History TearJerker / ZeroPunctuation

* The second half of the Extra Punctuation column on ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'' has him address yet another round of Nintendo FanDumb. But unlike his Mailbag Showdown, where he was his usual snarky self, his writing makes him sound tired and fed up of having to deal with the vitriol slung his way by fanboys, admitting that the accusations of anti-Nintendo bias really do upset him since it's a cheap way to dismiss his arguments and hurt his credibility as a journalist. The last paragraph in particular reads somewhere between an angry shout and a desperate plea for it all to stop:

* The second half of the [[https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/kid-icarus-uprising-and-hurt-nintendo-fans/ Extra Punctuation column]] on ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'' has him address yet another round of Nintendo FanDumb. But unlike his Mailbag Showdown, where he was his usual snarky self, his writing makes him sound tired and fed up of having to deal with the vitriol slung his way by fanboys, admitting that the accusations of anti-Nintendo bias really do upset him since it's a cheap way to dismiss his arguments and hurt his credibility as a journalist. The last paragraph in particular reads somewhere between an angry shout and a desperate plea for it all to stop:

* The second half of the [[https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/kid-icarus-uprising-and-hurt-nintendo-fans/ Extra Punctuation column]] on ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' has him address yet another round of Nintendo FanDumb. But unlike his Mailbag Showdown, where he was his usual snarky self, his writing makes him sound tired and fed up of having to deal with the vitriol slung his way by fanboys, admitting that the accusations of anti-Nintendo bias really do upset him since it's a cheap way to dismiss his arguments and hurt his credibility as a journalist. The last paragraph in particular reads somewhere between an angry shout and a desperate plea for it all to stop:

* The second half of the [[https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/kid-icarus-uprising-and-hurt-nintendo-fans/ Extra Punctuation column]] on ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' has him address yet another round of Nintendo FanDub. But unlike his Mailbag Showdown, where he was his usual snarky self, his writing makes him sound tired and fed up of having to deal with the vitriol slung his way by fanboys, admitting that the accusations of anti-Nintendo bias really do upset him since it's a cheap way to dismiss his arguments and hurt his credibility as a journalist. The last paragraph in particular reads somewhere between an angry shout and a desperate plea for it all to stop:

* The second half of the [[https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/kid-icarus-uprising-and-hurt-nintendo-fans/ Extra Punctuation column]] on ''VideoGame/{{KidIcarusUprising}}'' has him admit that he [[NotSoStoic genuinely feels upset]] by the accusations of automatic bias against Ninendo. Overall, his writing makes him sound tired and fed up of having to deal with the vitriol slung his way by the FanDumb and of having to clarify that he has no investment in any kind of console war, which the attackers seem to consistently ignore. The last paragraph in particular reads somewhere between an angry shout and a desperate plea for it all to stop:

* While not explicitly stated, it is clear that Croshaw really wanted to like the sequel of The Last of Us. However, with all the controversies happening regarding the game with a disappointing story, he had no choice but to rip it a new one. The voice really tells the viewers that he is regretful of his decisions and further dividing the already-fractured fanbase of the Last of Us.

--->'''Yahtzee:''' *[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sigh]]* Do you remember when shooters were about [[VideoGame/{{Doom}} killing demons from hell]]? Those were good dayshttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/world/biden-restores-who-ties.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur.

* Throughout most of Yahtzee's more recent reviews, he would use an image of Pepper (his old dog) whenever he could. The last use of this image was on a tombstone for his Top 5 of 2020 when describing ''VideoGame/Spiritfarer'', considering Pepper [[https://twitter.com/YahtzeeCroshaw/status/1328007284660736000 had passed away in November of that year.]]

--->'''Yahtzee:''' *[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sigh]]* Do you remember when shooters were about [[VideoGame/{{Doom}} killing demons from hell]]? Those were good days.

-->'''Yahtzee''': Did I ever tell you about the rabbits, Metal Gear?\\

-->'''Yahtzee:''' Twenty years ago, ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' was a focal point in gaming's ongoing development as an artistic narrative medium; the next few years [[VideoGame/DeusEx saw a]] [[VideoGame/ThiefIITheMetalAge slew of titles]] [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 that combined AAA]] [[VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime game design with]] [[VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus genuine emotional story]]. But ''what happened between then and now?!'' Why are the games routinely [[VideoGame/Destiny2 rewarded with AAA]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins status and income]] exclusively [[RevenueEnhancingDevices loot box-infested live service bullshit]], games designed not to [[DoingItForTheArt inspire or stimulate our emotions]], but to ''numb'' them and hypnotize us into lab rats, [[BribingYourWayToVictory mindlessly pawing the button that makes treats come out]], while [[VideoGame/AHatInTime the games created with love and artistic integrity]] drown beneath waves of bottom-feeders like ''VideoGame/HuntDownTheFreeman'', that tear chunks of rotten flesh from the corpses of [[Creator/ValveSoftware Valve's]] [[VideoGame/HalfLife2 children]] as Valve itself, once-habitual founders of new ages of narrative gaming, merely waves them on, [[MoneyDearBoy barely glancing up from their tax paperwork?!]] What happened to you?! [[ArmorPiercingQuestion What happened to us?! To the people we were supposed to become?!]] ...I don't know, [[MoodWhiplash/but it's probably]] [[TakeThat/safe to blame]] Creator/JohnRomero.

