Gaming

"Wake up, Missster Freeman. Wake up and... smell the ashes."

Aeris’ death in FFVII. I’m sure there are more artistic cutscenes in others games I’ve played, but that one was the first one I remember punching me in the gut. And the soundtrack…

"A man chooses. A slave obeys."

When you go to check on Sayori in Doki Doki Literature Club. I went in blind.

Behold. Everything's at the bottom of the sea. Gone is the magical kingdom of Zeal, and all the dreams and ambitions of its people. I once lived there...But I was another person then.

And everything else in the damn game.

The parade assassination in FF8.

The opening scene to Ori and the Blind Forest. Was not expecting such an emotional scene right off the jump.

Protocol 3: protect the pilot
Titanfall 2

“Shut up. The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing. ##### is gone. ##### will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry... or get angry... What about us...what are WE supposed to do? What is this pain? My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!”

The end credits of Ending E of Nier: Automata

I don't know if you can exactly count it as a cut scene, but if you do, it is an emotionally overwhelming experience.

I'll open with Homeworld's destruction of Kharak.

I felt so many emotions simultaneously when I first saw this. It motivated me right down to the final mission. Up to today this is one of my pivotal gaming moments.

"The subject did not survive the interrogation."

The trailer for Dead Island made my wife cry.

So many to choose from in the Metal Gear Solid series, but the one that sticks with me the most is when Vamp stabs Emma Emmerich, with the setting sun over the ocean in the background. Perfect scene

Sora saving Kairi’s heart in Kingdom Hearts.

Also, although it’s not exactly a cutscene, the ending of Bioshock

@original_reader There are couple of scenes. I choose these two. I just don't want tell too much more, anyone who reads this and played the games, know what happened.

a) oldschool 2D sprites: Final Fantasy 6 on SNES from 1994. This game has too many to choose from, but here is one without spoiling. Celes, when she was alone and there was no more hope.
b) oldschool rendered CD sequence: Final Fantasy 7 on Playstation 1 from 1997. The Aeris scene, which I don't want to spoil.

"Neptune One rocket... online."

""What is a wave without the ocean ? A beginning without an end ? They are different, but they go together. Now you go among the stars, and I fall among the sand. We are different. But we go...together."

Goosebumps. Thank you, Subnautica!

Two that really stick out:

1. Final Fantasy X, the ending when Yuna rushes to hug Tidus and falls through him because he's starting to fade.

2. Life is Strange Before the Storm. (Spoilers) The ending with the camera flash. I played the first game. I knew Rachel died. But I lost myself in "this" game where she's alive. Forged a wonderful romance with Chloe and everything. I remember it was like 3AM when I finished the game and when it faded to the shot of Rachel's phone sitting on the table with tons of missed calls and the camera flashing in the background, I just involuntarily blurted out "Oh FUCK YOU!" It was a painful reminder that no matter how happy you make her, she dies in the end.

"War ... war never changes". The ending to 1997's Fallout, being turned away by the overseer after wandering the wasteland, still cuts deep today.

The entire opening to Bioshock had me scared to leave the bathysphere and begin the game.

Gears of War 3, Dom doing the unthinkable to protect his brother. I was utterly shook for days.

not sure whether it counts but the ending to lisa the painful fucks me up to this day. the whole game is full of moments like it but the ending hits hardest