Call of Duty Modern Warfare: Gaz
Gaz, recognizable by his British flag branded hat, quickly became a favorite of players in the first Modern Warfare game. The S.A.S. operative fought along side players in every mission of the first game making sarcastic remarks every now and then or offering his cunning skills to aid you in battle. While Modern Warfare wasn't a deep story, filled with deep connections between characters, you still felt that you had formed some kind of bond, with all your team members.You fight your way through thousands of soldiers around the world with the same objective, along side this guy and that's what really ties you to him. In the last mission after your vehicle has been destroyed and thrown your team mates onto the bridge, Soap is shell shocked and searches for his squad mates. However, Soap is incapacitated and can't move when he sees Gaz up the road. He is confronted by main antagonist, Imran Zahkhaev who shoots Gaz in the head, ending his life. The fact you just had to sit there and watch it was one of the worst parts, there was nothing you could do for him. Players loved Gaz so much that many imagined that he had somehow survived a shot to the head from a high-caliber gun and was actually the face behind the mask of Ghost in Modern Warfare 2. Infinity Ward denied these claims, yet people still speculated that it may be true and literally forced themselves to believe that he did not die; that's some love for a character.
Bioshock: Andrew Ryan
Idealist and creator of underwater Utopian city, Rapture, Ryan is easily one of the most complex characters that players have ever encountered in a game. He sought to create a world in which artists would be able to freely express themselves, scientists would not be restricted by morality and that the great would not be constrained by the weak. He invited only the most successful and intelligent of people to make up the community of Rapture. His ideas and morals were however destroyed after the discovery of ADAM, a cellular source of power that became the fuel for plasmids. Andrew Ryan's hands off approach to Rapture led to people destroying themselves, losing their minds as they grew more ravenous for raw ADAM.He taunts the player throughout the game and poses questions concerning morality and ideals to give players a glimpse of what he had attempted to create, all the while Atlas urges you to find and kill Ryan. When you finally come face to face with Ryan, you learn you are actually his illegitimate son and that you were actually a weapon created by Frank Fontaine. Shortly after this is revealed, Ryan hands you the golf club he had casually been playing with when you entered and orders you to kill him. The graphic scene has players beat Ryan to death with the club as he screams the famous words, "A man chooses, a slave obeys." Beside the fact you just met your biological father, you just bludgeoned this genius and failed idealist to a bloody pulp. You continue to beat him with the club until the head gets stuck in Ryan's skull. Its so visceral and so graphic and at the same time, after its over, you think to yourself, did I do the right thing?
Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater: The Boss
The legendary soldier of FOX Unit, mentor of Naked Snake and co-creator of the fighting technique dubbed CQC joins the list at number eight for her heart breaking death in Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. In the first mission of the game, protege Snake, is betrayed by The Boss who has assumed the cover of a defecting American Agent. She badly injures Snake, a man who is almost like a son to her, in attempt to gain the trust of main antagonist, Colonel Volgin, and leaves him for dead.Throughout the game, The Boss subtly helps Snake in his mission but hinders him even more. She's ordered to cut out one of his eyes and even shoot him at one point during an interrogation. She only complies to maintain her cover. All the while, Snake wears the bandanna she originally wore in the beginning of the game as a tribute to her, as a sign of his affection for his mentor. He doesn't harbor any kind of hatred for her despite what she's done to him. In a final standoff, The Boss orders Snake to kill her. They battle in a field of white flowers in a dramatic battle that tests Snake's CQC skills. Snake proves he has surpassed his mentor's abilities however and assassinates the boss in the field of flowers which become stained red as she dies. Players may not lament the loss of The Boss but no doubt feel the sadness experienced by Snake as he kills his teacher and friend.
