4. A Hero's Sacrifice - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Big Boss' final battle against his former mentor, The Boss, is a high-point in the Metal Gear Solid series, ending with the player having to execute The Boss. Snake then heads to Alaska with Eva, and after hooking up, he wakes to find she has split, leaving behind a tape which reveals not only that was she a Chinese spy, but that The Boss never actually defected to the Soviet Union. Rather, she was infiltrating Volgin's ranks in order to discern the location of the Philosopher's Legacy for the US, but to absolve the US of any responsibility for Volgin's nuclear attack during the Virtuous Mission, it was a one-way ticket, and The Boss would have to die for her country. Snake earns his Big Boss title but is despondent at the reveal, visiting The Boss' unmarked grave, saluting and shedding the manliest single tear in the history of video games. After the fantastic ending of the original MGS, it's pretty amazing that Hideo Kojima managed to top himself in Snake Eater, delivering an extremely emotionally gratifying close to one of the PS2's very best titles.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
