Top 10 Most Famous Scenes in Video Games

“The Legend of Zelda” franchise has a host of memorable and iconic scenes to choose from, but easily its most famous is the moment Link first lifts the Master Sword in “Ocarina of Time.” In order to stop Ganondorf, the young hero Link draws the sacred Master Sword from its pedestal, only to find himself flung forward into a future where his foe has already taken over. Although not the first game to feature the most famous “Zelda” item, “Ocarina of Time” was the first to feature such a detailed scene of the event. Also, the fact that you have to repeatedly draw and replace the sword to travel in time really cements the moment in gamers’ memories of the game.

The oldest game on our list, the original “Metroid” saw players explore an alien cave system, battling monsters, and defeating space pirates. Despite the labyrinthine level design, practice, as well as maps, both official and fan-made, helped early players get through the game faster and faster. If completed quickly enough, players were treated to an alternate ending screen, which revealed that the protagonist Samus Aran, beneath all that space armor, is actually a woman. This revelation, in addition to marking her as one of gaming’s earliest and most iconic heroines, was also a very memorable twist.

Most modern shooters tend to, if not outright glorify war, then at least sidestep its more grisly consequences. Although “Spec Ops: The Line” may look like most other shooters, it doesn’t act like them. The game is a bleak satire of war and games that idolize it. Probably its most infamous scene occurs when the protagonist Martin Walker orders his team to use mortar attacks containing white phosphorus against an enemy location. After the player locates the targets with infrared and launches the attack, the player then has to make their way through the area you’ve just attacked. It’s here you discover that not only have you committed a war crime by using chemical weapons, but you’ve also used them on civilians! Talk about horrifying!

This western video game follows John Marston, a reformed outlaw who is promised a clean slate if he brings his former gang members to justice. However, upon accomplishing said task and returning to his family, the government agents who promised him amnesty betray him and come to kill him. John is able to get his family to safety, but he stays behind and fights waves of men in a heroic final stand worthy of any Western movie. No matter how much the player tries, it’s impossible to save John from his fate.

Given how cinematic it is, “The Last of Us” has a ton of memorable scenes, but its most impactful is one of its earliest. The game depicts an outbreak of a fungal disease that causes people to become aggressive mutants and the opening focuses on protagonist Joel trying to find safety with his brother, Tommy, and daughter, Sarah. A car crash leaves Sarah injured, and soon after she and Joel are shot at by a soldier, and the young girl dies after she is hit. Not only is this an immediately gut-wrenching moment in a game full of them, but it also acts as an establishing character moment for Joel.

“BioShock” follows Jack, a plane crash survivor who stumbles upon an underwater city called Rapture. Once there, he is asked by a mysterious freedom fighter named Atlas to help him in overthrowing the city’s leader, Andrew Ryan. However, upon reaching Ryan’s inner sanctum, Jack happens across a wall with the words “would you kindly” written on them, words that Atlas has repeatedly said to Jack over the radio. A recording, as well as Ryan himself, reveal that Jack is from Rapture and was conditioned with this phrase to obey, which Ryan demonstrates by ordering Jack to kill him, which he promptly does. This twist turned the already twisted game upside down and tied into its theme of choice.

“Knights of the Old Republic” is among the most acclaimed “Star Wars” properties outside of the movies and it’s for scenes like this one. The player controls an amnesiac Force user tasked by the Jedi to battle against Darth Malak, a Sith Lord, and the former apprentice of the even more formidable Darth Revan. However, the player eventually discovers that you are Darth Revan, and that the Jedi erased your memory – leaving it up to the player to decide whether to fight for the Jedi who manipulated you, or reclaim your evil throne. The “Star Wars” franchise is known for featuring shocking revelations in its plots, and this is arguably the biggest!

“Call of Duty” games often feature multiple playable characters depending on the mission, and in this game’s tenth mission, “Shock and Awe,” the player plays a United States Marine sergeant, Paul Jackson, whose squad attacks a base in Iraq. Although the squad manages to rescue a pilot and evacuate in a helicopter, word of a nuclear attack comes in over the radio and the bomb detonates; bringing down the chopper and killing thousands of people. Regaining control of Jackson in his final moments as he crawls through the devastated area is an impactful experience and really hammers home the horror of nuclear weapons.

Selecting one’s first Pokémon is a rite of passage for many young people. We’d argue that the most famous instance is in the very first games in the series, “Pokémon Red and Blue.” Every player begins the game in Pallet Town and is asked by Professor Oak to choose between Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur as their very first Pokémon. Everyone has their preference, but rest assured, your rival is sure to pick the one with a type advantage against yours just to spite you! Well the jokes on him! We got to pick his name!

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

The Train
“Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” (2009)

Flood Introduction
“Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001)

The Dam Jump
“Goldeneye 007” (1997)

Exiting Vault 101
“Fallout 3” (2008)

Black Mesa Train Journey
“Half-Life” (1998)

RPGs have featured the deaths of permanent party members before “Final Fantasy VII” was released and after, but there’s something about this one that just stuck in our collective consciousness. Seeing Sephiroth stab Aeris from behind was truly heartbreaking for many of us when we saw it for the first time. Maybe it’s the fact that it was one of the first tragic deaths we saw in a cutscene. Or maybe it’s that sad theme music. Or maybe the loss of such an innocent soul tears at our hearts even if she’s a fictional character!