I love how you're helping to normalize mental illness. You're not making it your identity or beating the subject to death, but your descriptions of it and simple acknowledgement that it exists within yourself and so many others feels so damn validating.
"'What did I do wrong?' Nothing. You did nothing wrong, push on. Keep going." Thank you for that, Rob. From me, and I'm sure from anyone else who just needs to hear that sometimes. Thank you.
Rob, I have to say, these games are incredible and reach the bottom of our hearts, but for a person who hasn't played them, the way you've expressed each and every single one and conveyed their deep, sophisticated, and intriguing message is phenomenally brilliant. You, in this video, have done, at least to a certain extent, something that all of these games do, individually over a span of a lot more than 19 minutes. Bravo sir, I truly respect your writing skills, but essentially your deep understanding of games that touch the common spring of humanity and all emotions that are a part of it. Exceptional work! One of my favourite Friday features if not the favourite!!
Well said. Exactly what I was thinking. Normally tune in for some funniness after a long week of work - and about 1 minute into #1, I was tearing up. This was superb.
The Last of Us. I’ve never played a game thats connected with me so much before, or since. From the first moments of meeting Joel and Sarah. As a father, that scene utterly destroyed me. It was so unexpected, I had to put down the controller and compose myself. Thats all of 10mins in. Throughout the game Ellie comes across as Little Miss I Don’t Need Nobody, but the Lakside Resort chapter totally flipped that. It shows how vulnerable she is, even though she tries to be totally independent. The relief when Joel finally reaches her is heartbreaking. Playing Ellies backstory DLC (I forget the name) just cements the emotion further. Every time I thought I’d got the hang of someone, they’d show a different approach that switches my idea of them. The storytelling and character development is incredible. Long story short, if you haven’t played TLoU, do so. Its not your typical Zombie slasher. Its devastating, heartwarming and crushing in a way that you can’t help but continue on to the end. When you finally get there, your equally relieved that you conquered it...and gutted that its over.
I wish i was able to express my feelings for TLoU as you did. Thanks mate for writing those words about this incredible game. Best game i have ever played all categories... i am 40 and started on sega megadrive...
I'm a bit late to the party on this one, only having played and beaten TLoU a few weeks ago, but I completely, utterly agree! I don't think any game has done to me what The Last of Us has!
I just finished playing What Remains of Edith Finch and without this video I probably never would have. What Rob says about this game is absolutely true; it punches your soul like Kratos punched Zeus's head at the end of GoW III. After Lewis's story I had to put down the controller because I was crying so hard. The past 7 months have been rough at times and sometimes it was hard for me to cope with these things. I'm not quite sure what this game did to me but I feel like it made me more able to move on... if that makes sense.... Rob, from the bottom of my heart 'thank you!'. Thank you for making this video. Thank you for sharing your story about your own battles and thank you for making these Friday Features. I've been a fan since day 1. :)
NieR: Automata has one of the smartest way of hammering the theme of sacrifice and loss through a gameplay element in Ending E. It was poignant and very emotional for me
@@SolaireGamingPT was going to say that. It's one of my favourite games of all time (although nier still up there for me) also going to be using the game for a project. Glory to Mankind
Was looking for a comment about Nier: Automata... I'm not disappointed. ☺ I can't even begin to describe how much I love Nier and Nier: Automata, absolute gems.
The video alone almost brought me to tears in, frankly a really rough patch right now. Hearing that I did nothing wrong and to keep going was...very helpful. Having others there, like you, who are also needing or giving support, even as strangers on the internet is extremely powerful and effective. Thank you for this
Journey was not a game it was an experience, that scene where you slide down the sands while the sun was setting was the most beautiful moment in gaming ever for me, to this day I haven't seen anyone design the sand and colors in that perfect way
A few days ago, I saw a story on how Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was such a thoroughly-researched work that it is actually being used as an instructional tool to teach medical students about PTSD and psychosis. Truly worth a mention (and you HAVE praised it extensively in other videos).
The Last Of Us, Nier Automata, Horizon Zero Dawn, Detroit Become Human, Uncharted 4, Tomb Raider (2013) and Vampyr. Found all to be tremendously powerfull and deep.
Horizon Zero Dawn is still with me. I think about that game and that world so often. How well it describes humankind and that no matter what we will always end up fighting others just because they are "other".
Stopped by in the comments just to say how much I loved this Friday feature! Rob, you did such a good job with more serious topics, and have such good insight to games I’ve played before and I just couldn’t put my finger one exactly why they stayed with me. I loved that you connected so much more with us in this episode and we got more insight to who is on this channel. You guys are always good for a laugh, but this was such a breath of fresh air when I was mindless scrolling through RUclips. Please please continue to cover more topics like this!
Has to be the last of us. From start to finish It hits you over and over with an emotional bat and perfectly mixes funny and caring moments that draw you in with shocking jarring moments that knock you sideways. An awesome game and can't wait for when the new story begins.
The Last of Us is a pure masterpiece. Naughty Dog is a company of such passion, and they show it with the absolutely emotional journey through The Last of Us. From the prologue to the ending credits, everything is masterfully crafted to provide a life-changing experience for the player. Every soundtrack is great in its own sense, and I can’t help but think of the main theme, prologue theme, and ending credits theme. Unfortunately, as a “younger” gamer, I am unable to communicate the unparalleled quality and greatness of this game. It is simply so unfortunate that many people who play video games neglect story games, and instead play multiplayer games, causing them to miss out on these masterpieces of games. I try to spread my love for story games to those around me, as they truly can be impactful. If you’ve played through The Last of Us, you probably had that blank stare at the screen when the ending credits started rolling, and it had you processing the reality of it all. I will undoubtedly be pre-ordering The Last of Us Part 2 (and probably any Naughty Dog game) when the time comes. I can’t wait for more, but I can’t help but feel that a sequel will be unable to further develop any plot in The Last of Us, as if maybe it would be better left without one. Anyway, I will cherish this game for many years to come!
