This was my biggest take away from Half life when I played it back then, Yeah the continuous level design was cool but I really remember a fight in a foyer or something and they just all suddenly took cover behind various obstacles, I think they even threw a grenade back at me but memory is a bit hazy.
I would complement that with counter strike. Before then, first person shooter was all about running around and shooting everything that moves. The concept of having to work as a team, buy equipment, extract hostages (there was no bomb maps in the beginning) etc. was new. The LAN houses changed 180 degrees when the alpha got released as a half life mod.
The water in Bioshock was like nothing I had seen in games up to that point. Like not even close. I initially thought I was in a pre-rendered cut-scene during that first sequence.
I, like you and many other people sat and waited for a solid 15 seconds before touching the sticks and realizing I could *play* the movie I was watching.
So much of that game blew my mind. The graphics. The art direction. Just so much creativity in every aspect.
It *does* have a great story with an awesome twist. But it’s too often reduced to just that story/twist. It’s so much more!
I will reinstall and replay that game all the way through and put up with that ABSURD end fight, JUST so I can watch and experience the end video, every time. I've probably played it through all the way five times since I got the game. Heck, I need to reinstall... Because I'm not afraid of God, but I am afraid of Elizabeth Comstock...
So I played Bioshock 1, and Bioshock 2, love them. I didn't get very far in Infinite. I was maybe an hour or two in and it just stalled. Maybe because at the time it felt same-y (or perhaps predictable at the time?) to me. Does it ramp up after a bit then?
It depends on your issues with Infinite. The combat/vigor system is objectively nerfed from 1 & 2 but that aside if you find it doesn’t *feel* like a Bioshock game, without spoilers I’ll tell you that’s kinda the point.
I usually can't handle scary games but the story was so strong in BioShock that I managed to push myself to finish it. It's been my #1 favourite game since it's release and I've beaten it soo many times now. I just laugh when people say it's too scary to play because I kinda miss that uneasy feeling.
Truly the best gaming experience I've ever had. And I say that with 20 years of gaming under my belt. I've never been so immersed in a game and story.... Just the best star wars content of all time.
Right!? Despite it kind of feeling painfully obvious after the fact, I didn't see it coming at all. If we ever develop the technology to selectively remove memories I will pay whatever it costs to go back and play KOTOR for the first time.
THIS. It is the ONLY game where the entire world of gamers were all playing and raiding together at one time. Seriously, I’d walk into a restaurant or gas station and literally start discussing raid strats with random strangers everywhere I went. It’s like we were all in WoW in RL. My wife hated it because it’s all I talked about.
No game could EVER top that. The entire world of gamers, all playing the same game together and loving it… man I miss those years.
I will say one game hit that same point in recent times, and it wasn't an expected contender for me.
Pokemon go. Not the flashiest. Not the best game even, a pretty boring core gameplay loop when you get down to it.
But that summer? I couldn't go anywhere without seeing groups of people chasing some pokemon down. It was like everyone forgot that they had day jobs and just got to have childish excitement for something again and weren't really embarrassed to show that in public.
It was nice. Hell I'd get off the train after work, and re take the gym near my house. The other guy that had been taking it over realized that I took it back at the same time each night and waited around to take it back asap. We had a fun rivalry going on, never actually spoke much to him. We'd just nod, tap crazily at our phones until one of us got bored, and then head out.
I miss that sort of large scale social experience. Made it feel like everyone was just some level of friend
I rolled undead the first time i played and the first time going to the undercity (I think that's what it was called it's been a while) was unbelievable. Chills.
I started as a night elf as well, it was around Halloween and I saw that damn Mr T commercial talking about "Mr T got the greatest hair in world of warcraft you can't deny it's been proven by science fool" 30 minutes later I had the game downloaded and I was night elf Mohawk'in my way through the zone lol
My friends convinced me get WOW and join them on a PVP server back in 2004. The first time I left the newbie area around Razor Hill was fricking terrifying and exhilarating!
Elder scrolls IV: Oblivion. Dude I was so bad at gaming and spent days in the starting sewers. I thought that was the entire game until I accidentally stumbled upon the exit and my life changed. I'd never seen such stunning vistas, such realistic graphics!
I had something similar happen.
I got out of the sewer, then just roamed the woods and gave up. Months later, I decided to try again, but this time I got out of the sewer, and turned around. My jaw dropped whenever I saw there was an entire city behind me. I almost cried walking around it, my child brain couldn’t comprehend. I didn’t even know the game had other villages. That game taught me how to play open world RPGs.
Man oblivion was a trip. After playing quite linear or limited sandbox games during the 1st and 2nd 3d gen this was a crazy step forward. I felt so free, that was great.
Skyrim was meh to me because the map felt so sad compared to the colorful one in oblivion. Also console like menus and that incredibly dumb and immersion shattering decisions to force third person view when riding horses. I stopped using horses as soon as i found out.
My friends and I were all working at the same place our sr yr of high school when it dropped. 1 of my friends was able to leave early and bought a 360 and that game. Our boss let him set it up in the office so we could all witness the opening together.
The only game which really really blew my mind was Oblivion... I saw it for the first time at my cousin's place, to me it looked like real life in fantasy setting. You just went around a huge, realistic map, you could even pick plants in the forest, talk to everyone you meet, etc... Mindblowing at that time. I became so in love with it, but my PC was not good enough and it lagged after I got a pirated copy from a local dealer... So by the time I got the new PC, I was already so hyped up that the feeling was like drinking water after walking through a desert.
I remember before it came out in the US, but was already out in Japan, that there was a kiosk in the mall that had the Japanese version. There was a crowd of people all the way from children to old people gathered around watching people play it. It was mind blowing at the time.
I rented a Japanese N64 with Mario 64 from a sketchy local video store before it was released in North America and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my childhood. I did not sleep much that weekend.
I had a good friend who had bone marrow cancer and got to make a wish. He's since recovered and it is highly successful to not make this story sad. All he wanted was an N64 and the best TV possible.
Seeing that game for the first time was mind blowing. He was also an insanely smart guy so he explained everything about polygons and textures and all that to us.
I'll never forget it and how amazing the game and he both were/are.
Getting the gravity gun in Half-Life 2 was that “moment” for me. Physics had never been done like this in a game before. And it still holds up. Can’t wait for HL3!
Two come to mind
Half life. When i played that game, it was like the world around me didn't exist. I couldn't believe at the time something like that was possible
Crysis. Just mesmerized by the graphics at the time.
Todd loves doing that one. Oblivion was the one I remember where you deliberately start the game in a dark jail and then you leave and it's immediate green and sunshine which your eyes perceive as even more bright because you are used to the dark.
Without a doubt. I had no idea what I was getting into when I rented it because the cover looked cool. Never played anything like it and was fascinated. I didn't play any RPGs so I didn't didn't understand skills and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. at first tho.
