History Main / VideogameCaringPotential

* ''Medieval 2: Total War'' encourages the player to be a jerk since gaining money is much easier when being evil. Being a chivalrous general has benefits since you gain a morale boost for your men when fighting the enemy which means they are less likely to rout, while dread bonuses for ruling towns have at times a negative effect on the population. Sadly, most people opt for the crueler option most of the time.

** [spoiler: You can get them back though, but you'll lose all that money and sacrifice everybody else who has died]]. Guess it depends on what you care most for...its got to be the dog surely!

* Also played straight in ''Majesty: Fantasy Kingdom Simulator''. In an innovative, if sometimes frustrating twist, you do not have direct control over your troops, rather you are the king of the local lands, and you hire heroes and they wander about questing on their own. Its like a more interactive version of Progress Quest, really. With nifty sprite graphics. If you want something attacked, either wait for the hero to wander buy it, then other heroes will hear the sounds of battle and join in, build a guard tower close by to direct your free guardsmen there, or place a bounty on the object and they will attack until its destroyed, or if it's a treasure/consumable, they will pick it up and bring it home.

'''Examples:'''

[[AC:Action Adventure]]

* ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas''. The nameless Grove Street mooks you pick up to assist in missions will chatter with C.J. on the way to the goal, giving him shit like all his named friends. Makes it hard to watch them mowed down like wheat. Of course it doesn't help they tend to fire wildly at every cop that comes by.

* Isn't the point of [[YoshisIsland Yoshi's Island]] to babysit Mario?
** Yes, and being Mario of course you want to protect him...but if he ever gets knocked off Yoshi You'll either want to kill him yourself or redouble your efforts to not get hit if ONLY to not hear that crying again. Yoshi's Island Ds adds in Baby Peach, Donkey Kong, Wario and Bowser to the mix... I bet you can guess who has the LEAST tolerable sounds.

* [[{{ADOM}} "The cute dog attacks the ogre. The cute dog misses the ogre. The ogre attacks the cute dog. The cute dog is killed! You are direly saddened about the death of the cute dog."]] You get this message even if your character is a bloodthirsty trollish berserker or dark elf necromancer.
** [[{{Nethack}} "The spell hits the <monster>! The <monster> is killed! The spell hits Rex! Poor Rex is killed!]] Heartbreaking...

[[AC: Space Combat]]
* Brilliantly done in the ''{{Homeworld}}'' series. Each part has a single moment where extra efforts aimed at saving people are more or less optional and are without material reward of any kind but are extremely compelling and self-satisfactory:
** In the first game you return home after a hyperdrive test run only to find your planet in flames and some aliens destroying the cryo trays with the last remnants of your race. One of the trays is already damaged by the time you arrive, and in a "normal" course of events the invaders will destroy it before you can destroy them. There is no reprimand for that and no bonuses for saving the tray, but, goddammit, there is a hundred thousand people in it!
** In the "Cataclysm" sequel you encounter a civilian convoy under attack by [[TheVirus viral]] missiles. Here extra lengths to protect the transports are more or less justified from the pragmatic point of view, since each converted transport starts launching missiles itself, and once the enemy runs out of clean transports it turns on you. Still you can't help but feel a moral obligation to protect as many transports as possible. Espescially once you ''[[HighOctaneNightmareFuel hear]]'' the screams of a ship's crew being "converted" and realise just how many people are supposed to be in there...
** The finale of Homeworld 2 reenacts the tragedy that destroyed the original homeworld when three planet destroyers start barraging the surface of your core planet with nukes. Intercepting every rocket is be a bit annoying, as it must be done manually and you'll have to constantly switch between the tactical screen, where the rockets are visible, and the game screen, where all the fighting takes place, but these inconviniences are completely blotted out by a single thought: "Not a single rocket must reach the surface. You hear me? NOT A SINGLE ONE!!!"
* In ''StarTrekBridgeCommander'', you encounter a vessel belonging to the enemy who, during a large firefight, has kept out of battle with their shields down. Your crew makes note of it before it turns away and warps out. You encounter the same ship later, guarding your objective, but again, with its shields down and making no effort to attack you. This is where you ought to slow down, take a breath, and think, "What Would Captain Picard Do?" Open hailing frequencies. The result is gaining a new ally and making the last level much easier, your sector admiral giving you huge glowing praise, more detail about what's going on with the plot, and the satisfaction that Gene Roddenberry's view of the universe is still alive and well, even in an action game.

[[AC:RPG1]]

[[AC:Strategy]]

[[AC:First Person Shooter]]
* ''{{Bioshock}}'s'' Little Sisters sit on the thin line between this and VideogameCrueltyPotential. Yes, they are [[CreepyChild creepy little wretches]], but you feel like a [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn Hero]] when you save one of them.
** Even moreso in the sequel. You'd be shocked how much more incentive you have to protect them when they call you 'daddy' and all the creepily cute dialogue they have is directed at ''you''.
** In ''Bioshock 2'', Mark Meltzer and by extension his missing daughter Cindy. Anyone who followed the ARG Something In The Sea is very familiar with Mark, and you can find audio diaries detailing his search for Cindy in the game. Many players became obsessed with the idea of helping Mark. [[spoiler: [[PlayerPunch Horribly, horribly]] {{subverted|Trope}} when you later kill what seems to be a run of the mill Rumbler Big Daddy - only to approach his corpse and discover that it was Mark, who chose to be turned into one in order to protect Cindy. And God help you if you harvested the Little Sister who was with him...]]
* Your squad members from ''CallOfDuty'' would probably count if the interesting ones weren't [[GameplayAllyImmortality immortal for plot reasons]].
** There are achievements for saving certain soldiers in ''{{Call Of Duty 4}}'' and ''World at War''.
** The first game strips Private Elder of his invulnerable status after Sergeant Moody gives you the explosives during the assault on Brecourt Manor, meaning he'll usually buy the farm about the time you reach the last gun. [[SelfImposedChallenge Screw that, says I.]]
* ''JetForceGemini'': The ants. Although most of them are heartless monsters and shoot you or even the tribals without hesitation, there are some ants which are just throwing their weapons away when they see you and capitulate because they want to live further. Made it cruel when you have to kill them all to open an energy door...
* ''{{Legendary}}'' averts this trope ''so hard'' it it's funny. [[BlackComedy Or maybe it is?]] Civilians, police, and the Council of 98's commandos all die so very, ''very'' frequently and easily both in and out of cutscenes. The monsters even have what can only be described as super gory OneHitKill attacks whenever they manage to get close enough to one of the above. In the few missions you get commando's as backup, trying to keep them alive is pretty much pointless.
* In ''{{Mercenaries}} 2'', most of the various factions are either idiots or complete jerks to you. The sole exception is the [[LaResistance PLAV]], who actually act like nice guys, and it becomes hard ''not'' to think of them in a positive light when they yell things like "Viva la Mercenario!" and "The Merc's on our side, we can't lose!" or even "The Mercenary is here! ''We're saved!''" Everyone else is an asshole, but these guys ''like'' you and make you feel welcome and give you the impression that you're doing some good. No wonder everyone favors them over Universal Petroleum's jackass mercenaries.
** The Chinese General somehow fits, too, as he gives you the final nuke without hesitating, thanking you for your assistance. Unlike the UN dude.

