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This video counts down 10 epic video game moments that absolutely blew players away, even though the plot heavily foreshadowed them. From the delayed gratification of finally wielding a lightsaber in KOTOR and the heart-wrenching inevitability of John Marston's Last Stand in Red Dead Redemption , to the iconic plot shift when Link pulls the Master Sword —these moments still hit hard.
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00:00More often than not, the most shocking moment in a video game is a jaw-dropping twist or a death
00:05that nobody saw coming. That said, sometimes there are still legendary moments in a game that you did
00:11in fact see coming, but that doesn't take away from how great they are. I'm Jess from WhatCulture
00:16and here are 10 video game moments that blew us away, even though we saw them coming.
00:21The sanity effects. Eternal Darkness Sanity's Requiem. It's a little ironic how the sanity
00:27effects in Eternal Darkness Sanity's Requiem so often caught players off guard, given it's kind
00:33of the selling point mechanic for the game. Throughout the cosmic adventure, our 12 heroes
00:38encounter all sorts of paranormal creatures. Every time you confront a ghoul, demon, or ancient deity,
00:44your sanity meter slightly depletes. A low sanity meter results in various hallucinations, including
00:50creaky footsteps, statues moving, or hanging bodies appearing in the background. These mind-bending
00:57moments can also get pretty meta, pretending the game has restarted or acting like the save file
01:02has been deleted. Players are warned early on that the illusions can't harm them unless the sanity meter
01:07is empty, and for this reason, there isn't exactly a real reason why the sanity effects should bother
01:13anybody. Nevertheless, these effects never stop being scary, no matter how many times you encounter
01:18them. Even when you recognize that the sanity effects can't hurt you, the creepy visuals and sounds
01:24are likely to rattle pretty much anybody, especially after experiencing an audio hallucination of babies
01:30crying for 10 minutes straight. As freaky as it is to battle Lovecraftian beings and primordial
01:35entities, there's nothing more frightening in Eternal Darkness than losing your mind.
01:40Wielding a Lightsaber
01:41Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic While looking at Knights of the Old Republic's complex plot,
01:47focus on character relationships, and innovative light-side-dark-side mechanics,
01:51it's easy to see why BioWare's Galactic RPG has maintained its legacy as the definitive Star Wars
01:58game. Another reason why KOTOR works so well is because it doesn't rush anything. Now, the advertising
02:04for the game prominently featured lightsaber wielding, so we kind of absolutely knew that it was coming,
02:10and you'd assume upon starting it, if you didn't know any better, that given you're playing as a
02:15force wielder, you'd start with a lightsaber. Not so. You have to play for up to 10 hours before you
02:21get to wield the iconic weapon. In theory, this decision could definitely have backfired, since
02:27any diehard fan wants to play around with a lightsaber immediately. But that's the point.
02:32Receiving a lightsaber in the game is incredibly rewarding because you feel like your patience and
02:37hard work paid off. After relying on blasters and melee weapons for the first few missions,
02:42you feel like a god after you finally obtain that laser sword. This moment is also really important
02:48in the narrative, since this is your seminal moment of being given the lightsaber once you begin your
02:55Jedi training. Because of this, the lightsaber isn't just a badass blade, it's a symbol that your character
03:01is committing themselves to a higher calling. The Cyberdemon – Doom 2016
03:06Although the Doom Slayer can mop the floor with Hell's most daunting fiends, taking down the
03:11merciless Cyberdemon is no easy task. Debuting in the original Doom, this rocket-launching cyborg is
03:18renowned for being one of, if not the, toughest enemy in the franchise. Since the Cyberdemon rocks up
03:24in pretty much every single entry, it's only a matter of time before you'll encounter the mechanical
03:29nightmare in 2016 Doom. And yet, his reveal is sure to blindside you. Just before his grand entrance,
03:36Doomguy will have nabbed the most powerful gun in the game, the BFG-9000. Players will be so excited
03:42to get their mitts on this room-clearing weapon, they're totally unprepared for when the Cyberdemon
03:48corners the Doom Slayer immediately after. But he just picked up the BFG, so surely this is going to be
03:53a
03:53breeze, right? Wrong. Rather than blasting you with missiles, as per usual, this hellish skyscraper
04:00utilizes a more tactical approach for a change, unleashing a relentless barrage of shockwaves,
04:06lasers, and tracking projectiles. Even with the BFG in tow, this is the toughest incarnation of the
04:12Cyberdemon by a long shot. You likely saw this one coming, as veterans of the franchise would have
04:18known this guy was going to rock up at some point, but few would have been ready for it. Obtaining
04:23the
