The Most Emotional Thing You've Witnessed in a Game

[TheDoctor455]

Minor spoiler warning in effect.

In Mass Effect 2, there's this little side-quest on Illium where you're asked to help out some colonists who are being screwed over by a company they signed a contract with. Now, of course, my first reaction was anger and indignation (these were colonists I had helped out in the first game as well). So I marched over to the company's rep, and started demanding to know what the fuck was going on. Whereupon my rage was immediately replaced with pity, as the rep burst into tears about the loss of everyone she had ever cared about. And... that bit gets me every time... I can't help it... and I always feel very guilty whenever I have to pick the renegade option, because I just can't help but feel sorry for this poor woman... I mean... after hearing her story, her irrational bitterness becomes a little more understandable...

 

[Yokai]

I have said this many, many times before, but it still holds true.

Spoiler: Everyone probably already knows this

Eli's Death in Half-Life 2: Episode 2

At first I was both sad and horrified, especially by Alyx's very realistic reaction, then it made me so goddamn pissed at the Combine that in the last seconds of the game I was banging on the keys and clicking the mouse furiously trying to move and attack the Advisors. DAMN YOU VALVE FOR NOT SATING MY NEED FOR REVENGE!

Also, the scene earlier on in the game where you have to hold off the antlions in the mine shafts. There's a definite sense of tension as you see the warning lights start blazing, and Griggs and Sheckley provide some frankly hilarious commentary. Then, when antlions are coming in from every direction, you're out of grenades, and all your weapons are unloaded, and you're freaking out, the Vortigaunts show up and start blowing the bugs away. The one remark of "We will quiet them" was just about the most badass thing I've ever heard and inspired me to keep fighting. Then the music picks up, and you reload...such a very excellent scene.

 

[ultimasupersaiyan]

The most emotional thing I've witnessed in a game was in Lost Odyssey when Kaim's daughter Lirum died in front of him and his grandkids/her children Mack and Cooke. I'm emotionally stunted and that scene made me cry. Lost Odyssey has the best JRPG story of all time.

 

[GundamSentinel]

Shadow of the Colossus, need I say more? Even the scenery is a tear jerker.

 

[Elonas]

In Final Fantasy VII:

Spoiler

When Aeris died. Nothing has ever made me hate a villain so much! GRR Sephiroth...just GRR.

Its an old game, and I'm sure even people that didn't play it already know this spoiler, but I didn't wanna ruin it for anyone that didn't play it.

This, absolutely this.

 

[Captain Pancake]

The last cutsecne of Halo 3. it gave a me a feeling of "the war is over. i saved the earth. i can rest now"

I agree. I thought the music, the arbiter and lord hood meeting on a field of understanding, before they leave earth really made it feel like the end. Quite a sad end, but it felt the time.

 

[Doc Shaftoe]

The part in Mass Effect right after Virmire when you have to sacrifice either Kaidan or Ashley. The music always hits it, especially if you get into the character. Ash is a love interest sure, but Kaidan and Shepard are good friends. At least I think they are. Watching the nuke go off, getting bitched at by the Council, and then walking down to see the spot where your dead crewmember would be standing empty is just... I teared up the first time. There's also the experience of going to Ilos and meeting Vigil for the first time. The realization that the entire planet is indeed dead, and that the pods you've been seeing were all dead Protheans. Just the realization of what happened and the confirmation of all the hopes and fears that were building through the course of the game.

Then in Mass Effect 2:

Spoiler

When Garrus gets his face blown off when you recruit him. That gurgling, wet, pulpy sound that he makes just... ergh. You gotta feel sorry for the guy. That scene with the coffins at the end if you lose someone always gets me. Although the worst is when EVERYONE dies and it's only Joker and EDI on the ship. Of course, there's also the badass ending where you save everyone and chat them up after the credits roll. Talking to the crewmembers you managed to save was just really touching. And the first time I watched the ending of Mass Effect 2 and my entire team lived. OH MAN was I happy. That was probably number one on the "FECK YEAH!" scale. And Tali's entire loyalty quest. That was pretty damn emotional if you think about it. They were all pretty personal quests, but hers was the most moving. I think part of what made it so moving was the realization that none of the Admirals who were voting actually cared enough about Tali to really focus on the trial. They were too preoccupied with the geth and internal matters. I think it really helped to drive home the point that "you're on your own."

The ending of Halo 3 was pretty moving too. The scene right at the end when Cortana says "It's been a pleasure serving with you John." and everything fades to white. At that point I REALLY thought that Bungie killed off the Chief. It was moving and saddening, but it just fit so perfectly. And then that scene at the memorial, that was a kicker too. The "117" and the MCPO insignia taped to it was moving if you're into the Halo lore. I was honestly a little disappointed when they showed the Chief safe and sound in the middle of nowhere. It felt like a cheap cop-out to ensure potential sequels.

 

[Spartan054]

The last cutsecne of Halo 3. it gave a me a feeling of "the war is over. i saved the earth. i can rest now"

I agree. I thought the music, the arbiter and lord hood meeting on a field of understanding, before they leave earth really made it feel like the end. Quite a sad end, but it felt the time.

indeed.i think the best was When Ratas was looking at the hologram of earth. i thought to myself "we fought so hard to save her and we did"

 

[Mr_Vorhias]

In Final Fantasy VII:

Spoiler

When Aeris died. Nothing has ever made me hate a villain so much! GRR Sephiroth...just GRR.

Its an old game, and I'm sure even people that didn't play it already know this spoiler, but I didn't wanna ruin it for anyone that didn't play it.

