Has a game ever made you cry ?

[LostAlone]

I've perennially been an advocate of games being an art form, or at least that certain titles have done something that allows them to cross that line. However, as a consequence of discussing exactly what makes something artistic or an art-form, and trying to apply that to games, I've often been confronted with the idea that to truly be 'art' something has to be able to evoke emotion.

Now, sure, a lot of games have made me feel happy (when I win) or sad (when I don't) but I don't think I've ever genuinely connected with the plot to really be moved beyond that. I've felt scared, and I've felt wonder, but mainly by the situation than the plot or characters. Wandering in pitch black corridors with well created atmosphere would be scary no matter who I was playing, and awe striking vistas are similarly divorced from the core of a game.

However, I don't think I've really been deeply moved by the conventional arts either. I can appreciate the beauty in a statue or painting, and I can understand the message and the way it was given. But I've never felt like I wanted to cry at the mainstream art forms. From time to time, movies and TV have got through to me like that, but it seems to be that in those forms, the self-sacrifice (or whatever) is much more believable, while in video games it just feels like a cheap imitation of the real deal. How many meaningless characters do we see sacrificing themselves for the protagonist and not really care ?

Anyways, I figured I'd open up the question to you guys: Has a video game ever really left an emotional mark on you ? Have you cried or felt genuinely empathy for the characters ?

 

[drbarno]

Yes. In the pokemon Mystery dungeon series, where you (I guess it should be spoiler but you probably know this already) return to the human world/get erased from time after you had finished the main part of the story, and the first credits start. I think the fact that I knew this beforehand and didn't expect it to be as well written probably helped me in that respect.

 

[Nagisa94]

In Dragon Age: Origins, I cried just before the final battle, and I believe this could count as a spoiler.

Spoiler

My character had romanced Leliana, and leaving her at the gates of Denerim just got to me.

 

[kingcom]

Absolutely, the end of Baldurs Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal. As it explains to you what happened to your travelling companions and their storys leading to ultimately what these characters deserve.

e.g.

Spoiler

Minsc, the comic relief, noble ranger and former guardian of a now dead witch. His duty was to protect her and with her death and his journey with the player complete, he is now tasked with returning home in shame. He will never have the honour of entering the warriors tavern. Of course when he actually reached home, everyone has heard of his part in the great battles of the sword coast and is honoured appropriately.

This summary might not mean much but after getting to know this cahracter as a simply good and trustworth person, despite his intelligence, its very sad to know that ultimately he failed his mission because of you but similiarly he received his honour for the same.

Other great characters include Imeon actually getting a backbone and comming out of your shadow. Sarevok coming to terms with his actions and becoming a better person going off to grieve for his dead lover. Jahiera becoming trapped by her own fear of the loss of those she cared about but ultimately remaining a force for balance in the world.

 

[Jharry5]

The only game to come to close to making me cry was Red Dead Redemption

Spoiler: RDR Spoilers Within

Specifically, the last mission where Marston faces the American Army in the shootout to protect his family.

That's the only time I've nearly cried whilst playing a game.
But the end to inFamous really left a mark on me - it didn't make me cry, but I thought it was great. I was literally speechless for a minute or two afterwards.

 

[manythings]

I didn't cry but my heart broke in Mass Effect 2 on my first playthrough of the finally and I made a choice that cost not only a member of the crew but my favourite one.

OP: Can we have an edit to say this topic will have spoilers?

SPOILS A PLENTY

On my first play through of ME2 I went straight down the middle, avoiding anything paragon or renegade choices I could and that meant letting Tali get exiled from the migrant fleet which made me feel like a dick but during the collector base run I sent her through the steam vent as my hacker and Samara to lead the fire team. It was literally a heart wrench when I saw her take the hit. Miranda also died later but she is a *****.

 

[Sean0925]

The ending of Final Fantasy X has brought me the closest also Kingdom hearts 1 did too. Funnily enough these were the first two games I got for my PS2 all those years ago

 

[GundamSentinel]

I don't know how much of a spoiler is still is but anyways:

Spoiler: In Shadow of the Colossus...

At the end where Agro comes limping back into the temple. It just was so happy and sad at the same time.

