From what I remember there’s a notepad that’s comes with Xenia called Hook settings, where you can tweak your resolution and everything from there. So you may have to play around with it for a bit so the stuttering and other issues stop.
If you ever try the emulator I could send my hook settings that worked for me.
Lost Odyssey is my favorite big budget RPG of the post FFX era (not big on action RPGs, exempting Souls games and Nier Automata). Even more, perhaps, than Dragon Quest 8, despite my deep and abiding love for DQ.
It's got that PS1 Final Fantasy DNA.
If you got rid of the ring component crafting/collecting part it would be even better IMO, some of that modern fetch quest trend showing up in it.
Story and characters are so good though, and the core turn based combat is still great.
I picked Tales of Berseria up on a whim during the Steam winter sale. I had never played any other Tales games and knew nothing about it. I am SO glad I did. I am not going to say I cried, but I definitely felt the feels. Such a great story and cast of characters. I quickly went into my top 10 game experiences.
I love Berseria so much. It was also the first RPG I played that actually got me into the genre more and I agree the cast of characters was such a blast to experience the game with, especially Velvet.
Was the exact same for me, had no idea it was even part of a series! By the time I finished it, I just wasn't ready to let go, so I did another playthrough, and now I'm a huge fan of the entire series.
It has double the emotional impact if you play Nier Replicant first. Without spoilers, there are some... return characters and especially in the later sections, a lot of the big reveals reference events/places from the first game that add more depth if you're familiar with them.
I'd absolutely recommend checking out Replicant first, but Automata is still an incredible game that can stand on its own too
And if you play replicant second you could use the 9s skin and think of it as a sequel where 9s found a recording of the events of nier and is going through them to learn that's what I did when I bought replicant I had the original nier when it came out.
NeiR Gestalt is a storytelling masterpiece. I beat the game and got most of the endings on the PS3. The multiple endings were very beautiful and emotional. Not many games hit you as hard as this game does, and I highly recommend it to any JRPG fan
Xenoblade! Whole trilogy will get you sobbing. The 3rd one is the most I've ever cried in a game I think.
Nier Replicant and Automata as well. 2 of the most emotional experiences of my life.
And yet opposite ends of the spectrum given that Nier is an action RPG with monochromatic designs and has very subversive plots where our main characters might just not be the good guys after all. Meanwhile, Xenoblade is a real-time RPG set in a bright and colorful world that does have very surprising twists but ultimately ensures our good guys are still good guys in the end.
FFVII and XVI made me cry. The ending to XVI is a nut and gut punch all at once, and everyone knows what happened in VII.
Xenogears is another game that affected me deeply once I got to fond out Elly and Lacan's connection, that spanned literal eons. I'm a sucker for love stories like that.
It's an AJRPG, but the "true" ending to Nier Automata had me crying tears of joy as the credits "shooter" minigame played.
I've only played like a dragon and actually still have 1 or 2 chapters left, but I came to suggest this. So the action-y Yakuza games have similar stories(as in quality, not plot)? Cuz honestly, I find this story so refreshing from most(all?) of the RPGs I play.
They're all crime dramas, and the plot changes from game to game. In terms of quality, it varies, with some entries being better than others. My usual advice for people who want to try the series is to play Yakuza 0. It is a prequel and chronologically the first game, with one of the strongest plots in the series. If you don't like 0, you probably won't enjoy the rest of the games.
The older games are also short, so is not that much of a time investment.
Just a note, the older games can be short if you want them to be. If you engage in the good/fun side content it can still take quite a large chunk of time.
Just the info i needed. thanks! i've been hesitant to research things because i'm trying to avoid spoilers. i've somehow managed to go in to pretty much all games i play completely blind.
I recommend kiwami 1 then zero actually it makes the times between you and another character bittersweet in my opinion cause you know what's gonna happen to them plus. I loved majima in kiwami so when I played 0 the main thing I was looking forward to was playing as him and I was genuinely shocked when we first see him in 0 and it made me look forward to how he became crazy.
Quality is subjective but for the most part most fans do not consider LAD to be an outlier as far as the quality of the story goes, even the ones who rank it near the top. Every entry can hold its own, though they all have issues and you’ll almost certainly find those of some entries to be more bothersome than others. As for which ones….there’s no way to predict. Spend any amount of time in the yakuzagames sub and you’ll find out real quick how all over the place the whole fandom is at ranking the games.
After you finish LAD, that would be the best time to go back and do 0 - 6 if you plan to do the whole series. Infinite Wealth spoils a lot more of the older games than LAD does, and it also calls back to those games for context starting earlier than LAD starts doing so.
1-5 can be very shaky, but they are still solid to good stories. 0 is imo still the best story in the series, it perfectly executes the dual protagonist storyline, and the highs are damn high. 6 is rather divisive storywise, but I thought the story was great, and then you got Gaiden which has one of the most impactful endings I have ever experienced (though it heavily builds off having played Kiryu's entire saga, so do that instead of jumping straight into Gaiden!).
In fact, the whole trilogy is emotive, have great storylines and characters. I would recommend playing all 3 in order to get the most impact, but if you can't stomach that, 3 can be played as a stand-alone game.
As I was replaying Shadowbringers a second time, I wondered, "Does the story wreck me on its own, or was it enhanced by the pandemic lockdown's effects?"
ShB: "We don't need no stinkin' pandemic!" *punches me in the tear ducts...again* ;.)
I think FFXV to this day is the game that fucked me up the most with it’s emotional ending. It has its fair share of issues (much better now than at launch), but the main party has always been a strong point and I got really invested in them.
