Curlypaul wrote:@Ack, well go on then, what was the cool thing that you said?
it doesnt neccasarily have to be a great acheivment, its just that those ones where in my head a that time. I was also trying to get at moment that wowed you, like a game that took your favourite genre to another level (Sega Rally, Soul Calibre, Half life?) or just a moment of brilliant design. I've been thinking like a games are art fag for a while now and considering how the designers had tried to make you feel as you play. I think traditionally they have aimed at the frustrate you with a challenge and reward you with the satisfation of beating it. Which I do love, its still what games are all about but the last few years have seen games that have decent scripts and characterisation, something which was traditionally just an artbitary part of the game but I think add to the level of immersion the player experiences and give rise to moments like the horrible choice you face as Gordon Freeman, or some these other great moments you lot have mentioned.
@Scooter, I know what you mean about returning to a game and beating something that you never could before, maybe its becuase all the built up frustration has faded but I often find the best way to beat something is to leave it for a bit
I'm not sure what you mean by your question, but I was referring to using a four-wheeled vehicle to blow up a helicopter in midair.
When I think of the the greatest moments in gaming, I don't think of moments where I beat a difficult game because I find many games to have at least one difficult part at some point during its run, and I don't really think about moments that define a genre. Instead I prefer to look at the experiences I have when sharing the game with others. I'm a big fan of multiplayer, especially when everybody is just having fun. I joined a club in college that usually featured at least ten guys playing games together in one room, and many of what I consider the greatest moments came simply because we were looking at it as a way to have fun and goof off together.
Take this example. One night several friends and I are playing TFC, on the giant map named 'Well'. Now TFC is a class-based game, with everybody usually having a preferred class, and each class plays remarkably different from the others. Since it's built on the Half-Life engine, there's a lot of physics abuse that occurs in TFC. 'Well' features a giant open area with a bunker in the center and a fortress on either side. So one of my friends is playing the Soldier class and has a rocket launcher, so he rocket jumps over the center bunker to attack the other team on their side. Meanwhile, another friend of mine playing Scout(the smallest and fastest class) is using a crowbar, the melee weapon for the Scout class. He uses a concussion grenade to jump over the same bunker in the opposite direction. Right before the two collide, the scout swings the crowbar and bashes the soldier to death in midair, right before the soldier can blast him with a rocket. The whole room cheers.
It's these kinds of moments that I really love to play for. Of course, if you're looking at it from the "games as art" mindset, I'd have to consider more the psychological impact of a game. What effect did it have on me, or what might have been the intended theme or idea behind the work? Look at Silent Hill. I have moments where I will come across something profoundly creepy, bizarre, or dreadful, things I call "Silent Hill moments," where a little thing is amiss but I notice it. As that's the first thing my mind goes to, I understand the impact the title has had on me.
It's actually kinda funny.
