Most Depressing Video Games

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joseffthered

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#101  Edited By joseffthered

@Jeust said:

Lost Odyssey

agreed

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MocBucket62

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#102  Edited By MocBucket62
@Godlyawesomeguy said:

Heavy Rain, depending on which ending you get.

This
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gunninkr

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#103  Edited By gunninkr

Indigo Prophecy

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MegaLombax

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#105  Edited By MegaLombax

Dunno about most depressing, but the so far the most depressing I've personally played is Nier. The first playthrough was okay, it got depressing over the 2nd and 3rd playthroughs. Giving personalities to the "enemies" you killed really was a unique experience. I once actually let myself be killed during the wolf shade boss fight.

Also, spec ops the line. First game ever to make me put down the controller for a while and feel disgusted with what I did in the game.

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Ravenlight

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#106  Edited By Ravenlight

Just going through my Steam library here:

The high chaos ending for Dishonored paints a pretty grim picture.

If you really dig into it, Team Fortress 2's meta-story is all about nihilism and soulless consumerism.

There are a few plot threads in Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura that are pretty dark, as well.

In The Darkness franchise, there's really no redemption for Jackie, whose life is pretty much one gruesome tragedy after another thanks to his pal The Darkness.

Digging real far back, Prey's story is pretty dark. Some real messed-up things happen in that game.

The atmosphere in Metro 2033 is real depressing, especially in friendly areas, where it's just a ton of weary, beaten-down survivors going about what has now become their lives inside the dark, grimy, dangerous Russian underground.

And lastly, the end of Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is a huge bummer for the main character.

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Kieran_ES

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#107  Edited By Kieran_ES

Pathologic.

Edit: From Quintin Smith's 'Butchering Pathologic' series.

The point is that Pathologic fearlessly wields desperation, brutality, hopelessness, exhaustion, cruelty, even ignorance and pain, and, if you can stomach it, the result is phenomenal.

Pathologic could not ever be described as fun. Tramping back and forth across town, trying to stem the torrent of deaths while aching to know what’s going on /is not fun./ This is not a game. There isn’t a word for it really, which is probably why the developers, Ice-pick Lodge, call Pathologic “an exercise in decision making” on their translated English website.

and

But this happened all the time. My favourite was on day 9, some 20 hours into the game, when the same friend started talking about how he couldn’t play on for much longer. He said that if things didn’t resolve themselves soon he’d give up. He was so tired, he said.

The next day my character went to see the Bachelor to discuss some findings, and I found a man overcome with exhaustion. The Bachelor said that if we couldn’t discover the truth about this disease soon he was going to shoot himself rather than let the illness kill him.

This is what Pathologic does. It creates an interesting, desperate situation and brooks no compromise in letting you experience it. And in unflinchingly making you suffer, you identify with these characters you control to the point of becoming them.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/butchering-pathologic/

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CrossTheAtlantic

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@ShaolinSpade said:

Red Dead Redemption was pretty darn depressing.

Yes. In like the best way. That ending (the real ending), and how it reflected Marston's own failure was just pitch-perfect.

@Jeust said:

Silent Hill 2

Never played 4, but couldn't agree with this more. Though, I also think the "In Water" ending is the one that best fits the tone of the game. Also the most depressing. Fuck. Silent Hill 2 is so good.

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Jeust

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#109  Edited By Jeust
@CrossTheAtlantic: Yeah! That ending was so fitting! A trully depressing masterpiece.
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xxizzypop

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#110  Edited By xxizzypop

I found Max Payne 3 depressing as hell, and not in any kind of a feel good way. Just, nothing about that game made you really feel good. Every now and then, they'd make you feel like a badass, but only because your character has hit this desperate, suicidal point of gunfighting that he'll attempt things no rational human being should.

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Dylabaloo

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Little_Socrates

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#112  Edited By Little_Socrates

I personally found moments of Persona 4 waaaay more depressing than P3, so I'd go with that.

The Walking Dead is pretty depressing, too.

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NegativeCero

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#113  Edited By NegativeCero

Shadow of the Colossus

I'm going to add the first Shadow Hearts to that too because of the ending.

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sweep

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#114  Edited By sweep  Moderator

I got really fucking depressed playing Journey. The end of that game is pretty heartbreaking. But then amazing.

Also, shadow of the colossus. Because obviously.

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Sbaitso

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#115  Edited By Sbaitso

Digital: A Love Story, Dark Souls, and the Walking Dead all come to mind.

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NlGHTCRAWLER

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#116  Edited By NlGHTCRAWLER

@Mr_Skeleton said:

Limbo.

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Ace829

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#117  Edited By Ace829

@Bocam said:

Virtue's Last Reward

I have to agree with this, best ending in the game. Also, The Walking Dead, obviously.

