Support NeoGAF

[kingbean]

I was sitting at my desk at work just thinking about how magical, for the lack of a better word, some games make me feel.
I was thinking about sprite work on Garou: Mark of the Wolves and how it's this answer to a limitation in hardware that was created to convey action to the player. How in 320x224 pixels do they display conflict and motion so fucking fantastically? Such a small pallet to create such wonderful art and animation that I can't help but be in awe. This can be for many sprite based games that I'm talking about. Thinking at Chrono Trigger is a huge game with so much content and such a fun story but it's only 3MBs. It's just awesome.

This awe I have felt playing some current gen games and is easier to be put into words, so It might be better described as amazement.

I've got verbal diarrhea. One more thing then I'll let you go.

Other than being awed be technical mastery there is the only positive nostalgic feeling I have and that's exploring Hyrule field in Ocarina of Time for the first time.
It was an experience. It was something that even at 10 years old I could tell was truly game changing. I had never(Because my parents were Sega fans) played another remotely like that before hand.
I can't effectively put it into words, I actually can only describe my first interactions with that game as awe inspiring.

I've never once again that level of awe from any game. I know people will be able to probably list more than one occurrence of awe, but I swear I cannot.
Not Dark Souls, not Metal Gear, not Final Fantasy and not even other Zelda games have given me that feeling.

So, I say that jumbled mess of words because I want to know what game related things -or other- have had this effect on you.

 

[SegaShack]

I came here to post about Ocarina of Time but am already beaten. Definitely was mindblowing.

Pokemon Red and Blue amazed me to a lesser extent than OOT, but how they had such a big world and game on the gameboy was insane.

 

[Jigsaah]

Specifically with art? Wolfenstein II definitely comes to mind. Uncharted is a given. Ori and the blind forest is another. Hmmm, AC Odyssey's character models and world is absolutley ridiculous.

 

[JLMC469]

Ocarina of Time title screen.
Mass Effect intro (Commander Shepard looking outside the window...).
BioShock 1 and Infinite openings.

 

[Tesseract]

exploding your enemy into an ocean's spray of bloody giblets

shit talking the enemy until he or she rages in the cage

tea bagging your fallen brothers

 

[DonF]

Mario 64, the first time I played it I went crazy, the movement, the camera, everything was just so perfect. The secrets, oh so good, I remember going crazy when I was just looking around and got to the world where you get the flying cap.
Then banjo, kinda in the same vein, but more detailed.

I remember also feeling like that with FF VIII, such a big world, great looking combat.

Lately,Nier automata with its story telling and music, and BotW when the tutorial ends.

 

[Psykodad]

Wander entering the Forbidden Lands > all

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Entering Rapture for the first time. The graphics look dated now, but I was so pumped for that game and it did not fail to deliver. Bioshock was one of the best experiences of last gen for me, hands down.

 

[Lux R7]

Many things during my first ever playthrough of Dark Souls, but i remember in particular when i was in the forest playing with the camera and i saw the moonlight butterfly standing on the top of that castle wall. I was like "ok, this game is making its way into my heart".

 

[ThatGamingDude]

Essentially the entire 32 bit/5th gen era

As a kid I trudged through a lot of the older systems (I'm in my late 20s) because of my Dad having all the old hardware around; gleefully plugging away at Zork was a good way to spend my afternoon

I think for me, my emotional maturity at the time the 5th-6th gen came out was what set apart older titles, the titles at that time, and newer titles from each other

I was a kid with modded consoles and a CD/DVD burner in his room; back then it was just me and the friends enjoying video games, no adult-life-social-politics-and-norms to follow and just really enjoying the game and hanging out.

Notable for me? Final Fantasy 8 and 9 off the top of my head
That and Diablo 2; hearing any part of that sound track or any sound sample from it immediately takes me back to lan partying in a garage closet in the summer, so small that everyone had to get up and leave so someone could go to the bath room

 

[xool]

Assassin's Creed (1)

Climbing to the top of the cathedral in Acre (i think) - first and only term a game gave me vertigo ..actually felt it. Came back and played the game again much later - happened again.

