Share Games where the Story/Narrative emotionally invested and moved you.

[Random Argument Man]

Let's see.. I'll go in a backward order.

The Last of Us: The scene with the giraffes after Winter. After all the shit Joel and Ellie went through, I didn't touch my controller for five minutes. I thought they both deserve it.

Walking Dead: Pretty much the whole game once we start episode 3 of season 1.

Mass effect trilogy: I won't lie about a few big moments. It was really the small stuff that got me though.

Metal Gear Solid franchise: I mean?It's like Kojima is really trying to make it worst for you each time that you play it.

Final Fantasy 9: Everyone that tells you Vivi's story isn't emotionally investing is either lying or hasn't played the game.

Final Fantasy 7 and Ogre Battle 64:

I put both games there because those are the first games that really connected me to the idea that video games are more than just games. FF7 didn't connect me with the whole twist at the end of disk 1, but more with a scene in disk 2. Ogre Battle 64 wasn't a story that I understood at first, but when I did?.oh man?


Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time: Don't get me wrong, Majora's Mask is my favourite. However, OoT was the first game where I felt that I was on something big and most of it is on how much it does things great.

 

[Pyrian]

Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Saving the suicidal detective. Whoa. That tiny optional sideplot got me much more than the main plot. Also:

Spoiler

Finding Malik's body in Tong's chop shop. It was bad enough that I couldn't save her, that scene was just adding insult to injury.

Deus Ex (original): Several playthroughs in, I decided to have some good fun with a heavy weapons specialist, just running around everywhere burning through enemies with the flamethrower and GEP gun. And for the first time... Paul lived. THAT was a shock. I'd had no idea he could be saved.

Deus Ex: Invisible War: Just kidding...

Homeworld (original):

Spoiler

I read the entire freakin' manual which goes on and on for I don't know how long about all the history and people of Kharak. Which gets cooked about 15 minutes into the game.

StarCraft (original): I feel deeply ashamed of the fact that I'd had NO IDEA what was in the Chrysalis until it matured.

 

[FPLOON]

Well, besides the Tales of series and the Persona series (especially in the character department):

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (DS version): Yes, this game got repetitive at times as well as have certain moments where you would question who would even spend over an hour fighting that one heartless just to get that 100% heart collection for that particular mission, for example, but dammit! That build-up between Roxas and Xion really did bring a tear to my eyes that the 1.5 version could replicate without sacrificing stuff that wasn't already part of a cutscene...

Child of Eden: This did feel like that spiritual prequel to Rez... and I was more emotionally invested in this game than Rez in comparison...

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep: Sure, some of the events you could say you saw coming, given if you know certain events in the previous games, but the three-character storyline really got me more invested than I thought I would...

These are the closest I can think of right now...

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Avoiding any that have already been said...

Shin Megami Tensei IV. My introduction to this series left me thirsting for more. Yes I could tell from the very start who was going to end up taking the side of chaos and law even before I knew such a thing was a series tradition, but after a trip through some jarring alternate universes, you come to understand that your choice isn't quite as binary as that. Not when the Christian God is a true divine entity who has labelled all the others as demons and can hit a giant reset button of death when things don't go His way. I can definitely see why this series saw limited release in America until now, particularly the second game. Yikes.

Final Fantasy 6. Similar to the previous entry I suppose since the world is laid to ruin, and most of the characters struggle to prevent the resulting abundance of despair and hopelessness from ending their adventure prematurely. Even before then it was a vast yet charming narrative, particularly where Locke or Setzer got involved.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It wasn't just the looks and the awesome powers that earned Alucard his fan following after all, and the hammy prologue alone is legendary. The instant I finished it, I knew that I wanted Sypha Belnades and possibly Grant Danasty to get similar treatments in similarly awesome games, but sadly that was not to be.

 

[Risingblade]

I got really invested into Bioshock 2, manly the saving your daughter part.

 

[Lilani]

The first game that ever made me cry was...Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. Yup, that's right. A Professor Layton game. And it was this scene right here, spoiled for spoilers.

Spoiler

Professor Layton is just always such a cool and collected character, and it really struck me hard when even he broke down like that. The story is sad and tragic and I wanted him to have a happy ending so bad, yet I'm so glad they went there with him.

 

[Azahul]

I guess the only one I have to add that hasn't been mentioned yet is Kentucky Route Zero. Barely any gameplay, and only three out of the five acts have been released so far, but every single moment of it has been absolutely gripping.

Spoiler

And the moment in the third act when Junebug sings. I have no words.

I got really invested into Bioshock 2, manly the saving your daughter part.

