Have you ever reflected on game a few days after finishing it only to realize some major plot point slipped under the radar? It could be a killer who wasn't unmasked, or a key bit of info everyone seemingly forgot about. At first these thoughts don't make sense. Surely they addressed this at some point, you rationalize. They wouldn't just leave this kind of thing hanging. Sadly, that's where you're wrong. Some plot points are introduced only to wither on the vine, never to be seen nor heard from again.

Until now. I've rounded up some of the juiciest, most dead-ended plot lines from a variety of games. Not only were these details clearly stated in their respective storylines, but they were all later dropped without a trace - almost as if they never existed in the first place. I've also included some insights into how these lost tidbits could have manifested themselves in their respective games, had they not been so abruptly abandoned.

What was abandoned: Zero being Dr. Wily's final creation. This is strongly , of all places) as a major part of Zero's mysterious backstory. But at X5's climax, this 'major reveal' is still only vaguely referenced. We see the iconic Wily 'W' projected on the background should you fight against Zero, and Wily's silhouette appearing during Zero's ending. And that's about it. The big mystery of Zero's parentage doesn't amount to much of anything, and is largely ignored in subsequent games.

What could have changed: a creation-versus-creator storyline. Dr. Wily creating Zero goes hand-in-hand with another abandoned plot point: Dr. Wily is still "alive" in the MMX timeline. Wily's presence would force Zero to grapple between who he is and who he was meant to be. Plus, the entire MMX universe revolves around robots with free will being corrupted by sinister influences. Zero grappling with the machinations of his creator would have been the perfect thematic fit.

What was abandoned: The dark energy subplot, which was introduced during Tali'Zorah's . Tali was collecting data on a star that was dying prematurely, before she and her team were ambushed by Geth. Based on that data, Tali theorized "dark energy" was behind the star's demise. Shepard then states "A lot of Quarians died here. What [that data] worth it?" I guess not, because by the third game dark energy and its impact are never discussed again.

What could have changed: According to Drew Karpyshyn, lead writer on the first two Mass Effect games, this concept of dark energy could have been behind the Reaper's motivations. In an interview with AM 60, reported by , Karpyshyn said, "The Reapers kept wiping out organic life because organics would eventually evolve to where they were using biotics and dark energy, and that was an entropic effect that potentially was going to hasten the end of the universe. And being immortal beings, that is something they did not want to see."

What was abandoned: Corporal Adrian Shephard, protagonist of Half-Life side story Opposing Force. Like Gordon Freeman, Shephard also gets caught up in the Resonance Cascade catastrophe at Black Mesa, shoots a bunch of monsters, gets lost on an alien world, and is ultimately detained by the G-Man at the . But while Gordon later awakes at City-17 at the start of Half-Life 2, our poor Colonel is neither seen nor heard from again. He's still locked away in the G-Man's extradimensional storage locker somewhere, eagerly awaiting Episode 3.

What could have changed: Shephard was ripe to become the perfect "bad guy" version of Gordon Freeman. In the Half-Life 2 episodes, we see G-Man having some trouble maintaining control over the scientist-turned-savior. If their connection was ever completely cut, who better to fall back on than Shephard? He went through the same trials as Freeman and was also hand-picked by the G-Man. He also worked for one of the main antagonist groups in the original Half-Life; the man is prime villain material.

What was abandoned: The Deleter. Throughout Other M, Samus learns there's a traitor among Adam's team of Federation soldiers. That traitor - who Samus dubs "The Deleter" - is killing off soldiers one by one. A lot of time is spent thread: we see The Deleter shoot other soldiers, kick them into lava, and you even fight against someone who is almost certainly The Deleter in a giant mech suit. And then, this person just quietly fades away. By the end of the game, all of Adam's team is either dead or MIA, and Samus shows no concern over discovering The Deleter's identity. Basically, no one cares.

What could have changed: Well, for one thing, Samus and crew would seem a little more believable as human beings if they showed a bit more concern about confirming who in their group was trying murder them all. The Deleter's presence could have also shed a harsh light on the Federation - or some conspiratorial group within the Federation - seeing as how The Deleter went to such great (and murderous) lengths to try and cover up the BOTTLE SHIP's connection to the Federation.