The description of Journey as an allegory for a struggle with mental health was really beautiful. My wife loves that game and I feel it resonates with her in a similar way.
I feel like your script is something poetic, a heartbreaking understanding of empathy and grief and hope and sorrow and fear. Yes, games can make us feel things that may or may not be enjoyable.
Your description of journey compares chillingly to most struggling with depression. The bit about when you feel ok and re invigorated is inspiring breathing hope into a hopeless situation
It's one of the few games where I literally said "damn, man". Out loud, not just in my head. And not just because I'd somehow played for so long and it was 2am all of a sudden. And then the chapters are called "some will live..." and "... Some will not"
I was thinking of this game as well during this whole video. i'm normally not impacted much by videogame music, but in this one i was. Another game that touched my heart was "Last day of June".
@@rmcgowa1987 "I didn't think it too realistic" in a game about where there is a fungal virus that turns people into blind, enhanced hearing infected. Besides, lots of games/movies/shows in media of this particular type of genre tend to go with the "shoot at anyone/anything" - 28 Weeks Later is a prime example
rmcgowa1987 The soldier was reluctant to do it. It was his commanding officer that told him to do it, and only to quarantine the outbreak. It seems superficial to look at it as unrealistic, considering the circumstances they were in.
One of the most emotionally impacting games I've ever played was Horizon Zero Dawn. Such an outstanding experience and the closure during the post credit cut scene brings a tear to my eye even while just rewatching the scene. Perhaps becoming a father has brought me closer to my emotions but I still believe that regardless of that I would be impacted.
I have to say Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice absolutely. Let's just say I wasn't in the best state of mind during that period of time, and after the game was done I felt... I dunno? Alive, refreshed, happy? It's very hard to describe that feeling.
I love how, as of late, these Friday features seem to focus on the reasons Rob loves video games. Any youtube channel can put out a video on the objective characteristics of games, but Rob excels at explaining why some matter to him personally.
my favourite part of journey was that I was just playing the game when someone random ended up in the same game as me right in the first area, we proceeded to complete the entire game together helping each other out and guiding one another through the game, and it was brilliant. Still I don't know who that person was almost a year after playing it, and I think its so much better that way. Me and someone out there shared the same journey, helping each other along the way, and we'll never know who the other person was. Sheer beauty
It took me 3 months to get over his death and finally finish that play through for the 100% achievement. Then I immediately loaded a previous save and John lived happily ever after, THE END
Indigo Prophecy had a major impact on me while playing it. Your health meter being represented by your character's depression. Each time it dropped I just felt it. Still one of my most memorable games. ❤
I think kiwami does it the best, because of how much you feel for the villain. what s/he's done is inexcusable but you feel that in a different time line you could have helped the person and you could have been friends. Btw i'm trying to write it so i don't spoil anything for the people who haven't played it yet because you really need to experience it for yourself.
Glad to see Edith Finch on this list. No matter how many times I play the game, it gives me chills and makes me feel so many emotions. Especially Lewis's segment.
Well, I'm gunna put forward "Everybody's gone to the rapture". The amount of times that game makes you just sit back and think about what's just happened is... Well... Let's just say that not all of the awards were for the fantastic soundtrack (which has a massive emotional impact in itself)
Yeah, Edith Finch, with the Lewis story and revelation/twist at the end got me. I played it in one sitting and while I didn't cry, my eyes started getting watery. Wow. Resonated so much with me - the melancholy, the feeling of loneliness and and that inevitably either death or ruin is coming, Lewis's depression and need to hurt himself, it hit home hard.
i cryed my eyes out in red dead redamtion 2. I gave it to my father. the other day he wrote me and asked me why I didn't warned him... and then we had an long phone call, shared memories and stories what we had done in the game and I would say, we growed more together over red dead redamtion 2
I played Final Fantasy 9 when I was a kid and the game's characters became my friends. I became part of their journey that when the game ended, it was so painful to think I won't see them again. I cried a lot. Plus the game tackles about life, about living, and the warm feeling of having friends and companions.
Jaeshran Reddy Agreed about Dark Souls. You don''t fight and kill Artorias..... You save him, release him from agony and grant him the peace he has earned. Then, having to kill Sif.... 😭😭😭
Fantastic vid!!! For many reasons. Here’s just one, I had never heard of Rime but in those literal few minutes of learning about it, impressed me so much. You said it brought you to tears playing it, well I was on the verge of tears just hearing about the ending and then, reading the titles of the chapters, being the stages of overcoming grief, pushed over the precipice into a full on cry😭
I don’t usually comment, but I wanted you to know that this was a truly excellent Friday feature Rob. My dad died a month ago and your words and descriptions had me in tears. ❤️
Unbelievable writing. (As with ever week) My wife overheard me watching this video and was so enthralled that she told me to buy What remains of Edith Finch. This is definitely one of your best features! Keep up the good work Rob!
Great video, I will definitely play Journey and Edith Finch now, has them for ages just not played them yet. For me heavy rain and Detroit were two of the most emotional games ever - Detroit made cry every time I played it trying to save everyone but never managing it!! Love the channel, keep up the great work!!
loved every single game you put on this list and i would not change a single one. But I on a personal note found myself missing bioshock, not that it could have taken away one of the games one your list, just that bioshock for me changed the way i understood and expirienced games from that day forward. both the twist and storytelling in the game, and how close you were to your choices and their outcome. to me Bioshock will always be one of the most powerful games i ever played! Probs for one of the best videos you ever made!!
