Saddest moments in video games...

[JezMM]

This is probably the most depressing videogame songs ever. It's very sad-sounding and yet eerily beautiful. It plays whenever the timer strikes midnight on the 3rd day during the 5-6 minute countdown to one of the most horrifying Game Over screens of all time.

It is a really REALLY awesome song, but this post is actually thanking you for posting that, as through a chain of related links I found one of the most gorgeous piano versions of Bouy Base Galaxy from Mario Galaxy ever. <3

[Remy]

MGS3 ending spoilers-

Might not be apparent to someone that hasn't played MGS3 but the fact that you, the player,

actually have to press square to shoot The Boss at the end of that cutscene

got to me. Despite killing like 20 guys during the game.

As for the latter video, it kind of goes on for way too long, but goddamnit that bit at the end, with the timed crescendo in the music coinciding with the sad, sad camera angles of big boss really hit the sad spot. and the salute! bawwww!!!!!! ;-;

vvv he stole my material

[Strong Bad]

I cried when Super Smash Bros. Brawl came out.

[ovarloard]

Because it was a historic and joyous moment?

Or because the newer release would distract people from the greatness that is Melee?

[Iceman Etika]

I came to tears during Sonic Adventure one. The scene where E-102

Gamma slowly dies after his brother delivers the final strike,

hit my heart. It was a while ago I first played that though. However, even thinking about it now, I find myself getting mistyeyed, the music played during that moment too was exceptionally saddening as well, the fact to see such a character as Gamma

die at the hands of his brother

breaks my heart.

-Iceman

[SuperStingray]

I came to tears during Sonic Adventure one. The scene where E-102

Gamma slowly dies after his brother delivers the final strike,

hit my heart. It was a while ago I first played that though. However, even thinking about it now, I find myself getting mistyeyed, the music played during that moment too was exceptionally saddening as well, the fact to see such a character as Gamma

die at the hands of his brother

breaks my heart.

-Iceman

I found the relationship between Gamma and Beta interesting. Through their robotic shells they were brothers, but in reality they were actually a mother and father.

[Crystal Kingfisher]

MGS3 ending spoilers-

Might not be apparent to someone that hasn't played MGS3 but the fact that you, the player,

actually have to press square to shoot The Boss at the end of that cutscene

got to me. Despite killing like 20 guys during the game.

As for the latter video, it kind of goes on for way too long, but goddamnit that bit at the end, with the timed crescendo in the music coinciding with the sad, sad camera angles of big boss really hit the sad spot. and the salute! bawwww!!!!!! ;-;

vvv he stole my material

I know! That part made me cry so f***ing hard! The MGS series has some of the most saddest moments in gaming history for me.

[Vertekins]

Oh wow...I agree Verte, that music does sound very eerie and disturbing, but beautiful too. Actually, the tune at the beginning reminds me of the Hyrule Castle/Tower of the Gods transporting aura sound effect from Wind Waker. O.O Could be a coincidence though~

Hmm, I really have to play Majora's Mask someday. It's on VC so..

Speaking of Majora's Mask's sad music, the Song of Healing is a very sad song and yet oddly enough, it doesn't feel outright depressing. The song feels like it has a sense of hope in it and as Sharp the Composer says in the actual game when you play it for him, it has something soothing. Nevertheless it is still quite a sombre song. It sounds so perfect for it's intention; To heal souls who have regrets (Such as Darmani's regrets of having never stopped Snowhead's freezing and dying during attempting it and Mikau's regret at failing to retrieve Lulu's eggs) and to heal evil magic in order to turn said magic into a mask. It's sad, beautiful and masterful and amongst one of the greatest videogame songs I have ever heard.

Calling the Four Giants is epicly sad-sounding. It's hard to pin down but the song sounds like an almighty struggle to save the world which basically is what the game is about, trying to save four imprisoned giants in just 3 days.

Ahem, sad music aside, onto Skies of Arcadia again. How could I miss out Drachma's revelation about his son to Vyse and the scene in which Rhaknam/Plergoth dies? The first moved me deeply.

