Top 10 Times Call of Duty Made Men Cry

“Call of Duty: Black Ops II” (2012) It’s always tough letting go of a past protagonist. It’s even harder when you’re forced to kill them. After being captured by Noriega’s men, Mason is marched out in front of Woods with his face concealed. Not knowing who is really under there, Woods shoots Mason in the head. Once Woods realizes what has happened, all hell breaks loose. The music used in the scene perfectly captures the horrific moment, and it all comes together like a dramatic climax of a great movie.

#9: I’ll See You on the Other Side

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“Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare” (2014) Heroic sacrifices are sure to make any man weep. At the beginning of the game, friends Jack Mitchell and Will Irons are repelling an invasion of North Korea. However, Will’s arm is caught in an access panel while placing charges on a gunship. After a failed rescue attempt, Will decides to save Jack by pushing him off the gunship before it explodes. It’s all very heroic and touching, complete with dramatic, swelling music, but then Jack’s arm is severed by falling debris and he passes out.

“Call of Duty: Black Ops” (2010) In this scene, both Woods and Mason confront bad guy Lev Kravchenko, but Kravchenko gains the upper hand against Woods and beats the shit out of Mason. After Woods recoups and stabs Kravchenko, he pulls the pin on a grenade, forcing Woods to play hero and sacrifice himself by pushing Kravchenko out of a window. Of course, Woods survives this explosion (somehow), but at the time, this was an emotional scene, because…well, heroic sacrifices, we’ve already been through that.

#7: The Siberian Diamond Mine

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“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (2011) Fans were starting to get a little sick of “Call of Duty” around the time of “Modern Warfare 3’s” release, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t without its moments. Case in point, the exhilarating diamond mine set piece, which sees Sandman, Grinch, and Truck heroically stay behind and sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Heroic sacrifice? Dramatic slow motion? Emotional music? Theatrical fade to white while otherwise-stoic characters scream the names of the deceased? This is just prime man tear material. Say what you will about these games, but there’s no denying that they contain some beautifully dramatic set pieces.

#6: Game Over

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“Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” (2007) The first “Modern Warfare” is often considered to be the best in the series, not only for its stellar multiplayer component, but also for its highly energetic, imaginative, and, yes, emotional campaign. “Modern Warfare” has a real doozy of an ending – an ultranationalist helicopter traps the squad on a bridge, and you are forced to watch a large majority of your squad die at the hands of enemy soldiers and Zakhaev himself. And then the good guys show up, and you’re dramatically lifted away while the music swells and the game fades to white. This was pure Hollywood drama, and we love every second of it.

#5: No Sacrifice Too Great

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“Call of Duty: Call of Duty: WWII” (2017) Having to leave a good man behind is always a difficult situation, even in a video game. Such is the case for the player’s commanding officer Lieutenant Joseph Turner. After saving Daniels from certain death, Turner is shot in the back by a German tank commander. After killing the German with Turner’s sidearm, Daniels carries the Lieutenant as far as he can before Turner himself orders Daniels to leave him behind to hold the rear. This heroic sacrifice is as dramatic as they come, as even the soldiers are struggling to hold back their manly tears.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (2011) Well, they had to top that infamous airport scene from “Modern Warfare 2” somehow. In this brief interlude shows an innocent civilian named Mr. Davis as he films his wife and daughter on vacation. The daughter seems excited to be in London and playfully chases some pigeons before a truck explodes, killing the family and sending the street into chaos. It’s a painful and horrific scene to witness, mainly due to its realistic depiction of a terrorist attack. It gives us a firsthand look at the horrors that plague our world, and it is every bit as difficult to watch as the creators intended.

#3: Killing Harper

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“Call of Duty: Black Ops II” (2012) Choosing to kill or capture Menendez is one thing, but choosing whether to kill Harper is something else entirely. In the scene, Menendez threatens Farid with execution and orders him to kill Harper. You are then given the choice to shoot either Menendez or Harper, and choosing the latter is a devastating decision (not that it really matters). Harper tells Farid to get on with it before his head explodes, splattering the camera with blood and sending Farid into a state of shock. It’s a difficult decision made all the more horrible by Farid’s utterly defeated reaction. There was no happy outcome in this scenario.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” (2009) Ah, the ol’ good-guy-is-actually-the-bad-guy switcheroo! It’s an old tactic, but damn is it effective. After Roach and Ghost nearly die raiding a safehouse, Lieutenant General Shephard betrays them and steals the intel they have recovered. In this very over-the-top scene, Shepherd shoots Roach in the stomach before executing Ghost. The still-conscious Roach is then thrown into a ditch with Ghost’s corpse, whereupon he is doused in gasoline and burned alive by a smug Shepherd. It’s an extremely violent scene, and undoubtedly one of “Call of Duty’s” most heartbreaking. The music, the slow motion…we’re getting chills just talking about it.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (2011) It was well-known that “Modern Warfare 3” was going to be the final installment of the “Modern Warfare” series, and as such, we were all expecting some climactic deaths. After Soap is mortally wounded, Price tries desperately to save his life with anguished screams and cries for help. Soap then dies, complete with quieting music and the harrowing screams of Captain Price. To make the scene even more sad, Price then places the pistol on Soap’s body before the music swells again in a final, heroic send-off. Now this is how you end a trilogy.