10 Times Video Games Made You Feel
2. Final Fantasy VII Taught Us Grief
This entry will come as no surprise to fans of the Final Fantasy series. The way it robbed us of a main character, not just someone we had become accustomed to but an emotional heart of the plot, was a real kick in the teeth and one of the elements that makes Final Fantasy VII so well-loved.
For those who haven't experienced this virtual bereavement, one of the big plot beats of Final Fantasy VII comes when hero Cloud Strife and his friends are seeking the game's vulnerable magic user (and de facto party healer) Aerith. Just when they find her, the game's villain Sephiroth appears and stabs Aerith with a sword-thrust through the heart.
And she's dead.
Not down to zero hit points, not the subject of a quest to bring her back to life. She's dead, forever. In the context of a colourful JRPG, it's a shocking turn of events that created an echo of Cloud's grief in the player.