Really good video Rob. Last day of June was another game that got me in the feels. I loved Edith Finch too, it was beautiful on PC! Parts of everyone has gone to the rapture was sad too.
Final Fantasy VI has a well-deserved place here. Since its so easy to forget or misunderstand a game from 25 years ago, just know this: FF6 offered unprecedented level of audacity with its story (destruction of the world...), character development (Celes's suicide attempt...) and music composition (in-game opera, 18-minutes-long final boss theme, 21-minutes-long ending credits theme...). It was genius then, and definitely still holds up today.
Final fantasy/kingdom hearts/the last of us/life is strange/Bloodborne/dragon age inquisition/the witcher 3/those are some of the games that made a huge impact on me
Edith Finch & Rime totally moving. P.T. just Billiant. For me it's Gone to the Rapture, Last Guardian, and Grandia. Just to name a few. Great video topic Rob. Video games I feel enhances our life in so many ways. Even if it's not sad or moving. Cheers 😊😊😊♥️♥️♥️
Final Fantasy VII, Life is strange, Mirror's edge, Kingdom Hearts 1, Final Fantasy IX, Journey, Ico/Shadow of the Colossus/the last guardian. These games really stuck with me and I still play them over and over again.
I have to say that FFX and X-2's story hit me in a place that I really felt it. Yeah other FF games have sad moments, but the sadness here was very personal.
@@marhawkman303 It was the same for me with ffix and ffvii, some of the sad moments felt super personal. I had ffx and x-2 in my family home but never played them. I have heard very good things about those so I might still play them one day!
Thank you Rob. I loved this video, certainly powerful stuff. Rime was particularly hard and it really stuck with me for my own reasons. You are a very good communicator not only when speaking funny but also when it comes to talk for real. I wish my wife spoke English so that I could show her. Regards from Spain mate.
This is a very clever review of these games, thank you very much. Most I have played or heard a lot about, and I learnt about Brothers and Edith Finch. I have added this to my Psychology playlist and I will be showing this when we talk about the subject! :) When I finished Braid, it made me want to research so many things. I had to talk about the meanings behind it all. I wanted to see if the author meant and the general public had understood the same thing I did. I started to view scientists behind terrible projects in a different perspective. Perception is a lost art, and teaching it is not easy. Braid did it brilliantly. We cannot undo what we have done, and we cannot prevent anyone from using our good ideas with bad intent. We can try, however, try our best to not do bad things with good intent
Undertale, and to a lesser degree due to its current size, Deltarune chapter 1. Mass Effect Trilogy. Persona 4 and 5. And to a lesser extent, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, and Dragon Age.
Yes, I was going to say Undertale if I didn't see it in the comments. The emotional crux of the story, the three different versions of history you get, the fact that everyone has their own individual struggles, themes of loss, grieving, pain, regret, depression, suicide, and redemption (but only mostly). It's a deeply affecting story.
For me, the very first emotional experience that I ever had in a game was with Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Eescue Team. I was a young child who saw this new Pokémon game that had never seen before and wanted to try it out, but little did I know what I was getting myself into. The game is very cheery, bright, and colorful, up until one point in the story. That point would be when you are outcast from the town and forced to survive in the wild. Basically, all throughout the game, the world has slowly been crawling closer and closer to its demise, and the residents of this world are, understandably, worried and concerned for their safety. Tensions build and expand until it reaches the point where you are accused of being the cause of the worlds decline due to you being a human in a world of only Pokémon. It's at that point that you are cast out of society by all of the people that you've come to know and love, all for something that you didn't do. But the most gut wrenching part of it all is that everyone in town knows that you aren't the cause of the worlds decline. On the night of your departure, you start to head out, leaving everything and everyone behind, all because of a false accusation, but surprisingly, all of your friends come to see you off. They're sad to see you go and know that you aren't at fault, but are following along with society simply because of desperation and pressure from others. This scene perfectly illustrates the feeling of being an outcast for something that wasn't under your control. You know that you've done nothing wrong and you know that everyone else knows that as well, yet here you are, still being punished for it, and being punished by people that you've grown to love and trust too. All of this is accompanied by an absolutely tear jerking soundtrack that makes me emotional just by listening to it. For me, this game was the first game to make me realize what games could be, and if I had never played it, I wouldn't be here today, experiencing all of these other incredible stories. I wouldn't have learned these important lessons from games like the ones you mentioned in this video. I personally believe that I would be in a worse position today if I hadn't played that game. It, quite literally, changed the course of my life.
The best thing about this video is that after I finish the games that I haven’t played on the list, I will come back and watch the rest of this. When I do, I’ll feel more of what I did with the entries I did watch. Well done.
Ive watched this video so many times because of how much it rings true for me. But recently journey and your analysis of it has become vital for me and my health. Like so many others in this comment section, your "keep playing the game" line is so encouraging.
Edith Finch really made me reflect on something- I watched a playthrough of it during the aftermath of the Manchester bombing, and it really put everything into perspective for me- how so many people, despite being different in so many ways, would forever be connected by one tragic link- and I just cried, for about an hour
Beautiful video, I'm glad that I played all this games :) Other games that has changed me forever are Celeste and The Last Guardian. You earned a new subscriber ♡
In 'What Remains of Edith Finch', the baby one and the poisoned kid one really struck a chord with me when I played the game. It's so sad because what is actually happening is not directly conveyed, but that makes it feel more realistic because when you're living through something you don't understand exactly what it is until after the fact. In these scenarios, there is no after the fact for these individuals to experience, because they are gone.
