The Saddest Moments in Video Games
What are the saddest moments in video games that have left you emotionally wrecked? We’ve all had moments where a game’s emotional story has struck a chord and left us devastated. Some of the saddest moments in video games have absolutely destroyed us, and we’ve all got our own personal tear-inducing memories that stick in the mind.
From the gut-wrenching GTA V ending, to the first episode of The Walking Dead, and even Final Fantasy VII, there are plenty of games that have left us full-on crying with tears of sadness and joy. Of course, different games affect us differently, and there will be plenty of sad moments in games that haven’t made this list, but these are the saddest moments that have stood out to us.
GTA V – Roman’s Death Ending
GTA V’s ending, especially the death of Roman, was the saddest moment I’ve ever had in a video game. The fact that it happened to the two main characters, who were the closest thing to a bromance in a game, made it even worse. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks.
The death of Nick was almost as bad, but the fact that you had to live with the guilt of what happened to Roman for the rest of the game made it so much more emotional. The way his last words to you are “Hey, what’s happening?” was a heartbreaking touch and made it impossible to play the game again for about a year.
The Walking Dead – Season 1 Ending
The first time Clementine died in the first Walking Dead Telltale game was a moment that I remember well, but it was the ending that left me devastated. The whole season had been building to this one moment, and it delivered. The whole episode was a rollercoaster of emotions, from building a raft to sail away from Savannah with Clementine, to the walker attack, and even the tense conversation between Lee and his son, Kenny. The episode ends with Lee being shot by the leader of the group of survivors he was trying to get to safety, and you have to watch as Clementine breaks down.
The episodes that follow are even worse, and the ending of the whole first season, where you have to tell the mother of one of your best friends what happened to her son, is one of the most heartbreaking moments in any game I’ve ever played.
OMORI – The Ending
OMORI’s ending hit me hard, especially because I didn’t see it coming. The whole game is a slow-burning emotional tale of finding out who you are and what you have to do. It’s a game that makes you truly fall in love with its characters, and then crushes your heart at the end.
The end of OMORI is just so sudden, and it hits you with so much emotion, that you’re not even sure how to react. It’s a perfect ending to a perfect game.
Gears of War 3 – Dom’s Death
Gears of War 3 is one of the few games that, for me, actually made me cry. As much as I love Marcus Fenix, Dom was the real star of the show for me. His death in Gears of War 3 destroyed me, and I had to put my controller down for a bit.
I remember the first time I played it, I got to a point where I had to set off a bomb that would save the city of Jacinto, but at the cost of my best friend’s life. I was torn because I didn’t want to let Dom die, but I also knew I had to do it to save a city full of people.
The ending of the game, where Marcus cradles his dead son’s body, is one of the most devastating moments in gaming, and I could barely get through it.
Titanfall 2 – When My Brobot Died
I have a weak spot for anything that involves robots, so the fact that Titanfall 2 made me cry because of one of its bots says a lot. When my brobot died, it hit me hard. It’s a small moment in a game that’s full of big moments, but it still affects me whenever I think about it.
Ghost of Tsushima – Nobu’s Death
Nobu’s death in Ghost of Tsushima is another game that I didn’t see coming, and the moment it happened hit me hard. It’s a game where you’ve spent hours getting to know your character and developing a bond with him, so when he dies, it’s extremely difficult to bear.
It’s also a game that’s full of heart-wrenching moments, but Nobu’s death was the one that really got to me.
Titanfall – Zack Fair’s Death
I didn’t think anything could make me cry over a game about giant mechs with rocket launchers for arms, but then I played Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Zack Fair’s death in this game hit me so hard I couldn’t play it again for about a year.
The Death of Noble Six in Halo: Reach
The deaths of Noble Team, especially Kat, in Halo: Reach are extremely sad. The whole game is built around the relationships you have with each of the members of Noble Team, and when the game ends with the team being wiped out by a bomb, it’s extremely hard to bear.
The Last of Us – When Ellie Dies
The Last of Us is one of the most emotional games ever made, and it hit me hard when I played it for the first time. The death of Joel’s daughter, Sarah, affected the game’s tone, but the death of Ellie at the end of the game is what really got to me.
I actually had to buy a PS3 just to play The Last of Us myself, and it was worth every penny just to play one of the greatest games ever made.
Red Dead Redemption 2 – Arthur’s Death
Arthur Morgan’s death in Red Dead Redemption 2 is a scene that always hits me in the feels. Whether you play Red Dead Redemption 2 as a good guy or a bad guy, the game’s overarching story is about your companions.