What was abandoned: The captured soul of Ares. If you had the wherewithal to actually complete God of War on the game's hardest difficulty setting - God Mode - you unlocked from Kratos himself. Kratos congratulations you on a job well done before revealing that he has located the soul of Ares in a secret chamber. Kratos isn't sure how it ended up there, or what it could be used for, but figures it could help him put the hurt on Zeus in the next game. Only it doesn't, because the soul and this secret chamber are never mentioned again.

What could have changed: In the God of War games, Kratos draws strength from all sorts of mystical weapons and artifacts, so the soul of a dead god really wouldn't be that out-of-place in his arsenal. But perhaps it would have been a double-edged sword, with the fallen god Ares whispering in Kratos’ ear, driving his already already fragile mind deeper into madness. Perhaps Ares' influence could have been the primary motivator for Kratos' angst at the opening of GOW2.

What was abandoned: Ethan Mars' periodic blackouts. For all of its creativity, Heavy Rain isn't exactly rock solid when it comes to storytelling. Ethan's blackouts are a prime example. Throughout the game, it's implied these blackouts are no mere coincidence. Ethan finds a folded paper crane in his hand after one blackout, leading him to believe there's a connection between himself and the Origami Killer. Maybe he IS the Origami Killer. All this existential dread, however, just gets swept under the rug as the game enters its final act and Ethan simply stops blacking out.

What could have changed: Not much, according to the developers at least. In this , developer Quantic Dreams runs through some of Heavy Rain's deleted scenes. Among them are several relating to Ethan's blackouts. Apparently, Ethan was supposed to establish some sort of psychic link with the real Origami Killer. The blackouts were a result of this connection, and players would swim through a surreal dream sequence while Ethan was unconscious. They had nothing to do with Ethan being the killer.

Please Internet, not another list of vapid celebrity shills all spouting their undying love for Angry Birds. No more putrid publicity sponges, no more preening plastics. No more 'famous for the sake of it' types all carping on about their 'Call of Destiny' addictions. Tell me this: when did actual talent take a big back seat to owning the best-dressed Chihuahua? *intense, frothy-mouthed rage begins* But I digress… This list isn't about those sorts of celebrities, oh no. GamesRadar+ dosen't play that way, and neither it seems do our 12 famous gamers.

These are the (genuinely) notable names who actually do play games. Busy people with big careers, who still find the time to indulge their virtual vices. Some act, others fight, while a great many attempt to make us laugh. What's more - most of them are actually good at it, having achieved their careers than pissing themselves outside of a nightclub, and/or being papped brawling inside of a Burger King. Begin!

Who? - Picture a heavily anesthetised, flesh-coloured bowling ball. Et Voila: Vin Diesel. Best known for playing Dominic Toretto in the Fast Furious franchise and Riddick in the, er, Riddick series, Big Vin has also lent his considerable talents/bassy whale noises to Guardians of the Galaxy and The Iron Giant.

Gaming street cred - According to the big man himself, Diesel's geekery began with tabletop gaming, an activity into which he admits pouring countless hours. Next came video games, including a small but significant number of his own creations, including the critically acclaimed Xbox shooter Escape From Butcher Bay. Diesel's Tigon Studios has since worked on three more titles, including the underwhelming Wheelman, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (released alongside an updated Butcher Bay) and a Riddick iOS adventure, before shutting down and later recommencing work in September of 2013.

Favourite games? - While Vin's DD obsession is well documented, the man's video gaming habits remain something of a mystery. That being said, we do know that Diesel plays World of Warcraft, having released a video of himself roaming the lands of Azeroth alongside the late Paul Walker.

Who? - An oftentimes zany, if thoroughly endearing comic presence who appeared in dozens of celebrated roles. Williams made his name in stand up, before moving on to television and later film.

