10 Emotionally Intense Video Game Moments You Weren't Ready For

5. Dom Choosing To Sacrifice Himself - Gears Of War 3

An oldie but a goodie, Dom's death in Gears 3 is the stuff of legend. Now, yes, the man is moping from moment one in the story, but you mostly expect him to bite the bucket in the climax, or throw himself in the way of a Locust Torque Bow.

Instead, in what feels like another suitably OTT set-piece, suddenly you're beset by too many Locust to take care of. In past games - and even earlier in Gears 3 - you'd just keep plugging away until they subside, but we quickly shift to a cutscene of Dom diving into an oil tanker and shouting at the rest of the crew to run.

It's here where everything slips into place. Dom mentions partner Maria as he begins speeding back at full tilt, and we all remember how affecting the scene in Gears 2 was, when he found out she was already dead.

Dom collides with the gas station, Marcus and co. leap to safety, and the scene shifts to slow motion as Gary Jules' masterful "Mad World" plays over the top.

Harkening back to Gears 1's original TV ad, you couldn't have written a character out in a better way.