Have you ever cried while playing a game?

[mees]

Oh man, I just thought of a good one! When I was playing Majora's Mask I got the fairy sword, which required a lot of hard work, and then I very nearly failed to make it to a save point before the moon destroyed Termina, erasing all of my progress. I kept getting hit by this enemy when trying to climb a ledge, which would send me falling back into the water. I got so worked up over it that I actually cried!

So yes, I was about to lose my sword. AGH. What a frustrating experience.

In the end though, I got the sword (with about five minutes to spare).

[Cpt. Coin-op]

I have never cried from playing a video game, though I did have a knot in my stomach for some time afterward when I realized I killed Rydia's mum and torched her hometown in Final Fantasy 4.

Keep in mind I was maybe 5-7 years old around that time. (And no, I have never cried during a movie.)

[Magnum Apex]

As a small introduction pertaining to this topic, I've cried in some movies (e.g. Gladiator, Titanic), some anime shows and films (e.g. Cowboy Bebop, Grave of the Fireflies, Samurai X: Reflection), and may have shed a small tear or two from reading books, comic books and manga, but I can't remember an example from literature.

With that said I've had my share of tearful moments when playing videogames. I should point out that, for the most part, I've usually played single-player games when I'm alone, in the dark, so I can more easily dip into the particular world I'm playing in without distractions. This is always the case when I play games where the story is a major component, as those tend to be the games I enjoy the most. I'll try to label each as "shedding tears," and "little bitch crying" as much as I can. I'm assuming you can put together what the difference is, although I'd be happy to elaborate if you can't.

You'll find spoilers on the following games: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Final Fantasy X, and (possibly) Final Fantasy VIII.




I'll try and think up, in recessive chronological order, these cry-inducing moments:

The most recent example I have is from my first playthrough of MGS4. I shed tears when Snake took his suit off to reveal his weakened, frail body in Act 2. I had a hard time accepting the fact that this was the same man that toppled numerous giant robots and supernatural freaks in prime shape just "a few years ago." I shed more tears when Naomi passed away, adding to the long string of dead characters Otacon cared about. I felt really bad for him. Then, I cried like a little bitch in Act 5, when I was on the floor tapping a button like a madman to crawl Snake safely out of a burning room that was tearing his already deceased body apart right in front of my eyes, as his friends were bravely fighting, just like him, on the top half of the screen. Lastly, during the ending, when Snake puts a gun in his mouth as the camera looks away, and a bang is heard, I jumped out of my armchair and screamed "NOOOO!" in tears. I was already mumbling, "Please don't do it. Please don't do it" multiple times as he was preparing to seemingly commit suicide. I got teary-eyed during numerous other "sad" events in the game, but they might be attributed to the impending sense of closure I felt while playing it. You know, that sense that a beloved series with cherished characters will end, and they will not be coming back for a new adventure ever again. That feeling.

I also remember shedding tears in several instances throughout Metal Gear Solid and MGS3, most prominently when I had to press a button to kill The Boss. The track "Way to Fall" playing during the credits brought those memories back of having killed her several minutes before, renewing tears.

I cried when playing Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations on the DS, especially in the last trial when the truth was exposed. This is something I didn't think was possible, the fact I could shed tears while playing a DS game. Stranger still was that I didn't enter the game with an attachment to any of the characters. I picked this videogame up as a last-minute buy when I was preparing for my trip to this year's Game Developers Conference, so I hadn't realized it was actually the third game in the series until I started playing it.

I also cried like a little baby bitch during the ending of Okami. This was a strange one, however. I don't know if I cried out of the events from the game, or because I was so amazed by how moved I was from it. I had this extremely strong urge to tell everyone about this game, to make them play it. I felt the desire to bow and shake the hands of every person responsible for making Okami be what it is. Outside of the MGS series, no game has struck such an emotional chord with me.

Cried during the ending of FFX. When I found out that Tidus was "a dream" and couldn't stay with the rest of the party, as I played onward I knew I was moving towards a very sad conclusion. Still, no amount of emotional power the FFX soap opera had could make me play Final Fantasy X-2 to finish their love story. There is only so much femininity a straight man can take.

