Warning! Spoilers Ahead!

Most open-world games opt for a story-heavy approach that gives players a reason to explore the sandbox as they either make progress in the narrative or find a wealth of other distractions to sink their teeth into. These narratives can be pretty engaging, especially when there are sudden swerves that fans don't expect.

This includes the act of betrayal that can be completely unexpected, especially if it comes at the hands of a trusted friend. Some open-world games feature some of the most notable betrayal scenes in video games that will affect fans deeply.

Ghost of Tsushima's story has some issues, but most fans love Jin's battles with the code of honor as he strives to drive away the Mongols by any means necessary. He reunites with his childhood friend, Ryuzo, and enlists the aid of his Straw Hat Ronin to try and defeat the Mongols.

However, Ryuzo is desperate to feed his followers and decides to ally with Khotun Khan to get the resources he needs. Jin is shocked by his friend's betrayal and must end Ryuzo's life after a heated duel that ends with his victory.

The events preceding this betrayal are harrowing, with V forming a strong bond with Jackie only to lose his closest friend after a botched heist. V is already emotionally traumatized when he comes back to Dex, and the fixer refuses to have the heat of an Arasaka family member's assassination on him.

This leads to a crushing betrayal as Dex shoots V in the head and leaves them for dead. Thankfully, Takemura finds him and rescues him from the garbage dump he was thrown into, kickstarting the game's main plot to help V regain control of their body after Johnny Silverhand's engram starts taking over.

GTA is no stranger to its fair share of heartbreaking betrayals, and Vice City is no exception. Lance and Tommy form a great partnership that paints the former in a great light, until he starts resting on his laurels while Tommy continues to pursue his ambitions.

Lance feels alienated and decides to switch sides and join Sonny, the man who sent Tommy to jail in the first place, since his partner would've easily outranked him if things went on as they did. Tommy hates Lance's behavior and makes sure to gun him down before killing Sonny and getting his revenge for all the years he spent in prison.

Fallout 4's story is a bit of a mixed bag at times, but fans can't deny that the hunt for Shaun becomes very compelling once players reach the Institute. Fans meet a fake version of Shaun, preparing them for a plot twist that was hinted at.

It turned out that the Sole Survivor had been in the cryo pod for way too long, to the point where Shaun was an old man who led the Institute by the time players finally met their son. Siding with the Institute is considered to be the bad choice, meaning that most playthroughs will end with Shaun being betrayed by his parent as he lies on his deathbed and laments his guardian's decision shortly before breathing his last.

By the time players reach Cyberpunk 2077's final mission, V will be desperate to regain control of his body by any means necessary. If certain side quests weren't completed, then V has no choice but to trust Hanako that she'll take care of V's body and ensure that they don't die.

Ultimately, all she wanted was to regain control of the Arasaka family and leave V to the wolves in space as they undergo one experimental treatment after another. Perhaps she always knew that the protagonist had no chance from the very moment they "died" at the start of the game, since the body was already hostile to its psyche as it accepted Johnny as the dominant personality.

San Andreas is one of the most iconic open-world games of all time, in no small part because of a riveting story where CJ comes back to Grove Street after his mother's death and tries to make amends for his disappearance, only for a sinister betrayal to rear its ugly head.

Cesar informs CJ about a major development in his hunt for the Green Sabre, which was spotted unleashing a drive-by on CJ's house that led to his mother's death. It turned out that Big Smoke and Ryder were working as informants for the corrupt police group C.R.A.S.H. It's a heartbreaking betrayal that makes him realize that Sweet is walking into a trap, leading to a race against time as CJ arrives to save his brother by any means necessary.

Micah Bell is one of the most heinous video game characters of all time. In a way, Rockstar's writing should be lauded for making it so easy to dislike this backstabbing outlaw.

He worked as an informant for the Pinkertons and sowed the seeds of discord that caused the group to fracture. It's what ultimately led to so many tragic deaths, prompting Marston and the others to avenge Arthur's death and take out Micah once and for all.

Grand Theft Auto 5's story deserves to be criticized since it relies a bit too much on convenient scenarios, but there are moments when the game becomes pretty emotional. Such is the case at the very end, where Franklin can choose to kill either Trevor or Michael.

Both missions are heartbreaking, with Michael's death being particularly emotional since he was betrayed by a person he groomed like a son after a chance encounter. His death ends with Franklin calling Lamar and saying something that Michael told him once a long time ago, making it clear that his mentor's death deeply affected him, even though he was forced to walk down this path.