Damnit. I was certain I was going to be the first person to mention Bioshock 2. I usually do two playthroughs of games with binary moral choices like that, one for each option. I've played Bioshock 2 four times now. Never managed to bring myself to be evil. Just the thought that there's your daughter watching you over your shoulder the whole time, learning how to interact with the world based on what you do, is enough to deter me.

Bioshock Infinite was also genuinely moving. The Wolf Among Us and the Walking Dead both managed to get me really invested in their characters. These have all been said before though.

 

[The Random Critic]

In terms of actually written dialog said by actual character, I only have two (I'll let what the character said to demonstrate, spoilers ahead btw)

Fallout New Vegas

Spoiler

From where you're kneeling, it must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck. Truth is... the game was rigged from the start.

Spoiler

I haven't shown my hand - I've shown one card. I've given my enemies a single, provocative datum upon which to fixate. They have no idea what other cards I'm holding. It's a strong hand, believe me - I dealt it to myself.

Spoiler

"There are some back home who ask me, "But who are we protecting? What is Nevada to us?" Sometimes we forget that the light of our society shines beyond our borders. Sometimes we take those privileges for granted that our forebears fought so hard to achieve. We must always remember that wherever Californians stand, we carry our principles with us: equal respect, representation, and protection under the laws of a just republic. This was the same fire that burned in the heart of the Old World that preceded us. We are the heirs of that civilization, torchbearers eastward of the Pacific, into the darkness of this wasted land.[...]Four years ago, we held this dam. Four years ago, we carried the weight. Four years ago, we drew a line through the Mojave as clear as the Colorado River, a line that Caesar cannot cross. Today, you stand here with our brothers and sisters to hold that line. Today, you honor all Californians by carrying that weight. Today, you are the waves of the Pacific, pushing ever eastward. You are the sequoias rising from the Sierra Nevadas, defiant and enduring. You are the great western light of California, torchbearers in the darkness, living reminders of all that is best in our republic."

The narrative that really "moved" me

Spoiler

Rangers, this is the Chief. I know I can ramble on sometimes, but I need you to listen close for the next minute or so. I got some bad news. I messed up, made a mistake. I thought I could help us get out of here, but it didn't work out. Rangers get injured all the time, it's part of the job. But if you lose a few fingers, get a bad break, that's it. You step down. We rely on each other too much to let our infirmities become a liability. A ranger knows when it's time. Only I didn't. Somewhere along the way, something broke inside me. I couldn't find us a way out of this desert. I wrestled with it, and it took me down a dark road. I wish I could explain it to you. The old chief's finally at a loss for words. Send me all the Legion you can; I'll be waiting for them

FFT (Best FF imo, btw)

Spoiler

I have no wish to change the world. But nor can I stand by while men
suffer and die on the whim of some select few. Do you truly believe you can
change the world? Not even I am so naive as that.

Spoiler

'God' is an image created out of man's insecurities.

Spoiler

Miluda: Who do you think we are? We're not your animals! We're human, just like you! Have you ever been hungry? With only soup to eat for months? Why do we suffer? Because you nobles deprive us of our rights to live!
Algus: Human? Humph, Ridiculous! From the minute you were born you had to obey us. From the second you were born you were our animals.
Miluda: That's nonsense! Who decided all this! That's ridiculous!
Algus: It is the will of Heaven!
Miluda: In Heaven? God would never allow such a thing. All are equal in His eyes! He'd never let this happen! Never!
Algus: Animals have no God!

Spoiler

Ignorance itself is a crime!

Spoiler

It has been the same for me. I was given the wardrobe of a nobleman,
and so I played the part. A puppet, ever dancing for the amusement of patrons
unseen. This wretched world does not reward endeavor. It is the patron and his
troupe who are receipt - maggots grown fat on endeavor's corse. Most men but
play the part they're given. Most live and die not knowing they play a part at
all. But I am past all that now. I am their unwitting puppet no more. No
more...I will exact from them the price of their gluttonous feast! I will burn down this kingdom and from its ashes build for you a new one, a kingdom worthy of you. I will show you a world where your light will outshine the sun- a world that will know no darkness. And you will have no more need of tears. I will not fail you in this; On Tietra's soul, I swear it to you.

And I can list so much more exciting dialog for this game. Really it's that wonderful


Maybe after playing Trails of the Sky and KOTOR 2 I can have two more example, who knows

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I may have gotten a little emotional when I finished playing the original Kingdom Hearts trilogy... I wasn't a big fan of Chain of Memories, and KH2 to me was a return to a glorious formula that sent me back to the good old times. Plus dat ending.