What an incredible video. As others have said, that line "Nothing. You did nothing wrong. Keep playing the game" was profound. I come to this channel for a friendly, funny, entertaining watch with my breakfast, and I was not expecting to be moved to tears today. Thank you, Rob, you utterly brilliant, hilarious, joyful and compassionate man!
To this day, To The Moon is the most emotionally powerful story I have ever experienced in all of media, right along similar lines as all of these entries. The beauty of the relationship between the two characters as the mysteries behind it unfold is just phenomenal, and the heartsinking themes of loss in order to make your dreams come true is just amazingly powerful. If you enjoyed any of the games on this list, play To The Moon!
The best Friday feature yet. So eloquent and beautifully worded. When rob says " what did I do wrong. Nothing. You did nothing wrong. Keep playing the game" was very powerful. I will keep playing the game of life. Thankyou Rob.
Final Fantasy VIII's story was amazingly moving , I think it shaped some of my attitude to life since I played it around age 12-13 and for the next several years. I was a lot like Squall at the time and throughout my teenage years.
This was one of my picks. The instant you learn of the bombs dropping in the railway station and see the vapour trails before everything fades and you move onto the next area. Powerful!
I love how you're helping to normalize mental illness. You're not making it your identity or beating the subject to death, but your descriptions of it and simple acknowledgement that it exists within yourself and so many others feels so damn validating.
You're the one denormalizing it with comments like this, thanks.
@@Simon-oy7kf not a word mate
"'What did I do wrong?' Nothing. You did nothing wrong, push on. Keep going." Thank you for that, Rob. From me, and I'm sure from anyone else who just needs to hear that sometimes. Thank you.
Rob, I have to say, these games are incredible and reach the bottom of our hearts, but for a person who hasn't played them, the way you've expressed each and every single one and conveyed their deep, sophisticated, and intriguing message is phenomenally brilliant. You, in this video, have done, at least to a certain extent, something that all of these games do, individually over a span of a lot more than 19 minutes. Bravo sir, I truly respect your writing skills, but essentially your deep understanding of games that touch the common spring of humanity and all emotions that are a part of it. Exceptional work! One of my favourite Friday features if not the favourite!!
Completely agree. Rob has outdone himself with this one.
John Chapman he's quite a *steal* if I do say so myself
heh Rob, steal, eheheh
Well said. Exactly what I was thinking. Normally tune in for some funniness after a long week of work - and about 1 minute into #1, I was tearing up. This was superb.
I only looked at the comments for these words
I'm gonna agree with Ash here. I hadn't played some of these games but the eloquence you pitched these I felt the emotion. Bloody good job mate
"You keep the left stick pushed forwards."
This hit me hard. What a simple yet extremely powerful piece of advice for life.
Thanks for that.
Rob, this is the best script you’ve ever written, man. I’ll be using this as the go-to anytime I meet one of those ‘games aren’t art’ people
Agreed
I’m a university English professor, and I allow students to write about video games like they are literature, because...wait for it...they are.
I can't stand those people!
@@brettthewilder2338 This. We've simply moved from pen and paper to screen and controller.
The way he says "Nothing. You did nothing wrong. Keep. Playing." It was so real
Unlike the rest, which was more of a fantasy thing: in other words, fantastic. ;)
..."Nothing. You did nothing wrong. Keep playing the game."
This right here is a mantra that I believe I will tell myself from now on.
I got chills when Rob said it.
I actually teared up when he said that. This was a really good Friday Feature!
Really powerful.
Wow. That was amazing. Reminds me of the Picard line: "It is possible to commit no mistakes, and still lose."
Your perspective on PT and its connection to how domestic abuse may have felt is simply EQ on a whole another level. This is a gem!
The Last of Us.
I’ve never played a game thats connected with me so much before, or since.
From the first moments of meeting Joel and Sarah. As a father, that scene utterly destroyed me. It was so unexpected, I had to put down the controller and compose myself. Thats all of 10mins in.
Throughout the game Ellie comes across as Little Miss I Don’t Need Nobody, but the Lakside Resort chapter totally flipped that. It shows how vulnerable she is, even though she tries to be totally independent. The relief when Joel finally reaches her is heartbreaking.
Playing Ellies backstory DLC (I forget the name) just cements the emotion further.
Every time I thought I’d got the hang of someone, they’d show a different approach that switches my idea of them. The storytelling and character development is incredible.
Long story short, if you haven’t played TLoU, do so. Its not your typical Zombie slasher.
Its devastating, heartwarming and crushing in a way that you can’t help but continue on to the end.
When you finally get there, your equally relieved that you conquered it...and gutted that its over.
I wish i was able to express my feelings for TLoU as you did.
Thanks mate for writing those words about this incredible game. Best game i have ever played all categories... i am 40 and started on sega megadrive...
I'm a bit late to the party on this one, only having played and beaten TLoU a few weeks ago, but I completely, utterly agree! I don't think any game has done to me what The Last of Us has!
I just finished playing What Remains of Edith Finch and without this video I probably never would have.
What Rob says about this game is absolutely true; it punches your soul like Kratos punched Zeus's head at the end of GoW III. After Lewis's story I had to put down the controller because I was crying so hard.
The past 7 months have been rough at times and sometimes it was hard for me to cope with these things. I'm not quite sure what this game did to me but I feel like it made me more able to move on...
if that makes sense....