[[AC:Sim]]
* In ''BlackAndWhite,'' Sable and several similar characters become normal villagers once they stop being important to the game. The player should, theoretically, be able to keep them alive until the end.
** If you are good or neutral, you can grab an NPC and place him in your village, the game speaks "Live here in peace."
** You also can pet your Creature and cause him to turn into a puddle of happy goo.
* In the iPhone game ''Pocket God'', you control a small tribe on an island. You can kill them in various horrible ways (feeding them swordfish, drowning them etc), but you can also set the sky to sunset and the little looks of wonder on their faces is possibly the cutest thing ever. You can also light a fire, make it night-time, and watch them all curl up in a group to sleep like they didn't just spend all day getting attacked by dinosaurs and ice monsters.
* Also played straight in ''Majesty: Fantasy Kingdom Simulator''. In an innovative, if sometimes frustrating twist, you do not have direct control over your troops, rather you are the king of the local lands, and you hire heroes and they wander about questing on their own. Its like a more interactive version of Progress Quest, really. With nifty sprite graphics. If you want something attacked, either wait for the hero to wander buy it, then other heroes will hear the sounds of battle and join in, build a guard tower close by to direct your free guardsmen there, or place a bounty on the object and they will attack until its destroyed, or if it's a treasure/consumable, they will pick it up and bring it home.
* ''DwarfFortress'' names every single one of your dwarves, all the elves, all the humans etc. It also names monsters and animals that kill things, which can lead to situations like having a giant bat called "Bridgebane the Hammer of Pacifism". And who ''wouldn't'' want to keep a bat with a name like that alive?
** The guy who lost half his military to the damn thing. The "batman" creatures ([[BatmanCanBreatheInSpace according to the DF Wiki, they CAN breathe in space]]) are often assigned names because your dwarves feel like it, and are far better for the purposes of this trope because they didn't get that name by ''butchering your dwarves''.
*** This happens because your dwarves have ''favorite animals''. A fortress with a dwarf who likes a certain type of [[PettingZooPeople anthro]] [[FunnyAnimal creature]] will end up with every member of a tribe of, for instance, slug men each having unique names.
** Don't forget the excruciating level of detail injuries go into. One of the few times I felt bad about something in a video game was watching a little ASCII smiley face slowly crawl along. Checking his wounds, he'd lost both legs, one arm, and one lung to goblin assault.
** Nor the detailed relationships between all your dwarves with spouses, children, lovers, friends, acquaintances, enemies, and several levels between.
** Add to that making personality a factor in behavior -- an irritable noble who demands crap you can't produce gets sent quickly to the killing chambers, a laid back noble who requests things you're producing anyway is an unexpected gift.
** Your original 7 dwarves work ''so hard'' to get your fortress off the ground. It's not fun when one of them dies, especially if it's a particularly stupid death. (Which is unfortunately very easy to accomplish.)
** There is a notable gameplay aspect to this tendency in DF. Even if you don't particularly care about a given entity in the game, ''your dwarves do''. If your dwarf's pet or family member or close friend dies, they can get ''[[AxCrazy very upset]]''.



* ''TheElderScrolls IV: Oblivion'' has given all the [=NPCs=] personality, unique quotes, a friendship minigame that will have them fight for you if they like you enough, and they don't come back to life.
** Well, there's [[FanBoy one who comes back to life naturally]], but he inspires more Cruelty than Caring.
** It's also easy to become loyal to causes within the game. Try not to feel proud when you wear a Kvatch cuirass after saving the town.
*** Pillaging your way through [[{{Mordor}} Oblivion]] - especially just after completing the Crusader quest- can bring with it a healthy sense of retribution as you loose a hundredfold the pain and suffering of Kvatch on those poor, poor Dremora. Good for LevelGrinding, too.
*** Or sad when your little Imperial Legion helpers run to help (and die)...
** Baurus, the only other character to survive the attack in the tutorial, will pledge loyalty to the player and accompany him on several quests - assuming he survived the last one. Emerging from the Oblivion Gate onto the Bruma battlefield where Martin is giving a victory speech only to see Baurus among the dead can be quite a PlayerPunch.
* In ''EndWar'', you are given a persistent battalion that you upgrade and improve, with unique callsigns, consistent voices in response to your orders (including sounds of abject panic that convey the fact that they're getting ripped apart much better than the dispassionate voice of your XO saying they're getting hammered), and carried over experience... ''if'' they stay alive. While a defeated unit will be evacuated if possible, it's still possible for an enemy to kill them entirely. It eventually hits the point where you can get paranoid about using [[LimitBreak WMDs]] for fear that the enemy will kill your units with a reprisal. It eventually becomes a fairly major point of Heartwarming when you hear them say they won't let you down, and worrying when they yell for evac or support, and an outright kick in the teeth when their unit card glows with the skull and crossbones that says that the unit is dead instead of evacuated.
* ''{{Fable}} 2'' allows you to marry and have a son or daughter, which will rapidly mature into an adorable child that calls you "dah-dee" or "mum-mee" depending on your gender. [[spoiler: BigBad Lucius kills them at the end of the game. Which hurts ''less'' than when he kills ''your dog''.]]
* ''[[FarCry Far Cry 2.]]'' Keeping your buddies alive and doing what they ask gives instant return any time you are gunned down by the enemy mercenaries. Your health drops to zero, you fall to the ground, black out... and instead of being treated to a load game screen, you come to a 48-year-old Kosovar PapaWolf shooting people left and right and dragging your bleeding hide to cover in one of the most movie-like moments ever pulled off in a 1st perspective game.
** This is also a bit of a subversion, as your buddies can be utter bastards, and some of the things they ask of you are just wrong.
** Not to mention they can sometimes die for real, while you continuously give them your healing items to ease their suffering.
** The worst is that the more missions you do with them the more likely they're going to be killed. It's all the more sadder for this Troper who tried saving his wounded buddy pumping him with morphine in a muddy, raining and humid jungle until you inject the last syringe into him and he slowly fades away as you hold his head and watch him die.
*** And then at the very end, [[spoiler: you kill them all]].

[[AC: Horror]]
* ''FatalFrame II'' gives you a twin sister to protect. She's a bit of a hassle because her knee is permanently injured, so she's slower, but what you soon learn is that [[spoiler:she's like that because of Mio's (your playable character) fault, yet she never blamed her for it, and stayed as a close twin sister. Mio, however, is overwhelmed by [[GuiltBasedGaming guilt]] over this, so she's protective with her sister.]] These feelings are well transmitted into the player during the game, and so, Mayu's safety becomes an indisputable priority.

[[MMORPG]]
* ''{{World of Warcraft}}'' slightly invokes this trope in the Death Knight starting quest line when you have to execute a member of your own race that you knew way back after he/she pleads with you to come to your senses.
** And again in the quest [[TearJerker The Mosswalker Savior]], which can very suddenly turn around the player's feelings about the Oracles.


