As an entertainment medium, video games haven’t preoccupied themselves with tugging on our heartstrings as much as the likes of movies and TV shows. It’s difficult to create a game that is both fun to play while also moving the player emotionally, but some have definitely managed to bring us to tears over the years.
Team GR has revealed the games that have them cry below, and now we want to hear from you. Let us know which games have caused you to well up in the comments section below!
“I cried and never played the game again”
Paul Tamburro, executive editor: “The Lost World: Jurassic Park taught me how to cope with crushing disappointment at a young age. I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid, and 1993’s Jurassic Park on the Sega Genesis was one of my most-played games growing up, so I couldn’t wait to play The Lost World on PlayStation. 7-year-old me saved up all his money and eventually got enough to buy it… and it sucked. I sat in front of the TV, spent hours trying to convince myself that I was having fun, then resigned in the knowledge that I’d wasted my small amount of savings. All that time spent washing cars and cutting the grass was for nothing; I cried, never played the game again, and
“That scene still gets me damn near every time”
Jason Faulkner, senior editor: “I cried over Aeris dying. That’s right, I admit it. I got the game when I was 10, in 1998, and it was a rough time in my life. My father had just passed away the preceding year, and I was an emotional wreck. While plenty of games came before Final Fantasy 7 that had a lot of emotional weight, something about it really resonates with me on a personal level. It’s the first game I remember really, deeply caring about each character’s motivations and backstory, and even though I knew her death was coming, it still got me. Maybe it was because I had just recently come to understand the finality of death, but knowing she’d never have an awkward conversation with Cloud again, never get a chance to get her Level 4 Limit Break, and never get her ultimate weapon, really hurt. I felt bad for not using her in my party enough and not taking the time to make sure she was leveled and equipped just as carefully as everyone else. In subsequent playthroughs, I’ve always tried to go out of my way to make sure she has an equal chance to fight with the main team and hang out with everyone before her inevitable departure. Few games have tugged at my emotions like FF7, and I’m not a big crier, but that scene still gets me damn near every time.”
“I’m always crying with laughter”
Mack Ashworth, lead editor: “I’m always crying with laughter at the things that can so wrong in multiplayer games. Combine a great game which provides the tools for funny things to happen, with a bunch of friends who aren’t too savvy with video games, and you’ve got a recipe for laughter. As for sad crying, I think I came close in The Last of Us. Maybe The Last of Us 2 will tip me over the edge.”
