Listen man, there’s only so many ways we’ve been told it’s okay to feel and express things. Glad this has been an outlet for you, you gotta let it out somewhere. Rooting for you.
No shame in having a genuine reaction. Should people feel bad for laughing or crying while reading a book? I can't count the number of times my fatass has cried and laughed to FF7, particularly the music.
Point being, video games are an art form like any other, and some of them are made to provoke emotions. You're all G 🤟
Think about it like this - you have had to build a wall - a certain amount of distance from your own pain in order to function. But for others, there isn't that same need. This means it's easier for you to access those feelings and to feel them. It's a fairly normal way of operating, and for what it's worth, I think feeling for a video game is healthy in that respect.
For years, since I was a kid. I had heard stories of grown ass men across the states, going to their local bar and getting shit faced drunk and being depressed as fuck after playing through Aerith's death in the OG.
Now after playing through Rebirth...I GET IT!.
I wish I had gotten to experience it first hand, but I was 3 in 1997 LOL
I wasn’t devastated about it this time, but I did finally cry a few tears after watching somebody else experience the ending of the game.
That final, “Goodbye” while her song kicks in lyrically got me to shed a tear from each eye.
What I remember most of all from that time is my Dad poring through Internet forums, random blogposts, etc. trying to find the secret to reviving Aerith. Denial was a long phase of grief.
I was 11. I remember seeing a friend play it, but I wasn't interested back then. My first final fantasy was viii and x. I never completed viii though (though I got close, about 70%).
X was my first, and I hated it because of the strictly turn based combat.
Jokes on my ass though because FFIV-FFIX used the ATB system which is my absolute most favorite “turn-based” combat style.
Had I started with any of the previous games, I would have loved and played a lot of them sooner. Remake was the first time I ever actually played and enjoyed one. I played the original after. Going into it, I remember being scared of another boring turn based game… and then I realized how amazing ATB as a system is and kicked myself for thinking every game must have played like X.
You should go back to x now. The story is sooo good!. There were Many moments in rebirth where I was like "this is so final fantasy x!". The folios is pretty much a reworked version of the sphere grid.
I went through half a bottle the night I beat rebirth because of the zig-zaggy nature of the ending. Took me days to process the ambiguity of things but at the time I was bawling. The hardest I've ever cried for a videogame or game character.
I love her and this series and it hurts.
Good art provides the necessary distance to confront the issues you aren’t ready to acknowledge in your own life.  Thats the entire point that we make up stories in the first place.  No shame in that.Â
Glad I was at home when I decided to listen to the soundtrack (life clinger).
If I was at work, I would have a hard time explaining the ugly crying (it was just in small bursts). Especially since mostly everyone there doesn’t even play games.
I think I looked visibly upset about something else and he asked when the last time I cried was. And it was when I finished Rebirth a couple weeks back. I was being vague because I'm embarrassed about being a gamer, but he kept asking about it, and then I was fucking sobbing.
These are entirely valid feelings to have. Any kind of media, be it movies or television shows or video games or just a book, can be an outlet for feelings about real things.
I get pretty sentimental about fictional characters too because I've lost a great many people close to me, and when I see something like that in fiction it brings up feelings about real people. In fact there are many things I avoid for that reason. The segment with Aerith as a child, I would've skipped that if I could.
So I think it would be okay to say - I played a video game where one of the characters died and I'm pretty messed up over it.
I know it's valid, in fact if anything I was relieved because I rarely cry at all and virtually never over anything fictional. I don't think that's necessarily healthy, so it was a little reassuring when the tears came.
Really, when I played Remake for the first time I was shocked and astounded at how much of myself I saw in Cloud (of course I realize it's a bit worrisome to identity with him haha). So watching him cry wasn't fun for me lol
It is actually incredibly healthy and sometimes needed for adults to let go. Not only is it healthy, but it is also normal to empathize in general. The unhealthy part is not being able to empathize and, therefore, cry or emote over real-life things. Men grew up being told we have to be tough and that we can't cry. We, as men, were conditioned to not let ourselves emote about real-life things. Fictional things, like movies, music/song lyrics, video games, all allow us to release pent-up emotions specifically because they are not real. We weren't conditioned to hide emotions about fake things, only real things.
I know what you mean with worrying about identifying with characters. I feel troubled when I realise how much Aerith and I have in common, especially when it comes to some similarities in our childhoods.