Gaming street cred - Of all the famous faces included on this list, Robin Williams was perhaps the biggest and best known gamer of the bunch, taking seemingly every opportunity to discuss his digital pastime. Numerous interviews all attest to the man's deep appreciation for the medium, including, but not limited to, late night play sessions, trash talking contests, and an-up-to date knowledge of the latest gaming trends. Oh, and he also named his daughter after Zelda's titular princess. Credibility level: One-hundred million bajillion.

Favourite games? - The Legend of Zelda, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Half-Life, Portal, Battlefield

Who? - The dominant power in women's MMA, Rousey remains best known for her unusual fight celebrations, which typically involve pulling someone's arm off and then using it to high five everyone in attendance. She's also appeared in a number of big budget Hollywood action movies, including Furious 7 and The Expendables 3.

Gaming street cred - Rousey has spoken at length regarding her obsessive love of Pokémon games, having owned every iteration of the franchise to date, including titles hailing from the same generation, i.e. both Red and Blue. Speaking of Blue, Rousey's first dip into the Pokémon series currently logs well over 200 hours of gameplay, just for that one title alone. Multiply that by 24 mainline and dozens more spin-off titles and you have one truly hardcore gamer.

Favourite games? - Anything vaguely Pokémon, with the exception of Pokémon Pinball.

Who? - A man so fantastically British he even has the White Cliffs of Dover for a face, sort of. Craggy, weather worn and yet somehow massively enchanting - or so the ladies tell me - Craig portrays the current iteration of James 'the STI conveyor belt' Bond.

Gaming street cred - In between stints of saving Britain, hitting the gym and/or inspiring mass hysteria down at the beach, Craig admits to wiling away the hours within a number of expansive and narrative-heavy video games. Action titles are also fair game, though somewhat quicker to outstay their welcome. "Those ultra-violent ones I can play for half-an-hour and then I feel dirty. ‘Vice City’, for example - I think, ‘Oh yes, all right, I’ve stolen 18 cars. I’ve had enough now". What a guy.

Favourite games? - Halo, Red Dead Redemption, Guitar Hero

Who? - Kal-El, son of Jor-El, hails from the planet Krypton. His hobbies include flying, costume design and violent chiropractic medicine. Sorry, Zod.

Gaming street cred - Cavill's love of gaming is probably best expressed by the following Superman-related anecdote. Having already auditioned for the role, Cavill was nervously awaiting news of his casting when director Zack Snyder called up at an inopportune moment. “I saw it was him [on the line] but the thing is, you can’t save World of Warcraft, you can’t pause it. It’s live". Suffice to say that Cavill opted to carry on playing, only returning the call and accepting the job offer of a lifetime later that day. Hats off to you Henry.

Favourite games? - World or Warcraft, Skyrim

Who? - An advanced human-pooch hybrid, capable of laconic, laid back rap. Snoop currently heads up the Feisman institute for lingual research, where he is presently engaged in the 10-year development of a suitable rhyme for 'orange'.

Gaming street cred - The 'D-O-double-G' has been skirting the player/player divide for a long old time, having even attempted to get his own GTA clone - aka Fear Respect - off the ground back in the mid-2000s. Snoop has also appeared in a range of other games, including True Crime: Streets of New York, Def Jam: Fight for NY and as a special announcer in 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts. What's more, the iconic Californian-born rapper even started up his own musicians-only games tournament - the Hip-Hop Gaming League - hosting the last such event in 2007.

Favourite games? - Madden, NBA2K, FIFA

Who? - Prolific comedy actor best known for his roles as Gob Bluth in Arrested Development and as the voice of Batman in The Lego Movie. Founding member of the Magician's Alliance.

Gaming street cred - Unlike the vast majority of the preening celebrity pitch men brought in to shill video games, Will Arnett is an actual bona fide gamer. So much so in fact that the man's short-lived XBL comedy series 'Game Chat' was actually dreamed up by Arnett himself. The show's core concept - that of 3 friends hanging out and playing brand new video games (Xbox marketing's contribution) - was partially inspired by the actor's own experiences of playing online. So, just who does a man like Will Arnett choose to party up with - well, just about anyone really, as the comic admits he's never once been outed online. More regular teammates include fellow actors Jason Bateman, Jerry O'Connell, and Justin Theroux.

