Most Iconic Scenes in Gaming History - Here's The List of Top 10
by Deepika V
Updated Mar 25, 2024
Most Iconic Scenes in Gaming History - Here's The List of Top 10
People have always been excited by video games. They let us join them on extraordinary paths, take us to amazing new locations, and introduce us to characters we will never forget. Games astonish, frighten, test, and, when we succeed, provide us joy. There are always new gaming memories to make, regardless of the genre of game or gadget we use.
Video games are more than simply entertainment; they are also an interactive media that have the power to hold our interest longer than television or movies. Like in a way, many of the video games has impacted us with its iconic scenes and best moments. Here take a look at some of the iconic scens in the gaming history.
1. Aerith's Death in ''Final Fantasy VII'' (1997)
In Final Fantasy VII, a popular RPG game, there's a scene where a character named Aeris is killed by another character named Sephiroth. This scene is famous because it was one of the first times in a game where a character died in a really sad way in a cutscene, which is like a short movie in the game.
The sad music and the fact that Aeris was a beloved character made this moment very emotional for players, even though she's just a fictional character. Aerith's Death in “Final Fantasy VII” (1997) is a significant and memorable moment in video game history. It depicts the character Aeris being killed by Sephiroth, which had a profound emotional impact on players.
2. The Nuke in "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" (2007)
In the game "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare", there's a moment called "The Nuke" that's really important. In this game, you play as different characters depending on the mission. In the tenth mission called "Shock and Awe," you play as a Marine sergeant named Paul Jackson.
His squad is attacking a base in Iraq. They manage to save a pilot and escape in a helicopter, but then they hear about a nuclear attack on the radio. The bomb goes off, destroying the helicopter and killing many people. After the explosion, you take control of Jackson again, but he's badly hurt.
You have to guide him as he crawls through the destroyed area. This part of the game shows how terrible nuclear weapons are and how they can cause so much destruction and loss of life.
3. Revan's Identity in "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" (2003)
In the game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," there's a big surprise about a character named Revan. This game is really popular in the "Star Wars" world, even though it's not a movie. One of the reasons people love it is because of moments like this.
In the game, you play as a person who doesn't remember anything about their past but has powers from the Force. The Jedi ask you to fight against Darth Malak, a powerful Sith Lord, and the former student of an even stronger Sith called Darth Revan.
Later in the game, you find out that you are actually Darth Revan, and the Jedi made you forget everything about your past. Now, you have to decide if you want to fight for the Jedi who tricked you or go back to being the powerful Sith you once were. "Star Wars" stories often have surprising twists, but this revelation about Revan is one of the biggest surprises in the whole game.
4. Removing the Master Sword in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (1998)
In the game "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," there's a really famous scene called "Removing the Master Sword." The Legend of Zelda games have a lot of cool scenes, but this one is probably the most well-known. It's when Link, the hero, first takes out the Master Sword to try and stop Ganondorf, the bad guy. But instead of stopping him, Link gets sent into a future where Ganondorf has already taken over.
This isn't the first game with the Master Sword, but "Ocarina of Time" is the first one to show this scene in such a detailed way. Plus, in the game, you have to take out and put back the sword multiple times to time travel, which makes the scene even more memorable for players.
5. Samus Character Reveal in "Metroid" (1986)
In the game "Metroid," there's a surprising fact about the main character, Samus. This game is one of the oldest on our list. In it, players explore caves on an alien planet, fight monsters, and defeat space pirates. The levels are tricky, but with practice and maps, players learned to finish the game faster.
If you finish the game quickly, you get a special ending that shows Samus Aran without her space armor, revealing that she's actually a woman. This surprise made Samus one of the first and most famous heroines in video games and was a big moment in gaming history.
6. Would you kindly? in "BioShock" (2007)
In the game "BioShock," there's a memorable phrase: "Would you kindly?". The game is about a guy named Jack who survives a plane crash and finds himself in an underwater city called Rapture. He meets a rebel named Atlas, who asks him to help overthrow the city's leader, Andrew Ryan.
As Jack goes through the game, he hears Atlas saying "would you kindly" a lot over the radio. But when Jack confronts Ryan, he sees those words on a wall. Then, it's revealed that Jack was actually conditioned to obey anyone who says "would you kindly," including Atlas.
Ryan proves this by telling Jack to kill him, and Jack does it without hesitation because of the conditioning. This twist in the story adds to the game's theme of making choices and how they can control us. It's a moment that really surprises players and adds a new layer of complexity to the game's plot.
7. Marston's Last Stand in "Red Dead Redemption" (2010)
In the game "Red Dead Redemption," there's a scene called Marston's Last Stand. The game is about John Marston, who used to be a bad guy but wants to start over by catching his old gang. After he does this and goes back to his family, the government agents who promised to forgive him trick him and try to kill him.
John manages to get his family away from danger, but he stays behind to fight a lot of enemies in a brave last stand, like in old Western movies. No matter how hard you try as a player, you can't save John from what happens to him in the end.
8. White Phosphorus in "Spec Ops: The Line" (2012)
In the game "Spec Ops: The Line," there's a part that talks about white phosphorus. Most shooting games today either make war seem cool or don't show how bad it really is. But "Spec Ops: The Line" is different. It's a game that shows how terrible war can be, and it's like a dark joke about war and games that make war look fun.
One of the most shocking parts of the game is when the main character, Martin Walker, tells his team to use a kind of explosive called white phosphorus on enemies. The player uses special goggles to find the targets and then launches the attack. But when you go through the area afterward, you find out that you didn't just attack soldiers you also hurt innocent people with chemical weapons. It's really scary to realize what you've done in the game.
9. Death of Sarah in "The Last of Us" (2013)
In the game "The Last of Us," there's a really sad moment when a character named Sarah dies. The game is like a movie, with lots of scenes that stick in your mind, but this one is one of the most heartbreaking. It starts with a fungal disease outbreak that turns people into aggressive mutants.
The beginning of the game shows Joel, the main character, trying to keep his daughter, Sarah, safe with the help of his brother, Tommy. During their escape, there's a car crash, and Sarah gets hurt. Then, they're attacked by a soldier, and Sarah gets shot and dies. It's a really sad moment, especially since it happens early in the game. This scene not only makes you feel really sad right away, but it also shows what kind of person Joel is and sets the tone for the rest of the game.
10. Joker's Creepy Laugh in "Batman: Arkham City" (2009)
Rocksteady and Warner Bros released "Batman: Arkham City". It's the second game in the Batman: Arkham series, following the highly successful "Batman: Arkham Asylum." In this game, players get to explore a run-down area of Gotham City and use Batman's fighting skills to fight against criminals.
In the story, players learn that Batman's enemy, the Joker, is sick and getting worse. To make things worse, the Joker infects Batman with his poisonous blood. This forces Batman to find a cure for the infection. Eventually, Batman defeats the Joker's plans and gets the last dose of the cure from Mr. Freeze.
But then, something unexpected happens. Batman takes some of the antidote for himself and considers saving the Joker, his longtime enemy. In a shocking moment, the Joker stabs Batman, causing the remaining antidote to fall. The Joker then dies with a sinister smile on his face, leaving Batman in a difficult situation.