Vyse awakens on the Little Jack to discover that Drachma is not in his bed. He walks out onto the deck to see Drachma sitting on the deck with only a lamp and a mysterious little palm-sized box for company. After enquiring about what the box is, Drachma tells Vyse to open it. The box contains of all things, feathers. And Drachma states that they belonged to his son. Vyse is shocked at the revelation that the captain had a son and Drachma goes on to reveal that his son collected feathers and was training to become a sailor when Rhaknam/Plergoth attacked their ship. His entire crew and his son were killed by Rhaknam and the feathers are the only memento Drachma has left of his son. When he states that his son was holding onto the feathers as he fell screaming into deep sky, I swear tears sprung to my eyes T_T That and the mystery over how Drachma got his son's feathers back if he was holding them during his death

Rhaknam's/Plergoth's death is another very sad moment. It is finally revealed that Rhaknam/Plergoth is the purple Gigas, as the citizens of the purple civilisation implanted their moon crystal into a living creature instead of an artificial Gigas of their own creation. It was a victim of the war of the old world and Drachma realises it only just before Rhaknam/Plergoth dies of it's injuries inflicted in it's defense of Drachma much earlier on in the game. What clinches this moment is the puple crystal falling out of Rhaknam's/Plergoth's body after it dies and the camera focuses on the crystal all by itself. The ultimate sad moment is when Drachma lets his son's feathers into the wind from the deck of the Delphinus. It's as if it's a symbolic gesture of letting his hold on revenge go and like he's literally letting his memories go into the wind. Drachma even states at the very end of the game after the final boss that he wants to live out the rest of his life in quietness out of respect for his son and Rhaknam/Plergoth.

[Roarey Raccoon]

For me it was the ending to Final Fantasy X, especially the speech given by Yuna in the Blitzball stadium :F. Oh and Metal Gear Solid 3 was pretty damn sad too, as was MGS4 XP. MGS3 though was simply magnificent,

the fight in the field of flowers, Eva's emotional spilling of guts to Snake about the truth and that final scene by the grave are absolute bloody quality. They made The Boss's death so profound, they carried the story so flawlessly :F.

[JEV3]

I pay very close attention to what stories and events of games mean to me, so its not hard for me to encounter something which affects me. However, I'll just list the ones that stand out the most to me.

---

Sonic and the Black Knight:

Merlina's story, complete with the three stages of her theme.

Cave Story:

You can breathe...

Additionally, almost the entire soundtrack of the game from the defeat of the Core to the final cave also fits in conjunction with this to make it a very sweet and sad period of the game.

Super Metroid:

The ending, as has already been mentioned several times in this topic...

Sonic Adventure:

After speaking to Amy, Gamma decides to rebel against Robotnik and liberate his brothers. In the end he faces his older brother who was always Eggman's favorite, and then gave up his life following the fight. Gamma is the robot skeleton of the flicky within, but though they may be the same in spirit, Gamma the robot was a separate character, and that he would give up his life to free a part of himself he cannot entirely understand makes the ending very bittersweet.

Legend of Zelda- Twilight Princess:

The disappointing reunion with Illia. "poor lonely hero! ehehe!"

Midna's Lament

NiGHTS- Journey of Dreams:

The destruction of the Wizeman was a rather sad moment, though the cheesy handling of the line delivery offset it... the morning when they both wake up in tears saves the ending.

Portal:

"Not in cruelty,

Not in wrath,

The REAPER came by this way,

An ANGEL visited this gray path,

And took the

cube

away"

Metroid Prime 3:

The death of the first fellow hunter. It had quite a profound impact because of all the other hunters he was the one I had grown most fond of in the brief time I spent with him in the prior mission.

Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time:

"Saria will always be... your friend"

Okami:

A demon scroll shows up and challenges you to several sadistic races designed to put an end to you, but throughout the dungeon, its story develops into fable and a bittersweet story.

Half Life 2:

"We don't go to Ravenholm", not only is it a nightmare that will probably make up for all of the survival horror games I ever avoided playing, but walking into the empty town to see signs of disaster was really quite emotional... which quickly turned to terror when I saw the legs hanging from the tree.