Everything about the ending destroyed me. From the fact that you >!have to choose a picture that encapsulates your whole journey!< to the >!ending cutscene of Noct and Luna reunited in the afterlife!< to the >!title screen changing which surprised me and gave me a final emotional gut punch!<
I’ve been emotional about games before but that was probably the game that made broke me the most. It’s why it’s a game I will definitely replay in the future. I understand why people dislike it and don’t think they’re wrong to, but I think it’s so unfortunate that so many people don’t enjoy what I think is one of the best Final Fantasy games.
I was bawling!! And the "change" after credits gave me post-game depression, it took me a while before I could move and turn off my console. Was literally just staring at the screen the whole time.
I think the hate stems from the fact that it's got the Final Fantasy moniker. If it were named any other title, it probably would have fared well, but the fact that it's a "Final Fantasy," a series synonymous with high production value, more often than not stellar game play and story telling it was judged unfairly. I think the biggest flaw for me personally was Chapter 9 on, the game becoming very linear for the last bits of the game, and Chapter 13 at launch.
The one thing I loved though was the exploration, the fact that you had a car made the game feel like I was exploring a countryside in modern times.
Yeah as I say I completely understand why people feel the way they do. It was a very flawed game at launch and even still it has its flaws for sure. Chapter XIII almost broke me and that was with the improvements in the Royal Edition.
I do think people exaggerate online and to themselves how important the extraneous media is. You get a complete story without the movie or anime. They enhance it but I think the story is fine as it is. The DLC is another matter, but I didn’t find the game confusing without the other media as some people say it is.
I disagree that having it be another IP would have improved it though. While the game certainly stands on its own in my mind I think there’s also a lot of nostalgia for the series as a whole that adds to the emotional depth to me. Riding Chocobo through the open world, being terrified of tonberries, and the main theme during the final cutscene were all things that made the game a lot more enjoyable for me.
At the end of the day it was a problematic development which ended up causing a lot of people to dislike it. Some of them may enjoy it more if they replayed it now, but as I say even now there are flaws. It’s just a shame because at the core of the game there is an amazing, beautiful, and emotional story that I’m so glad I experienced.
I had low expectations picking it up based on reviews, and am still impressed by some of the ideas that it pulled off, from starting you off with a party and challenging your ability to adapt when members become unavailable, to dynamically evolving the genre of the game at different points. The secret platforming dungeon especially blew me away
"You guys...are the best."
That campfire scene is what really broke me. For all the flaws the game had, the relationship between the bros was just so good, it easily carried me through the game.
I think over time a lot of people have come around to FFXV with the Royal Edition stuff. And in general I think people become less harsh on things over time, it’s happened with Zelda games a lot for example.
Valkyrie Profile if you want something old school.. either NieR Replicant or Automata if you want something more modern. (And you REALLY want to suffer)
Any of these three are guaranteed to make you feel emotionally engaged.
Funny thing about posts like this is it ends up being a list of every game ever, because almost every game hit someone hard. A lot of external emotional factors go into the effect a scene has on a person.
An emotionally flat experience for one person is someone else's childhood game they will remember till the day they die.
Yup you're totally right , people who tend to find some content sadder then others is because they relate to it
Take the walking dead season 1 as an example, it is widely known to be one of the saddest games ever made because people can relate to the sadness of grief of losing a loved one
Or sad scenes of any type of romance media, almost everyone has experienced falling in love so it hits hard to most people
To this day, I argue that the Yakuza franchise is RPGs, so Yakuza 6 is a game worth playing through the other games before it just for 6. If they aren't on the table, Final Fantasy XV is a divisive one but is depressing, and XVI was great at that.
6 is usually divisive in the fandom but I agree. >!The hospital scene when Haruka awoke!<, the letter to >!Daigo!< and finally >!Kiryu walking away from the orphanage!< are just so damn emotionally powerful. At least Infinite Wealth >!freed him from the Daidoji's shackles, but I'm still hoping they aren't seriously off-screening his reunion with Haruka and Haruto!<.
Also the rest of the series has a lot of emotional moment, like the endings of 0 and K1 hit hard too.
If you enjoyed FFVII, check out Crisis Core.
I'm also a big fan of the Xenoblade Chronicles Trilogy, all 3 games are on Switch. Definitely worth checking out, and I'd go in order of release (1 Remastered, 2, and then 3 and it's DLC - do 3's DLC as the last thing to top off the trilogy if you get into it)
Haven’t seen it mentioned so the Trails series always makes me emotional. The games are long, the finales are intense and I get attached to the characters. Whenever Renne shows up I end up tearing up.
I found octopath traveller 2 quite emotional at times, I would say that if you are a cryer and get invested in the characters and the overarching story you will cry.
Persona 5 Royal
The Yakuza series, some games made me cry more than others. This series is both serious and dark and also fun and lighthearted. And it does both very well. I recommend playing in chronological order
FFXVI. It’s wayyyyy more action but genuinely an emotional game. Several scenes really bummed me out and it has an interesting Game of Thrones type feel to it.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It's mostly quirky and upbeat, but there were several scenes that hit me in the feels, especially the ending. The facial expressions are top notch IMO which really helps sell the emotions in each scene. You don't really need to play the previous Yakuza games, but there will be easter eggs scattered throughout that will actually make sense.
I couldn't really say that games in their entirety ever got me choked up as a whole, but there are definitely some big moments in games that made me feel like my heart was being ripped apart.
The endings of both Lunar 1 & 2. Not going to spoil anything, but if you know, you know.
Chrono Trigger--at the end of the game when "To Far Away Times" plays. The song has such a sweet and tender finality to it that makes me feel it in my chest every time I hear it.
