Just a question to the community: What game(s) for you has been successful in evoking a strong emotional response in you? What elements of design do you think created this response? One of my personal favorites is Final Fantasy 7. Apart from the obvious falling in love with Aeris and her dying bit, the game had excellent and subtle use of symbolic imagery. For example, the introduction FMV begins with nothing but a slow flow of green particles against a black background. The camera then captures more of the scene, revealing a cauldron as the source of the bubbles, and finally pulling back to see Aeris standing over it. Nothing particularly special about this scene at the moment. Fast forward 30 hours to the death of Aeris (sad part #1). Then at the end of the game, in the outro, the planet''s lifeforce is released and a wave of green particles erupt from the surface of the planet. Then, all the other elements of the world fade (people, buildings, etc), and what''s left is the same calm flow of green particles, only this time sadness and melancholy emotions are associated with it. You can''t help but think of Aeris again. I didn''t even notice this until I started the game over a second time and watched the intro again, but the appearance of the symbol at the beginning and its growth in meaning at the end gave a wonderful sense of continuity to the FF7 story. That''s my random comment for the day. -- Charles

n64: Zelda OOT


dunno why ... it just pure fun

The graphics in Doom might have been cheap, but id definitely made use of the lighting effects to full effect in their maps.

Also, the cringing feeling I got knowing that huge blue beast from Half-life was right behind me... I was practically ducking in my chair.

But as far as a singular intense emotional response, I can''t really come up with one.

Grand Theft Auto evoked sheer megalomanic disregard for life and property. The free-form navigation and plethora of avenues for destruction are probably the motivating factors.

Minesweeper frequently evokes frustration, while Mario games induces cheerfulness that is hard to explain short of examining those mushrooms for narcotic properties...

I remember playing Spirit of Excalibur years ago and after getting to a certain point you were supposed to have found Lancelot and his knights to help you in a large battle.

Now I never, ever found them. When I got to the battle I was actually scared of losing and right on the edge of my seat (even though the battles weren''t really exciting), I even remember shaking a little. I was so elated when I actually won it was amazing.

Also when I started playing UO, I felt real fear of losing all my "hard won" items, that when I was attacked by a PK I really paniced and even started sweating with fear of losing everything.

Ok so neither of those feelings are really part of what the game was supposed to produce (at least I wouldn''t think so), but the emotions were real enough.

I agree on FF7. But I think Xenogears'' effect was better.

In particular, those disturbing scenes with young Fei''s face covered in blood, Elly killing a group of scientist after being drugged, the Solarian Soylent factory... just to name a few.

I always think of FF7 too, but not because of Aeris, sure it was sad when she died, but I never really cared much for her, or Tifa for that matter, but that''s beside the point. My favorite moment is at the end when Cloud faces Sephiroth, that was the first time I saw Omni-Slash too (yeah so I''m not an RPG god, adds replay value). But through the whole game as you find out more about the story it just makes you want to kill him more and more, and the way the game ends couldn''t have been more satisfying.

So I guess the elements are making me hate someone and then letting me kill them .

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I am Spiderman and I''m hitting things!
I will scoop you into oblivion!
Radical Racers

I agree, FF7 was probably the *best* game I''ve ever played. Not for love of the characters, but because it was the first to actually make me think. The story (though badly translated from Japanese) was very compelling and forced me to play for over ten hours at a time on more than one occasion.

Giants: Citizen Kabuto was absolutely the funniest game I have ever had the privelege to play. Grandpa Borjoyzee is a riot! If you haven''t played it, DO IT!!! It''s not an extremely long game, but it will be worth your time! I personally guarantee it will make you smile.

For me, Planescape: Torment takes the cake all the way. I particularly liked the speech given to each follower by the Nameless One at the end of the game. Another is when he was talking to himself... I mean the other incarnations of himself.

System Shock (the first one) is another good one. The most emotional segment there is when you discovered there are others on the station who are barricading against the mutants and androids. You answer their SOS broadcast and rush to the battle, but by the time you arrive they''re all killed.

A few moments in EQ or shadowbane have had similar, but NONE come close to the emotional rush from back in the day of Ultima Online. I remember the first time I decided to kill a miner outside of Minoc and steal his ingots, when I actually did I was so excited yet nervous of the consequence (omg! i did it! is someone coming? did anyone see me? will I get away with everything or lose it all!?!)
To this day it gives me tingles, but alas, the split of pvp over felluca and trammel took away that feeling forever. Shame on UO!