* The resistance soldiers that join you in ''HalfLife 2'' ("Follow Freeman!") are infinite in number and they die easily. They're more or less supposed to be cannon fodder, making your life a little easier, but there is something inspiring about losing as few of them as possible. ''Especially'' the ones that look like [[{{Concerned}} Gordon Frohman]].
** Which also happens to look just like [[HalfLifeFullLifeConsequences John Freeman]], making them even more worth saving.
** On a more specific note, you ''will'' become very attached to Alyx. She's arguably tougher than Gordon is thanks to her insane health regeneration (thankfully sparing you the normal pain of an EscortMission) and can fight off zombies at close range, but you ''will'' go out of your way to protect her regardless. And when [[spoiler:she's near-fatally wounded by a Hunter at the beginning of Episode 2]] you ''will'' do anything to save her.
** Don't forget dear old Dog, adorable pile of ambulatory scrap metal that he is. Each and every one of his appearances is an absolute delight. He's just so darn enthusiastic about, well... everything. Oh, and his interactions with Alyx are practically guaranteed to make you smile.
*** Of course, when you account for the fact that he's powerful enough to fling about ''armored titanium cars'', protecting him isn't too big a concern.
* Just try not to feel any affection for your fake spouse and child in ''{{Harvest Moon}}''. Even after every ScriptedEvent has been shown and there is nothing left to do, it is near impossible to stop playing thanks to the PlayableEpilogue.
* In the game ''HauntingGround'', you pair up with a white german shephard named Hewie. He becomes your main defense as you try to escape from your pursuers with deranged intentions.
* ''HeavyRain'' makes it very hard not to get attached to the characters. Especially considering all the horrible things they go through. [[spoiler: [[TheWoobie Ethan]] is the most obvious example considering the death of Jason, and how determined the poor guy is to get Shaun back despite the trials. Just try not to care about him. And then there's struggling [[ByTheBookCop FBI profiler]] Norman, especially as you can help him get over his drug problem (not to mention it's painful watching him getting beaten up so many times). Even Shelby really wins you over with his heart-warming ways (we're talking about scrambled eggs and saving suicidal mothers, not drowning children here)]].
** Ethan's interactions with Shaun and Jason can also make you rather protective of them.
* ''{{Ico}}'' is all about this. You spend the entire game worrying about how Yorda is doing. Her ability to open doors certainly helps as well.
** The first time Ico calls her across a gap she can't possibly leap, and she jumps ''anyway'', trusting Ico to [[TakeMyHand catch her and pull her up]]...
*** Although still images don't do it justice, you can get a good idea of the heart-in-throat moments from [[http://www.rose-tainted.net/ico/essays/17.jpg this picture]].
** Heck, Ico calling for Yorda and leading her by the hand through hordes of Dark Spirits. Or Ico fighting his way ''through'' those hordes to pull her out of their grasp with all the ferocity a ten-year-old boy can muster.
*** All of this is made even more interesting because Yorda only speaks an unknown language; Ico (and the player) haven't a clue what she's saying and they have to communicate via body language. That she's so darned important to you when you can't even understand her is impressive, to say the least.
* The ''{{Jagged Alliance}}'' series always penalizes you if you let too many of your hires die. If named characters lack a proper burial (say, you dumped the body in a river instead of securing the area in order to transport it out) then your reputation will plummet and only the will-work-for-anyone dregs will join you. For generic guards, if too many die it will be harder or more expensive to secure their replacements.
** If you help the local villagers (instead of trying to use them as meat shields), your reputation in the town (which affects a town tax-rate stat) won't plummet.
** The actual voice clips of characters when they refuse to work for you, or when they're already working for you and think you're an asshole, just serves to ram it home for how big of a screw-up JerkAss you are. Now, in Jagged Alliance 2, hire Raven and her husband, Raider. Have one die. How big of a jerk are you? The survivor will let you know ''all. The. Time.''
* 100% Completion in ''{{Lemmings}}'' seems like a moral imperative. Maybe it's because it's graphics'd like a kids game...
* ''Lost in Blue'', which has DS and Wii incarnations, is another game built around VideoGameCaringPotential. You play as Keith, a young man who finds himself stranded on a desert island with Skye, who has lost her glasses and is BlindWithoutEm. You must forage for food and water to keep you and your partner alive, and since she doesn't leave the cave you call home unless you're dragging her by the hand a la {{Ico}}, you have to plan ahead to leave her adequate food and water while you're away unlocking new parts of the island or hurry back when her stats drop too low. [[MostAnnoyingSound "She's getting thirsty... She's hungry..."]]
* ''Medieval 2: Total War'' encourages the player to be a jerk since gaining money is much easier when being evil. Being a chivalrous general has benefits since you gain a morale boost for your men when fighting the enemy which means they are less likely to rout, while dread bonuses for ruling towns have at times a negative effect on the population. Sadly, most people opt for the crueler option most of the time.
** All ''Total War'' games have an experience mechanic for units, which encourages some players (those that don't just rely on [[ZergRush Human Wave]] tactics) to try to keep their own armies' casualties to a minimum.
** This can overlap with VideoGameCrueltyPotential. "Hmm, the enemy are making their last stand in the city center, but I don't want to lose any more men finishing them off..." So what do you do? Wheel a crude cannon into place and go bowling. Or, if you're taking a castle and the last enemy units are all cavalry, get your archers on the walls of the keep and just execute the helpless horsemen with direct-fire arrow volleys.
*** It is actually ill-advised to do so if you're settling down for a long war, something which is especially likely in the limited-nations expansions. A high command, high morale general, with high valour high morale peasants? Those spearmen and militias are about to get chewed.
* ''Myth: The Fallen Lords'' and ''Myth 2: Soulblighter'' were some of the first strategy games to have veterans systems. The more kills a unit got the faster it would attack and the more damage it would deal. And since you don't start out with many units to begin with and are always outnumbered quite a bit, you do everything you can to make sure they stay alive.
* Many of Nippon Ichi's game have ending flags based on the number of allies you killed. In particular, the first Disgaea game locks you out of the best (and ultimately canon) ending if you kill even one of your own characters.
* ''{{Okami}}'' allows the player, in their role as a benevolent god to perform good deeds ranging from making trees and flowers bloom to finding water for reservoirs to battling demons. One good deed was to buy some charcoal for a little girl to play with- [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming AWWW!]]
** Don't forget feeding the animals, which gives you a little cutscene of them eating. Afterward they'll have little hearts floating around when they see you.
*** In fact, Okami ''breathes'' this trope. As a benevolent goddess, you earn Praise (for leveling up) not just by heroic deeds and beating the bad guys, but by feeding those animals, making trees bloom, turning dead land into fertile ground, and taking other totally non-violent actions to simply improve peoples' lives. It restores life ''and'' a sense of wonder to the world, enhancing your divine strength.
* ''{{Overlord}}'' can enter into this at times - your Minions are ultra-expendable, but the basic (brown) ones can pick up pieces of equipment from fallen enemies... (actually, they all can, but while the other variants just get generic graphical upgrades that reflect how good their equipment is, you can actually SEE what the Browns are carrying). Since certain pieces of equipment are unique, gained from defeating specific bosses or one-time-only encounters - or just plain rare - you can easily end up wanting to protect the one who's wearing a golden crown and wielding a giant fondue fork, partially because they're unique and powerful items (which will be LostForever if he dies) and partially because they serve as souvenirs of an interesting boss-fight.
** Of course, some of them can also become valued simply for comedic value, such as the one wearing a tophat and wielding a [[NerfArm bouquet of flowers]], or the one wearing a full beard (the previous owner didn't need it anymore).
** The sequel encourages players to keep their minions alive more, since the Minions now have names, personalities, manageable equipment, mounts, levels, and the ability to raise favorites from the dead at a graveyard. However as an EvilOverlord you're mainly motivated by the fact that you don't want powerful Minions carrying special equipment such as {{BFS}}es, Gladiator Helmets or one-of-a-kind hats to go to waste.
* The characters in the ''{{Persona}}'' series are done really well, and you WILL genuinely like and care your friends/family. Especially Nanako from ''{{Persona 4}}''; judging by the game's page, her [[spoiler: kidnapping near the end of the game]] tends to inspire genuine MamaBear rage in a lot of players.
* Losing ''{{Pikmin}}'' can cause players to feel bad. Something about their screams is [[NightmareFuel upsetting]], and then there are those water vapour ghosts to remind you how badly you let them all down. It's even worse if you just leave some behind after dark. Not to mention they're basically dying for capitalism in the second game.
** ''Pikmin don't have graves you know.''
** Which makes the massive Pikmin carnage in ''SuperSmashBros Brawl'' somewhat of a PlayerPunch for those who also played ''{{Pikmin}}''.
** Also, in the first game, Olimar himself, as an extension of the player, becomes attached to the little critters, as evidenced in his log entries. He amusedly notes their various quirks as the days go by, and he berates himself if they get caught in a bomb blast, of if the Pikmin race dies out (don't worry if that happens, though; [[IGotBetter they get better]]).
* Pikachu in ''{{Pokemon}} Yellow Version''. This version introduced the happiness mechanic, but ''only'' for Pikachu- you could look at him and see how he liked you. So you wanted to keep him happy by using him in battle but not letting him faint, not keeping him locked up in the PC, etc. (Or you could just [[GoodBadBugs repeatedly use the Potion from your PC on it at full health and get it to love you in two minutes flat.]])
** In the remakes of ''{{Pokemon}} Gold'' and ''Silver'', ''[=HeartGold=]'' and ''[=SoulSilver=]'', you can have not only Pikachu out and about with you, but ''any'' Pokemon you want. So if Pikachu couldn't earn your love, now you've got options.
*** Not only that, but can get to interact with them in a much deeper level. At first they will get angry at you repeatedly, but if you care well about them they will go as far as play with you and look for flowers and things to give to you.
** Nicknaming your Pokemon will inevitably lead to you caring about them. And getting pissed at enemies who KO your little Pichu. [[DisproportionateRetribution And then you bust out your level 100 Charizard and mass murder the NPC's team of Grass-types.]]
** Who doesn't love their first [[PaletteSwap Shiny Pokemon?]]
*** If it's Spinda, exceptions can be made.
** Ever since the happiness system was introducted in Gen II, you try to keep them happy, even if only for those that evolve becouse of it. Interestingly, there's a move that increases in power for this (Return), and one for [[VideogameCrueltyPotential how much they hate you]] (Frustration).
** Forging a deeper connection with your pokemon is pretty much the whole point of a [[NuzlockeComics Nuzlocke]] [[SelfImposedChallenge Challenge run.]] If a pokemon faints, it is ''dead'' and [[KilledOffForReal can never be used again,]] the number of pokemon you can catch is also limited, which makes you use species that would've been overlooked otherwise, and you also have to name every one you catch. When done right, every lost party member [[PlayerPunch feels like a punch in the gut.]]
* [=GLaDOS=] spends an entire level in ''{{Portal}}'' trying to make the player bond with the CompanionCube, only to tell you at the end of the level that [[spoiler:you must euthanize it by tossing it into a furnace in order to complete the test. She brings this up at the end of the game when you fight her, admonishing you for killing your "best friend." After praising you for being the quickest of all test subjects to do so, no less.]]
* This is the major premise of the ''PrincessMaker'' games. And it ''works''.
** Heck, even SomethingAwful was so damn proud of their adoptive brat by the end of it. [[spoiler:Helps that she ended up becoming an EnfanteTerrible who not only commits regicide but ends up usurping {{Satan}}.]]
* The ''QuestForGlory'' adventure/RPG series has the character classes of fighter, mage, thief and paladin. Becoming and playing as the latter requires going well out of the way of the rest of the game mechanics to do Right. Some of a paladin's deeds are too rewarding to count as simple altruism (returning a reward, telling a disarmed enemy to re-arm -> FlamingSword), others likely count (snuggling a rotting undead -> one released spirit, you smelling and waist deep in a lake).
* Averted in ''ResidentEvil4'', with Ashley. You're supposed to care for her and watch her, but it occasionally falls into VideogameCrueltyPotential when after she causes you to restart one too many times, you spend time trying to shoot her with rocket launchers, mine darts, and sniper rifles.
** Played straight with the dog caught in the bear trap at the begining. You'd have to have ice in your veins not to free him with the whimpers he makes.

