"Wow" moments in games?


Recommended Posts

Walking out of the sewer in Oblivion, and thinking: "****, where do I go now?"

Thinking the exact same thing after the intro in GTA3.

Getting the ugly zombie cutscene towards the beginning of Resident Evil.

First time playing Final Fantasy VIII, seeing the CGI.

Agree with everyone who talked about HL2. Simply so many great moments (tho I haven't played Ep2 yet).

Playing Silent Hill 1 @ 3am in a very dark and old house :)

A few off the top of my head are: The ending of COD4, you just get so attached to the characters, it was an insane ending.

The ending of HL2:ep2, WOW

Ending of portal

Most WW2 games do a great job immersing you into those battles, just get a good headset, crank the volume, and step into an Omaha beach level in COD or MOH, amazing.

Normandy beach in Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault.
Omaha beach on Call of Duty i think it was.

Amazing, especially on hard.

That, and Stalingrad...

Any of those Normandy ones were just crazy. I had just watched "Enemy at the Gates" in a social studies class and then played COD2...That boat crossing scene was near identical it scared the crap out of me.

Playing Bioshock for the first time... More specific the intro to it...

I would have to agree. It was like you were stepping into a whole other universe and there was so much detail everywhere!

I just took my quotes off the first page because I need to go to bed soon, but those examples above were some of the ones that stuck out for me. The ending of HL2 had me going because I had gotten attached so much to the story. Bethesda also has a pretty good lock on initial "wow" moments near the start of their games as well.

Out of all the CoD4 comments, I'm surprised no one mentioned the entire sniper level. Actually the entire two sniper level. Lets recount shall we?

At the very beginning, when your eyes are just adjusting and your partner pops randomly out of the grass. Wtf?

When you had to crawl past a million soldiers and their tanks. It just got nerve wracking when you had to actually do it. But there was one moment when you JUST saw the patrols appear from the horizon and your commander tells you to let them pass. At first your like ok w/e until you realize just exactly what he was asking you to do. That was wow.

Right after that. Run across the street! What? There are some big trucks? Crawl under and hide! Wow.

Take your target out. Oh btw watch for wind and the rotation of the earth. The scope of that challenge when you first heart it. Wow

Watching your bullet actually friggin curve. Wow

Taking out the helicopter pilot to buy extra time. Wow.

Repelling off a building as it explodes...uhhh Wow.

Taking out the second helicopter and watching your commander getting s** faced and for 5 horrible seconds thinking your gonna get s*** faced too. Wow.

Had to carry your commander around. Wow (annoying :p)

We will be here in 10 minutes just hold off the entire army of whatever country you were in? uhh yeah. Wow.

I'm sorry. I think I'm just gonna go and replay those two levels now....

Zone of the Enders 2. The huge battle just before you enter the game's final stretch (Fortress of Aumaan). I've never seen that much insane sh*t going on all at once in a game. I'm generally less than impressed with Hideo Kojima as a game designer, but goddamn, he gets full credit for unleashing a can of whoopass for that scene. It was the most intense, balls-to-the-wall sequence I'd ever played when I saw it and even now, some 7 years after the game's release, I'm still impressed beyond belief.

NeoXY, I think the initial wow moment when you realize what you have to do was pretty cool. The feeling quickly left me though when I was crawling underneath the trucks etc. because it seemed so unrealistic that nobody would see you. Seriously with the truck that high off the ground and camo against concrete just seems pretty obvious, but oh well. :p

MechWarrior 3 (PC): I was playing a random mission and I decided to fly past this bridge in my mech. When I reached the other side, I used my boosters to fly as high as I could making sure I made the best of every boost I had. I timed everything so perfectly and pretty much hit an imaginary ceiling in the sky. To my surprise, I plummeted back to the ground so quickly that I actually went through it and ended up in some secret bunker. I literally yelled "Woooooooooooow!". My friend was with me and I think he nearly fainted.

Spyhunter (PS2): The first PS2 game I ever played. I remember how eager I was to set up my PS2 and play it. At the very beginning, there's some training level you have to do (I think). I was driving around in the tricked out car and I went over this ramp. As I was flying through the air, I noticed that the road ended. Instead... there was water. I was like "Awww man.. I'm gonna crash now". Instead of crashing, the car did some crazy transformation midair and changed into a water vehicle mode. It definitely made me say "Wow".

