Open-world games can be challenging to make because of how open-ended they are. They are a thrilling escape into expansive realms where players embark on epic journeys, forge alliances, and conquer adversaries. But those who make them must take on the difficult task of finding innovative ways to weavecomplex storylines into these games.
In the exhilarating adventures they create, developers and writers often include moments of heart-wrenching sorrow that leave a lasting impact on players. These decisions aren’t just crudely written plot twists or moments of shock value. They are tragic conclusions to the entire storyline, and usually include the death of a character that the player has grown to love. In open-world games especially, these creative choices serve as a reminder of thepower of storytellingin gaming. They encourage players to keep exploring virtual worlds to discover its wonders, even if those moments leave them feeling bittersweet.
A masterclass in narrative-driven gameplay,Firewatchdraws players into the breathtaking scenery of the Wyoming wilderness. Players step into the boots of Henry, a fire lookout who is sucked into a web of mystery and intrigue. Throughout the game, he tries to find the truth with the help of his supervisor, Delilah. The open world is beautiful, if somewhat empty, and the orange-red color scheme feels just right.
Throughout the game, Henry experiences mysterious occurrences, thought to be a sinister conspiracy or a threat. Towards the end of the game, though, he learns that they are actually the result of a tragic climbing accident that resulted in the death of a young boy. The moment that he finds the boy’s body, a somber score fills the cave that he’s trapped in. Players are prompted to press a button to step over the body to progress in the story. It is impossible not to share the horror and pity that Henry feels.
Firewatch’sending is a poignant exploration of loneliness, regret, and thehuman capacity for connection. It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of human connection in the face of adversity.
Team Ico’s cult classic,Shadow of the Colossus, is a hauntingly beautiful tale of love and sacrifice. Players assume the role of Wander, a young man on a quest to resurrect Mono, a maiden who was sacrificed because others believed her to be under a curse. They are thrust into a desolate world inhabited only by towering colossi, all of which Wander must defeat in order to save Mono.
As the game goes on, and as Wander defeats all the colossi one by one, the player cannot help but wonder about the morality of killing these beasts. Some of them are aggressive and attack on sight, but others are quite docile and will attack only after being provoked. They are just roaming their domain, until their peace is disturbed by a vengeful Wander.
Wander himself is slowly corrupted by an ancient entity as he kills each beast. By the end of the game, the entity fully takes him over. The other warriors stop him right when he is about to reach Mono, and one of them stabs Wander through the heart. Despite his corruption and his injuries, he still stumbles towards Mono before falling to his death, showing that there is still a part of Wander inside him. The climactic confrontation reminds the player of the sacrifices some make in the name of love, and the toll that obsession can take on the human soul.
After the tragic last stand inRed Dead Redemption, players expected nothing short of a masterpiece from Rockstar in the 2018 sequel with Arthur Morgan as a new protagonist. Anoverwhelming majority of playersagree that the second game held its own, featuringmelancholic and heartbreaking momentsthroughout the story.
Red Dead Redemption 2is a sprawling epic that immerses players in the dying days of the Wild West. Arthur grapples with his past sins and strives for redemption in a world that’s rapidly changing. It is frustrating and saddening to see Arthur plead with Dutch over how to lead their group. Arthur was on the fence about how to deal with Dutch for most of the game, but his diagnosis of tuberculosis towards the end of the story makes him confront his mortality, and he starts to disobey his father figure.
When Arthur realizes what is going to happen, he bids goodbye to Abigail and Sadie, and then John. Both of these scenes are contenders for the most emotional moments in the whole franchise. This sets up the game’s climax as a gut-wrenching showdown, even though fans know what’s coming. Whether Arthur chooses to embrace redemption or succumb to the sins of his past, he eventually dies in all endings, leaving a lingering sense of melancholy that’s hard to shake.
TheFalloutseriesis famous for itsemotional character arcs, so it comes as no surprise that the original is no different. InFallout’sending, the sadness comes from the realization that in the ‘good’ ending, the protagonist, the Vault Dweller, is forced to leave their home in Vault 13 forever.
Although the Vault Dweller has saved the day by returning his home Vault’s water supply to normal and thwarting the Master’s plan to transform all remaining humans into mutants, he returns home to find his dreams shattered. The Overseer, who was the one giving him the missions in the first place, now believes that the tales of his tasks and accomplishments will encourage the other survivors to abandon the Vault and endanger everyone else’s lives. It is a solemn ending, as the Vault Dweller is exiled into the wasteland and the player is left wondering whether the Overseer made the right choice after all. This is one of the more depressing moments that aFalloutgame has had without relying on emotional character deaths.
InRed Dead Redemption, Rockstar created one of the most tragic stories in gaming, and broke free from its stereotype in the gaming industry as a company that focuses on needless humor and gratuitous violence. Players follow John Marston, a former outlaw seeking redemption for his past crimes in the dying days of the Wild West, and protecting his family so that they may live a happy life together. As the game reaches its climax, Marston’s efforts to leave his outlaw life behind are brutally cut short. In one of the most famous finales in gaming, he sacrifices himself to ensure the safety of his family, facing down a barrage of gunfire in a dramatic last stand.
John Marston’s death is a lot more impactful than Arthur Morgan’s, because he died for his family. In some ways, John’s death is a lot more tragic because of Arthur’s inRed Dead Redemption 2— people have sacrificed a lot for John and his family, but John is massacred anyway. His son Jack is then also shown to be on the same path of revenge, which means that everyone died in vain. Marston’s death serves as a harsh reminder of the realities of the Old West, where violence and lawlessness often have tragic consequences.
