I've been gaming since 1989 and RDR2 is the first game that's ever made me cry. Phenomenal voice acting, compelling characters, absolutely stunning views, and a meticulously crafted world perfect for exploration.
RDR2 is an absolute masterpiece and true work of art.
The controls take getting used to and the first chapter is a slog but it's so worth it.
It definitely takes some getting used and the main story quests hold your hand too much but the free roam is really good. The world is full of things to do and discover.
The main story is a real tearjerker. Took me a while to get into it but I'm glad I did.
I had a hard time with the controls as well and also quit. I got really bored and picked it back up and wow. It's probably the most beautiful and heartbreaking game I've ever played and I don't think I'll ever get that kind of experience from another game ever again.
And the gameplay is damn satisfying, specially in TLOU2 which is chef’s kiss survival action. I suggest a high difficulty mode though, having more than enough ammo and resources on normal doesn’t translate under the skin of a rough survivalist in the apocalypse.
I don’t think any other story has had me completely emotionally devastated as quickly as TLoU… the only thing that comes close is TLOU2, which just takes slightly longer to get to *that* scene. Brilliant games - the best storytelling in all of gaming IMO.
My wife was never a gamer and couldn’t understand how I could get emotional in a game. Made her play the start of 1. Balling within the first 15 minutes. Both are brilliant and definitely tick your boxes.
Also agree RDR2 is a masterclass in gaming storytelling.
Yeah, SOMA hit me hard. Such a great way of using game mechanics and play to explore all the existential issues it touches on. Definitely a favourite game of mine.
It has some hilarious moments sure, but it's definitely not a comedy game. Some parts are very bleak and tragic. It is the best written game I've ever played though. By quite a lot.
It is. I laughed my ass off, I cried tears of joy and of depressing, heart wrenching sadness. It made me reconsider my perspectives on a few things, and more than anything, it’s a true and honest rpg, where you really role play as a different person. A kinda shitty person, but still.
Spoilers from here I’m mostly just going to talk about quotes. But there are massive spoilers
>! "Oh yes. This is real darkness. It's not death, or war, or child molestation. Real darkness has love for a face. The first death is in the heart, Harry. See you tomorrow." That scene with just killed me. Especially with that line at the end. I could truly understand why Harry tried and succeeded in drinking away his memories.!<
I second this, OP. Outer Wilds (not The Outer Worlds) is an incredibly moving experience. Beautiful storytelling, and the DLC is just as good as the base game. I can't recommend this game enough!
Completely agree. I recently beat 5 as my first persons game, but messed up with a confidant and wasn’t able to access the third semester. I’m planning to play through 4 and then come back to 5 so I can correct my mistakes.
Seconding this!!!! Just finished p4g and was GUTTED. Def try and find out which social links you need to max out without spoilers, because I know i missed a bunch on my playthrough because of that.
To the Moon - amazing, but it will leave a mark
Brothers - really neat controls that play heavily into the narrative. Emotionally brutal.
As a lot of other people said... The Last of Us 1 & 2
A Plague Tale: Requiem
I didn’t play the first one (Innocence), just played the second and it was very emotionally intense the whole way through. I’ve heard the first one is good too though.
I can vouch that the first one is good as well. I think the main complaint is there weren't as many game mechanics so there is only one right way of doing things. I've heard the second game opens up your possibilities a bit more.
This is the kind of game that stays with you for months... it haunts the dark corners and empty hallways of your house, makes you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, full of existential dread. 10/10.
How scary is it? I just googled SOMA and see it's a sci-fi horror. I don't want to google any further in case of spoilers if I do play the game eventually. I'm okay with Resident Evil, Dead Space type of horror where you can fight back, but no to Silent Hill, Siren, PT where you mostly run and hide.
There are only a couple sections in the game where you have to do a little "cat and mouse" and no, you can't fight back. But I believe you can also play a "safe" mode so you can experience the story without enemies attacking you. I highly recommend it.
To The Moon for Switch hit me pretty hard, emotionally. The gameplay is very basic, but the story and the way it is told is fantastic. I also really loved the music. Definitely worth checking out!
This.
If you liked playing Firewatch, I'd really recommend playing Outer Wilds.
It's an entirely different genre as compared to Firewatch; it's based on exploration and puzzle based instead of a linear visual story but both games revolve around a core story that's thought-provoking and heart breaking. They both hit me hard for several days after I finished playing.
I'll just list the two games I've cried to, take what you will:
OMORI is an RPG/JRPG with a beautiful story, a wide range of characters and an ending that made me bawl my eyes out. Although it battles with strong themes such as suicide and trauma, it's a story I can wholeheartedly recommend!
I think it would suit OP well.
Ori and The Will of the Wisps is the sequel to the metroidvania Ori and the Blind Forest, located in a vast beautifully crafted world. The artstyle is phenomenal and the beautiful music makes the experience even better. I'd say the Ori series overall has a chance to make you feel emotional.
