Who among us has always had a video game in their hands since childhood? Here, if you are among those who would have raised their hand to this question without any hesitation, then you are in the right place. As you may have guessed from the title, in this article we will try to retrace the most iconic scenes in the world of video games step by step, those sequences that in one way or another have marked a generation. Let’s be clear, we don’t have the presumption to say that these are the best for everyone, but we focused on those that the public certainly remembers with pleasure or, as the case may be, with a bitter smile.
Before starting it is right to make a necessary premise: although some titles mentioned in this special are still quite dated, we would like to clarify that in the course of the article there will be heavy SPOILERS about it. Proceed therefore at your own risk.
Where to start?
If we were to think of the first truly iconic gaming scene, the one that made us understand once and for all the potential of the videogame medium, we could not help but mention the first zombie seen in Resident Evil, the one released in the now very distant 1996. To see it now it’s certainly a little laugh, but considering how popular the brand is still today, that deformed monster cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, we assure you that for the time it was a very high quality scene, seen and also considered the technology available. Afterwards, it would be impossible not to mention the first great death that turned out to be capable of really marking an entire videogame generation, and we are speaking of course of the poor Aerith in the original Final Fantasy VII, that of 1997. Although his disappearance comes relatively soon, for many fans it was the first real trauma ever experienced as a gamer. The way it happens is frighteningly sudden, capable of catching the user completely off guard and leading him to feel sincere hatred towards Sephiroth.
We therefore had to wait two years to have another video game of the caliber of the “final fantasy week” in our hands, or Metal Gear Solid. In fact, although its release in Japan took place in 1998, fans in Europe had to wait an extra year. Despite this, from the very beginning it was immediately clear that the‘IP born thanks to the partnership between Kojima and Konami it had something very special. Of this chapter of the saga we would certainly have scenes at will to mention, but the one that more than any other really shocked the users of the time can be identified with the well-known appearance of the famous Psycho Mantis.
The enemy of Snake had the ability to “read the player’s mind“, Which resulted in stealing the data inside the memory card inserted in your console. Basically, during a dialogue, Psycho Mantis claims it can read your mind, thus starting to name your favorite games via save data. A brilliant idea that, especially at the time, had never had a precedent. At the same time, history was being made on another platform, all thanks to one Nintendo launched in the publication of one of the best chapters of its flagship IPs, aka The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Arriving towards the end of the game, the moment that most of all gave meaning to the adventure presented itself to us: Link became an adult. From that moment on, the underlying philosophy of the title began to make sense, also changing some playful mechanics.
We continue our journey into memories, thus arriving in 2002, with the publication of the latest Fina Fantasy that you will find in this article, or the tenth. Final Fantasy X arrived on the market with the ambition to improve the path started – and then temporarily paused – with the eighth chapter, and finding himself having to bear the weight of a heavy burden, having been the first episode of the series to arrive on PlayStation 2. It goes without saying that it turned out to be one of the best games of that generation of consoles, but as we believe it applies to everyone, there it is one scene in particular that embodies the essence of the whole experience. We know that, even in this case, there are legendary moments (which if you are curious to learn more you can find in our dedicated article by clicking here), but the kiss between Tidus And Yuna will remain forever in the hearts of every player. As trivial as it may be for some, that scene that arrived “at that particular moment” remains one of the most beautiful ever made.
A new way of understanding the video game
At this point, you have probably understood that, year after year, the bar was raised more and more. The productions were more ambitious and the hunger of the users was growing continuously. We then come to 2007, which many identify as the year of the consecration of the videogame medium in the collective imagination. The new consoles have just come out and we are officially in the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, the generation that most of all marked the struggle between the two great video game companies and, above all, was one of the most prolific in terms of quantity and quality. Countless software houses have been able to give us unforgettable videogame moments, but it is precisely at that point that we get to the scene par excellence … or rather, to an inscription, to be more precise: “No Gods or kings, only man“. The sentence in question obviously refers to Bioshock, developed by Irrational Games and 2K Marin, and we’re sure just remembering the sequence has given longtime fans goosebumps. This reading took place in one of the early stages of the game, while descending into the meanders of Rapture. A concise and profound concept, as well as very utopian, but capable of immediately making it clear how Bioshock did not want to be a game like any other.
Now, however, imagine the heyday of FPS, when online wasn’t as dominant yet and games like call of Duty they were bought mainly for their compelling campaigns, even if everything would change shortly thereafter. We are talking about Modern Warfare 2, released in 2009, and in particular of the famous interlude “No Russian”. This mission still carries considerable waste today, given that the title makes the player interpret the role of a terrorist who must kill hundreds of civilians inside an airport. Before starting the massacre there is a small introductory sequence that prepares us for the “big moment”, all set inside an elevator. Those moments are essential to realize the clothes we are wearing and what will happen from there in a few moments.
In the meantime, there was another very important series ready to conquer us with a second chapter full of expectations, and of course we are talking about Assassin’s Creed 2. The video game has many iconic scenes and indicating which ones are the best appears particularly difficult. for this we prefer to play it safe and highlight the initial tutorial, the one where you check the baby version of Ezio. A simple and effective way to introduce a character who, within a few years, would be loved by millions of gamers. A year passes, and the moment of birth is metaphorically replaced with that of death. In fact, we are talking about the Red Dead Redemption ending, with the tearful end of John Marston. Many have known John with the second chapter of the saga, but for those like us the iconic character has always had a place of his own in our hearts. This “hero” has really been through a lot, doing everything in his power to protect his family and be able to give his son a better life. A dream that unfortunately he was unable to realize, which makes his farewell even more heartbreaking.
Another particularly iconic scene from 2010 we find it for sure in Halo: Reach, a title in which one by one we see the Noble team being slowly exterminated. In this general chaos, one of the most touching moments is when Kat-B320 she is shot in the head after her armor is deactivated by an explosion. Sudden and unexpected, but above all difficult to forget. A few months later, what is still a really uncomfortable yardstick for any open world RPG arrived on the market today. We are talking of course about The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim, a game that still resists the slow and inexorable passage of time. The fifth episode of the Bethesda series opens with a sequence that is still unforgettable today, and we obviously refer to the moment when you wake up on the cart next to Ulfric Shroud of the Storm. Shortly thereafter the region of Skyrim it would have opened completely, but that juncture immediately made the player identify with his digital alter-ego, ready to start his Dragon Blood journey.
In today’s world
We almost arrive at the present day, but we make a small stop in the last period of the PlayStation 3’s life, more precisely in 2013. On the shelves arrived a title destined to leave its mark forever in the world of video games, namely The Last of Us. While the work of Naughty Dog is full of touching moments, the death of Sarah (the daughter of Joel) occurs almost immediately and with an unprecedented coldness. An excellent way to immediately understand the general climate that would have characterized this extraordinary experience. Although from that point on the industry made a notable leap forward, as the most significant moment of the last generation we have chosen the one in which, in the new God of War, Kratos face the ghosts of your past by recovering the Blades of Chaos. In that instant the game changes dramatically, revealing the hack and slash soul that made the original trilogy so great.
Before concluding, however, we want to leave you with a particularly iconic last moment – even if we are aware that we will reopen old wounds -, to be considered more as a small bonus. We refer at the end of the PT demo, when it was discovered that Norman Reedus was the protagonist of the adventure and that for PT meant the great return of Silent Hill, a series that has left many video game enthusiasts widowers.
These were our videogame moments par excellence, the ones that more than all the others have remained in our hearts, although we are well aware of the fact that we could have included many others that we instead left on the bench. However, it was also right to make a small selection and these, in a personal opinion, are the most iconic scenes there are.
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