Video game moments that caught you off guard

Jono · May 08, 2017, 05:36:21 AM

Going through this game for the first time was exciting for little innocent 8 year old me at the time. This game was everything I wanted from a new Ratchet and Clank title at the time. Returning characters, hilarious dialogue, improved gameplay... and then there's this cinematic that plays almost completely out of nowhere and man was it quite the experience:

YouTube

This gif sums up my reaction seeing this for the first time perfectly

Big Boss · May 08, 2017, 05:37:55 AM

inb4 white phosphorous

I'm going to have to take time to think about this

big dog · May 08, 2017, 05:44:51 AM

KOTOR 2's Jedi Enclave scene. It wasn't exactly surprising or anything, but it just got me with how many different emotions it makes you feel, after all that you've been through throughout the game.

Also the Composer scene in Halo 4. Seeing Tillson get incinerated was kind of unsettling.

Jono · May 08, 2017, 05:49:07 AM

Quote from: Eviscerator Delta on May 08, 2017, 05:44:51 AM

Also the Composer scene in Halo 4. Seeing Tillson get incinerated was kind of unsettling.

Oh yeah I remember that. It was disturbing because I didn't know what to expect. That was one of the only things that 343i did right with that campaign. It was easily the best mission in that game.

Spartan · May 08, 2017, 05:49:44 AM

YouTube

7 minutes in

Verbatim · May 08, 2017, 06:16:40 AM

Quote from: Big Boss on May 08, 2017, 05:37:55 AM

inb4 white phosphorous

To this day, I'm still not quite sure how to feel about this moment or the game itself.

Back when FPS games were my least favorite genre, I had a special hatred for military shooters like CoD and Battlefield—principally because I felt as though they were (intentionally or not) glorifying war, and trying to make it fun and entertaining. I still think it's pretty disgusting, and it was hard for me not to look down on the consumers of those franchises as well.

I ignored Spec Ops entirely when it initially came out, assuming it was just another dumb generic military shooter for dumb generic people, but after I learned that it's actually satirizing and deconstructing the genre, I knew I had to play it. My favorite thing about the game is how it taunts the player in the loading screens—"Do you feel like a hero yet?" has become one of my favorite video game quotes of all time.

That said, as cool and poignant as the white phosphorous segment is, I can't help but feel it was a little bit hamfistedly done. As far as I know, the game doesn't exactly give you a choice in the matter—and if I had that choice, I'd obviously try to spare the civilians. But I don't think they even let you; it's a totally scripted event. But the game still does the whole guilt-trip thing where it shames you for committing these atrocities. Which is fine—I really, really like that message—but when the game tries to guilt you over doing something that you were essentially forced into seemed just a little unfair.

Or is it? Maybe the point is that, if you didn't want to play a war simulation, you wouldn't have bought the game to begin with. This is what war is—don't you feel like a hero?

That's why I'm not sure how to feel about it. It's either really smart or really dumb. I'm leaning on smart, but I dunno—I feel like if the message were executed just slightly better, it would be amazing. As it is now, I don't know what to make of it.

Verbatim · May 08, 2017, 06:46:58 AM

The first time I've ever been caught off guard by a game would probably be when I found out Samus Aran was a woman.

When I was five or six years old, when I wasn't playing Mario or Zelda, I liked to watch my dad play and beat all of his favorite NES games that were a little bit too advanced for me at the time, like Punch-Out!! and Metroid.

He was courteous enough to keep Samus's identity a secret to me until I finally watched him defeat Mother Brain, and I can only imagine the look on my face when I finally saw the reveal.

Damn, I wanna play Metroid now.

Deleted · May 08, 2017, 07:57:00 AM

Cortana dying in Halo 4: I didnt think they would actualy do it....
And then in Halo 5 they took it back because fuck having decent developments, this shit is Sword Art Online now.

(((Fun_Timer))) · May 08, 2017, 10:44:43 AM

Silent Hill II was designed to do this continually

Spoiler

When Pyramid head is raping the "legs-on-legs" mannequins. That was awful.

Really when Pyramid Head just shows up generally, though the game was designed with that in mind. I think the best moment of it is in the Labyrinth when you're just wandering around and it starts chasing you with a spear. There's no buildup foreshadowing, it's just there.

