Line #2 TearJerker/Psychonauts


1	'''As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff as per policy]]. [[{{Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned}} You Have Been Warned.]]'''
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3	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sasha_s_mother_3896.jpg]]
4	[[caption-width-right:350:This is somebody's earliest memory, by the way.]]
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6	''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' on the surface is a generally lighthearted game (and even when it's being dark, it's funny), but beneath it all is an unexpectedly poignant tale about trauma and the effects it can have on people.
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8	* One simple statement from the ending can potentially make anyone choke up:
9	-->'''Augustus:''' "Is that really... [[JerkassRealization Is that really how I look in your mind?]]"
10	** It's not only that but look at Augustus' face and listen to the tone as well, he has this MyGodWhatHaveIDone look because he didn't clarify why he had Razputin focus on his physical training. (Granted, Raz ''was'' reading the Whispering Rock brochure while he was supposed to be practicing a performance.)
11	** The final level as a whole has a really sad undertone to it if you manage to look past the NightmareFuel and DifficultySpike. We are, after all, looking into the mind of a boy who wrongfully and earnestly believes his father doesn't just hate him, but ''wishes he was dead'' because of something fundamental to him. The above line is Raz's father finally breaking through his son's shields and immediately seeing his own representation fueled by that belief.
12	* The asylum mates are actually a lot more depressing then their funny-crazy front you see. Gloria's mother committed suicide by jumping from a theater's catwalks after Gloria told her she was mad at her for dumping her at that evil school and Gloria disowned her. Fred was so extremely crushed by his defeats at the hands (okay, mouth) of Crispin, along with the immense pressure he felt to live up to his family legacy that his mind was pitted against itself. Edgar was so utterly depressed by the loss of his highschool girlfriend to a male cheerleader, and coupled with the bullying from his old friends, it drove him mad and consumed him for decades afterward (though it did give him a knack for painting). Boyd, one of the best, silliest characters with the funnest mind-level becomes amazingly sad when you realize that his mindscape is how he sees the world; every last thing is against him. The hints about his guilt about setting his workplace on fire. The mother problems. Jesus, ''Psychonauts''. Just... Wow.
13	** When Raz first comes across Gloria, she's in the greenhouse pretending that the plants are her audience. Despite coming off as a {{CloudCuckoolander}}, she is initially good-natured...until she steps out of the light and suddenly begins [[MoodSwinger ranting like a madwoman]].
14	--->'''Gloria:''' Say, would you like to hear the story about how I won that award, dear boy? ''(steps out of the light)'' Or...are you trying to take it, ''because you think I don't deserve it?!''
15	--->'''Raz:''' No, no! You deserve it!
16	--->'''Gloria:''' ''(takes back award)'' I didn't take anything from you! I didn't ask to be famous! [[WellDoneSonGuy I just wanted you to love me!]] ...Hey!
17	--->'''Raz:''' What?
18	--->'''Gloria:''' YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD! ''(lunges forward)''
19	--->''(Raz runs away, frightened)''
20	** Fred Bonaparte's split personality was caused by him trying to get inmate Crispin Whytehead to come out of his shell by playing a game with him...only for Crispin to repay him by [[{{Main/JerkAss}} crushing Fred at the game so thoroughly]] that the poor orderly snapped. The fact that Fred is such a {{Nice Guy}} makes it even sadder.
21	--->'''Raz:''' Excuse me, sir?
22	--->'''"Napoleon":''' My name is Napoleon Bonaparte!
23	--->'''Raz:''' Oh, excuse me, uh... Mr. Bonaparte--
24	--->'''Fred:''' Shh! I only think I'm Napoleon Bonaparte...
25	--->'''"Napoleon":''' Do not listen to the weakling. He denies his lineage because he fears it.
26	--->'''Fred:''' You'll have to excuse me. I'm busy losing a battle with my sanity here.
27	** Edgar's story becomes all the more sad when a memory vault showing him blissfully lovestruck and going on a date with said girl is accessible - after you clear his mind and therefore already know how the rest of the story goes.
28	*** With Raz's help, Edgar finally remembers who "Lampita" and "Dingo" really are, and realizes that he's wasted a lot of his life being hung up on something that happened back in high school...a realization he doesn't take well at first.
29	---->'''Edgar:''' They stole my happiness! My life! THE STATE SEMI-FINALS! EVERYTHING!!
30	* Probably the most jarring example, and in turn, most effective, has to be ''that'' BlackBugRoom in Milla's mind with ''that'' vault and ''that'' box...
31	** '''''"WHYYY DID YOU LET US DIE?!"'''''
32	** Milla's unused voice lines from this memory are also devastating, as we hear such a bubbly person utterly collapse in grief.