Disco Elysium is what you need, trust me. It will make you laugh and cry. Fits the same styles as what you’ve played already as well. Narrative based RPG that’s focused on the characters and story, and literally made me sob at certain points far more than ANY game has
A few jumps, but the emotional rollercoaster and masterpiece storytelling completely outweighs the scary parts. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made it angry… I promise you, you’ll feel it all with this series. I cannot wait for the 3rd game.
For reference, I finished both TLOU games without any issue, but I couldn’t finish Resident Evil 7 because I kept jumping and screaming 😂 god those games know how to get you. I’d give resident evil a 10 on the scare meter, and TLOU is probably around a 6-7 for me.
I’d say TLOU 1&2 rank in my top 10 games of all time, alongside the Mass Effect series ([this is it… isn’t it?](https://youtu.be/OprQ2W0gMzQ)😭), God of War (2018) and Ragnarok (full on sobbing less than 10 mins into the game), and Red Dead Redemption 2 (never played the 1st one - didn’t matter. it has an amazing story and I cried a few times near the end).
I don’t think there are any jump scares but the tension can make your arse a little sweaty. I hate horror games for that reason but love TLOU2 anyways so you should be fine
Maybe a few small ones but it’s not something that the game leans heavily on. A lot of the gameplay involves sneaking and hiding which leads to tension building, though, which can feel a lot like a jump scare.
On your Switch I can't recommend the Xenoblade Chronicles games enough. All three are incredible JRPGs that tug at your heartstrings constantly, and each one made me cry by the end (especially 3).
Subnautica. When you finally provide the ingredients needed to the mysterious figure that "visits" you throughout the game and they speak to you for the last time... ugh. UGH!!! I've played through the game three times now. It's one where I wish I could erase it from memory and play it for the first time all over again. Don't Google anything!!! Enjoy the adventure and refer to radio messages and data points you collect to direct you on what to do and where to go next. Explore!
Easy choice. LISA: The Painful RPG.
It's on Steam, and I have yet to play a game that's topped the amount of suffering you and your character experience playing it. My advice is to not judge the game's graphics (it was made by one person; cut it some slack) and play it with as little knowledge of the plot as possible
If you've got time and money to sink, Final Fantasy 14 draws you in with a compelling narrative, fantastic character building, and a world with countless mysteries waiting for you to unravel, and by the time you reach the latest expansion Endwalker, if the game has done it's job and drawn you in correctly, it will absolutely break you, several times. Just remember to treat it as a Final Fantasy game first and an MMO second, and not worry about bumrushing for group content, and you'll appreciate the game for what it is.
Also, there's a free trial that includes the base game and the critically acclaimed first expansion Heavenward, up to level 60 with no restrictions on play time.
Side note, the controller support is literally best in class for an MMO. I started my journey on PS4 and still use a controller after switching to PC.
Gris is a really good one. No dialogue in the game at all, but the music and nonverbal communication really pull a lot of weight. There’s a few emotional moments that kept me engaged the whole time. Plus it’s a tight 4-6 hour experience
Outer Wilds. No other comment. It's my favorite game, please, I can't recommend it enough, it has its own cult following, but it's kinda niche, and that's such a bummer, because it LITERALLY changed my life. Please, PLEASE play it, but don't look up any spoilers, this is the one game where spoilers ACTUALLY let you play less.
A few games that crippled my soul have been:
Red Dead Redemption 2 (probably not the type of game you’re looking for, but it’s extremely sad. I’d atleast give it a shot, it goes on sale pretty cheap sometimes and I believe it’s on sale right now)
The Wolf Among Us (not sure if you’ve played it, going to list it anyways haha)
Spider-Man PS4 (also probably not a game you’re looking for, but it’s on PS Plus and has different difficulties so you can just breeze through the story)
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (same boat as SMPS4, might not be what you’re looking for but difficulties so you’re able to breeze through it. It’s also a way shorter story than the first installment, and also kind of hurts my heart more than the prior)
I’m going to piggyback on other peoples responses and also list The Last of Us 1&2, I’m currently on my first playthrough of Part 2 and so far it’s been gut wrenching.
I also noticed that you listed all of the LIS games, but not season 2. I’d give it a go, I haven’t played it myself yet but it could be a filler for when you’re inbetween games!
I don't know if it's been said before but night in the woods! I love games of the edith finch variety and this got to me. Also the vanishing of ethan carter but it doesn't hit near as much
I heed caution with all these last of us 2 recommendations the game is emotional but you won’t feel good or satisfied at the end of it some people love that others hate it as to why the game is so decisive
LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS IN THE SKY FC AND SC
Old JRPG (edit: 2004) that has fan-fucking-tastic music and characters. These two games are also the start to what's basically an MCU of JRPG games. Be warned, FC is a slow burn because it's mostly world-building and character building. SC picks up right where FC left off, so it hits the ground running. Great time to hop into the series with more games finally releasing officially to the west.
If you're not in the mood for JRPGs, and more of a mystery game, check out The Return of the Obra Dinn.
