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A particular cinematic, a score of music, an epic part of the playthrough, something utterly daft the AI/you did - whatever it is share the game and share the moment!
For me I was playing Dungeon Siege with a party of 6 adventurers and 2 donkeys for carrying away all that shiny loot. I'd made it into one of the more confusing (by that games standards) and sprawling regions of the marsh. Somehow my party got a little stretched out and engaged with the enemy of that swamp (I forget what they were -goblins perhaps). Whatever they were they were outnumbering me and hard to hold off. My healer were working overtime and the donkeys were running amock. Then I spied an abandoned church. I charged the party, donkeys and all, for the building and got them inside. With the doorway the only way in or out and no way to flee out of the building I turned and gave battle. My loot safe as the panicked beasts couldn't escape. I've a feeling the windows were destructable or were already blasted through (I forget now its been a long while since I last played that far into the game). But with a limited approach I was able to win the day.
Totally unscripted, totally random and likely a result of me running through two or three pre-set mobs too fast for my own good. But it was a moment that really gave a feeling of being an adventuring party and having to react to a mounting challenge.
Homeworld the intro - the first taste of 3D gaming in a fully 3D environment set against the backdrop of slow operatic music as you zoom around this MASSIVE mothership and its even more massive construction site. Whilst even the remastered version doesn't quite capture that same feeling that the game held years ago; it still remains a strong memory for me of a big change in games from 2D to 3D (and not the ugly 3D either). I think the next time 3D graphics in an RTS game really impressed me after that was Dark Reign 2 - you could see the spider-like tattoos in the characters - each one!
Baldurs Gate 2 - the first time an argument breaks out in a dungeon. I forget who it was, but the first time your characters in the party actually start to argue and then fall to blows against each other was a special moment. Sure its frustrating, but to me it also made them out to be more than just a "fighter" or "wizard". They were characters with a life and history and thoughts of their own. Far more engaging than how most RPG games try to achieve this with the token "companion quest"
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
Jedi Knight 2 (?) I've just saber up a room full of Stormtroopers and officers and the last chap who seemed to have glued himself to a desk during the fight comes out with stock phrase 4
Also BG2 with the end boss kicking Immoen into paste causing the Tiefling lass to go into labour
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2019/11/02 15:15:42
"AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED."
The ending of Fallout New Vegas' expansions or the main story itself when you the see the slides of the various people you came across. It has an incredibly sombre feeling seeing the impact with the choices you made (or didn't in some cases), especially with some of the expansions like the Sierra Madre and Honest Hearts. Having it end with the titular "war, war never changes" with the music is something that will stay with me for a long time.
Another one is seeing the Arthas cinematic at the very end of WC3 right before he becomes one with the Lich King, the first time I watched that, after hearing all the voices of the past I wasn't sure if he destroyed the Lich King with Frostmourne. Then the final part of "Now we are one" was truly ominous and the end to a great chapter of Warcraft history before things went downhill after WoTLK.
I would say Kuze's second fight with Kiryu in Yakuza 0 is truly memorable on how memorable Kuze is and badass at the same time. Also seeing Majima become the way he is in the later games is another well done scene.
The whole fairy tale segment in the Blood and Wine DLC for TWC3 was another incredibly well done moment, I can't believe how much I laughed when the witch's broom just went by itself and trotted over to smack me with its handle.
You've spent God-knows how long trying to avoid this blasted attack helicopter the marines sent after you. It's been on you the entire level, and you're just trying to survive.
Eventually you reach a cave system that takes you through to a cliff-face. You find a laser-guided RPG there. Then the helicopter shows up.
On the subject of the Jedi Knight series, one of my favorite online gaming moments comes from Dark Forces 2. Super early online play and really the first time we were able to have a real lightsaber duel in gaming. I was playing against some guy and could have sworn I got in a clean hit, but must have been lag. This happened 2-3 times before I realized he probably had god mode enabled (because the game didn't disable console commands online...). Instead I ran for the catwalk and waited for him to come at me, at which point I Force Pushed him off the edge into the the abyss that instant kills you, but with god mode enabled can't and just leaves you stuck down there until you disable it or, as was the case here, you disconnect from the game. That felt GOOOOOOOD.
Also, high praise for the final boss of Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance. It was hilarious at the time and... less funny now, but that game is an absolute joy and that final white knuckle fight feels like a real accomplishment. Minor moment from the same people back when they worked at Capcom: the Shadow panther enemies in the original DMC has long been one of my favorite encounters. You have to shoot them to expose their core and then melee it to death while dodging their rather sudden attacks. I was fighting one and it thrust its body at me as a long spike that I dodged by jumping straight up pistols blazing to open it up. When I came down, I landed exactly on the spike, which I was able to ride down with a sword lunge to impale the core. One of my absolute favorite unscripted interactions.
