FeaturesAugust 23, 2013

Time for Tears, not Terror – Games Getting Emotional

Ian Garstang

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Games have found a way to combine both the elements of action and suspense that we love with some serious emotional power. Lately there have been many a release that has had huge emotional impacts on its players (whether you want to admit you shed a tear or not). Here are some of the best recent releases to tug at the heart strings.

The Last of Us

Without giving too much away, The Last of Us really explores not just the sadness of a post-apocalyptic world, but the choice of moral right and wrong and the bond that develops between two characters who start off on the opposite sides of the fence. The relationship between Joel and Ellie is touching and if by the end you don’t feel something, you might not have a soul.

Bioshock Infinite

Same can be said for Bioshock Infinite, which not only has quite the emotional storyline but also an awe inspiring one that involves multiple dimensions and some brain melting theories and connections through the universe. There are multiple moments that tug at the heart strings, but the last 10 minutes of the game will really cause your jaw to drop.

Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain is a game unlike any other because a lot of the gameplay itself is emotionally driven. Playing a variety of characters within the same storyline, your dialog choices and movements all depend on your emotional connection to characters and how you want to play. Not to mention the overall arch of a serial killer who has kidnapped a man’s little boy is in itself a heartbreaking tale.

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider can be a rough game to play, and we’re not talking gameplay wise. The story and break down of Lara Croft in the beginning of the game is a tough part to get through. We see our heroine pretty much battered and bruised, trying to survive. If anything, it makes the idea of her becoming this badass temple explorer a little more believable.

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is a destroyer of emotional worlds.You can’t get through that game without feeling at least something towards the characters. No character is safe; you’re decisions really determine who makes it to the end and who does not. And while the game can play out in a lot of different ways, you won’t get through it without some serious shocking and sad moments, guaranteed.