10 Video Game Tragedies That Elevated Stories

The gaming moments that brought many of us to tears.

InFamous Cole and Trish
Sucker Punch Productions

Love hurts, so they say and throughout the decades entertainment has treated audiences to many a gut-wrenching tale. Video games were the last outlet to adopt this theme and was only made possible by gradual advancements in technology that gave developers the necessary freedom to take the next step.

As gaming has matured, deeper and more complex stories have lined new releases, taking narratives far beyond a plumber rescuing a princess or a hungry circle being chased by ghosts. Many a heart-wrenching moment has found its way into modern gaming stories, thus elevating them to the heights of other popular mediums.

We're talking about gaming tragedies, major events in the biggest titles that either moved or brought tears to the eyes of many a player. Conflict is often the biggest driving force behind many of the best cinematic tales and not every character makes it through alive.

Closing out the month of love, let's look at the other side of the coin. Which gaming romances ended in tears?

What are some of the most heartbreaking tragedies in modern gaming history?

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Be warned as there are massive spoilers ahead for every entry.

10. Arthur Morgan And Mary Linton Can't Be Together - Red Dead Redemption 2

InFamous Cole and Trish
Rockstar Games

First off, we have Red Dead Redemption 2 which offers arguably the finest story Rockstar has ever written. Despite its positioning as a prequel the game features a deep and involving story that details the fall of the Wild West.

RDR2 is filled with many emotional moments, but the life that could never exist between Arthur and Mary stands as one of its most tragic elements. Throughout the game, the former couple finds themselves crossing paths as Arthur assists with his former girlfriend's problems. Once the player has completed these side quests, things build to a day out in the town of Saint Denis. You head out to a feature to check out the latest onset of modern culture.

As opposed to all the shooting and robberies, Mary's last mission speaks to an ordinary life. As you play through, you'll find yourself wishing that Arthur could settle down with her.

There's a real connection between them, and the back and forth that unfolds shows they both have feelings for each other. Sadly, Arthur's close ties with the Van Der Linde gang and past choices keep that from happening.

This tragedy of a relationship that could never be really draws out the sympathy for Arthur, something which is only heightened at the game's conclusion.

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A tough but fair writer and critic broadly covering games, movies and just about every type of entertainment media. Spent a good part of the last seven years blogging and more recently, making amateur videos under "The Cainage Critique". You can follow my work on my website https://robc25.wixsite.com/thecainagecritique and my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCftJ6WcozDaECFfjvORDk3w