Rob, from the bottom of my heart 'thank you!'. Thank you for making this video. Thank you for sharing your story about your own battles and thank you for making these Friday Features. I've been a fan since day 1. :)
Hellblade. The game really struck a chord with me. The ending, the battle with mental illness, the abuse from trusted family. It was very powerful.
Obsidian Butterfly same here
Hellblade doesn't get the attention it deserves, I think, it's incredible. I've played it twice and both times I was a wreck by the end.
YES same!! That game is on a whole other level.
I honestly think Hellblade is better than God of War.
I have to agree. Hellblade wasn't a game, it was an experience.
Just wanted to say that after having a pretty bad week at work your entry on journey managed to bring some joy to my day. 'Just keep playing....' 🙂
NieR: Automata has one of the smartest way of hammering the theme of sacrifice and loss through a gameplay element in Ending E. It was poignant and very emotional for me
GLORY TO MANKIND !!
The story of that game left my mouth hanging by the end
@@SolaireGamingPT was going to say that. It's one of my favourite games of all time (although nier still up there for me) also going to be using the game for a project.
Glory to Mankind
Not just that but overall philosophical commentary about blind faith, consciousness, nihilism and morality of war left me thinking for a long time.
Was looking for a comment about Nier: Automata... I'm not disappointed. ☺ I can't even begin to describe how much I love Nier and Nier: Automata, absolute gems.
The video alone almost brought me to tears in, frankly a really rough patch right now. Hearing that I did nothing wrong and to keep going was...very helpful. Having others there, like you, who are also needing or giving support, even as strangers on the internet is extremely powerful and effective. Thank you for this
Journey was not a game it was an experience, that scene where you slide down the sands while the sun was setting was the most beautiful moment in gaming ever for me, to this day I haven't seen anyone design the sand and colors in that perfect way
A few days ago, I saw a story on how Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was such a thoroughly-researched work that it is actually being used as an instructional tool to teach medical students about PTSD and psychosis. Truly worth a mention (and you HAVE praised it extensively in other videos).
The Last Of Us, Nier Automata, Horizon Zero Dawn, Detroit Become Human, Uncharted 4, Tomb Raider (2013) and Vampyr. Found all to be tremendously powerfull and deep.
I can understand most of that list, but Detroit Become Human? That's just a thousand hackneyed movie tropes slapped into a game.
Sacha Daenens one man's trash is another man's treasure
Horizon Zero Dawn is still with me. I think about that game and that world so often. How well it describes humankind and that no matter what we will always end up fighting others just because they are "other".
Detroit Become Human is indeed an amazing game. If you haven’t already you should play Heavy Rain, imo its even better
That Journey section. Thanks Rob.
Not gonna lie, brought tears to my eyes.
@@johngingras Did me again re watching it, one the best games i have ever played. It sure is a work of graphical, musical and emotional art.
Yea that part had me stuck , so powerful
"This is my rebuttal... three weeks later." YES! Now I fully understand all the comments where people call you their spirit animal.
O he definitely is
Stopped by in the comments just to say how much I loved this Friday feature! Rob, you did such a good job with more serious topics, and have such good insight to games I’ve played before and I just couldn’t put my finger one exactly why they stayed with me. I loved that you connected so much more with us in this episode and we got more insight to who is on this channel. You guys are always good for a laugh, but this was such a breath of fresh air when I was mindless scrolling through RUclips.
Please please continue to cover more topics like this!
Has to be the last of us. From start to finish It hits you over and over with an emotional bat and perfectly mixes funny and caring moments that draw you in with shocking jarring moments that knock you sideways. An awesome game and can't wait for when the new story begins.
The Last of Us is a pure masterpiece. Naughty Dog is a company of such passion, and they show it with the absolutely emotional journey through The Last of Us. From the prologue to the ending credits, everything is masterfully crafted to provide a life-changing experience for the player. Every soundtrack is great in its own sense, and I can’t help but think of the main theme, prologue theme, and ending credits theme. Unfortunately, as a “younger” gamer, I am unable to communicate the unparalleled quality and greatness of this game. It is simply so unfortunate that many people who play video games neglect story games, and instead play multiplayer games, causing them to miss out on these masterpieces of games. I try to spread my love for story games to those around me, as they truly can be impactful. If you’ve played through The Last of Us, you probably had that blank stare at the screen when the ending credits started rolling, and it had you processing the reality of it all. I will undoubtedly be pre-ordering The Last of Us Part 2 (and probably any Naughty Dog game) when the time comes. I can’t wait for more, but I can’t help but feel that a sequel will be unable to further develop any plot in The Last of Us, as if maybe it would be better left without one. Anyway, I will cherish this game for many years to come!
"Just keep playing the game" is my new mantra. Thanks Rob.
Life is strange 1 and especially LIS before the storm gets me on a emotional level
Thank you Rob, the part about mental issues during the Journey part hit home for me. I appreciate your raw honesty.
The description of Journey as an allegory for a struggle with mental health was really beautiful. My wife loves that game and I feel it resonates with her in a similar way.
I feel like your script is something poetic, a heartbreaking understanding of empathy and grief and hope and sorrow and fear.
Yes, games can make us feel things that may or may not be enjoyable.
Rob, if you are reading this. Good job. You know how to read.
rwsthedemonking did you watch the video?
@rwsthedemonking bruh
Ori and the Blind Forest. Beautiful in absolutely every way; graphically, mechanically, and in narrative.
Can't wait for the sequel this year.
The Last Of Us changed me in a way I can't explain. It's such a great game.
Same and true
It was one of those games where I couldn’t stop thinking about it even after I had finished it.
I know I turned into a 14 year old girl from a 48 year old man
That game showed how much family influences your actions and selfishness. I can't wait for the Last of Us 2!!
