Most people will be familiar with the idea of Pandora’s Box. Based on an ancient Greek myth, the story has nowadays led to the standard and infamous idiom “to open Pandora’s Box,” which means to do or start something that will lead to unforeseen negative consequences.
According to the myth, Prometheus defied the gods by stealing fire from the heavens and presenting it to mankind. In a fit of rage, Zeus sent Epimetheus (who was Prometheus’s brother) a jar that drove Epimetheus’ wife, Pandora, mad with curiosity. Not able to contain herself, Pandora opened the jar and unleashed many disorders, such as sickness, death, and other evils, into the world. As she hastened to close the jar, Pandora left a single item within - thought to be hope. Whilst scholars have debated that tale has a silver lining, others can imagine a more deceptive and pessimistic take on the myth.
The tale is so popular in our modern collective culture that many stories can involve a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of some kind as a plot device. This is even more prevalent in games, serving to change the campaign up or to present unexpected outcomes. Warning, spoilers ahead.
5 The Lament Configuration (Dead By Daylight)
As one of the most popular asymmetric multiplayer horror gaming experiences out there, Dead By Daylight was sure to involve Pandora’s Box in some capacity. Introduced in the Hellraiser Chapter DLC, the killer known as Pinhead unleashes pain (or pleasure) on the survivors scurrying about to escape the Killzone.
Pinhead happens to be the kingpin of the Cenoybytes, a race of extra-dimensional entities that are devoted to exploring the ultimate sensations in existence through limitless thrills of pleasure and pain. Pinhead himself prefers the use of hooks and chains on hapless victims, slashing their flesh and souls apart. To increase their odds of survival, survivors must find and solve the Lament Configuration to stave off relentless waves of cosmic hooks. Doing so is exceptionally dangerous as it allows Pinhead to automatically teleport to the player's position and target them.
4 Anabelle’s Bones (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)
Veterans of the Witcher games might remember this odd quest featured as part of Keira Metz’s questline in the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. To lift the curse on Fyke Isle, Geralt must investigate the strange island as part of the ‘A Towerful of Mice’ quest and enter Fyke Isle Tower. Players will have to switch on their Witcher senses and go through the dilapidated building. Eventually, Geralt will come face to face with the ghost of Anabelle, the daughter of the former lord who resided on Fyke Isle. Knowing that the curse is centered around Anabelle, Geralt explains that a curse born from hate can only be cured with love. It just so happens that Anabelle was very much in love with a nearby fisherman, who may or may not have played a part in causing the curse. Anabelle then claims that she’s ready to see Graham and express her love but only if her bones are brought to him at a nearby village.
Players are then presented with a choice - bring the bones to Graham or refuse Anabelle’s request. Should players deliver the bones to Graham, he will break down, express his love and begin to put her bones to rest. However, once Geralt leaves, Graham will scream and perish. It turns out that Anabelle is actually a Pesta or plague maiden and now that her bones are off the island, she can roam about and spread disease and death wherever she pleases. The codex even notes that Anabelle eventually heads north and nearly brings ruin to the Northern kingdom of Kerack. Not a very good ending there.
3 Diablo’s Soulstone (Diablo)
Just as good can always find a way, evil never sleeps. Unfortunately, the world of Sanctuary is plagued by an endless war between the Heavens and Hell. Prime evils and their lesser demon counterparts are always trying to find a way to use mortals for their nefarious schemes. Though evil was initially vanquished by a small band of heroes during the events of the first Diablo game, the heroes were slowly corrupted and turned as time went on.
As the soulstone was shattered and could not contain Diablo’s spirit entirely, the heroic warrior Aidan plunged the soulstone into his flesh hoping to contain the evil. Like Pandora and the box itself, Aidan ultimately failed in this endeavor and became the Dark Wanderer who went east to free Diablo’s demonic brothers.
2 The Apples Of Eden (Assassin’s Creed)
Orbs of unparalleled majesty and power, the Apples of Eden happen to be remnant technologies left behind by the Isu - an ancient and advanced race of humanoids that once inhabited the earth. Distracted by war, the Isu were nearly wiped out by a massive solar flare that shattered the pieces of Eden. As the Isu died out and mankind dominated the planet, two ideological groups began to seek the apples of Eden to further their goals. Thus the Templars and Assasin Order came to be.
Sporting incredible power and believed to be behind certain events in history such as the Trojan war and Mongol conquests, the shards of Eden were dangerous in any human’s hands. Such was the case with the treasure of Solomon’s Temple during the events of the first Assasins’ Creed game. As players controlling Altaïr began killing Al Mualim’s enemies, the apple showed Al Mualim’s true colors of wanting power and control. Fortunately, he was put down before any real damage was done. This very same shard of Eden would enter the possession of both Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mahatma Gandhi before shortly becoming destroyed after JFK’s assassination.
1 The Flood (Halo)
One of the most infamous and insidious alien parasites to roam any fictional galaxy, the Flood was initially believed to be a powerful weapon or relic left behind by the Forerunners on Installation 04. Both Covenant and Human forces left on the ring made a mad dash to uncover the weapon and use it against one another. Unfortunately, the ‘weapon’ was beyond what each side envisioned.
Initially discovered by the Covenant, the parasite began to spread and feed upon the unsuspecting and terrified aliens. The Covenant would do their best to contain the parasite until a force led by Captain Keyes would later reopen Pandora’s Box. Most of the marines would perish in that engagement as players slowly made their way to discover one of the best Sci-Fi gaming twists of the early 2000s.