Summary
- Movies evoke emotions easily, while games require more time & effort due to longer campaigns.
- Unique gaming experiences like Journey and Undertale stand out emotionally.
- Retro Game Challenge offers nostalgic vibes, while The Walking Dead is an emotional rollercoaster.
People go to the movies to see something different. If they're seeking action, they want to feel excitement. From comedy, they want to laugh. For dramas, they want to be moved, or maybe even cry. It’s easy to feel something from watching a movie, but that's not always the case with a video game.
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That’s because it takes so much longer to get through a game’s campaign than it does to wrap up a movie’s runtime. Even a three-hour movie like Titanic is shorter than an epic like Final Fantasy 7. This begs the question: Are there any games where players are undoubtedly made to feel something during the experience? It’s tough to quantify, but let’s go ahead and try to think of some gaming examples that have evoked a variety of feelings from their players.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
A Country’s Fight For Survival
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
- April 24, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes place in a world filled with grief wherein a yearly culling by a being known as The Paintress wipes out every person of a certain age, like Thanos' Snap if the villain had an obsession with birthdays. Despite no Expedition team surviving their pilgrimage, every year a new group sets out to find and slay The Paintress.
Expedition 33 is the group this game centers on, and even though it seems pointless, these groups provide hope to their people and to each other. Throughout their journey, players will come across the progress of previous expeditions, and some will even indirectly aid the progress of Expedition 33. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, overall, is about giving players a sense of purpose and conviction, but in doing so, it will also cause them a ton of sadness.
Journey
Nonverbal Bonding
Journey
- Released
- March 13, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Mild Fantasy, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Journey is an isolating game to play alone, but what compelled players back when it first released on PS3 was the randomized multiplayer system. Along their journey, players will encounter another red-robed character, one almost exactly like themselves but controlled by another player.
They couldn’t use voice or text chat, but players don't need these features to communicate, because they all have the same goal: reach the mountaintop. As the name implies, Journey really feels like a complete adventure, even if it is only a few hours long. Devoid of a written story, players are sure to feel something by reaching the summit alone or with a friend in Journey.
Retro Game Challenge
Feeling Nostalgic
Retro Game Challenge
- Released
- November 15, 2007
- ESRB
- E For Everyone // Alcohol Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- indieszero Co., Ltd.
Retro Game Challenge is a DS game that features a collection of fake NES-like games and consoles. Players assume the role of a kid growing up with their first 8-bit console in Japan. Players can engage with a varied of retro platformers, shooters, RPGs, and more.
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They can also get help from NPCs or magazines when they get stuck, emulating the feeling every '80s kid had with their NES journey and a lack of online walkthroughs. It's a specific game for a specific type of player, but those players will be brought back to their childhoods in a big way. Even better, there are two sequels between the DS and 3DS, for those interested.
Shadow Of The Colossus
Loss, Emptiness, And Betrayal
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
- February 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Shadow of the Colossus is a simple game to describe, and still one of the most unique experiences ever put on a console. The game takes place in a giant open world filled with towering creatures known as the Colossi. Finding, fighting, and defeating them is supposed to help their souls revive the main character, Wander's, presumed betrothed.
Finding these Colossi is a haunting process, as besides them, Wander, and Wander's horse, Agro, nothing else inhabits the world. The fights against them are unsettling because they feel so unearthly and wrong. The Colossi fight back, but their deaths aren't violent; they're quiet and sad. It’s a drab world wherein players will start to develop a guilty conscience regarding the Colossi, in any of the Shadow of the Colossus’ many versions.
Tetris Effect
Becoming One With The Universe
Tetris Effect
- Released
- November 9, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
Tetris Effect was released for the PS4 and was also compatible with the console’s PSVR setup, which is really something special. The game is fun on its own, but the VR adds a whole new level of connection. It’s one of the most chilled-out experiences that players can have with a puzzle game.
With a good pair of headphones and a PSVR strapped in, Tetris Effect becomes something of a transformative, even euphoric experience that cannot be replicated in any other version or any other game. Tetris Effect: Connected, the re-release, is also fun for players who like multiplayer.
Undertale
Subverting RPG Expectations
Undertale
- Released
- September 15, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Undertale looks like a classic RPG from the 90s, which was intentional, as creator Toby Fox loves EarthBound. Unlike most RPGs, from the 90s or otherwise, Undertale is not like the mainstream releases from AAA studios.
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Players will develop empathy for the monsters they fight, even the bosses, and the whole game can be completed without killing a single soul, instead winning battles through conversation. With unforgettable allies and enemies alike, Undertale quickly gathered an online following that no indie game has achieved since. That’s quite the emotional impact for an indie game from a solo developer.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
The Greatest World War 1 Game?
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
- Released
- June 25, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Violence, Blood, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
When talking about 2D games that use the UbiArt engine at Ubisoft, most people tend to think about the Rayman games. However, one of the more underrated examples is Valiant Hearts: The Great War, which takes place during World War 1 and specifically revolves around France.
Players can play as multiple characters through the game's four episodic chapters, mostly solving environmental and stealth puzzles. It may be 2D, but players will easily form a bond with their crew and shed a few tears as well when their inevitable ugly doom comes to pass.
The Walking Dead (Telltale)
Connection And Loss
The Walking Dead
- Released
- April 24, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Graphic Adventure, Horror
Telltale’s first breakout success was the first season of their The Walking Dead adaptation. The story takes place alongside the comics, rather than being a direct retelling, and it features a cast of all-original and very well-realized characters, with a few recognizable cameos as the seasons go on.
This first season is about a former convict, Lee, who meets a young girl, Clementine, at the outset of a zombie apocalypse. The pair then tries to find a group in the world that will take them in. To avoid spoilers, let’s just say it’s an emotional rollercoaster, and no matter what choices players make to shift the story around as it progresses, the devastating end result will always be the same.
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