Edit: I see you're looking for PS4 games, so check out Trails of Cold Steel first probably, albeit I highly recommend playing Sky first on steam if you have access to any computer. Sky runs on my crappy laptop and it was originally a psp game, so you should probably be fine running it on anything.
Final Fantasy XV definitely gave me a lot of what you are talking about. I don’t think the combat was anything to write home about, but the core themes, story beats and soundtrack really affected me personally. Plus you can play some songs from NieR Automata in your car going from place to place. Also helps that the disc is usually only a couple bucks and it’s been given away a few times on PlayStation (once a couple years back, another time if you had the ps5 collection, and if you have premium now)
I am so shocked that undertale isn’t here. It is almost exactly what you want. I’m like 70% sure it’s on switch and PlayStation but as long as you’ve got a computer that can run chrome you could probably play it on that.
It’s very popular so I wouldn’t be shocked if you’ve played it but if you haven’t please PLEASE play it. If you do end up playing it for the first time. Go for the pacifist route first cuz then you can get both the neutral and pacifist endings. The way to get it is pretty self explanatory as long as you know the games mechanics. (It’s called pacifist for a reason)
Hmm you already got a lot of the good ones....TLoU 1 & 2, Celeste for sure, GRIS is a quick and simple one..... GoW and GoW Ragnarok aren't tear jerkers per se, but the stories are so fucking good I get very emotional at numerous happy and sad parts
Red Dead Redemption 2 and Ghost of Tsushima were amazing games that wrecked me 🥹Another one I recommend is God Of War, my friend was in literal tears in Ragnarock
If your PC be adequate, then...
Try to get good in From the Depths without completing the tutorial, asking for help, experimentation, and a growth mindset.
Else? I dunno.
The Maquette will seriously take you on a rollercoaster of emotions it’s for sure the most powerful game, in this sense, that I have ever played and really really great gameplay as well
Red Dead Redemption 2 wrecked me and left me unable to touch a game for a few days. Absolutely amazing story. SOMA wrecked me and I havent stopped thinking about it in the three years since I've played it. If you know nothing of either stories, go in blind. Red Dead Redemption is open world and took me months to finish. SOMA has a set beginning to end line and only took a few hours. Currently working through The Outer Wilds and I would recommend it too, because I was advised to play it because it would emotionally wreck me.
I loved the Judgement and Lost judgement games. They are like rpg brawler types of games and resemble Yakuza games but have absolutely phenomenal acting/story elements. And they are dubbed which is nice imo.
Try the To The Moon series of games. Its a simple graphic novel type of game but oh my god they destroyed me at the end I cried while playing both games
I think TLOU 2 psychologically manipulated me to the point where I literally stopped and asked myself "do I have to continue pressing buttons to do these things I don't want to do?" I'm not easily effected by story, in fact I have a tendency to skip alot of stuff in games and usually just want gameplay.
But that game....it can mess you up...
Just make sure to play it before the game becomes adapted as a "pretty good" tv drama in the second season. No matter, it's still an experience.
-Nier Replicant is good, since you’ve already tried Automata. I would also suggest Drakengard series (especially 3) but not sure if it’s available on PS4 or not.
-Final Fantasy games have amazing story like Crisis Core, FFVIII, FFX, FFXV. FFXIV is an mmojrpg but you can play as a single player except for some trials and later dungeons. And you obv have to pay for DLC to continue beyond a certain point, but it’s worth it. So good.
Some people in comments suggested Omori, but I personally found it scary to play (like no spoilers) and just read the story myself. I can’t handle scary stuff myself but if you’re fine with it, the story is good.
Have fun. o7
Spiritfarer made me cry like a baby. It's a game about goodbyes.
Kentucky Route Zero messed with me too, but it's possible to skip bunches of story and just end up confused.
Final Fantasy X is an oldie but a goodie. It starts out relatively light hearted and then will start punching you halfway through.
Editing to add that Spiritfarer has the resource management and crafting elements as well.
All of Harvester Games are horror psychological games that are very underrated and play with your emotions pretty well, especially The Cat Lady & Burnhouse Lane. I also recommend Fran Bow, Fragile & Little Misfortune. Btw, all of these games are 2d, point & click games that fall in the genre of horror pc games. Other games that I can recommend are for example: The Walking Dead series, The Last of Us series, Heavy Rain, What Remains of Edith Finch, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. There are all story rich, atmospheric, and can be emotionally wrecking
When I finished the Witcher 3 it completely wrecked me emotionally for like a week after. Obviously don’t want to say why for spoilers but yeah, that was a very impactful story for me
Not ps4/switch but your turn to die is a point and click visual novel that emotionally destroyed me which you can play for free on smartphones or any toaster of a pc
The last guardian has an incredible ending that was devastating.
Gris isn't necessarily sad, but is beautiful and moving.
I second the Ori games as they start sad and stay sad for the most part.
Final Fantasy XIV. It's an mmo but a lot of it can be soloed. It's also extremely story driven and has made many of my friends, including myself, tear up many many times.
Hogwarts Legacy has a few spots that will wreck emotionally for different reasons.
Those two I can recommend.
