10 Most Gratuitously OTT Torture Scenes In Video Games
9. Elizabeth's Lobotomy In Burial At Sea
During the second episode of Bioshock: Infinite's Burial at Sea DLC, Elizabeth is captured by Atlas, the villain from the first game. Waking up to find herself strapped to a medical bed, it's revealed that although Rapture is a developed city, its citizens still haven't quite given up on old medical practices, and Elizabeth is about to have an ice pick hammered into her brain.
Threatening Elizabeth with a lobotomy if she doesn't comply and answer his questions, players are helpless to do anything but watch as Atlas strikes the needle into her eye, being treated to the thud of the hammer and the piercing sounds of it digging deeper into her brian with every fresh hit.
It's wince-inducing to watch, but the most horrifying thing about the whole scene is that this is happening to Elizabeth, one of the most beloved gaming characters from the past few years. The idea of her undergoing such a punishing procedure after players spent the whole of Infinite's campaign trying to save her feels like a major kick in the teeth, and comes across as heartbreaking as it is harrowing.