Brothers to the End (Gears of War 3)
The dynamic between Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago has been the ultimate emotional core of the Gears of War franchise. Even if you haven’t read the expanded universe books, the games do a great job of getting their relationship across, whether it’s in story beats or simple acts like one reviving the other. Dom did everything in his power to get Marcus released early from prison, and when things hit the fan, Dom immediately went to bust his buddy outta the slammer. Marcus has always done what he could to help Dom find his missing wife Maria.
In Gears 3, Dom is a broken man. With his entire family gone, he’s grown out his beard and taken to growing plants and accepting death whenever the opportunity comes. Dom finally gets his wish when he leads the squad to Mercy, the town where his wife grew up and home to an Imulsion filling station. The Imulsion’s turned the citizens into Lambent, and they’re swarming the squad. With no other alternative in sight, Dom rams a truck into a tanker and sends the Lambent exploding. It’s a well done moment, backed by a well timed instrumental version of “Mad World” that the series used in its debut trailer. Whatever route the series takes next, it won’t shine as bright without Dom by your side.
