Summary
- Open-world games with emotional stories engage players and provide beautiful, cinematic experiences.
- Playing story-driven games can elicit strong emotional responses, making for memorable gaming experiences.
- Games like Final Fantasy 15 and Cyberpunk 2077 offer compelling narratives that resonate with players.
Players love investing their time in emotional video games that sink their hooks in them courtesy of an amazing story. Some open-world games got the memo, letting players engage with incredible narratives that are emotionally resonant (and sometimes draining).
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This is why open-world games with emotional stories can be such a blast to play. As long as players don't mind bawling their eyes out, they'll have a blast with these story-driven games that let players explore a massive, beautiful sandbox.
Spoiler Warning: Due to the nature of this list, these entries will contain massive story spoilers for their respective endings and emotional beats. Proceed with caution.
8 Final Fantasy 15
Players Will Quickly Bond With Noctis and His Allies, Making the Ending Especially Heartbreaking
Final Fantasy 15
- Released
- November 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Final Fantasy 15 has its issues, but the friendship at the heart of this experience is so palpable that players will be invested despite the game's missteps. It helps that the open world is beautiful and combat looks cinematic, even if it may feel a bit too rudimentary.
By the end of the tale, Noctis' heroic sacrifice will cause players to weep as he gives up everything to save the world from Ardyn and the Starscourge. The post-credits scene depicting the last time he camps with his friends makes for the final emotional nail in the coffin that cements the brilliance of this title, which overcomes most of its flaws.
7 Marvel's Spider-Man
The Name 'Devil's Breath' Will Be Cursed by Fans at the End of this Emblematic Spider-Man Adventure
Marvel's Spider-Man
- Released
- September 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Players loved Insomniac's take on Spider-Man, with the titular web-head finally getting the video game he truly deserved. Swinging across the streets of New York City and stopping robberies or chasing down runaway cars makes for a great time.
However, one of Marvel Spider-Man's strongest elements is its mature story that isn't afraid to deal with devastating moments of loss and despair. Watching Miles and Peter lose their parental figures and feeling Peter's helplessness and pain as Doctor Octavius descends into villany are so hard to witness and make for powerful emotional beats in a game that simultaneously embodies the cheerful and humorous tone of many Spider-Man stories.
6 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Adapts One of the Most Harrowing Moments from the Original Game
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Fans familiar with the original Final Fantasy 7 already knew the key moments that Rebirth would likely cover. This made for the grueling, inevitable finale as Sephiroth lands the mortal blow on Aerith, taking her out for good.
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While the game does experiment with this moment a bit too much for many fans' liking, it's still a powerful story beat that makes for an emotional climax to the game. It doesn't help that Cloud is unable to accept his loss, making it clear that the mako poisoning has addled his mind way more than fans expected.
5 NieR: Automata
An Intimate Open-World Game With a Surprisingly Emotional and Poignant Story
NieR: Automata
- Released
- March 7, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
NieR: Automata is one of the best action-packed video games ever made. The open world is small yet riveting to explore, and the unique endings ensure that repeatedly playing this game is more rewarding than anyone could expect.
Some of the conclusions in this tale are incredibly emotional and will cause many fans to shed a tear. It's easy to see why Yoko Taro's name was officially on the map after this title blew up in popularity, allowing players to enjoy one of the most unique open-world games around that combines emotional storytelling with addicting hack-and-slash combat, showcasing PlatinumGames at their very best.
4 Shadow of the Colossus
What Seems Like a Noble Quest Ends Up Having Dire Consequences Later On
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
- February 6, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games, JapanStudio, Team Ico
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
At the start of Shadow of the Colossus, most players assume that Wander is on a noble quest to revive his mysterious loved one, Mono. They have no idea of the lengths he's willing to go to for the same, satisfying the dark wishes of a sealed entity named Dormin.
As Wander takes out each Colossi, it's clear that some form of corruption is taking hold of him. It turns out that he was willing to sacrifice his own body to save his love, making for a melancholic ending as a revived Mono finds Wander in his childlike state, which adds a tinge of hope to an otherwise bleak conclusion.
3 Grand Theft Auto 4
Niko Bellic's Story Doesn't Have the Good Ending Fans Would Expect
Grand Theft Auto 4
- Released
- April 29, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Grand Theft Auto 4 features what is easily the most mature and darkest tale told in the series. Niko Bellic's descent into a life of crime helps him earn a pretty penny, but he also exposes himself to dangerous figures who want to take him out.
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Depending on Niko's actions, he will either lose Roman or Kate before the game's final mission. Even after hunting down the man responsible for their deaths. Niko is left a hollow man after losing one of the most important people in his life.
2 Cyberpunk 2077
Features a Tough, Hard-Hitting Narrative Full of Bleak and Thoughtful Storytelling
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The beauty of Cyberpunk 2077 stems from its incredible narrative, which fans could finally fully appreciate after all the game's bugs were ironed out. V is a fun character to control as players do everything in their power to help them regain control of their body after a botched Arasaka heist.
Johnny Silverhand's engram is slowly taking over their mind, and V will always be too late to reverse this takeover by the time they reach the end. While the Phantom Liberty expansion gives V another chance at life, everyone around them assumed they were dead and had already moved on, making them an outsider even after they being cured.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
Arthur Morgan's Tale Will Leave Players in Tears
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
It would be impossible to talk about emotional narratives in open-world games without highlighting Arthur Morgan and his journey of redemption in Red Dead Redemption 2. He starts as a no-good outlaw who eventually starts mending his ways as he tries to do the right thing (at least, this is the intended narrative on a High Honor playthrough, which maximizes the narrative's emotional poignancy).
Eventually, the tuberculosis he contracts becomes fatal near the end of his story, and he must come to terms with his mortality while also grappling with the reality that his found family is slowly falling apart. Between Hosea's death, Micah's dark whispers, and Dutch's runaway parania and selfishness, Arthur struggles to leave the world — and those he loves — in a better place before meeting his inevitable fate. Thankfully, he did enough good in life to be granted the gift of watching one final sunrise before drawing his last breath.
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