Additionally, I cried during the part in FFVIII where Squall and Rinoa are alone in that spaceship heading back to their home planet while a cheesy, Lifetime-worthy song played in the background, I am very ashamed to admit. Yes, only in this particular case.


I've also felt very sad in several other gaming moments, but they felt just short of making me cry, so I won't get into those. I also may have cried in other games, but the examples above are the ones that come to me at the moment.

One thing I just noticed is that only games from Japanese developers have made me cry. I really wonder why that is. I don't play Japanese games exclusively.

[NeoKubrick]

As a small introduction [...]

That's an extensive list, there, Magnum.


I wouldn't say I've ever cried over a particular piece in gaming, but, then, I wouldn't say that 'crying', or the lack of, establishes my emotions. I would say though that they are narratives which I've identified with and felt. The most striking piece would be line by 'The Boss' in MGS3: Snake Eater: "You're a wonderful man" (those who've seen the scene will understand the context and those who haven't will appreciate that I didn't spoil the story for them!).

[icycalm]

I wouldn't say I've ever cried over a particular piece in gaming, but, then, I wouldn't say that 'crying', or the lack of, establishes my emotions.

That's a pretty stupid thing to say. It is clear that tears are a sign of extreme emotion, and for an outside observer (i.e. me) a very helpful one.

[RemyC]

I am desensitized, and nearly emotionless.
However, one time that I was actually moved by a video game was in, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. After the seven years go by, and you trek back to Zora's Domain, only to find out that it has been frozen over.

Another was the end of Gunstar Heroes, when Green tries to make amends for his actions and attacks Gold Silver head on. No voice acting or crazy cinematic...but it tugged on my heart strings.

[NeoKubrick]

I wouldn't say I've ever cried over a particular piece in gaming, but, then, I wouldn't say that 'crying', or the lack of, establishes my emotions.

That's a pretty stupid thing to say. It is clear that tears are a sign of extreme emotion, and for an outside observer (i.e. me) a very helpful one.

It's not clear; they can be a sign of extreme emotion, but it isn't always true, just as when I call Joe Blog is an utter and unmitigated spastic, I don't always think said Joe Blog is an utter and unmitigated spastic. The few times I've cried over viewing material was as the result of cheap and alluring sentimentality, and it wasn't of "extreme emotion" but my own self-importance. And, you can't project your own behaviour onto others in an attempt to normalize it; ergo, the possessive (id est "my emotions").


Anyway, nice site.

[Muzozavr]

I rarely cry, because "utter shocked sadness in complete silence" usually replaces it.

Closest I got to actually crying over a game was Shella's death in "Shannara", because you have to play out the sad part, to make that decision yourself.

The way the plot sets it, Shella is dying. Right now. You have a choice.

To heal her with Davio's elfstones (the ONLY way to heal her now) and ultimately fail the mission or to let her die and go on? There are gnomish troops behind you, so you better make that decision quick.

If you pick the latter, make sure you use the ritual of release to disallow Brona (main villain) to summon her again as a mindless evil undead. But the ritual of release can only be used at the last moments of someone's life, and for the spell this is too soon.

The game mechanics will now force you into choosing the saddest option ever:

Not only trying to heal her causes an immediate nonstandard game over, not only you have to let her die, but you have to kill her yourself to be able to use the ritual of release. That. Drive a sword through her heart.

To kill when you could heal.

I think I've spent a realtime half an hour before I finally made that mouse click. If the game didn't move in turns but was real-time, the gnomish troops would come in about one minute.

[Strifer]

The ending of Snake Eater makes me well up every time I see it. I guess it took everybody by surprise because Kojima is known for his batshit plots, and the whole game up to that moment was nothing short of ridiculous.

Okami also made me cry, especially near the end. MagnumApex already said most of what I wanted to say, so I'll just add that the "bringing life back to the land" moments made me cry tears of joy.

Phantom Brave made me cry a little, I am not ashamed to admit this. It really was a heart-warming story.