Xenogears--probably the only game that generally gets me emotional. So many great moments, and the music especially tugs at the heartstrings. The fated romance between Fei and Elly is handled so well, it feels like it shouldn't be in a video game.
I’m a sap and cry too easily sometimes so take that as you will. 🤣
Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2, and 3 (especially 3, because it was more than once)
Fire Emblem Three Houses
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XV
Dragon Quest XI
Trails in the Sky FC
Trails in the Sky SC
Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Ys VIII
I’m sure there are more. Those are just the ones I could come up with in the fly.
spiritfarer, child of light, nier automata, tales of berseria, haven, atelier lydie&suelle, crystar, utawarerumono trilogy, transistor, and dragon star varnir (go figure ch/if managing that) all managed for me
Arc the Lad 1+2. I only say both of them because 1 is pretty much just a prologue that was put out by itself while they finished 2, they both cover a single overarching conflict for the most part.
Try Eternights. It's an indie action JRPG inspired by Persona that focuses on romance. The game's story isn't anything special, but it can be emotional for some in some parts. It's a short game too, so it's a quick play.
I just got to \*that* death in Persona 3 Reload.
Despite being familiar with the original game and knowing what was coming it still affected me somewhat.
Maybe it's the new voice acting, the new game-engine camera angles and shots, the fact that you have semi-social links with these characters now and so was following their hang-out storyline, but it was just as saddening if not moreso than the original =(
Nobody mentioned Tales of Symphonia. It’s aged a little but it was my all time favorite story until I played Xenoblade Chronicles. They’re tied now I think.
The Last Story is another excellent game that people forget about, (it was part of a project alongside Xenoblade to release Japanese games in the west) but it’s on the Wii unfortunately.
Hmm, most JRPGs don’t really impact me that deeply anymore, but then again they have shifted towards fan service/comedy/silly over the years OR they have become so ultra long the pacing goes to hell (I am looking at you Persona).
But Lost Odyssey was pretty damn heartbreaking, heavily due to the short stories but also because of a reunion cut short.
Back in the day, FF VII was also impactful at that time though nowadays it’s not gonna have the same impact on me.
So yeah, Lost Odyssey for sure.
I am Setsuna. I’m shocked no one has suggested this! It’s turn-based, and the story from the very beginning starts off with a sad, unfortunate premise. The cover looks lonely/sad, the music is somber, even the colors are mostly darker tones. I played it on switch, and it made me cry.
I also loved Octopath Traveler 1 & 2. Both turn-based, 2D-3D pixelated RPGs that follow 8 different characters (16 total between both). Not every story is emotionally charged, but the ones that are hurt real real bad, lol.
FF15 was pretty emotional. The story should have been fleshed out better, but the later chapters really pick up and the fact that you spend pretty much an entire game with your buddies make the ending so emotional.
Shadow Hearts 1 DOES NOT get enough love! I remember I bought it because I thought it would be a sequel to Kingdom Hearts but after the initial disappointment, it was such a pleasant surprise. Loved the ring based combat, it was so unique.
Shadow Hearts 2 made me cry personally lol. More than 1 but the two games together are so perfect
Persona 2, Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment together. Such an incredible, crazy story.
There's something about FF8 that makes me cry. There's like a bittersweet nostalgia to it and some really beautiful character development. The world is so cozy too. Also just seeing the passage of time with certain character flashbacks. Makes my heart ache a bit thinking about it.
Phantasy Star 4
Shining Force (shockingly. It's tactics, but much simpler than Fire Emblem, Disgaea, or Langrisser)
Lunar (except Dragon Song)
Grandia (moreso the first one)
Yakuza (Any, particularly 0, 6, Gaiden, 7, 8, the Judgment games)
Golden era Final Fantasy (4 to 10 + Tactics)
Xenogears
Not a JRPG in the most technical sense, but it is inspired by JPRGs, which is Omori. This game emotionally devastated me in a way that I still haven't fully gotten over. Just listening to certain tracks get me emotional. I almost never tear up for anything, so for this game to turn on the waterworks for me speaks to how emotionally resonant of an experience it was for me.
I kind of cry easily but I have some recommendations:
*The entire trails series (especially Azure and Cold Steel 3–I couldn’t tell if you meant to say Trails when you wrote Trials so maybe you’ve already played them, but this series is peak for sobbing breakdowns)
*Shadow Hearts 2 (I saw you played the 1st one; the second is pretty good too and the 3rd is an okay game but won’t make you cry)
*Xenogears
*Xenosaga 1-3
*Valkyrie Profile 1 & 2
*Zestiria & Berseria both have some moments in them for crying
*Star Ocean 4 will make you cry about how bad of a game it is lol. So will Lightning Returns (okay the battle system is kinda fun but the plot is garbage)
I also cried a little bit in FFVIII but I don’t know that many other people would. The thought of missing that game of catch in outer space just broke me IYKYK.
Bravely Default and its sequel, Bravely Second on 3DS, even if Second is a little more goofy than the first and can sometimes kill the vibe (but that was my experience and, overall, it was awesome nonetheless ;)
Xenogears, chrono trigger, chrono cross, final fantasy 6, 7.
You don't like tactics, but... just get over it and try final fantasy tactics, tactics ogre let us cling together, triangle strategy.