33	--->''Hey, what's that smoke over the village? (Gasp) The orphanage! It's on fire! Oh, NO! The children! Someone save the children! Please, someone help! Oh, God, no! The babies! I can hear them! Can't you hear them?! They're '''screaming!''' They're '''frightened!''' Don't cry, my darlings! Please, stop crying! PLEASE! (Dissolves into tears)''
34	** Made even worse if you later use the Clairvoyance ability on Milla. She sees Raz as a little baby, showing that she's still not too far from her roots as an orphanage caretaker.
35	** The cut soundfiles are even worse, with Milla begging the children to stop crying before breaking down because she's telepathically hearing them ''burn to death''. It's the intersection of [=Tearjerker=] and NightmareFuel.
36	** In a Heartwarming note, Milla just views visiting them as unnecessary, something she dealt with a long time ago.
37	* Both of Sasha's memory vaults. Bonus points for being the first real ones we see in the game, setting the mood for what's to come.
38	** In vault number one, we don't just get [[SarcasmMode the pleasure]] of seeing Sasha's mother die, oh no, we see several frames of her lovingly caring for him, before suddenly cutting to his father grieving over her deathbed and then burying her in his backyard. And this is all seen from ''Sasha's perspective'' who, at the time, was an ''infant''. One of his earliest memories is watching his father mourn his deceased mother.
39	** The second one is more of a FridgeHorror example, since it's easy for a first-time viewer to mistake it for a comedic moment, but the implications of it are just devastating: Once Sasha grows older, he starts questioning his father about what his mother had been like before she died. He remains tight-lipped about it, so Sasha decides to use his psychic powers to probe around his memories. What he finds is a series of happy memories... and the page image for DirtyMindReading. Traumatized, he runs away from home, with the implication that he never came back. This means that his father lost both his wife and his son.
40	* Ford Cruller and his situation, full stop. He puts on a brave face, though.
41	-->'''Ford:''' I... I can’t leave this cave, Razputin. Not as the Ford Cruller you know.\
42	'''Raz:''' What? Why?\
43	'''Ford:''' Years ago I was in a terrible psychic duel that left me barely alive.\
44	'''Raz:''' Yeah, I read about that. They said your psyche was shattered, that you lost your mind, but... you seem fine to me.\
45	'''Ford:''' Yes, when I’m down here, near the Psitanium mother lode. The concentrated power of the Psitanium pulls my thoughts together, keeps me... like my old self. But if I leave this sanctuary my psyche becomes disjointed, and I fall into one of my other personalities, with no memory of who I really am. ''(self-disgust)'' I’d be no use to you unless you needed something raked... or mopped...
46	** He also has been removed from active duty, forcing him to secretly investigate possible psychic incidents and send Milla, Sasha and Oleander in his stead, who then get all the credit for discovering those threats. And if his secret gets discovered, then command will stop approving those missions, denying him any chance at helping others as a Psychonaut.
47	** Using Clairvoyance on Ford shows that he already sees Raz as a professional Psychonaut, who looks almost exactly like Sasha Nein.
48	** Using offensive powers on him usually results in him threatening you, with the implication that he knows that you're the one doing this. However, using Confusion causes him to temporarily revert to one of his split personalities; when he recovers, he starts worrying that his condition is worsening to the point that not even the meteorite will help him.
49	* Raz and Lili's sad and [[SequelHook momentary]] goodbye in the final cutscene. Lili's face going from happy to sad, and watching her run away holding back tears when Raz kisses her.
50	* When you are chasing Zombie-Dad and the water is rising, your dad says "You used to like juggling with me." This is probably something his father would say when trying to get Raz to join in on the fun with the family... but viewed through Raz's beliefs about his father, it turned into an barbed threat.
51	** "YOU’RE NO SON OF MINE!"
52	* Oleander's sleep talk is a little silly and involves some foreshadowing too, but then the dialogue turns dark as Oleander babbles about his "papa" and a rabbit... which, after [[RewatchBonus replaying the game]], is implied to be a nightmare he's having where his father kills his pet rabbit.
53	-->'''Coach:''' Papa, no! Nooo! Ohhh, Papa... Ohhh, Mr. Bunny!
54	** The (never officially declared canon) [[https://psychonauts.fandom.com/wiki/Li-Po_Backstory_Document speculative backstory information document]] used by the writers during development makes the whole accident infinitely worse. Mr. Bunny was the runt of the litter, the smallest of his siblings. When Oleander played with it, he awakened his power to talk with animals, and formed a bond with it. Unfortunately, when he tried to tell his father about it, he didn't listen to him, and butchered the rabbit because he thought runts weren't good for anything except becoming food for pigs. This event ''utterly traumatized'' Oleander and made him obsessed with making himself useful - hence his desire to become a military hero like his ex-Marine father. On top of that, he became convinced that the bunny ended up being butchered because of the psychic connection he made with it, and he felt guilty about it.

Context TearJerker / Psychonauts