* In ''ShadowOfDestiny'', the player can take the time to fetch a kitten and let a small girl adopt it. There's no reward for doing so, just giving a child a kitten.
* In ''ShadowOfTheColossus'', [[spoiler:the trusty steed named Agro helps the player get from point A to point B. The player eventually bonds with him. Heartbreaking when after riding across a collapsing bridge, Agro throws you safely to the other side before falling to his death. Only to find during the end credits that he is still alive, but with a broken leg.]]
** Sadistically, the game manages to make you care about practically every other Colossus you kill. This doesn't keep you from being pulled along, with the character, on his grim path, or being perversely thrilled by the challenge even while knowing [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone you will be devastated by your own actions]] in a moment.
*** Some of them you can't feel bad for killing, like that damned boar, but yes, about half of them make you feel like you've destroyed something ancient and majestic.
** Go up to Agro without a weapon out (with your hand showing as the cursor) and tap the attack button. Wander will stroke his horse's flank caringly. No reason, just a sign he cares about his mount.
*** Of course, this may be a subtle admonishment for a player [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential trying to attack their horse.]]
* ''TheSims'' is both this ''and'' cruelty potential, depending on the kind of player you are.
** AliceAndKev is an example of just how powerful this can be in The Sims.
* In ''{{Snatcher}}'', you can reconcile with your wife, or help an elderly Freeman return to his family before death. You are not rewarded for doing so or penalized beyond not doing so beyond the congratulations of your RobotBuddy.
* In the ''[[SonicAdventureSeries Sonic Adventure]]'' games for the [[SegaDreamcast Dreamcast]] and {{Gamecube}}, the player can partake in a mini-game to raise Chao, which are essentially tiny (and cute) alien-like creatures. Powerups acquired in the main game can be brought back to 'Chao World', and used to raise the chao's stats and change their appearance, among other things. The joy a player gets when their Chao evolve from a baby to their next form is hard to reproduce. The mini-game can also be a source of [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential cruelty potential]], if you're really feeling sadistic.
* In the ''{{Suikoden}}'' series, sometimes your characters can [[KilledOffForReal die for real]], be it in a cinematic event or a less-dramatic death on the battlefield. Either way, you do feel lousy for the death of your characters, which are sometimes friends with your other characters, or even family. It also doesn't help that many of the best endings and secrets are unlocked by making it to the end of the game with all 108 characters alive.
** Certain characters will die outside of your control in final stages of each game. There's absolutely nothing you can do about it; their deaths are part of the ending. But despite the sheer number of characters, the games tend to make you care enough about them that it's still a PlayerPunch.

* [[http://www.pointnclickgames.com/pointnclickgames/die-anstalt-toy-psychiatry/ Toy Psychiatry]]. These poor little fluffy animals are so screwed up, you can't help but feel for them and genuinely want them to get better. Especially the alligator. Dear God. The poor thing [[TearJerker cries]] when you finally [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming help him]].
* In ''ValkyriaChronicles'', you command a small squadron of Militia soldiers in a WWII-ish war. Each and every one of those 50-odd soldiers have their own appearance, traits, skills, backstory, and future life that they will go on to after the ending - IF they're still alive. And thanks to the fairly well-balanced AI, the only way they're going to die, is if YOU screw up. And yes, they have death-sequences with lines, calling out to loved ones, declaring their loyalty to the nation, the unit, or even just to you, as they draw their last breath... which, of course, makes you hate [[GeneralRipper General Damon]] with the burning intensity of a thousand suns when he starts treating the militiamen as expendable CannonFodder.
* The single-player campaign of ''WorldInConflict'' continually emphasizes that you're leading an undersized, overworked company of troops in desperate last stands and daring blitzkriegs. It feels like you ''must'' keep tabs on the health of all units and minimize losses, but in reality, you get as many reinforcements as you need, and a decent number of objectives let you TakeYourTime.
* Heck, this is the whole point of "virtual pet" games... Tamagotchi, {{Digimon}}, {{Neopets}}, etc.
** And the plaintive pleas to reconsider will make you feel like a real bastard if you ever put a Neopet up for adoption and leave the game.
* Used during the "Years of Yarncraft" storyline from ''SluggyFreelance'', when Torg and Zoe play a [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMORPG]] and save some virtual puppies from being drowned. ''Then'' they discover that the bad guy they stopped [[PerpetuallyStatic just comes back to drown more puppies]], only now they can't stop him because they already completed the quest. Eventually [[CrossesTheLineTwice the mountain of dead puppies blots out the sun]].
* Who doesn't enjoy wasting time playing with [[NoMoreHeroes Jeanne the kitten?]] Hell, this trope is the second reason it's even in the game to begin with (the first being to give Travis a PetTheDog moment, except with a kitty. You don't get any points or bonuses for playing with her, but damned if it isn't worth it just to hear those cute little meows.
* ''Left4Dead'' can be this way sometimes when it comes to the survivor AI. Sure, they may get in the way sometimes when you are shooting and they may always snatch up health items first, but it's hard not to care about them when they are so willing to give up their health kits and pain pills to keep you alive, even if they are on the verge of death themselves.
** For this Troper, protecting the Bill-bot became even more important after [[spoiler:he dies in L4D2. May he rest in badass grampa heaven...]]
* ''{{Earthbound}}'': Ness abandoned the cookie.

