Video games have always been special to me. The way they come at you visually, in an audio sense, and in a tactile way through controller vibrations as well. These are all ways that a game can give us an experience like none other and leave us wanting more. My question to you is simple. Has any game ever left you in awe? I’ll share a few of mine.
The most memorable moment that a video game really got to me was when I was playing Skyrim a few years back. Anyone who knows me knows that I am in love with what Skyrim brought to the table and I played well over 500 hours of it.
I was exploring and climbing mountains one day and I reached the top of a mountain. As I looked over the sunrise-lit landscape, Jeremy Soule’s ‘Far Horizons” hit a beautiful stretch (around the 1:00 mark of that, when combined with the visuals, sent chills down my spine and a smile to my face.
I put the controller down and took a deep breath. This is what I wanted people to think about when then thought of video games. This was art. This was an experience. It was truly a beautiful moment that I still get the chills about to this day thinking back on. I thought my friends had the best stuff, but now this…
Other than my Skyrim experience, I’ll never forget seeing my face put on my player that I created in NBA 2K15. That was amazing and really made me more invented in the game as a whole.
This was the first time that a semi-accurate face of mien was put onto a video game character and it felt awesome. To feel as if you’re actually playing alongside those athletes is something that many only dream of. Another one that left me in awe was Never Alone, so exciting, but of a totally different order!
I also had a “holy crap” moment when playing Assassin’s Creed Unity. Early on in the game, you’re outside of a church and there is a mob of protesters outside going crazy. The first time I saw the size of this mob, all I could say was wow. To see that many people on screen at once was something special, as I had never seen that done in such numbers before.
I was also taken aback by The Last of Us’ story. The characters were amazing, the relationships were great, and the way gameplay was woven in, made it something truly special. I won’t dive into detail here, as I don’t want to spoil it, but if you haven’t played TLOU and you own a PS3 or PS4, you need to do so.
This is why I love video games. They connect with us in such a beautiful way that no other form of media can. I’ll always cherish the moments that can leave me in awe, no matter the medium, but when it is a video game that does it, it’s just something extra special for me.
I cannot wait to see what developers in the future have in store for us gamers as the PS4 and Xbox One truly begin to show us what they can do. I said goodbye, though, to my Nintendo consoles. Read here why.
I want to hear your experiences. They can be like my Skyrim story, or one as simple as my Unity story. Video games can be interpreted in so many ways and that’s what I love about them. What I enjoy you can hate, and vice versa, so share your memories in the comments.