Most heartbreaking moment in a video game?

[StaceyPowers]

What moment in a video game utterly devastated you emotionally? Did you recover? Have you played the game again since, or was the heartbreak so bad that you still haven’t repeated the game?

 

[Reality vs Adventure]

AC Odyssey, I had a lion who fought with me through everything. Major battles, skirmishes, skilled mercenaries, and went on travels with me. It was always there. All them pics I took. All the moments together. Then I was on some castle walls up in a mountain. I jumped off and the lion jumped after me and died. After all that, I wanted it to have a glorious death, but followed me off the edge. I was heartbroken. I don't know if I can ever love such a wonderful beast again. 

[skyfire]

For me death, ending of relationship and ending of quests that made you sweat is kind of heartbreaking. I can name a lot of games but I want to keep the sentimental part out for a moment and say a lot of times I feel that constant grind of enemies and hard level is lot better than end. 

[The Blackangel]

Yes there was something in RDR2 that broke my heart. I'm not going to say what, as I hate spoilers just as much as everyone else here. But suffice it to say, it was completely devastating.

Maybe the fact that everyone in the game felt like actual family for me played a part. I know when I finished the game I felt like I had lost the only family I had ever known, and like I had lost someone I loved. So maybe I was too emotionally invested in the game.

Edited September 30, 2020 by The Blackangel

[StaceyPowers]

On 9/30/2020 at 7:34 AM, The Blackangel said:

Yes there was something in RDR2 that broke my heart. I'm not going to say what, as I hate spoilers just as much as everyone else here. But suffice it to say, it was completely devastating.

Maybe the fact that everyone in the game felt like actual family for me played a part. I know when I finished the game I felt like I had lost the only family I had ever known, and like I had lost someone I loved. So maybe I was too emotionally invested in the game.

I can relate. This happens with me with both video games and TV series. I've actually been full-on depressed this week after I finished watching The Good Place. Ah well, better overly emotionally invested in things than numb.

[The Blackangel]

In 38 years of being in this existence, this is the first time I’ve ever felt anything. The only person in my entire life that ever cared about me was my grandmother, and when she died I never shed a single tear. I still haven’t. Yet, I cried over a fucking video game. Sociopathy is a strange thing sometimes.

[StaceyPowers]

22 minutes ago, The Blackangel said:

In 38 years of being in this existence, this is the first time I’ve ever felt anything. The only person in my entire life that ever cared about me was my grandmother, and when she died I never shed a single tear. I still haven’t. Yet, I cried over a fucking video game. Sociopathy is a strange thing sometimes.

Someone who was ostensibly my friend (not a great friend, but still someone I liked) killed herself while I was on Skype with her a few years back. I barely reacted outside of reassessing my own life. It wasn't that her death didn't matter to me--it made me angry. But I wasn't really broke up about it. But I've been a bawling mess over a TV show all week.

Did you ever read The Stranger by Camus, btw? It's about a guy who has a kind of meltdown and kills another guy, and his subsequent trial. They decide to execute him, but not because he murdered someone--but because he didn't cry at his mother's funeral. It was what he was that they hated, more than what he did.

[StaceyPowers]

29 minutes ago, The Blackangel said:

In 38 years of being in this existence, this is the first time I’ve ever felt anything. The only person in my entire life that ever cared about me was my grandmother, and when she died I never shed a single tear. I still haven’t. Yet, I cried over a fucking video game. Sociopathy is a strange thing sometimes.

I think I'd add that sometimes it's a LOT easier to empathize with characters in a video game or TV. We're given a way to look inside their heads and actually know their motivations and feelings. We rarely get that insight from real people, even those we are close to. So it can be easier--at least for me--to process emotions when there is more clarity. With a story, it is just easier to know what to feel. Real people are confusing, even when they mean a lot to me.

