What would video games be without death? Worse than boring, in short. Even Pacman comes with the ability to be eaten by a ghost – and then presumably become one, in a dire circle of life taught to us via the medium of arcade machines.
And whether you know it or not, you’ve probably been looking for unusual or unexpected deaths for a long time. Whether it’s laughing your ass off at your rag-dolling body falling down a mountain in Skyrim, or doing increasingly ridiculous GTA shenanigans just to see the word “WASTED” pop up on screen, it’s almost human nature to try and find a game’s most ludicrous deaths.
But some series know this, and thus don’t make you look far for a suitably wild demise. Whether it’s a game over, an optional side cutscene, or just a really, really weird part of the plot, unique video game deaths create some of the most memorable moments of all time – even if they’re often drastically underestimated.
Though nobody wants to die in a game, you’re also likely to get so distracted by being killed via bear costume, or by being drowned in jelly, that you won’t even be mad about it.