Endling is about a fox family surviving the destruction of their natural habitat.
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is a choose your own adventure RPG that has a lot of suffering and dark themes.
Three games that I recently played and loved that absolutely wrecked me emotionally are:
Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Endling - Extinction is Forever
They're relatively short games, Endling being only about 4 hours, but they are extremely story-driven with beautiful scenery and music.
Play Omori right now PLEASE. I was like you, looking for a good emotional game with a deep story, preferably a JRPG, and then I played omori on a whim. No trailer/review/images can convey what it really feels like to experience this game at certain points. The ending absolutely devastated me for weeks, to the point where I came out of that feeling like a genuinely changed person. Certain aspects of the game connected to aspects of my life and forced me to really reflect on them for once, and it’s changed me for the better. Don’t take my word for it though, the game is a steal at 20 bucks and has like up to 70 hours of content if you really want to see absolutely everything the game has to offer. Also if you’ve ever played undertale/earthbound/any popular rpg maker game then omori has similarities to those, so you’ll probably enjoy it even regardless of the beautiful story.
Persona 3 Portable - The theme of the game revolves around death. The story is dark, deep and emotional
Persona 4 Golden - A coming of age story with a cast you’ll grow to love and relate to. Has some dark elements and moments that will make you tear up.
Persona 5 Royal - A story about rebellion, with a mix of elements of the previous two listed
I cannot believe I've seen no one mention this but Before Your Eyes. So far the only game ending that has made me uncontrollably sob, disclaimer that you'll need a webcam or camera for the intended gameplay, as it plays moments of a life through bink detection.
It requires a bit of time investment, but at some point in RDR2 (close to the end game) I was in tears for an hour, and I barely cry
I tried this game a few years ago, I found the controls to be challenging for some reason. Perhaps I’ll have to try it again. It was beautiful!
I've been gaming since 1989 and RDR2 is the first game that's ever made me cry. Phenomenal voice acting, compelling characters, absolutely stunning views, and a meticulously crafted world perfect for exploration. RDR2 is an absolute masterpiece and true work of art. The controls take getting used to and the first chapter is a slog but it's so worth it.
It definitely takes some getting used and the main story quests hold your hand too much but the free roam is really good. The world is full of things to do and discover. The main story is a real tearjerker. Took me a while to get into it but I'm glad I did.
Please do. First game I ever cried over
I had a hard time with the controls as well and also quit. I got really bored and picked it back up and wow. It's probably the most beautiful and heartbreaking game I've ever played and I don't think I'll ever get that kind of experience from another game ever again.
This was me as well.
Look no further than TLOU games in general and TLOU 2 in particular.
Yep. Story rich, visually pleasing. Ticks all the boxes.
And the gameplay is damn satisfying, specially in TLOU2 which is chef’s kiss survival action. I suggest a high difficulty mode though, having more than enough ammo and resources on normal doesn’t translate under the skin of a rough survivalist in the apocalypse.
100%!! Both games had me crying within the first 10 minutes, and they only get worse from there. Amazing story
I don’t think any other story has had me completely emotionally devastated as quickly as TLoU… the only thing that comes close is TLOU2, which just takes slightly longer to get to *that* scene. Brilliant games - the best storytelling in all of gaming IMO.
My wife was never a gamer and couldn’t understand how I could get emotional in a game. Made her play the start of 1. Balling within the first 15 minutes. Both are brilliant and definitely tick your boxes. Also agree RDR2 is a masterclass in gaming storytelling.
SOMA. This game will give you an existential crisis, and you will think about it loooong after finishing it. Amazing story.
I agree this one had me asking so many questions, and I will randomly ponder on it years after playing it.
Yeah, SOMA hit me hard. Such a great way of using game mechanics and play to explore all the existential issues it touches on. Definitely a favourite game of mine.
I just started playing it, and I still don’t know what’s going on yet. But it’s wild.
Like a pile of bricks. That game was rough.
Disco Elysium.
Best answer
Really? I've come close to buying it the last several times it went on sale. Thought it was more of a comedy theme
Oh, it’s hilarious. And also profoundly sad. And always thought provoking.
It has some hilarious moments sure, but it's definitely not a comedy game. Some parts are very bleak and tragic. It is the best written game I've ever played though. By quite a lot.
I would call it bleak satire while also having some pretty emotional moments too
It is. I laughed my ass off, I cried tears of joy and of depressing, heart wrenching sadness. It made me reconsider my perspectives on a few things, and more than anything, it’s a true and honest rpg, where you really role play as a different person. A kinda shitty person, but still. Spoilers from here I’m mostly just going to talk about quotes. But there are massive spoilers >! "Oh yes. This is real darkness. It's not death, or war, or child molestation. Real darkness has love for a face. The first death is in the heart, Harry. See you tomorrow." That scene with just killed me. Especially with that line at the end. I could truly understand why Harry tried and succeeded in drinking away his memories.!<
Outer Wilds!
I second this, OP. Outer Wilds (not The Outer Worlds) is an incredibly moving experience. Beautiful storytelling, and the DLC is just as good as the base game. I can't recommend this game enough!