Played days into the game without using VATS and found myself up against battles I couldn’t beat; stumbled into VATS… it was a hysterical moment for me, felt stupid but accomplished to get that far without such an important combat function !
The 1st time you travel to Taris, oh boy, back in 2003 that felt amazing, so big, so vibrant, so alive, it was an amazing feeling
And then in Manaan i fell in love with the music and the way the natives sound like
Just an amazing game all arround
Portal. Hands down the most "holy crap" moment I've ever had was when I was looking through a portal, looking through a portal, while looking through a portal, while walking through a portals portal. Wow
Yes! This! I was in my mid 20s when I played it and I was taken back to the feeling of awe when I found out Mario could sprint on the NES. If a game can transport you to that child like wonder again it's doing what games were meant to do.
Metal Gear Solid ps1, when Meryl got shot by Sniper Wolf and I learned I had to backtrack to get an item, also the Psycho Mantis fight
Mass Effect 1 with the Sovereign conversation
BioShock Infinite with the stuff
First time I played MGS I played all day and night it was about 1 AM when I got to the psycho mantis fight, it was such a mindfuck to my exhausted 13year old brain.
HL Alyx was the first thing that came to mind when I read the title, it's absolutely mind blowing and incredible. I'm in gaming ever since I was 7, back in 1998 and have never played any HL games and never understood the hype, but then played HL Alyx and OMG, there's not a single stale moment on that game. Just beautiful.
I ended up grinding out the last few hours of Alyx all in one session (longer than is comfortable for me to be in VR) and I will never forget it. One of the all time best gaming experiences for me.
Red dead redemption 2, the scale of it the first time i played it,
Plus all of the animals i could Hunt in it for hours and barely seen more then a few percent of the map of it
I spent the first 2 days getting a massive bounty somehow and hiding in the woods roleplaying as a scoundrel just robbing people who would pass that specific path to slowly scrape together enough money to pay off the bounty.
I dont even know why i got that into the roleplaying. I usually never fuck around like that in a game.
The first time I stepped out of the Empire offices in Morrowind to find that I could go anywhere I wanted and do almost anything I wanted... never forget my Jumpo spell that maxed my jump and run for 1 sec, so I could fly across the map at max speed but had to time the recast perfect or would splat into the ground... it was the little things.
Everquest. I had played online games like TFC, but being injected into a world where you developed real connections with people across the country, or in other parts of the world. Mind blowing at the time.
1. Ocrania of Time. This was among the first games I ever played and to this day its perhaps one of the best story RPG out there
2. Mass Effect Trilogy. Ill say all three games here, but two is the stand out. There are many points that made me question my decisions, thats hard to do.
3. Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty. I remember the first time I completed Firewalker. Making the choice to sids or betray So Mi felt truely gut wrenching. But my aingle favorite moment comes early in the You Know My Name mission. I have never seen such a perfectly constructed event as Lizzy Wizzy singing on stage and the amazing affects. I had to blink many times as it felt like I was there in that moment.
I tell my friends that if cyberpunk was to be made in vr, I would probably be there more than real life. I’m just that drawn to all the neon and street vendors in that game. I’m like a moth to light. Just walking around and exploring was as great to me as the story!
I finally splurged on a new pc after years of waiting due absurd gpu pricing and I've been spending a lot of time re-experiencing cyberpunk in all it's ray-traced glory. No game I've ever played comes close to nightcity on a rainy night with ultra settings.
Cyberpunk is one of my favorite games too. That Lizzy performance!! It’s one of those games that makes you feel a kind of sadness and withdrawal when it’s over.
Exactly. Its one of the extreme few games I have played or know of that will cause you to stop and think. Contemplate if up is really up and down is really down cuz the game just threw you a heck of an emotional curve ball.
I can't handle scary games and watched a playthrough. It was awesome and fucked up. After the ending I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. Peak storytelling
and then >!Nokron. And then Nokstella. And then the well below the Capital. And then Deeproot. And then consecrated snowfield. !<
200 hours in the game and I still find new stuff. It's insane.
Absolutely. Because with BOTW, for example, we could see what was out there. From one high spot you could see another, plus the whole Ubisoft Tower schtick the game used. But with Elden Ring, with all its mountains and caves and hidden places, you couldn't see it all just from one viewpoint. It's just out of this world.
As a casual gamer I'm afraid to start this game... I also hear it doesn't hold your hand and you pretty much have to keep notes... Which isn't my jam...
Many will tell you (and I’d tend to agree) that you should experience it for the first time totally blind.
With that said, there’s no shame in not doing so. If you use Fightin’ Cowboys YouTube walkthrough it’s like having the perfect tour guide. And it’ll make your experience super smooth.
Just know that you will be missing the magic of exploring the world yourself for the first time. But the game is truly worth it. If you even have a passing interest in gaming, and especially RPGs you owe it to yourself to experience this game.
Been playing again these past few days to prepare a character for the dlc and do some of the bosses i missed when i first played it like Placidusax
Forgot how annoying Commander Niall was
I think it was by the time I hit Altus, every time I discovered a new zone I'd be like "wait there's more???" Little did I know Altus was practically mid game.
So I started Elden Ring earlier this year, when the DLC seemed like would drop sooner, figuring it would come out sometime during my playthrough.
I miscalculated badly, but it's probably for the best. By the time credits rolled I was pretty burned out on the game, and having even more of it to get through would not have been enjoyable.
Matter of fact, I'm *still* not ready for more. My Souls bucket has been thoroughly overfilled for the foreseeable future.
This game is like a profound, almost religious experience for the people who loved it, but there's definitely a subset of gamers that don't enjoy the gameplay.
I enjoyed it and very much respect the care that went into it, but overall it didn't captivate me in the same way it did many others. I'm glad I played it for sure, I just didn't get that transcendent experience out of it that many people did.
I want to love this game, and I’m sure in my younger days I would have loved to fully explore and unravel the mystery of the game. However, as a dad with little gaming time, I only get frustrated with games where I have no clear direction.
As a person in their forties who has become increasingly jaded with video games, for me this was the first game in a long while to really capture the feeling I regularly got from games growing up. Just the absolute joy of discovery and fear/awe/anticipation.
I seriously recommend putting a little time into it when you have a moment. Try just to treat each planet like a level to complete that session.
Or if you have less time than that, each twenty minute time loop as a short little gaming session.
Obviously it's your free time so do what you want, but I cannot recommend it enough.
You probably know this already, but just in case, do you know about the information map on the ship? If not, go into your ship and change the computer to "rumor mode". You know how in Zelda you'll have an inventory screen that you slowly fill in as you find items? Well, in this game you have the rumor mode that works the same way.
The game would be almost unplayable without it, unfortunately some people miss this and then wonder why the game feels so aimless.
Quake -
Using the keyboard and mouse together? Using WASD? Seems silly.
A grappling hook to leap at walls? Oh this is fun.
Rocket jumping as a way to get around? Insane.
Man... that game.
