The Context: In what is quite possibly the most emotional boss fight in the history of gaming, let alone just the franchise, Big Boss must kill his mentor in this final battle. The twist however is that - due to a very complex plot that would take far too long to explain here - they are on the same side, and that everything The Boss has done to this point was an undercover operation. Her last mission objective was to die a traitor at the hands of Big Boss to prove America's innocence in the whole operation. Essentially, the history books will solely know her as a traitor that sold out her own country, while Big Boss lives on knowing this truth. The Fight: Taking place in a bed of white flowers, the setting is absolutely gorgeous and unlike any other environment in the entire franchise. The decision to play the game's theme "Snake Eater" also heightens the bittersweet beauty, especially when accounting for the lyrics. Like most climactic final battles in the franchise, this is another hand-to-hand base affair although there's also some hide and seek mixed in. As previously mentioned the battle takes place over a bed of white flowers, and The Boss' outfit is white from shoulder to toe. Furthermore, the entire selling point of Metal Gear Solid 3 was using camouflage to blend into environments, so it's only fitting the game end this way too. After her health bar is depleted the game goes into an interactive moment where you are standing over The Boss with her own assault rifle - The Patriot - in hand. Basically, the game will not continue into its ending until the player presses the fire button and finishes the job, which is both cruel and heartbreaking. Nevertheless, it's one of the most emotional and beautiful moments the industry has ever provided.
