UFG’s Top Five Tearjerkers!
I tend to get very emotionally invested in my games. So much so, that I’ve been known to shed a tear or two when things take a turn for the dramatic. Say what you want but that’s just me – it’s easy to get attached to characters after spending hours in a game or years with a franchise. This is especially true nowadays as narratives are being penned by noteworthy writers.
In an effort to share in some of these emotional moments, I’ve come up with a list of the top five Tearjerkers in gaming. I know I’m not the only one that has to deal with the “feels” when playing certain titles (and everyone likes lists), so it seemed like the right thing to do. I must warn you though, this list contains spoilers. Some of these titles are only a few years old, so if you don’t want them spoiled don’t read on. Everyone else, dive in and let the “feels” take over!
5. Borderlands 2 – Bloodwing!!!
I put a lot of time into the original Borderlands, mainly playing as Mordecai the hunter. He had a pet named Bloodwing who could pick up items for you and deal massive damage to enemies. A long story short, this hawk-like creature was the perfect companion. In Borderlands 2 none of the original cast is playable; they all play key roles in the story and help you on your journey. In one mission Bloodwing is kidnapped by Handsome Jack and experimented on. By the time you get to him he’d been fitted with a special collar that forced him to attack the heroes. During the ensuing boss fight you can hear Mordecai is screaming into the radio – his anger and concern for Bloodwing reflecting my own. Once the fight is over, Handsome Jack activates a self-destruct mechanism on the collar, blowing Bloodwing’s head off. It was horrible to witness. The friend who saved my life so many times in Borderlands was gone and there was no chance of bringing him back!
4. The Walking Dead Season One – Don’t be afraid
Everyone that played the first season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead had one goal in mind and that was keeping Clementine alive. Because of the amazing story comprised by multiple writers working with Telltale, the world grew attached to Clem. In the end though, it wasn’t a little girl that caused the “feels”…at least not by herself. There is a part in the last episode of Season 1 where Lee (our character) is about to change into a zombie. His last act as Clem’s guardian was to ask her to put him down. It’s an intense scene that leaves a lasting effect, regardless of what you ultimately choose. After Clem succeeds you feel a sense of accomplishment; you know she’ll be able to take care of herself.
3. Gears of War 3 – R.I.P Dom
I was a huge fan of the original Gears of War game. What really brought me in besides the over the top gore and violence was the characters. Granted they are a little…unique in a “dude-bro” kind of way. My favorite of those characters was Dom; don’t know why I tend to like supporting characters. Although I wasn’t a big fan of the later games in the series I did keep playing for the story and Dom. Starting at Gears 2, Epic built on Dom’s character when it came to losing his wife Maria. When part 3 rolls around, there are hints from the beginning that Dom isn’t right. Your journey eventually brings you to Maria’s home town. While there you group gets overran by the Locust-Lambent horde. In order to save Delta Squad, Dom sacrifices himself by crashing a truck into an imulsion tanker. Before the explosion he talks to Maria saying, “Never thought it would end like this Huh? Huh, Maria?” This not only marks the death of one of the staple characters in the franchise but also the one that I’d grown attached too. To be honest, I almost didn’t want to finish the rest of the game after that…
2. Final Fantasy 7 – It’s not what you think
I know the second you see Final Fantasy 7 in a list like this that you’d go straight to one scene in particular. You know the one that goes blah, blah, blah, Sephiroth blah, blah, stabby stabby blah, blah, Aeris. And you know what; you’d have good reason to think that her death made the list. It is sad after all. But, that’s not the part of the game that evoked the most “feels” for me. Besides, it’s not like Tifa died or anything. No, the scene I chose was at the end of the Cave of the Gi where Red XIII learns about his father. Up until this point Red XIII thought his father was nothing but a coward that abandoned their village and his mother. At the end of The Cave of Gi, Red’s grandfather explained the true story of his father’s passing. The truth is his father went to fight the invaders alone and was turned to stone; he didn’t abandon anyone. Red gains a new respect for his father and praises him with howls. Red’s father, a statue, starts to cry.
1. Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch – Mom NO!!!
For me this scene was extremely hard to watch. You don’t even have to play the game to be effected by it. Very early in the game Oliver (the main character) decides to sneak out of his house at night to ride a go kart his friend made. While riding the go kart disaster strikes; one of the wheels pops off and Oliver losses control before falling into a lake. Oliver’s mom senses something wrong and goes to his room to find him not there. She searches the town and finds him in the lake. She quickly jumps in and saves his life but, she has a bad heart. Not long after rescuing him does she have a heart attack and passes away. Writing about this scene does it no justice – it’s handled so well in the game that, the magnitude of what happens has to be seen to really get the experience. Still, it’s easy to see why this would be a tearjerker. Losing a parent at such a young age would be devastating to anyone.
If you would like to comment about what should or shouldn’t have made this list, feel free to send me a tweet (@UFGBLAZE).