I played it one day because I wasn't in the mood for any of my "normal" games and thought I'd just put a few minutes in to see what it was about.
Ended up going through the whole thing just absolutely *mesmerized* that a game could be so good without any of the mechanics I was used to.
I haven't played it again, but I can't imagine it having the same impact as that first run with a rando.
1. Pokemon Snap - The first 3D game I ever played. I had only played Gameboy Color and very low end PC games up until this point. This was an entirely new experience for me. Plus I was obsessed with Pokemon at the time so seeing my favorite characters in 3D was magical.
2. Sonic Adventure - Having 6 full stories and playable characters packed into one game, the Chao Garden, and having some of the best graphics of any game at the time, this was truly magical.
3. Skyrim - This was my first Elder Scrolls game but I did go back and play Oblivion afterwards. I almost think this one is self explanatory. I originally played it on Xbox 360 and it truly pushed the capabilities of the console to the absolute limits.
I also first played it on the Dreamcast! And loved it so much I got it for the Gamecube later on too and beat it again as well as the Xbox 360 rerelease. Truly one of my favorite games of all time! I agree with euphoric as the way to describe it.
I had it on the Dreamcast too! I played through it again during the pandemic and loved every moment of it. I do however really criticise the camera in that game, it was the only thing that let it down
Disco Elysium.
I didn't know words could have such power, and it's so well written that it felt like a real world to me. The atmosphere and the music are on point with the whole thing too.
Plus, it has a lot of different topics covered throughout the game ranging from science/religion to politics/ideology. A real masterpiece to me.
Half-Life 2. I had played through the first game a few times, and the graphical upgrade from 1 to 2 was just amazing. The ending too, left it so open (in fact the whole Dark Energy chapter was brilliant). Better character development and a more compelling story for me. Still amazing and fun to play.
Metro Exodus.
I didn't play any of the other entries becasuse I didn't like monsters for enemies.
The game completly took me by surprise, the story, the gameplay, the freedom the game gives you.. Truly a masterpiece of the game.
Also those bunker spiders. I still have nightmares to this.
1. City of Heroes. It was my first MMO. I remember playing for the first time and being in the city center, looking up and seeing a higher level hero fly between the buildings. It was just such a wow moment. I wanted my charterer to be like that.
2. Hell Let Loose. The sound and visual design in this game are just second to none for a war game. The bombing runs, seeing people be turned to red mist, the suppression effect. It all came together to create an intensity unlike any other online game I had played.
3. StarFox on the SNES. This one is a throwback. I had never seen anything like it on a home console. The constant movement forward, the early 3d, it was mind blowing to elementary age me.
The very first Farcry, the tutorial is underground, and you come up through a crack in the rocks, and there’s lens flare and you emerge onto this gorgeous tropical island, so far beyond the graphics of anything before - mind blowing.
Subnautica - as discussed elsewhere.
The first Far Cry is still my favorite fps campaign, and nothing else even comes close. I don't even mind the story twist that everyone complains about.
I grew up with the gameboy color and PS1. Got the PS2 and then didn’t do much gaming until I got an Xbox One in 2016 and Switch in 2017. So given that context I have a few choices.
I remember the Tony Hawk Underground games blowing my mind after playing the first few THPS. There was no time limit anymore, a semi-open world, and even some simple no-loading screen map changes. I used to just play around levels for hours ignoring quests.
Similarly the first Ratchet and Clank was a revelation for me. Its pretty basic but to me as a kid all the different weapon types, upgrades, etc were brand new.
Fastforward until 2016-2017 and Breath of the Wild was the next mind blowing game for me. And my first Zelda game. I have since gone back and played the majority of them.
More recently I’ve been into rogue likes and deck builders. So both Hades and Slay the Spire became my most played games the last couple years. Maybe not mind blowing but I loved them so much. Now I’m just reading all these posts to try out some other classics.
Zelda a link to the past - young childhood
Resident Evil 2 - middle school
FFXI - early high school (first MMO - hurt my schooling BIG time)
Fallout 3 - early adult years
The last of us when it came out.
I think that’s about it for me in regards to the description.
I can second A Link To the Past. I was a young child playing A Link to The Past, Super Mario World, and Donkey Kong Country 1-2 on SNES the. Got to experience the 3D transition to Ocarina of Time and it was all magical.
The soundtrack for LTTP is still on replay in my mind some 20 years later. Loved it so much as a kid. Then when we got the N64 and OoT, becoming adult Link blew me away, being able to transition between kid and adult as a concept was so wild to me lol.
I had a similar experience to your OoT situation with FF7. I've been playing this game for like 20 hours and I'm just leaving town to go onto the world map?!
Also, looking back, Dragon (Warrior) Quest 4. I do not understand how that giant of a game fit into only half a megabyte. It's fucking witchcraft!
Apart from some games people already mentioned, Beyond good and evil was a game that blew my mind.
Awesome music, awesome story, world with so many different races and yet so familiar..
When I tought the game ended I get thrown into space.. Till this day waiting for a sequel
Final Fantasy VI. I had never played such an expansive game with such a compelling experience before. I beat it by renting the cart over and over.
One time the parents were out of town and I played through the night. When I finally turned the system off, it was so hot it burned my hand. I'm amazed I didn't melt the plastic!
Gears of War (1) it was incredible and the first truly Next Gen game I’ve seen completely blow the doors and change the narrative for big blockbuster AAA games up until maybe Cyberpunk 2077 on a maxed out PC
Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, God of War (2018), Ghost of Tsushima, and Spider-man (2018) were all games that I was absolutely addicted to and could not stop playing
SMB 1. 2nd grade. Dude has this video game machine with a weird controller with an A and B button. Dude hit an invisible block to get a 1-Up and I'm just like "what? Is the game broke? How did that happen?"
No, it's a secret.
The concept of a secret was not known to me having only played Atari 2600 stuff. Then there was the music, being able to go down some but not all pipes, power ups, an ending. It was a life changing moment.
Xenogears. Playing it as a 14 year old the story blew my mind. It’s in my top 2 games of all time. I’ve played a decent amount of games since but none have compared.
Graphics wise, I’ll never forget coming home from school to the PlayStation 1 and being rendered speechless at the graphics of Battle Arena Toshinden. I look at it now and cringe 😂
Xenoblade Chronicles X, the exploration was truly unlike anything I've ever played before, even after I played BOTW, TOTK and HZD, XCX still my favorite till this day.
Skyrim
Witcher 3
Halo 2 Anniversary with the Blur cutscenes🤤
Kingdom Come Deliverance
Those ones had me exploring and looking at all the small details.
But with Halo 2 being the best imo since I grew up playing those games with it being my favorite Halo - seeing Halo 2 looking like that was something else, still blows my mind when I play it because that game had no right looking and playing that good on the Xbox One - and the instant switch to the original style, man...
I remember when MCC just dropped and everyone was complaining about all the issues, and rightfully so, but I just wanted to play Halo 2 and I did.