Half-Life 2 Episode 2: Eli Vance
Eli Vance was not named until the second Half-Life game but he played a minor role in the first game which began Gordon Freeman's treacherous journey through the Black Mesa Research Facility. Vance is a physicist working in Black Mesa's anomalous materials sector. He is the scientist responsible for activating the retinal scanner which allows Gordon to travel deeper into the Black Mesa Facility. He is also responsible for forming the resistance movement against the Combine in City 17 during the events of the Half-Life 2 games. His achievements don't stop there though, he also built the ridiculously fun and addictive gravity gun weapon which Gordon obtains from him.Why is his death number seven on the list you may ask? He considered Gordon something like a son in Half-Life 2, despite the fact he sends him to a near certain death on more than one occasion. He's aided the player over three different games (depending on how you count the episode installments of Half-Life 2) and throughout those games, you really feel close to the character. The gut wrenching death scene occurs at the end of Half-Life 2: Episode 2 after a pair of advisers infiltrate the hideout. Gordon and daughter of Eli, Alyx, are pinned helplessly against the wall as they watch Vance get apprehended by the mechanical beasts. He makes one final confession of love to his daughter before the tongue like tentacle of the adviser pierces his skull in bloody mess. After Dog disposes of the two advisers, the game ends with Alyx crying over the body of her father.
Halo 3: Sgt. Johnson
The gung-ho UNSC sergeant aided legendary Spartan, Master Chief through multiple campaigns, wars and battles against alien forces until he met his demise. He was one of the few loyal and true friends to Master Chief throughout the Halo series and players bonded with him as they battled against endless waves of the covenant and the flood. Johnson's death was delivered by 343 Guilty Spark in his attempt to activate the Halo ring inside of the Ark, simultaneously destroying the ring, the flood and Gravemind. Spark could not let his ring be destroyed again and fired his sentinel beam into Johnson's chest, fatally wounding him. Johnson used his last ounce of energy to fire upon Spark, rendering him vulnerable to Master Chief's attacks. The sergeant died in Chief's arms with the last words 'send me out with a bang.'Mass Effect 3: Thane Krios
Unfortunately, Thane suffers from a condition known as Kepral's Syndrome; an incurable disease that slowly kills its victims. The condition does not hinder him in Mass effect 2 but prevents him from joining Shepard on the Normandy in 3. He isn't completely absent from the third game though; Thane's final act is that of a hero as he saves the Salarian Councilor from Cerberus assassin, Kai Leng. Thane suffers a stab wound during a fight with Kai Leng and coupled with the increasing severity of his disease, he cannot hold onto life any longer. As Shepard, you have the choice to visit Thane in Huerta Memorial Hospital, which results in a scene with Thane's son, Kolyat and Shepard reading a Drell prayer for redemption. As Thane passes however, Kolyat reveals that his father had intended the prayer for Shepard.
Final Fantasy VII: Aeris (Aerith) Gainsborough
The death scene of the innocent flower girl from Final Fantasy VII is one of the most iconic and well known scenes in all of gaming. Aeris travels to the forgotten city to summon Holy, a force capable of stopping Meteor, the impending doom of the planet. When love interest, Cloud Strife finds her praying at an altar, he finds he is too late to save her as he watches Sephiroth impale her with his sword, killing her. In the following scene, Cloud carries Aeris' lifeless body out to the lake and sets her down to be absorbed by the planet.The scene is so heart breaking because Cloud had truly loved her and even without voice overs, players could just see how hurt Cloud was by Aeris' death. He's filled with sorrow, destroyed by the fact that he could not save her and that he's lost the girl he loves. Players loved the healer and felt the same sorrow as Cloud as he let her go in the lake of the Forgotten City.
Gears of War 3: Dominic Santiago
Whose death was more depressing than Maria Santiago's? Perhaps the death of her loving husband Dominic Santiago. Dom is another war buddy similar to Gaz and Sgt. Johnson but the relationship players build with him and that they see develop with Marcus is much more complex. Like a brother to Marcus Fenix, Dom fights the horrid Locust to save his home and the people he loves. He cannot save everyone that he loves however; In Gears of War 2, Dom finds his wife, killed by the locust, her corpse a dry shell of her former self. The death of Maria destroys Dom and he laments the loss of her throughout the second game and into the third and becomes more withdrawn from his squad mates.Dom expresses emotions other than sadness and depression though. He's fleshed out with an occasional sense of humor, blood-lust, tactical intelligence and you know that he always has your back. Throughout the games, he's like your go-to-guy, a partner you can always count on. The relationship players have with Dom is very much like the relationship Marcus and Dom have themselves. It is all of these qualities that make him feel that as if he were real, which is why is death takes number three on the list.
