4. Red Dead Redemption
The old west wasn't a pleasant place. And in such a place there are seldom pleasant endings. Red Dead is no exception, and it appears that Rockstar not only have a penchant for a depraved resolution, they're pretty damn good at it too. Hunted to his home by a gang, Marston sees his wife and child off on a horse out the back of their barn, and in order to buy them the time to get away, he nobly steps out to face his opponents. Pushing open the large barn doors reveals a a dozen well armed men lined up and taking aim. Time slows down and you pick your marks to shoot- once you get your third shot off the rest of them unload and Marston is torn down in a hail of bullets. It's a brutal, sad and emotional moment as Marston martyrs himself. But once the credits have finished rolling, the game picks up for a short epilogue some years later, with you controlling John's son in order to seek out some revenge against those who killed your father. A bitter sweet ending suited perfectly for the era in which it is set.