10 More Video Games Where You Die At The End

Ever since their inception, video games have always followed some pretty basic premises. Arguably none of these premises are as self-explanatory as 'dying = bad', and 'staying alive = good'.

Keeping playable characters away from the baddies or environmental hazards provides the major difficulties in a game, with the infamous 'Game Over' lines that appear when a protagonist has met their maker becoming one of the most recognisable parts of the gaming experience.

But, what happens when players get their protagonist to the end of a game, but the scriptwriters still have one last ace up their sleeve?

Having a character that a player has gone through an entire game suddenly die at the conclusion can be one of the most emotional things in the entertainment space, and it's fair to say a few have already etched their way into being just as memorable as certain deaths in films and television shows.

Mafia was a 2002 title developed by Illusion Softworks with the aim of producing an action-adventure title that delivered a hard-hitting and gritty storyline when stacked next to the Grand Theft Auto-style titles of the day.

The game won plenty of plaudits for its ambitious size and open-world, however it was how it was able to weave together a realistic and layered plot that was really at the focal point of the praise.

In the game, players take control of Tommy Angelo, a taxi driver who is dragged into the turf war between rival criminal families the Salieris and the Morellos. After taking down the Morellos, Tommy turns his back on the head of the Salieris and agrees to give up information on the operation in exchange for a reduced sentence in prison and protection for his family.

The end of the plot sees Tommy surviving prison and returning to his family, moving to Empire Bay in witness protection with his family. Eight years after going to prison, it is only then that two hitmen working on Salieri's behalf arrive and mow the protagonist down.

One of the most famous endings in history, Mafia's finale was a potent reminder that there are no life bars or heroic dive in front of the camera in the world of organised crime.