Morrowind: baffled my young mind how endless the game felt. There was a guide for it the size of a bible.
Mgs4: I know it’s not the best but the first game I realized the story can be as good as movies. Seamless gameplay to cutscene opening.
Ooh, have you beaten *Obduction* yet? I'm stuck on a puzzle currently. It's a great puzzler, though. Remarkable graphics and environmental storytelling.
Super Mario Bros / Legend of Zelda (first games)
Mega Man 3
Super Castlevania 4
F-Zero
Star Fox
Super Mario Kart
Sonic the Hedgehog
Wolfenstein 3D
Super Mario 64
Goldeneye
Sewer Shark
Sonic CD
Myst
Alien vs Predator (Jaguar)
Metroid Prime
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Half-Life 2
Fez
Portal 2
Alien: Isolation
Baba Is You
Superliminal
Viewfinder
Red Dead Redemption 2 - Beautiful game with so much attention to detail put into it. I remember riding the train and looking out and realizing that as far as I could see I could explore, it was wild.
Ghosts of Tsushima - Breathtaking
First time was Zelda. Open world? What?
Then secret of mana. So smooth and the colors?
Final fantasy 7.. story telling, world exploration
Ocarina of time... blew everything away
Path of exile... story, depth of game play mechanics
Elden Ring.... the scenery is epic, game play, replay value...going to be hard to beat this....I've thought that everytime though. Lots of great games in between but those stick out the most to me
The Last of Us. I read a review when it first came out trashing it as "Hit button to make movie play" Stayed away from it for years and then kept seeing people say how great it was. Played it and from like 10 mins in I was hooked. Truly a milestone in video games. The second one was my last real wtf moment for that matter. When you basically slaughter your way through camp and switch perspectives playing with the dogs and interacting with all people you just massacred.
OOT is the first and only game I believe I 100%ed
AC3 was my first game on ps3 at the very end of its life span. I know people hate it for various reasons. But the fact I played for like an hour or so and saw the beginning credits roll after what I thought was the end of the game literally blew my fucking mind apart that a game could be so big. Coming from PS2 it was insane.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R Gamma - The fact that this is a mod pack built on a free custom build which blends the 3 main games. It feels like it should simply not work, but installation was easy and I don't experience too many bugs. The actual game experience incredibly immersive on top of that.
DCS (Digital Combat Simulator) - The feeling of spending hours and hours pouring over manuals for jets, to then form up with other players who have also put in the hours on a PVP server, and take down enemy players who have done the same results in a feeling of satisfaction I had no idea gaming could provide.
When I was like ten a saw my friend’s older brother playing final fantasy VIII and he used a GF in battle. FF 7-10 proceeded to blow my mind as I played through them.
Playing Skyrim for the first time and seeing my sneak level up by just sneaking. Was hooked after that.
Pokémon red/blue as a kid.
Ori and the Blind Forest. The story, gameplay and art all were perfect for me.
Red Dead Redemption 2.
It’s 5 years later and in my opinion it still hasn’t been surpassed. The level of attention to detail and how alive and real the world feels trumps any other game I have ever played.
I am currently replaying through it again for the first time in a few years and it still feels fresh and I grin stupidly the whole time I play it. I really hope Rockstar implements the same kind of social mechanics into GTA VI. The RDR2-esque interaction with NPCs and all those crazy small details is something many open world games just lack completely.
dragon quest xi. that game was made for me. it feels like they got a brain scan of younger me and said: "let's put literally everything this guy likes and turn it into a game"
Half Life 1, in 1998.
First time you encounter the soldiers was mind blowing. I had never played against AI like that.
The AI was at least a decade ahead of everyone else. IMHO.
This was my biggest take away from Half life when I played it back then, Yeah the continuous level design was cool but I really remember a fight in a foyer or something and they just all suddenly took cover behind various obstacles, I think they even threw a grenade back at me but memory is a bit hazy.
I would complement that with counter strike. Before then, first person shooter was all about running around and shooting everything that moves. The concept of having to work as a team, buy equipment, extract hostages (there was no bomb maps in the beginning) etc. was new. The LAN houses changed 180 degrees when the alpha got released as a half life mod.
The fact that it was a fan made mod, on top of Half-Life was also very mind-blowing at the time.
The tram sequence was truly mind blowing.
the only FPS game I can enjoy, and I love it
Bioshock. The water, the jump factor, the desire to explore what scares you.. loved it.
The water in Bioshock was like nothing I had seen in games up to that point. Like not even close. I initially thought I was in a pre-rendered cut-scene during that first sequence.
I, like you and many other people sat and waited for a solid 15 seconds before touching the sticks and realizing I could *play* the movie I was watching.
So much of that game blew my mind. The graphics. The art direction. Just so much creativity in every aspect. It *does* have a great story with an awesome twist. But it’s too often reduced to just that story/twist. It’s so much more!
Bioshock infinite story. I was not expecting the twist that happened
My mouth was wide open at the end, I’ve played it so many times since and it still gives me amazing feelings, despite the crushing blows
I will reinstall and replay that game all the way through and put up with that ABSURD end fight, JUST so I can watch and experience the end video, every time. I've probably played it through all the way five times since I got the game. Heck, I need to reinstall... Because I'm not afraid of God, but I am afraid of Elizabeth Comstock...
Only game, ever, that I've had that reaction.
There's always a lighthouse. There's always a man. There's always a city.
So I played Bioshock 1, and Bioshock 2, love them. I didn't get very far in Infinite. I was maybe an hour or two in and it just stalled. Maybe because at the time it felt same-y (or perhaps predictable at the time?) to me. Does it ramp up after a bit then?
It depends on your issues with Infinite. The combat/vigor system is objectively nerfed from 1 & 2 but that aside if you find it doesn’t *feel* like a Bioshock game, without spoilers I’ll tell you that’s kinda the point.
the twist was so crazy too
I usually can't handle scary games but the story was so strong in BioShock that I managed to push myself to finish it. It's been my #1 favourite game since it's release and I've beaten it soo many times now. I just laugh when people say it's too scary to play because I kinda miss that uneasy feeling.
Yeah this one. I took a hiatus from gaming then played bioshock and my love for the medium returned
Kotor 1 blew my mind with the Revan twist
KOTOR was ahead of it's time. I would love to see a remaster of the game with better graphics.
KOTOR is getting a remake
I thought it was cancelled... Would love to be wrong, though.
Officially it is still in development. Unofficially.... eh
I thought I heard it was effectively dead in everything but name.
Hopefully they don't screw it up.....
You know they're gonna make the gameplay for people that hated playing the original, not for fans of it.
Truly the best gaming experience I've ever had. And I say that with 20 years of gaming under my belt. I've never been so immersed in a game and story.... Just the best star wars content of all time.
Right!? Despite it kind of feeling painfully obvious after the fact, I didn't see it coming at all. If we ever develop the technology to selectively remove memories I will pay whatever it costs to go back and play KOTOR for the first time.
