Outer Wilds. Endings of both the main game and the DLC can still get me to tear up a bit. I saw a post somewhere, don't remember, that said something along the lines of "Listening to the Outer Wilds OST is the only way I feel my feelings any more." It's about like that.

My partner is chronically ill and Karlach's ending in BG3 made me sob because I was romancing her and it hit very close to home

• The Walking Dead. Clementine, my girl, she needs a hug.

• Journey. I will cry every time.

• Lethal Company. Laughter and fear crying.

• Neon White had a moment or two I think

• BioShock Infinite

• Celeste

• Assassin's Creed Black Flag

• A Short Hike

• Spiritfarer

• probably more....

Stray had some moments

Last of us part 2.

To the moon.

I may have teared up at the end of Half-Life 2.

"It had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong".

That Dragon Cancer made me fucking weep.

Clair Obscur, God of War 2018, What Remains of Edith Finch, The Last of Us, Bastion, Halo: Reach, Firewatch, Celeste, Telltale's The Walking Dead, FFXV, Baldur's Gate 3, Shadow of the Colossus, and more, all made me tear up.

Can you tell I'm quite emotional about video games?

• The last of Us 1 and 2
• Signalis
• Outer Wilds
• Nier: Automata

• Literally yesterday I started playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and just the prologue hit me.

• The end of Karlach's story in Baldurs Gate 3

Final Fantasy VII, the original one. Stopped playing it for a couple months.

To the Moon

Outer Wilds, both at the end and when I found the DLC spoiler character. Good tears, though. It's beautiful

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

An absolute emotional rollercoaster start to end.

33/33 would recommend

Celeste is so. fucking. good.

absolutely amazing game in every way

When it’s the 8th anti boss blind, you have 11 aces, and you go through all your discards and hands without a 4 of a kind

Absolutely not! I’ve never played The Last Guardian. (Yes)

Nier ending e

Disco Elysium the phone call and the dream

• Ending of Link's Awakening
• Ending of Rain World
• Various incidents of save files becoming permanently corrupted halfway through the game and similar

A few times.

Most notably, when playing Outer Wilds. I was playing it during the pandemic and had lost two friends, my grandfather and my cat within the span of around 3 months. I was struggling with depression and I got to one specific spot in the game and the revelation caused me to just sit there and cry for like 10 minutes, I was so emotionally shut down at the time that the tears felt like a life preserver. I had to stop playing for a bit, but it definitely helped me process my grief.

I also cried during a couple of quests in FFXIV. The post-Shadowbringers content especially, not because it was sad, just very poignant. And again in the last area of Endwalker, where Masayoshi Soken's incredible composition combined with some very emotional content just got to me (especially the Endwalk, jfc).

I think I cried a bit at the end of Journey just because it was a powerful experience, but I had an amazing partner in that game who stayed with me through the whole thing.

• RDR2 of course: I had tears streaming down my face when Arthur said "I guess, I guess I'm afraid." Such an incredible performance from Roger Clark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbRHOt4EAoY

• Titanfall 2: "Protocol 3: Protect the pilot"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Rdx1g_4bo

• The Witcher 3: A few times, it's just a really good set of storytelling and cinematics all around, and I absolutely love games where your choices determine the outcomes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ZH2qqlOqs

• Cyberpunk 2077: When a close friend died, when V had to make a major decision at the end of the game, and when V has to make a decision to choose an ending in Phantom Liberty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF68EpmCxBI

There are certainly more games I probably have shed a tear or two or many playing, but those are the ones that immediately fill me with emotion looking back

Also all of these are spoilers lol, so don't watch them if you haven't played the games, but thankfully, none of them are recent releases

The metroidvania, Ori series.

Ori and the blind forest & Ori and the will of the wisps

When Jackie Wells died I sobbed, well more of a break down. My dad had just passed and something about it hit fucking hard.

Kind of weep a bit of joy playing my favorite games at times and still feel the bit of sadness when they are over.

Both Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2 made me cry.

