11 Xbox Games That Will Make You Cry

One of the most important characteristics of video games, whether that be Xbox’s or any other platform’s, is that they can convey and offer the most incredible and emotional stories, thanks to everything this art form has to offer.

Several of these games could be considered truly sad, yet they were masterpieces of the industry, changing the perception of games forever due to their high emotional content. Over the years, this has evolved into something much deeper and more sensitive than ever before. These are 11 of the saddest Xbox games that exist.

11 – Celeste

This is one of the most surprising games of 2018, which shows very well how to fight anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. Celeste transports the player to the depths of their subconscious, forcing them to confront and battle their inner demons.

A sad part of this game is that it forces you to face an unrealistic self-image. This way of perceiving the player will make the journey tough but worth the time.

This is something its creator managed to capture perfectly, and that’s why, six years later, it remains one of the most acclaimed indie games. The game’s creators’ flawless design of all the platforming mechanics perfectly complements the story they tell.

This game exemplifies the profound impact it can have on players. As you confront each other’s inner demons, the game will prompt you to reflect deeply on yourself.

10 – Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Ninja Theory is a studio that changed the landscape by portraying mental illnesses in a unique and innovative way. Melina Juergens, an actress with personal experience with psychosis, excelled at tackling the complex issues in the game.

Hellblade does a very deep and unique job of getting into the protagonist’s mind and making the players understand what she is going through and how difficult it is on a day-to-day basis.

Despite dealing with this illness in a much more confrontational way than one might expect, it remains a very emotional story that allows the player to connect with the protagonist and empathize with her situation.

9 – Night in the Woods

The protagonist of Night in the Woods has to deal with the expectations of everyone she knows, creating a strange atmosphere where she must explore all kinds of things related to disappointment, depression, and other similar issues that have to do with expectations and self-worth.

This Xbox title, by forcing the player to confront their acquaintances’ disappointment over their own expectations, intensifies the emotional intensity of the game and facilitates the player’s ability to empathize with the protagonist.

Another outstanding feature of this title is that it challenges the player to make the most complex and terrible decisions possible throughout the various dialogues and different situations.

8 – Bioshock Infinite

Elizabeth is probably one of the most iconic characters of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation of games. Ken Levine’s narrative in Bioshock Infinite allows players to empathize with Elizabeth’s experiences.

Through the protagonist, players will continue to discover everything that this utopian society really hides. In some respects, there is a sadness locked away in everything that is discovered throughout the title.

Beyond being a game that has many action aspects, its story also manages to show a much deeper side to everything happening in this place. This is one of Levine’s greatest talents when it comes to creating a living world full of stories and characters to discover.

7 – Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Few games have depicted the reality of war as perfectly and realistically as Valiant Hearts: The Great War. This title allows players to experience all sorts of atrocities and grim moments, proving once again that these armed conflicts do nothing but leave victims and serve no purpose.

Through exploration, action, and some puzzles, the title will take you on a journey full of pain to see the effects of war.

Another outstanding aspect of this game is its art design, which is truly incredible with high-quality drawings.

The development team’s best narrative decision was to perform medical procedures on various characters in order to learn their stories and how they got there. This was a unique portrait of what the war generates.

6 – Red Dead Redemption

As one of the most highly rated open-world games of recent years, there is a lot of history behind the characters in which Rockstar Games worked diligently.

Red Dead Redemption has what is probably one of the saddest and most unexpected endings in video game history, and to this day, many players remember it with profound sadness. But even so, they believe it was a perfect ending for the title.

John Marston’s story, while tragic, is also highly captivating, keeping the player captivated throughout the entirety of this title that accomplished greatness.

5 – Ori and the Blind Forest

As a completely original platformer, all of the stories and characters in the Ori universe are exquisite and super complex. This diminutive figure encounters numerous poignant tales relating to the woodland he inhabits.

All these creatures form a magical relationship with this character, who must discover an immense forest full of extraordinary places. This experience continues in the sequel, too.

The first game is key in introducing how the characters will be in the future, and despite having a tragic ending, it is one of the best platformers released in recent years.

Moon Studios, despite not giving these characters a true voice, manages to make players feel deeply connected to everything that occurs in this forest.

4 – Gears of War 3

This Xbox game features one of the saddest but best-created narrative moments in the entire franchise. Everything that had been happening since the second instalment finally comes to a head at the end of this trilogy, where Dom in Gears of War 3 presents one of the saddest moments in contemporary gaming.

Not all the important characters were able to have a better future after the conflict with the Locusts, which proved to completely devastate what was once the planet Sera.

These kinds of moments are key to giving a much more organic and possible narrative to these characters, who seemed to be pillars but who ended up in a scenario they never thought possible for them and their families.

3 – Papers, Please

The unique premise of Papers, Please, where the player must decide whether or not to allow war refugees to cross the border, renders criteria and other factors practically meaningless due to the dire circumstances presented.

The game depicts a harrowing scenario where, despite the player’s strong desire to grant passage to certain individuals seeking a brighter future, their position will not permit anyone to cross the border.

This game does a fantastic job of tapping into players’ empathy, as some desperate people may be spies from a neighboring country in conflict. This is probably one of the best indie games of the last 10 years.

As a border worker, you’ll face a plethora of contradictory decisions that will challenge your resolve. Some decisions will be extremely emotional because you are literally choosing whether or not to give a person a future.

2 – The Walking Dead: Season One

This title, one of the most awarded indie games of all time, presents a unique look at the world of The Walking Dead, with new characters that players will quickly bond with.

Various life-and-death situations will intertwine the fates of these characters, generating some of the most emotional moments any game can offer. To this day, Clementine and her companions remain some of the most iconic characters in indie games.

This particular Xbox game catapulted Telltale Games’ reputation thanks to the incredible narrative work of the development team, who created some of the most relevant characters in the genre.

The game constantly delivers emotional blows to the players, making them understand the complexity of this unforgiving zombie-filled universe.

1 – Life is Strange

The premise of this game uses the classic butterfly effect in a spectacular way, giving us some of the most intriguing and well-crafted characters for a young adult. Dontnod, one of the most well-known studios in recent years, made its debut with Life is Strange.

Sadness is one of the main characteristics of this story, but at the same time, the studio presents a truly remarkable rediscovery and understanding of adolescence in this narrative.

This title served as the foundation for the studio’s creation of numerous similar stories, each involving a character with supernatural abilities grappling with the most intricate and challenging decisions imaginable. Fans turned this title into a cult game.

How do you feel about these Xbox games? Which one do you think is the saddest? Let us know in the comments!