TOP 10 Games That Will Break Your Heart (Topic)

No matter how each of us strives for personal well-being, sooner or later we will still return to Aristotle's beloved and, perhaps, the most traumatic art form - tragedy. We are drawn to stories that, through the prism of characters with tragic destinies, make us think about our own lives and, through the pain we experience, perhaps make us better. Such stories, especially in games where we directly interact with characters, are real art, so today we have compiled the top 10 games that will break your heart. And even if they do not break it, they are unlikely to leave even the least indifferent.

10) Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

One of the main mistakes that a gamer who decides to play Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons can make is to be fooled by the cartoon style and expect from the game a casual and light adventure, like modern Disney cartoons. In reality, the feeling of sadness crosses the game inside and out as a red line, and from the very beginning sets us in a sad mood - in the first minutes we are shown two boys standing near the grave of a recently buried mother. And as if this is not enough, the main goal of the journey is falling on us - to find a cure for the terminally ill father of our young heroes.

However, one shouldn't hope for total hopelessness. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is entirely based on the interaction of two brothers and on their difficult journey there will be time for both laughter and pleasant, heart-warming moments. Playing on contrasts is always perceived better. However, be prepared that the end of the story, during which all the developers' "Chekhov's guns" are firing at all inopportunely, may break your heart.

9) Detroit: Become Human

If you're on the hunt for a cinematic drama in which the story tries to inflict a series of emotional shocks on you, then welcome to David Cage's games and especially his recent hit Detroit: Become Human. The French developer was always cramped within the framework of familiar games, and therefore he gradually came to an alloy of genres, creating interactive cinema in a good sense. And since David Cage's favorite genre in cinema is an action-packed drama, be prepared to experience the whole palette of bitter feelings.

Let's put it bluntly: the story of gaining self-awareness among androids, with the subsequent revolution for their own rights, told in Detroit, can hardly be called original. The main thing here is how the story is told, and thanks to the excellent performance of the actors together with the outstanding level of non-linearity for AAA blockbusters, the developers managed to create a truly exhilarating journey, where literally every action or inaction can have fatal consequences.

8) The Walking Dead: Season One

The Walking Dead comic series, and the subsequent series of the same name, have always been more than just another meat-based horror. The Walking Dead franchise, despite the first from the name of the association, is not at all about zombies, it is about people, their dramas, love and hatred for each other, where the conditions of the zombie apocalypse are used as additional stress that reveals real human qualities. The hit game The Walking Dead: Season One follows these canons with the utmost rigor and puts the player inside a heartbreaking story.

In the center of the plot is the man Lee Everett and the little girl Clementine who has lost her parents, to whom he is gradually imbued with paternal feelings. There is nothing really new even for 2012, but the way the main characters are spelled out and what emotionally difficult situations they have to find themselves in involuntarily makes their way to the core.

7) Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Over the past decade, many games have been released that were supposed to show the real "horrors of war" in all colors, but in reality, only a few projects were able to come close to the Valiant Hearts: The Great War puzzle quest in this regard. It should be noted that "Brave Hearts" managed to convey the frightening injustice and tragedy of war without bloody scenes of cruelty or pronounced realism. But, as in the case of A Tale of Two Sons, don't be fooled by the cartoonish picture.

The developers avoid showing obvious violence and work on a much more subtle level, demonstrating in the scenery of the First World War how human destinies are capable of intertwining. Using the example of ordinary people, the game reveals all the burning topics at once: the importance of family ties, revenge, betrayal, a love story and heroic dedication to the rule that regardless of conditions, one must remain human. But the world is unfair and just like Valiant Hearts destroys the destinies of its heroes, it can destroy the hearts of gamers.

6) Spec Ops: The Line

Since we started talking about the horrors of war, it's time in our top 10 games to recall the already cult action movie Spec Ops: The Line. The gameplay is in many ways a standard third-person action game with a couple of entertaining, but in reality insignificant gameplay features. Much more interesting is the setting of sand-dusted Dubai and the plot, which clearly shows how war can cripple people, not only physically, but psychologically.

In video games, especially about war, it is always pleasant for us to feel like a hero fighting for the "right" guys and, if something happens, ready to give his life for a good cause. I want to associate myself with such characters. But what about the protagonist of Spec Ops: The Line, Captain Martin Walker, who makes mistakes one after another, destroys human destinies and with every step realizes that he is not at all the hero he looked like in his own eyes? The plot of Spec Ops: The Line mercilessly breaks the main character, and at the same time the player.

