Gamer nerds: what video game affected you the most emotionally?

[cyrocksmypants]

As a 35 year old man, I don’t play a lot of video games anymore, but still do from time to time and I grew up in the era of video games starting to have actual plots and acting. I was usually a sports only gamer, but one that actually had me invested and cutting onions at the end was the first Walking Dead game. Just destroyed me in the end. I haven’t played the second (I’ve watched a play through on YouTube though) and haven’t done anything at all with the third, especially since they made Clementine a minor charachter. Was just reading up on the 4th and final and it looks like they’ve not only made Clementine the playable main character again but brought back the main writer from the first season, so I may very well dive back into the series again from the start.

Runner up is probably The Last of Us. It wasn’t an incredibly emotional ending, but it was enough on top of the fact of how many hours I’d devoted to the characters that it really sucked having it end (super jacked for the second one to be coming out as well.)

 

[Bigman38]

I got the worst ending in Witcher 3, and for maybe my favorite game of all time it was as attached as I’ve been to characters so it hit pretty hard. I thought about my bad decisions and the results for days. It’s the only game that made me consider my actions outside the game.

The end of walking dead season 1 was a big one too. The end of Red Dead wasn’t a tear jerker but it was emotional. One of the few times the revenge story line really hit home.

 

[CycloneWanderer]

Journey really hit me hard - especially considering it doesn't take a huge investment of time/energy/thought to play. Finished it and sat in a dark room for like an hour pondering life.

 

[Bewilderme]

Maybe not emotionally, but playing through the first Half-Life in 6th grade or so was scary. That game was so far ahead when it came out, I remember being so freaked out by headcrabs and moving so slowly through each area, and still jumping everytime one came at me.

 

[Bewilderme]

Another one was the original Deus Ex with JC Denton. I loved rolling around Paris and Hong Kong, hunting the illuminati and triads. The conspiracies and AI storylines were just awesome.

 

[Dr.bannedman]

gta vice city

 

[Sousaclone]

Maybe not emotionally, but playing through the first Half-Life in 6th grade or so was scary. That game was so far ahead when it came out, I remember being so freaked out by headcrabs and moving so slowly through each area, and still jumping everytime one came at me.

I was the same way (and about the same age). There was a reason that game won so many awards. On the Half-Life note, the ending of Half Life 2: Episode 2 definitely shocked me.

I haven't played many games recently, but I heard a bunch of emotional stuff about 'The Last of Us' as well.

 

[3GenClone]

Mass Effect 2. Romanced Tali and she was the only team member I lost on that final mission. I could have started over from a previous checkpoint, but I decided to keep going knowing that I wouldn’t have Tali in ME 3. That moment was a punch to the gut, but that solidified my appreciation for the ME series.

 

[dexterhawk]

Techmo Superbowl....

Being a Bears fan I'd take the Bears and repeatedly try to win the SuperBowl in season mode. "Ironhead" Heyward would ALWAYS break down....passing game not good enough....would lose in the payoffs ALWAYS....left a lot of scars. Prepared me very well for Bears fandom though....

 

[cyrocksmypants]

Maybe not emotionally, but playing through the first Half-Life in 6th grade or so was scary. That game was so far ahead when it came out, I remember being so freaked out by headcrabs and moving so slowly through each area, and still jumping everytime one came at me.

Technically not what I was intending, but fear IS an emotion, so I’ll allow it.

And if we’re including that, Resident Evil 2 gave 8th grade Pants nightmares for weeks.

 

[harimad]

Myst. Frustration level rose to heights previously unimaginable.

 

[bstegs]

The Last of Us is probably the game that messed me up most recently. I will buy a PS4 just for the sequel

Aerith's death in FF7 brought tears to my eyes. It's childish, but the end of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile did the same thing.

 

[NorthCyd]

Myst. Frustration level rose to heights previously unimaginable.

I just remember my mind being blown when I realized everything I needed to beat the game was accessible from the very start.

 

[zarnold56]

As a kid, I think Final Fantasy 4 (2 US) was the first game I remember having some great emotional moments. Palom and Porom sacrificing themselves by turning to stone to stop the walls from crushing everyone. Tellah failing to avenge his daughter. For an early 16bit game, it really set the tone for future Final Fantasy's.

 

[Jacktronic]

The feelings I had playing WoW Classic with my best friends back in 2004/2005 I don't think I'll ever have again.

 

[throwittoblythe]

Techmo Superbowl....

Being a Bears fan I'd take the Bears and repeatedly try to win the SuperBowl in season mode. "Ironhead" Heyward would ALWAYS break down....passing game not good enough....would lose in the payoffs ALWAYS....left a lot of scars. Prepared me very well for Bears fandom though....

I know it's not the intent of the thread, but I've never been more angry than I was playing NCAA Football in college. I decided to play as ISU on the one of highest difficulty ratings. I manage to go undefeated all the way to the national championship against Alabama (Bret Myer to Walter Nickel on the play action was a beautiful thing). It's a back-and-forth game the whole way through. I take the lead with a FG with 20 seconds left, time for one play after the kickoff return. I send out the prevent defense and...Alabama hits a hail mary to win the game. It was everything I could do to keep myself from throwing my xbox through the window.

 

[Sigmapolis]

The few that instantly come to mind...

Bioshock: Infinite

I was bawling at the end.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

The fatalism of that game just hits you over-and-over again.

It hangs on me. I still think about it almost 20 years later.

Halo 4

There is a lot of stupid in that game, but Cortana died. It was sad.

Halo: Reach was also a pretty good tragedy. I know we're losing. I want to know if we've lost.

Shadow of the Colossus

I do not think I need to explain this one to anybody who played it.

 

[EnhancedFujita]

Bioshock: Infinite had a pretty trippy ending that left me thinking for awhile.

Red Dead Redemption's ending is one of the more satisfying endings I've played.

Aerith's death in FF7 was probably the first time a game actually hit me in the gut and felt like more than just a game but an actual story.

Not story related, but had a lot of great experiences playing MMO's in the mid 2000s.

My favorite was probably in Knights of the Old Republic, if you play making evil choices, at the end you can use your mind tricks and influence to make the Wookie on your team kill his best friend. It was so devious.

 

[enisthemenace]

Techmo Superbowl....

Being a Bears fan I'd take the Bears and repeatedly try to win the SuperBowl in season mode. "Ironhead" Heyward would ALWAYS break down....passing game not good enough....would lose in the payoffs ALWAYS....left a lot of scars. Prepared me very well for Bears fandom though....

You need to make sure you’re representing the platform here. Craig “Ironhead” Heyward was a Saint in 8-bit NES TSB version. He was a Bear in the SNES version.

 

[dexterhawk]

You need to make sure you’re representing the platform here. Craig “Ironhead” Heyward was a Saint in 8-bit NES TSB version. He was a Bear in the SNES version.

Didn't know TSB 8 bit version....I was talking the SNES version. Thought the 8 bit was just Techmobowl and TSB was SNES.