RIP Bloodwing. 😭

FFX. When Titus and Luna were playing/swimming in the lagoon/lake/whatever and being happy. If memory serves correctly, at that point in the game, it was very clear that Luna was going to be sacrificed to keep Sin from destroying the world, and she had accepted that as her duty like the other summoners before her.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, right near the end. I don't want to spoil too much, but I never thought a game mechanic would make me emotional.

When I played Hell blade: Senua's Sacrifice.

The symbology and story made me understand the struggles of a close friend, who succumbed to her psychosis many years ago. Felt like more than just a game.

Many times.
Nier Automata
RDR2
Danganronpa 2
Just to name a few where I really ugly cried.

Nier anything I don't think video games are silly things

Have you even played Stray?

Yes, lots of them and for varying reasons.

Dead Island's cinematic trailer will tug at the heart strings. Wanted to mention this since many may have missed it now that it's aged a bit.

Just rewatched it, still hits me. The footage at the end is what really knocks the wind out.

Detroit become human, that game is art.

Have never cried because of a video game,

I was absolutely stunned and amazed when Ted Faro revealed what Zero Dawn really was in Horizon Zero Dawn.

Does anyone else remember this ad from back when EA didn't suck/wasn't actually evil?

Full text

Yes once, and it was at the ending of "Brothers: A tale of two sons".
I bawled my eyes out.

Small game, but absolutely recommend for anyone that wants to clear out their tear canals.

• NIER Replicant
• Red Dead Redemption 1
• Everhood 1
• Final Fantasy VII Remake
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 the intro already fucked me right up. Not done the game yet.
• Metal Gear Solid 4
• Planescape: Torment

Probably more but can't remember.

Yes, several times. The first one that comes to mind is The Last of Us Part 2.

One I haven't seen in this thread yet: the last playable bit of Bastion, if you choose to take Zulf with you. An early example of Supergiant's mastery of interactive storytelling, coming to a head with a recognition of humanity in the midst of apocalyptic war.

Shadow of the Colossus. Hands down one of the saddest games I’ve ever played.

Oh my, yes:

Red Dead Redemption 2

Final Fantasy 7 (original and Rebirth)

Silent Hill 2

Undertale

Starbound (because of the soundtrack)

Stardew Valley (because of the soundtrack)

Okami (because of the soundtrack)

Thomas was Alone. Cried over quadrilaterals.

The Witcher 3 is probably the game I have cried the most while playing. From the opening cinematic I shed tears because I found it so beautifully made, I cried when Geralt reunited with Ciri, I shed angry tears when I found a particularly gruesome crime scene during a quest.

The fucking Velen OST makes me cry sometimes.

And I'm only taking about base game here, I haven't finished any of the DLC's... Which I know are fantastic so there are still more tears to cry, so... I think I'm gonna go play just now.

Outer wilds for sure. Halo reach. Borderlands 2. Definitely others, I'm always wrecked by heroic sacrifice

Twice. Once at the end of Final Fantasy IX, realising who was monologuing the ending at what that meant.

Second one was at the end of What Remains of Edith Finch, pretty much for exactly the same reasons.

Braid's ending.

Tim (the player) is likely the villain. His quest was never about saving the princess but about his own selfish desire to reclaim something/someone that no longer wants him. The game masterfully subverts expectations, making players reflect on perspective, responsibility, and consequences.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Darkness/Time/Sky

I've cried really hard to the track "Confronting Myself" from Celeste, which counts as "because of a video game" even though I wasn't playing it at the time.

I'm crying again now thanks

RDR2. RIP Arthur Morgan.

The ending of earthbound. I was playing it without a guide and hit "pray" in desperation, and what happened surprised me. It's a little melodramatic but any sort of 11th hour save by people who care usually gets me.

Battletoads motorcycle level. Tears of rage at 10 years old.

RDR2. Miss you, Hamish, thanks for the good times.

The last encounter with Alexander the Warrior Jar in Elden Ring made me cry. What a brave jar and a good friend.

