10 Devastating Emotional Video Game Moments That Came Out Of Nowhere

4. Agro's Fall - Shadow of the Colossus

Agro is your only companion throughout Shadow of the Colossus, and he is one of the more useful companions in gaming. He can help you run down colossi, can give you the extra boost to clamber onto their hides and most importantly, he makes the dull commute to each battle bearable.

All of which makes his death (as it is perceived at the time) one of the most surprising and emotional out there.

There isn't much interaction between Agro and the main character as they adventure across the Forbidden lands, and most of their time together is simply spent riding. They don't have any cutscenes together, meaning the emotional bond is built purely through gameplay, through being there for one another in a way that only comes from player agency.

Which means, when he falls into a massive crevasse after a small amount of rock crumbles under his feet, the weight of that moment is felt in earnest.

Your only companion just disappeared and is presumed dead - until the end credits. It comes from nowhere, as you find yourself walking to the final colossus, being forced to accept a reality without Agro by your side.

It's all very sudden, which death often is, and grounds Shadow of the Colossus in a very moving way just before the ultimate showdown.