[The Blackangel]

14 hours ago, StaceyPowers said:

I think I'd add that sometimes it's a LOT easier to empathize with characters in a video game or TV. We're given a way to look inside their heads and actually know their motivations and feelings. We rarely get that insight from real people, even those we are close to. So it can be easier--at least for me--to process emotions when there is more clarity. With a story, it is just easier to know what to feel. Real people are confusing, even when they mean a lot to me.

True but conventional wisdom, would tell me that the one and only person that one cares about would be a reality shattering event when that person dies. I've actually never cried at a funeral. When my sperm donor (AKA father} died, I was actually happy about it. I was even the one that found his body the day he died. It meant no more being beaten daily. No more being called a pussy. No more having to sleep with a loaded rifle in my hands. I was finally free. That was 20 years ago. The last time I went to the cemetery was to visit my grandmothers grave, which is unfortunately very close to his. I unloaded my .38 at his grave. If I ever go back to visit her grave, I'll do the same thing to his again. Only with a stronger pistol.

As for my egg donor (AKA mother) I don't know if she is still alive or not. And frankly, I don't give the slightest bit of a shit. If she is, and I ever find out where she's buried, I'll go just to piss on her grave.

[m76]

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - The Peace to the Fallen segment.

Beyond: Two Souls - The Homeless chapter.

The Last of Us Part II - The ending

The first two made me weep. The third didn't but I couldn't think about anything else for two weeks at least.

I never replayed any of the games, the first two I never intended to, but I fear TLOU2's ending would traumatize me all over again.

Edited October 2, 2020 by m76

[Reality vs Adventure]

4 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

True but conventional wisdom, would tell me that the one and only person that one cares about would be a reality shattering event when that person dies. I've actually never cried at a funeral. When my sperm donor (AKA father} died, I was actually happy about it. I was even the one that found his body the day he died. It meant no more being beaten daily. No more being called a pussy. No more having to sleep with a loaded rifle in my hands. I was finally free. That was 20 years ago. The last time I went to the cemetery was to visit my grandmothers grave, which is unfortunately very close to his. I unloaded my .38 at his grave. If I ever go back to visit her grave, I'll do the same thing to his again. Only with a stronger pistol.

As for my egg donor (AKA mother) I don't know if she is still alive or not. And frankly, I don't give the slightest bit of a shit. If she is, and I ever find out where she's buried, I'll go just to piss on her grave.

They say bad seed never dies. Every now and then, one falls through the cracks. There's a lot of abusive fuckers out there that need to fall through those cracks. 

[StaceyPowers]

6 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

conventional wisdom, would tell me that the one and only person that one cares about would be a reality shattering event when that person dies

Alas, "conventional wisdom" tends to be from and toward a neurotypical population, and generally doesn't account for an abusive upbringing either. 

[StaceyPowers]

5 hours ago, m76 said:

but I fear TLOU2's ending would traumatize me all over again.

I still haven't had my chance to play this yet, and have resisted looking up spoilers, but I appreciate the fair warning that the ending is going to kick my arse :/

[Kane99]

For me - The first season of The Walking Dead by Telltale. That ending nearly got me. As well, the first Last of Us had that devastating beginning, and the story overall made me feel for these characters. I didn't much care for TLOU2's story though. It didn't have the same weight and impact the first game had imo, and some characters motivations were a little messed up imo. NakeyJakey made a good YouTube video about it that I'd recommend watching. 

I'd include, is RDR1 and 2 in some regards. RDR1 because of the ending, and RDR2 because of Arthur's overall story. He was a great character. Also, Life is Strange is another game that nearly got me. I think the only other game that was close to bringing me to tears, was Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. But there are probably other games. I found that as I get older, some game endings are becoming a lot more emotional for me. Even the happy endings sometimes. 

[m76]

2 hours ago, StaceyPowers said:

I still haven't had my chance to play this yet, and have resisted looking up spoilers, but I appreciate the fair warning that the ending is going to kick my arse 😕

Funny thing is that the ending was exactly what I expected / had hoped for, but it still hurt.

The worst thing for me is seeing someone I care about destroyed, not dying, but dying inside. That's the hardest bit, and that's why I don't want to play it again.