“Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.” -Mordin Solus, Mass Effect
At the end of Undertale, there’s a mirror you can interact with, and the response is “Despite everything, it’s still you.” I don’t know why that’s stuck with me, but it has.
Everything after the Mettaton fight until the end of the Asgore fight is extremely good. The New Home walk is one of my favorite moments in gaming.
For me, it was definitely when Kratos is speaking to Mimir to warn Mimir about seeking vengeance. Mimir snaps at him, saying of all people, you’re one to talk! And Kratos replies:
“I am an authority on the subject. You would do well to listen."
Honestly, this interaction impacted my perception of people and when they have insight that is counter to their behavior.
I also found the “Do Not Mistake My Silence For Lack Of Grief.” Quote very fitting. Just because you are not showing it doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect you.
That was definitely a good line.
“Wow, we sure crossed the Spec Ops: The Line.”
I didn’t like how this game delivered its message.
“Gee, you sure are in a pickle. Maybe use some of that white phosphorus over there!”
Nah I’m good.
“Hmm sure are lots of enemies though. Should probably use some of that white phosphorus!”
Are the enemies just going to keep spawning until I do?
“…yes”
Alright, fine. I’ll use the white phosphorus.
“USING WHITE PHOSPHORUS IS A WAR CRIME! YOURE A WAR CRIMINAL! DO YOU FEEL LIKE A HERO??”
Bruh…
At that point in the game you do have a choice: to do the unthinkable and survive or just to just be shot and die. I’m pretty sure the actual message is that to just die is the choice you wouldn’t consider, just like quitting the game afterwards and uninstalling. It’s kind of ridiculous, and I think that’s the point.
That’s kind of the point. Most other war games don’t give you a choice either, but we find that acceptable because they reward us. Of course, this isn’t how war actually is, but we tend not to criticize that despite how a lot of these games are blatant propaganda. Spec Ops turns that around and actually makes you face the consequences of your actions. It even points out the excuse of the lack of choice.
It’s essentially a reflection of how Walker feels in that situation. You’re pretty much supposed to feel like you didn’t have a choice because at the same time that’s how Walker felt.
Even though Walker did have a choice at the very beginning. He was supposed to scout the area out and return with his findings, he was never supposed to go deeper into Dubai like he did. But at every step he convinced himself that he had no choice but to do so. Culminating in the white phosphorus event.
“Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.” - Mordin Solus
After so many play throughs, I finally did a renegade run recently, was not prepared for that scene playing the asshole.
spoiler
A renegade player can convince Mordin that the Genophage Cure isn’t worth it, and he’ll be cool with it and you’ll get both Salarian Aide and Wreave’s Krogan help. I write that as I couldn’t live with my decision on a renegade run.
I had no idea, and was not able to do this. I ended up doing something absolutely terrible instead.
spoiler
As a renegade player if you choose and kill Wrex in the first game and in the second convince Mordin the Krogan research isn’t worth saving, you can convince him at the purifier as both Eve and Wrex are dead and the future of Krogan with Wreave is just repeating the same cycle as before… so he accepts your argument and you assign him to the crucible project instead
The choice is a decision between two good characters, but if you decided to go full renegade on that choice, it is a choice betwen killing one character early over having to live with the consequence of directly killing two that know you
Ah, I won’t say too much cause I dont know how to use the spoiler tag, but the Krogan ending didn’t make me feel good either.
Oddly enough, both involved a suprise in an elevator.
“The ending isn’t any more important than any of the moments leading to it” from To the Moon.
Haven’t played that game in over a decade but I still remember it being such a great emotional roller-coaster.
It’s $2 on steam right now and has such a great story and soundtrack for that price. It’s only about 4-6 hours but the memory of the story will last for much longer.
God the ending to that game. Incredible.
Short steps
Deep breath
Everything is all right 🎵
That game and its music kicked my feels square in the groin.
That looks like a good one. Just picked it up, thanks for recommending it!