@@jasondutton2531 they did so good for the first game. Can they surpass it?
Your description of journey compares chillingly to most struggling with depression. The bit about when you feel ok and re invigorated is inspiring breathing hope into a hopeless situation
The ending of Valiant Hearts... Manly tears were shed.
God damnit
Emileeeeeeee why
It's one of the few games where I literally said "damn, man". Out loud, not just in my head. And not just because I'd somehow played for so long and it was 2am all of a sudden.
And then the chapters are called "some will live..." and "... Some will not"
For me Final Fantasy X is the game that’s effected me the most. The whole story is amazing and the ending is so bittersweet.
I couldn't agree more! Hands down the best story of all FF series!
I was thinking of this game as well during this whole video. i'm normally not impacted much by videogame music, but in this one i was.
Another game that touched my heart was "Last day of June".
The Last of Us. That opening sequence was a punch to the gut.
@@rmcgowa1987 "I didn't think it too realistic" in a game about where there is a fungal virus that turns people into blind, enhanced hearing infected.
Besides, lots of games/movies/shows in media of this particular type of genre tend to go with the "shoot at anyone/anything" - 28 Weeks Later is a prime example
rmcgowa1987 The soldier was reluctant to do it. It was his commanding officer that told him to do it, and only to quarantine the outbreak. It seems superficial to look at it as unrealistic, considering the circumstances they were in.
I loved Edith Finch so much, but I don't think I can ever play it again.
edith finch melancholy level is equivalent of Manchester by the Sea
I feel the same way about Life is Strange.
Another game that gave me this experience is That dragon, Cancer
the bloody baron quest.. you see one side, then you see the other side.. and it stuck with me, two people both messing up
What game is this from?
mikey123456789012 it’s from the Witcher 3
@@duffrizky9439 Ah. A game in the long list of games I still need to play.
I'm so glad you mentioned Journey, that game changed me forever.
Journey section brought a tear to my eye. Keep up the good work Rob.
Rob, this is your best episode by a mile. Bravo for talking about some tuff things. You sir, are legendary.
Final Fantasy IX. "You don't need a reason to help people".
I still listen to "you are not alone" almost every week. I set it as my wake up alarm for a few months last year.
@@timnewton-howes5206 One of Nobuo Uematsu's best work if you ask me.
One of the most emotionally impacting games I've ever played was Horizon Zero Dawn. Such an outstanding experience and the closure during the post credit cut scene brings a tear to my eye even while just rewatching the scene. Perhaps becoming a father has brought me closer to my emotions but I still believe that regardless of that I would be impacted.
Michael Pearson I agree
I have to say Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice absolutely. Let's just say I wasn't in the best state of mind during that period of time, and after the game was done I felt... I dunno? Alive, refreshed, happy? It's very hard to describe that feeling.
I felt the same. =0
Same. It felt a bit like catharsis.
I love how, as of late, these Friday features seem to focus on the reasons Rob loves video games. Any youtube channel can put out a video on the objective characteristics of games, but Rob excels at explaining why some matter to him personally.
The bit about Journey. Thank you Rob! It hit me deep. Thank you so much.
That was the BEST episode I've seen and I love all of your Friday features. Simply brilliant!
A 19 minute Friday Feature?!
YES
didn't feel like it though ;)
my favourite part of journey was that I was just playing the game when someone random ended up in the same game as me right in the first area, we proceeded to complete the entire game together helping each other out and guiding one another through the game, and it was brilliant. Still I don't know who that person was almost a year after playing it, and I think its so much better that way. Me and someone out there shared the same journey, helping each other along the way, and we'll never know who the other person was. Sheer beauty
Red dead redemption also does a fine job in this regard
It took me 3 months to get over his death and finally finish that play through for the 100% achievement. Then I immediately loaded a previous save and John lived happily ever after, THE END
Indigo Prophecy had a major impact on me while playing it. Your health meter being represented by your character's depression. Each time it dropped I just felt it. Still one of my most memorable games. ❤
One that probably won't get brought up a lot is yakuza. It has (imo) some of the best stories this medium has to offer.
Yes! I cried so hard in yakuza 0. The lovestory from goro just killed me inside 😭
I think kiwami does it the best, because of how much you feel for the villain. what s/he's done is inexcusable but you feel that in a different time line you could have helped the person and you could have been friends. Btw i'm trying to write it so i don't spoil anything for the people who haven't played it yet because you really need to experience it for yourself.
I was surprised that Soma didn't make the list! The two main characters gave such a powerful vocal performance that you could feel the emotions.
All the bioshock games , and Everybody's gone to the rapture which is criminally underrated
Glad to see Edith Finch on this list. No matter how many times I play the game, it gives me chills and makes me feel so many emotions. Especially Lewis's segment.
Well, I'm gunna put forward "Everybody's gone to the rapture". The amount of times that game makes you just sit back and think about what's just happened is... Well... Let's just say that not all of the awards were for the fantastic soundtrack (which has a massive emotional impact in itself)
Yeah, Edith Finch, with the Lewis story and revelation/twist at the end got me. I played it in one sitting and while I didn't cry, my eyes started getting watery. Wow. Resonated so much with me - the melancholy, the feeling of loneliness and and that inevitably either death or ruin is coming, Lewis's depression and need to hurt himself, it hit home hard.
i cryed my eyes out in red dead redamtion 2. I gave it to my father. the other day he wrote me and asked me why I didn't warned him... and then we had an long phone call, shared memories and stories what we had done in the game and I would say, we growed more together over red dead redamtion 2
I played Final Fantasy 9 when I was a kid and the game's characters became my friends. I became part of their journey that when the game ended, it was so painful to think I won't see them again. I cried a lot. Plus the game tackles about life, about living, and the warm feeling of having friends and companions.
