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Your most emotional game moments - There's no emoticon for what I'm feeling!

DunxcoDunxco Should get a suitNever skips breakfastRegistered User regular
edited June 2009 in Games and Technology
68819-dawson-crying%20copy.jpg
It's not relevant to the topic, but damnit if I didn't find it funny while googling "Crying Gamer" for a picture.

Video games have come a long way in quite a short amount of time, especially in terms of cinematic story, and a good story can evoke any number of reactions from an audience - laughter, anger, sadness, anything is fair game. And, like anything worth debate, there's likely to be some moments in video game history that made you break down like a prepubescent schoolgirl while someone else proved that they misplaced their heart made of pure ice by not reacting to it at all.

So, without further ado, I pose the question to you all of Games & Technology: What scenes or moments from any video game got the biggest emotional reaction out of you?

Before we get started,

The Goddamn Important (but not really) Rules for this thread:

1: This is not a poll. I'm super-cereal here. We're not here to take votes on what was the most moving scene of all time in the history of everything, ever. You're more than welcome to comment and discuss on them, and far be it from me to stifle any sort of mutual agreement between posters, but let's not degenerate into mindless "+1 vote for that scene" posts. It doesn't generate any sort of worthwhile dialogue.

2a: Provide a link if you can. If the scene is a famous one, then there's bound to be a clip of it on Youtube. If you can find it, for the love of all that is holy please provide it so we can all experience that moment as well. If the video doesn't really do it justice, then a screenshot/multiple screenshots will do, which brings me to...
2b: Spoiler tags. Use common sense here. If the emotional moment changes the entire plot of the game, or is the culmination of an integral part of the story, warn people and spoiler it so they have a fair chance to avoid it. However, spoilering stuff that you thought stood out but was rather minor to the plot, or games that have been around long enough that everyone (E.G. "I got so mad after the seventh time of reading that the Princess was in another castle I punched through the television") probably won't warrant it.

3: Any reaction is acceptable. The most common one I'm expecting would be a reaction of loss/sadness, but anything goes. Did one bit stand out as completely hilarious? Did the game screw you over so badly you had to walk away for a while and come back later with a clear head? How about moments that scared you so bad you refused to play the game at any time except during the day. With curtains open?
You pansy.

It's all valid in this topic. We're celebrating a medium being able to have an effect on us as an audience that we're used to seeing from real people acting, or singing, or from us reading about.

4: Respec', brah. There's no need to discredit your fellow posters by telling them how much of a sissy they are/how they need to take a chill pill/how their sense of humour sucks because they (or you) didn't "get" what was special about that moment. Common courtesy applies.

And finally...

No constant reposting of that "thing" that happens at the end of Disk 1 in Final Fantasy VII.

This is my biggest gripe. Yes it's a pivitol moment in the story. Yes it changes it a lot. Yes it's incredibly famous throughout the gaming community. One post of it is enough, and I'll go with a first-come, first-get basis. If I see more than one video of it in this thread, the gloves are coming off. You're free to discuss it until you go blue in the face (as per rule 1), but let's not hold the thread up with reposts of that bit.

Dunxco on
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Posts

  • IgortIgort Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Metal Gear Solid 3's ending.

    Igort on
  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I don't know if awesome is an emotion or not but that's how I felt playing God of War and it's sequel. I guess maybe Kratos' anger was infectious, I kept yelling "fuck yeah!" whenever I'd rip something to pieces and stuff.

    Oh, and Silent Hill is probably the creepiest game I've ever played, though I'm not enough of a pussy to have to play in the daytime.

    Darmak on
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  • VicVic Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Homeworld is way up there for me. Both the third mission and the ending were really powerful, as was the mystery of the nebula. Not sure what made me feel so deeply for the people of the game, but it remains a strong memory for me.

    Vic on
  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I recently started playing Dead Space, and the whole thing has me feeling extremely tense. I'm not even sure I'll be able to play past where I stopped. I don't even know if it's really scary per se, but it makes me very jumpy and paranoid.

    jclast on
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  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I'm not going to spoil any of them, but I'll just list what would probably be the Top Three, in no particular order.

    Valkyria Chronicles.
    Shadow of the Colossus.
    The Darkness.

    PeregrineFalcon on
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  • LawndartLawndart Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Recently, it'd have to be the following scene from Call Of Duty 4:

    Lawndart on
  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    i wanted to slap leon kennedy at the end of RE4

    actually, i just wanted to slap leon in general

    Local H Jay on
  • DunxcoDunxco Should get a suit Never skips breakfastRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I found F.E.A.R. a very draining experience because it's just so tense when you're not blowing the crap out of replica soldiers. The pitching for Alma feels perfect in almost every bit. I still can't do this bit:

    Without looking away from the monitor. No idea how they ballsed it up so badly in F.E.A.R. 2 (with the exception of the school. That level was spot on).