I think I might've cried for other reasons too when playing Elden Ring. :')

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, in the early months of the pandemic, when the villagers threw me a surprise birthday party. I was living alone at the time and missed my real friends so much.

To The Moon, The Beginner's Guide, and Night in the Woods all made me cry like a lot. Probably have been a few others, but those were the big ones.

Journey's ending hit me pretty hard: the score's composer, Austin Wintory, did such a great job channeling emotions into the game narrative

Oh yes absolutely, and the few people who have played these will likely agree:

• What Remains of Edith Finch - Lewis and the finale always get me

• Kentucky Route Zero - The expensive whiskey and "Then we buried the horses"

the one time I was totally not expecting was Ghost of Tsushima

the whole plot around samurai, „honor” and stuff felt a bit over dramatic, but the gameplay was great so I didn’t mind

right until the end. the honorable ending is heartbreaking

Loom but I don't recall why.

Nier Automata. 2 Times, first at ending A (2B's voice actress performance was making me feel the griefing), and then again at the true ending because of the implied message.

I said yes.

In life is strange 2 there's a scene where you have a dialogue option to come out of the closet to your dad. It was such a a personal experience I related to and the exchange felt authentic.

Almost when playing KOTOR 2. The song "The Rebuild of the Jedi Enclave" when it plays on a specific part of the game makes you "look back" to the height of the Old Republic while being an Exile. There are other messages in the scene specifically, along with plot twists, but the general feeling after that is sadness and melancholy. Perfect game

Only once, season 1, the last episode of telltales walking dead, lee and clems last time seeing each other. Brutal

And got me really fucking close: 'Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong'

Breath of Fire 3. Spoilers but you’ve had decades to play.

The first boss, the nue chimera, you’re supposed to kill it because it’s terrorizing the town. You then find out as it’s dying (because it uses its final breath to jump in front of a cave to block it) that it was just trying to find food for its cubs that have already been dead for a long time. It also played some somber music during this discovery.

My 8 year old self thought it was incredibly sad.

Many times in many games.

Probably the most in Mass Effect series, so many emotional moments. ME2: Overlord's end hits the hardest.

Brother's got me ugly crying

I cried over darksouls when I first played it at 12. These were tears of frustration of course. I also cried after finishing hollowknight. Not because it was sad but because it was over.

The Last Of Us Part II.

Revenge. Revenge never changes.

What's done is done and it can never be undone.

It is such a tear jerker. So good

TF2, when I get repeatedly owned by the same enemy. Especially if they're a soldier with love heart cosmetics.

I've only seen it in the s thread once, and just up voting it didn't seemed enough. I've played the majority of games people are mentioning here, some of them are quite sad and hit you like a punch in the stomach. Another one I also didn't cried but felt very strongly about it and I don't think I've seen it mentioned here was Life is Strange, there's one particular scene that got me very hard.

All of this is to say, I don't usually cry on movies, books or games, it's not a "boys don't cry" kind of thing, I don't have a problem with crying or with getting in touch with my feelings, I just don't cry very often or for any reason. However, I don't know if it was the story on its own or the blinking mechanic but Before your eyes had me crying, and wasn't just a couple tears either, I only held myself together because I couldn't leave the game until it finished. That game was an experience, I recommend going in blind and using the camera.

Final Fantasy 14.

• A few times during A Realm Reborn (they began early with ruthlessly killing characters)
• About twice during Heavensward and Stormblood
• Several times during Endwalker

A lot actually, I'm quite sensitive to emotional things. I've been playing Honkai Impact 3rd and it's made me tear up multiple times. I don't remember all of the games but some of the other games I remember are:

All of the Kingdom Hearts except "3D" and 3 because I haven't played them yet.

Metal Gear solid 1, 2, 3 and Peace Walker

Some of the Final Fantasy games

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia

The end of Mass Effect 3 had me crying

I can't believe no one is mentioning Chrono Triger few days after it was named as one of best video games. Geez I cried a lot with 2 finals.

Ending of the Transistor, I did not seet that coming. I just sat there in stunned silence for a few minutes.

