Emotionally draining games

WeeG

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Apr 16, 2011
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Halo:Reach. At the end when it's just you left because you decided to be a heroic badass, I remember the scene at the start of the game where there's just the helmet in the ground. I made the link and was like "Aww noo.." Even though I knew I wouldn't get out of it alive (especially since your team mates fell one by one) I tried my hardest just to stay alive.

Only just realised that now. :)
 

random_bars

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Oct 2, 2010
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Some of the dialogue in Brutal Legend has made me feel pretty bad. Like when I was playing as the Tainted Coil against Ironheade, and I flew over to a group of Headbangers, killed them and as the last one was dying I heard him say, "Sorry about all the blood, guys." I mean, all his friends are dead and he's about to die too, and the only thing he's concerned about is apologising to them about being covered in blood when that's not even his fault in the slightest, it's mine seeing as I'm the one murdering him... In that moment, I felt like a terrible person.
 

Dark Harbinger

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Here's a few I can think of off the top of my head.

Assassin's Creed II
When Ezio's father, older and younger brothers are hanged, seeing Petruccio's face all screwed up in fear as he was about to die really raised a lump in my throat

Batman Arkham Aslyum - I mean wow, I'm not frightened by many games but some of the sections in this game had me genuinely terrified. Particularly during the first Scarecrow encounter.

Never noticed the leaking gas pipes on my first run through, the moment I see Jim up in front of me calling out to me for help I straight away thought something was wrong, I had already felt my hairs stand up on end upon seeing the shadows, once I had found the supposedly dead Jim I noticed Batman's eyes were glowing red, I seriously had no idea what was going on, the ringtone, the bugs, then suddenly the deathly stillness in the morgue started to really make me uncomfortable, then that voice, whispering at me to get out, I notice some of the capsule doors flapping open and shut, I run for the door, thinking once I'm out, I'm ok. Sweet Jesus it's the same room, with *gulp* bodybags that twitch. The first two bodybags' occupants were creepy enough, but the third one, when the Scarecrow popped out made me yell and drop my controller. Still cannot believe that this is a Batman game O.O

Far Cry 2 -
Had a good buddy, I believe his name was Paul Ferenc, an ex-military from Israel, anyway, the guy had saved me from more ambushes and shootouts than I can remember, he was cool and calm in combat and would always be raining hell on enemy mercs for jumping me. Sadly I went on a mission with my first buddy, it went balls up, requiring Paul to wade in and save my neck. Basically we were pinned behind a couple of rocks by a well armed group of Mercs, managed to pop a couple before my first buddy had his face blown in by a sniper, dead straight away. Then Paul got sprayed with a few of UZI rounds by a Merc who had snuck around, I charged at the merc with my machete out and tore at him until he was dead. Went back to Paul, who was on the ground, struggling to move, I pop out a syrette and jab him with it. Nothing. I try again, still nothing, by now Paul is starting to fade, I furiously stab my last syrette into him, desperately trying to keep him alive, his eyes meet mine, one last time, then he slumps back. Gone. I made sure after that to make every merc I came across suffer horribly.

Red Dead Redemption -
Do I really need to say anything? I Had tears welled up in my eyes at the end.
 

Dark Harbinger

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Dark Harbinger said:
Here's a few I can think of off the top of my head.

Assassin's Creed II
When Ezio's father, older and younger brothers are hanged, seeing Petruccio's face all screwed up in fear as he was about to die really raised a lump in my throat

Batman Arkham Aslyum - I mean wow, I'm not frightened by many games but some of the sections in this game had me genuinely terrified. Particularly during the first Scarecrow encounter.

Never noticed the leaking gas pipes on my first run through, the moment I see Jim up in front of me calling out to me for help I straight away thought something was wrong, I had already felt my hairs stand up on end upon seeing the shadows, once I had found the supposedly dead Jim I noticed Batman's eyes were glowing red, I seriously had no idea what was going on, the ringtone, the bugs, then suddenly the deathly stillness in the morgue started to really make me uncomfortable, then that voice, whispering at me to get out, I notice some of the capsule doors flapping open and shut, I run for the door, thinking once I'm out, I'm ok. Sweet Jesus it's the same room, with *gulp* bodybags that twitch. The first two bodybags' occupants were creepy enough, but the third one, when the Scarecrow popped out made me yell and drop my controller. Still cannot believe that this is a Batman game O.O

