what are the most powerful moments in video games?

[adam_grif]

Mass Effect 2, when you meet up with Wrex again (if you let him live in the first), I had a massive shit eating grin on my face. Total "bro" moment I guess you could say.

Yep. I think parts of Mordin's loyalty quest were pretty great too, although I'm a soulless automaton so I don't really know if that was "moving" or not.

If we're bringing up all sorts of emotions, the ending to Portal was gold (before it got ruined through mass repetition on the internet). I don't think I've been more happy at the ending of a game.

[wautd]

I kinda liked "Would you kindly" from Bioshock.

Hobbes going rogue in Wing Commander III got me infuriated with rage.

[Mr Bean]

For a budding amateur game designer, do you think you guys may be able to explain WHY these moments are emotionally powerful. It would be interesting to find people's reasons and kinda analyse it. I get the feeling that this kind of thing doesn't really get as much attention as it needs for an entertainment medium.

You must build up attachments to your virtual people before you can start slamming us with emotional moments. Show don't tell is the operative word, and the more fantastical the setting the more human you must make the characters. It's possible to do it in under five minutes (see the opening five minutes of Up) but you have to be a damn master at your craft in order to pull that off quickly. Remember your game-play gets in the way of emotional building unless you are playing a horror game.

The techniques to invoke emotion are pretty much identical between other media and video games, the only difference comes into the fact your dealing with interactive medium so a "would you kindly" type scene has to have extra attention as you take away control from the player. If you've not already done so play through HL2 Episodes 1 and 2 with the commentary on as they go through a tone of explanation of how they tried to build the relationship with Alyx.

Speaking of emotional moments a second from Baulders Gate 2, Irencious little speech in the jail. In fact there's a good emotional impact, combine a good voice actor with an excellent threat and every time he showed up him being a bastard made an impact.

[Molyneux]

I'll second the ending of Half-Life 2. For FPS characters, they all have personalities that really draw me in - and I really do like each and every one of the main characters who help you out. Even the blowhard.

[Imperial528]

The Homeworld series has some powerful moments:
Spoiler

The destruction of Kharak in Homeworld, and the end of finally making it to Hiigara. In Homeworld 2, the activation of Sajuuk and the end of the final mission when you save Hiigara.

Then again, in retrospect, pretty much every cinematic and mission in the original Homeworld brought some sort of reaction from me, sometimes just by reminding me of the Kushan peoples' plight.

And there are several from StarCraft 1 & 2:
Spoiler

1. The sacrifice of Tassadar.
2. The opening sequence of Brood War.
3. In SC2, when Raynor saves Kerrigan.

The end pretty much every post Ocarina of Time Zelda games.

Oh, and some from WarCraft III:
Spoiler

The death of Archimonde at the World Tree, the death of Grom Hellscream, and Arthas' ascension in Frozen Throne.

[Thanas]

The opening scene to Brood war was extremely well done, I agree.

[Chardok]

I'm going to say the death of Jackie Estacado's girlfriend, Jenny, in "The Darkness". After watching "To Kill a Mockingbird" with her, I felt really attached, and I've never wanted to kill a boss as badly as I wanted to kill Paulie after seeing that.

[adam_grif]

I'm going to say the death of Jackie Estacado's girlfriend, Jenny, in "The Darkness". After watching "To Kill a Mockingbird" with her, I felt really attached, and I've never wanted to kill a boss as badly as I wanted to kill Paulie after seeing that.

Shit forgot about that one. That's my #1 pick. That game was so amazing for stuff like that, shame the gameplay kinda sucked.

[Chardok]

I'm going to say the death of Jackie Estacado's girlfriend, Jenny, in "The Darkness". After watching "To Kill a Mockingbird" with her, I felt really attached, and I've never wanted to kill a boss as badly as I wanted to kill Paulie after seeing that.

Shit forgot about that one. That's my #1 pick. That game was so amazing for stuff like that, shame the gameplay kinda sucked.

It really was good (the game as a whole). and I'm sad that I only recently got around to playing it. I really hope that whoever is making The Darkness 2 that is not Starbreeze whos name I forget will keep that awesome style and just improve the mechanics so they...I dunno, work?

[adam_grif]

My biggest hope is that the left tentacle finally gets a heart

[Chardok]

My biggest hope is that the left tentacle finally gets a heart

Doesn't one eating animation feature them fighting over one for a few seconds before the right finally wins?



METAPHOR?!

[adam_grif]

My biggest hope is that the left tentacle finally gets a heart

Doesn't one eating animation feature them fighting over one for a few seconds before the right finally wins?

Yes, there's a few slightly different ones, but the right tentacle always wins. It started bugging me after I noticed it.

[open_sketchbook]

The whole Andrew Ryan... thing in Bioshock and the subsequent reveal is one of the best executed sequences I've even seen.

Interestingly, both Saint's Row games, which are otherwise insanely over the top comedy, have moments with quite a bit of emotional heft. In particular, the death of Lin in the first game was very well handled. Of course, you can bring her back as a zombie driving a herse in gang colours, but that's beside the point.

