10 EXACT Moments You Knew Video Game Characters Were Doomed
5. Dom Finds Maria - Gears Of War 2
Whilst Dominic Santiago's death occurs in Gears of War 3, it had been a long time coming. The character's entire drive through the first half of the original Gears trilogy is searching for his missing wife. When he encountered her midway through Gears 2, as a broken and scarred woman who no longer recognises him, every player knew that the countdown to his own tragic end was truly on.
It was a brilliantly powerful and human moment and added stakes going into the story of Gears 3. Dom's reaction to feeling forced to euthanise his own wife is rage. As he says himself, "I wanna kill 'em all".
The original Gears of War trailer famously was set to a piano cover of Mad World which only finally appears in the games in Gears of War 3, when Dom decides to sacrifice himself to allow his squad-mates to escape a firefight. As it's just the piano, the player is left to hear those lyrics in their head.
I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad, the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had.
Knowing Dom had nothing left in the world doesn't make it any less powerful to watch the co-op player 2 character shout into the sky to his late wife as he goes out in a literal blaze of glory.