Video Games/Heartwarming



"Strange. Funny. Heartrending."

- Advertising slogan for Mother 3

Even if you're the most hardcore xtreme gam0r to ever walk the planet, these scenes will make you want to reach out and hug your console. No other medium can so effectively force a viewer to empathize. Keep tissues handy.

Series and games with their own pages:


 * Abobos Big Adventure
 * Ace Attorney
 * American McGee's Alice
 * Alice: Madness Returns
 * Amnesia the Dark Descent
 * Ar Tonelico
 * Ar Tonelico 2
 * Assassin's Creed
 * Assassin's Creed II
 * Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
 * Assassin's Creed Revelations
 * Asuras Wrath
 * Baldurs Gate
 * Banjo-Kazooie
 * Batman Arkham Asylum
 * Batman Arkham City
 * The Battle of Olympus
 * Binary Domain
 * Bioshock
 * Blaz Blue
 * A Boy and His Blob
 * Breath of Death VII
 * Catherine
 * Chrono Trigger
 * Corpse Party
 * Crash Bandicoot
 * Dantes Inferno
 * Dark Souls
 * Deus Ex Human Revolution
 * Devil May Cry
 * Disgaea
 * Dragon Age
 * Dragon Age II
 * Dragon Fable
 * The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion
 * The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim
 * Epic Mickey
 * Fallout
 * Fallout 3
 * Fallout New Vegas
 * Fate Extra
 * Final Fantasy
 * Final Fantasy VI
 * Final Fantasy VII
 * Final Fantasy VIII
 * Final Fantasy IX
 * Final Fantasy X
 * Final Fantasy X 2
 * Final Fantasy XII
 * Final Fantasy XIII
 * Fire Emblem
 * The Force Unleashed
 * Gears of War
 * Grand Theft Auto Vice City
 * Grim Fandango
 * Guilty Gear
 * Heavy Rain
 * In Famous
 * Jade Empire
 * Jak and Daxter
 * Katawa Shoujo
 * Kingdom Hearts
 * Kira Kira
 * Knights of the Old Republic
 * LA Noire
 * League of Legends
 * The Legend of Zelda
 * The Legend of Zelda a Link To T He Past
 * The Legend of Zelda Links Awakening
 * The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
 * The Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask
 * The Legend of Zelda Four Swords
 * The Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker
 * The Legend of Zelda the Minish Cap
 * The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
 * The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass
 * The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks
 * The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword
 * Maji De Watashi Ni Koi Shinasai
 * Marvel Super Heroes
 * X-Men vs. Street Fighter
 * Marvel vs. Capcom 3
 * Mass Effect
 * Mega Man
 * Metal Gear
 * Metroid
 * Metroid Prime
 * Mitadake High
 * Minecraft
 * Heartwarming
 * Monster Rancher
 * Morenatsu
 * Mother
 * Nelson Tethers Puzzle Agent
 * Neverwinter Nights
 * Neverwinter Nights 2
 * Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors
 * Persona 2
 * Persona 3
 * Persona 4
 * Heartwarming
 * Heartwarming
 * Heartwarming
 * Heartwarming
 * Heartwarming
 * Poke Park Wii
 * Poker Night At the Inventory
 * Portal
 * Prototype
 * Prototype 2
 * Radiata Stories
 * Ratchet and Clank
 * Red Dead Redemption
 * Rhythm Heaven
 * Runescape
 * Sam & Max
 * Sanitarium
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Sonic Unleashed
 * Sonic Generations
 * Splinter Cell
 * Spyro the Dragon
 * The Legend of Spyro Trilogy
 * Skylanders Spyros Adventure
 * Star Fox
 * Star Ocean Till the End of Time
 * Star Trek Borg
 * Star Wars the Old Republic
 * Street Fighter
 * Street Fighter X Tekken
 * Suikoden III
 * Super Mario Bros
 * Luigis Mansion
 * Mario and Luigi Bowsers Inside Story
 * Paper Mario
 * Super Mario 3D Land
 * Super Smash Bros
 * Tales of Vesperia
 * Team Fortress 2
 * Tokimeki Memorial
 * To the Moon
 * Transformers
 * Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines
 * The World Ends With You
 * World of Warcraft
 * Xenogears
 * Xenosaga
 * Yume Miru Kusuri