The opening village in Resident Evil 4 is also the kind of thing that never really gets old. I've probably started a new game to play that sequence more than anything else in the franchise.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2019/11/05 15:56:17
I did, and don't remember that one.
But I'll admit that the game (and the genre) didn't do much for me in the first place. That style of fighting is just tedious.
Hyperbeaming Mother Brain in her ugly, fat, baby killing face.
Walking through the forest to claim the Master Sword and then marching through the front gate of Hyrule castle to take down Agahnim.
The opening highway level and getting rescued by Zero.
Being ambushed and chased by a giant dragon in Wily's castle.
Defeating your dark half through pacifism and becoming a Paladin.
The opera. The clown who watches the world burn. Suplexing the train before reviving it to death. Marching on Narshe. Terra going Super Saiyan Rose about 25 years early.
Buying a free smile.
Exploring a flying saucer on the moon for green cheese to the best chiptune ever.
Flying as a raccoon and immediately going to get the Warp Whistle like they did in the Wizard.
Going Super Sonic and breaking the game.
Facing down Lavos and getting obliterated. Also trying to defend your actions when taken to court for kidnapping the princess.
Launching a cow and learning about gravity much, much later.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2019/11/06 19:03:44
The Revan reveal in KoToR, without spoilers or game guides or anything.
Playing Steel Battalion with the full controller setup for the first time.
The halfway point in Summoner for the PS2 where I legitimately thought I was about to beat the game, only to be betrayed and lose and realize I was only halfway through.
The "Haha, I secretly trained you wrong" moment in Jade Empire.
But number 1 - the first time I played the original fallout and a kid threw a rock at me, so I shot him - never thinking the game would let me do it - and I blew him apart and made the game effectively unwinnable. The realization that this wasn't an on-the-rails JRPG; that I could actually do what I wanted and gave me the freedom to lose. That sense of freedom was intoxicating for young me.
The halfway point in Summoner for the PS2 where I legitimately thought I was about to beat the game, only to be betrayed and lose and realize I was only halfway through.
.
It's been so long since I played I nearly forget that! I really wish Summoner 1 would get an HD Remaster one day though I don't think it ever will.
That half way point also sparked one of the most fun mission maps with the thief character sneaking around the super-tower. Loved that level and the twists that appeared. Great game if often overlooke.d
The intro of Prey, when you board the helicopter and get to sit back and relax as opening credits roll, while an awesome tune, Everything is going to be OK, by Mick Gordon plays. A little extra detail in that particular scene is your character moving his/her foot along to the beat of the music.
The “Would you kindly?” twist of Bioshock.
The train scene in Wolfenstein – the New Order, where you are forced to undergo a psychological test to see if you are an Untermensch or not. A very tense moment, especially in the end, with the final set of cards, where you are asked if you are certain of your choice. Only after the test to be jokingly told that it is all a farce.
The movie audition in Wolfenstein 2 – the New Colossus. It’s pretty much one big cutscene with some interactive elements in there, but it had some great moments in there, from trying to guess what the lines were to your part to watching a Hollywood actor trying to take down a bored Nazi storm trooper and getting a broken nose for his troubles. “Mister Redfield, please. The floor is yours.”
Lady Solaria dropping her Imperial Knight from low orbit in to save Gabriel Angelos from an Eldar ambush. “UNHAND HIM!” Sadly the only mission you get to use the Draikana, as Solaria has some great quotes.
Dawn of War 2, the first time you get to deploy your Dreadnought with an assault cannon. Most of us remember the intro to the first game, where the Dreadnought would let rip with its assault cannon in a large sweeping motion. Those mad lads of Relic made it a special attack in Dawn of War 2 and a very satisfying one at that!
Launching that first rocket in Factorio. It was a long and hard road, but ultimately worth it.
The first time entering Kuldahar in Icewind Dale 1 and seeing the calm and secure valley, knowing that you are in fact safe. And the music is amazing as well.
The rather grim and somber end of Arthur Morgan in RdR 2
You ever have those moments in PvE games where the whole team seems to be on-point and somehow wordlessly coordinated?
When you get moments like those, matches are a breeze in the best way. Things are bit more methodical, where everyone finds a role and sticks to it. Resources get pooled and shared so everyone has a chance to contribute. I’ve even sometimes noticed a “no man gets left behind” approach, where most of the team will backtrack to make sure one team member makes it.
It’s rare, but it’s always amazing to watch.
Faithful... Enlightened... Ambitious... Brethren... WE NEED A NEW DRIVER! THIS ONE IS DEAD!
Ooh. That one wasn't a favorite. That one infuriated me and had me walking away from my computer, cursing crappy game design.
'Its mind control' doesn't fly when I'm making all the decisions, and except they're aren't any because the game is a mono-directional railroad. Its just a plot element that's incoherent and doesn't make any sense.