    Dunxco on
  • ZzuluZzulu Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    half life series had me on some up and downers here and there

    Zzulu on
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  • VeritasVRVeritasVR Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Fucking Xenogears.
    About 3:55 in,
    Sophia's suicide run into Solaris
    and the aftermath that occurred from this.

    The overworld theme is even called "Emotions".

    Also, Valkyrie Profile consists of tragic deaths and coping with loss for every playable character.

    VeritasVR on
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    Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
  • DourinDourin Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    This is probably a given, but this scene from Lost Odyssey has brought me closer to tears than any other form of entertainment ever has. And that's saying something, as one of my favorite movies is The Notebook.

    That said, the Dreams from the game were also, most times, very, very sad.

    Dourin on
  • xeviqxeviq Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I don't think I've ever cried while playing a video game but I do remember getting scared/sad as Colette from Tales of Symphonia started becoming less and less human.

    Also I remember feeling like a badass when Chris Redfield showed up in Code Veronica. I haven't played it in a while, but I think it's a close up of a rock and you see a hand appear. Then as the camera zooms out, you notice it's Chris scaling a 47,000 foot tall cliff by the sea with no equipment to save his sister.

    xeviq on
  • PeewiPeewi Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Dunxco wrote: »
    I found F.E.A.R. a very draining experience because it's just so tense when you're not blowing the crap out of replica soldiers. The pitching for Alma feels perfect in almost every bit. I still can't do this bit:

    Without looking away at the monitor. No idea how they ballsed it up so badly in F.E.A.R. 2 (with the exception of the school. That level was spot on).

    There's one particular encounter with Alma I remember.
    When you climb down ladders, you automatically turn around. There's one point where Alma appears when you climb down a ladder. I did not expect it and it made me jump in my seat.

    Peewi on
  • FilthyscentFilthyscent Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I'm not completely sure if this thing "qualifies" as a moment exactly, but I found the whole "Battle of Darrowshire" questline in WoW one of the most touching moments in my entire experience playing that game. Here's a original video from some dude, it's pretty neat.

    Filthyscent on
  • ZzuluZzulu Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    death of sniper wolf in metal gear solid

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wriaT32v2T0

    The nice and quiet battle you had with her beforehand just elevated her death more

    Zzulu on
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  • Shibbi BibbiShibbi Bibbi Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Two of the only games I can think of that had any sort of memorable emotional effect on me are Silent Hill 2 and Mother 3.

    Silent Hill 2 is the only horror game to give me nightmares. A friend brought it over one day after high school because he wanted help beating it (turns out he was right at the beginning of the game, in the apartments). I ended up playing through the entire game that evening with him and my brother watching. I remember waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat due to whatever dream I was having.

    Mother 3 is the only game to make me cry. The ending, in particular.

    Shibbi Bibbi on
  • xeviqxeviq Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Also fuck games that give you like 30 seconds to get from point A to B or to complete a task to prevent yourself from exploding or something. They make me nervous as shit!

    xeviq on
  • RoyceSraphimRoyceSraphim Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Finding Jin in Fear extraction point was more poignant due to her last couple of transmissions.

    RoyceSraphim on
  • projectmayhemprojectmayhem Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Last Guardian. Yeah I know its not out yet, I am just being preemptive.

    projectmayhem on
  • ZzuluZzulu Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    hm strange

    they remade the death of sniper wolf in twin snakes?


    the original was much better

    Zzulu on
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  • DunxcoDunxco Should get a suit Never skips breakfastRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    It was Zzulu, it really was much better in the original.

    My biggest "sad panda" moment recently came from Gears of War 2, elevating it from "pretty damn good 3rd person shooterage with chainsaws" to "Now this is an experience I'll cherish with chainsaws". All thanks to this bit:

    That required a few stiff drinks afterwards, and I didn't even play Gears 1, so I didn't have the whole story (if there was one).

    Dunxco on
  • Lezard ValethLezard Valeth Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Persona 4:
    Nanako´s kidnapping

    Ace Combat 5: When in the second-to-last mission
    planes from both osea and yuktobania join you to save the world from the SOLG

    Also, when in MGS3
    Naked Snake kill the boss

    Lezard Valeth on
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  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    The ending of Throne of Bhaal was pretty much the most pimpity pimp ending ever. A full detailed account of what each of your characters did after your party disbanded after
    you beat the shit out of the traitor woman and became a god/destroyed his essense?

    and to add to that more of the well written and well acted BG2 dialogue with your party members? Fuck yes, that shit brought chills to my spine.