* In ''Raiden Fighters'', one of the stages has a tank boss firing at houses before proceeding to attack you. If you use your {{Attack Drone}}s or bombs to block its shots, you'll get a "DEFENDED THE HOUSE!" bonus. ''Raiden Fighters 2'' has a similar bonus involving defending friendly tanks from a medium-sized enemy tank.
* ''Men of War'' is likely the best WWII RTS for caring potential. Let's review: All soldiers have their own names and inventories. The ability to loot gear off the dead means that a bit of effort makes soldiers much more effective. The ability to loot hats off the dead means personal touches. The AI is helpful beyond contemporary standards, e.g. when an enemy tank rounds a corner, a soldier throws an AP grenade, takes cover in the opposite direction, and tends his wounds. A lack of hand-holding means room for crazy plans. The option to switch to FPS controls for individual soldiers means opportunities for death-defying heroism. A fairly interactive environment means, for example, removing weapons from disabled tanks and adding them to the defensive lines, or some fool driving through a battlefield on a hijacked tractor, hauling machine guns and ammo. Playing the game means sending these people to die by the hundreds. Ladies and gentlemen, video games as a learning tool.
* ''AceCombat'' games usually have a RedshirtArmy alongside the player's plane. While it's possible to go ahead and focus on destroying the targets while leaving the other planes to go down, there's some satisfaction to be gained in helping allies to fend off enemy planes and gain air superiority. ''Fires of Liberation'' explicates this by rewarding the player for helping out in secondary operations, such as by letting them call down {{Macross Missile Massacre}}s.
** More importantly, your [[{{wingman}} wingmen/-women]]. If you don't feel sad about PJ in ''Belkan War'', you have emotional capacity of a tree stump, but on the other hand, can you really get yourself mad enough at Pixy, after all you've been through together, can you? And how about Edge, Grimm, and Chopper in ''[=AC5=]''--don't you feel really close to them, despite not really knowing anything about them except their names and appearances?
*** YourMileageMayVary on PJ. Many see him as TheScrappy and are glad he died. And you do get to know quite a bit about 5's wingmates.
* ''Starlancer'', a space fighter from the makers of ''Wing Commander'', has an entire squadron of [[RedShirt red shirt]] wingmen, none of whom are actually useful in battle and tend to [[ArtificialStupidity ram things to death (their own)]]. ''But''...they each have their own backstory in the game's information system, like the petite blonde girl who joined the Navy Fighter Corps after being a star in a barnstorming show...[[MST3KMantra in space]]. Or the bitter little Frenchman, or the black-market dealing Scot, or the sultry Italian chick...the list goes on. Also, when they die, they die screaming in a ''truly'' disturbing manner.
** Speaking of ''WingCommander'', it's not uncommon for players to replay missions where their wingmen were killed in the first game, in which AnyoneCanDie was in full force. Except for [[TheLoad Maniac]], who can [[TheScrappy just stay dead.]]
* The first level of ''{{Psychonauts}}'' gives you the option of escorting [[TheWoobie Dogan]] across a mine field safely in the very first level. As long as you don't go too far ahead, it's pretty easy, you get a few arrowheads, and you feel like you've just started on your way to become a hero. [[ShootTheShaggyDog Then he explodes.]]
** Well, his mental personification explodes. If it helps Dogan probably wanted to leave Coach Oleander's mind anyway.
** There are also articles of emotional luggage scattered throughout all the mental levels. They are all so sad and crying because they miss their tags...[[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs yeah]]...and, oh, so lovely rejoice when you reunite them.
** It's not hard for fixing Fred, Gloria, and Edgar to end up feeling like a personal responsibility. They start off [[GRatedMentalIllness more funny than anything]] but interesting, then you get to know them [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind personally]] and you're bound to really get attached to at least one of them, [[TheWoobie and from there you gradually find out the rest]]. So you're rewarded with a PlotCoupon for each one, but completing their minds' main stories gives a "Ya done good, kid, ya done good" kind of satisfaction itself.
* Although {{RPG}}s can be a mixed bag when it comes to this trope, since most tend to revolve around a group of plucky young adventurers who can go on for days about ThePowerOfFriendship, the later games in the ''{{Persona}}'' series are ''rife'' with it in the form of Social Links. Because it's unlikely that a player will be able to successfully complete all of them in a single playthrough, and there's no consequence for ''not'' doing them, the ones the player does complete are probably going to be the ones for the characters they like best (like the little girl whose parents are divorced in 3, or the boy whose sister was murdered in the main plot in 4).
* ''KnightsInTheNightmare'' supplies you with 112 loyal knights (plus three additional recruits) whose [[DeadToBeginWith tragic deaths]] you're forced to watch. They're your only available means of fighting demons, but if you don't pay careful attention to their vitality, they will die again, permanently -- and [[AllThereInTheManual there is no afterlife for extinguished souls]].
** And because it just needs to be said -- you will grow to care for Maria and Meria, who are both built up as incredibly lovable, sympathetic characters. Their inevitably miserable fates lead some players to ''deliberately'' miss finding Ancardia in Maria's route so as to [[spoiler:let her live her life as herself and save her from becoming a FallenHero later on in DeptHeaven continuity, even if you yourself won't be there to take care of her for much longer]].
*** Probably because this is what Meria wants most, there's no way to get it for her. [[DownerEnding Thanks, Sting.]]
* Doc Louis in the Wii version of ''PunchOut''. He tells really bad jokes or gives lousy advice and you just want to punch him in the face (now you can with the upcoming game, Doc Louis' Punch Out), but every time you lose a match, Doc does his best to give you words of encouragement so you can get back in the ring and fight again with more confidence.
* In ''TheWitcher'' your character is later [[spoiler:entrusted to take care of a young ChildMage who seemed to be a minor NPC early on in the game. You're tasked with teaching him lessons about life, morality, and just general stuff which sort of endear him to you over time, especially given the number of times you need to protect him. Which makes his sudden and irreversible disappearance roughly three fourths of the way into the game [[TearJerker all the more painful]]. Not to mention the possible TwistEnding that [[TomatoSurprise hints at what happened to him afterward]].]]
* Though not strictly a video game ''per se'', {{Vocaloid}} is a brilliant demonstration of this principle. Think about it: The program is a ''voice simulator'' built on samples of a voice actor or actress' donated data, each with a cute anime-style mascot character. After you've listened to those characters sing, it's hard not to think of them as people and even have incredible loyalty to the programs they use the most.
** Miku Hatsune is a full-on Idol, and ''adorable''. Although her most popular video is her cute [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbA9BhCTko Ievan Polka]] (waving a leek), [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hlADpxjj0s this one]] will leave you wanting to [[TheWoobie hold and love and protect her]]. CrowningMusicOfAwesome, CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
*** ([[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf1pg3NI6Do Here]] is a version with English subtitles.)
** And then there's ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xtEy951Dic The Disappearance of Miku]]'' where she [[FinalSpeech sings her last song]], recognizing that [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman she is just software]] and saying goodbye as her memories disappear, [[TearJerker as the user uninstalls her]].


[[AC:Other]]
* Touched upon in [[http://kotaku.com/5467695/the-daddening-of-video-games this Kotaku article]] about "The Daddening of Video Games".

<<|VideoGameTropes|>>

* ''{{Dominions}} 3'' has both named commanders and generic ordinary units, each represented by individual sprites on the battlefield. Watching enemy heavy cavalry ride down my troops (complete with individual screams), or seeing a veteran commander fall victim to assassination (or worse, disease, which causes them to lose 1 HP a turn until they die), made it -very- satisfying to utterly annihilate the enemy gods responsible.
** This is exacerbated by the popular supercombatant strategy, where one goes through the process of summoning a select commander, loading them up with hand picked magical items, and sending them off to war. Seeing these guys on the receiving end of a well made trap is just depressing.
** Don't forget about national heroes.

* In ''FireEmblem'' EVERY character you control is named and has their own head-shot. Add to the mix a bit of KilledOffForReal (minus restarting the game), specific endings for every character, and lots of character interaction, you wind up with having to restart every level multiple times so that no one ever dies.
** ''Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon'' introduced a system whereupon the game will provide your army with generic units if your numbers get too low, and secret chapters only accessible if you have below certain numbers of units, finally providing players with the perfect opportunity to take the pain of resetting in earlier games out on their army. Yet the overall tendency of players is alarmingly still to reset on every death.