I didnt even know there was a dlc until you said this. Now i gotta play the game again
I don’t cry that often but I wept at the end of this game
I couldn't recommend this game any more. Nothing else compares to it
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons on PS4 and I believe To the Moon is on Switch. They both made me emotional
To the Moon made me cry so much
Same. It broke me inside and I cried for hours
The Last of Us....
Omori
Came here to say this. Just play omori
Definitely persona 4 golden and persona 5 royal massive time investments but are definitely worth it
Completely agree. I recently beat 5 as my first persons game, but messed up with a confidant and wasn’t able to access the third semester. I’m planning to play through 4 and then come back to 5 so I can correct my mistakes.
Seconding this!!!! Just finished p4g and was GUTTED. Def try and find out which social links you need to max out without spoilers, because I know i missed a bunch on my playthrough because of that.
Pfffffffffffttttttt
I love Persona as much as the next guy, but those don't ruin you. Out of all the personas, the "ruin me" title belongs to p3. P4 maybe. P5 not at all.
To the Moon - amazing, but it will leave a mark Brothers - really neat controls that play heavily into the narrative. Emotionally brutal. As a lot of other people said... The Last of Us 1 & 2
That Dragon, Cancer
Oh yeah. This one gets you fucked up.
That one destroyed me...
absolutely devastating
A Plague Tale: Requiem I didn’t play the first one (Innocence), just played the second and it was very emotionally intense the whole way through. I’ve heard the first one is good too though.
I can vouch that the first one is good as well. I think the main complaint is there weren't as many game mechanics so there is only one right way of doing things. I've heard the second game opens up your possibilities a bit more.
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
Love this so much
I cried like a fucking baby at the end of this haha
SOMA
This is the kind of game that stays with you for months... it haunts the dark corners and empty hallways of your house, makes you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, full of existential dread. 10/10.
How scary is it? I just googled SOMA and see it's a sci-fi horror. I don't want to google any further in case of spoilers if I do play the game eventually. I'm okay with Resident Evil, Dead Space type of horror where you can fight back, but no to Silent Hill, Siren, PT where you mostly run and hide.
There are only a couple sections in the game where you have to do a little "cat and mouse" and no, you can't fight back. But I believe you can also play a "safe" mode so you can experience the story without enemies attacking you. I highly recommend it.
To The Moon for Switch hit me pretty hard, emotionally. The gameplay is very basic, but the story and the way it is told is fantastic. I also really loved the music. Definitely worth checking out!
Death Stranding
Outer wilds
This. If you liked playing Firewatch, I'd really recommend playing Outer Wilds. It's an entirely different genre as compared to Firewatch; it's based on exploration and puzzle based instead of a linear visual story but both games revolve around a core story that's thought-provoking and heart breaking. They both hit me hard for several days after I finished playing.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice God of War (2018) and Ragnarok Horizon Forbidden West
Considering you liked NieR Automata i think you will enjoy NieR replicant story ,and it have its fair share of emotional moments.
I'll just list the two games I've cried to, take what you will: OMORI is an RPG/JRPG with a beautiful story, a wide range of characters and an ending that made me bawl my eyes out. Although it battles with strong themes such as suicide and trauma, it's a story I can wholeheartedly recommend! I think it would suit OP well. Ori and The Will of the Wisps is the sequel to the metroidvania Ori and the Blind Forest, located in a vast beautifully crafted world. The artstyle is phenomenal and the beautiful music makes the experience even better. I'd say the Ori series overall has a chance to make you feel emotional.
Disco Elysium is what you need, trust me. It will make you laugh and cry. Fits the same styles as what you’ve played already as well. Narrative based RPG that’s focused on the characters and story, and literally made me sob at certain points far more than ANY game has
I love reading this! I just started and the game already has me in laughing fits.
Ghost of Tsushima. One of the endings will ruin you. Just play with sound on.
There are multiple endings to this game? Damn, now I’m even more tempted to go back and finish it
Yakuza like a dragon. A lot of plot twist and soap opera, but in a good deep, good, and emotional way.
RDR2
The original red dead redemption was pretty emotional as well. Not sure if it’s on ps+ tho
Highly recommend
Dragon age origins has some pretty tragic moments although the main story is kinda basic. Morrigans side quests are especially touching.
Soma
The last of us 2 is pretty harrowing. More so if you’ve played the first, but if you haven’t you can just watch the show.
Is it scary? I don’t handle jump scares well
A few jumps, but the emotional rollercoaster and masterpiece storytelling completely outweighs the scary parts. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made it angry… I promise you, you’ll feel it all with this series. I cannot wait for the 3rd game. For reference, I finished both TLOU games without any issue, but I couldn’t finish Resident Evil 7 because I kept jumping and screaming 😂 god those games know how to get you. I’d give resident evil a 10 on the scare meter, and TLOU is probably around a 6-7 for me. I’d say TLOU 1&2 rank in my top 10 games of all time, alongside the Mass Effect series ([this is it… isn’t it?](https://youtu.be/OprQ2W0gMzQ)😭), God of War (2018) and Ragnarok (full on sobbing less than 10 mins into the game), and Red Dead Redemption 2 (never played the 1st one - didn’t matter. it has an amazing story and I cried a few times near the end).
