10 Emotionally-Draining Video Games You Only Finished Once

4. The Last Of Us

The Last of Us wasn't many peoples' Game of the Year of 2013 for no reason, there's a bevy of elements that are executed to perfection that help to really make you feel like this is the perfect bridge between gaming and film. From Troy Baker's performance as struggling father Joel to Ashley Johnson's life-affirming "We can do this!" attitude as Ellie, the two of them have a somewhat expected relationship throughout the game, but it's a journey that's bookended by immensely powerful gut-punch moments. There's everything from the opening scene where you play out the final moments of Joel's daughter Sarah, who following being fired upon by a soldier ends up dying in his arms to some all-too-believable-sounding last breaths. Not only that but a late point sees Ellie staving off a would-be rapist with a machete, the actions of which you'll be championing out of sheer reaction to the horror of such a thing, only to feel an overwhelming rush of sadness, desperation and companionship when Joel rushes in at the last minute. Lastly there's the open-to-interpretation ending that ends on a down-note, showing Ellie and Joel ending up together but maybe not out of the reasons either of them would've liked. Come the final credit-roll The Last of Us feels like a mammoth undertaking to have gotten through, but precisely because of that it's very rare you'll want to experience such things all over again.