04:23Master Sword, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Pulling out the Master Sword in Ocarina of Time
04:29remains not just one of the most memorable moments in the series, it's kind of one of the most epic
04:35and legendary and iconic moments in all of video games. Not long into Link's adventure, he's informed
04:41that the legendary blade is the only thing that can vanquish the scourge of Hyrule, that of course being
04:47Ganondorf. Although obtaining the Master Sword is as epic as you'd expect, the repercussions from
04:52acquiring it are bigger than anybody could have imagined. Due to Link's youth, the gods believe he's
04:58too young to handle its power, urging them to seal him away for seven years. This decision ironically
05:05gives Ganondorf the opportunity to conquer Hyrule, leaving the kingdom desolate. So now he's in an adult
05:10body with the sword in hand, Link has to do everything he can to restore the peace. Acquiring the Master
05:17Sword
05:17was inevitable in and of itself, but it still left a colossal impression since it triggered a drastic
05:23shift in the plot, not to mention the gameplay, character conflicts, and Link's abilities. Most importantly,
05:29the Master Sword allows Link to travel back and forth through time, which gives the player more power
05:35and responsibility than ever. Dom's Sacrifice, Gears of War 3. Oof, this one hurts. From the beginning of
05:43Gears of War 3, its apparent Dominic Dom Santiago has been left traumatized after he was forced to
05:49execute his infected wife during the events of Gears of War 2. Due to his distant and emotionally
05:55detached manner, he seems resigned to the idea of dying. As a result, it's not terribly unexpected
06:02that Dom decides to sacrifice himself to save his companions at the earliest chance he gets.
06:08Now, Dom's sacrifice is deeply poignant, since his death spared his friends and allowed him to
06:14reunite with his wife in the afterlife. But at the same time, Dom's decision also highlights how much
06:19pain he must have endured, and yet still carried on with his mission for the sake of humanity.
06:25The use of the track Mad World during this sequence is not only significant in that it absolutely and
06:31brutally symbolizes exactly what Dom has sacrificed. It also ties back to that iconic teaser from the
06:38first game. The fact that Marcus ultimately uses Dom's commando knife to defeat the main villain
06:42is sure to tug on the heartstrings, since it shows his influence and legacy can still be felt
06:48even after he's gone. Saying goodbye to Lee, The Walking Dead
06:52The Walking Dead has never had any qualms with brutally offing beloved characters. With that in
06:57mind, nobody would be particularly surprised that most of the ensemble in Telltale's The Walking Dead
07:03failed to make it out alive. And yet, having to say goodbye to Walking Dead protagonist Lee Everett
07:09hit oh so very hard. Now, it's worth mentioning, the game doesn't pretend that Lee is a perfect person.
07:15Hell, the story opens with him heading to prison for murder. Nevertheless, you can't help empathising
07:20with him, since he is trying to be better, especially when he befriends a young girl called Clementine
07:26during the zombie apocalypse. For all his flaws, we absolutely want Lee to survive, especially after
07:32watching him connect with and become a surrogate father to Clementine. That's why it's absolutely
07:38heartbreaking when Lee is scratched by a walker in the penultimate chapter. With the infection coursing
07:44through his body, it's only a matter of time before Lee joins the undead. And since his demise is
07:49guaranteed, you'd think that that would lessen the impact. But seeing Lee die after everything he's gone
07:55through isn't just sad, it's absolutely depressing. What's worse is that the game gives players the
08:01option to put Lee out of his misery in the final scene. Even though logically executing Lee will let
08:08him remain a human in his final moments and not turn into a mindless, brain-eating monster,
08:13that doesn't make pulling the trigger any easier.
08:16John's Last Stand
08:17Red Dead Redemption
08:18As the title indicates, Red Dead Redemption centres around murderous outlaw John Marston,
08:24who seeks absolution. To protect his wife and son, he cuts a deal with the government to hunt down
08:30his former gang members and bring them to justice in exchange for his immunity. With all that said,
08:36it certainly is hard to imagine that this game ends with John Marston riding off into the sunset
08:41with all of his loved ones. The game repeatedly emphasises how violence is cyclical and inescapable,
08:47so it becomes increasingly obvious things are probably not going to work out for John.
08:52And yet, nobody is ready to watch his last stand. Despite doing everything asked of him,
08:57John is ultimately betrayed by the government that promised him freedom. When an army unit invades
09:03John's ranch, he embraces his death in order to give his family the chance to flee. Though John's
09:09former self did perform unspeakable acts of evil, the fact that he willingly walked into his execution
09:14to save his family more than proves that he was truly a changed man.