5) Life is Strange

Life is Strange is another cinematic adventure game that relies on the abundance of dramatic moments and fatal decisions that the player will have to make. In the center of the plot is the girl Max Caulfield, who unexpectedly got the opportunity to rewind time and thereby influence the fate of other people. But as it always happens, great responsibility comes with great force and every new decision often brings tragic consequences.

We must admit that the first season of Life is Strange climbed quite high in our top games, which may cause confusion among some readers. Can a drama about female students, unfolding in the scenery of a quiet American town, really hit the heart with a plot, especially if you are not a girl and not a teenager for a long time? Of course. Well-written characters and story, along with quality drama and acting in Life is Strange, work like clockwork to put you in the end with cruel and unfair choices.

4) The Last of Us

In anticipation of the release of The Last of Us Part II, we simply could not help but recall the first part, released in 2013 and raising the bar for staging and drama in the gaming industry to a new level. If you were looking for a game that will sweep through you like a skating rink, leaving abrasions, lacerations and a feeling of a little emptiness in the finale on your soul, then The Last of Us will be very useful.

At the same time, it is important to note that the story of the girl Ellie and the aged smuggler Joel traveling together in the post-apocalyptic world is catchy, first of all, with its naturalness. The development of relationships between such different characters, passing through a series of scandals, deadly dangers and rare, but therefore even more remarkable joyful moments, are built extremely logically and can evoke empathy even among callous gamers.

3) The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian is one of the most touching and at the same time painful games, the plot of which could easily become the basis for one of Hayao Miyazaki's full-length works. With the creations of the cult anime master, The Last Guardian has in common both the presence of a clear but always relevant moral message and a story that allows you to experience a kaleidoscope of sad and joyful events that change the main characters and make them stronger.

In the center of the plot is a small boy and a giant winged beast with feline habits named Trico. Their only goal is to get out of the walls of an ancient and almost lifeless castle. As you can imagine, we should expect a typical story of two very different characters slowly converging, and in general it is. It's just that Trico's outstanding animation and behavior, as well as the unexpected situations in which the protagonists need to interact, generate an impressive degree of player sympathy for the computer characters. And finally, all experiences reach their peak in the finale, capable of tearing your heart to shreds.

2) Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is perhaps the most ambitious and at the same time tragic epic, written in the industry over the years. For almost 2 decades, we will be watching the development, psychological breakdowns and deaths of the once friendly gang of Dutch Van der Linde. At the same time, it is important to note that in RDR2 we have a tragic story, the outcome of which is already known from the very beginning and the only question is how exactly the gang will decline.

The answer to this question is capable of, if not surprise, then definitely have the strongest emotional shock. The writers, directors, composers, and each of the more than 700 voice actors are working at almost the highest level for the gaming industry, by all means evoking a sense of belonging with the computer characters. At the same time, what is most surprising, for the first time Rockstar, despite a number of script flaws, managed to create a truly adult creation that does not engage in moralizing, but leaves rich food for thought after passing.

1) That Dragon, Cancer

Finish our top games on That Dragon, Cancer, which can be compared to visiting a hospice - a short adventure full of hope, smiles, tears, pain and death. Comparison with a hospice is not accidental, and therefore if you are an extremely sentimental person or someone close to you died of cancer, then we immediately warn you - the experience gained from That Dragon, Cancer can be really painful.

Essentially That Dragon, Cancer is not exactly a game in the usual way, but rather an experiment created, according to the developers, as a way to influence and make the world a better place. The game is based on the real story of Joel, a boy who died of cancer, and his parents, Emmy and Ryan Green, who were the main authors of the game, recreating their last days in That Dragon, Cancer along with a dying child. Without the slightest hesitation, lifting the curtain over the incredibly intimate and tearful moments from their real life, Emmy and Ryan Green have created a game that will definitely break your heart, but in return remind you of the things that are truly important in our world.

We also suggest reading the material, where we analyze in detail everything there is to know about The Last of Us Part II.

The Topic of Article: TOP 10 Games That Will Break Your Heart.
Author: Jake Pinkman