 

[Shining_Pyrelight]

Lost Odyssey. Many of the little memories you find had me tearing up. Especially the first one I think, with the little sick girl.
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon. That entire game had me emotional. I never cried but I did choke up.

 

[NeedAUserName]

I'm going to lower the tone now and say both Gaz and Ghost. I love their voice actor, an yet his characters always die, and I can't help but love them.

 

[Imbechile]

Yes, but only out of anger

 

[Arkvoodle]

Section 8. Because I actually paid for it.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

the part in mass effect 1, when u have to choose between ashley and kaiden, that was a REALLY difficult decision, in the end, i chose to help kaiden and ash died, i cryed a little during the following cutscene.

i think its fair to say that if ANY game can evoke emotion its got to be mass affect

 

[Korten12]

The ending of Bioshock 2, at least the good ending I got made me almost cry.

 

[TimeLord]

Not cried, but I found it very emotional near the end of Dead Space when you find out:

Spoiler

Your love interest (I forget her name, it was a long time ago that I played it) had been dead all this time, and you get shown the full video of her killing herself. And all you can do is stand there watching it.

Maybe it was because I had spent the night finishing the game and was on edge every time I rounded a corner.

Dead Space is a good horror game. Despite what Yahtzee says.

 

[beniki]

I didn't cry but my heart broke in Mass Effect 2 on my first playthrough of the finally and I made a choice that cost not only a member of the crew but my favourite one.

OP: Can we have an edit to say this topic will have spoilers?

SPOILS A PLENTY

On my first play through of ME2 I went straight down the middle, avoiding anything paragon or renegade choices I could and that meant letting Tali get exiled from the migrant fleet which made me feel like a dick but during the collector base run I sent her through the steam vent as my hacker and Samara to lead the fire team. It was literally a heart wrench when I saw her take the hit. Miranda also died later but she is a *****.

Yeah same for me, only with Grunt. I couldn't believe it... the perfect example of kroganhood, taken down by a single shot? After all those battles, after everything we did, the shining future for that race snuffed out by a single shot?

And you don't want to go back and change your decisions, because that's just your particular Mass Effect story.

 

[joebthegreat]

I cried when I was playing Fire Emblem and my mom started cutting onions in the kitchen with no proper warning.

Following that event I cried when playing Fire Emblem after having gotten off the phone and having broken up with my girlfriend.

Oh, and one time when playing Fire Emblem. There was this thing where Nino joined you, and one of her "brothers" died because of the evil organization he was working for. So the other "brother" attacks you and tries to kill you and ignores all her pleas and you're forced to kill him. All this takes place after her mom turns out to not be her real mom, to have murdered Nino's entire real family, and subsequently tried to murder Nino as well. Pretty much everything based around Nino in that game... well it made my eyes just a little bit misty at least.

Should I have put that in spoilers?

 

[DanielBrown]

I have never cried or gotten emotional because of a game. I suppose I never get that sucked into them, eventhough I play pretty much all the time. Mass Effect did give me some tough choises however.

Movies on the other hand can have a great impact on me. Hotel Rwanda and Seven Pounds for example makes me cry like a baby.

 

[manythings]

I didn't cry but my heart broke in Mass Effect 2 on my first playthrough of the finally and I made a choice that cost not only a member of the crew but my favourite one.

OP: Can we have an edit to say this topic will have spoilers?

SPOILS A PLENTY

On my first play through of ME2 I went straight down the middle, avoiding anything paragon or renegade choices I could and that meant letting Tali get exiled from the migrant fleet which made me feel like a dick but during the collector base run I sent her through the steam vent as my hacker and Samara to lead the fire team. It was literally a heart wrench when I saw her take the hit. Miranda also died later but she is a *****.

Yeah same for me, only with Grunt. I couldn't believe it... the perfect example of kroganhood, taken down by a single shot? After all those battles, after everything we did, the shining future for that race snuffed out by a single shot?

And you don't want to go back and change your decisions, because that's just your particular Mass Effect story.

I had lost everyone I sent in to that part and it was on the third playthrough I sent Grunt thinking if anyone could take a hit it would be him. I so pissed. I also lost him when I let Miranda do the Biotic part.