Every. Lagstab. In any souls game.

Doctor Doom · May 08, 2017, 11:09:40 AM

I smell people talking about The Line.

Quote from: Verbatim on May 08, 2017, 06:16:40 AM

That said, as cool and poignant as the white phosphorous segment is, I can't help but feel it was a little bit hamfistedly done. As far as I know, the game doesn't exactly give you a choice in the matter—and if I had that choice, I'd obviously try to spare the civilians. But I don't think they even let you; it's a totally scripted event. But the game still does the whole guilt-trip thing where it shames you for committing these atrocities. Which is fine—I really, really like that message—but when the game tries to guilt you over doing something that you were essentially forced into seemed just a little unfair.

Perhaps it is, but there's plenty of commentary on how forced you were. Notice the fade-to-white before the incident - Walker believed using the phosphorus was the only option. Perhaps he had other choices, but he believed he didn't or otherwise denied them, and since by that point in the game the player only knows as much as Walker does they have no reason to think he's wrong (and don't know about the significance of the fade-to-white). Acting without knowing all the facts is one of the central themes of the game.

The other central theme, I'm sure you know, is avoiding responsibility by shifting blame onto others. Adams and Lugo shift blame onto Walker; Walker shifts blame onto Konrad; Riggs shifted blame onto perceived necessity; the player shifts blame onto the game, or perhaps the developers. Everyone involved is at fault; everyone involved believes they are not. The feeling of frustration that it wasn't fair is the intended reaction.

Quote

Or is it? Maybe the point is that, if you didn't want to play a war simulation, you wouldn't have bought the game to begin with. This is what war is—don't you feel like a hero?

Exactly. The player chose to buy a game where the fun is derived from murdering people. Why did you do that? Why not play something else, that doesn't involve such a horrible premise?

Though, I think what would have added to the game immensely is the option to fulfill Walker's initial orders: find out if there are survivors (accomplished within minutes of starting the game) and then leave. There wouldn't be any ambiguity as to how complicit the player is if they had that choice, and there would be more sting to the loading screen quote asking if you remember why you came to Dubai in the first place.

Ásgeirr · May 08, 2017, 11:29:40 AM

Anri of Astora recently. Pandemonium sequence in FFIX. Dragons Dogma ending sequence.

HL2 EP2's ending, fuck you Valve.

Deleted · May 08, 2017, 11:38:14 AM

Quote from: oss on May 08, 2017, 11:29:40 AM

Anri of Astora recently.

You mean in Yuria's questline?

Big Boss · May 08, 2017, 11:44:27 AM

Quote from: Epsira Idari on May 08, 2017, 10:44:43 AM

Silent Hill II was designed to do this continually
Spoiler
When Pyramid head is raping the "legs-on-legs" mannequins. That was awful.

Really when Pyramid Head just shows up generally, though the game was designed with that in mind. I think the best moment of it is in the Labyrinth when you're just wandering around and it starts chasing you with a spear. There's no buildup foreshadowing, it's just there.

Every. Lagstab. In any souls game.

While I wouldn't say that Silent Hill really caught me off guard (because I was expecting to be shocked because.. y'know, it's Silent Hill) the part in the hospital when you descend the elevator and Pyramid Head starts chasing you down the corridor made me shit my pants. No buildup, no cinematic, HE'S JUST THERE.

Ásgeirr · May 08, 2017, 11:50:51 AM

Quote from: X-Men SecondClass on May 08, 2017, 11:38:14 AM

Quote from: oss on May 08, 2017, 11:29:40 AM
Anri of Astora recently.

You mean in Yuria's questline?

Yeah

Genghis Khan · May 08, 2017, 12:26:35 PM

YouTube

Verbatim · May 08, 2017, 04:08:15 PM

Quote from: oss on May 08, 2017, 11:29:40 AM

HL2 EP2's ending, fuck you Valve.

one day i'll get around to doing this

Zonda · May 08, 2017, 10:11:40 PM

when u try to approach a ganon for the first time and get jabbed

BaconShelf · May 09, 2017, 12:54:08 AM

"Press LB to Time Travel" in Titanfall 2.