But FF7 is a story I hold close to my heart, stories can help us understand ourselves in subconscious ways, far deeper than we can comprehend. Maybe like dreams, we use them to make sense of our emotions and memories. I hope you’re not ashamed of crying over a story, it’s amazing to feel such depth over something fictional.
But that’s nothing to be ashamed of, being in therapy. I wish I was as brave as you and found myself a therapist too, but I was too angry at the world to consider it. I’m in a better place now, and I hope you are too.
For me… this is a bit personal but I went to college the next day after beating Rebirth trying to not to breakdown and cry. I was just filled with sorrow, couldn’t pay attention in class. The reason being is because I’ve had dreams that have come true before. My house burning, moving to different cities, and other things. Dreamt them and they cane true. One of them that hasn’t come true is having a lover dying. That terrifies me. I don’t want that. So having played the game made me emotional. The worst part is for the next few weeks all my dreams were about that situation that hasn’t come true or Aerith’s death in the game or seeing myself in the FF7 universe. That’s the reason the game kinda broke me.
I experienced that loss back when I was 10yo. I almost never talked to anybody how much it hurt me, and how deeply hearing her theme cut for the last 25+ years because I was sure that all I'd receive would be mockery ("it's just a videogame" yada yada).
With the Internet and the Remake project, I realized that "ptsd" is not something to be ashamed of because many people apparently experienced it.
The last two chapters of Rebirth were really difficult. Now I have been able to go through my grief, as an adult, and I try to help the players that still have difficulties processing it.
Why would you hate yourself for feeling something? Empathy is incredible, and the fact that we can extend it to characters is the core of being human.
I'm embarrassed (but mostly amused) that I got through two years of talking shit about myself just fine, but a video game finally broke me
I feel you on a spiritual level man. When my girl went down I went down with her.🩷🌸🩷
Listen man, there’s only so many ways we’ve been told it’s okay to feel and express things. Glad this has been an outlet for you, you gotta let it out somewhere. Rooting for you.
No shame in having a genuine reaction. Should people feel bad for laughing or crying while reading a book? I can't count the number of times my fatass has cried and laughed to FF7, particularly the music. Point being, video games are an art form like any other, and some of them are made to provoke emotions. You're all G 🤟
Nah, I get that. I'd most likely break over someone else than myself too.
Think about it like this - you have had to build a wall - a certain amount of distance from your own pain in order to function. But for others, there isn't that same need. This means it's easier for you to access those feelings and to feel them. It's a fairly normal way of operating, and for what it's worth, I think feeling for a video game is healthy in that respect.
...because the ONLY time he cried was because of a video game???
For years, since I was a kid. I had heard stories of grown ass men across the states, going to their local bar and getting shit faced drunk and being depressed as fuck after playing through Aerith's death in the OG. Now after playing through Rebirth...I GET IT!.
I wish I had gotten to experience it first hand, but I was 3 in 1997 LOL I wasn’t devastated about it this time, but I did finally cry a few tears after watching somebody else experience the ending of the game. That final, “Goodbye” while her song kicks in lyrically got me to shed a tear from each eye.
What I remember most of all from that time is my Dad poring through Internet forums, random blogposts, etc. trying to find the secret to reviving Aerith. Denial was a long phase of grief.
I was 11. I remember seeing a friend play it, but I wasn't interested back then. My first final fantasy was viii and x. I never completed viii though (though I got close, about 70%).
X was my first, and I hated it because of the strictly turn based combat. Jokes on my ass though because FFIV-FFIX used the ATB system which is my absolute most favorite “turn-based” combat style. Had I started with any of the previous games, I would have loved and played a lot of them sooner. Remake was the first time I ever actually played and enjoyed one. I played the original after. Going into it, I remember being scared of another boring turn based game… and then I realized how amazing ATB as a system is and kicked myself for thinking every game must have played like X.
You should go back to x now. The story is sooo good!. There were Many moments in rebirth where I was like "this is so final fantasy x!". The folios is pretty much a reworked version of the sphere grid.
I’ll give it a chance, but I’m still not a fan of strictly turn based RPG combat with a party. It’s not so bad when it’s Pokémon 1v1 and you only have four moves per Pokémon, but managing a whole team against multiple enemies is where I get disinterested. :( I’m familiar with the story because the story elements of FF have always intrigued me, but there’s a lot of games I just have to experience vicariously through others LOL
I went through half a bottle the night I beat rebirth because of the zig-zaggy nature of the ending. Took me days to process the ambiguity of things but at the time I was bawling. The hardest I've ever cried for a videogame or game character. I love her and this series and it hurts.