At a fuel depot in the third game, Marcus and Dom are surrounded by lambent and locust as they try to escape. Dom realizes there's no way they can both make it and protect the fuel truck. In a sacrificial move, Dom destroys a large fuel tank incinerating the locust and lambent force along with himself. The whole squad is affected by the death of Dom and players lost a character they love.
Grand Theft Auto IV: Roman Bellic
Cousin of protagonist, Niko Bellic, Roman claims to be living the American dream; however, he hasn't been very successful as he suffers from a gambling addiction and owes money to different criminals including the Mafia. Throughout the game, Niko looks for work but can't find an honest living, so he accepts some of the less legitimate work, his cousin Roman sends his way. Roman continues to gamble and get himself in trouble from which Niko must save him. Eventually Roman strikes big and wins a large amount of money, ultimately achieving his American dream. He buys a big house, upgrades his business and announces his plans to marry his girlfriend Mallorie.Just as Roman attains his dreams, Niko is faced with a choice that will change his life. Now, Roman only dies if the player chooses to make the drug deal with Dimitri, if players choose revenge, the game ends with the death of Kate, Niko's girlfriend. I don't feel that the death of Kate was quite as sad as Roman and I'll explain why.
Should the player chose to make the deal, Niko will attend Roman's wedding but after the ceremony, an assassin drops in to kill Niko and a stray bullet hits Roman, killing him. Niko loses his closest friend, his cousin, the one person who had been there for him ever since he first arrived in America. He's killed at his wedding, a day to celebrate happiness and the beginning of a new life with his wife Mallorie. The fact that he's killed in front of his family and friends only makes the matter worse. The pain his wife must feel, just after they have been married, is unimaginable. An infuriated Niko exacts his revenge on the criminals but the game ends in uncertainty with Niko, depressed and unsure of the condition of his soul. He receives a call from widow, Mallorie who informs him she is pregnant with Roman's child; a child that will have no father.
Red Dead Redemption: John Marston
Throughout the game, players as John are presented with choices to do good or bad deeds, to gain honor and redeem the past of John Marston. These tasks can range from saving a farm from a gang of bandits or donating money to a church. There's a wide variety of different choices John can make and they change how people in the world view him. The more honor you have, the more people will respect you and praise you. If you played anything like I did, you maxed out your honor redeeming your past making up for all the wrong you had done in your life. John does as the government agents asked, turning over or killing his former partners and his family is returned to him.
He returns to life on his ranch and gets back to the simple things in life. He does farm work, herds cattle, spends time with his wife and son until his past comes back to haunt him once more. The government goes back on their promise to pardon John's crimes and sends a militia to his house resulting in a shootout. John rushes to the barn with his wife and son confessing his love for them and saying his last goodbyes as he puts them on a horse to escape out the back. As they ride off, John faces the army soldiers and government agents on the outside of the barn. The screen flashes into dead eye and John can take out a few men before he is ultimately gunned down by twenty or so men. His body riddled with bullet holes, he slowly falls to the ground coughing up blood and dies. His wife and son hear the gun shots and return to the farm which the soldiers have abandoned. His wife rushes to his side, sobbing, as he lies, lifeless in a pool of blood. The scene ends with son Jack and his mother embracing one another, crying over the death of John.
I personally felt so betrayed, likely just as John and his family would have felt. He made up for what he did in the past, he kept his end of the deal but the government stabbed him in the back. It felt so unfair but at the same time illustrated the concept that no matter what you do, you cannot undo the actions of your past.
That makes up my list of the top ten most emotional video game death scenes. I realize these are only my opinions and that they do not reflect the views of everyone. Some people may have considered the death of Ashley Williams or Kaiden Alenko more emotional than the death of Thane or perhaps found the death of Jack sadder than the death of Andrew Ryan. Whatever it be, there's no doubt that when you play a game, you get attached to the characters and their deaths can be hard to take. If you feel there's a death I missed that deserves a spot on the top ten list, feel free to sound off in a comment. Otherwise just feel free to share your thoughts on my list.
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