As a kid I cried out of frustration while playing Dragon Ball Z Budokai during the Super Saiyan Goku vs 100% Full Power Frieza fight. It was just a massive difficulty spike that I'd constantly struggle with. My mom would make fun of me for it for a long time.

For anything more recent, I did cry in Danganronpa V3 at the end of the fourth trial. It was the only time my favorite character in one of these games died and the reason it happened sent me into a batch of sadness that lasted a few days where I just refused to keep playing the game.

The final zones for FF14 Endwalker and the most recent one Dawntrail had me sobbing (endwalker more so, but both did it).

Baldur's Gate 3 had a few moments as well.

Dragon Age: the Veilguard did as well, as did parts of DA2 and DAI on my most recent playthroughs.

There's probably a couple more but I can't think of them right now!

"Jade Shadows" quest in Warframe.

The first one I remember crying from (because the game itself and not just out of frustration anyway) was when Arith dies in (the original) Final Fantasy 7.

Modern games, with more sophisticated stories and actual acting tend to elicit emotional responses more than when I was a kid; though some of the epic CRPGs still hold up because they were just better written.

I've got a weird one. Saints Row 4, near the end. Such a strange, unexpectedly emotional experience.

There was this challenge in VVVVVV that left me with tears of rage in my fro

MGS4…

Everyone Dies. You can't stop it. You can't run from it. Let me tell you something... Don't... Don't waste the life you have left fighting.

• Big Boss

In my second play-through of CP77, I played as a female V just so I could romance Judy. It was great. Even went so far as to decorate V's apartments with pictures of the two of them together. So when the end came, I was not emotionally prepared for ... ::: spoiler spoiler ... the revelation that Judy had decided to leave NC and V.

::: While I can't say I cried, it was probably the closest I've come to crying because of a video game.

The end of God of War (2018).

Played through Before Your Eyes and it absolutely broke me. I'd 1000% recommend using a camera and going in blind. Very emotional experience.

Yes, once after accidentally wiping my Donkey Kong 64 save when I was like 5 and then during Horizon Zero Dawn, I think during RDR2, Life is strange and probably some others. Btw I also made plenty of people cry during the N64 split screen days so that part evens out nicely.

Maybe an outside one here, but when Dragon Age: Origins was still new, I was much younger and hadn't had a serious girlfriend yet. And in general, I got quite a bit more attached to characters in games, including the romantic interests especially.

Spoilers ahead if you haven't beaten the game

Now a days I struggle to connect with characters in games. They will never be as real as my friends or my partner, so it's hard to form such an emotional connection as I did when I was a teenager.

Yes, multiple times

Most recently it was "In stars and time"

Sekiro almost but not because of the story

RDR2, when Arthur stopped to thank his (dying) horse (near the final mission). I got a lil choked up.

I've teared up for some. In Sound Mind made me think of my cat who was recently deceased and was more special to me than any of the other pets I had. And then there was the ending for Outer Wilds, and the... fuckin' everything in Ori and the Blind Forest.

Destiny 2 - RIP CAYDE 6

He was such a likable character by the community that Bungie actually brought him back... somehow, as some sort of reincarnated-ghost-person-thing

Borderlands 2 TTAODK expansion

The ending

IYKYK

I think Yakuza/Like a Dragon wins the crown for game series that's made me emotional the most times. Majima seeing Makoto in the ending of 0 and in 2, Kiryu seeing the message the orphanage kids left him in The Man Who Erased His Name, Kiryu going on a tour of his old haunts in Infinite Wealth, Majima visiting Kiryu in the hospital at the end of Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii...there are plenty more, but those all came to mind. They really use the fact that we've been following these characters for decades to the fullest extent.

It didn't quite make me cry, but the ending of Planescape Torment got me right in my feels.

No, but Persona 3 came close.