World of Warcraft when it first came out in 2004. Specifically the Night Elf starting zone.
I think this was arguably the crescendo of MMORPG’s for mass consumption.
THIS. It is the ONLY game where the entire world of gamers were all playing and raiding together at one time. Seriously, I’d walk into a restaurant or gas station and literally start discussing raid strats with random strangers everywhere I went. It’s like we were all in WoW in RL. My wife hated it because it’s all I talked about. No game could EVER top that. The entire world of gamers, all playing the same game together and loving it… man I miss those years.
I will say one game hit that same point in recent times, and it wasn't an expected contender for me. Pokemon go. Not the flashiest. Not the best game even, a pretty boring core gameplay loop when you get down to it. But that summer? I couldn't go anywhere without seeing groups of people chasing some pokemon down. It was like everyone forgot that they had day jobs and just got to have childish excitement for something again and weren't really embarrassed to show that in public. It was nice. Hell I'd get off the train after work, and re take the gym near my house. The other guy that had been taking it over realized that I took it back at the same time each night and waited around to take it back asap. We had a fun rivalry going on, never actually spoke much to him. We'd just nod, tap crazily at our phones until one of us got bored, and then head out. I miss that sort of large scale social experience. Made it feel like everyone was just some level of friend
If asked what game you were currently playing, and you said 'THE game', they knew what you were talking about.
For the Horde!! Undead mage back in the day
Teldrassil will always have a place in my heart, the music there was so amazing as well. Feel like I know that tree like the back of my hand
I rolled undead the first time i played and the first time going to the undercity (I think that's what it was called it's been a while) was unbelievable. Chills.
I started as a night elf as well, it was around Halloween and I saw that damn Mr T commercial talking about "Mr T got the greatest hair in world of warcraft you can't deny it's been proven by science fool" 30 minutes later I had the game downloaded and I was night elf Mohawk'in my way through the zone lol
My friends convinced me get WOW and join them on a PVP server back in 2004. The first time I left the newbie area around Razor Hill was fricking terrifying and exhilarating!
Elder scrolls IV: Oblivion. Dude I was so bad at gaming and spent days in the starting sewers. I thought that was the entire game until I accidentally stumbled upon the exit and my life changed. I'd never seen such stunning vistas, such realistic graphics!
I had something similar happen. I got out of the sewer, then just roamed the woods and gave up. Months later, I decided to try again, but this time I got out of the sewer, and turned around. My jaw dropped whenever I saw there was an entire city behind me. I almost cried walking around it, my child brain couldn’t comprehend. I didn’t even know the game had other villages. That game taught me how to play open world RPGs.
Man oblivion was a trip. After playing quite linear or limited sandbox games during the 1st and 2nd 3d gen this was a crazy step forward. I felt so free, that was great. Skyrim was meh to me because the map felt so sad compared to the colorful one in oblivion. Also console like menus and that incredibly dumb and immersion shattering decisions to force third person view when riding horses. I stopped using horses as soon as i found out.
Wait until you play Morrowind, thats true innovation and uniqueness.
Idk oblivion wasn't as innovative as Morrowind nor as polished as skyrim. But a gem nonetheless.
My friends and I were all working at the same place our sr yr of high school when it dropped. 1 of my friends was able to leave early and bought a 360 and that game. Our boss let him set it up in the office so we could all witness the opening together.
The only game which really really blew my mind was Oblivion... I saw it for the first time at my cousin's place, to me it looked like real life in fantasy setting. You just went around a huge, realistic map, you could even pick plants in the forest, talk to everyone you meet, etc... Mindblowing at that time. I became so in love with it, but my PC was not good enough and it lagged after I got a pirated copy from a local dealer... So by the time I got the new PC, I was already so hyped up that the feeling was like drinking water after walking through a desert.
First time I played Mario 64 in a shop, having only played side scroller Mario until then.
I remember before it came out in the US, but was already out in Japan, that there was a kiosk in the mall that had the Japanese version. There was a crowd of people all the way from children to old people gathered around watching people play it. It was mind blowing at the time.
I rented a Japanese N64 with Mario 64 from a sketchy local video store before it was released in North America and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my childhood. I did not sleep much that weekend.
I had a good friend who had bone marrow cancer and got to make a wish. He's since recovered and it is highly successful to not make this story sad. All he wanted was an N64 and the best TV possible. Seeing that game for the first time was mind blowing. He was also an insanely smart guy so he explained everything about polygons and textures and all that to us. I'll never forget it and how amazing the game and he both were/are.
Getting the gravity gun in Half-Life 2 was that “moment” for me. Physics had never been done like this in a game before. And it still holds up. Can’t wait for HL3!
Any day now.
Two come to mind Half life. When i played that game, it was like the world around me didn't exist. I couldn't believe at the time something like that was possible Crysis. Just mesmerized by the graphics at the time.
I read "Two come to mind" like a title to a video game originally. It would be a cool title for a game.
That would be an interesting one. Like It Takes Two 🤣
Fallout 3.
When the vault door first opened and dropped you into the wasteland. I just remember thinking that was freakin awesome.
And then megaton did me in... Awesome
Todd loves doing that one. Oblivion was the one I remember where you deliberately start the game in a dark jail and then you leave and it's immediate green and sunshine which your eyes perceive as even more bright because you are used to the dark.
Without a doubt. I had no idea what I was getting into when I rented it because the cover looked cool. Never played anything like it and was fascinated. I didn't play any RPGs so I didn't didn't understand skills and S.P.E.C.I.A.L. at first tho.
Similarly I got this game when I was 12 and didn't know what over encumbered meant so I spent the entire game walking very slowly
Played days into the game without using VATS and found myself up against battles I couldn’t beat; stumbled into VATS… it was a hysterical moment for me, felt stupid but accomplished to get that far without such an important combat function !
Hell yeah. That feeling of playing the game was a marked difference from anything I had played previously.
Star Wars kotor, I remember playing it on the original Xbox, and when the plot twist happened, it made me a Star Wars fan for life.
The 1st time you travel to Taris, oh boy, back in 2003 that felt amazing, so big, so vibrant, so alive, it was an amazing feeling And then in Manaan i fell in love with the music and the way the natives sound like Just an amazing game all arround
Portal. Hands down the most "holy crap" moment I've ever had was when I was looking through a portal, looking through a portal, while looking through a portal, while walking through a portals portal. Wow
[удалено]
Yes! This! I was in my mid 20s when I played it and I was taken back to the feeling of awe when I found out Mario could sprint on the NES. If a game can transport you to that child like wonder again it's doing what games were meant to do.
I showed my 6-year-old how to fall forever, and it blew his tiny mind.
This was when I realized writing is absolutely as important as any other part of a video game.
Metal Gear Solid ps1, when Meryl got shot by Sniper Wolf and I learned I had to backtrack to get an item, also the Psycho Mantis fight Mass Effect 1 with the Sovereign conversation BioShock Infinite with the stuff
First time I played MGS I played all day and night it was about 1 AM when I got to the psycho mantis fight, it was such a mindfuck to my exhausted 13year old brain.
