10 Devastating Video Game Openings That Totally Broke You

9. Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 was a huge step up from Bioware's original RPG, and the sequel's opening didn't waste a single second in showing off just how much the team had upped the overall presentation. Catching up with Commander Shepard on board the Normandy, the ship is suddenly attacked and the crew is put into crisis mode as they attempt to scatter and escape a fiery fate in the far reaches of space.

As is the captain way, Shepard stays until the very end to make sure everyone else is safe. By then, though, all hope is lost for him, and he's sucked out of the broken ship and left to float, alone, and with his space suit malfunctioning. He dies in the opening minutes, not in a blaze of glory, but in a surprisingly ugly way, all on his own.

Of course, he doesn't stay dead for long - and fans did know this was coming - but the way the intro is directed captures the dread of the moment in such a palpable way. The surprise attack comes out of nowhere, and the death itself is visceral, setting a precedent for just how much darker this sequel was going to be compared to its predecessor.