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TheHumanDove

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#118  Edited By TheHumanDove

Majority of the Silent Hill endings. Most recently enjoyed the endless loop ending on Downpour

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sir_gunblade

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#119  Edited By sir_gunblade

Missile Command after hearing about the nightmares the developer had, and really thinking about it. That really got me thinking. I can't remember where I first read it, would love it if some one could link to it.

I know it's talked about in this video: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/narrative-mechanics

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mbr2

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#120  Edited By mbr2

Topic is called "Most depressing video games", cut to a bunch of kids naming some jrpg because in the last 5 mins a bland ass character dies. Try Passage by Jason Rohrer and then reflect on your pathetic life.

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Lugburz

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#121  Edited By Lugburz

Metal Gear Solid 3

Metal Gear Solid 4 (to some extent)

Metal Gear Solid 1

Heavy Rain

Silent Hill 4

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kgb0515

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#122  Edited By kgb0515

Damn...I thought I would be the first to say Shadow of the Colossus. Also, I never played it, but wasn't Ico a pretty depressing game? Also, Gut's Rage comes to mind. I seem to remember that being an intensely grim game. I would have to add, that for some reason I got a little choked up when the metroid hatchling saves Samus in Super Metroid when I played it for the first time. My last entry would have to be Soul Reaver. It's depressing in a sort of badass way. The ruined world just gives off an eerie, depressing vibe.

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donchipotle

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#123  Edited By donchipotle

Nier

Kana

Clannad

Planetarian

Narcissu

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happenstance

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#124  Edited By happenstance

The Walking Dead Episode 3 for me, dont remember even feeling that bad during a video game.

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cheesebob

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#125  Edited By cheesebob

Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit to us Europeans)

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PhantomGardener

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#126  Edited By PhantomGardener

Spec Ops: The Line.

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crusader8463

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#127  Edited By crusader8463

@Happenstance said:

The Walking Dead Episode 3 for me, dont remember even feeling that bad during a video game.

I swear, I think I downloaded and played a different version of Ep3 then everyone else because that's all I hear people say about it but that one did nothing for me.

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connerthekewlkid

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most recently definitely neir

im surprised no one mentioned halo reach since the whole game is you know your going to lose and your squadmates slowly getting killed off

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algertman

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#129  Edited By algertman

MGS2 - Because of how bad it was.

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Tophat666

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#130  Edited By Tophat666

@Jeust said:

Lost Odyssey

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fisk0

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#131  Edited By fisk0  Moderator

As I only ever managed to get to the losing mission path in the original Wing Commander, where everything consistently just gets more fucked and desperate for every mission, that may be the most fitting example I can think of right now, though games are generally pretty bad at disempowering you and making you feel hopeless in that particular way that I would describe as depressing. Really, really want to try out I have no mouth, and I must scream though, have heard lots of excellent things about it over the years, and kinda want to pick up a physical copy of it, but haven't found it yet.

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SmilingPig

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#133  Edited By SmilingPig

In retrospect, probably WoW... I want those 3 years of my life back.

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BisonHero

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#134  Edited By BisonHero  Online

Limbo is quite oppressive.

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OG10

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#135  Edited By OG10

@thedj93 said:

spec ops the line

This.. after playing this game I couldn't see anything positive of the world around me :|

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Unilad

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#136  Edited By Unilad

@Winternet said:

Minesweeper.

It's not so much the game thats depressing, but the general situation you must be in to be playing it! I have bad memories!

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plaintomato

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#137  Edited By plaintomato

Forza Horizon.

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s10129107

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#138  Edited By s10129107
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Ducksworth

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#139  Edited By Ducksworth

I can't think of any game that depressed me. I think the only game that felt depressing to me (and even then, it wasn't all that depressing) was the Silent Hill Shattered memories and mmmmmaybe Majora's Mask.

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Skanker

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#140  Edited By Skanker

Depressing? Nier. Lots of games manage to wring out a tear though. Drakengard was depressing too... go Cavia?

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MajesticOverlord

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@Jeust: All the stories...

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End_Boss

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#142  Edited By End_Boss

It's probably been mentioned already, but I can't be arsed to read the five previous pages in this thread, so Red Dead Redemption.

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amafi

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#143  Edited By amafi

The walking dead and I have no mouth and I must scream.

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jerseyscum

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#144  Edited By jerseyscum

It's been mentioned, but I feel compelled to post it regardless.

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foggel

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#145  Edited By foggel

@sharkeh said:

Heavy Rain.

Yeah, this game really got to me.

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DelroyLindo

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#146  Edited By DelroyLindo

Heavy Rain was grim as fuck. Especially the ending I got, what a bummer.

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Vexxan

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#147  Edited By Vexxan

Persona 3 and Zelda: Majora's Mask are pretty dark and depressing.

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tread311

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#148  Edited By tread311

I'm currently playing Corpse Party and that game is pretty bleak.

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D0tti

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#150  Edited By D0tti