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What game left an emotional impact on your life? (Spoilers a head)

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CliffyB's Cock Holster
Final Fantasy 8 got me through a very tough part of my life when I had a serious health scare. So I'll always cherish its simple, warm-heartedness and sense of youthful optimism even in the face of seemingly inevitable tragedy. Laguna and his buddies will forever be my favourite JRPG party.

As works, in recent years things like Nier, Journey, and Rime have moved me trememdously. But when all's said and done FF8 (ironically, replayed on PC) is the one that impacted me the most in a RL sense.
 

Dream-Knife

Banned
I’ve watched this video again. Simply incredible. I always knew MGS2 was special back in the day but I was too young to understand it all.

Just listen to that and see how much it makes sense. Kojima was something else man.
He even called covid and the death of the idea of America with Death Stranding.
 

Bakkus

Member
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door left a huge impact on me. I fell in love the first time I played it. The creative combat, the funny dialogue, the dark and emotional moments, the beautiful visuals and wonderful soundtrack, the memorable characters, the charming and whimsical world, everything. I didn't even mind the backtracking because it gives me a reason to travel through the magical world in this game.

To me, TTYD is the definition of perfect. In fact, imma pull a Dave Meltzer and say that this is an 11/10 classic. Huge part of the reason the GameCube is my all time favorite console.
Are you....me?
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
Dec 1988, it was my birthday and I rented a newly released Zelda adventure of link. Back then games were not really about experience points and exploration. I remember playing it almost all night and stayed home from school the next day. Lol
Every time I hear and/or see the shooting star title screen I always think of that night.
 
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tommib

Member
dark souls.

seriously. helped with my anxiety/depression.
I get it. I was on a super depressed period of my life in 2009 when Demon’s Souls came out and the pitch-black tone of the game couldn’t be more in sync with what I was going through - and in its own way helped me to get over it. The challenge was a metaphor for my own baggage. Cheesy, I know, but it happened.
 

CatLady

Selfishly plays on Xbox Purr-ies X
Halo Reach. I've played it a million times and still get choked up at the opening credits and stay that way until Lone wolf and the closing scene with the cracked Mjolnir helmet on the ground. The game is so epically heroic, stoic and tragic just like the Noble team Spartans.
 

SinDelta

Member
Chrono Trigger
- Going to the ruined future and seeing the recording of Lavos destroying the world while the party watches in horror
-Queen Zeal becoming a monstrosity, which leads to the ruin of her family and Kingdom.
Resurrecting Chrono.
The World Ends With You
Ryme getting eaten by a freaking shark.
Joshua and everything he puts Neku through.
Xenoblade Chronicles DE
What happens to the High Entia. Jesus./SPOILER]
Horizon Zero Dawn
The true objectives of Zero Dawn and Operation Enduring Victory.
Odin Sphere Leuftraiser
Ragnarok killing all of the supporting cast. Mercedes sacrificing herself to stop the fire giant king.
 
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Silent Hill
Mortal Kombat series
Streets of rage series
Splatterhouse series
Sonic series
Devil may cry series
Shenmue series
Sengoku Basara series
Ki series

Some for emotional moments, some for nostalgia emotions, all by love.

There's a lot more, but... I will not extend the list!
 

Crew511A

Member
Halo Reach. I've played it a million times and still get choked up at the opening credits and stay that way until Lone wolf and the closing scene with the cracked Mjolnir helmet on the ground. The game is so epically heroic, stoic and tragic just like the Noble team Spartans.
Ditto. Reach was the first Halo game I ever played. I got it free on Games With Gold. I went in not knowing a thing about the lore. The ending definitely shocked me.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Soma. Fucking hell this game is profound.
Really makes you think of what makes you human and what makes you... you.

Tlou2 totally changed my mind not only on revenge but on being stubborn idiot. I hated the 2nd half reveal but I stick to it and omg... If I was stubborn I would miss this amazing game, character and message.

Mgs2 late game colonel speech... Still relevant.

Death stranding. Just makes me want to be nice to others.

The least guardian. Not sure why but it always makes me cry. Maybe it's longing for the past.
 
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MiguelItUp

Member
So many "tough" folks in this thread, I feel bad for those that haven't felt an emotional impact. It's wild. In some way, shape, or form for me, it was...

- Wolfenstein 3D (First FPS I ever saw/played, changed my life.)
- Doom (Scared me as a child.)
- Street Fighter 2/Champion Edition (It was HUGE, everyone played them, and the competitive emotions people felt were unlike anything before it. In arcades and at home.)
- Mortal Kombat (Digital characters and gore was wild at the time.)
- Splatterhouse 1/3 (Both terrified me as a child.)
- Quake / Quake 2 (Both games were my first real online experiences. Along with various mod experiences. Blew my mind.)
- Super Metroid (The ending tapped emotions unlike any game before it. Blew mind away as a kid)
- Silent Hill 2 (Filled with messed up content.)
- Bioshock (The ending stuck with me.)
- Red Dead Redemption (The characters were moving and the ending stuck with me.)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (The characters were moving and the ending stuck with me.)