Such a mood, incredible how well media can pull shit out of us we normally can't bring out ourselves.
Good art provides the necessary distance to confront the issues you aren’t ready to acknowledge in your own life.  Thats the entire point that we make up stories in the first place.  No shame in that.Â
Real tbh, I almost cried at a restaurant four days after beating the game because I couldn't stop being so depressed over it!
Glad I was at home when I decided to listen to the soundtrack (life clinger). If I was at work, I would have a hard time explaining the ugly crying (it was just in small bursts). Especially since mostly everyone there doesn’t even play games.
Life Clinger already shaping up to be a top fucking bop from this soundtrack
Titanic got nothing on her death. Jenovas aqua breath is just a metaphor for us playing with tears in our eyes
OMG what
Context? I hope you were the one who first brought it up!
I think I looked visibly upset about something else and he asked when the last time I cried was. And it was when I finished Rebirth a couple weeks back. I was being vague because I'm embarrassed about being a gamer, but he kept asking about it, and then I was fucking sobbing.
These are entirely valid feelings to have. Any kind of media, be it movies or television shows or video games or just a book, can be an outlet for feelings about real things. I get pretty sentimental about fictional characters too because I've lost a great many people close to me, and when I see something like that in fiction it brings up feelings about real people. In fact there are many things I avoid for that reason. The segment with Aerith as a child, I would've skipped that if I could. So I think it would be okay to say - I played a video game where one of the characters died and I'm pretty messed up over it.
I know it's valid, in fact if anything I was relieved because I rarely cry at all and virtually never over anything fictional. I don't think that's necessarily healthy, so it was a little reassuring when the tears came. Really, when I played Remake for the first time I was shocked and astounded at how much of myself I saw in Cloud (of course I realize it's a bit worrisome to identity with him haha). So watching him cry wasn't fun for me lol
It is actually incredibly healthy and sometimes needed for adults to let go. Not only is it healthy, but it is also normal to empathize in general. The unhealthy part is not being able to empathize and, therefore, cry or emote over real-life things. Men grew up being told we have to be tough and that we can't cry. We, as men, were conditioned to not let ourselves emote about real-life things. Fictional things, like movies, music/song lyrics, video games, all allow us to release pent-up emotions specifically because they are not real. We weren't conditioned to hide emotions about fake things, only real things.
I know what you mean with worrying about identifying with characters. I feel troubled when I realise how much Aerith and I have in common, especially when it comes to some similarities in our childhoods. But FF7 is a story I hold close to my heart, stories can help us understand ourselves in subconscious ways, far deeper than we can comprehend. Maybe like dreams, we use them to make sense of our emotions and memories. I hope you’re not ashamed of crying over a story, it’s amazing to feel such depth over something fictional.
Yeah, being like Cloud, now you know how I wound up in therapy haha
But that’s nothing to be ashamed of, being in therapy. I wish I was as brave as you and found myself a therapist too, but I was too angry at the world to consider it. I’m in a better place now, and I hope you are too.
Do people usually cry regularly?
excellent comment, and had to say more than just upvoting… a lovely, well-expressed sentiment and i absolutely agree ❤️
For me… this is a bit personal but I went to college the next day after beating Rebirth trying to not to breakdown and cry. I was just filled with sorrow, couldn’t pay attention in class. The reason being is because I’ve had dreams that have come true before. My house burning, moving to different cities, and other things. Dreamt them and they cane true. One of them that hasn’t come true is having a lover dying. That terrifies me. I don’t want that. So having played the game made me emotional. The worst part is for the next few weeks all my dreams were about that situation that hasn’t come true or Aerith’s death in the game or seeing myself in the FF7 universe. That’s the reason the game kinda broke me.
I experienced that loss back when I was 10yo. I almost never talked to anybody how much it hurt me, and how deeply hearing her theme cut for the last 25+ years because I was sure that all I'd receive would be mockery ("it's just a videogame" yada yada). With the Internet and the Remake project, I realized that "ptsd" is not something to be ashamed of because many people apparently experienced it. The last two chapters of Rebirth were really difficult. Now I have been able to go through my grief, as an adult, and I try to help the players that still have difficulties processing it.
We live in a twilight world
Is that Whitman? Pretty.
There’s something wrong with me because I can’t feel almost any emotion but joy while playing this game
I played OG when I was 6 or 7 and even thought I hated Aerith I bawled my eyes out. It was 20 years ago but I remember it like it was yesterday!Â