10 Video Game Tragedies That Elevated Stories
6. Ezio Auditore and Christina Vespucci - Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
For the long-running Assassin's Creed series, its popularity peaked between 2009 and 2011. In the opening of Assassin's Creed 2, we see leading man Ezio Auditore is a real womaniser, visiting the beautiful Cristina Vespucci for a "quick" visit.
Upon finishing one of the best entries in the series, we all assumed that Ezio's relationship with Cristina was a casual fling put aside after he became an assassin. Little did we know there was more to learn about this story thread in the next game.
It's revealed in AC: Brotherhood that Ezio's original love was killed during the Bonfire of the Vanities.
In a set of flashback missions we see what became of the romance between Ezio and Christina, starting with the burial of the protaganist's family and ending with a return to Florence. Sadly, in this period of violence, Cristina is attacked by a mob and despite Ezio's best efforts, passes away from her injuries.
This set of missions that may have been missed by several players are surprisingly emotional. Much of Brotherhood's story is heavily focused on the assassin's war with Cesare Borgia, yet this element adds a heavy dose of heart on the side. It's another example of why the community engaged with the main character so much.