I wasn't really expecting anything above your bog standard call of duty campaign from the guys who had made five of those games. But that one popup instantly turned a fun but unremarkable campaign to a great one.

And now I get a scifi world like so;

After the fairly brown-grey affair that was the first game, a lot of stuff in the second really came out of left field.

Luciana · May 09, 2017, 01:07:12 AM

Dead Space 1's ending. I shoulda seen it coming, but I guess I didn't.

I was still going to school at the time, and I was close to beating it, but it was late. So I turned off my lights and played it to finish it. Now I don't scare easy, but one of the few things that makes my skin crawl is blood curling screams or screeches, and if it sounds slightly unnatural I just get stunned.

So when that ending happened I stared at the screen wide eyed for a moment, and then I had to call my dog in my room to sleep with me that night.

I think it was Slender or something like it that also did that to me, where the screech stunned me so much, I couldn't move my mouse or take off my headphones. I was just quite literally, paralyzed with fear. It's only happened that one time, but it is crazy that my whole body shut down. I can understand how it happens to people now.

challengerX · May 09, 2017, 06:06:27 AM

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Deleted · May 09, 2017, 10:30:43 AM

Quote from: BaconShelf on May 09, 2017, 12:54:08 AM

"Press LB to Time Travel" in Titanfall 2.

I wasn't really expecting anything above your bog standard call of duty campaign from the guys who had made five of those games. But that one popup instantly turned a fun but unremarkable campaign to a great one.

And now I get a scifi world like so;

After the fairly brown-grey affair that was the first game, a lot of stuff in the second really came out of left field.

Where's the lore stuff about the robot takover from?

BaconShelf · May 09, 2017, 10:31:59 AM

Quote from: X-Men SecondClass on May 09, 2017, 10:30:43 AM

Quote from: BaconShelf on May 09, 2017, 12:54:08 AM
"Press LB to Time Travel" in Titanfall 2.

I wasn't really expecting anything above your bog standard call of duty campaign from the guys who had made five of those games. But that one popup instantly turned a fun but unremarkable campaign to a great one.

And now I get a scifi world like so;

After the fairly brown-grey affair that was the first game, a lot of stuff in the second really came out of left field.

Where's the lore stuff about the robot takover from?

Spyglass and his army of Stalkers, Spectres, Reapers and MRVNs

Deleted · May 09, 2017, 10:33:29 AM

Quote from: BaconShelf on May 09, 2017, 10:31:59 AM

Quote from: X-Men SecondClass on May 09, 2017, 10:30:43 AM
Quote from: BaconShelf on May 09, 2017, 12:54:08 AM
"Press LB to Time Travel" in Titanfall 2.

I wasn't really expecting anything above your bog standard call of duty campaign from the guys who had made five of those games. But that one popup instantly turned a fun but unremarkable campaign to a great one.

And now I get a scifi world like so;

After the fairly brown-grey affair that was the first game, a lot of stuff in the second really came out of left field.

Where's the lore stuff about the robot takover from?

Spyglass and his army of Stalkers, Spectres, Reapers and MRVNs

Wait, did he go berserk or something?

BaconShelf · May 09, 2017, 10:49:25 AM

Quote from: X-Men SecondClass on May 09, 2017, 10:33:29 AM

Quote from: BaconShelf on May 09, 2017, 10:31:59 AM
Quote from: X-Men SecondClass on May 09, 2017, 10:30:43 AM
Quote from: BaconShelf on May 09, 2017, 12:54:08 AM
"Press LB to Time Travel" in Titanfall 2.

I wasn't really expecting anything above your bog standard call of duty campaign from the guys who had made five of those games. But that one popup instantly turned a fun but unremarkable campaign to a great one.

And now I get a scifi world like so;

After the fairly brown-grey affair that was the first game, a lot of stuff in the second really came out of left field.

Where's the lore stuff about the robot takover from?

Spyglass and his army of Stalkers, Spectres, Reapers and MRVNs

Wait, did he go berserk or something?

(((Fun_Timer))) · May 09, 2017, 12:39:56 PM

First redead experience in Wind Waker. Why did they have to make them that loud?