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident (PC): This is perhaps the best PC game I've ever played. It's a real-time tactics and space combat simulator. Every mission just pulled me into the game more and more. The graphics were the best in its class. I've been playing it since '06 and I just recently beat it. Everything was just perfect - the story, missions, and graphics. Wow. Just wow. I'm having a hard time explaining how good the game is. It's just ... too good for words to describe. Try it out for yourself. You can buy it on STEAM for $9.99 (click here). This is the kinda game for Homeworld fans.

I'm running short on time but I'll be back to post some more.

Watching the moment you arrive at the bridge in Hyrule and the camera pans back to show you just what Nintendo are trying to create with each new console. That bridge, for a Zelda game is huge!

Also the end sequence when you finish the game and realise what happens with the Twilight Princess, was very sweet.

When you first arrive onto Hyrule field in Ocarina of Time, wow, it's big.

Metal Gear Solid (PS1) when you finally finish the game and listen for the audio sequence right at the end.

+1 for the scene when you first played Tomb Raider on the PS1 and you step out into the Lost Valley and see the T-Rex for the first time. Crapped and pants was my reaction. Plus when you first step out into the room with all the Gods challenges (can't remember their names right now), looking down made me feel like I was sitting really high myself!

CoD4 and Chernobyl. That level is amazing with the stealth and sniping sections being the most exciting and tense I've played in a game in a long, long time.

Umm i have a few, when you first come out of vault 101 in Fallout 3 and see the landscape made me go wow. As did HL 2 when i first opened that up. Also, when i was driving really fast in GTA4, i miss judged the off ramp and hit that at an angle which made Niko go flying through the windshield, that made me go wow.

CS: Playing on "de_inferno" in a local tournament's semi-final game. The result was 15-12 for our team. We were winning the last round (the game ends when a team reaches 16 rounds) and all of a sudden, a guy from the opposite team knifed 3 of our guys. We were like... :omg: And they got banned. :laugh:

Seeing Shadow of the Colossus gameplay. Amazing.

For some reason, seeing the seagulls and just being on the ship on Metal Gear Solid 2. That really impressed me how they did that.

The areas on WoW make me say WOW. So detailed and intricately done. The caves, forests, trails. It may be addictive but damn does it look good.

The Boss vs Big Boss final battle and the entire ending - Metal Gear Solid 3

Final Fantasy VII's Flashbacks

When you discover Dr Polito has been dead all the time - System Shock 2

The entire Half - Life 2 experience, but specially the ending of Episode 2

The first time you fight pyramid head - Silent Hill 2

The first time you play Max Payne (That feeling carry on over the second game too)

The entire Deus Ex game

Mass Effect's final hour of gameplay + ending

When the AI glitches on Metal Gear Solid 2, letting you know the true intentions of your superiors.