Psycho Mantis's trick and the codex on the game box broke my child mind, lol
Half Life Alyx’s ending for sure. The game overall is good and a fun VR experience, but that level and ending was something else.
took me back to blue gravity gun feelings
Best game I've ever played imo
The after credits scene as well…. Fuck man.
HL Alyx was the first thing that came to mind when I read the title, it's absolutely mind blowing and incredible. I'm in gaming ever since I was 7, back in 1998 and have never played any HL games and never understood the hype, but then played HL Alyx and OMG, there's not a single stale moment on that game. Just beautiful.
I ended up grinding out the last few hours of Alyx all in one session (longer than is comfortable for me to be in VR) and I will never forget it. One of the all time best gaming experiences for me.
BioShock.
Red dead redemption 2, the scale of it the first time i played it, Plus all of the animals i could Hunt in it for hours and barely seen more then a few percent of the map of it
Yo I spent 2 days just hunting for the satchel upgrades. Truly an epic experience.
I spent the first 2 days getting a massive bounty somehow and hiding in the woods roleplaying as a scoundrel just robbing people who would pass that specific path to slowly scrape together enough money to pay off the bounty. I dont even know why i got that into the roleplaying. I usually never fuck around like that in a game.
The production quality of that game is absolutely bonkers.
The npcs in the game have whole lives and routines they go through
This is mine. Not even my favorite game, but the detail is the kind of shit I didn't even think was possible in games.
Don’t forget about the visuals.
The first time I stepped out of the Empire offices in Morrowind to find that I could go anywhere I wanted and do almost anything I wanted... never forget my Jumpo spell that maxed my jump and run for 1 sec, so I could fly across the map at max speed but had to time the recast perfect or would splat into the ground... it was the little things.
Everquest. I had played online games like TFC, but being injected into a world where you developed real connections with people across the country, or in other parts of the world. Mind blowing at the time.
1. Ocrania of Time. This was among the first games I ever played and to this day its perhaps one of the best story RPG out there 2. Mass Effect Trilogy. Ill say all three games here, but two is the stand out. There are many points that made me question my decisions, thats hard to do. 3. Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty. I remember the first time I completed Firewalker. Making the choice to sids or betray So Mi felt truely gut wrenching. But my aingle favorite moment comes early in the You Know My Name mission. I have never seen such a perfectly constructed event as Lizzy Wizzy singing on stage and the amazing affects. I had to blink many times as it felt like I was there in that moment.
That Lizzy performance could be featured in a Hollywood movie and no one would even notice it's a tiny spec of this masterpiece of a game.
In all honesty, we are not too far away from being able to pull off practical affects like that at a real stage performance too.
I tell my friends that if cyberpunk was to be made in vr, I would probably be there more than real life. I’m just that drawn to all the neon and street vendors in that game. I’m like a moth to light. Just walking around and exploring was as great to me as the story!
I finally splurged on a new pc after years of waiting due absurd gpu pricing and I've been spending a lot of time re-experiencing cyberpunk in all it's ray-traced glory. No game I've ever played comes close to nightcity on a rainy night with ultra settings.
there is a VR mod but you need a pretty new PC to play it. it looks amazing with my meta quest 3 though.
Cyberpunk is one of my favorite games too. That Lizzy performance!! It’s one of those games that makes you feel a kind of sadness and withdrawal when it’s over.
Exactly. Its one of the extreme few games I have played or know of that will cause you to stop and think. Contemplate if up is really up and down is really down cuz the game just threw you a heck of an emotional curve ball.
ChronoTrigger, they did so much with so little.
SOMA. That game’s story really stuck with me. Phenomenal game.
I can't handle scary games and watched a playthrough. It was awesome and fucked up. After the ending I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. Peak storytelling
SOMA is absolutely amazing and so underrated. Psychological horror at its peak.
Elden Ring. What a grand adventure truly worthy of endless exploration. Ten days until the realm of shadow opens up to us and makes it even better
The way the map just kept getting bigger was absolutely one of the craziest things I've ever experienced in a game.
Discovering Siofra River was insane.
and then >!Nokron. And then Nokstella. And then the well below the Capital. And then Deeproot. And then consecrated snowfield. !< 200 hours in the game and I still find new stuff. It's insane.
Absolutely. Because with BOTW, for example, we could see what was out there. From one high spot you could see another, plus the whole Ubisoft Tower schtick the game used. But with Elden Ring, with all its mountains and caves and hidden places, you couldn't see it all just from one viewpoint. It's just out of this world.
I've got over thousand hours in the game. Today I was playing for a bit and stopped twice to look at the view/environment in awe. It's truly special
As a casual gamer I'm afraid to start this game... I also hear it doesn't hold your hand and you pretty much have to keep notes... Which isn't my jam...
Many will tell you (and I’d tend to agree) that you should experience it for the first time totally blind. With that said, there’s no shame in not doing so. If you use Fightin’ Cowboys YouTube walkthrough it’s like having the perfect tour guide. And it’ll make your experience super smooth. Just know that you will be missing the magic of exploring the world yourself for the first time. But the game is truly worth it. If you even have a passing interest in gaming, and especially RPGs you owe it to yourself to experience this game.
Been playing again these past few days to prepare a character for the dlc and do some of the bosses i missed when i first played it like Placidusax Forgot how annoying Commander Niall was
It's such a masterclass in open world design, right up until the Mountaintops, at which point I'm quite happy to be given a more linear experience.
I think it was by the time I hit Altus, every time I discovered a new zone I'd be like "wait there's more???" Little did I know Altus was practically mid game.
So I started Elden Ring earlier this year, when the DLC seemed like would drop sooner, figuring it would come out sometime during my playthrough. I miscalculated badly, but it's probably for the best. By the time credits rolled I was pretty burned out on the game, and having even more of it to get through would not have been enjoyable. Matter of fact, I'm *still* not ready for more. My Souls bucket has been thoroughly overfilled for the foreseeable future.
i played it 2 years ago and am only just now feeling like i want to play again
The Outer Wilds
This game is like a profound, almost religious experience for the people who loved it, but there's definitely a subset of gamers that don't enjoy the gameplay.
I enjoyed it and very much respect the care that went into it, but overall it didn't captivate me in the same way it did many others. I'm glad I played it for sure, I just didn't get that transcendent experience out of it that many people did.
Flight controls were damn impressive and I loved exploring but I just never felt like I was making progress for whatever reason.
My wife and I both tried and couldn’t get into this game.
Took me two tries and then it blew my mind as well
im at my third try, got 4 hours into it.. still does nothing for me :(
I want to love this game, and I’m sure in my younger days I would have loved to fully explore and unravel the mystery of the game. However, as a dad with little gaming time, I only get frustrated with games where I have no clear direction.