I had to skip more than half the list because of spoilers
Half the list? I only watched two segments lol
JkAnimations yes a timing breakdown on the first comment would be useful to jump from game to game in the video
Lucky you - this means you still get to play all these games for the first time! :-)
Hedera Helix if only my wallet let me
lol, Journey is the only segment I could watch.
I will also add Shadow of the Colossus to this list. That game made me feel so many emotions!
I'm so glad you included Rime because holy cow that game destroyed me. It was so good, so beautiful, and so sad.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, The Last of Us, Dark Souls
Jaeshran Reddy
Agreed about Dark Souls. You don''t fight and kill Artorias..... You save him, release him from agony and grant him the peace he has earned. Then, having to kill Sif.... 😭😭😭
Cole Jordan omgggg having to hear him make those sounds before he walks off and picks up artorias’s sword..... hold up... I got some dirt in my eye
Hellblade, when I finished it...I couldn't just pick up another game. I calmly put the controller down and walked away....it was that deep.
Rob... This whole video was beautifully written, great work
Fantastic vid!!! For many reasons. Here’s just one, I had never heard of Rime but in those literal few minutes of learning about it, impressed me so much. You said it brought you to tears playing it, well I was on the verge of tears just hearing about the ending and then, reading the titles of the chapters, being the stages of overcoming grief, pushed over the precipice into a full on cry😭
I don’t usually comment, but I wanted you to know that this was a truly excellent Friday feature Rob. My dad died a month ago and your words and descriptions had me in tears. ❤️
Life is strange and Rakuen changed me, I will never forget the emotions I had while playing them
i am so speechless this was really the best friday feature i have ever seen. thanks rob❤❤
Unbelievable writing. (As with ever week) My wife overheard me watching this video and was so enthralled that she told me to buy What remains of Edith Finch. This is definitely one of your best features!
Keep up the good work Rob!
The Last of Us was such an impactful game.!
Great video, I will definitely play Journey and Edith Finch now, has them for ages just not played them yet. For me heavy rain and Detroit were two of the most emotional games ever - Detroit made cry every time I played it trying to save everyone but never managing it!! Love the channel, keep up the great work!!
loved every single game you put on this list and i would not change a single one. But I on a personal note found myself missing bioshock, not that it could have taken away one of the games one your list, just that bioshock for me changed the way i understood and expirienced games from that day forward. both the twist and storytelling in the game, and how close you were to your choices and their outcome. to me Bioshock will always be one of the most powerful games i ever played! Probs for one of the best videos you ever made!!
Really good video Rob. Last day of June was another game that got me in the feels. I loved Edith Finch too, it was beautiful on PC! Parts of everyone has gone to the rapture was sad too.
The end of red dead redemption 1 & 2 were powerful
Final Fantasy VI has a well-deserved place here. Since its so easy to forget or misunderstand a game from 25 years ago, just know this: FF6 offered unprecedented level of audacity with its story (destruction of the world...), character development (Celes's suicide attempt...) and music composition (in-game opera, 18-minutes-long final boss theme, 21-minutes-long ending credits theme...). It was genius then, and definitely still holds up today.
Final fantasy/kingdom hearts/the last of us/life is strange/Bloodborne/dragon age inquisition/the witcher 3/those are some of the games that made a huge impact on me
Same here :)
Rob, this is a seriously good video.
Your usual comedic commentary is what I watch these for, but this one.. Struck a chord with me.
Well done
Edith Finch & Rime totally moving. P.T. just Billiant. For me it's Gone to the Rapture, Last Guardian, and Grandia. Just to name a few. Great video topic Rob. Video games I feel enhances our life in so many ways. Even if it's not sad or moving. Cheers 😊😊😊♥️♥️♥️
While I haven't played Edith finch, being able to make such an inspirational story so short is amazing, great storytellers achieve this
Final Fantasy VII, Life is strange, Mirror's edge, Kingdom Hearts 1, Final Fantasy IX, Journey, Ico/Shadow of the Colossus/the last guardian.
These games really stuck with me and I still play them over and over again.
I have to say that FFX and X-2's story hit me in a place that I really felt it. Yeah other FF games have sad moments, but the sadness here was very personal.
@@marhawkman303 It was the same for me with ffix and ffvii, some of the sad moments felt super personal. I had ffx and x-2 in my family home but never played them. I have heard very good things about those so I might still play them one day!
Thank you Rob. I loved this video, certainly powerful stuff. Rime was particularly hard and it really stuck with me for my own reasons.
You are a very good communicator not only when speaking funny but also when it comes to talk for real. I wish my wife spoke English so that I could show her.
Regards from Spain mate.
Journey, The Last Guardian, Bioshock Infinite, and The Last of Us still get to me on a deep emotional, instinctual level that I can't quite explain.
Rob B Nier Automata too
Rob B glad someone mentioned The Last Guardian
@@ToriKo_ I loved Nier: Automata as well. On a philosophical level it just sideswiped me.
Rob B have you ever heard of persona 4?
Infinite was really weak story wise imo. Story elements in 1&2 were far more impactful for me.
This is a very clever review of these games, thank you very much. Most I have played or heard a lot about, and I learnt about Brothers and Edith Finch. I have added this to my Psychology playlist and I will be showing this when we talk about the subject! :) When I finished Braid, it made me want to research so many things. I had to talk about the meanings behind it all. I wanted to see if the author meant and the general public had understood the same thing I did. I started to view scientists behind terrible projects in a different perspective. Perception is a lost art, and teaching it is not easy. Braid did it brilliantly. We cannot undo what we have done, and we cannot prevent anyone from using our good ideas with bad intent. We can try, however, try our best to not do bad things with good intent
Undertale, and to a lesser degree due to its current size, Deltarune chapter 1.