Starcraft:

New Gettysburg

[The Si BadGuii]

MGS3:

Naked Snake saluting The Boss' grave. And suddenly Big Boss' actions in MG1 & 2 makes sense.

MGS4:

This game was full of it; Eva's death, Snake's declining health leading to the epic Microwave tunnel scene where everyone fights the biggest battle for peace, his final battle with Ocelot and Big Boss' last moments. Here's to you Snake, or rather "David".

Kana: Little Sister: To quote The Nostalga Critic "Where do I begin?"

A big example of a Utsuge game, Kana: Little Sister tells the tale of Taka and his sister Kana, who suffers from renal insufficiency and as such, spends most of her time in hospital. It's very heartwrenching at times, many of the endings are emotional

with Kana dying in 5 of the 6 endings. She ends up moving away in the ending she lives! Dang.

Years back, I wrote about this on my LJ so here's my inital 2 cents

And a snippet from a follow-up entry which shall remain locked due to personalness/dated relevance.

Now I'll talk about my personal experience, many have cried playing, while I didn't really sob at times, I got choked up and was near the verge at times, this game REALLY makes you think about life, Kana spent most of her childhood in hospital so she lacks a lot of moments that many people have and it makes you appreciate your memories and life itself and this game made me realize how precious life is. How fleeting it can be, I don't want to look back at a shred of regret when it's my time to go.

Gah, late so if this seems all muddled, my apologies.

[Conando]

Aside from the final boss of MOTHER 3...the ending of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile as well. It didn't get me to cry...but damnit...it was trying its best. Way to put a bunch of dark plot elements into a light-hearted platformer.

[KHCast]

BIG BUMP!

I was looking for a fresher topic like this but couldn't find one. Sorry if this annoys anyone.

Anyway, so this scene goes up there for me with MGS3.

I'm sorry but this is seriously one of my favorite songs. When I'm down ill hum this. Givin the context of this scene, and the message being addressed, this brought me to TEARS. (It seriously stomps on the Xion death scene in 358/2 days)Having played MGS3 just made this scene even more painful. I feel for The Boss, and Big Boss so much. These kind of scenes really display the wonders and magic this form of media can bring to the table....God I really need to re-play these games again.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Roxas

[T-Min]

Oh, Roxas.

 

Ohhhhh, Roxas.

 

Yeah, I know I said earlier I was going to shut up about Kingdom Hearts, but you know what? This is my post, and all y'all can just shut up because this scene OH GOD.

 

You know something? Even I, being the massive KH fanboy that I am, simply

cannot stand Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days. 358/2 Days is utterly horrendous. It goes against nearly every facet of competent game design, and for a series that is revered for, if nothing else, it's fantastic gameplay, that's just depressing.

 

But you know what's even more depressing?

 

The freaking story.

 

As someone who is emotionally invested in the characters of the series (whether or not I should be), this story was like a freakin' train wreck. It focuses not only on the development of the previously established Roxas, but also on the development of a new female angst-basket named Xion, a character the game introduces only to kill her off in the most gut-wrenching of ways.

 

By that I mean you have to kill her at the end so that you can basically absorb her in order that you both can rejoin the series' usual main character and for-all-intents-and-purposes messiah, Sora, from whom you both sprung.

 

Yeah, you know what? Never mind, I can see why people think the story of KH is ridiculous. That's because it is, BUT it's a lot of fun! And the characters themselves, holy jeezus. I mean, you spend pretty much the entire game getting close to this character only to have to murder her with your own hands (which will, by the way, cause her to literally disappear from the minds of all who knew her), and finally, the inevitable happens. In the form of an emotional FMV.

 

 

Yoko Shimomura's hauntingly beautiful compositions? Check.

 

Roxas slowly forgetting his best friend as she slowly dies? Check.

 

Best friend trying to remain tactful and optimistic as she fades away? Check.

 

Roxas remembering her one final time before she dies spectacularly? Check.

 

And then Roxas, a member of the supposedly emotionless race of beings known as Nobodies, crying over his loss? Holy crap, check.

 

Pfft, and people wonder why I love this series so much...