Now, if they had saved it for key moments and taken control of the character, I might've been able to buy into it, but the way it was implemented was heavy handed, overused, and prompted an automatic response of 'No?' from me. 'Would you kindly walk through that door,' when its the only door you can go through to continue playing a game isn't a plot device, its simply... playing the game.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2019/11/18 00:43:17
You’re missing the sublime nature of true mind control.
You’re making all the decisions that you *think* are your own decisions. It was possibly the single most delicious moment in a buffet of fantastic experiences. That entire game is the most intensely “into” I’ve ever felt in a video game.
But diff’rent strokes and all that.
For me, I always love razing the slaver camps in the Fallout games. I remember Fallout 2, in particular, because on one playthrough I basically reverse pick-pocketed explosives into each of the slavers’ inventories, while in “combat mode” so each round was 6 seconds, or something like that? I believe I managed to blow each of those melon-fethers to Hell all at once. I do hates me the slavers.
I remember beating Chaos (Final Fantasy 1) for the first time with my Friend and Brother sitting on the floor beside me.
Completing “expert” level drum parts on Rock Band were super satisfying.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2019/11/18 03:43:14
Ooh. That one wasn't a favorite. That one infuriated me and had me walking away from my computer, cursing crappy game design.
'Its mind control' doesn't fly when I'm making all the decisions, and except they're aren't any because the game is a mono-directional railroad. Its just a plot element that's incoherent and doesn't make any sense.
Now, if they had saved it for key moments and taken control of the character, I might've been able to buy into it, but the way it was implemented was heavy handed, overused, and prompted an automatic response of 'No?' from me. 'Would you kindly walk through that door,' when its the only door you can go through to continue playing a game isn't a plot device, its simply... playing the game.
That's entirely the point. You're supposed to realize that by the nature of game design, you NEVER had control.
Of course, the game kind of goes off the rails after that moment, in no small part because you don't gain any additional agency.
For those that enjoyed the twist, The Stanley Parable takes this idea and runs wild with it.
Ooh. That one wasn't a favorite. That one infuriated me and had me walking away from my computer, cursing crappy game design.
'Its mind control' doesn't fly when I'm making all the decisions, and except they're aren't any because the game is a mono-directional railroad. Its just a plot element that's incoherent and doesn't make any sense.
Now, if they had saved it for key moments and taken control of the character, I might've been able to buy into it, but the way it was implemented was heavy handed, overused, and prompted an automatic response of 'No?' from me. 'Would you kindly walk through that door,' when its the only door you can go through to continue playing a game isn't a plot device, its simply... playing the game.
That's entirely the point. You're supposed to realize that by the nature of game design, you NEVER had control.
Of course, the game kind of goes off the rails after that moment, in no small part because you don't gain any additional agency.
For those that enjoyed the twist, The Stanley Parable takes this idea and runs wild with it.
The problem is, _you_ did have control, regardless of whether the character did or not. The game would play out the same without mind control if he was just lying to you or even if he _wasn't_ lying to you. The game relies on the _player_ not knowing what was going on,. Its a pure gimmick based on in character/out of character information- nothing gives you the sense that you're prevented from going through a door or doing something you aren't supposed to do. The doors are just physically blocked and there aren't any choices to make.
The game never goes off the rails. That's part of the problem with it. Its entirely on rails all the way through to the end, and the bits where you aren't mind controlled are exactly the same as the bits you are.
Its a classic 'show not tell problem.' The game doesn't really bother to show or indicate mind control. It simply tells you that its a fact, which makes it really underwhelming.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2019/11/18 16:52:04
Regarding being “on the rails” that’s pretty much every game ever. This game tells a story. You experience it from that character’s perspective.
The character believed he had freedom of choice, but the choices were illusory. He didn’t choose, he just followed the directions he was given.
And that’s why Andre Ryan despised the character. Ryan is the ultimate capitalist and industrialist. In his mind, he achieved success through the exercising of his will. As a character, we’re unable to resist. A man chooses. A slave obeys.
And after that, we have the fight for our survival, and the rescue of the Sisters... but the twist is the sudden discovery of your own lack of agency. It’s a story with a twist... it’s brilliant to me, but to each their own.
Serious brown-trouser time. No game (or movie) has ever given me a jump-scare like that.
There's no Lickers in the original. They showed up in 2. Are you referring to the Hunters? In either case, I agree, but I thought the hunter was way scarier simply because the Licker introduction lets you get a good look at it before it strikes.
Voss wrote: The doors are just physically blocked and there aren't any choices to make.
Are the doors locked or do you just lack the ability to open them?
Part of the trick is that Fontaine doesn't give you commands as explicit as Ryan does. His WYK's are vague objectives that prod you along. The twist is really about making you think back as to whether you had any choice in the matter; which you really don't. It works for me, but a lot of it was mostly that it was a novel deconstruction at the time. What comes after definitely fails to capitalize on the idea though; particularly when you realize the only variation in the ending is one made by the choices you were already able to make (and weren't even interesting anyway).