 

[Pallas]

Several occasions, But I’ll explain one instance and it’s a bit of a long read, so I apologize.

Not any particular game but when I was younger I had some memorable experiences of JRPG’s on the SNES. I had a much deeper dive into them when I decided I wanted a PS1(I had a N64 before) because I played the FFVII demo at my friends house who I went to school with and he had also had Breath of Fire 3. I loved BoF2 as a kid on SNES and the earlier FF’s. Little did I know that buying the PS1 really opened the flood gates and put me in awe at these unique games from Japan. From the art, the music, the characters, the plot, I was just in amazement and awe. I ended up playing a lot of these games. Such as Persona 1, Jade Cocoon 1, Wild Arms 1, Kartia, Brigandine, Star Ocean 2, Thousand Arms, etc.

I wasn’t in awe again until I played my first Elder Scrolls game, which was Oblivion on the PS3. Being opened world, having freedom, character customization was so foreign and exotic to me at the time, I ate that shit up and it made me want to play more WRPG’s.

I didn’t even know back then that there was such a thing as JRPG’s and WRPG’s. I ended up loving both. Lol

 

[molasar]

R-360 arcade unit.
Seeing for the first time a presentation of Killer Instinct Arcade on TV by the end of 1994.
Seeing for the first time a GoldenEye 007 N64 trailer on TV in 1997.
The reveal of Metal Gear Solid 2 at E3 2000.

 

[Bryank75]

Metal Gear Solid, particularly the introduction, Psycho Mantis fight and the Metal Gear fight including Grey foxes monologue before he dies.


Metal Gear Solid 3 Boss Battle with the end and the final moments of the Boss.


Metal Gear Solid 4, return to shadow moses... The Best is yet to come starts playing and I am Irish and had been following the series so it meant a lot to me that there was a full song in my countries language in the game.


God of War 3 - Chronos


GOW - Kratos returns home.... ahem! and the first boss fight of course.

Horizon Zero Dawn - fighting the Thunderjaw

 

[iconmaster]

My first encounter with a Mode 7 landscape on SNES. I can't remember which game exactly... ActRaiser? F-Zero? Seems quaint now but that blew my mind at the time.

My first encounter with Super Mario 64. I was so terrified of falling, I crawled across the bridge.

Crossing into Mexico in Red Dead and "Far Away" begins playing. I think I'll remember that for the rest of my life.

 

[zcaa0g]

Exiting out of the Vortex Rykers to open skies in Unreal 1 back in the late 90s. Dayyyyyum!

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Coming from the very start of videogames:


- Super Castlevania IV. Mode 7. The first time I saw such effects on a videogame. That was mindblowing.

- Super Mario 64. Needless to explain this one.

- Final Fantasy VII. From the very intro you can tell that is history in the making. Epic is an understatement

- Zelda Wind Waker. Absolutely incredible how crisp it looked, the animations, the atmosphere...everything

- Shadow of the colossus on PS2. The scale of the game, the otherworldly setting, the ENDING...

- Assassins Creed 1 , last gen. The moment when you get to the arabic town riding on a horse and the music starts... fantastic.

- Uncharted 2, when I got to the top of the hotel in Nepal. The view... oh my god. The whole game is something else.

- The end of Nier Automata, my personal GOAT game


But this gen everything was blown away by Astro Bot, the most incredible gaming experience since Mario 64. Every minute of it is amazement after amazement. I cannot stress enough how badly you guys NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME.

 

[CJY]

The first Colosus in Shadow of the Colossus... and the rest of that game.

 

[Belmonte]

I have many moments of actual awe in games. Perhaps I'm too impressionable or perhaps I just like videogames a lot. I will mention one of the most recent.

Spoiler: Dark Souls 1

At the time I already beated most of the Dark Souls areas and was messing around below Blightown, beating those snail-like monsters, farming some stones. I saw an area I didn't notice before. It was a tree. When I entered it had a message in the floor saying there was an illusory wall. I attack the walls and fond the secret area with a chest.

