#(undertale is arguably also preemptive from the player/meta perspective)

[agentravensong]

Some examples of media I like below the cut and where they fall (in my estimation) for reference (there will be vague spoilers for the media listed). I'd love to hear other people's examples in the notes! (That's the main reason I made this post actually)

UnderTale — grief over what happened pre-loop. it's a ghost story. (1) (2) (literal academic essay about ut as a story about grief)

Outer Wilds — preemptive grief. if you know you know. any time loop story that's about a character trying to save a specific other character who dies in/during the loop also counts as this imo.

In Stars and Time — both. ("you were there all along, but still, you return home.")

Slay the Princess — both, depending on whose perspective you look at the story from. preemptive grief for the end of the world (all worlds), or grief for an existence that you can never return to.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead — it's a stretch for me, which is funny considering it's set in/around Hamlet, arguably The play about grief. you could maybe argue for "another kind of grief" in the sense of grief for the full lives they will never be able to experience because of the inherent nature of their situation? but i find that a label like "existential dread" is more applicable.

The Prince by Abigail Thorn — preemptive post-loop grief for Hotspur, pre-loop grief for Sam. Discord mutuals understand.

The Stanley Parable (Ultra Deluxe) — fuck if i know.