Top 10 Video Game Moments That Made Men Cry

Top 10 Video Game Moments That Made Men Cry

I’m not crying, you’re crying! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top ten video game moments that made men cry.

For this list, we’ll be looking at extremely sad and emotional moments in video games that were so powerful that they may have caused even the most stoic of men to shed a tear or two.

#10: Lee and Clem Say Goodbye

“The Walking Dead” (2012)

It’s a fine day for video games when you realize that Telltale’s story was arguably better than both the show AND the comics. Score one for video game writing! “The Walking Dead” was chock full of sad scenes, but nothing tops the sheer power of Lee’s death from episode five. In this scene, Lee is succumbing to his bite, and you must make the decision to have Clementine leave him to die or shoot him and end his suffering. No matter the decision, the ending is a real downer, but isn’t that what “The Walking Dead” is all about? We don’t think we ever cried this much over a character from the TV show…

#9: Eli’s Brain Is Sucked Out

“Half-Life 2: Episode Two” (2007)

Is there anything that “Half-Life 2” DIDN’T get right? If it wasn’t too busy redefining the modern FPS, then it was giving us intensely powerful and emotional moments such as this. In this scene, Gordon, Eli, and Alyx are attempting to board a helicopter when a pair of Advisors stick a wrench in their plans. They restrain Eli and suck out his brain right in front of his daughter, leaving her to cradle her father’s body before the credits roll. And that’s how “Half-Life 2” left us.

#8: Agro’s Supposed Death

“Shadow of the Colossus” (2005)

“Shadow of the Colossus” contains what is probably the saddest animal death scene in any video game - even though she doesn’t really die. Agro serves as your faithful companion throughout the entire game, but that is all upended right before battling the sixteenth colossus. The bridge Agro and Wander are riding on begins to collapse, and in a last-ditch effort to save Wander, Agro pitches him off to safety while she falls to her supposed death. This was a massive heartache for any first-time player, and even though we know she survives, it’s still an extremely unsettling and emotional moment to witness. Damn pets and their unflinching loyalty.

#7: Dom Finds Maria
“Gears of War 2” (2008)

Who knew a story about cartoonishly-sized macho men with chainsaw guns could be so damn emotional? After searching far and wide for his wife, Maria, Dom finally finds her in a Locust prisoner cage, and everything seems fine and dandy as they tearfully reunite. But then Marcus snaps Dom out of it, and we find that Maria is actually a disheveled, non-communicative, and vegetative version of her former self. Dom then decides to euthanize Maria to put her out of her misery. It’s a gut-wrenching and hopeless scene made all the worse by Marcus’s brief look of sadness. If he’s affected, imagine how the rest of us felt.

#6: Soap’s Death

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (2011)

Say what you will about the “Call of Duty” series, but there’s no denying that they can tell a damn good story when they want to. In the climactic installment of the “Modern Warfare” series, Soap MacTavish finally bites it in Prague. We watch as the otherwise extremely badass and battle-hardened John Price tries desperately to save his friend, complete with anguished screams before Soap finally succumbs to his injuries. Soap and Price made a fantastic team throughout the series, and to see it end like this was a massive kick to the gut. We knew someone had to die, but it was still hard to handle.

#5: Chief Lets Cortana Go

“Halo 4” (2012)

While the first three “Halo” games were revolutionary titles, they weren’t exactly emotional. 343 Industries certainly saw to change that, didn’t they? Cortana was in a bad state for much of the game, which was difficult to witness in and of itself, but the real kicker comes when she sacrifices herself and the long-time partners must say goodbye. We witness the otherwise stoic and emotionless Master Chief break down as he’s forced to say goodbye, complete with constant protests and a voice crack. Master Chief’s freaking voice is cracking from the emotion! One voice crack from him is equal to about ten man tears from anyone else. Goodbyes are never easy, even for John.

#4: Sarah’s Death

“The Last of Us” (2013)

Now that’s how you open your game with an emotional wallop. The beginning of this game sees Sarah, Joel, and Tommy attempting to escape from their hometown after a fungus turns people into ravenous beasts. After escaping the chaos, a soldier reluctantly shoots Sarah, and despite Joel’s tearful protests, she dies in his arms. Losing a child is an indescribable pain, and Troy Baker’s stellar performance throughout her death horrifically captures Joel’s agony and sorrow. “The Last of Us” is not your typical good-time zombie romp, and this opening scene lets you know. It is brutal stuff.

#3: John Marston’s Last Stand

“Red Dead Redemption” (2010)

Westerns have always found a way to produce the odd man tear, and “Red Dead Redemption” is no exception. After spending the whole game trying to find his redemption, John Marston finally enjoyed a happy, if hard-working home life with his wife and son. However, the government comes a-calling one last time, and Marston tearfully sends his family off to safety. He then goes out and takes out as many officials as he can before getting a body full of bullets. His family then discovers his bloodied corpse, Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie plays during his funeral, and we all devolve into weeping messes.

#2: The Salute

“Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater” (2004)

“Snake Eater’s” ending is now the thing of video game legend, and for good reason. You are forced to pull the trigger on The Boss and put a bullet in her heart, and in the ending sequence, Snake visits Arlington National Cemetery to pay his respects. He places lilies and a weapon on the grave and salutes her patriotism, shedding a single tear in the process. Admit it, while he was shedding a man tear, you were shedding buckets. The image of Snake saluting the grave is now iconic in the world of video gaming, and it’s one of the most notable examples of emotional storytelling in the medium.

#1: Mordin’s Death

“Mass Effect 3” (2012)

Disappointing ending aside, “Mass Effect 3’s” death scenes were pure magic. Mordin’s death is a prime example of how to create an emotional send-off for a character. It contains the emotional climax of a well-developed and complete character arc, made even better by a gorgeous score and visuals. The scene contains some hauntingly sad lines, and Mordin singing to himself as a form of comfort paints him as both a sad and heroic figure. It really is just a hodgepodge of emotion. There are many ways in which the Mordin situation can unfold, but when it all comes together like this, it creates one of the most devastating and emotional moments in gaming.