Video game moments that made you say WOW

[StrainedEyes]

The revenge ending?

Yeah. I only knew about because I read that it existed. It's weird that the game doesn't really point you towards it and most people never see the credits roll.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

-Meryl living in the first Metal gear Solid after embracing the electrocution by Revolver Ocelot

-Not having the slightest headache due playing Superman 64

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

Total War, thousands fighting at once real time. No scripted trickery practically every game uses to give the illusion of scale. Little details like horses running off without a rider and specific killing blow and death animations, bodies pilling up generally does better than theatrical war movies at giving a sense of scale and chaotic rabble these battles must have been like. Wonderful game, wonderful. Easily the best war franchise around. As technoligy moves forward, it only gets better. Wonderfully wonderful in nature.

 

[jonathancrane]

Batman visiting Crime Alley for the first time in Arkham City. His observation of the crime scene outlines is one of the most powerful sections of storytelling in video games.

And discovering Hush. I remember being flooded with excitement going, "Alright, I'm going to check the Batcomputer and..." And the truth hit me harder and quicker than a henchmen on Titan: it will be 2-3 years before the plot is continued.

All I had to say was:

khaaan.com

***

 

[amazingfantasy15]

Getting knocked out in one hit by Mike Tyson.

Opening the sixth or seventh dungeon using the whistle in Legend of Zelda and thinking how am i going to find/open the other ones.

The entire experience of the first Metroid (Zelda too)

The speed of Sonic the Hedgehog

Realizing how many secret exits to stages were in Super Mario World and working to find them all

Seeing Mario in 3D for the first time, wasn't interested in an N64 before that, but one glimpse told me I needed one

Bioshock, all of it.

Those are the ones off the top of my head.

 

[cherokeesam]

Two words: hot coffee.

Three more words: Bioshock Infinite Trailer. One of the few that knocked me for a loop from out of left field. Totally wasn't expecting that. The *best* part came at the E3 gameplay demo....I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't 'Tubed it yet, but there's a certain part that involves reality bending and Revenge of the Jedi. (And no, that's not a mistake/typo.)

 

[Majik1387]

Being able to swim in GTA San Andreas

 

[Hotwire]

The first cinematic sequence in Final Fantasy VII!!!

 

[Quasimod0]

Yeah. I only knew about because I read that it existed. It's weird that the game doesn't really point you towards it and most people never see the credits roll.

As soon as i came upon him fishing in the stream, after we talked, i pulled out my gun and tried to just disarm him. but accidentally made a bunch of targets all over his body and riddled him with bullets

 

[Figs]

First time seeing the final Colossus in Shadow of the Colossus.

 

[StrainedEyes]

Escaping the ranch with Epona, Ocarina of Time.

Link stabbing Gannondorf in the forehead, Windwaker.

Finally getting the Dodo off the ground and being able to keep it in the air, GTAIII.

Evolving Bulbasaur for the first time, Pokemon Red.

Seeing the sheer number of zombies on screen in the parking garage, Dead Rising.

Realizing that I actually beat the game, Dark Souls.

The silent car ride after Niko gets his revenge, GTA IV.

Playing the demo I got from Game Informer over and over again, Spider-man (psx).

The opening rainy minutes, A Link to the Past.

 

[Silvermoth]

Oh yeah, you never forgot your first pokemon evolution.

This is a pretty fun thread.

 

[James]

I thought of one that really blew my socks off. The first time ever doing a slow motion dive through a door way in Max Payne, then shooting the bad guy(s) on the other side in mid air. That made me an instant fan.

 

[Electro UK]

One part of L.A. Noire that actually came as quite a shock to me came about by complete accident.

I restarted the game after a few hours because I decided I was doing crap or something, and got to the point of the first rooftop fist-fight. The first time I did this fight I knocked out the guy with no problem.

This time around however the scrap got a little too close to the edge and I accidentally knocked him off of the roof. I heard him scream in fear and hit the floor and the next shot was Cole's face, filled with regret as the body was pushed into the back of a vehicle.

For me, knowing that it could have gone the other way actually gave me a pretty significant feeling of guilt. That was pretty special, shame the rest of the game doesn't really continue to fill that potential.

 

[BillPardy]

The moment I heard any of the songs from Mega Man 2.

