Emotional Investment

[Wolf Kanno]

What are some games you've been super attached to the cast or story, perhaps even cried during the tearjerker scenes or felt relieved when the party succeeded?

[Fynn]

It’s been a while but I think Persona and the Witcher did it for me the most. Persona just handles this really well because it’s often the case that their problems are extremely relatable and applicable just by virtue of being set in a fairly realistic setting - but of course that’d be nothing without the writing. The Witcher us a different case because I went in there after reading the books (which are probably a personal #1 favorite at this point), so seeing their journeys expanded and concluded in a respectful way was super satisfying.

Another minor example I just remembered is Bravely Default. People rail on it for being tropey and for the second half of the game, but I was honestly incredibly invested throughout the whole game. Chalk it up to the brilliant characterization, incredible party dynamics and a plot that made me root for them on a downright meta level. And speaking of meta - Undertale definitely made me shed a tear.

[Karifean]

Final Fantasy X as well as all 07th VNs, Higurashi, Umineko, Rose Guns Days, for sure. More recently - at least in terms of me experiencing them - Trails of Cold Steel 1+2, Odin Sphere and Ys VIII. I suppose there is a difference between being genuinely invested in the characters vs just being swept along by a tragedy unfolding simply because you just recognize how emotional it is even if you feel a distance from it; as for the latter I could certainly add some more like Key VNs, Fata Morgana no Yakata, some parts of Danganronpa, Steins;Gate, Persona 3. But there's a distinct difference to the former.

NieR:Automata would probably also fall somewhere in there but it's currently stuck in the "too much of a chore to play on my struggling laptop but too lazy to start over from zero on another platform" zone.

[WarZidane]

Games get me pretty easily in this regard, so too many to name really :p

Just to name a few, Legend of Dragoon, FF9, FF14, FF7 Remake, Ar Tonelico games, Ar nosurge, Xenoblade games, Trails games, Tales of the Abyss, a couple of Kingdom Hearts games (specifically Days, Birth By Sleep and, by extension, 3, since it deals with the fate of the characters from those two games), The Last of Us and many, many more.

[Mercen-X]

Honestly, I've played a lot of games that were clearly meant to hit me. But, it's a game and I'm the main character, and just like in real life, I'm numb to others' pain. Weirdly, when I'm watching emotional scenes on TV or in movies (especially musical) I might get teary.

[Lord Golbez]

Obviously some games hit better than others, but if I don't jave some emotional investment, I probably don't like the game. Honestly, if a game can't get me emotionally invested, it better not waste my time with having a story at all.