Just for the heads up, this thread will probably have a lot of spoilers. I'm gonna try to go vague on spoilers for anybody that hasn't played Hotline Miami 2. If you've played the game, you'll probably know what I mean, but I'm going to say some purposefully esoteric shit to keep it out of full spoiler territory.
My pick has to be Richter's plotline from Hotline Miami 2. One part that makes me cry is when Richard, arguably a god of death, helps Richter escape from his previous entanglement. In these games, Richard doesn't show up to help. He shows up when someone did some fucked up shit. Richard consistently shows up to help Richter though. He just tells him "run" in that moment and you feel the fucking urgency to get out like nothing else. One of the harder levels I've ever played, but holy shit I wanted Richter OUT. I was so frustrated with the game but I just would not stop until Richter had escaped.
Hotline Miami is a series of bad endings, but there are 2 happy conclusions in the sequel, both are direct consequences of Richter and his love for his mother. His ending isn't even THAT happy. But there's something about his final conversation with Richard that just made me fucking bawl the every time I played. Richter's indifference to what Richard is saying. He barely got any time to enjoy what he had been fighting for for years. But when he knew it was over, he was comfortable because he was just vibing with his mom in Hawaii like they had always wanted. He was just happy that he got to spend his last days with the person he loved the most.
His love for his mother can even give Evan, the writer, a happy ending where he picks up the letter instead of the pen. Richter's plotline manages to poignantly deliver the point of Hotline Miami 2 in one short and digestible bit. Love the people you hold close. Wanting violence only brings violence. The only way forward to true peace is accepting whatever terrible situations you're in and just going forward.
I could rant about this forever. It was just such an amazing part of the game. What are your favorite emotional moments from games?
People have already said two of mine (Aeris and Sarah), so I'll go with a third:
"Had to be me. Somebody else might have gotten it wrong."
Mass Effect as a series had so many heartbreaking moments. I'll never forget the horror of finishing 2 without doing enough loyalty quests and seeing that final mission play out. For me, it was Legion and Tali that got me. I always sided with the quarians over the geth, but Legion's death was always just so hard
I went through that whole thing waiting for -- apparently -- a Paragon option that never showed up, that would've managed to save them both. It kinda put me off the series.
I don't know how to neatly segue into this, so I'm just gonna drop this link right here. If you love Mordin, I think you'll love this.
https://youtu.be/UxVekZRIWyg
HOW DARE YOU PUT ME THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW. I was just sitting here, enjoying some coffee, truly having a great day. I can't handle this right now, @Xariphon@kbin.social
Admittedly, some things will never not be too soon.