You should love this then.

http://www.complex.com/video-games/...a-man-2-soundtrack-while-another-guy-beats-it

 

[Spider-Who?]

I’ll try and do this in chronological order:

Super Nintendo: There were a couple games here whose very existence made me go “wow”, namely Super Mario and Donkey Kong.

Sega Genesis: First time I ever fired up Sonic. Amazing.

Nintendo 64: Goldeneye. Never played a game like it before. This dominated many summers of my and my friends’ lives.

PS1: Metal Gear Solid. Oh, my god. This game changed everything I knew about games.

PS2: No game in particular comes to mind at the moment, but the overall leap in quality astounded me.

Next Gen: First game that I was truly wowed by in this generation was Oblivion. Like someone else said, coming out of the first dungeon and being awestruck by the vast expanse and detail of the world was incredible. I remember I spent quite a bit of time just staring at the detail of the rocks, lol. Metal Gear Solid 4 had plenty of “wow” moments, especially near the end. Then pretty much the Uncharted series in its entirety is one big “oh my god, that’s awesome”.

 

[CapedCrusader14]

There are a number of moments I have loved in games over the years but I'll focus on a random select few.

Mass Effect 2 - The Suicide Run: One of the most "on the edge of my seat" moments in gaming. Hoping and worrying about who will survive and if your Shepard will live to tell the tale. Tense and brilliant (besides the Human Reaper).

Halo - The Flood: A twist no one saw coming. A very tense and suspenseful cutscene leads into the scenario that scared many 8 year olds when this game came out. Being stuck in a room with the Flood coming in from all doors.

Halo 3 - Conclusion: The conclusion to the original trilogy is sad, comforting and utter closure all at the same time. A memorial for the lost, and a farewell to the characters that made this trilogy so great. Seeing Chief go back into that pod was just plain great.

Halo: Reach - Finale: This entire ending is Bungie's greatest swan song they could give. The Pillar of Autumn flying off to the ring one last time (although major plot hole issues abound in the game) and Noble 6's sacrifice are utterly perfect. But most important of all is Catherine Halsey/Cortana's speech to the player. The speech isn't just about Noble 6, but a tribute to the player by Bungie, thanking them for their support and getting them where they are today. Beautiful.

 

[Soapy]

Mass Effect 2 - The Suicide Run: One of the most "on the edge of my seat" moments in gaming. Hoping and worrying about who will survive and if your Shepard will live to tell the tale. Tense and brilliant

Great pick.

 

[CapedCrusader14]

Great pick.

Thanks. Indeed it is brilliant. I can't wait to see what the equivalent will be in ME3. Probably the final Battle for Earth.

 

[cherokeesam]

I'll add one that I *just* discovered in Saints Row 2:

It's more hilarious than anything else, but it definitely wowed the hell out of me. And had me laughing right out of my damn seat.

If you enable certain cheats on SR2, you can do what's called "pedestrian rain," where pedestrians literally rain out of the skies at random and splat onto the sidewalk. Funny in and of itself, but what made this even more hilarious was the fact that I already had *another* cheat enabled called "heaven sent" or something, that makes the "souls" of dead people rise up into the sky, going to a proverbial heaven.

So.....you've got this rain of bodies dropping down out of the sky and splashing on the sidewalk, and as they die, they rise back UP and float back into the sky from whence they came....

Gawd, I wish I could upload it to Youtube or something. Epic viewing.

 

[cherokeesam]

frikkin frakkin double post

 

[DeGenerate10]

I'm really disappointed no one has said Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

 

[E-Man]

The first time you arrive at Jerusalem in Assassin's Creed, you're on horseback and way up on a hill and it looks fantastic. Throw in a parkour chase and you have a very wow-inducing game.

Yeahhhhhhhh. When you go to the cities in the first AC they really make a big deal about you taking it all in on your horse. All the cities have this nice scope about them, but they really went all out for Jerusalem. I miss that aspect of the AC games. I loved 2, and I'm on Brotherhood right now. I would love to see that arriving in the city aspect again.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I'm really disappointed no one has said Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

I would have, but i spoiled that moment for myself. Still haven't forgiven myself for that.

 

[Soapy]

Me too. :/