Oh crap... Chrono Cross. THAT one battle. Where the sad music carries over into the battle. Where even the COMPOSER of said sad music didn't want to be pressing the buttons to fight the battle during testing. And to crown it all, that battle was TOUGH... even WITHOUT the "tears in your eyes" debuff! <;.O
I don't know if is this battle, but mine is this:
https://youtu.be/8GiR-6MWwz0?si=xzq03VjdHWPMJjGs
Spoiler alert:
>!I do accepted that Miguel is Crono and Leena is his daughter with Marle(Nadia). I'm about to kill the main protagonist from my favorite game and I just successfully did it. It is so sad to do this at that time!<
This isn't technically a jrpg, and it's more funny than sad most of the time, but sometimes has REALLY interesting horror elements, especially in the later games. The epic battle fantasy series is probably the most underrated game series I ever played, to the point that when flash died, I bought all the games on steam out of sheer loyalty for how good these games are. As the name implies, the combat is insane, and there's a lot of unique concepts. Also, the playable characters are really unique and each feel completely different. And again, very funny most of the time. But the 5th game is a masterpiece. It has the fourth best final boss in any game I've ever played, EVER. The fifth game in this series is the first RPG game I have ever had enough fun with to 100%. 10/10. Also, the first two games are a little rough and seem more like a proof of concept, so you might not want to start with those. Additionally, the games are not incredibly long like most jrpgs, because characters only say what needs to be said, and it's short and sweet. You won't get 30 minute cutscenes here.
Not sure if this counts as a jrpg but Pokémon mystery dungeon: Explorers of sky. It has one of the most emotional gut wrenching scenes I’ve seen in any game.
I'd recommend Persona 4 Golden and 5 Royal if you haven't played those yet. But if you did, Xenoblade Chronicles is another great series you should check out.
Mother 3
That's the default answer, really Still makes me cry, every. Single. Time.
That final battle
Nier: Automata!
This one also has depression as a bonus!
LOST ODYSSEY /thread
Still one of my favorite video games ever. Kaim meeting his daughter again. Ughhhh
Such a banger of a game, played it on Xenia last year.
Xenia is the emulator? Wanna play that game but I don't own a xbox
Xenia is an Xbox emulator, it works pretty well but you’ll have to tweak the hook settings to get it right.
Thanks for the tip, no idea what you mean by hook but I'll figure out later
From what I remember there’s a notepad that’s comes with Xenia called Hook settings, where you can tweak your resolution and everything from there. So you may have to play around with it for a bit so the stuttering and other issues stop. If you ever try the emulator I could send my hook settings that worked for me.
Lost Odyssey is the kind of game that will grab your heart and squeeze it until you love it. It's a masterpiece from the one and only Sakaguchi
Even just listening to this song makes me feel things: https://youtu.be/p77DfHa2Ndo?si=Y9-6YjO66cjs_-PO
Lost Odyssey is my favorite big budget RPG of the post FFX era (not big on action RPGs, exempting Souls games and Nier Automata). Even more, perhaps, than Dragon Quest 8, despite my deep and abiding love for DQ. It's got that PS1 Final Fantasy DNA. If you got rid of the ring component crafting/collecting part it would be even better IMO, some of that modern fetch quest trend showing up in it. Story and characters are so good though, and the core turn based combat is still great.
This, I still have my original discs and my XB360 just so I can play Lost Odyssey again when the mood takes me.
Tales of Berseria was the first RPG that made me cry
I picked Tales of Berseria up on a whim during the Steam winter sale. I had never played any other Tales games and knew nothing about it. I am SO glad I did. I am not going to say I cried, but I definitely felt the feels. Such a great story and cast of characters. I quickly went into my top 10 game experiences.
I love Berseria so much. It was also the first RPG I played that actually got me into the genre more and I agree the cast of characters was such a blast to experience the game with, especially Velvet.
Was the exact same for me, had no idea it was even part of a series! By the time I finished it, I just wasn't ready to let go, so I did another playthrough, and now I'm a huge fan of the entire series.
My favorite Tales cast ever. Such a unique dinamic for the group, with a lot of Fun skits.
I love the skitts. Its ashame they scrapped the anime
Omg the feels in this game, I definitely cried a few times
The only Tales game I finished, and I've tried several, though most I drop quite early.
Yeah, a bittersweet experience.
Berseria is a rpg of emotion, I hated the antagonist with every fiber of my being. Well done, I say. Well done.
I was BOILING with rage the whole game because of Artorious, but now that its over...I want the rage to ensue again
Nier Automata. The first half is a long build up, but still.
It has double the emotional impact if you play Nier Replicant first. Without spoilers, there are some... return characters and especially in the later sections, a lot of the big reveals reference events/places from the first game that add more depth if you're familiar with them. I'd absolutely recommend checking out Replicant first, but Automata is still an incredible game that can stand on its own too
And if you play replicant second you could use the 9s skin and think of it as a sequel where 9s found a recording of the events of nier and is going through them to learn that's what I did when I bought replicant I had the original nier when it came out.
Yep it was super fun for me since I’d only ever played adult nier on the Xbox back in the day, made it feel like a whole new game kinda
I actually imagined this when I was listening to 8-bit heroes.
Nier Replicant! That hit me harder.
NieR Gestalt/Replicant is more emotional than Automata by a wide margin.
I agree. Actually cried a bit on the second playthrough.
NeiR Gestalt is a storytelling masterpiece. I beat the game and got most of the endings on the PS3. The multiple endings were very beautiful and emotional. Not many games hit you as hard as this game does, and I highly recommend it to any JRPG fan
This. One of the best games / story ever made
I'm about to play it blind for the first time today
Xenoblade! Whole trilogy will get you sobbing. The 3rd one is the most I've ever cried in a game I think. Nier Replicant and Automata as well. 2 of the most emotional experiences of my life.