BEWARE, CONTEXTUAL SPOILERS AFTER THIS

I mean, it's a very Jesus-inspired story (I wasn't religious at the time but having a self-sacrificial nature is always touching), starring a dude who is less 'social butterfly everyone knows and loves' and more 'asocial newcomer who feels somewhat annoyed with life/slightly suicidal' and then there's friendship and he finds the value of life. Bretty gud, 10/10, would definitely recommend the remake that came out recently.

The ending of Crisis Core thoroughly wrecked me.

Hey, would you say... I became a hero?

Yeah for sure. I can be over-stimulated by the story pretty easy. The first couple endings I pulled in Cyperpunk were very dark and tragic. Plagues Tale: Requiem after playing both games is a killer. I had some bad decisions in the final run in Veilguard that got my favorite character killed in a tragic way then had to answer for it later. Of course Last Of Us 2. Many others.

Many times, but the one that got me more than any other game really surprised me: Insomniac's Spiderman 2. Specifically the pidgeon side quest. I don't think I've ever had another experience where I actually had to put the controller down for 5 minutes to stop sobbing. it was just... so beautiful but so heartbreaking...

It's not even the saddest scene in any video game I've played, but I think something about swinging around, beating up bad guys, and then suddenly getting hit with this deeply personal and very real scene broke me. I strongly recommend this game if you have a ps5.

Cyberpunk, but only because that fucking song came on the radio.

Wuthering waves had me tear up a few times actually. They have some really good stories around their characters, tie that in with some of the best music I've heard in a game and it just plays with your emotions.

I'm sure anyone who has played it knows the encore story lol

I'm almost 40 years old and have been playing games my entire life, like way too much, and I can't believe I'd actually be saying wuthering waves, a freaking predatory gacha game, is probably in my top 5 best games I've ever played when considering overall quality along with how fun it is. I only found it like 2-3 months ago and I've already put over 200 hours in it... There's a joke that Kuro games is a music/anime company that attaches a game to their art.

I'm late but here's an oddball.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time

If you've never played the mystery dungeon games, you never really see your character actually speak to anyone. You have internal thoughts you can read but when you talk to others you just kinda wiggle around.

After you beat the final boss, you finally see your character speak with your partner and god damn it hit hard when I was a lad.

FF7. Loved Aerith's character, lots of time learning the background, near endless fights to save her, then cutscene. 45 hours went to 70 pretty fast after that. I wanted revenge on that fucker, and I had Holy.

Malenia got me damn close to.

Actual cry? No

Really felt something when Tali died in Mass Effect 3. Made a bad choice and she was the penalty of that choice.

Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC. One last fun ride with a bunch of friends before the final reckoning.

For added gut punch: romance Thane.

Skyward Sword… Zelda’s story was so moving.

I dont know why, but i cried in some wierd situations. Like at the endboss fight of ori 2 and the endboss of the pacifist ending of undertale. And not after the fight, during! I think it's some kind of being overstimulated and way to much things are happening, but in a nice way with the exact amount of difficulty.

If a character dies and I liked them enough to feel sad then I usually just quit the game. Theres no point to play beyond that. Like cyberpunk 2077 I really liked Jackie and when he died I just quit half an hour later. I've picked up the game a few times since but its really not the same without my homie.

As someone who has had the chance to play through Xenoblade Chronicles 1 through 3, several times in 3 specifically I was very emotional.

3 is a game that's emotional on its own, and throughout its story there are several times where it hits like a truck.

But when you know about all three games, some things just hit a little harder, especially during that DLC.

There's definitely a reason I have Mio and Noah Amiibo on my desk right now.

Honestly, XC3 is probably the best RPG of that generation (of course that's on opinion. But it's a correct one 😄)

Yes, many times, ff7 was the first

Two that I can remember.

• To The Moon
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Excellent storytelling transcends the medium, but it’s a shame that there are so few games that have managed to tug at my heartstrings.

Edit: I am reading the comments and making a list. Sometimes a good cry is the catharsis an aching soul needs.

Yes, alot

Gris. For real, go play it if you havent. Worth the story.

How comes no one mentioned plague tale (both games) ? I don't know how good the English voice acting is, but in French it was really poignant.

