Over the weekend, I spent some time on my soapbox again explaining to others that video games can be art. Some spin tales with such depth and complexity, it can bring out emotions from our stone-cold hearts just as much as books or cinema. Moreover, some can even make us tear-up. What video games made you cry? Or for those who refuse to appear vulnerable, what video games made you “sweat from your eyeballs”?
Author’s Note: Will contain spoilers for The Last of Us, Stray, and Mother 3.
Although I am an empath by nature, it really takes a lot to make for me to cry. As a kid and teenager, I got beat up at martial arts tournaments and didn’t shed a tear. When I saw Titanic? I was moved, sure, but I didn’t cry. Even the video games I played in the late 90s never packed a powerful enough emotional punch to make me tear up. Granted, video game narratives have come a long way since then, and between that and maturing into adulthood, I’ve come to reckon with titles that had me bawling.
One of the games I finally got to play that made me cry was Mother 3. I played a fan-translation on my Analogue Pocket. For most of the game, I was more so amused of the quirky cast and outlandish plot; however, toward the end, we see the love of a deceased mother crying out to stop Claus, one of her sons that has been corrupted, from fighting his brother (and the protagonist of the game), Lucas. Their father, Flint, also snaps from his mournful fog and strives to protect Lucas. It doesn’t stop there. Even after the credits roll, Lucas and the other villagers talk with you–thanking you for sticking with them through the journey and reassuring you that, even though the world had to end to begin anew, everything was going to be okay. I honestly didn’t expect to wipe tears from the Analogue Pocket screen.
Stray was another game that insidiously crawled beneath my skin and sank its claws into my heart. There is no shortage of post-apocalyptic settings in games and cinema; however, the bond that was forged between B-12 and the cat became iron clad. Of course, after such a long journey from an underground city to reach the surface, the sacrifice and loss of B-12 reminded me of the fragility of life (yes, it’s a robot; however, the details within Stray’s story alluded to much more). Not only that, but witnessing the cat react with sadness by curling up beside the lifeless B-12 cued the waterworks.
My last example is no surprise, as The Last of Us is a well-known emotional roller coaster. However, this game, and even its sequel, hit me especially hard because I am a mother. Seeing Joel lose his daughter when the cordyceps fungus outbreak grew to a catastrophic level made me think about how painful it would be to lose my own child (why does my brain torture me).
Of course, the stakes grow higher when he meets and travels across the country with Ellie. The bond with his new daughter-figure drives him to make a selfish decision at the end, dooming humanity. Oddly enough, I don’t think I could blame him though. The top-notch writing, voice acting, and graphic quality displaying pain and sadness were a recipe for a date with the tissue box.
Have you ever played a video game that moved you to tears? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
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