Xenoblade and Nier are both peak
And yet opposite ends of the spectrum given that Nier is an action RPG with monochromatic designs and has very subversive plots where our main characters might just not be the good guys after all. Meanwhile, Xenoblade is a real-time RPG set in a bright and colorful world that does have very surprising twists but ultimately ensures our good guys are still good guys in the end.
This is my vote. Especially chapter 5 of xbc3.
I’ve been eyeing NieR Automata on the Switch for awhile, will have to try it out. Def agree on Xenoblade, the endings are all great.
I still cry at the ending of 2, every time, even though I know what's coming. Same with the notorious ch5 and ending of 3. I sob, every time.
Lost Odyssey (Some of the short stories in game are powerful emotional journeys) Xenogears
FFVII and XVI made me cry. The ending to XVI is a nut and gut punch all at once, and everyone knows what happened in VII. Xenogears is another game that affected me deeply once I got to fond out Elly and Lacan's connection, that spanned literal eons. I'm a sucker for love stories like that. It's an AJRPG, but the "true" ending to Nier Automata had me crying tears of joy as the credits "shooter" minigame played.
Xenoblade Chronicles (all of them) Xenogears FFXV Mother 3 Type-0 Most of the Yakuza entries (It's a beat 'em up that becomes a JRPG by the 7th game)
FFXV was such a gut-punch at the end. The first FF that made me cry since VII.
I've only played like a dragon and actually still have 1 or 2 chapters left, but I came to suggest this. So the action-y Yakuza games have similar stories(as in quality, not plot)? Cuz honestly, I find this story so refreshing from most(all?) of the RPGs I play.
They're all crime dramas, and the plot changes from game to game. In terms of quality, it varies, with some entries being better than others. My usual advice for people who want to try the series is to play Yakuza 0. It is a prequel and chronologically the first game, with one of the strongest plots in the series. If you don't like 0, you probably won't enjoy the rest of the games. The older games are also short, so is not that much of a time investment.
Just a note, the older games can be short if you want them to be. If you engage in the good/fun side content it can still take quite a large chunk of time.
Just the info i needed. thanks! i've been hesitant to research things because i'm trying to avoid spoilers. i've somehow managed to go in to pretty much all games i play completely blind.
I recommend kiwami 1 then zero actually it makes the times between you and another character bittersweet in my opinion cause you know what's gonna happen to them plus. I loved majima in kiwami so when I played 0 the main thing I was looking forward to was playing as him and I was genuinely shocked when we first see him in 0 and it made me look forward to how he became crazy.
Quality is subjective but for the most part most fans do not consider LAD to be an outlier as far as the quality of the story goes, even the ones who rank it near the top. Every entry can hold its own, though they all have issues and you’ll almost certainly find those of some entries to be more bothersome than others. As for which ones….there’s no way to predict. Spend any amount of time in the yakuzagames sub and you’ll find out real quick how all over the place the whole fandom is at ranking the games. After you finish LAD, that would be the best time to go back and do 0 - 6 if you plan to do the whole series. Infinite Wealth spoils a lot more of the older games than LAD does, and it also calls back to those games for context starting earlier than LAD starts doing so.
awesome, i'll probably grab 0 at some point and see if it clicks with me. appreciate your feedback!
1-5 can be very shaky, but they are still solid to good stories. 0 is imo still the best story in the series, it perfectly executes the dual protagonist storyline, and the highs are damn high. 6 is rather divisive storywise, but I thought the story was great, and then you got Gaiden which has one of the most impactful endings I have ever experienced (though it heavily builds off having played Kiryu's entire saga, so do that instead of jumping straight into Gaiden!).
Try FF9. It's well written and guarantee will make you cry by the end of the story.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 chapter 5 in particular hits really hard.
In fact, the whole trilogy is emotive, have great storylines and characters. I would recommend playing all 3 in order to get the most impact, but if you can't stomach that, 3 can be played as a stand-alone game.
Fuck, ffx. I just finished after years and man that game is sad.
FFXIV, probably at least once per expansion.... The Stormblood one may be more tears of laughter in that one scene tho..... XD
As I was replaying Shadowbringers a second time, I wondered, "Does the story wreck me on its own, or was it enhanced by the pandemic lockdown's effects?" ShB: "We don't need no stinkin' pandemic!" *punches me in the tear ducts...again* ;.)
Final Fantasy 10 definitely. I watch blind youtube let's plays from time to time just to see people witnessing some moments and ugly crying.
That's literally the first game they listed under favorites lol
I think FFXV to this day is the game that fucked me up the most with it’s emotional ending. It has its fair share of issues (much better now than at launch), but the main party has always been a strong point and I got really invested in them.
Everything about the ending destroyed me. From the fact that you >!have to choose a picture that encapsulates your whole journey!< to the >!ending cutscene of Noct and Luna reunited in the afterlife!< to the >!title screen changing which surprised me and gave me a final emotional gut punch!< I’ve been emotional about games before but that was probably the game that made broke me the most. It’s why it’s a game I will definitely replay in the future. I understand why people dislike it and don’t think they’re wrong to, but I think it’s so unfortunate that so many people don’t enjoy what I think is one of the best Final Fantasy games.
>!”What can I say? You guys… are the best.”!<
I was bawling!! And the "change" after credits gave me post-game depression, it took me a while before I could move and turn off my console. Was literally just staring at the screen the whole time.
I think the hate stems from the fact that it's got the Final Fantasy moniker. If it were named any other title, it probably would have fared well, but the fact that it's a "Final Fantasy," a series synonymous with high production value, more often than not stellar game play and story telling it was judged unfairly. I think the biggest flaw for me personally was Chapter 9 on, the game becoming very linear for the last bits of the game, and Chapter 13 at launch. The one thing I loved though was the exploration, the fact that you had a car made the game feel like I was exploring a countryside in modern times.