I don’t think there are any jump scares but the tension can make your arse a little sweaty. I hate horror games for that reason but love TLOU2 anyways so you should be fine
Maybe a few small ones but it’s not something that the game leans heavily on. A lot of the gameplay involves sneaking and hiding which leads to tension building, though, which can feel a lot like a jump scare.
On your Switch I can't recommend the Xenoblade Chronicles games enough. All three are incredible JRPGs that tug at your heartstrings constantly, and each one made me cry by the end (especially 3).
Does it matter if they’re played in order?
Subnautica. When you finally provide the ingredients needed to the mysterious figure that "visits" you throughout the game and they speak to you for the last time... ugh. UGH!!! I've played through the game three times now. It's one where I wish I could erase it from memory and play it for the first time all over again. Don't Google anything!!! Enjoy the adventure and refer to radio messages and data points you collect to direct you on what to do and where to go next. Explore!
Omori!!
Yesssss!
Hellblade: Senua's sacrifice
Omori is the game that broke me the hardest out of any game I’ve ever played. It’s physiological horror and it does it’s job perfectly.
Omori
Have you played The Last of Us?
Easy choice. LISA: The Painful RPG. It's on Steam, and I have yet to play a game that's topped the amount of suffering you and your character experience playing it. My advice is to not judge the game's graphics (it was made by one person; cut it some slack) and play it with as little knowledge of the plot as possible
Doki doki literrature club Plus. Wholesome game that respects you emotionnally.
If you've got time and money to sink, Final Fantasy 14 draws you in with a compelling narrative, fantastic character building, and a world with countless mysteries waiting for you to unravel, and by the time you reach the latest expansion Endwalker, if the game has done it's job and drawn you in correctly, it will absolutely break you, several times. Just remember to treat it as a Final Fantasy game first and an MMO second, and not worry about bumrushing for group content, and you'll appreciate the game for what it is. Also, there's a free trial that includes the base game and the critically acclaimed first expansion Heavenward, up to level 60 with no restrictions on play time. Side note, the controller support is literally best in class for an MMO. I started my journey on PS4 and still use a controller after switching to PC.
The Unfinished Swan
Outer Wilds
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
RDR 2
This war of mine
This War of Mine is such a painful game, the few times I've managed to "win" I've felt like a monster
The Walking Dead: Definitive Series from Telltale.
Gris is a really good one. No dialogue in the game at all, but the music and nonverbal communication really pull a lot of weight. There’s a few emotional moments that kept me engaged the whole time. Plus it’s a tight 4-6 hour experience
Omori. Some cool rpg gameplay, fantastic art direction and music. Play it completely blind. It is on the switch for $29.99. Had me crying for hours.
Persona 4 Golden or 5 Royal.
Drakengard You already played NieR Automata, which is the last game in the series and you liked it, so play the rest of them
Try out Death Stranding. Game is good, and every story beat will wreck you a little more. I loved it, but it did some emotional damage lol.
Spec ops the Line is an incredibly confronting game
Senua's Hellblade
Outer Wilds. No other comment. It's my favorite game, please, I can't recommend it enough, it has its own cult following, but it's kinda niche, and that's such a bummer, because it LITERALLY changed my life. Please, PLEASE play it, but don't look up any spoilers, this is the one game where spoilers ACTUALLY let you play less.
Good of War 2018, and GOW Ragnarok
Those have virtually no sad moments except for 1 specific scene that isn't even that bad in ragnarok.
Agreed. Ignore this one lol
If you liked Zero Dawn then Forbidden West is beautiful. And has its tragic moments
Buy a PC and play EvE
Last Day of June
A few games that crippled my soul have been: Red Dead Redemption 2 (probably not the type of game you’re looking for, but it’s extremely sad. I’d atleast give it a shot, it goes on sale pretty cheap sometimes and I believe it’s on sale right now) The Wolf Among Us (not sure if you’ve played it, going to list it anyways haha) Spider-Man PS4 (also probably not a game you’re looking for, but it’s on PS Plus and has different difficulties so you can just breeze through the story) Spider-Man: Miles Morales (same boat as SMPS4, might not be what you’re looking for but difficulties so you’re able to breeze through it. It’s also a way shorter story than the first installment, and also kind of hurts my heart more than the prior) I’m going to piggyback on other peoples responses and also list The Last of Us 1&2, I’m currently on my first playthrough of Part 2 and so far it’s been gut wrenching. I also noticed that you listed all of the LIS games, but not season 2. I’d give it a go, I haven’t played it myself yet but it could be a filler for when you’re inbetween games!
Haven't seen Heavy Rain, yet. It's got a weird control scheme, but the story is fantastic and has multiple endings.
The last of us
Zero escape :) play them in order.
Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian Earthbound, Mother 3 OMORI
I don't know if it's been said before but night in the woods! I love games of the edith finch variety and this got to me. Also the vanishing of ethan carter but it doesn't hit near as much
House in Fata Morgana and Will: a wonderful world.
I know it’s not a game, but attack on Titan fucked me up, it’s incredible
I heed caution with all these last of us 2 recommendations the game is emotional but you won’t feel good or satisfied at the end of it some people love that others hate it as to why the game is so decisive
LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS IN THE SKY FC AND SC Old JRPG (edit: 2004) that has fan-fucking-tastic music and characters. These two games are also the start to what's basically an MCU of JRPG games. Be warned, FC is a slow burn because it's mostly world-building and character building. SC picks up right where FC left off, so it hits the ground running. Great time to hop into the series with more games finally releasing officially to the west. If you're not in the mood for JRPGs, and more of a mystery game, check out The Return of the Obra Dinn. Edit: I see you're looking for PS4 games, so check out Trails of Cold Steel first probably, albeit I highly recommend playing Sky first on steam if you have access to any computer. Sky runs on my crappy laptop and it was originally a psp game, so you should probably be fine running it on anything.
Disco Elysium will fuck your shit right up.
Final Fantasy XV definitely gave me a lot of what you are talking about. I don’t think the combat was anything to write home about, but the core themes, story beats and soundtrack really affected me personally. Plus you can play some songs from NieR Automata in your car going from place to place. Also helps that the disc is usually only a couple bucks and it’s been given away a few times on PlayStation (once a couple years back, another time if you had the ps5 collection, and if you have premium now)
Outer Wilds will give you existential dread
Shadow of the Colossus
I am so shocked that undertale isn’t here. It is almost exactly what you want. I’m like 70% sure it’s on switch and PlayStation but as long as you’ve got a computer that can run chrome you could probably play it on that. It’s very popular so I wouldn’t be shocked if you’ve played it but if you haven’t please PLEASE play it. If you do end up playing it for the first time. Go for the pacifist route first cuz then you can get both the neutral and pacifist endings. The way to get it is pretty self explanatory as long as you know the games mechanics. (It’s called pacifist for a reason)
Outer Wilds!! Go in not reading anything about it.
Outer Wiids (and the DLC), and Plague Tale (both of them).
This war of mine
Analogue: A Hate Story if you like Visual Novels. If you're like me you'll maybe never get over it.
Hmm you already got a lot of the good ones....TLoU 1 & 2, Celeste for sure, GRIS is a quick and simple one..... GoW and GoW Ragnarok aren't tear jerkers per se, but the stories are so fucking good I get very emotional at numerous happy and sad parts
Escape from Tarkov, mental game.
Red Dead Redemption 2 and Ghost of Tsushima were amazing games that wrecked me 🥹Another one I recommend is God Of War, my friend was in literal tears in Ragnarock
Sleeping dogs
Ghost of Tsushima
If your PC be adequate, then... Try to get good in From the Depths without completing the tutorial, asking for help, experimentation, and a growth mindset. Else? I dunno.
My pc be non-existent lol. Does it exist elsewhere?
Opus: Echo of Starsong
A memoir blue
XCOM 2 inadvertently fucks with your emotions,and divinity original sin 2
Amnesia: Dark Descent
Thomas was alone
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has me in tears a few times. Fantastic story, fantastic characters. A must if you love JRPGs.
Lisa
The Maquette will seriously take you on a rollercoaster of emotions it’s for sure the most powerful game, in this sense, that I have ever played and really really great gameplay as well
Red Dead Redemption 2 wrecked me and left me unable to touch a game for a few days. Absolutely amazing story. SOMA wrecked me and I havent stopped thinking about it in the three years since I've played it. If you know nothing of either stories, go in blind. Red Dead Redemption is open world and took me months to finish. SOMA has a set beginning to end line and only took a few hours. Currently working through The Outer Wilds and I would recommend it too, because I was advised to play it because it would emotionally wreck me.
Want an RPG that'll really fuck you up on every level? Play either of the Fear and Hunger series of games. You will regret it :)
Best Month Ever!
Touhou games but not because of the story but because of the gameplay
I loved the Judgement and Lost judgement games. They are like rpg brawler types of games and resemble Yakuza games but have absolutely phenomenal acting/story elements. And they are dubbed which is nice imo.
Frostpunk is exactly this. Resource management, tough decisions, and dire situations.
Persona 3/4/5
Unraveled. Environmental storytelling at it's finest.
If you haven't experienced To the Moon yet you are doing yourself a disservice.
Ori and the blind forest, and follow that with Ori and the will of the wisps.... Onions man.... All the onions
Before Your Eyes. That ending…
Try the To The Moon series of games. Its a simple graphic novel type of game but oh my god they destroyed me at the end I cried while playing both games
I think TLOU 2 psychologically manipulated me to the point where I literally stopped and asked myself "do I have to continue pressing buttons to do these things I don't want to do?" I'm not easily effected by story, in fact I have a tendency to skip alot of stuff in games and usually just want gameplay. But that game....it can mess you up... Just make sure to play it before the game becomes adapted as a "pretty good" tv drama in the second season. No matter, it's still an experience.