As I said, I think Stanley Parable does it better these days, but Bioshock definitely gave players something to think about alongside some of the best world design in gaming. Personally, I find the latter more endearing overall, but the twist was a good idea, even if its been presented better since.
Absolutely agree. So many creep-outs and “real” reactions to what was going on in rapture.
Some moments that still haunt me...
Spoiler:
There was a woman, cooing over a baby basket. She sounds very sad. When she realizes you’re there, she attacks. When you check the basinet, it’s a gun (Pistol?). Just gave me the worst heeby-kerbs.
Another was coming around a corner, and hearing a splicer eating, I think? As you approach, she says something implying promiscuity, and then says, “Who can blame a girl that craves variety?” You spot her, and she’s been eating from a few different corpses. She then jumps off the screen, but bwuh-huh-heugh.
One of the last parts that stuck with me, was a recording of the plastic surgeon, that completed a surgery and then kept “working” on the patient on items that weren’t consented to in his pursuit of *symmetry*, while the assistant tells the doctor he needs to stop. feth me but that game got under my skin.
Still my 2nd favourite game of all time.
And that was 10 years ago, now? Argh, I’m going to have to replay that now.
The first time in Super Mario 64 fighitng the final Bowser.
https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/766717.page A Mostly Renegades and Heretics blog.
GW:"Space marines got too many options to balance, therefore we decided to legends HH units." Players: "why?!? Now we finally got decent plastic kits and you cut them?" Chaos marines players: "Since when are Daemonengines 30k models and why do i have NO droppods now?" GW" MONEY.... erm i meant TOO MANY OPTIONS (to resell your army to you again by disalowing former units)! Do you want specific tyranid fighiting Primaris? Even a new sabotage lieutnant!" Chaos players: Guess i stop playing or go to HH.
You've spent God-knows how long trying to avoid this blasted attack helicopter the marines sent after you. It's been on you the entire level, and you're just trying to survive.
Eventually you reach a cave system that takes you through to a cliff-face. You find a laser-guided RPG there. Then the helicopter shows up.
Revenge is so sweet.
I'd say Half life 1 had a few great moments (except Xen). One of my favorites is when the U.S. soldiers finally get there and you think "Phew we're saved....*blams scientist*….NOPE!"
Other good Half life 1 moments are the Nuke going off or the disaster that happens after you place a mysterious substance into the beam and cause all hell to break loose in the Black Mesa facility. There are a ton actually. This isn't even getting into the G-man which just appears eerie in most scenes they had him in.
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Half life 2 and the early parts esp. running away from the Combine dudes. It just feels very iconic somehow.
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Prey (2017). The ending and all psychology and philosophy stuff in the game. I'll admit I haven't played this game but it looks like Deus Ex in Space with more horror elements and plenty of thinking as well as small portions of the original Total Recall movie. Speaking of I never played the original Deus Ex but heard it was great. Mostly it's Prey's ending though. The ending let some down I heard and I understand why it might but I haven't heard of many that hated Prey.
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Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Probably when you're taking flight in that rocket and then go into descent near Antarctica (possibly referring to going too close to the sun only to burn your wings) and the intro when you're getting augmented.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2019/11/20 02:04:10
I'd say that the new Prey has a (LOT) more in common with System Shock 2 (I never played the original System Shock, so I can't compare it) than it does with Deus Ex.
I did, and don't remember that one.
Xenogears spoiler
Spoiler:
Bart and Fei have split up. Bart is launching a diversionary attack against the enemy, while Fei and a smaller team go directly after the enemy general. Fei's team successfully take out the general's sand cruiser, but Graff appears and... Meanwhile, Bart's still fighting against the main enemy fleet, when suddenly an unfamiliar red gear appears. It casually wipes out any enemy forces in its path, but makes a beeline for Bart and the Yggdrasil (Bart's sand cruiser). The mysterious red gear (Id, of course, though you don't know who he is yet) challenges Bart to a fight, wipes the sand with Ramsus when he attempts to interfere, and then proceeds to start beating up on Bart again. Things are looking desperate until somehow the crew of the Yggdrasil manages to lift the ship up off of the sand, and land it on top of the red gear, crushing it beneath the warship.
The day is saved, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief!
But suddenly the cruiser starts shaking, and is lifted up into the air by the mysterious red gear (something that shouldn't even be possible), who utters the lines, "That was interesting. But dropping a warship on me is cheating... Take it back!" After saying this, he casually tosses the Yggdrasil on top of Bart's gear, ending the battle.
Faithful... Enlightened... Ambitious... Brethren... WE NEED A NEW DRIVER! THIS ONE IS DEAD! 
I do hates me the slavers.