    Also the ending of HL2Ep2 was pretty fucking gut-wrenching.

    Robman on
  • JurgJurg In a TeacupRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Stages 6 and 9 in Gitarooman:
    In Stage 6, you aren't playing to save your life, unlike the previous 5. In this, you've just met a mysterious young girl that looks exactly like your crush on your home planet. U1, who has, until this point, been a complete loser, especially around girls, finds it in himself to play a song for this girl. It's all very romantic scenery: sunset on a beach around a campfire. At the end of the song, she rests her head on his shoulder as they both drift into sleep. What really makes it work is the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkxspyI0lH0

    In Stage 9, it is revealed that this girl is a warrior for the alien empire you've been fighting against the whole game. She begins attacking you, but you refuse to fight. Instead, you play an arena rock remix of the song that previously soothed her. She changes her mind, and instead of fighting you, joins in a back-to-back guitar duet. The song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inTEN5zsgeo&feature=related

    The ending of Contact:
    If you are familiar with Contact, then you'll know that you, the person holding the DS, play a key role in the story. The professor contacts you using the DS and acts you a few things, like your name, where you live, and a secret. Then, throughout the game, you use your DS to control a young boy named Terry in order to help the professor collect cells to power his spaceship.

    After collecting enough power cells, the professor, who agreed to bring the boy you control home, abandons him on this remote planet.

    He sends you a message that states the he is sorry for deceiving everyone, but that it is just the fault of the way he's been programmed. He says that, even though he endangered and lied to the boy, you did the same thing. "How many times did you bring him into danger just because he was a videogame character?" This "We Aren't So Different" speech ends when the professor says, "I have one more thing to tell you."

    The next thing to scroll down? Your secret.

    Jurg on
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  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Lawndart wrote: »
    Recently, it'd have to be the following scene from Call Of Duty 4:
    D:

    Shit. I can't believe I left that one out. That's always good for a cock-punch when someone isn't expecting it.

    PeregrineFalcon on
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  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    The last bit of Call of Duty 4 had me pretty hopped up and then the ending was kind of crushing.
    Your squad gets more or less wiped out and to the world - they never know the truth as to who really saved the day.
    In fact -- A lot of the Call of Duty games end on really emotional moments. Especially when you take Berlin as the Russians.

    They always cue up the music and have some planes/tanks roll in to save your ass after you've been fighting tooth and nail for the past fifteen minutes.

    MagicPrime on
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  • nlawalkernlawalker Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    xeviq wrote: »
    Also fuck games that give you like 30 seconds to get from point A to B or to complete a task to prevent yourself from exploding or something. They make me nervous as shit!

    Heh - that one would be one of mine: the first time doing the ending of Super Metroid. I had never played Metroid and didn't know about what was about to happen. I made every wrong turn but I was fucking swiftness incarnate.
    Peewi wrote: »
    There's one particular encounter with Alma I remember.

    Thanks, I just pissed my pants again. I remember that one clear as day. It was such a perfect trick, because that moment is exactly the moment that every player is not going to be paying full attention.

    nlawalker on
  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    nlawalker wrote: »
    xeviq wrote: »
    Also fuck games that give you like 30 seconds to get from point A to B or to complete a task to prevent yourself from exploding or something. They make me nervous as shit!

    Heh - that one would be one of mine: the first time doing the ending of Super Metroid. I had never played Metroid and didn't know about what was about to happen. I made every wrong turn but I was fucking swiftness incarnate.

    Oh god. I was playing this game with my brother, sister, and even parents watching.

    "Whew, I won. I killed it ... SELF-DESTRUCT? Oh crap. OH CRAP. OH CRAAAAAAAAAAP."

    PeregrineFalcon on
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  • PeewiPeewi Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I can't really explain it, but I think the ending of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne is somewhat sad. The music at the end almost makes me cry every time I see it.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2C_7QLwsnc

    Peewi on
  • NimoyNimoy Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Okami
    Toward the end of the game where you're forced to separate with Issun and he begins traveling the country rallying everyone you helped over the course of the game with his paintings and their prayers causes Amaterasu to ascend into god hood

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9t10jd5rGw

    It's one of few games that had me choking up and the first that comes to mind. I'll have to think harder to recall any others.

    Nimoy on
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Lawndart wrote: »
    Recently, it'd have to be the following scene from Call Of Duty 4:
    D:

    Shit. I can't believe I left that one out. That's always good for a cock-punch when someone isn't expecting it.

    Yeah, CoD4 has some outstanding moments.