Y'know, somehow I had a feeling someone would say that one.

Honestly, looking back I was more pissed off at that than moved when I saw that, because I'd spent so much time buffing the character up.

Thinking further back, I was a lot MORE moved earlier in the game at Barrett's reactions after he finds his friend Dyne in the Corel Prison.

But getting off FF7...

There's the ending of Grim Fandango, when Manny and Meche embrace as the train to the 9th underworld leaves the station, the point just before the final boss of Breath of Fire 2, when the elder god kills all you party-mates in front of you, the haunting, bittersweet ending of the original Fallout, Grom Hellscream's sacrifice in Warcraft III...

Sorry if I spoiled anything for anyone. <_<;

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

Usually, games don't elicit much of an emotional response from me (save for impulsive swearing), but there are two examples that I remember quite vividly.

Spoiler: Okami

When the queen sacrifices herself so that you can reach the island. The music, sunset, and my lack of sleep all made me tear up.

Spoiler: The Darkness

When Uncle Paulie shoots Jenny, while The Darkness restrains you, and forces you to watch. A lot of games try to motivate you to feel for a character, and make you want to exact revenge on the main badguy, and fall pretty fall short of that goal, doing little more than setting up a basic plot wherein the big badguy deserves to die, because he did something bad. This results mostly in "well, guess it's my job to kill that guy, so the guy I'm playing as will feel better, and I get to kill some assholes along the way".

This moment, however, made me feel personally wronged, and as such, killing that bastard at the end of the game felt ridiculously good.

 

[gamefreakbsp]

When you have to choose who you are going to lose on Virmire in Mass Effect.

 

[Doc Shaftoe]

Come to think of it, the opening of Mass Effect 2 was pretty emotional.

 

[CuddlyCombine]

This. Between those two games, I have felt every strong emotion there is to feel and ME2 is the first game to make me cry (multiple times at that!)

Mass Effect 2 just takes the cake. I thought the first game had peaked in terms of the emotional department, but going Paragon in the second game pretty much guarantees that you'll be drowning in a pool of tears by the endgame.

 

[dududf]

When I learned the cake was a lie *Cries*
____
Seriously though, probably in HL2:EP2 when you have to hold off the Ant lion waves. Do that on Hard.

Emotions start flaring, and then when you run out of ammo and resort to crowbar.

Intense.

IIRC there's an infinite shotgun ammo crate in the room. Don't know why you'd want/need to use the crowbar.

OT: The endings of Shadow Hearts 2, HL2: Ep2 and Final Fantasy X.

Because there was no time dammit. I was too busy killing to be arsed to get ammo.

Besides, Crowbar's best anyways.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

The ending of Jak 3, when I thought that the duo was going to split up

Spoiler: As well as..

When Jak's dad dies and he never knows Jak was his son the whole time.

This, I wanted to rip Veger's intestines out and use them to strangle him. Also:

In Final Fantasy VII:

Spoiler

When Aeris died. Nothing has ever made me hate a villain so much! GRR Sephiroth...just GRR.

Its an old game, and I'm sure even people that didn't play it already know this spoiler, but I didn't wanna ruin it for anyone that didn't play it.

This too. I still miss Aeris. Although I still wanted Cloud to fall in love with Tifa instead.

 

[Outamyhead]

The Battle of Ostagar, seeing what happened to Duncan, the music at that point perfectly suited what was happening...If you have not played it yet, or don't want to see the cutscenes, then don't click on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqMeG8EeJMQ but it kind of brings a tear to your eye.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I have two that I want to put forward, one is the Christmas level from Elite Beat Agents. One level that comes out of nowhere and puts the game out of its wackiness factor.

Oh god, You're The Inspiration...I haven't even played the game, just watching that on Youtube was heart-wrenching. And I had to watch it. Someone mentioned it on <url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TearJerker/VideoGames>TV Tropes after all*...

Spoiler: *

"Fail 'You're The Inspiration'? Are you insane, or just evil? I've done many questionable acts in games, but let that poor little girl down? I draw the line there. Cut off my hands, and I'll beat the level with my stumps. I. Will. Not. Fail. Her."

Anyway...for my own, I probably have to nominate an entire game. Not everything in <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.135672-Neutral-Drow-reviews-A-Drug-That-Makes-You-Dream>A Drug That Makes You Dream was emotionally charged, but a damn good sight of it was. Aeka's route especially; both candidates for "most emotional" are from there...

Spoiler: Cry from the Heart.

Kouhei, having been out of commission after an attack, arriving just in time to keep Aeka from jumping off the school roof one night. And then trying desperately to convince her not to do it again...while she's begging me to let her go.

One candidate. For as attached as I got to her during that route, my eyes still sting (with panic, love, and a brief flash of anger) whenever I read that scene. <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whTJVxWtGms>And the music...

Spoiler: Fight Against Reality.

Kouhei and Aeka are ambushed by Kyoka, her boyfriend, and a trio of her cronies on the school roof. While the girls hold Kouhei down with a pair of tasers and a knife, Kyoka orders Gaito to beat and rape Aeka. He happily begins to comply.

...so, that's what pure, undiluted hatred feels like. I don't even think that's an exaggeration. Helpless rage was the order of the day, and I'd never felt so much like I wanted to kill something, preferably Kyoka, and drink its blood. And again, <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpssFaJtS0Y>the music...

Spoiler

Watching Kouhei use up his entire life's supply of pure awesome to turn the tables, on the other hand, was epically satisfying.

 

[Teh Flembo]

Gears of war 2. Dom and Maria.

Must... not.... QQ.

xD