3. Mass Effect 3 - Shepard watches a child die
With all the
controversy surrounding the ending of Mass Effect 3, it's easy to
forget the opening moments, which for me, is the single most
heart-wrenching imagery I've ever been witness to. It's not just
because the moment itself is forlorn, but the music that plays
alongside the scene is truly harrowing.
As Commander Shepard
sets off on a journey to save the inhabitants of Earth, he has to
leave his home planet, while watching it fall under a devastating
attack from the Reapers. This alone is hard. As gamers we aren't used
to having to run from a fight for the greater good. We stand our
ground and we don't ever flee.
What makes this whole
ordeal worse is that as Shepard's shuttle is taking off, he's sees a
child. The child appears to have avoided the Reaper armada and
collapsing buildings, and has made it to a shuttle to take him out of
harm's way.
As the shuttle takes
off and makes a break for freedom, it is hit by a Reaper laser,
spirals out of control, and ultimately explodes, killing all
on-board.
The act of watching a
child die is distressing enough, even more so if you're a parent, but
what makes this scene so chilling is the soundtrack from Clint
Mansell. There's something about piano pieces that add a sense of
agonising anguish to an already emotionally charged scene. Something
that Mass Effect 3 does tastefully and beautifully.