Other BioWare & Obsidian Entertainment
"Yuthura: I'd... like some serenity, some harmony. Wouldn't you?"
 * In Knights of the Old Republic, Mission Vao and Zaalbar have their Crowning Moment of Heartwarming when . This trope can be subverted in a nasty fashion if you
 * Most of the light side dialogue after defeating on the main deck of the Star Forge also qualifies.
 * If playing as the male protagonist you are allowed the option of bringing back your fallen Jedi companion from The Dark Side, at the pivotal moment of a battle for control of the galaxy, the final confrontation with Darth Bastila on the Star Forge. The most effective method is not by reciting the Jedi Code or making a generic appeal to come back to the Light, but simply by admitting to her that you love her... and asking her to admit to herself that she still loves you. Given that this editor first played KOTOR right after suffering through the whole idiotic 'Jedi cannot be allowed to love!' dogma from "Attack of the Clones", words cannot describe the satisfaction of that moment.
 * At the Rakata Temple, after the Rakata insist the protagonist has to enter the temple alone, suddenly Jolee Bindo and Juhani appear and steadfastly declare their intention to come with the player character because they are her friends. This editor cheered.
 * At the lightside ending, Malak and Revan reconcile as Malak lays dying, Revan asks for forgiveness for leading Malak down The Dark Side, Malak tells him he's not to blame, for it's Malak who decided to stay down that path. Malak then says he wishes he had been able to cast the dark side aside like Revan did, and comments that "In the end, I am nothing."
 * With a light-side female character, you get to watch Carth let go of his issues and grief, reunite with his son, and allow himself to love again.
 * In Knights of the Old Republic II, after you finally defeat . Doubly heartwarming because  . Had the game been completed when it was released, the game would have had a Kill'Em All ending. Thank god for those meddling executives.
 * Well, except all the awesome stuff they cut out, like any real closure for any of the charecters('cept ) extra missions and general polishing, I agree with you. A Kill'Em All ending would have sucked.
 * Yuthura Ban's story in the first game, particularly if you visit Korriban early enough that you can visit her on Dantooine. (As long as you don't think about what happens to Dantooine shortly thereafter.)
 * Redeeming her on Korriban makes this troper feel all fuzzy inside.

"M: "Come, join me. What has  done but hold you back from your potential? I could make you a force that all dragons would bow down to in fear! All the world would know your name, Deekin, and fear it!"
 * Also on Korriban, redeeming Ajunta Pall's ghost. After thousands and thousands of years of punishing himself for being a Sith Lord, helping that poor, screwed-up old man find peace feels really good. Just don't screw it up.
 * In II, you get a chance to go back through the most torturous, nightmarish parts of the Mandalorian War that scarred you for life, and do it right this time, saving your comrades from certain death. Their ragged cheer is all the more heartrending if you think that this may give peace to their souls (especially when you see the actual battlefield).
 * Another BioWare example: Jade Empire. Several of the Open Palm options lead to these, but in this troper's opinion, few more so than redeeming an evil spirit by convincing him to donate his perfectly preserved liver to save the life of a dying little girl. Good really does feel good. ^_^
 * Also, the romantic dialogues. All of them, really, but this troper actually teared up during the Sky/Male PC interlude.
 * Wild Flower's good ending seems like a Crowning Moment to this troper,
 * This troper considers the Open Palm ending of  to qualify and then some.
 * For that matter, the Open Palm endings of most characters qualify. Particularly the male protagonist's if he hooked up with Silk Fox (Dawn Star's is also good).
 * The nice resolutions to the Tien's Landing sidequests always make this troper smile. Notable are the incidents with Ai Ling and Zhong the Ox Carrier. Especially Zhong.
 * Yet another BioWare example: Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark. At the end, when Mephistopheles is stealing your allies from you unless you can pass a high persuade or have assured their loyalty in other ways, regardless of your abilities Deekin stands with you. A little kobold chooses to side with you against the second most powerful devil in the Nine Hells, and this regardless of how you've treated him throughout the game. For that I love Deekin so very, very much.
 * Here's the quote

D: "No! You may be bigger than the boss, but... but... DEEKIN NOT LIKES YOU!!"

M: "You dare defy me, reptile?!"

D: "That's right! Deekin defies you! Deekin stands by the boss... to the end!""

"Neeshka: "I...I can't do it. I won't do it! By the hells, I'm not going to turn on the one person who showed me kindness! And if it costs me my life, so be it.""
 * it's even more heartwarming if you use his truename before the battle, which lets you tell him to believe in himself.
 * Actually, there's an even more heartwarming way. Deekin is the only companion you can keep without using their truename at some point or persuasion checks/romance. How? Tell him you'll miss him. And then, this little Kobold tells the second most powerful Archdevil in existence, "DEEKIN NOT LIKES YOU!!" It makes this troper smile just thinking about it.
 * It also shows how far Deekin's come from being the terrified, somewhat sycophant kobold bard in Shadows of Undrentide who ran from his master. He's become brave and strong enough to tell the Archdevil Mephistopheles to piss off.
 * Of course, having a romantic relationship with Valen makes for a different kind of Crowning Moment of Heartwarming . Valen's always struggled with his tiefling blood. Mephistopheles offers him power, but he loves you enough to turn down the second most powerful devil in existence, who appears to be in a position to take over the entire mortal world.
 * Completing the romance subplot with Aribeth in the original game leads to some pretty good moments
 * And Neverwinter Nights 2 has Neeshka. If you've treated her well, she'll refuse to turn on you even under torture. And when she's bound by her demonic blood and magic to do so anyway, and you tell her you need her:


 * Getting Elanee to stand with you against the corrupted druid circle of the Mere leads to some pretty good ones too.