I was already exiting the trunk when I had a sensation it couldn't be just a hidden chest. There was something special in the area, I don't know...it was very un-blightown-like to be just a chest. I attack the wall for the second time, even though, the game never had two illusory walls in sequence and to my surprise, appeared an entire new area! After 3 or 4 steps it appeared in my screen "THE GREAT HOLLOW". Wow!!

I was expecting just a little room at best, not a giant hollow tree! I go down and down, and it doesn't stop! "What the hell is this? Where is this going?" It felt like a misterious journey when I tried to understand what was the relation of this area with the others and the lore of Dark Souls. So finally I got to the end, exit The Great Hollow and appeared in my screen "ASHE LAKE". Wow x10!!! I don't know what I was expecting, but surely this was not!

I felt I discovered something of great worth. A seemingly infinite area which seems to be the base of all earth above. It felt very special and secretive, like as if I shouldn't be there. I wouldn't say it felt alien, it was like I was the alien in there. In the end I encountered a fricking slumbering Stone Dragon and, to me, as someone paying attention to Dark Souls lore to this point, I knew I discovered something incredible.

Yeah, I know you can see this in a guide, preview, etc. But playing blind it was a jaw dropping experience!

 

[iconmaster]

Belmonte I didn't know any of that. (I'm sure I missed a lot of content in Dark Souls.) I'll try that when I get around to playing through my Switch copy.

 

[Belmonte]

Belmonte I didn't know any of that. (I'm sure I missed a lot of content in Dark Souls.) I'll try that when I get around to playing through my Switch copy.

I almost missed also! If it wasn't that weird sensation I had in the trunk, I wouldn't see any of it! From one hand, not knowing is a part of what makes the discovery special, but on other hand, we always are at risk of missing content.

But go there when you play it on Switch, it is awesome regardless!

 

[zeorhymer]

Coming to Misareaux Coast for the first time in FFXI: Chains of Promathia. That was an awe and wonder which I hadn't seen before when I was young.

 

[brian0057]

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
  • When I first encountered Naydra and had to purge Ganon's influence from her in what it's possibly the coolest battle I've ever experienced in a video game.
• Thief II: The Metal Age.
  • The dual mission combo: "Casing the Joint" and "Masks". Having to draw the map of the place you're gonna burgle by actually going there and exploring the level. And then using that same map (complete or not) to move through the level once the proper missions starts. One of the most brilliant moments in gaming. I love those missions. And that library might be one of the scariest parts of the series.
• Xenoblade Chronicles.
  • I think this is more common for everyone who has played it. It's that moment when you arrive at Gaur Plains. Good stuff.
• Resident Evil (2002).
  • The fight against Lisa Trevor and the prelude to it. I was already spooked when I read her diary. That just made her appearance and the subsequent battle all the more tense. I love this game so much.
• Need for Speed: Underground.
  • Honestly, the first time I watched the opening cinematic right after the EA Challenge Everything screen. I was completely hooked by that intro. I was like: "This is so fucking cool!" and was waiting for the game to be the same. And it was. One of my favorite games ever made.

 

[Neolombax]

The most recent is the first time I engaged with a Thunderjaw in Horizon Zero Dawn. Can't believe I'm fighting a robot T-Rex with missile launchers, and it runs really smooth.

Also during the PS2 era, while playing Shaow of the Colossus. It was while fighting the flying colossus.

 

[DESTROYA]

Most recently the new GOW game despite what the other thread says.

 

[Husky]

Prey, when the abduction begins, and later when first catching sight of wall-walking, AGAIN when first interacting with portals, and YET AGAIN when stumbling into a room with a small meteorite in a glass case, only to soon PORTAL ONTO THAT TINY ROCK and stare up at a now-giant alien. Holy shit.

First time playing Shadow of the Colossus, and I thought it was like, some God of War-type game. Then I see the first colossus. Holy shit.

First time playing Skyrim, and I realize just how wide, open, and interactive this environment is. Totally ditched the guy from Helgen without realizing I was supposed to keep following him, I was so distracted by the immersion of that world. I could pick up and throw any object, steal anything, walk the roads of this highly detailed world. Holy shit.

