REAVER) introduced Kain, a vampire who, after being turned, embarks on a quest for vengeance and eventually rules over a dark future. Soul Reaver shifted the focus to Raziel, a lieutenant betrayed by Kain, who seeks his own revenge. In Soul Reaver 2, Raziel follows Kain into the past, creating alternate timelines while uncovering the hidden truths about the vampire race. One of these timelines served as the backdrop for Blood Omen 2, a prequel that explored Kain’s rise to power. The series concluded with Defiance, which brought the two vampires together as co-protagonists in a game that once again involved time travel. This series is CRAZY overlooked in the modern era, and could definitely benefit from a solid reboot.

“NieR/Drakengard” Series (2003-)

Many players don’t even realise that the hugely successful NieR series was born from the 2003 series Darkengard. In fact, NieR is just an alternate timeline built from the ending of the first Drakengard game. This alternate ending has players travel through time to present-day Tokyo. Drakengard 3 would later explore the origins of that scenario, while Drakengard 2 takes a confusingly unrelated detour. And as I said, the original NieR picks up where Drakengard’s alternate ending left off, making the events of Automata a branch of that first game’s timeline. AND I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THAT’S ALL TOTALLY TRUE! I CAN’T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THIS SH*T.

“Metal Gear” Series (1987-)

The best recipe for a confusing video game timeline is introducing new details that change old details already established in previous games, FORCING players to replay old games with new information to fully digest their story. The Metal Gear series spans a long-running conflict between military forces, with each game set in a different point in the series' larger timeline. The first game, Metal Gear, occurs relatively late in the chronology, while later installments are set earlier in the timeline. Introduce many many iterations of main characters, and borderline psychotic science fiction elements that are impossible to fully wrap your head around, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

“Kingdom Hearts” Series (2002-)

Who didn’t see this one coming? A game that became hard to follow before its second game had even been released. Not only are the games released out of chronological order, but they also feature multiple overlapping groups of protagonists, with the story shifting between them. Some games even take place simultaneously, adding further confusion to the sequence of events. Another layer of complexity comes from the franchise's numerous filler games. While there are technically three main series titles, there are about ten other entries, including a mobile game. Once players had finished Kingdom Hearts 1, they had their heads wrapped around the game. By the time they got an hour into the second game, they realised if they hadn’t played the GameBoy Advance spin-off, they missed a LOT of lore building. What a joke.