Video games are one of the most advanced storytelling mediums available in the modern era. As a result, the stories video games tell have become increasingly nuanced. The characters' choices and dialogue build upon the world the developers and writers created to evoke a genuine and enjoyable experience for players.
As video games became more cinematic, iconic scenes began to develop lives of their own, just as those from movies had before. A skillful combination of excellent voice acting, tremendous writing, and detailed game development brought compelling narratives to life, which players can feel like they're a part of.
10 Kairi's Letter In Kingdom Hearts II: "Thinking Of You, Wherever You Are."
Loving interpersonal relationships are so powerful in the Kingdom Hearts universe that they can do just about anything. In the case of Kingdom Hearts II, Kairi's letter relaying her feelings to Sora and Riku is strong enough to save them from the Realm of Darkness. Delivered as a beautiful monologue by Risa Uchida in Japanese and Hayden Panettiere in English, Kairi's letter to her best friends perfectly encapsulates the series' themes surrounding the importance of friendship. She reminds them they're all connected: "There are many worlds, but they share the same sky – one sky, one destiny."
9 Dutch's Last Words In Red Dead Redemption: "We Can't Always Fight Nature, John."
Though it's interrupted by some other dialogue, Dutch van der Linde's final musings in Red Dead Redemption are an iconic speech. In the lead-up to his final moments, Dutch expressed a fascinating clarity.
He knew there was no longer a place for him in the world, but could not fight his nature in order to adapt. Though he tries to explain it to John, his former mentee just doesn't understand. As a result, Dutch chooses to end his life on his own terms rather than force John to shoot him.
8 G-Man's Wake-Up Call In Half-Life 2: "Wake Up And Smell The Ashes..."
The G-Man is one of gaming's most curious figures. He haunted the Half-Life franchise with cryptic dialogue and mysterious physical appearances on the peripheries of Gordon Freeman's vision. At the start of Half-Life 2, his voice is the first one players hear. He rouses Freeman, assuring him his time has come once more. This short monologue sets the stage for the game, preparing both the players and Gordon Freeman to enter a strange new world shaped by their past actions and choices.
7 Vaas's Existential Crisis In Far Cry 3: "Did I Ever Tell You The Definition Of Insanity?"
Villains often give excellent monologues. Vaas Montenegro from Far Cry 3 is considered by many fans one of the best-written video game antagonists of all time. His ravings on the definition of insanity and his relationship with Jason Brody, the player character, firmly defined his character and actions. Vaas explains the classic definition of insanity as repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result. He then explains that continuing to try and kill Jason would make him insane, since "[He] killed you once already..."
6 GLaDOS' Last Goodbye In Portal 2: "You Dangerous, Mute Lunatic."
Throughout Portal's duology of games, Chell and GLaDOS go through a lot, both together and at each other's hands. As a result, their final goodbye holds significant weight. At the end of Portal 2, GLaDOS determines that fighting Chell is far too complicated to be worth it. She tells the silent protagonist, "You know what my days used to be like? I just tested. Nobody murdered me. Or put me in a potato. Or fed me to birds." So she says goodbye to Chell and sends the player on their way out of the facility, just as they've always wanted.
5 Chairman Prescott's Speech InGears Of War 2: "Humans Are No Strangers To War."
Prior to an expansive attack on the Locust in Gears of War 2, Chairman Richard Prescott spoke to the army of the Coalition of Ordered Governments. At this point, they were in dire straits, and this fight was one of their last chances to save the human race from genocidal extinction.
The Chairman opens his speech by explaining how humans have always known war, and it's natural for them. He then uses this to inspire the soldiers, showing them their capacity to fight will lead them to victory in this crucial battle.
4 Zelda's Ceremony In The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild: "Hero Of Hyrule..."
In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Link and the player can recover several of his prior memories. One of these shows him kneeling before Zelda, surrounded by the other rulers of the land. She invokes his role as the hero of Hyrule and prays that his reunion with the Master Sword will ensure their people's protection. Zelda has many beautiful speeches in Breath of the Wild, but this one builds upon the mystique of the series' lore and measures up to famous high-fantasy orations.
3 Andrew Ryan's Reveal In Bioshock: "A Man Chooses! A Slave Obeys!"
One of the best plot twists in gaming history takes place in Andrew Ryan's office in Bioshock. Rapture's founder reveals that Jack, the player character, has been under his enemy's control all along. He shows Jack who Atlas truly is and reveals the programmed phrase Atlas has been using to control and manipulate Jack during his journey. Even though Jack defeats Andrew Ryan in this sequence, Ryan's revelation that Jack is only doing so out of obedience rocked gamers to their core, making them question whether they'd ever had any agency in Rapture.
2 Sarah Lindwall's Last Wishes In SOMA: "Send Them Out There. To The Stars."
SOMA was a horror game unlike any other. Though it had its fair share of scares, it was also a deeply philosophical story about life, death, and humanity.
In this heart-wrenching sequence, Sarah Lindwall, the last human alive, asks the player to turn off her life support and let her pass with some dignity. If they choose to abide by her request, she tells them about her life on Earth and PATHOS-II. Her last words are a plea for the ARK to be sent into space so humanity may be among the stars.
1 Cave Johnson's Rant In Portal 2: "Make Life Take The Lemons Back!"
Cave Johnson, founder and CEO of Aperture Science, made his opinion on what to do with life's metaphorical lemons extremely clear in Portal 2. His tirade against the proverbial lemons became famous among gamers and non-gamers alike – mainly for its distinctive combination of humor and genuine inspiration. Cave Johnson told players they didn't need to suffer underneath life's lemons. He chose to fight back and threaten life with its own lemons. The metaphor was a bit strained at some points, but that was just part of the monologue's charm.