This may seem cliche, but I think I was most depressed playing FF7 not because the game itself was depressing, but because of this screen.

FFVIIGameover.png

I don't know, but when I played this game as a twelve year old, I played with the illusion that these characters were somehow real in their own living, breathing universe. The game over was a harsh wakeup call that even in the context of FFVII's universe, the whole thing's just a movie. Like, your punishment for losing is BEING REMINDED THAT YOU'RE JUST LIVING A HOLLOW FANTASY.

And then there was that time when I beat the game and didn't know they lived until the credits ended...