Far Cry 2 -
Had a good buddy, I believe his name was Paul Ferenc, an ex-military from Israel, anyway, the guy had saved me from more ambushes and shootouts than I can remember, he was cool and calm in combat and would always be raining hell on enemy mercs for jumping me. Sadly I went on a mission with my first buddy, it went balls up, requiring Paul to wade in and save my neck. Basically we were pinned behind a couple of rocks by a well armed group of Mercs, managed to pop a couple before my first buddy had his face blown in by a sniper, dead straight away. Then Paul got sprayed with an UZI by a Merc who had snuck around, I charged at the merc with my machete out and tore at him until he was dead. Went back to Paul, who was on the ground, struggling to move, I pop out a syrette and jab him with it. Nothing. I try again, still nothing, by now Paul is starting to fade, I furiously stab my last syrette into him, desperately trying to keep him alive, his eyes meet mine, one last time, then he slumps back. Gone. I made sure after that to make every merc I came across suffer horribly.

Red Dead Redemption -
Do I really need to say anything? I Had tears welled up in my eyes at the end.
EDIT: Oh christ, sorry for the double post, I think I clicked quote by mistake *facepalm*
 
Feb 14, 2008
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The ending of both N64 Zelda games really gets to me.

Has the most brilliant characterization of the villains I have ever seen.

You play it and you are like "I just killed this man. He had a family he cared for and a woman he loved. I have become the monster he was, but to what end?"

Also, being evil in InFamous is kinda hard on me...
 

Spydercake

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Oct 29, 2010
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Penumbra, the first two.

When you killed red at the end of the first one, after being attached to him for so long, im a sap i know. Then in the second *THERE ARE ONLY TWO REQUIEM DOES NOT EXIST, I will always deny frictional making a game that bad* It goes through this whole bit in the end about how the hive mind is not evil, but in fact just trying to survive the expansion of humanity, which the hive mind itself had helped exist since mans beggining. After this whole bit the protagonist send out a message with the location of the hive mind, basically saying kill it now, for the sole reason that the hive mind killed your father to prevent him doing the same thing.
 

Katana314

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I kind of interpret the thread title differently, because games can "emotionally drain" me without really moving me at all. Kind of like if a cutscene had you watch a soldier gun down 100 puppies and then ominously turns to you and says "ISN'T THIS SAAAAAD!??" Yes, it is...and it's not even sad in a cool way, and I feel sick of it already.

Happened to me for Cave Story, and several of those web-based "artsy" indie games like One Chance. The worst part is that it happened long before the ending, making me not want to keep playing.
 

Wayneguard

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Jun 12, 2010
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Resident Evil and Silent Hill are emotionally draining, at least for your first playthrough before you know all the tricks. I could only play in hour long chunks the first time I beat RE1 because of the oppressive atmosphere. Unfortunately, now that I can speed run the damn game it's lost its tension :(
 

direw0lf

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I know its cliche but being a father of a small child Heavy Rain had some very difficult parts for me to play through. the self torment parts were ok, but the scene at the beginning when you lose your son in the mall was really uncomfortable for me
 

Innegativeion

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Final scene of HL2 episode 2, excellently done, and probably got me the most choked up out of any video game scene.
 

duowolf

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I find RPGs are the worst for this becuase you spend so much time with the characters that when something bad happens to them it's heartbreaking. The endings to both Persona 3, Final Fantasy X and Last Remnent espically are pretty hard hitting.
Things that happen in both DA: Orgins and Dragon Age 2 are very painful to watch espically in 2 where there really isn't anyway to stop it only make it less bad.
Then you have games like the first few Resident Evils, the Silent Hill series and Project Zero games that play with your emotions in different but still draining ways.The FEAR series falls into this catagory as well I feel.
As someone else mentioned there's also Deadly Premonition which is also an emotional rollercoaster espically when you find out just why York acts the way he does.:(
 

Dark Harbinger

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Zetion said:
Far Cry 2

Quarbani Singh and me get into a firefight.
Hear a scream, they downed my best fucking bro/
I went batshit berserk and killed, EVERYONE with my crappy assault rifle.
Went back to heal him. Everytime I tried, it didn`t work, he just cringed in pain. The last syringe went in, no effect. I was drained. I was almost out of ammo, and I can hear more UFLL troops shooting the trees behind/around me. I draw my pistol, look him in the eyes one more time. "It`s the only way"- BANG.

