Games that stir personal emotions?

[cruachan]

OK - Strange topic title, I know, but .... let me tell you my story and see if you can relate (I'm not going to go into major personal stuff - trying to keep it gaming related).

About 2 years ago I was living with my now ex girlfriend and our 1 year old daughter. Things happened and we agreed to split up - but until we could sell the house we continued to live in it together. It was a really sh1t time as you can imagine, the tension was terrible - an absolute nightmare. Most days I would come home from work and she would be staying over at her parents with our daughter (which is ok - she never tried to stop me seeing my child). It was quite bizarre and lonely. At this time I picked up a copy of Elder Scrolls - Oblivion. With all that was happening in my life, I got hooked. I would come home from work into the empty house and go play Oblivion from 6pm until very late. As weird as it sounds - it kind of got me through a rough patch. Some days I would be in work stressing about the future just wishing to get home and get back into that fantasy world and forget everything!! In the end the house sold and I now have a new place and see my daughter all the time and I do the best I can etc. BUT .... even to this day when I put Oblivion on for a small session (recently got shivering isles expansion) the waves of nostalgia/emotion/sadness that come over me are unlike anything I've ever experienced in gaming before or since. It really is weird....but I still love the game

Actually....I've just read the above and I cant really put into words what that time was like but I hope you get a rough idea

[Jeremiah Jones]

Metal Slug games were always good for some mindless fun action when I was taking a break from schoolwork. Now, anytime I play one, it reminds me of the stresses I experienced in school.

[psj3809]

Games are totally like music as in if you play an old game all those memories come flashing back.

Back in the 80's a ton of Speccy games bring back those times/emotions/feelings etc when i was at school and stressed with exams (yeah probably then not a good thing to play on the Speccy tons !). Same for games throughout the 90's, i'm sure on the PC many of us played the game over and over till we finished it in a short space of time so if i play/see Half-Life that takes me back to where I was in the mid/late 90's etc. Played GTA: Vice City tons back in 2002

[Commander Jameson]

Not long after I got my first PC, my Dad died - I coped in a similar way to the OP by staying up late playing Unreal and Unreal Tournament. It does you good to escape.

I really want to go back and play through Unreal again, but not sure if I can to be honest. I've just started playing a bunch of FPS's that are around that era, so may take the plunge soon.

Also spent a lot of time depessed in 2004,not long after GTA San Andreas came out. So I literally spent 10-12 hours a day on my PS2 playing that, or on my PC modding Vice city and messing about with that. Strangely though, I have nothing but GOOD memories of my time spent with those games, I thinkthey did me a lot of good!

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Used to live with several people, and we'd have nightly tournaments on Super Smash Bros. Melee and Mario Kart: Double Dash.

Things happened which eventually led to a mental breakdown, moving home, and not speaking to any of my (then) friends ever since, plus a ton of medication.

For a couple of years, whenever I played those games (or was in the same room as those games being played) I'd freak out and shut down. Alright now, what with all the new things happening, but it's a response of sorts, right?

[Ferret Oxide]

Back in 2002 my dad was seriously ill. I spent every spare moment playing Jak and Daxter, and by the time I had finished that, I had been told my dad would recover. The game helped me get through a tough time, but I can't face the thought of playing it or any of its sequals because of the mental connection to that time.

Brains are strange.

[vp002]

Dear all,

Metal gear solid 1 , I know people dont like these games but i was in a office monkey job at the time and needed the escapism, the plot gripped me and it was the first game i literally couldnt put down, i played this straight for 10 hours and it was always one more minute ! and i really bonded with the characters with genuine emotion felt when bad things happened to them.

I bought the soundtracks after and love the memories it gave me !


vp002

[Dudley]

Final Fantasy 7.

It makes me want to kill the disk, the console and everyone associated with its production.

[cruachan]

Final Fantasy 7.

It makes me want to kill the disk, the console and everyone associated with its production.

Lol - I think you've missed the point completely haha. Is FF7 really that bad? Why is it so popular? I've never been a fan of Japanese RPG's tbh but would have thought that was meant to be one of the best.

[C=Style]

The brain has been found to have an amazing way of dealing with trauma. It effectively erases the traumatic episodes from our minds causing a kind of amnesic effect. this is an important function or else we would re-live horrible experiences of the past everytime we done something that was connected to the incident, such as music or games which are very powerful tools in producing nostalgic feelings. Games more so I think as there's generally more sensory input. So while you can appreciate the nostalgia of the game, you won't experience to any great degree the trauma you once felt at that time.

[Matt_B]

Final Fantasy 7.

It makes me want to kill the disk, the console and everyone associated with its production.

Lol - I think you've missed the point completely haha. Is FF7 really that bad? Why is it so popular? I've never been a fan of Japanese RPG's tbh but would have thought that was meant to be one of the best.

Like all FF games, in some ways it's brilliant but in other ways it's bloody awful. I've got fond memories of playing them at the time but there's absolutely no way I'd ever go back to them. That said, when FF13 finally comes out, I'll probably go out and buy it...

Anyway, FF8 is one I'd particularly associate with happy memories; I got it as a birthday present from my (now) wife.

[the_hawk]

I was playing Streets of Rage II on my 16th birthday when I got a phone call from the hospital to say that my sister had had her kid. Every time I play that game I think back to that day.

My niece is 17 now....that's actually quite scary!

[will2097]

Dear all,

Metal gear solid 1 , I know people dont like these games but i was in a office monkey job at the time and needed the escapism, the plot gripped me and it was the first game i literally couldnt put down, i played this straight for 10 hours and it was always one more minute ! and i really bonded with the characters with genuine emotion felt when bad things happened to them.

I bought the soundtracks after and love the memories it gave me !


vp002

I'm playing mgs1 at the moment, and rather than moaning about the cut scenes I paid attention to them, it typical Japanese giga-drama, drama, layered on drama, layered on drama, but it's good

[The Master]

Ms Pac-Man gives me the horn.

[psj3809]

Back in the 80's as a young lad i must admit Sam Fox Strip Poker definately stirred some emotions !

Looking back its funny as hell how well that game did when the pictures were just dire and it was cheaper to buy the Sun for 10p to see Sam Fox 'with 'em out'.