If I were to list the most memorable moments from gaming ever, this would become the Duke Nukem Forever of lists. So I decided to limit myself and list the most memorable moments or missions or levels in gaming this console generation. I've also limited myself to one selection per franchise to increase the challenge a little.
Remember just because one game is lower than another or not on here at all doesn't mean it's inferior. There are games that aren't on this list that are better than almost any other games on here. So this is Part 1 of 3, #15-11. I'll be putting up the next two parts within the next few days.
Keep in mind that there BIG SPOILERS! If you have not played the game but plan too, take caution.
(Oh and my Dead Space 2 review will be on here next week. I'm almost done.)
#15. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
The Opening
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| Cesare, you magnificent bastard I read YOUR BOOK! |
While overall I thought Assassin's Creed II was a superior game, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood was a worthy follow-up and had a point more memorable than any in ACII. You remember Monteriggioni, that city that you built-up for the entire game in ACII? Yeah, it's destroyed. Cesare Borgia has it destroyed at the very beginning of the game while you try to help get as many people out as possible. And Mario is killed too. NOOOOOOOOO!
If there was one problem that Assassin's Creed II had, as great as it was, it had a slow opening like many great games out there. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, while it wasn't quite as good, definitely opened with a bang that helped set the stage for what was still one of the best games of 2010.
A great opening to a great game, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood started strong and stayed strong throughout but that opening portion is the part that has stuck in my mind.
#14. Heavy Rain
The Lizard Trial
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| The saw, the cleaver, or the pliers? Decisions, decisions. |
Despite being an acclaimed story-driven game, Heavy Rain had quite a few flaws that kept it from greatness. It had some major plotholes and very on-and-off voice acting among other problems. But in my mind, the narrative was still compelling and kept me going. And it also had one of the more painful moments in games.
The setup is that Ethan Mars' son has been kidnapped by serial killer who puts him through trials in order to get him back, to judge how much he would give to get him back. For the third trial, the Lizard Trial, you as the player must force Ethan to cut off his finger (or you can be a pussy and back out). You choose the tool to use, choose whether to get disinfectant and something to cauterize the wound and begin.
The contextual button presses for getting a man to cut off his finger, make this one of the more wince-inducing scenes in recent memory. I had to choose between this and Dead Space: Extraction's cutting off your own hand. I went with this because the developer, Quantic Dream, really emphasized the dread and pain that the character goes through in a way that Extraction didn't and makes you feel it at the same time.
#13. F.E.A.R. 2
The Ending
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| Yeah Samara, top this in seven days. |
You know, despite the double standard that comes with rape, it's NOT okay at all when it's female on male and F.E.A.R. 2's ending is proof of that. Quite possibly the most disturbing and screwed up entry on this entire list, the end of F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, sees you at the mercy of Alma who would like a child (it makes sense in context of this game and the first game).
During a hallucination that the main character has, you can see sparse images of Alma sexually assaulting the main character. It ends with Alma taking the player character's hand, placing it on her stomach and you can hear a faint sound saying "mommy". It is creepy as hell.
Ironically, it doesn't make Alma seem like an evil being. She still feels like a sympathetic character and the scene just shows how f'ed up she is. Now the person who leaves you to be raped by her, is a different story. It's a remarkably horrific and at the same time unique sequence that I would have called someone crazy for suggesting.
#12. Grand Theft Auto IV
Bank Robbery
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| My shotgun wants your money. |
Despite all the hate Grand Theft Auto IV gets on the Internet, it's an excellent game. It just got overhyped by the critics to a ridiculous degree which resulted in backlash. But no matter what your feelings on the game itself, the mission known as Three Leaf Clover is freaking awesome.
The bank robbery in this mission is ripped directly from the 1995 film Heat starring Bobby DeNiro and Al Pacino which is one of my all-time favorites. The shootout plays almost exactly like that movie and my god, is it glorious. It starts like a regular robbery, trying to keep the crowds under control and getting the money out of the vault.
Then the shit hits the fan and our favorite Eastern European thug and his Irish friends are forced to shoot their way back home. The shootout goes through the streets, a Chinatown district, alleyways and a subway. It kind of reminded me of the robbery in Vice City yet even more awesome. Opinions may be divided on the game but they should not be on this amazing robbery.
#11. God of War III
Poseidon Boss Fight
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| You have disrespected the gods for the last time Kratos! |
God of War III was an incredible exclusive title for the PS3 with quite a few things I could have put on this list. The Hades boss fight, the Cronos boss fight, or the fight against Zeus at the end. Eventually though I decided on the opening fight against the god of the oceans themselves, Poseidon.
Every God of War game has opened with a bang and God of War III was no exception showing off the enormous scale that the PS3 could pull with barely any slowdown whatsoever. The fight was thrilling and satisfying as all hell. You fight on while on top of the Titan, Gaia (who really wasn't one of the Titans in Greek mythology if I remember correctly), until you finally damage Poseidon enough to knock him out of his watery avatar.
Next, the God of War developers decided to show just how frightening and sociopathic Kratos is, by showing him beating down Poseidon from Poseidon's point of view. In other words while you press the buttons to hit Poseidon, you watch Kratos beat YOU up. It's not pretty, especially when it ends with eye-gouging and neck-snapping. Kratos is not a good guy at all.
Well, that's Part 1 of my list. I'll be posting Part 2 within the next few days and Part 3 a few days after that.
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