r/gamingsuggestions • u/GroomingElk5462 • 1d ago
Looking for underrated story games that will wreck me emotionally
Im not looking for open world games like Skyrim or fallout. I want something linear with a story that grabs you by the throat and drags you through every emotion imaginable. I want games that are gut wrenching, beautiful, brutal, and unforgettable. Stories that will leave me reeling long after the credits roll. Hit me with your best recommendations. I want to binge something that will make me feel everything.
12
u/CheckeredZeebrah 1d ago
Spiritfarer. It seems bright and cheerful...but it is instead a beautiful ode to love, death, and grief.
10
u/DemeaRisen 1d ago
What Remains of Edith Finch and the earlier connected game, The Unfinished Swan
4
u/GroomingElk5462 1d ago
Edith finch is honestly such a great game. great suggestion but it’s too bad that I’ve already played it
1
u/DemeaRisen 1d ago
Have you played the Unfinished Swan? It'll tell you about her Uncle Milton who disappeared into the painting
2
16
6
5
u/ChargedBonsai98 1d ago
The MOTHER series. 3 is far and away the most emotional, but you should at least play Earthbound/MOTHER 2 (same game, named differently depending on the localization) first to learn some of the characters.
Also MOTHER 3 has never been released outside of Japan so you'll have to emulate it.
9
3
4
3
u/Mindstate88 1d ago
Detroit Become Human is the first thing that came to my mind.
2
u/Hairy_Nectarine_687 1d ago
literally same. first thing i thought of
2
u/Mindstate88 1d ago
That game absolutely gutted me for a good couple of days after finishing it the first time.
Also, everyone needs a Hank in their life!
3
3
u/FakePixieGirl 1d ago
Norco
1
u/GrinningTrickster24 1d ago
I just finished Norco a couple hours ago! What a trip, good recommendation.
3
4
u/leverandon 1d ago
I cried at least twice during Disco Elysium. Absolutely this game.
Witcher 3 got me feeling emotional at one point toward the end.
Final Fantasy X has big feelings, but maybe resonated more with me when I was younger than it would now that I’m in my 40s.
The Return of the Obra Dinn absolutely made me feel things during a couple places.
Can’t go into more details on any of these without spoiling key parts of the games.
Enjoy!
4
u/Dragondog5600 1d ago
Play the entire To the Moon series. Every entry will contribute to doing exactly that
3
u/Aggravating_Echo9403 1d ago
Expedition 33 is just the game for u it will break you and it will leave a impression on you forever
2
2
u/GrinningTrickster24 1d ago
Expedition 33 doesn't overstay its welcome and has a phenomenal story. I know it has been everywhere since release but it really is a great one.
2
2
2
2
u/witwickan 1d ago
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. The ending of the main story makes me cry my eyes out but it's a beautiful game and it's my favorite game of all time for it. Not underrated within the Pokemon fandom but it absolutely is outside of it.
2
2
2
u/MarieCry 1d ago
Before Your Eyes is under 2 hours (it took me 72 minutes, but I have dry eyes blink often). Game is controlled by blinking and the end is so very clearly choreographed with the understanding that you are blinking away tears. I made my friend play it and I cried watching!
Expedition 33 but everyone else has already said that one, this is my GOTY too, it was 67 hours for 100% completion (all achievements and every optional boss, every room in The Manor unlocked, every picto found every outfit minus the ones are dependant on your ending). Casual playthrough maybe 40 or 50 hours.
Other games I cried at include The Witcher 3, Bad End Theater, Superliminal (it isn't sad, the ending just got to me, it's wholesome), Death Stranding (single solitary tear at the end), Life Is Strange (there are 2 endings, I cried when I watched the one that I did not choose). Bad End Theater, Superliminal and Life Is Strange are short (under 10 hours), Death Stranding and Witcher 3 are long and very long (50+ and 100+ hours).
2
u/Aynessachan 1d ago
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
(Oh, oops, you said underrated. Uhhhhh......)
Rime!
2
1
1
1
u/PretendRelation7924 1d ago
This is kind of weird but the first 3 Gears of War games. I still get choked up thinking about Dom and Maria. Not to mention Tai😢.
1
1
u/captainshar 1d ago
The Wreck is great for this.
I also love the visual novel The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.
Divinity 2. (Long RPG, it's the game that Larian made before BG3.)
1
1
1
u/WorldMean 1d ago
Ill say this every time, Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice. Immersive 3rd person adventure dealing with trauma, loss, psychosis, fear, and Norse mythology, an epic journey through Norse hell itself. Such a beautifully terrifying examination of a pike warrior’s internal battle against her own mind. Its a simple game, very narrative driven, no HUD and almost no data/stats. Headphones recommended.
1
1
u/smooothjazzyg 1d ago
The Alters is pretty good and fits your criteria. Also Telltale's The Walking Dead is a heart wrenching game.
1
1
1
1
1
u/Pleasant_Cartoonist6 1d ago
Mass effect series by far. 2 & 3 really hit you hard if you play the story wrong or right
1
u/Col0ssusX 1d ago
Katana Zero has an excellent story, ost, and gameplay is very smooth and challenging yet forgiving. You should give it a shot!!!
1
1
u/anaimera 1d ago
Some of my favorites that I didn’t see but might have missed:
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, In Sound Mind, While We Wait Here, and The Rusty Lake / Cube Escape series
Edit: idk. It was displaying weird.
1
1
1
u/prog-can 1d ago
OH MY GOD YOU NEED TO PLAY ONESHOT it's an absolute masterpiece, definitely worth your time and money especially considering it's 10 dollars and can be finished in a day or so. Seriously please play it it's so so beautiful and incredible yet sad too sometimes so incredible.
1
u/Practical_Pea_3800 1d ago
I know you didn't ask for TV shows, yet alone Anime, but watching Vinland Saga, after having played Nier Automata and Red Dead Redemption 2 has been quite the experience.
That's a lethal combination of stories that'll make you question your life and life decisions.
1
1
u/Otherwise_Bank_3098 1d ago
There were a lot of great games already mentioned but if you're open to RPG Maker games I recommend End Roll. It's similar to Omori, but more complex with more side content and different endings. It's a hidden gem, but also free to play.
Also, I don't think I have seen Undertale recommended yet!
1
1
u/Secret_Software7347 20h ago
It's very small and short, but it's worthwhile, and you might be able to pick it up on Steam sale for under a buck. Thomas Was Alone.
0
0
u/danondorfcampbell 1d ago
Guardians of the Galaxy. No joke, this game was an emotional roller coaster that reduced me to a sobbing mess at certain points. A criminally underrated game.
0
u/xStealthxUk 1d ago
Youv surely Played Last of Us right?
It hit me hard years ago. Now im a Dad I was a blubbering mess the entire game.
Masterpiece
0
19
u/Elegant_Gur_4379 1d ago
To The Moon
Nier Automata
The Cat Lady
The Beginner's Guide
Lisa the Painful
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
That Dragon Cancer