I hope you like it! After you beat it, I would suggest watching people’s reactions to the ending. It’s pretty cathartic to see
“Press F to pay respects”
Fuck took me ages to beat that part
“I’m going to the last place that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism… SPACE!”
Capitalism. Tim Curry was the Communist in this scenario.
Oh you are totally right, my bad
I still need to play this game if only for this line/scene.
That whole game is an absolute rollercoaster ride of insanity. Westwood Studios leaned into camp the way 60s Batman did.
Ah delightful.
“Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb.”
“War is where the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other”
- Niko Bellic
The original save screen from Nintendo: “Everything not saved will be lost.”
"Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me. Everyone - fucking except for you!”
My first thought was simply “Okay.”
Man I felt my heart drop and had to sit through all of the credits.
For sure. I don’t want to imagine the number of takes it took to get that “Okay” just right.
Ashley Johnson nailed it too. I respect Bella Ramsey and think she did a great job but some of those lines just didn’t carry the same weight.
Last of us 2?
First part, when Joel tries to hand off Ellie to his brother Tommy. But the second has some heavy lines as well (loved them both).
My guess is Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077.
In considering this question, I realize almost ALL of the most-emotional moments in gaming that I can think of are completely dialogue-less.
That being said, the one that comes to mind for me…
I believe we’ve reached the end of our journey. All that remains is to collapse the innumerable possibilities before us. Are you ready to learn what comes next?
The music rising at the end of Outer Wilds, with the harmony becoming complete when all the voices/instruments join in.
The way that one NPC’s melody is on a different rhythm from the others, yet it fits with the whole.
The way that one other NPC’s counterpoint is deeply alien, and yet it fits with the whole.
“Thank you for remembering me.” Like I could forget. After all, we’re friends.
“I hope you won’t mind if I think of you as a friend”
What a beautiful game. This was my answer on another post of the same question
It’s the kind of thing that makes you glad you stopped and smelled the pine trees along the way, you know?
The past is past, now, but that’s… you know, that’s okay! It’s never really gone completely. The future is always built on the past, even if we won’t get to see it.
The past is a puzzle, like a broken mirror. As you piece it together, you cut yourself, your image keeps shifting. And you change with it. It could destroy you, drive you mad. It could set you free. - Max Payne 2
The first line that came to my mind. Max Payne 2 was a beautiful game.
Ugh, RIP Max’s voice actor
The part at the end of earthbound. I was playing it without a guide back when, losing to the final boss, and in a panic I selected the girl’s “pray” move. Throughout the game that move has a small chance to heal you or debuff the enemies. But in the final fight instead it pops up
"{Girl} prayed from the bottom of her heart! “Please give us strength… If it is possible… Please. …Somebody help us.”
And then it cuts to the first character’s mother in her kitchen, and has some dialogue of her worrying about him. Each subsequent prayer cuts to other characters that you met throughout the game.
Mind completely blown as a child when this happened.
I don’t know the name of this trope but it gets me teared up every time.
I’ve always appreciated that every Mother game turns the last boss into an unwinnable fight like that, and into a story. I’ll cry at the end of Mother 3 every time, too.
I think the game also calls out the player as the final action during that scene as well.
Yeah. Hours earlier, in the middle of unrelated stuff, the game asks you something like “Hey, you holding the controller, what’s your name?” Easy to forget and then be completely mindblown when the game is like “Will {your name} pray for the party??”
(X) SHAUN
But if we’re being serious:
“Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot”
Certainly not the most emotional, but a gaming moment that’s always stuck with me for how such a simple line in a short campaign can hit so hard
Probably the most emotional, with incredible acting by Roger and excellent writing is Arthur Morgan’s single line here:
“I guess, I’m afraid”
But if we’re being serious
I certainly wasn’t. I just wanted an excuse to post the beans quote.
Titanfall 2 tugs my autistic heartstrings every time.
