Choices, choices, choices. To kill that one enemy or to spare them. To romance this person or that person. To save the world or light the torch that burns it down. Gaming gives players a lot of power when it comes to choices, and perhaps no genre does it better than role-playing games.
A good RPG tends to be bursting at the seams with tough moral dilemmas. Half the fun of the genre is knowing that your decisions matter and could lead to changes in the world around you. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and sometimes, your power over these possibilities can end in regret.
There have been plenty of significant choices throughout the history of RPGs, with conundrums like “Should I kill Paarthurnax?” or “Should I side with Roche or Iorveth?” leaving players wondering if they chose well. But, the genre has not skimped out on challenging options in recent years. The following ten entries are prime examples, as they went above and beyond to leave gamers regretting their actions and wishing they could get a do-over.
—
This list will contain spoilers for all games discussed.
Starfield is a flawed game for sure, but it’s still a treasure trove of fun adventures and silly side quests – with “The Boot” being one of the silliest yet potentially deadliest.
When visiting the UC Surplus shop for the second time in The Well, you’ll find the owner, Antonio, arguing with someone who claims he sold her a pair of cursed boots. How intriguing.
After Antonio takes the boots back, he fills you in on the bad luck they seem to bring to everyone who wears them. To rid himself and anyone else of this curse, he tasks you with flying to The Den and stashing them away. The thing is, once you get there, a worker named Conrad offers you 500 credits to sell them to him. Well, what’s the harm? It’s only a pair of boots. They can’t really be cursed. Cue instant tragedy.
When coming back to this area after selling them to Conrad, you’ll find that he’s been crushed to death by a fallen crate. Uh oh, maybe you shouldn’t have done that.