09:19Although John's son Jack does exact revenge in the epilogue for his father's murder,
09:25unfortunately, this actually just accentuates what a tragedy the ending is, the ending being
09:31John's demise. While John wanted Jack to live a peaceful life, he ends up following the same
09:37cycle of revenge and violence, repeating the mistakes of his father.
09:41Return of the King, Donkey Kong Bonanza
09:43In DK's latest adventure, the tie-wearing ape joins forces with Pauline to stop a wicked monkey
09:49called Void Kong, who is hell-bent on obtaining a wish-fulfilling artifact called the Benandium
09:55Root. In the third act, DK confronts Void right before he's about to get his hands on the enchanted
10:01plant. However, eagle-eyed players should recognize the root since it resembles the bulging gut of DK's
10:08nemesis, King K. Rool. When's the last time you've seen a root with a belly button?
10:13Sure enough, the Benandian Root is revealed to be K. Rool, who's dead set on locating the real
10:19Benandian Root. Even though observant players should have seen the crowned croc's return coming,
10:25it was amazing to have DK face off with his greatest enemy once again.
10:29But that's not all. Once K. Rool is defeated, the credits suddenly start rolling. But these are no
10:35ordinary credits. You'll find that instead of the developers' names, it's all of K. Rool's
10:40Kremlin crew. Based on this reveal, long-time fans should realize the final battle isn't over,
10:46since Donkey Kong Country played the same trick during the final showdown. So when K. Rool suddenly
10:51rises from the floor and gives chase, it wasn't much of a surprise. But once you hear K. Rool's
10:58original theme song, the iconic Gangplank Galleon, this battle instantly becomes one of the most
11:03satisfying and epic moments in DK history. Even if you figured out the K. Rool was behind
11:09everything and those initial credits were a fakeout, it doesn't stop this moment from being epic
11:14and a really fun finale to the game. The Fall, Halo Reach. Halo Reach concludes with the Spartans
11:20fending off the invading covenant from the titular planet, which is considered humanity's greatest
11:26defense against galactic threats. Although the last mission of any game, especially a game like this,
11:32is bound to be extremely difficult, this particular game makes it super clear that this mission isn't
11:37just extremely difficult, it's impossible. Considering the mission is called The Fall of
11:42Reach, it goes without saying this is not going to have a happy ending. Despite the bravery and skill
11:47of the Spartans, every effort to repel the covenant invasion feels futile, creating a real sense of
11:54hopelessness. Players have grown attached to these characters throughout the campaign, so seeing
11:58them fall one by one really underscores the human cost of war. And it's not just Spartans that perish
12:04in the conflict. Cities are reduced to atoms, military forces are overwhelmed, and civilian casualties are
12:11incalculable, reminding players that everyone is affected by this great calamity. Since Halo Reach is a
12:18prequel, this mission sets the stage for the larger Halo story, adding a layer of narrative tragedy.
12:24Reach's Fall paves the way for Halo Combat Evolved, which really nails the theme home that humanity's
12:31battle for survival never really ends. Zack's Death
12:34Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII
12:37With Final Fantasy VII being among the most celebrated games of all time, it was understandable when Square
12:43launched a myriad of follow-ups, including Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII. Initially released for the PSP,
12:50the prequel follows soldier member Zack Fair, who discovers a world-shattering conspiracy within his
12:56company Shinra. Although Zack played an integral role in Final Fantasy VII, he died before the events
13:02that kicked off that main story. For this reason, players go into Crisis Core knowing Zack's gonna meet
13:08his end. Even though Zack's death is unavoidable, it doesn't make it any less harrowing. Considering Zack has come
13:14out on top against countless monsters and godlike beings, it's so disheartening to see him being gunned
13:21down by the same company he dedicated his life to protecting. As faceless infantrymen surround Zack
13:27from all sides during the climax, it's clear that he just cannot win. Watching the hope, will, and life
13:34drain from his body as he continues to try and fight on is absolutely heart-wrenching. Upon revisiting Final
13:41Fantasy VII, any mention of Zack absolutely hits like a truck, since players recognize that he's
13:47just become a footnote in history, despite saving the world from destruction. That's the end of our
13:52list, but let me know which of these moments blew you away the very most, and if you want to
13:57celebrate
13:58other video game moments that are absolutely spectacular, don't worry, we've got more of those
14:02just for you. In fact, we have a whole list. It's on screen. I think somewhere around my head. Click
14:07it.
14:08Video games are amazing. So many great moments. Here, check out 10 more. It'll be great. I'll catch you after.
14:14Bye!
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