    Still though, The Darkness is, I think, the game that has moved me the most out of anything I've played.

    darleysam on
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  • GR_ZombieGR_Zombie Krillin It Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    This scene in The Darkness
    Some backstory...
    I'd just been broken up with by my first serious girlfriend, someone I was very much totally in love with, and I'm trying to tough through it and act like I'm fine, so I get the most manliest game I could think of. So I see The Darkness at Blockbuster and remember how ridiculous the comic was and figured slaughtering a few thousand goons with demonic tentacles from hell would be just the thing. I get it home, all is well...until that scene.

    It was the part on the couch that got me most. I happened to glance over at the empty spot on my couch, her spot, where she'd sit while I played games or we'd watch movies together, where we'd cuddle and just sit...and I broke down and cried for an hour.

    GR_Zombie on
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  • ThirithThirith Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Thief series: I felt genuine fear in the Bonehoard, when I returned to the Cathedral, and obviously when I tried to rob the Cradle.

    Operation Flashpoint: great development from "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!!!" to "Actually, we might pull this one off" to "Fuck yeah!" that went hand in hand with the learning curve. And I'm pretty much an anti-army pacifist pussy in real life. :mrgreen:

    ICO and Shadow of the Colossus: this is an obvious one. However, I think in both games, but especially in the case of ICO, it's the music that got the strongest emotional reactions out of me. Case in point: the tune that played when you made it to one of the stone sofas and sat down with Yorda.

    Grim Fandango: God, the sadness when I thought that Glottis was actually dying! And the bittersweet sense of accomplishment at the end.

    Planescape Torment: encountering Ravel Puzzlewell. God, I need to play this game again. It evoked a whole series of emotions through its characters and writing.

    Lego Star Wars: it actually made me enjoy the prequel trilogy as much as I enjoyed Episodes IV and V: childlike glee. Still don't like the prequel films, though.

    Stalker: walking through Pripyat or exploring some of the underground labs. Felt extremely oppressive, yet utterly fascinating.

    Thirith on
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  • VistiVisti Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I think it was probably this whole bit from Planescape:

    Edit: Alright, that video showed nothing, but you know what I'm talking about. Or, at least, you should.

    Visti on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • AngryPuppyAngryPuppy Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    I'll have to second homeworld, both the start and ending;
    There was something quite poignant about the intro cinematic with the discovery of the buried mothership and the realization that your people didn't always live on some shitty dustball on the edge of the galaxy, especially the (paraphrased) line about the starmap - "Higara - it means 'Home'."

    Then the (first?) mission where you're testing the FTL drives on the completed mothership, get attacked and return home to find your planet burnt to cinders, the only survivors of your race those few who are already in statis aboard the ship.

    And finally the ending - faintly remembered - a pitched battle in the orbit of Higara against the empire that exiled your people all those years ago. Just as all hope looks lost other ships begin warping in - other members of whatever kind of galatic council exists in the homeworld lore if I remember correctly, finally stepping in and saving your ass.

    Pure heart wrenching loss in the beginning ending with hairs standing on end awe at the end. All backed by the swirling colours of space and that goddamned emotional laxative Adagio for Strings.

    AngryPuppy on
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  • DunxcoDunxco Should get a suit Never skips breakfastRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Thirith wrote: »
    Grim Fandango: God, the sadness when I thought that Glottis was actually dying! And the bittersweet sense of accomplishment at the end.

    I challenge anyone not to fall in love with Glottis after five minutes of him appearing. Those people are robots.
    With metal hearts.
    That pump liquid indifference around your circulatory system.

    Dunxco on
  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Homeworld 2 was pretty fucking epic at times as well. The music really sold that series. Where's my Homeworld 3.

    Robman on
  • aaronsedgeaaronsedge __BANNED USERS regular
    edited June 2009
    The chase out of the hotel from Call of Cthulu: Dark Corners of The Earth is the most heart pumping, nerve racking, scariest thing I have ever done in a video game.
    Specially the first play through without a guide and if you've ever read The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

    aaronsedge on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Munch wrote: »
    Only if there are some tig ol' bitties on the cover know'm sayin'?
  • cj iwakuracj iwakura The Rhythm Regent Bears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Almost the entirety of Digital Devil Saga 2's endgame, but this in particular:

    cj iwakura on
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  • ScottyScotty Registered User regular
    edited June 2009
    Last Guardian. Yeah I know its not out yet, I am just being preemptive.

    Waiting for The Last Guardian to come out is emotional for me firstly, and then secondly, knowing that looking forward to it is so weird since I know how it's going to make me feel when I play it.

    It's like being between a pillow and a soft place.

    Thirith- I concur when it comes to the couch music for ICO, it's perfect, makes you feel like you're both alone, and it's sorrowful, but also beautiful.

    I'm such a softie.:oops:

    Scotty on
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