-->'''Yahtzee:''' Twenty years ago, ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' was a focal point in gaming's ongoing development as an artistic narrative medium; the next few years [[VideoGame/DeusEx saw a]] [[VideoGame/ThiefIITheMetalAge slew of titles]] [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 that combined AAA]] [[VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime game design with]] [[VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus genuine emotional story]]. But ''what happened between then and now?!'' Why are the games routinely [[VideoGame/Destiny2 rewarded with AAA]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins status and income]] exclusively [[RevenueEnhancingDevices loot box-infested live service bullshit]], games designed not to [[DoingItForTheArt inspire or stimulate our emotions]], but to ''numb'' them and hypnotize us into lab rats, [[BribingYourWayToVictory mindlessly pawing the button that makes treats come out]], while [[VideoGame/AHatInTime the games created with love and artistic integrity]] drown beneath waves of bottom-feeders like ''VideoGame/HuntDownTheFreeman'', that tear chunks of rotten flesh from the corpses of [[Creator/ValveSoftware Valve's]] [[VideoGame/HalfLife2 children]] as Valve itself, once-habitual founders of new ages of narrative gaming, merely waves them on, [[MoneyDearBoy barely glancing up from their tax paperwork?!]] What happened to you?! [[ArmorPiercingQuestion What happened to us?! To the people we were supposed to become?!]]

-->Of course it was going to disappoint, I just didn't think it would be ''this'' much.
* He gets a small one at the end of his ''VideoGame/SilentHillDownpour'' review where he admits that constantly comparing the new ''VideoGame/SilentHill'' games to ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' gave him no satisfaction and actually made him a little depressed.

--->'''Yahtzee:''' *[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sigh]]* Do you remember when shooters were about killing demons from hell? Those were good days.

* At the very beginning of his review of ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'', Yahtzee says he has managed to get through the story, and he was quite shook by the game's ending [[spoiler:in which [[TheHeroDies the protagonist, Arthur Morgan, succumbs to tuberculosis]]]], which was "possibly the emotional impact, more likely from delirium tremors." And then the MoodWhiplash happens:

** If that doesn't get you emotional, the VisualPun at the very beginning of the video should give you a clue. Notice how Yahtzee lies down on his back in front of the TV with the controller on his stomach, turning his head toward the side and letting out a sigh at [[https://i.imgur.com/DPpAJ8T.png?1 the very first shot]]? This gives away the implication that [[spoiler:Arthur lies down on his back and lets out his final breath with his head turned toward the sunrise in one of the High Honor endings]]. And the part after that shot when Yahtzee says, "...and I have to say, I'm quite shook"? This is another implication giveaway that [[spoiler:Arthur's death happens as the song "Unshaken" plays in the background (hence, the word ''"shook"'')]], thereby giving away the ending without saying how it happens.

* Towards the end of his ''VideoGame/HuntDownTheFreeman'' review, Yahtzee launches into a long rant on the state of present-day video games, and by the end of it he sounds genuinely disheartened and sad. [[MoodWhiplash Then he blames it all on John Romero]].

** If that doesn't get you emotional, the VisualPun at the very beginning of the video should give you a clue. Notice how Yahtzee lies down on his back in front of the TV with the controller on his stomach, turning his head toward the side and letting out a sigh at [[https://i.imgur.com/DPpAJ8T.png?1 the very first shot]]? This gives away the implication that [[spoiler:Arthur lies down on his back and lets out his final breath with his head turned toward the sunrise in one of the High Honor endings]]. And the part after that shot when Yahtzee says, "...and I have to say, I'm quite shook"? This is another implication giveaway that [[spoiler:Arthur's death happens as the song "Unshaken" plays in the background (hence, the word ''"shook"'')]], thereby giving away the ending without saying how it happens.

-->Saturday afternoon, I was like, "Oh boy! I finally reached the epilogue! Maybe I'll actually have Sunday free to relax on!" Eight hours of additional story later, "Fuck me, my definitions are out of date! I had no idea that 'epilogue' now means 'entire second game'!"

