Hall of shame: games that have made you cry

[lacktheknack]

Katawa Shoujo got me really, REALLY close. (LILLYYYYYYYYYYYY!)

Syberia got me very, very close. (HAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNS!)

The Binding of Isaac got me very close for different reasons (I was having a bad day, and I started sympathizing with the kid a bit too much).

To date, the only game that's made me really cry hard has been... Myst III.

No, I don't have any idea how. Maybe Brad Dourif is a better actor than I think he is.

 

[peruvianskys]

None.

Whenever this topic comes up I'm always left wondering whether everyone else here has emotional issues or if I'm just dead inside.

It's strange, because movies, TV shows and sometimes even books can make me tear up at the drop of a hat. Hell, I cried while watching Avatar. But games just cannot do it, no matter how hard they try. They can make me feel sad, shocked or desolate (Yes, HL2: Ep2, I'm looking at you) but cannot seem to induce tears.

Mostly I think it's just because the standard of writing is abysmal. For all the arguments of "games are art and a totally legit storytelling medium now", 90% of them are unwilling or unable to go beyond "save the world by murdering everything that looks at you funny and get the girl if we remember to put one in".

The good ol' uncanny valley effect doesn't help either. It's hard to feel sorry for a dead-eyed puppet.

Yeah, really...

I've never forged an emotional connection with a video game, ever, as far as I can tell. I don't understand how someone could. The closest I ever came was with Braid, but even I wasn't even near considering tearing up.

Do I just not get it?

 

[nathan-dts]

The entirety of the last act of Metal Gear Solid 4 was very emotional. The debriefing and Epilogue pushed me over, though. Otacon telling Sunny that Snake wouldn't be around anymore, the gun mouth, CQC hug, FOXDIE deaths. Beautiful game.

Mass Effect 3 pushed me over the edge with Mordin's death scene, had me pretty close with Grunt and Legion, too. Probably why people disliked the ending so much.

 

[omglazorspewpew]

I don't think any game has actually made me break down, but I am sure there are a couple of games that have made me feel like I had a lump in my throat.

The most recent is probably Nier, there are plenty of moments in that game when I thought about how messed up that world is, but each time I beat that game to get the other endings the game would let you see things from the enemies perspective and I felt terrible killing some of the bosses. By the time I knew what was going on between Kalil and "Beepy" I didn't want to attack them at all and finally being able to understand what they were saying made me even sadder. The same is true for the majority of the other bosses in the game like Hansel & Gretel and Roc


I can't really think of any other game that has punched me in the gut as much as that game did. Maybe it's the decent writing or the amazing music in the game but it is definitely a game worth playing....even if you might need a box of tissues after you start the new game+

 

[Elf Defiler Korgan]

Katawa Shoujo, left me a bit of a mess for a few days.

 

[RaphaelsRedemption]

I got emotional returning to Fyrestone in Borderlands 2. I had spent so much time in Fyrestone in Borderlands 1, it was odd and strangely touching to return in the sequel. I was only disappointed that it was no longer possible to jump Piss Wash Gully in a runner. I only wanted to do it for old times' sake, but the map had closed it off.

I wasn't expecting such emotion, and I got a little teary. So odd...

 

[Breaker deGodot]

I'm going to be another advocate for Katawa Shoujo. I made it my avatar for a reason, people!

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

In ME2 some guys died in my first play through during the end chapter. I shed manly tears for my battlebrothers!
I really liked my Pet-Drell-Assassin

Other than that, i can't really remember. I guess i was pretty shocked with HL2 E2, but since this won't continue EVER...

Movies/series tend to push the buttons better.
And only one book made me cry like a little boy who's favorite toy got stolen: The end of the "John Cleaver" books: Holy mother of god, a sucker punch directly into the nuts.
I really hated the writer for a few hours <.<

 

[Ghaleon640]

No game has ever made me cry. I cried of my own free will.

Pokemon Blue made me cry like kid, (because I was one.) When my brother beat it and it said 'THE END' we were like, 'no! what about all my save data? Would it just delete it all? Is it all over?'

We were quite pleased to find out we were in the clear, spooked our mom and grandma though, lol.

Recently though nothing is coming to mind, I'm sure there was something... or maybe that was just movies and tv.

 

[Baldr]

Very end of Kingdom Hearts when the music starts playing.

 

[Justyn Stahll]

Katawa Shoujo, Yes I admit it.
I nearly lost it with Lilly, and the entire Airport scene...and then there was Shizune's Bad End...MY FRIEND TOLD ME IT WAS NOT THE BAD END AND I LIKED MISHA, I have seen some tearjerk moments before but that was a goddamn tear.

 

[Spydercake]

Persona 3 *When Aigis cries... BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW*
Persona 4 *I've had to leave really close friends behind quite a bit... never gets easier.*
Katawa Shoujo *again*
Bastion
Hl2: Ep. 2
FF7

 

[Extra-Ordinary]

Heavy Rain.
Every time I played as Ethan, it just got to me.

 

[bl4ckh4wk64]

Well, when Mordin went into the tower in Mass Effect 3 I cried. There's also that cinematic in Homeworld where you find out your whole planet is burning.
And then, the first game to make me cry coupled with this song:
I dare anyone who has played Ace Combat 5 to not tear up at this.

 

[Kiyeri]

Final Fantasy X was the first time I cried because of a game. Dragon Age: Origins was the second. Having my warden die after romancing King Alistair, oh god that was so sad.

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

Plenty of games have made me sad, but the only one I can think of that has actually made me cry is Crisis Core. It was a rather sad ending to a game who's lead character I found to be quite likable. The music certainly didn't help my mood either.

 

[Rooster893]

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile.

That was a sucker punch to the gonads.

 

[Sable Gear]

Black Mesa. Not really the game but the music, the second end credits track just got me right here *touches chest*

I'm sure there's another one I can't think of right now..I feel like Dishonored might make me cry. I haven't seen the whole game but watching a Let's Play, Emily's affection for Corvo sort of tugs at my heartstrings.

 

[StashAugustine]

Metal Gear Solid 3, kinda at the second major death in Mass Effect 3. And maybe a little at the end of Max Payne 2.

 

[Ron Alphafight]

A few parts in ME3 almost had me, but a random Easter egg in Fallout 3 actually made me depressed.

I had been running around the wasteland for over a week just exploring, coming across nothing but horrible stories of death, mutilation and people struggling in vain. Being surrounded by death had me pretty low. I found a radio tower, powered it up and listened as a father pleaded for help. His family was bunkered down in a sewer and his son was sick. I decided that I was going to save this family and bring a light of hope into the unforgiving wastes. I searched frantically for their shelter and eventually found them. They had long since starved to death and had never stopped broadcasting their message. I couldn't help but wonder how long they waited for help to arrive before they gave up hope. How they had to watch their son die in front of them. Then how they had to watch each other waste away. I went back and with the message still playing on my pip-boy, I shut off the radio tower. That was the most soul-piercing silence I had ever experienced.

I couldn't bring myself to play that game for two weeks after that.