Yeah ff10 when I was like 13 lol

I will have to add The House in Fata Morgana to the list.

Destiny when Cayde 6 died. There was a goodbye message Cayde left for his son saying something like "I'm coming home". Well it was right around when my father passed and I was a fucking wreck.

A few times. Ones that come to mind

Gears 3 : DOOOOMMMMMM NOOOOOOOOO

Spiritfarer : Hedgehog grandma goodbye

Brothers : a tale of 2 sons. The ending.

What remains of Edith finch: fish factory, baby and ending.

Halo Reach, just a little tiny bit : New Objective- Survive.

No video game's story has ever made me cry. But I've cried a little from games that I loved, but played to death, getting every achievement and realizing there was absolutely nothing more to experience.

The final battle in Lisa: The Joyful got me. That he doesn’t even attack you - that he hugs you - while “He’s My Dad” plays…

Just recently with and Roger

It hit me hard, definitely recommend, with the heads up that it’s only about an hour long.

When I was a child I was very moved by the sequence in Homeworld where they returned to Kharak. Everything was burning and Adagio for Strings playing.

Yep. I play FFXIV and I'm on estrogen. I cry basically every major patch cycle.

I think most recently I cried while playing Wandersong; such a great game!

I don't get too emotional at games, but I do at music.... and even though I was laughing my ass off with joy at Metal Gear Solid 2, I cried at the ending because I just enjoyed it so much and the music hit me in the feels.

Other than that... not really. I had the most emotional investment in a game with the Mass Effect series, but by the end of 3, I was kinda checked-out when everyone was getting offed. I was already over it.

Got close sending Floyd to his death in Planet Fall.

My brother beat me at Pipemania, so I put my foot through a glass door panel.

Gears of War 3 - Dom

Braid definitely got me lumpy at the end.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit got me pretty darn close.

All around me are familiar faces...

I cried when I wasn't able to play League of Legends anymore because of Vanguard.

Other than that, I think I cried a little with Life is Strange.

Devil May Cry back in 2001, and hellblade in 2017. There weee probably others that I had a response to, but those both had tears falling.

RDR2 almost did that to me at the end

I don't think I've ever had a "sad emotion" at all playing a game... I rarely have any emotion besides happy or angry playing games lol.

Honkai: Star Rail has made me ugly cry twice in the last two story patches. I didn't expect it, but the story of the Flamechase has been super emotional for me. "You shall walk with greed and die over petty change".

As annoying as she was, Fi from Skyward Sword almost made me cry at the end of the game. Well, a couple of tears.

A couple of times, yes. I think the one I cried the most was the opera scene in Final Fantasy VI, it was just one of the most magnificent scenes in gaming.

Not quite the same thing, but the song Corridors of Time have gotten me misty eyed from the nostalgia alone.

Nier and Signalis are the first two that come to mind

Honestly also Minecraft but that was mostly because I was playing during a bad time and the ost kicked in

Final Fantasy IX and X, Detroit: Become Human

Death Stranding 2. And I’m not even finished yet.

Maybe I’m playing the wrong games… I’m not really a fan of game story lines and cutscenes because they get in the way of actually playing the game. I don’t emotionally engage other than chuckling at GlaDOS.

I don't think I've ever cried because of a game in the sense that the game itself made me cry, but the memories attached to some have.

I have sensitive eyes. Any modern AAA graphics makes them go red instantly and my eyes start leaking within 30 minutes.

"Last day of June" is very emotional. Didn't cry but I was close.

I definitely have, but can't remember which off the top of my head. Looking at other comments, Ori and Stray are likely on the list. But I cry at movies too (off the top of my head Artificial Intelligence, The Bicentennial Man, Cloud Atlas, The Other Sister) and even books (bawled at Gloriously Bright's story in Xenocide).

The most recent and the most tears producing video game I played was The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood when you meet the trans woman and she transforms into her witch-self 😭

lol no.

No. Why would you ever get so emotionally entangled in a video game?