* [[{{ADOM}} "The cute dog attacks the ogre. The cute dog misses the ogre. The ogre attacks the cute dog. The cute dog is killed! You are direly saddened about the death of the cute dog."]] You get this message even if your character is a bloodthirsty trollish berserker or dark elf necromancer.
** [[{{Nethack}} "The spell hits the <monster>! The <monster> is killed! The spell hits Rex! Poor Rex is killed!]] Heartbreaking...
* ''JetForceGemini'': The ants. Although most of them are heartless monsters and shoot you or even the tribals without hesitation, there are some ants which are just throwing their weapons away when they see you and capitulate because they want to live further. Made it cruel when you have to kill them all to open an energy door...
* In ''StarTrekBridgeCommander'', you encounter a vessel belonging to the enemy who, during a large firefight, has kept out of battle with their shields down. Your crew makes note of it before it turns away and warps out. You encounter the same ship later, guarding your objective, but again, with its shields down and making no effort to attack you. This is where you ought to slow down, take a breath, and think, "What Would Captain Picard Do?" Open hailing frequencies. The result is gaining a new ally and making the last level much easier, your sector admiral giving you huge glowing praise, more detail about what's going on with the plot, and the satisfaction that Gene Roddenberry's view of the universe is still alive and well, even in an action game.
* In ''{{Halo}} Wars'', it is common to become attached to units with stars, to the extent of not actually using them for fear of their deaths. Especially your starting scout unit.
* Somewhat averted in CDV games, notably the Conquest series. Despite almost EVERY SINGLE UNIT having its own experience, morale, and even phobias! American Conquest is especially bad for this, as human wave tactics are pretty much the only way to take a fort due to the sheer number of defences. See, even though you have all these stats, non-hero units tend to take damage like the squishy pink fleshlings that they are... Just created or alive since the start of the battle, a few shots from a musket will ruin any militia or trapper's day. The damage indicator is more an indicator of how accurate their weapons are, as you may see if you watch the spot of the impact graphic closely. Bullet impacts seem to deal percents, not numerical, while high health only really helps in melee. Also, cannonballs can mow through troops ridiculously accurate for their time period. One of the largest reasons behind the human wave requirement is how deadly fort cannons can be.
* Played straight in the Warcraft clone/superior cousin War Wind, where veteran units may be kept until the next stage for a minor pre-game boost. You may even keep the 'epic' units with you, though most of the time you'll want something faster, or you'll want to bring an extra artisan for resource/build tier boosts.
* Also played straight in Majesty: Fantasy Kingdom Simulator. In an innovative, if sometimes frustrating twist, you do not have direct control over your troops, rather you are the king of the local lands, and you hire heroes and they wander about questing on their own. Its like a more interactive version of Progress Quest, really. With nifty sprite graphics. If you want something attacked, either wait for the hero to wander buy it, then other heroes will hear the sounds of battle and join in, build a guard tower close by to direct your free guardsmen there, or place a bounty on the object and they will attack until its destroyed, or if it's a treasure/consumable, they will pick it up and bring it home.
* This happens once or twice in the introductory level of ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption''. If you act quickly enough, you can save the lives of various Galactic Federation marines [[spoiler:when the GFS Olympus comes under attack by Space Pirates]]. You'll receive a reward for saving one in particular, who is injured and firing at his aggressors from behind a crate.
* Brilliantly done in the {{Homeworld}} series. Each part has a single moment where extra efforts aimed at saving people are more or less optional and are without material reward of any kind but are extremely compelling and self-satisfactory:
** In the first game you return home after a hyperdrive test run only to find your planet in flames and some aliens destroying the cryo trays with the last remnants of your race. One of the trays is already damaged by the time you arrive, and in a "normal" course of events the invaders will destroy it before you can destroy them. There is no reprimand for that and no bonuses for saving the tray, but, goddammit, there is a hundred thousand people in it!
** In the "Cataclysm" sequel you encounter a civilian convoy under attack by [[TheVirus viral]] missiles. Here extra lengths to protect the transports are more or less justified from the pragmatic point of view, since each converted transport starts launching missiles itself, and once the enemy runs out of clean transports it turns on you. Still you can't help but feel a moral obligation to protect as many transports as possible. Espescially once you ''[[HighOctaneNightmareFuel hear]]'' the screams of a ship's crew being "converted" and realise just how many people are supposed to be in there...
** The finale of Homeworld 2 reenacts the tragedy that destroyed the original homeworld when three planet destroyers start barraging the surface of your core planet with nukes. Intercepting every rocket is be a bit annoying, as it must be done manually and you'll have to constantly switch between the tactical screen, where the rockets are visible, and the game screen, where all the fighting takes place, but these inconviniences are completely blotted out by a single thought: "Not a single rocket must reach the surface. You hear me? NOT A SINGLE ONE!!!"

* ''Scarface: The World Is Yours''. Some of the mooks that will fight by your side get unique conversations with Tony; a nice bit of character development. Of course, the fact that they kick so many kinds of ass will also inspire the desire to keep them alive. See how many missions you can do with the same minion!
* ''OriginalWar'' is built around this trope. Every human unit in the game is a unique individual with RPG-like stats, and when they die, they are KilledOffForReal. It is often better to deploy inferior remote-controlled or computer-controlled vehicles just to avoid risking your precious soldiers. (Honestly this is a lot like the use of military robots in RealLife.)
* Surprisingly, ''The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction'' of all games has this trope. If you press the special button (Y in the GameCube version) while holding someone Hulk normally slams them into the ground. But if you do so while holding a civilian, Hulk just puts them down gently and pats them on the head.
* Isn't the point of [[YoshisIsland Yoshi's Island]] to babysit Mario?
** Yes, and being Mario of course you want to protect him...but if he ever gets knocked off Yoshi You'll either want to kill him yourself or redouble your efforts to not get hit if ONLY to not hear that crying again. Yoshi's Island Ds adds in Baby Peach, Donkey Kong, Wario and Bowser to the mix... I bet you can guess who has the LEAST tolerable sounds.
* In the iPhone game ''Pocket God'', you control a small tribe on an island. You can kill them in various horrible ways (feeding them swordfish, drowning them etc), but you can also set the sky to sunset and the little looks of wonder on their faces is possibly the cutest thing ever. You can also light a fire, make it night-time, and watch them all curl up in a group to sleep like they didn't just spend all day getting attacked by dinosaurs and ice monsters.
* In ''{{Mercenaries}} 2'', most of the various factions are either idiots or complete jerks to you. The sole exception is the [[LaResistance PLAV]], who actually act like nice guys, and it becomes hard ''not'' to think of them in a positive light when they yell things like "Viva la Mercenario!" and "The Merc's on our side, we can't lose!" or even "The Mercenary is here! ''We're saved!''" Everyone else is an asshole, but these guys ''like'' you and make you feel welcome and give you the impression that you're doing some good. No wonder everyone favors them over Universal Petroleum's jackass mercenaries.
** The Chinese General somehow fits, too, as he gives you the final nuke without hesitating, thanking you for your assistance. Unlike the UN dude.
* ''OgreBattle'' has several special characters that you can draw into your ranks as you move through the game. Some of them are likable characters and you can feel like crap for getting them killed. Even the generic characters make your heart wrench when they fall in battle. Although, this can be because you spent countless hours leveling them to reach a certain class and you hard work just died out.

* ''[[TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' lives on this trope. So much so that many players didn't want to reverse time, knowing that all their work helping people would be reset.

* {{BioWare}} [=RPGs=] ''BaldursGate'', ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', ''JadeEmpire'', ''NeverwinterNights'' and ''MassEffect'' all feature engaging casts of secondary characters that look up to your character. While you can do [[KickTheDog mean]], [[MoralEventHorizon terrible]] things to them [[VideogameCrueltyPotential if you want]], it's usually [[GoodFeelsGood more satisfying to be nice to them]].
** At least in part because taking the dark path tends to produce a feeling like a knife slowly whittling at your soul, partially because of the cast, partially because full-on darkness tends to involve the StupidEvil alignment.
*** Most Notably in Baldur's Gate II is Minsc. His epilogue will have you shed a tear, guaranteed.
*** NeverwinterNights gives you Deekin. Anyone who can be cruel to Deekin is a monster with no soul. And those few who didn't care for him probably found themselves attached to Grobnar from Neverwinter Nights 2.
** Oh, and many of the games feature certain scenarios with diplomatic solutions. Sure, it's easy to wipe out a tribe of kobolds or lizardmen, but it's much more satisfying to earn their trust, arrange for peaceful cohabitation with humans, and have them consider you an honored friend.
** In ''MassEffect 2'', [[spoiler: Tali's]] character mission has you travel to [[spoiler: the Migrant Fleet, where she is accused of treason. On the way to clearing her name, you learn that her father was [[ForScience linking together geth to find a way to kill them more efficiently]].]] You find his body, and the Paragon action option during [[spoiler: Tali's]] ensuing breakdown is to pull her away from him and give her a hug. ''Awwwwww''.
** Picking the Colonist backstory results in a sidequest where you find a character who was from the same colony as you, but who was captured and enslaved and became severely messed up. She was rescued, but grabbed a weapon away and hid. She talks about herself in the [[ThirdPersonPerson third person]], and you can either rush in and jab her with a sedative or talk to her, approaching slowly, and administer it without spooking her. On the way you can learn some of the details about what happened and tell her it's not her fault. If you play it right, you can convince her to take the sedative herself, then, as she falls asleep in your arms, whisper the following to her:
----> '''Shepard:''' You'll dream of a warm place. And when you wake up, you'll be in it.
*** And then in the sequel you get an email from her with her using the first person, thanking you and saying she's getting better. Yep, GoodFeelsGood.
*** The Renegade solution is more of a tough-love kind of thing, but you'll still get a grateful email in ''MassEffect 2''.
*** You can take a paragon, then a renegade action when speaking to Lieutenant Gerard. It's worth the hit in paragon points to hear Shepard's voice waver with anger as s\he talks about getting the bastards thst enslaved Talitha.
** In the second game, you encounter a young quarian out on her Pilgrimage, accused of pickpocketing. When you casually mention that you have knowledge of her people, she's visibly shocked that an alien would bother to know anything about her people. The tone in her voice suggests that Shepard is the first person to speak to her like she's a person since she left the Flotilla. Feels specially good since you can do a Paragon interrupt that just makes the 2 prosecutors shut the hell up.
** Dr. Chakwas treated Shepard after the Beacon on Eden Prime. She was on the Normandy when it blew up. She's willing to die if Shepard needs her to. And all she asks is to share a bottle of brandy once a year and talk about old times and absent friends.
** The dialogue involved in turning [[spoiler:Aribeth]] or [[spoiler:Bastila]] back from the DarkSide.
** JadeEmpire: The Drowned Orphan Quest. The ghosts of the orphans desperately want peace, as does [[spoiler: the orphanage keeper, who was unable to save them]]. The Open Palm ending, where you're able to bring peace to the spirits of all parties? CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming. Hells, half the fun of Open Palm is being able to settle the restless dead.
*** It's hard to be a CompleteMonster to cute little Wild Flower...And sooo satisfying to kick that nasty demon that's bothering her into next week.
** Non-Bioware but definitely closely related example: talking to the Handmaiden after Atris nearly tortures her to death with Force Lightning for falling in love with you in KnightsOfTheOldRepublic 2.
** DragonAge has a lot of this, too, both in companion-related quests and in dialogue at camp. Though in one case there's an odd subversion: Alistair's companion quest. [[spoiler: He wants to go to Denerim to meet his long-lost half-sister. No matter what dialogue options you choose, there is no way for this encounter to end well, and Alistair is badly upset by it... but if you choose the "some people are selfish" dialogue option afterwards, this turns out to be a crucial turning point that can result in Alistair being "hardened"... which opens up some positive outcomes later on.]]
* In ''BlackAndWhite,'' Sable and several similar characters become normal villagers once they stop being important to the game. The player should, theoretically, be able to keep them alive until the end.
** If you are good or neutral, you can grab an NPC and place him in your village, the game speaks "Live here in peace."
** You also can pet your Creature and cause him to turn into a puddle of happy goo.
* ''ABoyAndHisBlob'' for Wii features a ''Hug'' button just for this purpose.