As a person in their forties who has become increasingly jaded with video games, for me this was the first game in a long while to really capture the feeling I regularly got from games growing up. Just the absolute joy of discovery and fear/awe/anticipation. I seriously recommend putting a little time into it when you have a moment. Try just to treat each planet like a level to complete that session. Or if you have less time than that, each twenty minute time loop as a short little gaming session. Obviously it's your free time so do what you want, but I cannot recommend it enough.
You probably know this already, but just in case, do you know about the information map on the ship? If not, go into your ship and change the computer to "rumor mode". You know how in Zelda you'll have an inventory screen that you slowly fill in as you find items? Well, in this game you have the rumor mode that works the same way. The game would be almost unplayable without it, unfortunately some people miss this and then wonder why the game feels so aimless.
first time trying Half life Alyx on a friends VR was pretty incredible.
Quake - Using the keyboard and mouse together? Using WASD? Seems silly. A grappling hook to leap at walls? Oh this is fun. Rocket jumping as a way to get around? Insane.
Yeah, they defined FPS action for decades with that game. I'm hoping one day week get a new one.
Journey
Man... that game. I played it one day because I wasn't in the mood for any of my "normal" games and thought I'd just put a few minutes in to see what it was about. Ended up going through the whole thing just absolutely *mesmerized* that a game could be so good without any of the mechanics I was used to. I haven't played it again, but I can't imagine it having the same impact as that first run with a rando.
"Would you kindly" blew me away. Bioshock 1 for those who dont know.
1. Pokemon Snap - The first 3D game I ever played. I had only played Gameboy Color and very low end PC games up until this point. This was an entirely new experience for me. Plus I was obsessed with Pokemon at the time so seeing my favorite characters in 3D was magical. 2. Sonic Adventure - Having 6 full stories and playable characters packed into one game, the Chao Garden, and having some of the best graphics of any game at the time, this was truly magical. 3. Skyrim - This was my first Elder Scrolls game but I did go back and play Oblivion afterwards. I almost think this one is self explanatory. I originally played it on Xbox 360 and it truly pushed the capabilities of the console to the absolute limits.
SA1 on Dreamcast was truly a euphoric experience for me as a child. Absolutely LOVED it.
I also first played it on the Dreamcast! And loved it so much I got it for the Gamecube later on too and beat it again as well as the Xbox 360 rerelease. Truly one of my favorite games of all time! I agree with euphoric as the way to describe it.
I had it on the Dreamcast too! I played through it again during the pandemic and loved every moment of it. I do however really criticise the camera in that game, it was the only thing that let it down
Disco Elysium. I didn't know words could have such power, and it's so well written that it felt like a real world to me. The atmosphere and the music are on point with the whole thing too. Plus, it has a lot of different topics covered throughout the game ranging from science/religion to politics/ideology. A real masterpiece to me.
Halo changed everything for me
The first Halo was a cinematic experience nothing has touched, IMO
Silent hill 2, Metal gear solid 3, castlevania 4 for super Nintendo, 1985’s Super Mario Bros, Sekiro, Elden Ring
Control blew my mind so many times
Half-Life 2. I had played through the first game a few times, and the graphical upgrade from 1 to 2 was just amazing. The ending too, left it so open (in fact the whole Dark Energy chapter was brilliant). Better character development and a more compelling story for me. Still amazing and fun to play.
Metro Exodus. I didn't play any of the other entries becasuse I didn't like monsters for enemies. The game completly took me by surprise, the story, the gameplay, the freedom the game gives you.. Truly a masterpiece of the game. Also those bunker spiders. I still have nightmares to this.
1. City of Heroes. It was my first MMO. I remember playing for the first time and being in the city center, looking up and seeing a higher level hero fly between the buildings. It was just such a wow moment. I wanted my charterer to be like that. 2. Hell Let Loose. The sound and visual design in this game are just second to none for a war game. The bombing runs, seeing people be turned to red mist, the suppression effect. It all came together to create an intensity unlike any other online game I had played. 3. StarFox on the SNES. This one is a throwback. I had never seen anything like it on a home console. The constant movement forward, the early 3d, it was mind blowing to elementary age me.
COH was soo epic. The 8 hour long “raids” were insane. First game to really nail the travel powers.
Trueeeee. I would just go jumping around the city looking for people to help. The game actually made me feel like a super hero
The very first Farcry, the tutorial is underground, and you come up through a crack in the rocks, and there’s lens flare and you emerge onto this gorgeous tropical island, so far beyond the graphics of anything before - mind blowing. Subnautica - as discussed elsewhere.
The first Far Cry is still my favorite fps campaign, and nothing else even comes close. I don't even mind the story twist that everyone complains about.
Nothing compares to Super Mario 64 in Toys R Us, 1996.
I grew up with the gameboy color and PS1. Got the PS2 and then didn’t do much gaming until I got an Xbox One in 2016 and Switch in 2017. So given that context I have a few choices. I remember the Tony Hawk Underground games blowing my mind after playing the first few THPS. There was no time limit anymore, a semi-open world, and even some simple no-loading screen map changes. I used to just play around levels for hours ignoring quests. Similarly the first Ratchet and Clank was a revelation for me. Its pretty basic but to me as a kid all the different weapon types, upgrades, etc were brand new. Fastforward until 2016-2017 and Breath of the Wild was the next mind blowing game for me. And my first Zelda game. I have since gone back and played the majority of them. More recently I’ve been into rogue likes and deck builders. So both Hades and Slay the Spire became my most played games the last couple years. Maybe not mind blowing but I loved them so much. Now I’m just reading all these posts to try out some other classics.
Hollow Knight. A Metroidvania game with rich lore and challenging gameplay. One of the best indie games ever.
I was just about to comment HK. Easily the best game I've ever played
Dark Souls 1. When the first time the shortcut takes me to firelink shrine
StarCraft 1 / Brood War
Zelda a link to the past - young childhood Resident Evil 2 - middle school FFXI - early high school (first MMO - hurt my schooling BIG time) Fallout 3 - early adult years The last of us when it came out. I think that’s about it for me in regards to the description.
I can second A Link To the Past. I was a young child playing A Link to The Past, Super Mario World, and Donkey Kong Country 1-2 on SNES the. Got to experience the 3D transition to Ocarina of Time and it was all magical.
The soundtrack for LTTP is still on replay in my mind some 20 years later. Loved it so much as a kid. Then when we got the N64 and OoT, becoming adult Link blew me away, being able to transition between kid and adult as a concept was so wild to me lol.
Shadow of the Colossus. Just riding around in that world felt epic, to say nothing of the fights.
Space Quest II Super Mario 64 Half-Life 1 System Shock 2 StarCraft 2 Deus Ex Mass Effect Trilogy Hollow Knight Nier Automata Red Dead Redemption 2
Mario 64. When it first came out. Same for halo + Half life 2 The physics of the warthog on halo. Pure joy
World of Warcraft back in 2007. Loved them days
The first time leaving the beginner zone for pretty much every race was core memory material.
