I recently came across a discussion about powerful moments in gaming in recent years. A couple of years back, I wrote about the exact same thing, and since then I’ve had so many amazing digital experiences. Here are but five of those instances and, please note, there will be no major spoilers here, though I will have to vague up some bits due to the subjects involved.
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Abzu
Abzu is arguably one of the most beautiful games in recent years. I struggled with the mechanics of the game, but I powered through and am ever so grateful I did.
Through your underwater journey, you come into contact with many sea creatures, but one in particular stands out to me: the great white shark. In the proximity I experienced him, I went from terror, to devastation, to elation. It’s a relationship I won’t quickly forget.
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Inside
Inside is a game open to interpretation. I like that about it. It’s a layered mystery where the atmosphere is both oppressive and enticing. It’s one of the strangest experiences I’ve had in recent years.
The ending left me in wonder. I had so many thoughts and yet no thoughts at all as I stared at the final moments. I felt horror. I also felt relief. It’s been many months since I played it, and I still don’t quite know what to make of it. But it left me feeling moved in a way I can’t adequately explain.
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The Last Guardian
Specifically, Trico.
Earlier this year I wrote a review of The Last Guardian, in which I talked about my fascination with Trico. I firmly believe he is an unmatched marvel in modern game design. Even though you are consciously aware you are playing a game, he is believable in a way other characters in games are not. Whether he is trying to reach you, making his way through a narrow passage, or enjoying a pool of water, he is desperately believable.
Throughout the game, I was more emotional than usual (I am very receptive to creatures), but by the end of the game, I was an inconsolable mess. I was a pile of hiccupy, heaving sobs.
I will never forget the game, and that’s solely because of Trico.
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Virginia
Virginia was my #1 game from 2016, and I stand behind that just as much today as I did then.
Virginia is a game without any dialogue yet it manages to tell a more powerful story than many bigger and louder games in recent memory. From the art style to the music to the jump cuts, I was all in as soon as I started it.
There is a montage towards the end that I think more powerfully conveys certain feelings than words could hope to. I both want to talk about it, and yet I would also like to encourage anyone who is interested to play it for themselves. Thinking about it now, my mind races through all the feelings I felt then.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Specifically, the Bloody Baron quest line.
I’ve made no secret of my love for The Witcher 3, and one of the things I enjoyed most about it was that your decisions actually felt like they carried weight.
The Bloody Baron quest was one of the times in the game where I felt like no matter what I did, it wasn’t the right choice. I tried to follow both heart and logic to come to the best conclusion and, even so, the aftermath stuck with me.
Man, The Witcher 3 was an amazing game. I really should go back and play the DLC.
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What games (and specifically which moments) left the greatest impressions upon you? And please, let’s try to keep responses spoiler free. I’m super looking forward to hearing which games have meant something to you.
Categories: games
Rebekah Lang 
I’d have to say the last of us,the uncharted series,red dead redemption and the mass effect series.
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Any (non spoilery) specific moments? Like, the end of a particular game or a particular mission?
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The beginning of the last of us,it’s winter sequence and final mission,red dead’s ending and mass effect 2’s suicide mission and the curing of the genophage in ME3.
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I definitely agree w/ Colton on Mass Effect 2 & Uncharted series (my pick is the ending of Uncharted 4). I’d also add Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. The ending was memorable (especially because no one thought that it would end in that manner). Lastly, I’d add Journey for the visuals & the “spirtual” ending.
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I talked about Brothers a bit more at length in the piece that preceded this one. Brothers wrecked me.
The same with Journey.
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The epilogue to Three Fourths Home, when played as it really happened.
The moment, for me, is actually deepened by the trophy/achievement that drops with.
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I had totally forgotten about that. A very good choice, indeed.
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Would also go for Brothers A Tale of Two Sons
Similiar to Virgina, as the game also managed to portray an immense amount of feeling despite not using any words
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I absolutely agree. I wrote about Brothers in the piece that preceded this one. It just wrecked me.
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I’m going to give that a little read :)
Thanks for the tip
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Aww, thank you! Brothers just wrecked me. In the emotional and wonderful way.
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I don’t really get often emotionally envolved with video-games, but when I do…I REALLY DO.
The Last Guardian was though for me too, I mean…from the moment they announced the game, I KNEW it, everybody knew it, something was going to happen. I prepared myself for years, but I still wasn’t ready I 100% wasn’t ready for this game. There’s one moment in special that it was the most shocking moment I ever had in a game, I was straight up shocked when it happened. I almost turned off everything and went away to do something else lol.
The last chapter of the first season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead was a rollercoaster of emotions to me. I think it was the first time I was really sad and gutted by a game. RDR had a emotionally heavy end, but I felt more shocked than sad.
The Last of Us I couldn’t even enjoy the game for several hours after that prologue! Even if the game had a depressing vibe for all of its entirety, all fell short compared to that moment.
Journey…all of it, but specially towards the end. Such a beautiful game.
In a different type of emotional journey, Uncharted 4 end was really special to me. It was a series that I grew up with and helped me a lot through the years. It really felt like a 9-year journey coming to an end.
And…To The Moon. It didn’t hurt me as much as other games, but still was a really emotional game.
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I feel fairly certain I know which part you are talking about in The Last Guardian. If it’s the same one, I was SHOUTING at the television I was so upset. And just sobbing.
In the piece preceding this one, I talked about both the last episode of The Walking Dead as well as Journey. I am entirely on board with both of those.
And I’ve heard so much about To The Moon, but I don’t know anything at all about it other than the title. I need to look into it.
Solid choices. I love that games can move us. Even when we think we are braced for it.
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To the Moon…
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I really need to find a way to play that.
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