The emotional video game thread

[CosmykTheDolfyn]

There is actually a RPG (even older, at that, then FF7) that had a death that was much more shocking to me.

Spoiler

Phantasy Star VI on the Genesis. Alys Bragwin felt like the whole main character throughout the beginning. She was the one with the most dialogue, the one telling the team what to do, the most useful in combat, the archetype lead hero. Then BAM: You get to a boss fight and she takes an attack to the chest to save the Chaz, who is basically her little brother. It's heroic, you get her to town to recover and take your revenge on the attacker... but it's too late. She's dead forever. The rest of the game hangs on the other characters coping how to proceed without their de facto leader, giving large amounts of growth to the rest of the characters.
Also, did I mention that Phantasy Star VI had cutscenes that looked way better than anything FF did at the time?

FF7 will always be famous for killing Aerith off. But, I just felt like PSVI did it much better, years before FF ever tried. It's a tragic event that truly takes you by surprise, after more has been done to help you attach to the character Alys. Afterwards, it's shown how it changes your entire party: not just one character. There's no "she's back as a spirit" either, always guiding you. She's just totally gone, a memory that none of the heroes will forget.