I could find so many more, but those are the first that come to mind.
 
Chrono Trigger
- Going to the ruined future and seeing the recording of Lavos destroying the world while the party watches in horror
-Queen Zeal becoming a monstrosity, which leads to the ruin of her family and Kingdom.

Surprised to see only one mention, I came to say chrono trigger as well

many many points in that game in addition to the ones you mentioned
-Chrono dying and getting resurrected
-Glenn/Cyrus' storyline
-Robo getting thrashed by all of the other robots in the future
-seeing the future/post lavos world, with people starving and seeds unable to grow
-campfire scene

and the score in that game really helps
 
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To the moon.




 

Sygma

Member
To the moon, Prince of Persia 2008, Braid and to an extent The Talos Principle aka the absolute goat

edit : ok max payne 2 too
 
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Kaachan

Member
To the moon.





I had almost forgotten about this gem. This game made me cry so hard
 

Dr Bass

Member
Silent Hill 2.

Secret of Mana.

Zelda Skyward Sword. Not for the game itself really but just the experience of playing it, and the fact that the person I played it with is gone. I would like to play it again on the switch but it would honestly be kind of difficult.
 

gradient

Resident Cheap Arse
Super Mario Bros.

The recurring "But our princess is in another castle".

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That is one deep metaphor for life that hits harder the older you get. Nintendo dropping stealth wisdom.
 
I’m a very emotional person and I think almost every game has had an big impact on me and definitely made me cry both during and after.. But I think some games had an bigger impact. FFVII, FFX, MGS 3 & 4, Suikoden 2, Last of Us, Xenogears, Darkest Dungeon and the list can go on until I have written them all down.
Sadly I didn’t get to finish FFVIIR (2nd time) and play Yuffie’s part, don’t know when I will.
I think FFVII & FFX will always be my favorites 💗
 
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cireza

Banned
Phantasy Star 2.
This one and 4 come to mind. Not saying that they changed my life though...

More recent games are :
Nier Automata
Outer Wilds
Steins Gate and 0
House in Fata Morgana

These games really got me thinking about stuff. Steins Gate and 0 were pretty difficult to endure at some moments. House in Fata Morgana as well.
 
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Caio

Member
Far Cry3, I slit my girlfriend's throat, and I would have done the same in real life with my wife.
 
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There have been moments in video game endings where the emotions do hit deep. One example for me is Dishonored's chaos ending where supporting character Samuel Beachworth dies and Corvo visits his grave. He being a sailor has an appropriately themed nautical epitaph which reads "Here lies Samuel Beachworth. He has made his last voyage." Coupled with the sombre music and the Outsider's pessimistic narration it's a sad sight to behold.

0FDA9E33A574F715994E47E97264846B4CF1DEDB
 

bit_blaster

Neo Member
Mario And Luigi Superstar Saga. I had to be in a different country for a year when it first came out, and I remember relating a lot to the story because the Mario Bros were also in a foreign land, I also really liked that Luigi had character development because as a younger brother myself I understand what its like being in the shadow of an older brother.
 

Vognerful

Member
I remember that To the Moon left me an emotional mess a few years ago when I played it, but honest to god I don't remember hardly anything about the game now. Wonder if it's my brain blocking it off, or it was just melodramatic and only affected me in the short term.

Anyways, I spent hours trying different things to save Aerith in FF7 back in the days. I remember searching through early internet forums where people would post that you could save her if you met some weird requirements, which obviously ended up being false. I'm sure other game stories have affected me, but nothing long lasting that I remember.
A hug for another To The Moon lover.
 

Vognerful

Member
To the moon.





And another 🤗
 

gtrwll

Member
Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It was there, right place at the right time, the music, the writing, the character chemistry…
 

niilokin

Member
finishing Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal really felt like a long extraordinary journey had finally come to an end, so I'd say all the games combined.

Ultima 7 and 8 which I played alot as a kid and just dicked around, it was like GTA before open world GTA happened, especially world of Pagan left me this everlasting vision of a bleak land forever in twilight time, and the people are like something out of Fargo.

Planescape Torment, another game with a world that just blew my mind, the city of Sigil, all those weird creatures and people living there and passing by, the touching and macabre side stories, it's just so full of dark wonders.

Thief 1 and 2, chilling experiences both games, hiding in the shadows, this game legimitely gave me urge to take a shit everytime due to the suspense (this happened to me playing hide and seek as a kid too)

Icewind Dale 2 moreso than the first one, mostly because I got it for christmas eve and played whole night, that was just magical, especially the first town music and atmosphere.

Morrowind felt insanley massive, it was a new kind of rpg world and super immersive for me back then, misty Balmora at morning sun rise is one of my favourite gaming moments ever.
 
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M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
Halo Reach. I've played it a million times and still get choked up at the opening credits and stay that way until Lone wolf and the closing scene with the cracked Mjolnir helmet on the ground. The game is so epically heroic, stoic and tragic just like the Noble team Spartans.
I found this piece more emotional than the game itself, but still I can see why, but this music rocks

 
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