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Moments in game of melancholic beauty

Window

Window

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,291
I've been looking back at games I've played, trying to recall moments which give rise to a sense of melancholic beauty. One which comes to mind is saving in Ico, which feel like brief moments of respite and innocence in a dark world:




What are some other great moments which blend sadness, beauty and invite introspection?
 
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CopperPuppy

CopperPuppy

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Oct 25, 2017
7,636
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Theodoricos

Theodoricos

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Oct 25, 2017
240
The entirety of the Yuna & Tidus scene in Macalania Woods from FFX, especially the make-believe story they tell each other.
 
Lotus

Lotus

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
107,124
The end of the Emil's Memories sidequest in NieR: Automata



Even without the context of why this sidequest is so great, just the music alone is enough to make you stop everything you're doing and just soak it all in.
 
OP
OP
Window

Window

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,291
Equally effective as the giraffes in The Last of Us is the drive to New Devon in Uncharted 4:

 
Zojirushi

Zojirushi

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,326
A city dead for a thousand years.



I mean I was like 15 or something but hey it's a cool moment
 
Garlador

Garlador

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
14,131
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Shadow of the Colossus has several for me too.
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Such a beautiful - yet utterly desolate and ruined - world

I'll also give a shout-out to Enslaved.
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"There must have been thousands of people here once!"
"More."
"Tens of thousands?!"
 
Leeway

Leeway

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,421
Vancouver, BC
I'm glad someone posted those little moments from Life is Strange, some of my favourite parts of that game.

Red Dead 2 had a lot of those moments for me. "That's the Way It Is" being a real highlight: (spoilers)

 
Tyaren

Tyaren

Character Artist
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
25,108
The entirety of Shadow of the Colossus:

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Images taken by me in the game.
 
yumayuma

yumayuma

Member
Feb 23, 2018
195


This, and pretty reminiscent of this: the scene from Celeste in which Theo asks Madeleine: What, you never talk about your depression? Opening up to people and oneself can be a beautiful process.
 
Acquiescence

Acquiescence

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
10,257
Lake Titicaca
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the calm before the storm. that scene is pretty much the last ever time you're able to interact with Trico before things turn sour :'(
 
Son of Liberty

Son of Liberty

Production
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
1,261
California
Super Mario Galaxy - Space Junk Galaxy.
While the gameplay itself isn't melancholic, the music and vastness of space really give the feeling of being alone.



Dark Souls - Ash Lake
My favorite area of the game, the huge surrounding landscape and music really gave a sense of mystery and sadness, it felt like Ash Lake was once a place of great importance but is now long forgotten.

 
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Leeway

Leeway

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,421
Vancouver, BC
I would also say when nightfall hit in Shenmue 1. It was beautiful and atmospheric, and the music really gave it a melancholic feel.

 
Tyaren

Tyaren

Character Artist
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
25,108
Acquiescence said:
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the calm before the storm. that scene is pretty much the last ever time you're able to interact with Trico before things turn sour :'(
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Indeed beautifully melancholic. :)
Though...
...I disliked the part directly after this scene, because when you go over to the bird statue and examine it, the game waits for at least 5 minutes before the next story scene is triggered. It's an awkward situation, that kinda ruins the mood, because I and many others (as you can basically see in every let's play of the game) think the game is bugged and won't let you progress. The Master of the Valley calling for the other Trico's should imo be triggered directly once you examined the bird statue, maybe after trying to blast away the wooden parts that are formed as a nest around it.
 
MDSVeritas

MDSVeritas

Gameplay Programmer, Sony Santa Monica
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
1,034
Window said:
Equally effective as the giraffes in The Last of Us is the drive to New Devon in Uncharted 4:

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Really happy to see this pointed out. It doesn't get brought up a lot in conversations about the game, and I thought it was possibly the most effecting moment in the game. Just this quiet moment of somber reflection for two people who love each other so much and have so much shared history but also still a lot to work though.
 
OP
OP
Window

Window

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,291
Let's keep going people, surely there's more. I've added so many games to my "must play" list based on suggestions thus far.

One game which I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned yet is Breath of the Wild. It hits this tone exceedingly well throughout, in particular though is the moment you arrive at Fort Hateno and see the decayed remnants of a great battle where you supposedly fell.

Lots of good mentions thus far but there's has to be more old 2d games, indie games and adventure/visual novels which do this too.
 
refusi0n1

refusi0n1

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,984
Crisis core ending. Where's my remake plz, the ost has so many feels



Celeste also had a few
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And everything vanillaware feels beautiful and sad to me...well maybe not the ass attack in dragons crown šŸ˜‹
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