When I realized how well the clouds in The Witcher 3 realistically affected the world's lighting, and seeing how the sun could pierce through the clouds. That game has the most immersive sky simulation I've ever seen, I stared at that thing for ages, my mind was totally blown. Holy shit.

 

[EightBit Man]

Exploring Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto III for the first time comes to mind.

Also, the Tanker in the Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty demo was full of moments of awe.

 

[EightBit Man]

This beginning of Resident Evil: Code: Veronica left me absolutely awe-struck, thinking that graphics just couldn't get any better. In the end, it wasn't among my favorite titles in the series, and it was a bit of a letdown in my opinion, but I will never forget the impression it left on me.

 

[God Enel]

Terranigma but not for the gameplay/graphics but the philosophical themes it covered. Plus always when you resurrect a continent the graphics in the cutscenes where mindblowing for me. Absolutely my favorite game.

Zelda: AlttP and Zelda Oot as well for.. everything.

 

[GreyHorace]

Numerous moments in games have inspired awe in me. To enumerate:

Tatooine (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic) - We've been to Luke Skywalker's home in numerous games before. But I can't remember a time it was rendered so beautifully until Bioware's seminal RPG. My jaw dropped when I first entered the desert area.

Sovereign (Mass Effect) - Having to navigate the outside of the Citadel while a giant mecha squid is looming above you. How can anyone not crap their pants and look up in awe?

Suicide Mission (Mass Effect 2) - A small ship full of ragtag professionals against the most technologically advanced race living in the center of the Milky Way. And then winning the day against said race through sheer guts and glory? Who wouldn't want to cheer at the monumental triumph of it?

Changing weather (Red Dead Redemption) - It's graphics may be dated by today's standards, but the seeing the weather change from scorching hot to suddenly pouring rain really wowed me back in 2010.

Through space and time (The Witcher 3) - For a game with many wow moments, this quest stood out because of the many alien planets you get to visit.

The first Predator room (Batman Arkham Asylum) - The moment you realize you're not playing a crappy licensed game, but are indeed, the goddamned Batman.

Jörmungandr (God of War) - I know the God of War games have their share of towering adversaries, but first meeting the World Serpent in the latest installment was truly breathtaking. He even overwhelms the horizon by how big he is.

Drake fight (Dragon's Dogma) - Lots of moments and big enemies to choose from, but the fight with the Drake has to be my favorite and most awe inspiring moment in Dragon's Dogma.

Rise from your grave (Altered Beast) - Probably the only moment from the 16 bit era to really wow me as a kid. Hearing that digitized voice game me goosebumps.

Will probably think of more when I can.

 

[DCDW]

Earth Defense Force 4.1 on PC. Moments when huge hordes of insects come running over the mountains in the distance and quickly close in on you while you and 3 buddies rain down as much destruction as possible. Huge monsters, mechs, explosions, and hordes are all well represented in EDF. I have EDF5 and IA but can't enjoy them with a controller, hoping for a PC port announcement.

 

[AV]

The first time I stumbled upon the gates of Stormwind city in World of Warcraft circa 2005:

Imagine being a 13 year old kid who's never experienced anything like WoW before - the closest I'd gotten was Runescape. This was a true 3D world which barely even ran well on my potato at the time, though I imagine that was the case with many people.

As a human, you start in a small abbey with little more than some kobolds, wolves, and bandits to fight. You make your way through the quests there and are told to go to the nearest town, Goldshire. Here, a man gives you another quest to visit Stormwind. "Stormwind? What's that? Where's that?" Now imagine seeing those gates get closer and closer, thinking, wow, that's pretty huge. Then you see the statues. Heroes of legend immortalised in stone. You run past these, past the guards and the mounted seagant, into the city proper. You realise this isn't just smoke and mirror, it's a full city, with tons of buildings to explore, quests to do, real people to interact with. There's a castle where a king holds court with a suspicious advisor, a stockade where the inmates have taken over... Distinctly remember my jaw hitting the floor. This was the moment WoW got under my skin.