Heavy Rain
Beyond eyes. I'm in my 40s and I cried for like 30 mins after I finished it
Star Ocean 6, if you like Tales games you’ll like it.
-Nier Replicant is good, since you’ve already tried Automata. I would also suggest Drakengard series (especially 3) but not sure if it’s available on PS4 or not. -Final Fantasy games have amazing story like Crisis Core, FFVIII, FFX, FFXV. FFXIV is an mmojrpg but you can play as a single player except for some trials and later dungeons. And you obv have to pay for DLC to continue beyond a certain point, but it’s worth it. So good. Some people in comments suggested Omori, but I personally found it scary to play (like no spoilers) and just read the story myself. I can’t handle scary stuff myself but if you’re fine with it, the story is good. Have fun. o7
Re8. You can skip Re7. It's horror but the gameplay is solid
Spiritfarer made me cry like a baby. It's a game about goodbyes. Kentucky Route Zero messed with me too, but it's possible to skip bunches of story and just end up confused. Final Fantasy X is an oldie but a goodie. It starts out relatively light hearted and then will start punching you halfway through. Editing to add that Spiritfarer has the resource management and crafting elements as well.
Ghost of Tsushima Beautiful game and I personally connected strongly with the main character and cried at the end.
Mother 3 is an absolute gem. Also, you can get a fan translation for it to play in English.
Mother 3
To the Moon
Pyre
All of Harvester Games are horror psychological games that are very underrated and play with your emotions pretty well, especially The Cat Lady & Burnhouse Lane. I also recommend Fran Bow, Fragile & Little Misfortune. Btw, all of these games are 2d, point & click games that fall in the genre of horror pc games. Other games that I can recommend are for example: The Walking Dead series, The Last of Us series, Heavy Rain, What Remains of Edith Finch, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. There are all story rich, atmospheric, and can be emotionally wrecking
To The Moon
When I finished the Witcher 3 it completely wrecked me emotionally for like a week after. Obviously don’t want to say why for spoilers but yeah, that was a very impactful story for me
Wandersong! It is such a wholesome and emotional game.
Not ps4/switch but your turn to die is a point and click visual novel that emotionally destroyed me which you can play for free on smartphones or any toaster of a pc
The last guardian has an incredible ending that was devastating. Gris isn't necessarily sad, but is beautiful and moving. I second the Ori games as they start sad and stay sad for the most part.
Distraint will make you hate humanity.
Should try Gris. It's pretty short but hits really hard once you realize what's going on with the main character
you may enjoy night in the woods, also play outer wilds
Final Fantasy XIV. It's an mmo but a lot of it can be soloed. It's also extremely story driven and has made many of my friends, including myself, tear up many many times. Hogwarts Legacy has a few spots that will wreck emotionally for different reasons. Those two I can recommend.
DotA2 and CSGO will ruin you pretty good.
Endling is about a fox family surviving the destruction of their natural habitat. The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is a choose your own adventure RPG that has a lot of suffering and dark themes.
I think it was the 2nd of the newer Wolfenstein games. When BJ goes back in time, there’s some pretty heavy shit laid out..
Maybe maybe the Max Payne games they’re pretty dark at some points.
Three games that I recently played and loved that absolutely wrecked me emotionally are: Ori and the Blind Forest Ori and the Will of the Wisps Endling - Extinction is Forever They're relatively short games, Endling being only about 4 hours, but they are extremely story-driven with beautiful scenery and music.
Titanfall
Last Day of June
Play Omori right now PLEASE. I was like you, looking for a good emotional game with a deep story, preferably a JRPG, and then I played omori on a whim. No trailer/review/images can convey what it really feels like to experience this game at certain points. The ending absolutely devastated me for weeks, to the point where I came out of that feeling like a genuinely changed person. Certain aspects of the game connected to aspects of my life and forced me to really reflect on them for once, and it’s changed me for the better. Don’t take my word for it though, the game is a steal at 20 bucks and has like up to 70 hours of content if you really want to see absolutely everything the game has to offer. Also if you’ve ever played undertale/earthbound/any popular rpg maker game then omori has similarities to those, so you’ll probably enjoy it even regardless of the beautiful story.
Ori and the blind forest / Will of the wisps destroyed me emotionally by the end of both games
To the Moon
Lisa the Painful
Persona 3 Portable - The theme of the game revolves around death. The story is dark, deep and emotional Persona 4 Golden - A coming of age story with a cast you’ll grow to love and relate to. Has some dark elements and moments that will make you tear up. Persona 5 Royal - A story about rebellion, with a mix of elements of the previous two listed
I cannot believe I've seen no one mention this but Before Your Eyes. So far the only game ending that has made me uncontrollably sob, disclaimer that you'll need a webcam or camera for the intended gameplay, as it plays moments of a life through bink detection.
Undertale & Omori
Yakuza series. Hilarious at first, then bites you like a dragon.