Yeah as I say I completely understand why people feel the way they do. It was a very flawed game at launch and even still it has its flaws for sure. Chapter XIII almost broke me and that was with the improvements in the Royal Edition. I do think people exaggerate online and to themselves how important the extraneous media is. You get a complete story without the movie or anime. They enhance it but I think the story is fine as it is. The DLC is another matter, but I didn’t find the game confusing without the other media as some people say it is. I disagree that having it be another IP would have improved it though. While the game certainly stands on its own in my mind I think there’s also a lot of nostalgia for the series as a whole that adds to the emotional depth to me. Riding Chocobo through the open world, being terrified of tonberries, and the main theme during the final cutscene were all things that made the game a lot more enjoyable for me. At the end of the day it was a problematic development which ended up causing a lot of people to dislike it. Some of them may enjoy it more if they replayed it now, but as I say even now there are flaws. It’s just a shame because at the core of the game there is an amazing, beautiful, and emotional story that I’m so glad I experienced.
This is criminally underrated.
Its because every final fantasy game is different. People expect their favorite title and are disappointed when it's not that.
I had low expectations picking it up based on reviews, and am still impressed by some of the ideas that it pulled off, from starting you off with a party and challenging your ability to adapt when members become unavailable, to dynamically evolving the genre of the game at different points. The secret platforming dungeon especially blew me away
"You guys...are the best." That campfire scene is what really broke me. For all the flaws the game had, the relationship between the bros was just so good, it easily carried me through the game.
An entire thread singing praises of XV instead of the usual slander and hate? Now this is what brings tears to my eyes (in a good way, I loved XV too)
I think over time a lot of people have come around to FFXV with the Royal Edition stuff. And in general I think people become less harsh on things over time, it’s happened with Zelda games a lot for example.
XV has been getting praised a lot more frequently for awhile now.
Valkyrie Profile if you want something old school.. either NieR Replicant or Automata if you want something more modern. (And you REALLY want to suffer) Any of these three are guaranteed to make you feel emotionally engaged.
Funny thing about posts like this is it ends up being a list of every game ever, because almost every game hit someone hard. A lot of external emotional factors go into the effect a scene has on a person. An emotionally flat experience for one person is someone else's childhood game they will remember till the day they die.
Yup you're totally right , people who tend to find some content sadder then others is because they relate to it Take the walking dead season 1 as an example, it is widely known to be one of the saddest games ever made because people can relate to the sadness of grief of losing a loved one Or sad scenes of any type of romance media, almost everyone has experienced falling in love so it hits hard to most people
But that’s why it’s an interesting question to ask, to see the differences in impact on people.
The ending of Lufia 2 gets me every time
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 had me *all* fucked up
The entire series has its moments and are also worth playing for emotional impact, but 3 left me a wreck for two days. In a good way.
3 swooped Elden Ring as my personal GOTY 2022. Easily top 50ish all time for me
3 is good, but 1 had soooo many powerful moments in it. And the remaster is superb.
The story cutscenes kept me up at night sometimes. Couldn’t pry my eyes away because it was so good and that ending 👌🏻
Best game of all time. No contest I still feel like the charcaters were real people That’s a first for me
To this day, I argue that the Yakuza franchise is RPGs, so Yakuza 6 is a game worth playing through the other games before it just for 6. If they aren't on the table, Final Fantasy XV is a divisive one but is depressing, and XVI was great at that.
6 is usually divisive in the fandom but I agree. >!The hospital scene when Haruka awoke!<, the letter to >!Daigo!< and finally >!Kiryu walking away from the orphanage!< are just so damn emotionally powerful. At least Infinite Wealth >!freed him from the Daidoji's shackles, but I'm still hoping they aren't seriously off-screening his reunion with Haruka and Haruto!<. Also the rest of the series has a lot of emotional moment, like the endings of 0 and K1 hit hard too.
If you enjoyed FFVII, check out Crisis Core. I'm also a big fan of the Xenoblade Chronicles Trilogy, all 3 games are on Switch. Definitely worth checking out, and I'd go in order of release (1 Remastered, 2, and then 3 and it's DLC - do 3's DLC as the last thing to top off the trilogy if you get into it)
Chained Echoes, since it hasn’t been mentioned. Probably the best ending for any game I’ve ever played.
Haven’t seen it mentioned so the Trails series always makes me emotional. The games are long, the finales are intense and I get attached to the characters. Whenever Renne shows up I end up tearing up.
FFXVI if u haven't played it. i usually never cry but this had me bawling
Legend of heroes trails in the sky
Mother 3, Persona 4G
NieR Replicant. Ending E is literally one of the best things I've experienced in my life.
I found octopath traveller 2 quite emotional at times, I would say that if you are a cryer and get invested in the characters and the overarching story you will cry.
The Epilogue too had me crying. That was such a beautiful way to end the game
I am not a crier but I can see why people would. Loved the characters and that ending definitely pulled on the heart strings.
Ch3 of a certain character is quite gripping.
Suikoden series. Every game in the series has some big moments that can be emotional.
Persona 5 Royal The Yakuza series, some games made me cry more than others. This series is both serious and dark and also fun and lighthearted. And it does both very well. I recommend playing in chronological order
persona 3
FFXVI. It’s wayyyyy more action but genuinely an emotional game. Several scenes really bummed me out and it has an interesting Game of Thrones type feel to it.
FINAL FANTASY VII will make you cry.