[fgalkin]

I'll second (Third? Fourth? Whatever) Planescape: Torment. It's really amazing how a game that is just an isometric projection and loads of text has managed to remain unsurpassed even by modern games with all their 3d and star voice acting. The Infinity Engine games were masterpieces, and Torment was the greatest of them all.

The Half-Life Series has likewise been very good, story-vise from the very beginning, and it's good that they have kept up the tradition over the years, and expanded on it by adding good and memorable characters.

As for my own nomination, I will point to the death of Grom Hellscream in Warcraft III.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Havok]

"Your princess is in another castle."

And discovering that the Metroid dude was a CHICK!

[Eternal_Freedom]

I'll second the Destruction of Kharak in Homeworld. It was a real gut-punch when I first got to that mission. I honestly thought I had fucked on on Mission 2 and this was a "Game Over/Losing Mission Track" type of thing like Wing Commander.

But I think what helped ith that scene was undoubtably the music. Adagio for Strings, and incredibly mocing piece ofmusic in it's own right, mixed with this scene was just wow.

Also, for moving/impressive whatever, several of the cutscenes/mission endings in Nexus: The Jupiter Incident where pretty "wow, seriously?" for me.

I also found the ending of the first Halo pretty aweosme. "There's nothing left. Just dust and echoes." Oh man that was cool.

[JohnKPlisskin]

1) Final Fantasy VII - The end of the Cosmo Canyon section where Red XIII deals with his father. Very cheesy, I know, but at the time I played it I was still dealing with the loss of my father. At the time it was a very powerful scene for me.

2) Fallout 3 - In the Air & Space Museum and seeing the Wright Brother's plane on the ground, broken. I have a special place in my heart for airplanes and flight, so it was the only time in the entire game where I felt genuine loss.

3) Uncharted 1 & 2 - I really like Drake's relationship with Elena. It feels very natural. In particular, the ending of Uncharted 2 left me with a very pleasant smile on my face.

4) The Darkness - Fairly early in the game is the scene with you watching "To Kill A Mockingbird" with your girlfriend. It's a great moment for two reasons. One: "To Kill A Mockingbird" is an amazing movie and you can watch it in its entirety. Two: It is the best example I've ever seen in a game showing love in a very believable, realistic way.

All I can think of at the moment, but I'm sure I'll think up other things.

[Molyneux]

I'll second the Destruction of Kharak in Homeworld. It was a real gut-punch when I first got to that mission. I honestly thought I had fucked on on Mission 2 and this was a "Game Over/Losing Mission Track" type of thing like Wing Commander.

But I think what helped ith that scene was undoubtably the music. Adagio for Strings, and incredibly mocing piece ofmusic in it's own right, mixed with this scene was just wow.

Also, for moving/impressive whatever, several of the cutscenes/mission endings in Nexus: The Jupiter Incident where pretty "wow, seriously?" for me.

I also found the ending of the first Halo pretty aweosme. "There's nothing left. Just dust and echoes." Oh man that was cool.

I still wish there were some way to save Foehammer. The first time I played the ending of Halo, the timer counting down, the Autumn blowing up around me...yeah, that was a high-emotion moment.

[wautd]

Max Payne, what with the dead wive and hearing your dead baby cry during some of the nightmare levels.

[Vanas]

For the 'n'th time; Kharak is burning...

Homeworld's audio design always stands out for me. The music is excellently done and the voice work hits the spot. Especially here and in one particular scene from Cataclysm I can't find. There's no shouting. No desperate cries. Just two people doing their best to remain professional in the midst of untold horror.

Despite Mr. Bean's comments above on showing and not telling, I find probably the most... disturbing? Impactful? line of that mission is the last one. 'The subject did not survive interrogation'. nameless deeds have been done for not unjustifiable reasons. And all we know about it is that one report.

EDIT: Found the Cataclysm one 'We're engineers, not biologists.'

Also, the mission from CoD: Modern Warfare, Aftermath. Just you. Dying a few miles from ground zero of a nuclear blast. That tends to linger in the memories.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Having just started the Homeworld campaign afresh for the umpteenth time, I realise why the Destruction of Kharak scene is so gut-wrenching.

The music, Adagio for Strings, that makes the scene so sad and poignant is the same music used when we first see the Mothership at the start of Mission 1, where it's used as a "wow this is amazing" piece.

And that granduer and amazement turns to dust and ashes. Damn

[Gandalf]

Getting four rows at once in Tetris. You put in all of the work making your block, making sure to leave the gap in the side, and then BOOM! Long piece!

[weemadando]

The most powerful moment for me was when I had a horrific fever after first playing Deadlock and was having lucid dreams about the Cyth, Re'Nu and Uva Mosk.

More denouement in that fever than in 90% of games.

[General Zod]

Discovering that Bridget is really a guy.

[Go 2 Hell]

"Your princess is in another castle."

Really? I would have been relieved in a way that says "that bitch better be in another castle, this game cost money and needs to be longer than 4 fucking levels". And then after hearing that over and over again, I would've eventually gotten annoyed. I'm glad I played Super Mario Bros. already knowing the order of things.

As for my input, I would put that fake out with Elena at the end of Uncharted 2, if she died that would've ruined the entire game for me.