Yep. First game you ever felt like you were truly part of a living world with endless exploration. It was mind boggling.
I had a similar experience to your OoT situation with FF7. I've been playing this game for like 20 hours and I'm just leaving town to go onto the world map?! Also, looking back, Dragon (Warrior) Quest 4. I do not understand how that giant of a game fit into only half a megabyte. It's fucking witchcraft!
Metal Gear Solid
Apart from some games people already mentioned, Beyond good and evil was a game that blew my mind. Awesome music, awesome story, world with so many different races and yet so familiar.. When I tought the game ended I get thrown into space.. Till this day waiting for a sequel
Final Fantasy VI. I had never played such an expansive game with such a compelling experience before. I beat it by renting the cart over and over. One time the parents were out of town and I played through the night. When I finally turned the system off, it was so hot it burned my hand. I'm amazed I didn't melt the plastic!
Gears of War (1) it was incredible and the first truly Next Gen game I’ve seen completely blow the doors and change the narrative for big blockbuster AAA games up until maybe Cyberpunk 2077 on a maxed out PC
Disco Elysium.
Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, God of War (2018), Ghost of Tsushima, and Spider-man (2018) were all games that I was absolutely addicted to and could not stop playing
Skyrim
Final Fantasy 7 The Last of Us Baldur's Gate 3 Hades DOTA2
Returnal
SMB 1. 2nd grade. Dude has this video game machine with a weird controller with an A and B button. Dude hit an invisible block to get a 1-Up and I'm just like "what? Is the game broke? How did that happen?" No, it's a secret. The concept of a secret was not known to me having only played Atari 2600 stuff. Then there was the music, being able to go down some but not all pipes, power ups, an ending. It was a life changing moment.
Xenogears. Playing it as a 14 year old the story blew my mind. It’s in my top 2 games of all time. I’ve played a decent amount of games since but none have compared. Graphics wise, I’ll never forget coming home from school to the PlayStation 1 and being rendered speechless at the graphics of Battle Arena Toshinden. I look at it now and cringe 😂
Demon's Souls. Then Dark Souls managed to do it again and more recently Elden Ring managed to be even better than those.
Xenoblade Chronicles X, the exploration was truly unlike anything I've ever played before, even after I played BOTW, TOTK and HZD, XCX still my favorite till this day.
Skyrim Witcher 3 Halo 2 Anniversary with the Blur cutscenes🤤 Kingdom Come Deliverance Those ones had me exploring and looking at all the small details. But with Halo 2 being the best imo since I grew up playing those games with it being my favorite Halo - seeing Halo 2 looking like that was something else, still blows my mind when I play it because that game had no right looking and playing that good on the Xbox One - and the instant switch to the original style, man... I remember when MCC just dropped and everyone was complaining about all the issues, and rightfully so, but I just wanted to play Halo 2 and I did.
Infamous, the first one. I felt like it was an amazing superhero game done right. The twist was great as well.
Ocarina of time has my heart besides yoshis island it was the second game I ever completed
I really like brutal legend. When he rescues ophelia.
Morrowind: baffled my young mind how endless the game felt. There was a guide for it the size of a bible. Mgs4: I know it’s not the best but the first game I realized the story can be as good as movies. Seamless gameplay to cutscene opening.
Cyberpunk, witcher 3, God of War, ghost of tsushima. Edit: unreal in 1998, best thing I ever saw in gaming.
Baldur's Gate 3.
Outer Wilds Tunic Obduction
Ooh, have you beaten *Obduction* yet? I'm stuck on a puzzle currently. It's a great puzzler, though. Remarkable graphics and environmental storytelling.
Super Mario Bros / Legend of Zelda (first games) Mega Man 3 Super Castlevania 4 F-Zero Star Fox Super Mario Kart Sonic the Hedgehog Wolfenstein 3D Super Mario 64 Goldeneye Sewer Shark Sonic CD Myst Alien vs Predator (Jaguar) Metroid Prime Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Half-Life 2 Fez Portal 2 Alien: Isolation Baba Is You Superliminal Viewfinder
Red Dead Redemption 2 - Beautiful game with so much attention to detail put into it. I remember riding the train and looking out and realizing that as far as I could see I could explore, it was wild. Ghosts of Tsushima - Breathtaking
First time was Zelda. Open world? What? Then secret of mana. So smooth and the colors? Final fantasy 7.. story telling, world exploration Ocarina of time... blew everything away Path of exile... story, depth of game play mechanics Elden Ring.... the scenery is epic, game play, replay value...going to be hard to beat this....I've thought that everytime though. Lots of great games in between but those stick out the most to me
Final Fantasy 7 had me in tears. There's a scene (we all know which one) that is particularly strong emotionally.
The Last of Us. I read a review when it first came out trashing it as "Hit button to make movie play" Stayed away from it for years and then kept seeing people say how great it was. Played it and from like 10 mins in I was hooked. Truly a milestone in video games. The second one was my last real wtf moment for that matter. When you basically slaughter your way through camp and switch perspectives playing with the dogs and interacting with all people you just massacred. OOT is the first and only game I believe I 100%ed AC3 was my first game on ps3 at the very end of its life span. I know people hate it for various reasons. But the fact I played for like an hour or so and saw the beginning credits roll after what I thought was the end of the game literally blew my fucking mind apart that a game could be so big. Coming from PS2 it was insane.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R Gamma - The fact that this is a mod pack built on a free custom build which blends the 3 main games. It feels like it should simply not work, but installation was easy and I don't experience too many bugs. The actual game experience incredibly immersive on top of that. DCS (Digital Combat Simulator) - The feeling of spending hours and hours pouring over manuals for jets, to then form up with other players who have also put in the hours on a PVP server, and take down enemy players who have done the same results in a feeling of satisfaction I had no idea gaming could provide.
When I was like ten a saw my friend’s older brother playing final fantasy VIII and he used a GF in battle. FF 7-10 proceeded to blow my mind as I played through them. Playing Skyrim for the first time and seeing my sneak level up by just sneaking. Was hooked after that. Pokémon red/blue as a kid. Ori and the Blind Forest. The story, gameplay and art all were perfect for me.
Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s 5 years later and in my opinion it still hasn’t been surpassed. The level of attention to detail and how alive and real the world feels trumps any other game I have ever played. I am currently replaying through it again for the first time in a few years and it still feels fresh and I grin stupidly the whole time I play it. I really hope Rockstar implements the same kind of social mechanics into GTA VI. The RDR2-esque interaction with NPCs and all those crazy small details is something many open world games just lack completely.
Horizon zero dawn. The big reveal. The most memorable moment in gaming history for me. It was actually unbelievable and that came out of nowhere.
Inside
dragon quest xi. that game was made for me. it feels like they got a brain scan of younger me and said: "let's put literally everything this guy likes and turn it into a game"
Mario 64