Mass Effect Trilogy.
Persona 4 and 5.
And to a lesser extent, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, and Dragon Age.
I see that I didn't even need to comment. This has pretty much all the games I would pick.
You forgot... KINGDOM HEARTS! (1 & 2) as well as Shadow of the Colossus/Ico
Yes, I was going to say Undertale if I didn't see it in the comments. The emotional crux of the story, the three different versions of history you get, the fact that everyone has their own individual struggles, themes of loss, grieving, pain, regret, depression, suicide, and redemption (but only mostly). It's a deeply affecting story.
@@DralenDragonfox And the fact that everything is your own choice to do so
For me, the very first emotional experience that I ever had in a game was with Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Eescue Team. I was a young child who saw this new Pokémon game that had never seen before and wanted to try it out, but little did I know what I was getting myself into. The game is very cheery, bright, and colorful, up until one point in the story. That point would be when you are outcast from the town and forced to survive in the wild. Basically, all throughout the game, the world has slowly been crawling closer and closer to its demise, and the residents of this world are, understandably, worried and concerned for their safety. Tensions build and expand until it reaches the point where you are accused of being the cause of the worlds decline due to you being a human in a world of only Pokémon. It's at that point that you are cast out of society by all of the people that you've come to know and love, all for something that you didn't do. But the most gut wrenching part of it all is that everyone in town knows that you aren't the cause of the worlds decline. On the night of your departure, you start to head out, leaving everything and everyone behind, all because of a false accusation, but surprisingly, all of your friends come to see you off. They're sad to see you go and know that you aren't at fault, but are following along with society simply because of desperation and pressure from others. This scene perfectly illustrates the feeling of being an outcast for something that wasn't under your control. You know that you've done nothing wrong and you know that everyone else knows that as well, yet here you are, still being punished for it, and being punished by people that you've grown to love and trust too. All of this is accompanied by an absolutely tear jerking soundtrack that makes me emotional just by listening to it. For me, this game was the first game to make me realize what games could be, and if I had never played it, I wouldn't be here today, experiencing all of these other incredible stories. I wouldn't have learned these important lessons from games like the ones you mentioned in this video. I personally believe that I would be in a worse position today if I hadn't played that game. It, quite literally, changed the course of my life.
Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons was the MOST BEAUTIFUL game i have ever played. Ever. And Rime... lord... that hit my heart hella hard.
The whole segment on Journey was absolutely wonderful. Thank you for that. Also Brothers... unreal game
"You did nothing wrong, keep playing the game."
The best thing about this video is that after I finish the games that I haven’t played on the list, I will come back and watch the rest of this. When I do, I’ll feel more of what I did with the entries I did watch. Well done.
Rob giving "an adjective describes a noun" *a whole new meaning*
Ive watched this video so many times because of how much it rings true for me. But recently journey and your analysis of it has become vital for me and my health. Like so many others in this comment section, your "keep playing the game" line is so encouraging.
Edith Finch really made me reflect on something- I watched a playthrough of it during the aftermath of the Manchester bombing, and it really put everything into perspective for me- how so many people, despite being different in so many ways, would forever be connected by one tragic link- and I just cried, for about an hour
Please have a listen to the TED talk by Gill Hicks
Thanks, Rob. I needed this list today. I was really struggling with some dark thinking this morning.
Beautiful Work Rob, thank you, so much
P.s Horizon Zero Dawn for me, that ending hit me really hard
Beautiful video, I'm glad that I played all this games :) Other games that has changed me forever are Celeste and The Last Guardian. You earned a new subscriber ♡
Your old friends are gone
*crab rave plays on the background*
In 'What Remains of Edith Finch', the baby one and the poisoned kid one really struck a chord with me when I played the game. It's so sad because what is actually happening is not directly conveyed, but that makes it feel more realistic because when you're living through something you don't understand exactly what it is until after the fact. In these scenarios, there is no after the fact for these individuals to experience, because they are gone.
Nier Automata ruined my life in the best way possible. Profoundly tragic yet powerful.
The credits...
What an incredible video. As others have said, that line "Nothing. You did nothing wrong. Keep playing the game" was profound. I come to this channel for a friendly, funny, entertaining watch with my breakfast, and I was not expecting to be moved to tears today. Thank you, Rob, you utterly brilliant, hilarious, joyful and compassionate man!
To this day, To The Moon is the most emotionally powerful story I have ever experienced in all of media, right along similar lines as all of these entries. The beauty of the relationship between the two characters as the mysteries behind it unfold is just phenomenal, and the heartsinking themes of loss in order to make your dreams come true is just amazingly powerful. If you enjoyed any of the games on this list, play To The Moon!
The best Friday feature yet. So eloquent and beautifully worded. When rob says " what did I do wrong. Nothing. You did nothing wrong. Keep playing the game" was very powerful. I will keep playing the game of life. Thankyou Rob.
Thomas Was Alone, I have never looked at shapes the same since playing that game.
Final Fantasy VIII's story was amazingly moving , I think it shaped some of my attitude to life since I played it around age 12-13 and for the next several years. I was a lot like Squall at the time and throughout my teenage years.
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture really got me. So powerful! Incredible music.
This was one of my picks. The instant you learn of the bombs dropping in the railway station and see the vapour trails before everything fades and you move onto the next area. Powerful!