Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori drop kicks players in the tear ducts right after pressing start. It’s a special kind of storytelling that with absolutely zero words or backstory can generate a profound feeling of loss. The visuals and music are gorgeous and contribute heavily to the emotional stakes in Ori and the Blind Forest.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Family. Loss. Brotherhood. Not many people have played this, but with the team’s next title A Way Out dropping soon, I think a lot of people will be diving in here. I won’t spoil it, but you’re going to feel some damn feels with this one.
Bioshock: Infinite
The convoluted tale of Booker and Elizabeth twists and turns around to eventually tickle the sadness bone, and with the game being full of hardcore, high-speed gunfights, it’s a rather interesting juxtaposition.
Journey
Sweeping vistas and flowing music are what jump to mind with Journey. It’s only a few hours, so GO PLAY IT right now if you haven’t. This show, don’t tell masterpiece is one of the finest examples of video games as art and without a doubt one of the most emotional games around.
Gears of War 2
Are you confused? Don’t be.
Dom’s wife. That’s all.
There you have it, the 10 most emotional games of all time. Want to hear more? Listen to Press X To Podcast – it arrives every Wednesday!