I had done every mission with him, every-time he called I answered. I did the rest of the game alone, because it wasn`t the same without him.

._.
It's a powerful moment losing a good buddy.
 

GoWithDAFro

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Feb 18, 2010
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Shadow of the Colossus, most specifically killing the fourteenth. It was trying so hard to kill me, even at the cost of his home's destruction, and after I'd killed so many of his brethren, I felt he deserved to win the battle.

The last three days of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days. The entire game is spent building up the friendship of Roxas Axel and Xion, and it falls apart so fast. Closest I've come to crying in a game.

The ending of Kingdom Hearts 1, even years after beating it. Its just so beautiful and perfect to me. Not once has beating Kingdom Hearts ever failed to lighten my mood.
 

00slash00

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i think final fantasy 10 was the only game that really made my eyes watery. the writing of video games has gotten better but still isnt great, so its rare for a dramatic moment to take me by surprise. though that moment before the final enemy in shadow of the colossus was really upsetting.

oh and the end of mgs3
 

Vault101

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Sep 26, 2010
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supermariner said:
Today for a bit of alternate timeline fun, I replayed a save of mass effect 2 I had just before the final mission

Basically this happened:

I deliberately tried to have everyone killed off just to see how it happened, and to witness other characters reactions to deaths and such. But it was all so moving I found myself being choked up a little bit. Even though its my fault Thane got a bullet in the face trying to close a door. Even though i deliberatley got Tali riddled with bullets. Even though I knew having Miranda generate the biotic shield would have a member of my team die (in this case my beloved Garrus) it seriously affected me (or is it effected? ). I'd spent an entire game with these characters, growing rather fond of all their silly personality disorders and trust issues. Mordins fast talking stopped becoming annoying and became lovable the second he got tagged. Jack's awkward antisocial and aggressive attitude became forgiveable the second she gave her life to save yeoman chambers and the doctor. And even after having Grunt and Jacob survive couldn't lessen the blow that I didn't realise I'd feel

So my question to you Escapist is this:
When has a game most memorably moved you?
simple enough
please include full details and why it affected you personally in that way if you'd be so lovely
I usually dont have much issues with games...

except Fallout 3...oh god fallout 3

everything about that game is designed to make you depressed, seriously you already know things arnt to pleasant outside as youu go through growing up in the vault, and then your father leaves...you have to leave your best freind

and the world is just soo....soul crushing espeically the ruins of DC just everythg about it, and to make things worse you could try wandering around while playing the song "mad world"

"hide my head...I wanna drown my sorrow..no tomorrow...no tomorrow...and I find it kinda funny...I find it kinda sad...the dreams in which im dieing are the best ive ever had.." gaaahhh!!

and then dad dies....then you can never go back home....sriously I think in-universe the lone wander would have OD'd on jet out of greif

oh and the ending....dont get me started on the original ending...its like.."you were a good person?...well fuck you! no happyness for you!"

thank got for broken steel...but then you feel like nothing ever changed...forever wandering...

anyay New Vegas didnt quite have the same feeling (probably the point), like when somone tels me in FO3 that they are starving and pverty stricken I belive them...in NV? naahhhh

not a bad thing though, but I think hardcore mode would have been alot more hard core in fallout 3
 

Worgen

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Whatever, just wash your hands.
breath of fire 2

I ended up liking kat and when the part comes where someone else takes her and you have to fight a loosing battle for her.... well I farmed the fuck out of elixers so I could dragon blast his ass to death, I must have done over 100000 damage to him and he wouldnt die (each dragon attack could only do a max of 9999 damage) thats the first unwinnable fight Ive been in, also a later part with the same guy and he sacrifices himself to try and save his friends from being killed by a priest, didnt work tho but I fucked up the priest later on....
hope Im remembering this right, I havent played the game in years
 

Zechnophobe

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Prince of Persia... uh, the one with all the Fertile Ground. 4 is it? 3? 6? I hate when they just re use a name like that.


The point where the main character has decided that he's going to revive the girl, even though he clearly knows what will happen. I know it is kinda odd, but there's no wise cracks, no dialogue anymore. Just him walking out and doing it. The sudden lack of conversation kinda got to me. Like, he doesn't even tell you, the player, what to do... you just know what he wants you to do...