While it’s socially acceptable to cry at films given how ingrained they are in the general popular culture, the same cannot really be said for video games yet; if you tell your average Joe that a game managed to reduce you to a gibbering wreck, you’re liable to be met with sneers and ridicule. However, the Nintendo Wii has in the last few years made gaming more accessible to the average punter, and this combined with the more cinematic, immersive storytelling styles we’re getting used to means that video games are reaching an all-time emotional high, where they are finally becoming able to compete with the gravitas present in great works of cinema.
Still, being prolific gamers as we are, we’re a little ahead of the curve, and games have had us huddled into a corner sobbing for years. When we’re active participles in the action, it can involve us more when the story is strong enough, and in these 10 instances, that’s precisely what happened. Here’s 10 gaming moments to make you cry…
WARNING: Massive spoilers lie ahead!
10. Steve Dies – Resident Evil Code: Veronica
The Resident Evil games both before and since 2000′s Code: Veronica have been largely bereft of emotion, but there’s one moment in this game that really still gets to us. Though the game has us largely playing as Chris and Claire Redfield, there’s a third supporting character, Steve Burnside, who we briefly can play as, who forms the game’s emotional core through his connection with Claire. After the pair become separated, Claire arrives in the Antarctic with the hope of finding Steve, which she does in a cell, where he has been infected by Alexia with the T-Veronica virus. Steve soon enough mutates into a gigantic, somewhat lizard-like monster, and attempts to attack Claire, basically against his will.
A tentacle tries to kill Claire, but Steve intervenes and slices it up, causing it to turn to him and stab him through the chest. Steve slowly turns back into his human form as he dies, but not before confessing his feelings for Claire, as she tearfully watches him bleed out. Depressing stuff for a Resident Evil game, which is usually all about B-movie thrills or obscene violence, and kudos to Capcom for trying something different even if they shamefully haven’t tried more of this sort of thing.
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14 Comments
Steve’s death made me laugh, a lot.
me 2
heavy rain, quite a bit of it! especially when the kid gets run over
For me, in the same vein as number 1, it has to be FF7 Crisis Core- Zack’s death.
You know it’s coming, you know how it happens, but you just keep fighting on. Everyone you have met says something touching, even Sephiroth! And then nothing, except Aeris’ face running through his mind on the DMW.
Ah man, that cut me up.
Final Fantasy X had a pretty sad ending, it got me choked up anyway.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII when Zack dies and remembers everyone and his life slowly starts flashing before his eyes.
Maybe it’s just the hype talking but I think The Walking Dead Game deserved to be on here. Maybe even the top 3.
I think silent hill shattered memories ending was really sad. regardless of which one you’ve achieved
Number one for me would be The Force Unleashed light side ending when Starkiller sacrifices himself to save Juno Eclipse and the Rebel leaders. It’s a bad ass, emotionally wrenching ending.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3T2Z-1spT8
A decent list, and I’m glad to see that two MGS moments were there, although I would argue that Sniper Wolf’s death was pretty emotional…
I’m guessing that you haven’t played Beyond Good and Evil, otherwise you would have put down this amazing scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_BGBG5UQhE
Without a shadow of a doubt the walking dead episode 3
How can you leave World of Warcraft Wrath of The Lich King’s most famous cinematic? That scene at the end of the Dragonblight main quest chain at the Gates of Angrathar where the dragons fly away in the sunset with the tower in the distance left me absolutely wrecked.
I’m suprised that the end of The Walking Dead game isn’t in here… that game made me cry a lot at the end
To The Moon should be on this list. The ending of it should be #1 in my opinion. I’ve only cried playing two games, The Walking Dead, and To The Moon.