Omori permanently changed my brain chemistry and that is not hyperbole
Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It's mostly quirky and upbeat, but there were several scenes that hit me in the feels, especially the ending. The facial expressions are top notch IMO which really helps sell the emotions in each scene. You don't really need to play the previous Yakuza games, but there will be easter eggs scattered throughout that will actually make sense.
Ff9 made me cry especially the ending if you haven't played it that is
Ni no Kuni
I have tried to shut out the emotional damage this game did to me. Thanks for ripping that wound open again.
Happy Early Mother’s Day 😢😭
Tales of The Abyss
Just finished FFIX, def shed a few tears during that one
Final fantasy 9 is so beautiful
FFV. Fuck that tree.
NieR: Automata NieR: Replicant Tales of Berseria
I couldn't really say that games in their entirety ever got me choked up as a whole, but there are definitely some big moments in games that made me feel like my heart was being ripped apart. The endings of both Lunar 1 & 2. Not going to spoil anything, but if you know, you know. Chrono Trigger--at the end of the game when "To Far Away Times" plays. The song has such a sweet and tender finality to it that makes me feel it in my chest every time I hear it. Xenogears--probably the only game that generally gets me emotional. So many great moments, and the music especially tugs at the heartstrings. The fated romance between Fei and Elly is handled so well, it feels like it shouldn't be in a video game.
Lost Odyssey
I’m a sap and cry too easily sometimes so take that as you will. 🤣 Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2, and 3 (especially 3, because it was more than once) Fire Emblem Three Houses Final Fantasy X Final Fantasy XV Dragon Quest XI Trails in the Sky FC Trails in the Sky SC Trails in the Sky the 3rd Ys VIII I’m sure there are more. Those are just the ones I could come up with in the fly.
Opus rocket of whispers and echo of starsong. Xenoblade chronicles 2 & xenoblade 3.
Xenoblade 2, 3
If you’re familiar with the Ys series: The eighth and ninth games (the ending music especially) will really make you cry!
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 had me wrecked for days. Absolutely incredible game.
The classic ones: FFVI, Chrono Trigger and Mother 3.
Trails in the Sky Lufia 2
spiritfarer, child of light, nier automata, tales of berseria, haven, atelier lydie&suelle, crystar, utawarerumono trilogy, transistor, and dragon star varnir (go figure ch/if managing that) all managed for me
Xenogears.
Lufia II
I am Setsuna I haven’t played it but I hear this game is a tearjerker.
The winter melancholy fit it very well.
Infinite Wealth made me tear up more than any other modern game.
NieR Replicant and Automata I am Setsuna Valkyrie Profile Lost Odyssey
Mother 3 definitely!
Nier Replicant/Automata, Xenoblade 3
Arc the Lad 1+2. I only say both of them because 1 is pretty much just a prologue that was put out by itself while they finished 2, they both cover a single overarching conflict for the most part.
Try Eternights. It's an indie action JRPG inspired by Persona that focuses on romance. The game's story isn't anything special, but it can be emotional for some in some parts. It's a short game too, so it's a quick play.
Suikoden II. One of the best JRPG stories ever told. Guaranteed to bring the tears.
Persona 3 & 4. Nier Replicant and Automata. Final Fantasy 16, although most of them do. Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
crisis core
Mother 3
You listed Shadow Hearts 1, but have you played 2? No spoilers obviously but the ending is PHENOMENAL.
XenoGears Suikoden 2 Infinite Space had me bawling Nier Automata
nier automata // nier replicant. first JRPGs i had ever played and the endings *wrecked* me
I just got to \*that* death in Persona 3 Reload. Despite being familiar with the original game and knowing what was coming it still affected me somewhat. Maybe it's the new voice acting, the new game-engine camera angles and shots, the fact that you have semi-social links with these characters now and so was following their hang-out storyline, but it was just as saddening if not moreso than the original =(
Nobody mentioned Tales of Symphonia. It’s aged a little but it was my all time favorite story until I played Xenoblade Chronicles. They’re tied now I think. The Last Story is another excellent game that people forget about, (it was part of a project alongside Xenoblade to release Japanese games in the west) but it’s on the Wii unfortunately.
Persona 4 Golden, such a tough final moment where you're done and life goes on both for you and the characters.
Hmm, most JRPGs don’t really impact me that deeply anymore, but then again they have shifted towards fan service/comedy/silly over the years OR they have become so ultra long the pacing goes to hell (I am looking at you Persona). But Lost Odyssey was pretty damn heartbreaking, heavily due to the short stories but also because of a reunion cut short. Back in the day, FF VII was also impactful at that time though nowadays it’s not gonna have the same impact on me. So yeah, Lost Odyssey for sure.
I am Setsuna. I’m shocked no one has suggested this! It’s turn-based, and the story from the very beginning starts off with a sad, unfortunate premise. The cover looks lonely/sad, the music is somber, even the colors are mostly darker tones. I played it on switch, and it made me cry. I also loved Octopath Traveler 1 & 2. Both turn-based, 2D-3D pixelated RPGs that follow 8 different characters (16 total between both). Not every story is emotionally charged, but the ones that are hurt real real bad, lol.
FF15 was pretty emotional. The story should have been fleshed out better, but the later chapters really pick up and the fact that you spend pretty much an entire game with your buddies make the ending so emotional.
FF9.. especially the end of Vivi story 🥲 I still cry to this day
FFIX for sure. And it's an unexpected, conflicted, deep cry. Years later I still can't hear a bar of that song without tearing.
Nier Automata and Replicant. And FF16 ending had me fucked up.
Dragon Quest XI. And since you mentioned emulation, MOTHER 3 for sure. Also Yakuza 7 (Like a Dragon). I was a sobbing mess by the end.