The first time you hear a Howler in Clive Barker's Undying

Im sure I will remember more later.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Beats Studio Pro wireless over-ear ANC headphones drop to their lowest price yet by Fiza Ali Amazon is currently offering the Beats Studio Pro headphones at their all-time low price. The Studio Pro use 40mm active drivers which are designed to improve clarity and reduce distortion compared to previous models, with up to an 80% improvement over the Beats Studio3 Wireless. A built-in digital processor adjusts frequency response to keep the sound balanced rather than overly boosted in any one area. They also include Active Noise Cancelling that adapts to your surroundings to reduce background noise along with a Transparency mode that lets outside sound in when you need awareness of what’s going on around you. Furthermore, the headphones support personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking as well as Dolby Atmos playback on supported content. Moreover, built-in voice-targeting microphones improve call quality. You can also switch between three sound profiles including Beats Signature for balanced music playback, Entertainment for films and gaming, and Conversation for clearer voice in calls and podcasts. Physically, they are designed to be worn for long periods without feeling heavy or awkward. The ear cushions use UltraPlush engineered leather while metal sliders allow you to adjust the fit. On the connectivity side, the Studio Pro use Class 1 Bluetooth for a stable, long-range wireless connection. There is also a 3.5mm input if you want to plug in directly, including use with in-flight entertainment systems. Controls are located on the headphones and include a "b" button for music and call control, a volume rocker, and a multifunction button used for switching listening modes, EQ settings, power, and pairing. In addition, the headphones offer integration with both Apple and Android devices. On Apple devices, they support one-touch pairing with iCloud-linked devices, hands-free Siri access, Find My tracking based on last connected location, and automatic software updates. On Android devices, they support Google Fast Pair, Audio Switch between compatible devices, and Google Find My Device tracking, with additional features available through the Beats app. When it comes to the battery performance, it is rated at up to 40 hours of listening time with ANC turned off, and up to 24 hours with ANC or Transparency mode enabled. A 10-minute Fast Fuel charge should provide up to 4 hours of playback. Finally, the headphones use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and charge via USB-C. Beats Studio Pro Wireless Over-Ear ANC Headphones: $149.95 (Amazon US) Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • "lets you pause updates by choosing an end date, for up to 35 days" Wasn't it "indefinitely"?
    • Those extra reboots are related to the UEFI Secure Boot certificate update thing.
    • Hands on with the ProtoArc EM25: Affordable ergonomic mouse that focuses on the right things by Taras Buria ProtoArc is known for making all sorts of office products with a big focus on ergonomics and comfort. Its latest product, the EM25, promises a comfortable-to-use, affordable, and customizable mouse. We took one for a spin; here are our impressions. The ProtoArc EM25 is a $49.99 mouse, but right now, during Prime Day 2026, you can get it for just $37.99. Right off the bat, you can see that the EM25 is inspired by Logitech's MX Master lineup and the legendary MX Master 3/3S. Its shape and proportions are very similar, so for a person with large hands (right-handed person, mind you), the EM25 is very comfortable to use. The mouse fills the palm, and the thumb rests on a small extension, giving your wrist a small tilt to reduce strain. The mouse is made of black plastic without any coating, eliminating long-term wear concerns. However, I can see the main buttons and other areas you touch the most getting polished over time. Despite its size and bulk, the mouse is not too heavy. It weighs about 100 grams, which is significantly less than the MX Master 3S and its successor. It is no lightweight gaming mouse by any means, but it is not excessively heavy like the MX Master 4. The EM25 has a built-in storage for its USB dongle. It is a cleverly made magnetic flap that you open by simply pressing on it. Next to the flap, you will find the on/off switch, the 1,000 Hz sensor, and a DPI button (up to 8,000 DPI). I find the DPI button location a bit odd, and I would prefer it somewhere below the main scroll wheel. Still, given that I never change DPI on my mice, I will let it pass. What is more important is that, unlike MX Master 3/3S/4, the device switch button is located below the left-click button, which allows you to switch devices without lifting and flipping the mouse. For a multi-device setup, this is a perfect solution: the button does not require too much effort to use, it does not get in your way, but it is also easily reachable with your thumb. The main scroll wheel has two modes: ratcheted and free-flow. You can only change between them with a bright orange button (I like this little touch of color), which is sprung and requires some effort to press. The wheel is dead-silent in free-flow mode, but ratched is quite loud and stiff, perhaps even too much to my liking. I can hardly call it deal-breaking, but it will certainly take some time to get used to. The side scroll wheel, it is notched, silent, and pleasant to use. Next to it, you can find a piece of glossed plastic with connection indicators: Dongle, Bluetooth 1, Bluetooth 2, and the low battery indicator. By the way, the built-in battery is rechargeable via a USB Type-C cable, which is included. It is sleeved and has an orange velcro strap to keep it tidy. After using the EM25 for a few weeks, I can say that its main buttons are my absolute favorite. They have very pronounced clicks, which feel great with just the right amount of force required to register a press. I would say they feel like something in between regular mouse clicks and silent ones. You can hear and feel the springy switch, but it is not sharp or loud to the point of annoying you. As for back/forward and device switch buttons, they are very clicky and quite noisy. Unfortunately, there are no extra buttons that you can map to specific things like in the MX Master lineup. Besides great primary clicks, another thing I like about the EM25 is its 1,000 Hz sensor. In the world, where Logitech still uses 125 Hz sensors in $100+ mice, seeing a much faster sensor in a mouse that costs three times less is very refreshing. Also, all the settings and customization you make are stored on-device, and you do not need to install any software. Just open the web-based app and change all that you need. Speaking of customization, you can remap what buttons do, adjust the DPI, and the sensor speed. Sadly, gestures are not supported, but you can still map pretty much anything to each button, including shortcuts, media buttons, and more. I also recommend using software like XMouseControl, as it will let you remap the side scroll wheel. At the end of the day, the ProtoArc EM25 is a great mouse. Clearly inspired by the MX Master lineup, it takes the best of it and complements it with a much more wallet-friendly price tag, significantly better sensor, on-device memory, a built-in storage for the dongle, and more (it fixes everything that I complained about the MX Master 4 recently). And for only $37.99 during Prime Day, the EM25 is an easy recommendation. Buy ProtoArc EM25 mouse - $37.99 | 24% off with Prime As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Pretty nice tool, thanks
  • Recent Achievements

    • Rookie
      DaviKar went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Dedicated
      HidekoYamamoto94 earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • One Month Later
      timbobit earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      nates earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Almohandis earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      460
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      161
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      110
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      81
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      69
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!