Iconic deaths in games - The Bear and Badger

JonB

I was thinking that films, TV shows, comics etc. will often kill off an important character to create shock or a sense of unpredictability. But I couldn't think of many game stories that have done the same. The big one that comes to mind is still Final Fantasy VII, but after 23 years it feels strange that that should still be the single iconic example.

But perhaps I've just forgotten or missed some. Are there other examples where key characters have been unexpectedly offed in game stories? Is it perhaps something that just doesn't fit into games like it does in other media?

Be careful with spoilers on relatively recent games, obviously.

regmcfly

Half Life 2. Christ that one done me.

regmcfly

Bioshock is probably a fairly "iconic" death in its 2/3 way through moment.

JonB

regmcfly wrote:

Half Life 2. Christ that one done me.

That's one I missed then. I never finished it thanks to a bug stopping progress at one point, and not enjoying it enough to restart. Who gets done in?

regmcfly

It's episode 2, actually.

At the end of the game,

Spoiler:

and credits just fucking roll over crying.

tigersgogrrr

Don't think anything comes near to FF7.

Spoiler:

Kow

Shadow of the Colossus. As if I need to spoiler!

Spoiler:

FranticPea

Ffs guys, spoilers.

hylian_elf

regmcfly wrote:

It's episode 2, actually. At the end of the game,

Spoiler:

Eli is brutally killed
and credits just fucking roll over crying.

Oh fuck I was just thinking yesterday I need to play Ep 1 and 2 as part of my backlog cleanup. I need to get onto those.

hylian_elf

regmcfly wrote:

Bioshock is probably a fairly "iconic" death in its 2/3 way through moment.

Yeah that one was possibly the best one for me.

acemuzzy

Well I'll be avoiding this thread cos that's a couple of spoilers already.

Might as well last another couple down. Kinda impossible I guess to even mention the games without some spoiler risk...

Spoiler:

Vela

I can't think of any that might be iconic.

Vela

And for me the metric is a certain event, not a death mind, in blade runner 2049.

tigersgogrrr

Put my mentions in spoiled tags.

But if you're clicking on a thread called iconic deaths, I'm not sure sure what you're expecting...

Paul the sparky

Put that in tags then Vela. I think I know what you mean but want to be sure.

FranticPea

tigersgogrrr wrote:

Put my mentions in spoiled tags.

But if you're clicking on a thread called iconic deaths, I'm not sure sure what you're expecting...

FTR my post wasn't serious.

Vela

Paul the sparky wrote:

Put that in tags then Vela. I think I know what you mean but want to be sure.

BR2049 spoiler

Spoiler:

regmcfly

FranticPea wrote:

tigersgogrrr wrote:

Put my mentions in spoiled tags.

But if you're clicking on a thread called iconic deaths, I'm not sure sure what you're expecting...

FTR my post wasn't serious.

I'm here for the outrage on the "describe your favourite game ending in excruciating detail - no omissions" thread.

RedDave2

I think gears has tried with mixed success

Spoiler:

For heroic last stands, my picks would be

Spoiler:

And finally

Spoiler:

regmcfly

God I'm thinking about how that Half Life ending did me now and googling VR headsets.

regmcfly

Dave, your first spoiler, I think I was playing with either elm or Gonzo at the time and I remember both of us just erupting in hilarity at the earnestness of it Vs the graphics.

tigersgogrrr

FranticPea wrote:

tigersgogrrr wrote:

Put my mentions in spoiled tags.

But if you're clicking on a thread called iconic deaths, I'm not sure sure what you're expecting...

FTR my post wasn't serious.

Muzzy, not you. x

regmcfly

Thinking about game endings I remember the ending of Halo 3 which was entirely drunk co op with Unlikely and it took us several attempts to be able to

Spoiler:

in the finale and I remember us just full on hootin and hollerin.

Was like a good night on Forza 2.

HawBawJaws

Spoiler:

regmcfly

Put a header on it so we know what you're referencing. But aye, another great one there. I guess also the death in he first one.

acemuzzy

I am outraged FTR. Truly.

regmcfly

God how will we bring muzzy back.

Tempy

The Last of Us has two failed big deaths, but they didn’t hit too hard. I think the most memorable is The Walking Dead Season One.

Spoiler:

Is really well done, because everything has prepared you for it - life is fleeting, the main cast aren’t untouchable, but it still hits hard ‘cos you think you’ve already endured the worst in Chapter 4, and there are potential rifts you didn’t heal.

Also i’d venture

Spoiler:

in Mass Effect, because they spent a long time working up to it, and it feels like a good conclusion to his story, but I think like many things in ME you can avoid it? Not sure.

Also my boi in RE4

Spoiler:

gets straight up
done in with no warning, poor lad.

I don’t think it happens very often because it’s too easy to come across as a manipulative, calculated, lazy attempt to garner an emotion from the player. It really needs to be woven i to the fabric of the story you’re telling on a meaningful level, cod games struggle with emotion at the best of times

Wait, have we just written an article for you?

regmcfly

That re4 one is a good one. Absolutely mauled.

RedDave2

To my knowledge most games do the death thing as part of a big cut scene and it obviously has to be scripted but I'd be curious if anything has done it in the middle of normal gameplay without giving you a chance to react straight away and have the cut scene later.

hylian_elf

OMG yes Tempy has mentioned the best one. Walking Dead.

Last of Us affected me with one death but only cos I’m a wuss with deaths like that.

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