Same for Ironforge - as a dwarf or gnome you start in a small snowy valley, fighting troggs and trolls. You make your way through a winding tunnel to a small town called Kharanos, where a man instructs you to walk to Ironforge. You see a huge gate ahead, but can't see much beyond that. As your round the corner, you face the dwarven home kingdom, a colossal foundry city carved into a mountain:

 

[TacosNSalsa]

The wet tracks that first appeared in Gran Turimo 3 . It only allowed 4 cars total and I think it was a side race or something like that but at the time it was one of the best looking and sounding things I'd seen a video game

 

[Solarstrike]

Horizon Zero Dawn. Just incredible from start to finish.

 

[Verdanth]

Astro Bot: the tread

 

[Fluzer]

Gears of War in 2006, the first next gen moment.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Most recent one that comes to mind is Assassins Creed Origins.

I've generally got a thing for games with huge draw distances and this game just blew me away. Climbing a Pyramide and actually seeing the lighthouse of Alexandria in the distance where I've been on top a couple of hours ago… Gave me goosebumps.

Really love that feeling of seeing something I've already been to far away in game and this game was just the best when it Comes to that. Amazing. Loved this game to bits.

 

[Birdo]

When I left the atmosphere of the starting planet in No Man's Sky.

The sudden realisation that you can fly from planet to planet seamlessley was awe inspiring.

 

[harry04]

I thought about Anthem, character and monster models, detailed faces are amazing

 

[Gamernyc78]

When I first played uncharted 2, I couldn't believe the game looked so good and I was literally controlling the character and it wasn't a digital comic or Heavy Rain type game.

Also when I played Horizon Zero Dawn. I couldn't believe a game could look this good and be open world. By far the game I've used the share button to take pics the most and the in game camera.

Astrobot and Resi Evil VR. Waited for VR a long time and the things I could do in this game and the immersion was incredible.

Games have come a long way indeed.

 

[HeresJohnny]

Snake Eater's final two hours. Still the best ending in any game ever, and Kojima at the top of his game. I knew it was all downhill from there.

 

[DelireMan7]

Dark Souls
I could probably for ages on the topic so here some random stuff : Ash Lake, Sif, Solaire in Izalith, Darkroot forest, Andrei, Gwyn's fight, the freedom to make unique build, Ariamis, etc..., etc...

Final Fantasy VII
I played it late (around 2010 I think, on PS3) but was really astonishing by it. For so long I heard "FFVII is one of the best game ever" and was a bit skeptical. But when I finished it my first though was "The definition of videogame should be Final Fantasy VII".

Final Fantasy X
My first FF. Arrived in Zanarkand and ...


Horizon Zero Dawn
Was really waiting for it (a post apocalyptic world where you fight robot dinosaur ?! Of course I am in) and was not disappointed.
The moment I learnt the meaning of the title...

Chrono Trigger
Like FFVII, I played it really late (last year actually) and I was again completely amazed by it.
No particular moments to mention, but the whole game is an amazing experience.

Metal Gear Solid
The introduction's cutscene and the first gameplay sequence...
Gray fox...
Sniper Wolf/Hal/Snake in the snow field...
Master Miller...
Similar than Dark Souls, to many stuff to speak about

 

[EightBit Man]

 

[EightBit Man]

 

[GreatnessRD]

Metal Gear Solid 3. What a game.

 

[PacificNW]

Pretty much most of Castlevania Lords of Shadow. The entire game was filled with awe.

At the beginning of the level right after a battle in a nearby town, you just jogging along a ice cliff and the camera pans back and draculas castles entrance looms ahead. It was spectacular.

A bit further into the game you are out on the rooftops of the castle and half to run along a giant chain or cable connecting towers. Its all iced over and snowing and again, the camera pans back. You see the castle spires in the moonlight. The moon is looming in the night sky, bats flying around. The art direction in that game was amazing. I loved Lords of Shadow so much.

 

[Nymphae]

ICO - the overall graphical style, the landscapes and dilapidated castle, the totally unique approach to game design and storytelling, and the fantastic climax. I was blown away my entire first playthrough.

 

[RiccochetJ]

I think the only game that left me a bit dumbstruck at the end was Journey. I bought it day 1, played through it in one sitting, and I haven't touched the game since.

 

[CyberPanda]

 

[EightBit Man]