 

...

 

Oh wait.

 

I forgot something.

 

 

 

And sometimes, for brief, fleeting moments, I wonder why I love this series so much...

 

There was also this little "gem" from Skyward Sword:

 

The one likable incarnation of Zelda having to seal herself away for hundreds of years.

 

I was in a call with Discoid and another friend of ours as I watched this for the first time.

 

And they got to hear me cry.

[pppp]

Allow me to share 2 moments i remember from my career as a puzzle solver:

 

 

 

[KHCast]

Thanks a lot tman! Now I'm even sadder! I wish now game endings could have this kind of effect on me like MGS and KH plots seem to do.

[Johnny Boy]

Here's one from Injustice Gods Among Us

SPOILER ALERT READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

After Evil Superman kills good Lex Luthor, he hears the people of earth starting to wonder why he would do such a thing. Enraged, he decides to "set an example" by killing damn near everybody in Metropolis and Gotham. And then he plans on going to the main DCU and demolishing it as well. Evil Shazam heads about this and calls Evil Superman out on this, but them Evil Superman grabs him by the throat, freezes his mouth shut to prevent him from saying the magic word, and then

kills him by sending his heat vision through Shazam's eye sockets and out the back of his head.

And then Supes just casually asks "anybody else" and just looks at Shazam's body as of it were a piece of trash. This is made even worse when you remember that Shazam is really only ten years old and Superman was fully aware of that.

[Vec]

My choice is FF VI when Celes "father" Cid dies and attemps to suicide. Damn they even added some tears to that part coming out of her.

 

The last scene along with the "Cara Mia" song in Portal 2 is very sad to me too

 

And this is from a game based on an anime...but the last words of Kushina/Minato to Naruto made me cry even more than in the anime itself :'(

[The Matticus]

The ending of Final Fantasy 7:Crisis Core for PSP. Period.

 

 

Edited May 6, 2013 by Matticus

[Octarine]

oh hey this topic came back because of peace walker and i just played peace walker

 

It's weird, because Snake Eater's ending actually didn't get to me that much, but this one nearly had me in actual tears. I think the real clincher was that, even though she was a half-ruined, lobotomized robot monstrosity trying to commit suicide to prevent a nuclear armageddon, that was probably the least miserable we ever saw The Boss. That poor lady; I hope she gets a prequel game someday where she beats up Nazis and smiles occasionally.

[TheOcelot]

Batman: Arkham City. Appropriate as I am replaying this game right now (yes i'm spoilering this, the game has been out for over a year and a half). 

 

The ending is just totally unexpected. Batman ruins Joker's attempts to become immortal. Just when you think Batman will hand over the remainder of the cure to Joker to save his life, Joker (desparate for the cure) just can't help himself and attacks Batman with a knife, causing Batman to drop the cure - which smashes on the ground - and Joker dies within about 30 seconds.

 

Batman: "You want to know something funny? Even after everything you've done, I would have saved you."

Joker:    "That actually is..........pretty funny".

 

The ending left me shocked the first time I saw it. Then you get lifeless music in the ending credits. It deliberately doesn't comfort you, followed by the song from Joker he recorded about three hours prior to his death. 'You have one missed call'.

 

"Only youuuuuu can make this world seem right.

Only youuuuuuu can make the darkness bright.

Only you and you alone cannnn thrill me like you do,

and feel my heart with love for only you.

Only you can make this change in me, for it's true you are my destiny.

When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do.

You're my dream come true my one and only you.

Only you can make this change in me, for it's true you are my destiny.

When you hold my hand I understand the magic that you do.

You're my dream come true my one and only you."

 

 

Never thought I would feel so sad for a bad guy dying, but you can't help but feel for the Joker, and for Batman who is obviously gutted that Joker died, because Batman never gave up on him. He always wanted to save the Joker, cure him of his evil ways.

Edited May 8, 2013 by -Bender-

[YoshiUnity]

Here's one of mine.

 

Elite Beat Agents.

 

For the few who have played this wonderful game, I bet you can already see what I'm about to talk about.