* A similar speech appears in Yahtzee's 2018 video on E3. Yahtzee was upset enough at the state of videogames of this era that not only was practically the entire video about how AAA games seem to be about dulling senses and skinner boxing, but the end sequence of the video had an abnormally long, cut off paragraph of text continuing the thoughts that were present throughout the whole video, which went ''further'' in-depth.

** It becomes more poignant in that his ''Let's Drown Out...'' of ''Duke Nukem Forever'', he revealed that he'd been asked to write a script for ''Forever'', and he came up with one that examined the character -- and got rejected because the developer stated that they didn't want to make commentary on Duke or even have jokes about him, just everything going on around him because Duke had to be perfect and unchanged.

** The end credits show an imp writing a story when Yahtzee comes along with a flamethrower and incinerates them all to a crisp; but when he sees the imp's skeleton, he realizes, "MyGodWhatHaveIDone" and [[CradlingYourKill picks up the skeleton while mourning its death afterward]]. Then a hand offers a trophy to Yahtzee, who drops the skeleton and cries a bit more, as if he doesn't want it.

-->'''Yahtzee:''' *[[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sigh]]* Do you remember when shooters were about killing demons from hell? Those were good days.

* His comparison of the ''[[Franchise/MetalGear Metal Gear]]'' franchise to [[Literature/OfMiceAndMen Lennie]] in his "Ground Zeroes" review. While he uses this to explain that he can't bring himself to hate it for its shortcomings and occasional screw-ups (since they are not done out of malice), [[spoiler:the comparison [[ForegoneConclusion ultimately gives away]] his thoughts on the game right off the bat]].

-->'''Yahtzee:''' Twenty years ago, ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' was a focal point in gaming's ongoing development as an artistic narrative medium; the next few years [[VideoGame/DeusEx saw a]] [[VideoGame/ThiefIITheMetalAge slew of titles]] [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 that combined AAA]] [[VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime game design with]] [[VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus genuine emotional story]]. But ''what happened between then and now?!'' Why are the games routinely [[VideoGame/Destiny2 rewarded with AAA]] [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins status and income]] exclusively [[RevenueEnhancingDevices loot box-infested live service bullshit]], games designed not to [[DoingItForTheArt inspire or stimulate our emotions]], but to ''numb'' them and hypnotize us into lab rats, [[BribingYourWayToVictory mindlessly pawing the button that makes treats come out]], while [[VideoGame/AHatInTime the games created with love and artistic integrity]] drown beneath waves of bottom-feeders like ''VideoGame/HuntDownTheFreeman'', that tear chunks of rotten flesh from the corpses of [[Creator/ValveSoftware Valve's]] [[VideoGame/HalfLife2 children]] as Valve itself, once-habitual founders of new ages of narrative gaming, merely waves them on, [[MoneyDearBoy barely glancing up from their tax paperwork?!]] What happened to you?! [[ArmorPiercingQuestion What happened to us?! To the people we were supposed to become?!]]

-->'''Yahtzee''': The turning point is when [[spoiler: the depressed girl commits suicide]]. That's the definite point of bollock descent into icy water, although her depression had been portrayed with a slightly uncomfortable authenticity so it wasn't creepy in an enjoyable psychological horror kind of way, it was just really fucking sad. (''Imp playing "Hurt" by Music/NineInchNails'') [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption It happens regardless of what choices you pick,]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot which in itself might be an effective premise for a game about depression]] - [[GroundhogDayLoop reliving the same few days]] [[spoiler: [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong trying to save her]] and failing because [[RealityEnsues her problems are too deep-seated to be fixed just because you accidentally felt her up on day 3]].]]

* Towards the end of his ''VideoGame/HuntDownTheFreeman'' review, Yahtzee launches into a long rant on the state of present-day video games, and by the end of it he sounds genuinely disheartened and sad. [[MoodWhiplash Then he blames it all on John Romero]].

-->'''Yahtzee''': The turning point is when [[spoiler: the depressed girl commits suicide]]. That's the definite point of bollock descent into icy water, although her depression had been portrayed with a slightly uncomfortable authenticity so it wasn't creepy in an enjoyable psychological horror kind of way, it was just really fucking sad. (''Imp playing "Hurt" by Music/NineInchNails'') [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption It happens regardless of what choices you pick,]] [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot which in itself might be an effective premise for a game about depression]] - [[GroundhogDayLoop reliving the same few days]] [[spoiler: [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong trying to save her]] and failing because [[RealityEnsues her problems are too deep-seated to be fixed just because you accidentally felt her up on day 3]].]]