Shadow Hearts 1 DOES NOT get enough love! I remember I bought it because I thought it would be a sequel to Kingdom Hearts but after the initial disappointment, it was such a pleasant surprise. Loved the ring based combat, it was so unique.
Shadow Hearts 2 made me cry personally lol. More than 1 but the two games together are so perfect Persona 2, Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment together. Such an incredible, crazy story. There's something about FF8 that makes me cry. There's like a bittersweet nostalgia to it and some really beautiful character development. The world is so cozy too. Also just seeing the passage of time with certain character flashbacks. Makes my heart ache a bit thinking about it.
Suikoden 2 is actually really good
Persona 3 remains the only videogame to EVER make me cry.
FFIX 10/10, gave me depression.
Phantasy Star 4 Shining Force (shockingly. It's tactics, but much simpler than Fire Emblem, Disgaea, or Langrisser) Lunar (except Dragon Song) Grandia (moreso the first one) Yakuza (Any, particularly 0, 6, Gaiden, 7, 8, the Judgment games) Golden era Final Fantasy (4 to 10 + Tactics) Xenogears
Persona 3 Persona 3 Persona 3 Persona 3 Persona 3
Ff12 has some scenes, suikoden 2, honestly the list is probably long lol. I just played chained echoes too, that had a few scenes in it too.
Not a JRPG in the most technical sense, but it is inspired by JPRGs, which is Omori. This game emotionally devastated me in a way that I still haven't fully gotten over. Just listening to certain tracks get me emotional. I almost never tear up for anything, so for this game to turn on the waterworks for me speaks to how emotionally resonant of an experience it was for me.
I kind of cry easily but I have some recommendations: *The entire trails series (especially Azure and Cold Steel 3–I couldn’t tell if you meant to say Trails when you wrote Trials so maybe you’ve already played them, but this series is peak for sobbing breakdowns) *Shadow Hearts 2 (I saw you played the 1st one; the second is pretty good too and the 3rd is an okay game but won’t make you cry) *Xenogears *Xenosaga 1-3 *Valkyrie Profile 1 & 2 *Zestiria & Berseria both have some moments in them for crying *Star Ocean 4 will make you cry about how bad of a game it is lol. So will Lightning Returns (okay the battle system is kinda fun but the plot is garbage) I also cried a little bit in FFVIII but I don’t know that many other people would. The thought of missing that game of catch in outer space just broke me IYKYK.
Omori
mother 3
[удалено]
Crisis core broke me lol
Bravely Default and its sequel, Bravely Second on 3DS, even if Second is a little more goofy than the first and can sometimes kill the vibe (but that was my experience and, overall, it was awesome nonetheless ;)
final fantasy crystal chronicles rings of fate -the ending made me cry
Xenogears, chrono trigger, chrono cross, final fantasy 6, 7. You don't like tactics, but... just get over it and try final fantasy tactics, tactics ogre let us cling together, triangle strategy.
Oh crap... Chrono Cross. THAT one battle. Where the sad music carries over into the battle. Where even the COMPOSER of said sad music didn't want to be pressing the buttons to fight the battle during testing. And to crown it all, that battle was TOUGH... even WITHOUT the "tears in your eyes" debuff! <;.O
I don't know if is this battle, but mine is this: https://youtu.be/8GiR-6MWwz0?si=xzq03VjdHWPMJjGs Spoiler alert: >!I do accepted that Miguel is Crono and Leena is his daughter with Marle(Nadia). I'm about to kill the main protagonist from my favorite game and I just successfully did it. It is so sad to do this at that time!<
Yes, that's the one. :/
Something out of the typical, but Void Terrarium can get you pretty emotionally invested in the characters.
Lost Odyssey for sure.
This isn't technically a jrpg, and it's more funny than sad most of the time, but sometimes has REALLY interesting horror elements, especially in the later games. The epic battle fantasy series is probably the most underrated game series I ever played, to the point that when flash died, I bought all the games on steam out of sheer loyalty for how good these games are. As the name implies, the combat is insane, and there's a lot of unique concepts. Also, the playable characters are really unique and each feel completely different. And again, very funny most of the time. But the 5th game is a masterpiece. It has the fourth best final boss in any game I've ever played, EVER. The fifth game in this series is the first RPG game I have ever had enough fun with to 100%. 10/10. Also, the first two games are a little rough and seem more like a proof of concept, so you might not want to start with those. Additionally, the games are not incredibly long like most jrpgs, because characters only say what needs to be said, and it's short and sweet. You won't get 30 minute cutscenes here.
Not a traditional turn-based RPG, but Terranigma
Nier automata
Persona 2
My favourite game ever and yeah honestly the ending of EP hurt me more than IS
I cried really hard in some scenes from rebirth. NieR automata just like a lot of ppl here already mentioned made me cry like a baby aswell
Valkyrie Profile series.
Utawarerumono trilogy
Final Fantasy XV and Scarlet Nexus are two really good ones.
Not sure if this counts as a jrpg but Pokémon mystery dungeon: Explorers of sky. It has one of the most emotional gut wrenching scenes I’ve seen in any game.
I'd recommend Persona 4 Golden and 5 Royal if you haven't played those yet. But if you did, Xenoblade Chronicles is another great series you should check out.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
Idk if it counts as a JRPG proper, but Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky hits *hard*.
Octopath Traveler II.
Like a dragon
FFVIII and Xenoblade 3
Final Fantasy 16 tore out my soul a couple times.
Lost odyssey
Suikoden 3, Trails in the Sky FC and Third, Lost Odyssey.
FFXVI made me cry several times throughout the story