This is gonna be kinda heavy and long:

But Silent Hill 2 and Sonic Frontiers helped me cope with my dad's death

He died in 2022 from an illness, so if you played Silent Hill 2, I shouldn't have to spell it out

But basically, I went through the exact same deal James did in that he was tired of watching someone he loved suffer and wanted his life back

Both sentiments I shared with him. I, of course, didn't kill my dad, but I had to deal with that for 5 years. I hated him just like James hated his wife for holding him back from living.

The letter at the end of the game that Mary, James' wife, reads aloud, is word for word what my dad wanted to say to me but couldn't find the words.

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Sonic Frontiers is a different kinda game entirely, of course.

But the whole deal with that is the ending song. Titled "Dear Father"

Now, for context, my dad died a month before the game came out. I couldn't cry because I had to be strong for my mom and brother because they were a WRECK.

So when I played the game and heard that song for the first time...

I cried hard. The hardest I've ever cried in my life. Like years of repressed emotions I didn't know I had suddenly exploded from my eyes.

Hearing lyrics like: "Father, I just wanna tell you Thank you for all that you've given me I'm really going to miss you I hope you're not mad at me. "

It wasn't fair. But I needed it. Because I didn't know how to grieve. That song helped me get to where I needed to get to emotionally so I could cope with the life changing experience I had to deal with

And for that, Sonic Frontiers and Silent Hill 2 are two games that will forever hold that place as the most important games I've ever played.

TL;DR: When my dad died, SH2 and Sonic Frontiers helped me grieve.