 

Of course we all laughed and the many humorous moments in Elite Beat Agents. Playing as a bunch of dancing agents to cheer people up and help them excel at whatever they needed to do; whether it was encouraging a retired baseball player to save kids at a theme park from a giant golem to encouraging a movie director to save his job by making a movie about a loving couple surviving an terror of a giant cat.

 

Yeah, a humorous character-driven music game, it was. I still consider it one of the best music games of all time... But there was a moment that popped up in the game that honestly gave me one of the biggest left hooks from any game I've played...

 

A Christmas Gift

 

It starts off with little Lucy Stevens with her mother, seeing her father off as he was going on his business trip. He asks her to make a wish for Santa and she says that she wants a girl teddy bear back for her old one, and he promises her that he will be back with that teddy and be home in time for Christmas. The mother ask him to stay safe, and hugs him tight before he left... but it wasn't meant to be...

 

Sometime later, Lucy asks her mother if her father say anything... Her mother, sadden and defeated, only tells her that her father was in an accident, that he wouldn't be back home and that Lucy should just forget all about him... Yeah, he died in a accident and his wife has lost all hope. But does Lucy give up? No, that little girl doesn't give up hope. She continues to belief that her father will be back in time by Christmas.

 

Throughout the game, you see moments showing Lucy doing all she can to stay strong about this. Making her father a birthday cake, dreaming about seeing him again and etc. Not only would see keep believing, but her mother would then begin to believe as well.

 

And if you succeed... Lucy gets what she wanted more than anything on Christmas: Her father, though as a ghost, returning to his family and keeping his promise. He even brings her the girl bear. And with tears of joy, they give him a hug. The family was together in time for Christmas. This part made me cry tears of joy.

 

 

 

 

Every time I play this, I can't help but tear up a bit. In fact, the first time I've played it, I could sort of feel that emotional left hook hit me after playing so many humorous levels in this game. And I'll be honest, I refuse to lose this one. I don't even know what happens if you completely fail the section. Sort of want to keep it that way.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Touch Fuzzy Get YoshiUnity

[Kareemadeem]

Assassin's Creed 3

 

Assassin's Creed 3: Ziio Death Scene(Connor's Mother)

 

 

TV Tropes Assassin's Creed 3 Tear Jerker:

Watching five-year-old Connor fail to save his mother from his burning village has to be one of the most heartbreaking moments in the entire franchise. In a franchise full of Tear Jerkers, that's really saying something.

• The kicker? There is a Quick-Time Event to lift the logs trapping Kaniehti:io. No matter how quickly you mash the buttons, she'll still perish.
  • Worse still, it initially feels like she might have been saved if the man who entered had helped Connor instead of pulling him away... but given how quickly the roof caves in shortly thereafter, it only drives home that there was no hope of saving her.
• There's also Kaniehti:io's reaction. Despite being trapped under debris in a burning longhouse, she calmly accepts her impending death and spends her final moments comforting her distraught son and affirming her love for him. Not only is this tragic in and of itself, but it can easily remind some players of Littlefoot's mom.

 

[Badnik Zero]

Others mentioned FFX, where

 

Sin is dead and Tidus is disappearing, and Yuna tries to hold him as he's fading.

 

And in Link's Awakening

 

when you awaken the Wind Fish and the island disappears. Jeez is there like some Japanese thing about being dreamed into reality by a flying god-fish, it's sad dammit when reality is a dream after all!

 

Also the Ecco the Dolphin Tides of Time ending, where they tell you Ecco

 

"disappears into the tides of time".

 

 

Yeah I'll agree with that part from MGS3 where

 

you shoot The Boss in the field. But I'll also say MGS4 was ridiculous and got no emotion out of me.

 

And most recently for me in Bioshock Infinite where Elizabeth

 

opens a tear to drown her friend and captor Songbird, and not long after drowns you too.

 

Oh yeah, and Gamma's story in SA1.

 

Going through this, my list seems to involve a lot of fish.

Edited May 7, 2013 by American Ristar

[Swiss]

Nothing will ever come close to this for me in terms of sadness:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=O41bpujWvz4

 

OKAY CHAO YOU CAN STAY