Favourite games? - Call of Duty, Zoo Tycoon, Forza Motorsport

Who? - An ebullient Irish comic, Ó Briain also hosts the long running TV panel show Mock the Week. A household name in the United Kingdom, Ó Briain once tried to translate the dreary, mathematical, non-exploding bits of high school science into mainstream TV. He failed, or err... succeeded, depending on how you look at it.

Gaming street cred - Ó Briain hosted the British Academy Game Awards for a whopping six years in a row, and has admitted that his familiarity with the medium often surprised organisers more used to dealing with less involved hosts. Not only that, but the celebrated stand up has also incorporated many game-related jokes into his regular comic routines, discussing everything from 'video game logic' to outdated views on the hobby.

Favourite games? - Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect 2, Skyrim, Portal, FIFA

Who? - Mila Kunis may sound like the name of a bizarre Eastern European delicacy, probably composed of some old spinach, cow's eyes and gruel, but she's actually a female human - who acts! Yes, Mila has appeared in all sorts of fare over the years, from light-hearted comedies, to the occasional sci-fi mega flop. Oh and she's also responsible for voicing Meg Griffin in Family Guy. Lucky girl.

Gaming street cred - Technically speaking, Kunis may well fall into the 'lapsed gamer' category, though given the dates involved, it's clear that the actress was still playing away up until a relatively short time ago. This was no Candy Crush addiction either, Kunis was a big time World of Warcraft enthusiast, oftentimes engaging in all-day play sessions. Sadly, it seems that over time many of Kunis' friends moved on from the title, eventually gutting the fun factor and forcing Mila to bid her adieus to Azeroth.

Favourite games? - World of Warcraft, Settlers of Catan

Who? - The archetypal slacker made good, Jack Black divides his time between acting, comedy and music making, combining all three in the character of Jables, lead singer for the comic rock band Tenacious D.

Gaming street cred - Jack Black may well be the least surprising entrant on this list, what with his working relationship with Double Fine Studios and general 'gamer guy' vibe. Black asserts that his interest in gaming began with the original Space Invaders and continued on until at least the time of the original Xbox - though given his involvement in the industry these days, it's entirely possible he's playing as hard as ever. He once sent a picture of himself 'flipping the bird' to the good folks at Bizarre Creations while standing next to an expert mode completion screen. His reasoning: "[Project Gotham Racing] was so fucking hard to conquer on expert mode, to get all Platinum medals in all the events. I was so angry at them for making something so hard that when I conquered it I took a picture […] that proved I conquered it.” Now who hasn’t thought about doing that?

Favourite games? - Project Gotham Racing, Scramble, Marble Madness

Who? - An enormously successful stand up comedian and star of the cult hit sketch show that bears his name. Chappelle's 'Tyrone Biggums' remains the Internet's number one choice in famished crackhead meme making.

Gaming street cred - Chappelle has been known to make reference to video games as part of his stand up comedy routine, and has also parodied the medium on Chappelle's Show. Most notable is his on-point pastiche of the ultra-violent world of Grand Theft Auto, complete with erratic animations and everyday car-jacking antics.

Favourite games? - World of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto

Who? - An evil, leather-clad, play-fighting champion. Rollins refers to himself as 'the future of the WWE' and maintains a strong, if entirely scripted contempt for The Daily Show's Jon Stewart. Styles himself after Pepé Le Pew.

Gaming street cred - Rollins recently appeared on fellow pro-wrestler Xavier Woods' , sitting down to play Turtles in Time while discussing his video gaming habits. The self-proclaimed 'Architect of The Shield' - that's the tag-team, not the cop show, admitted to being something of a rage-filled perfectionist during his youth, routinely smashing TV sets after failing to maintain optimum stats within Madden. One noteworthy incident involved a young Rollins - real name Colby Lopez - violently snapping after a buddy made the mistake of mocking the defeated perfectionist. Aggressive, narcissistic, and with an obvious contempt for his friends, it's easy to see how the slimy Seth Rollins character came about.

Favourite games? - The Madden series, Turtles in Time, Batman: Arkham Knight