Video games are some of the most immersive mediums of entertainment around. People can lose themselves for hours in these amazing games that can either take you for the ride of your life or tug at your heartstrings with emotional scenes that put the lives and wellbeing of your favorite characters at risk.
While most players would want to enjoy a video game in the purest way, there are thought-provoking titles that use the emotion of sadness to great effect. If you want to check out what kind of title you're getting into, watching the trailer of the game is the best way to get a clue. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the saddest video game trailers that brought people to tears.
10 Halo 3
The Halo series has received some incredibly emotional trailers over the course of its multiple releases. However, while most trailers can be categorized as epic, the trailer for Halo 3 was more poignant.
The model soldiers and figures should ideally seem out of place and somewhat comical. However, it's a testament to the powerful and emotional storytelling present in this video that such a setting seems oddly compelling.
9 Gears Of War
The Gears of War series revolutionized the concept of third-person cover shooting when it was released for the first time. However, it was the trailer for this game that generated a ton of hype.
Showing Marcus Fenix against the ropes with Madworld playing in the background was a brilliant touch that added a ton of emotional depth to this short trailer. It instantly hyped players for Gears of War, which they genuinely believed to be the new Xbox juggernaut.
8 Dead Island
Dead Island might not be the greatest hack-and-slash game around. However, if there's one thing that can be said about these games, it's that the marketing team certainly knows how to make impactful trailers.
The manner in which Dead Island shows how a happy family is destroyed by zombies is heart-wrenching to witness. It's easily one of the saddest video game trailers of all time.
7 Dead Island: Riptide
Dead Island wasn't the only game in the series to feature a misleading trailer that didn't let players know anything about the game at all. This honor also goes to Dead Island: Riptide, which also had another family heading to their doom.
After their boat is overrun by zombies, a couple decides to blast themselves in order to choose the way they die. It's a somber and eye-opening trailer that shows just how terrifying the impact of a zombie apocalypse can be.
6 Crysis 2
Most people consider the Crysis series to be nothing more than graphical masterpieces that push PCs to a new level. However, the impressive capabilities of CryEngine aren't the only thing on display in these titles.
The campaigns in Crysis are also pretty notable in their own right. Crysis 2's trailer has you looking at the destruction of New York at the hands of the Ceph, with a tear-jerking rendition of "New York, New York" being sung in the background.
5 A Plague Tale: Innocence
Games from small studios have become more prominent thanks to the platforms that allow these titles to gain a notable audience. A Plague Tale: Innocence is one such game, made by a studio of only 40 people.
The amazing graphics and compelling story of the game make it seem like a triple-A title in its own right. Its trailer conveyed just how brutal the atrocities of war really are, with the rat plague adding another dark and foreboding layer to the proceedings.
4 The Last Of Us Part 2
Given the emotional rollercoaster that The Last of Us put players through, it was only a given that the second game would up the ante in its own way. This was precisely what The Last of Us Part 2's trailer conveyed.
The somber song that Ellie sings in the trailer serves as a stark contrast to the bodies she left behind in her wake. Watching Joel walk up to witness the carnage Ellie left behind before checking up on her is a powerful moment that shows how twisted the world has become after the zombie apocalypse.
3 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
While the Final Fantasy 7 Remake doesn't really have an emotional trailer per se, that doesn't matter to long-time fans. After growing up with Final Fantasy 7 and seeing these characters evolve, it was a breath of fresh air to see this title modernized for a new generation.
Watching your favorite childhood characters in a bold new light elicited joyous tears and made for one of the most memorable E3 reveals of all time. While the reveal of the trailer might not be as impactful now that the game has come out, most players still found it hard to believe that their wildest fantasy was going to become a reality.
2 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Most players consider the Uncharted series to be nothing more than fun romps where Nathan Drake mows down enemies to get treasure, and nothing else. However, given the emotional heartstrings that Uncharted 4 was aiming for, it was clear that a new approach needed to be taken for this series.
The game delves deeper into the emotions and motivations of the characters. A short trailer depicts this brilliantly, with Nathan Drake seemingly going for a gold coin at the start of the video... only for the camera to revolve around and show that he was actually trying to save his brother instead.
1 Metro: Last Light
The Metro series features a dark and brutal setting, featuring the remnants of Moscow post a devastating nuclear war. In order to show just how depressing life in the Metro really is, the studio released a chilling live-action trailer.
Watching the Captain in this video take a child to a safe space and letting everyone else die after a missile strike is truly chilling to witness. It might not show anything in terms of gameplay, but Metro: Last Light does a brilliant job of showing the atrocities of war.