* ''VideoGames/CannonFodder'' is particularly mean with this. Each and every one of your 200+ soldiers is individually named, with their ranks and kills, and any soldier surviving a mission will be promoted; those who don't survive are recalled by name at the end of each level, and possibly added to the honours board. The first four - [[http://www.mobygames.com/game/genesis/cannon-fodder/screenshots/gameShotId,93639/ Jools, Jops, Stoo]] and RJ - are beloved by game players everywhere; they're also [[ShoutOut ShoutOuts]] to the main game developers. And you ''will'' give everything to try and keep them alive, because that Lost In Service list scrolling up between the [[ThePoppy poppies]] is devastating. The game satirises pretty much every single last one of the MilitaryAndWarfareTropes. Oh, and all the characters are about nine pixels high.
* ''CaveStory'' [[spoiler:has an NPC named Curly who sacrifices her life to save yours. But if you do exactly the right things, you can save her.]]. Incidentally, this is the only way to access a bonus level and the best ending.
* In ''{{Civilization}} Revolutions'', the "Cultural Victory" path rewards you for building an enlightened Democracy with Cathedrals and Universities to contrast your cruel and warlike Communist neighbors. It makes you go all warm and fuzzy inside to see neighboring cities defect en masse and welcome those poor, oppressed people into your civilization.
** Also your subjects will occasionally throw "We Love the King/Queen Day" celebrations in your honor, complete with fireworks. It's good to see them acknowledge how great you are
** In ''Civilization II'' (at least; might also be present in some of the others), "We Love the X Days" give celebrating cities some kind of bonus. Usually this is the resource-gathering potential of the next-best government form, but Republics and Democracies, as the top-tier govs, instead give the city in question an additional population point ''every turn''. This effectively turned those two government forms into a kind of GameBreaker for experienced players. Like they weren't already.
*** In civilization 4, the most democratic of nations earn a hell lot of money and is geared towards making as much money as possible
* This is the purpose of ''{{Creatures}}'', more or less.
* The semi-sentient AI population, Darwinians, in {{Introversion}}'s {{Darwinia}}. Of course, if you move fast enough you can 'revive' them endlessly, unless they get annihilated by a [[DemonicSpider Soul Destroyer]], in which case they leave saddening ghostly echoes of their bodies behind. And then there's the [[spoiler:Biosphere]] level, where most of the methods of winning involve sending wave upon wave of the cute little guys [[spoiler:against their virus-corrupted kin]].
** Made worse because the Darwinians are voiced by one of the developer's pet cat and meow very sweetly as they die.

* ''FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears'' puts Calca and Brina (raised out of the UncannyValley territory they resided in ''FinalFantasyIV'') in the player's team and has them [[spoiler: rescue Rydia and Luca from an attack. After this, they malfunction and Luca is [[PlayerPunch forced to deactivate them.]] Later, under normal circumstances, Luca is forced to scrap them for parts in order to get her airship off the ground. This can be skipped, actually. The way to skip it is a complete GuideDangIt that involves [[RandomlyDrops random drops]] in a game where the drop rate is simply inexcusably low, but let's be honest, who ''wouldn't'' do it?]]
* That sort of thing happens in ''FinalFantasyTactics'' with Miluda, which is an enemy example. You have to fight her twice and there's no way around it.
** It's quite the Wham moment the first time you go to the effort of having a Mediator with Invite in the party specifically for that fight, go out of your way to incapacitate all of her allies, and then learn that no, there's no way you can convince her to join your side.
** Some players will go out of their way to save their generic party members from death (if any character stays at "knocked out" status for too long, they die permanently), even if it means restarting a battle that is almost over.
** Similarly in Tactics, if you ever try and manually dismiss a party member from the menu screen, they give a "Do you really want to do this" speech. With generic team mates it hurts the soul a bit...with unique characters it hurts a bit more...but with MONSTERS...dear god...it's so sad...if I have to make room in my party because of extra chocobo, I either have to break the eggs (horrifying enough by itself.) or mash the "accept" button so I don't even see the message...if I read it, I will not have the heart to go through with it.
* ''FinalFantasyVI'' has a moment when you have to take care of another character by feeding him fish. Him living or dying doesn't matter to the story as the game progresses either way, but there's something oddly rewarding in keeping him alive.
** That probably has something to do with the player character attempting suicide if he dies.
* ''FinalFantasyVII'' has this trope twice. The most famous one, near the end of the game, is when you confront the Turks one last time. If you did a sidequest earlier in which you teamed up with them, you can choose not to fight. The two sides make peace and go their separate ways. An earlier example is when you steal a submarine and encounter a trio of Shinra goons guarding it... except it's those same goons you befriended earlier in the game when you were undercover. You can choose to simply take the guards prisoner instead of killing them.
** Also, in an inversion, the character Rude is programed to NEVER attack Tifa. If she's the only party member left standing, he has a 50% chance of hesitating and skipping his turn! So the game cares about you, too!
*** Actually, that's because he has a crush on Tifa. He tells Reno at one point. It's quite cute.
* A cute game is trying to keep the AI-controlled player second player in ''FinalFight''. [[VideogameCrueltyPotential And punishing them for their stupidity when they don't get out of the way]]. This is actually somewhat useful, as having two players means double the powerups.

* ''Godfather'' the game. You -can- get away with blasting a few innocent citizens, but every single person has a name that you somehow know. It's not so fun seeing Eduardo Mellini bleeding out in the middle of Fifth and Ten.
* ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas''. The nameless Grove Street mooks you pick up to assist in missions will chatter with C.J. on the way to the goal, giving him shit like all his named friends. Makes it hard to watch them mowed down like wheat. Of course it doesn't help they tend to fire wildly at every cop that comes by.

* ''{{World of Warcraft}}'' slightly invokes this trope in the Death Knight starting quest line when you have to execute a member of your own race that you knew way back after he/she pleads with you to come to your senses.
** And again in the quest [[TearJerker The Mosswalker Savior]], which can very suddenly turn around the player's feelings about the Oracles.

* ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' has a few times where you technically don't need to save the NPC to finish the quest, but it feels so much nicer to pull it off.
** Zhao, a Chinese ex-gangster, gave you information to fulfill a debt of honor, and now his gang is trying to kill him for helping you; he's so stoic about his fate that it just seems wrong if you can't kill the enemy fast enough to keep him alive, even though you get the information either way.
** A Japanese girl came to America hunting a demon that slaughtered her master, and you've helped her find that demon; even if she dies in the fight, you can still kill the demon and get the mission XP, but who really wants to see Yukie die after coming so far for vengeance?
** A confused elderly scholar got kidnapped for his knowledge of an ancient sarcophagus, and you needed to rescue him for that same info. When you find him, he's polite, helpful, scared, clad only in a bathrobe, locked inside a damp corner of a cave, and willing to tell you everything he knows for even a hope of rescue. Once his captors set off the bombs and bring down the entire cave in a last-ditch effort to kill you, you can either sprint off on your own and make much better time, or take the time to lead out Dr. Johansen while trying to ignore that big flashing death timer on your screen.
** Therese and [[LesbianVampire Jeanette]] Voerman, two feuding sisters [[spoiler:actually two sides of a Malkavian's split personality]]. If you've come to like both, it can be an AudienceSuckerPunch when you're forced to [[CrueltyIsTheOnlyOption choose which one of them dies at the hands of the other]]. If you have high enough social stats and you've been nice to both of them, though, you can talk them into forgiving each other and reuniting.
** And then there's a dying girl you can save by turning her into a ghoul. The process creates a "blood bond" meaning she falls in love with you (though this is closer to an addiction to your presense and blood), and she will ask to stay with you, offering you her college money and other assistance, including ultimately the best armour in the game. However [[spoiler: if you keep her around she will tell she is being followed and will eventually be killed by your enemies in a cutscene]]. Heartbreaking as it is, it really is better for her to turn her away.
* ''{{Persona 3}}'' and ''[[{{Persona 4}} 4]]'' have this in the form of [[LevelUpAtIntimacy5 Social Links]]. There is something incredibly satisfying in maxing someone's link out, knowing they're going to be alright, [[TheCutie Nanako]] in particular, with her "I love you, Big Bro! ^_^". [[UpdatedRerelease Persona 3 Portable]] takes this UpToEleven with [[spoiler:[[EnsembleDarkhorse Shinjiro]]]]. Maxing out ''his'' Social Link can [[spoiler:make his death ''not happen''. {{Squee}}!]]

* ''Limbo,'' which came out recently on Xbox Live Arcade. The protagonist is just a silent little kid, in a freakish monochrome world where EverythingIsTryingToKillYou. If you don't have any platformer or puzzler skills at the start, you ''will'' develop them just to get him through.

* In the iPhone game Pocket God, you control a small tribe on an island. You can kill them in various horrible ways (feeding them swordfish, drowning them etc), but you can also set the sky to sunset and the little looks of wonder on their faces is possibly the cutest thing ever. You can also light a fire, make it night-time, and watch them all curl up in a group to sleep like they didn't just spend all day getting attacked by dinosaurs and ice monsters.

* ''{{Ogre Battle}}'' has several special characters that you can draw into your ranks as you move through the game. Some of them are likable characters and you can feel like crap for getting them killed. Even the generic characters make your heart wrench when they fall in battle. Although, this can be because you spent countless hours leveling them to reach a certain class and you hard work just died out.
* VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines has a few times where you technically don't need to save the NPC to finish the quest, but it feels so much nicer to pull it off.

* {{Persona 3}} and [[{{Persona 4}} 4]] have this in the form of [[LevelUpAtIntimacy5 Social Links]]. There is something incredibly satisfying in maxing someone's link out, knowing they're going to be alright, [[TheCutie Nanako]] in particular, with her "I love you, Big Bro! ^_^". [[UpdatedRerelease Persona 3 Portable]] takes this UpToEleven with [[spoiler:[[EnsembleDarkhorse Shinjiro]]]]. Maxing out ''his'' Social Link can [[spoiler:make his death ''not happen''. {{Squee}}!]]

* ''{{Okami}}'' allows the player, in their role as a benevolent god to perform good deeds ranging from making trees and flowers bloom to finding water for reservoirs to battling demons. One good deed was to buy some charcoal for a little girl to play with- [[CrowningMomentofHeartwarming AWWW!]]

*** If it's Spinda, Exceptions can be made.

** In Bioshock 2, Mark Meltzer and by extension his missing daughter Cindy. Anyone who followed the ARG Something In The Sea is very familiar with Mark, and you can find audio diaries detailing his search for Cindy in the game. Many players became obsessed with the idea of helping Mark. [[spoiler: [[PlayerPunch Horribly, horribly]] {{subverted|Trope}} when you later kill what seems to be a run of the mill Rumbler Big Daddy - only to approach his corpse and discover that it was Mark, who chose to be turned into one in order to protect Cindy. And God help you if you harvested the Little Sister who was with him...]]

** Ever since the happyness system was introducted in Gen II, you try to keep them happy, even if only for those that evolve becouse of it. Interestingly, there's a move that increases in power for this (Return), and one for [[VideogameCrueltyPotential how much they hate you]] (Frustration).
** Though not in the game itself, a new variation called Nuzlocke which requires nicknaming one's Pokemon and causes them to be KilledOffForReal if they faint.

** And then there's ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xtEy951Dic The Disappearance of Miku]]'' where she [[FinalSpeech sings her last song]], recognizing that [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman she is just software]] and saying goodbye as her memories disappear, [[TearJerker as the user uninstalls her]]. SoYeah, I think she qualifies for this trope.

*** Well, that's what happens when you debut your series to the Western market with its 7th instalment. Even though the characterisation in the remake of ''Shadow Dragon'' wasn't any different to that of the original game (that is to say, every non-main character being little more than a [[FlatCharacter peon without a personality]]), Western ''Fire Emblem'' fans aren't used to the more [[WeHaveReserves chess-like]] nature of the early [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] games.

** Dr. Chakwas treated Shepard after the Beacon on Eden Prime. She was on the Normandy when it blew up. She's willing to die if Shepard needs her to. And all she asks is to share a bottle of brandy once a year and talk about old times and absent friends.
** Non-Bioware but definitely closely related example: talking to the Handmaiden after Atris nearly tortures her to death with Force Lightning for falling in love with you in KnightOfTheOldRepublic 2.
* In ''BlackAndWhite,'' Sable and several similar characters become normal villagers once they stop being important to the game. The player should, theoretically, be able to keep them alive until the end.

* ''[[TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' lives on this trope.

** Miku Hatsune is a full-on Idol, and ''adorable''. Although her most popular video is her cute [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbA9BhCTko Levan Polka]] (waving a leek), [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hlADpxjj0s this one]] will leave you wanting to [[TheWoobie hold and love and protect her]]. CrowningMusicOfAwesome, CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.

** The guy who lost half his military to the damn thing. The "batman" creatures ([[BatmanCANBreatheInSpace according to the DF Wiki, they CAN breathe in space]]) are often assigned names because your dwarves feel like it, and are far better for the purposes of this trope because they didn't get that name by ''butchering your dwarves''.

* {{Persona 3}} and [[{{Persona 4}} 4]] have this in the form of [[LevelUpAtIntimacy5 Social Links]]. There is something incredibly satisfying in maxing someone's link out, knowing they're going to be alright, [[CheerfulChild Nanako]] in particular, with her "I love you, Big Bro! ^_^". [[UpdatedRerelease Persona 3 Portable]] takes this UpToEleven with [[spoiler:[[EnsembleDarkhorse Shinjiro]]]]. Maxing out ''his'' Social Link can [[spoiler:make his death ''not happen''. {{Squee}}!]]

* {{Persona 3}} and [[{{Persona 4}} 4]] have this in the form of [[LevelUpAtIntimacy5 Social Links]]. There is something incredibly satisfying in maxing someone's link out, knowing they're going to be alright, [[CuteChild Nanako]] in particular, with her "I love you, Big Bro! ^_^". [[UpdatedRerelease Persona 3 Portable]] takes this UpToEleven with [[spoiler:[[EnsembleDarkhorse Shinjiro]]]]. Maxing out ''his'' Social Link can [[spoiler:make his death ''not happen''. {{Squee}}!]]