In storytelling, betrayals are tools used to evoke drama and tension in the plot. Playing your favorite video games, you can’t help but be more and more invested in your player/s as the game goes on. In most games today, betrayals are often used and can be expected, but some betrayals leave you empty inside more than others; those are the ones you never see coming.

There are going to be SPOILERS ahead. If you haven’t played any of these games and have the best gaming laptop, here are five with stinging betrayals you can ever experience:

StarCraft (Arcturus Mengsk)

The Terran Confederacy was an oppressive regime that ruled with an iron fist. Playing Marshall Jim Raynor, the Mar Sara Colony is overrun by the ravenous hordes of the Zerg. You are rescued by rebel leader Arcturus Mengsk, leader of the Sons of Korhal.

As the plot progresses, you uncover a Confederate experiment where they manipulated the Zerg to overrun colonies with rebel sympathies. The game felt like you were fighting a tyrannical government and protecting the people, but only for a time.

Jim Raynor with Sarah Kerrigan and Arcturus Mengsk, overthrow the Confederacy. In the process, millions of lives are lost, and Kerrigan is left to die and is consequently captured (and later on, infested) by the Zerg for their nefarious purposes. It’s also revealed that Mengsk just used everyone to establish himself as the first Emperor of the Terran Dominion.

Far Cry 3 (Citra)

There’s a fine line between reality and insanity, and that’s the recurring theme throughout Far Cry 3. From the start, you get to meet a lot of crazy interesting characters. One of the first (and arguably the most insane) characters you meet is Vaas. This dude is completely mental, i.e. his “Have I told you the definition of insanity” rant. Apparently, this trait runs in the family.

Citra is Vaas’ sister. In the beginning, she gives you the tools and allies to be able to take on Vaas and his pirates, rescue your friends, and eventually take down the big bad guy at the end, Hoyt Volker. But all that help comes with a price, you see.

During your trials as Jason Brody, you eventually become the “super warrior” that would be worthy to get steamy with Citra. In the end, she re-kidnaps your friends, and depending on your choice of ending; you get it on with her. Just as you “shoot your load” in her, she stabs you in the chest with that damn dagger that took so long to find. Doesn’t matter, you died in pleasure, right?

BioShock (Atlas)

Without Atlas, we doubt anyone could have finished BioShock. He teaches you so much information about what you need to do while he explains how Rapture came to be. All he wanted in return was for Jack to help him find his wife and son.

It’s just too bad that when Ryan released splicers into the submarine bay, Atlas’ wife and child die. It’s understandable that Atlas would want revenge, and thus he asks Jack to help locate Ryan.

Up to this point in the game, all seems well between Jack and Atlas, until you finally come face to face with Ryan who then reveals that Atlas is Frank Fontaine. He has been controlling you the whole time through mental conditioning so you’d do whatever he’d ask whenever he said: “Would you kindly…”

He uses Jack to kill his father and Atlas causes the downfall of Rapture. Well, that sucks.

GTA: San Andreas (Big Smoke & Ryder)

It’s been a long time since CJ was able to go home, and his homecoming wasn’t that happy. So much has changed in the neighborhood and to top it off, his mother just got murdered in a drive-by shooting. But fortunately, CJ’s brother, Sweet, and childhood friends, Big Smoke and Ryder, were there to help him adjust.

However, there are still things that haven’t changed, as CJ’s Groove Street Families are still at war with Ballas gang. Eventually, CJ and the rest of the group pull themselves together and begin to combat the drug problem and the encroachment of the other gangs on their turf.

When all is going well, you’re betrayed. Sweet is in prison, and you’re out of allies. You later find out that Ryder and Big Smoke have turned on you and have allied themselves with Officer Tenpenny and the Ballas. Worse, they might have had a hand in the death of CJ’s mom.

Dead Space (Kendra Daniels)

There wasn’t a lot of betrayals in Dead Space, but there was one that stung the most. Kendra Daniels, one of your teammates, reveals her true intentions for coming with you to the USG Ishimura. It turns out; she was only in it to look for signs of the Marker, a piece of alien technology discovered on Earth and the only reason you were on that trip was so you could help her achieve her objectives. Nothing more. Also, she tells you that your girlfriend, Nicole, has been dead the whole time. Damn.