Dead Pixels has 41 chronicles

1. The Greatest Gaming Moments of the Decade
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Nov 25 2009

   The Greatest Gaming Moments of the Decade
   
   Dead Pixels by Ryan M. Eft
   With battlefield assistance from Matt Brand, Dave Lyson, John Bisignano and Zach Ellsbury
   
   WARNING: this column contains spoilers the size of a Texan ego. If you don't want to know, don't read!
   
   We’ll always remember the first time we stomped a Goomba, trying to make friends with Raccoon City’s local canine populace, or removing the Master Sword from its pedestal. The past decade of games has given us amazing new sights and scenes with amazing new characters, and invested familiar faces with new memories. Dead Pixels presents: The Greatest Gaming Moments of the Decade!
   
   Fall of the Colossi (Shadow of the Colossus, PS2, 2005)
   Fumito Ueda’s Shadow of the Colossus remains one-of-a-kind. The world lacks towns, dungeons, or NPCs, merely requiring the player to slay sixteen humongous beasts. But this singular focus makes each of those fights seem epic; as you scale the beasts and search them for a weak point, they don’t fight you so much as try to shake you off, like an annoying gnat. When any of them finally goes down, it’s a bittersweet moment; their fall is at once both grand and tragic. The game itself provides neither justification not admonishment for the morally ambiguous deed, making it still one of the most-discussed acts in video games.
   
   Link vs. Gannondorf (The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, Wii, 2006)
   Having dispensed with the usual dungeons, bosses, treasure hunts, weapon acquisitions and magic spells, it is only natural that Link’s epic Wii outing come down to a battle with Hyrule’s most persistent foe. But this time it’s a bit different. There are no fancy tricks, no special powers, and very little flash and dazzle. There’s just you, the Dark Lord, and your swords. The ensuing clash reminded us that a game doesn’t have to be labeled “M” to be epic, and provided the perfect ending to Link’s most enthralling adventure to date.
   
   Wrath of the Gods (God of War II, PS2, 2007)
   Anyone who played the first title already knew Kratos was a bad-ass, but the opening of the sequel took it to new levels. As the new God of War, Kratos descends from Olympus to ply his trade. But the other gods have had it up to their divine heads of Kratos’s incontrollable rage, and in classic Greek myth style, they trick him into giving it up…and then Zeus kills him. But is Kratos going to sit around Hades and mope? Hardly. This ridiculously awesome opening set the tone for another killer adventure, and fans can only hope 2010’s third installment is as amazing.
   
   End of the Line (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, PS2, 2004)
   As amazing as the previous two GTA installments had been, a very big piece of the puzzle was missing: and intriguing storyline. San Andreas fixed that, giving us the first of GTA’s low-rent thugs who felt believably real and casting him in a tale of war and betrayal set during one of the most tumultuous eras of modern American history. CJ’s tale was capped off with a hell of an ending, including a shoot-out, an escape from a burning warehouse, and a high-speed chase culminating in a spectacular end for the game’s antagonist (a corrupt cop played perfectly by Samuel L. Jackson). GTA: SA may be best known for hot coffee, but a hot story with a hot ending helped make it great.
   
   You’ll Believe an Assassin can fly (Assassin’s Creed II, XB360/PS3, 2009)
   The original Assassin’s Creed, set in the Middle East, was not given to fancy set pieces. With a move to the considerably more ostentatious Renaissance, the sequel got a little flashier to match. In the most impressive of ACII’s one-time action sequences, Ezio infiltrates a well-guarded sanctum using Leonardo da Vinci’s glider. Many of us saw this scene in previews, but playing through it is a different experience entirely. As you soar above the Venetian rooftops with archers shooting at what must seem like a demon, kept aloft by updrafts from fires lighting the night, and then your flaming glider causes a ruckus in the square below, you realize that this is exactly how you combine grace and pulse-pounding action into a single game.
   
   The Dreams that have Faded (Final Fantasy X, PS2, 2001)
   Final Fantasy X presented an epic of war, religion, sorrow, love and secrets, but it was the ending that cemented it forever in the minds of so many. As peace returns to Spira, and the emotionally charged story nears a close, all thoughts of world-devouring menaces and religious conflicts are pushed aside as players find themselves hoping that everything will turn out ok for Tidus and Yuna. It didn’t, leading to one of the most heartbreaking sights in video games. As Tidus embraces Yuna one last time and then literally fades into the sunset, many people who took pride in not crying had trouble choking back tears. FFX was packed full of memorable storylines, but if the developers had wussed out at the finish line it could have ruined the entire game. They didn’t, and as a result we have one of the most discussed endings in video game history.
   
   Going Nuclear (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, XB360/PS3/PC, 2007)
   Generally and on balance, military shooters aren’t known for being too creative in how they tell a story. Pretty typically, the bad guys do bad things, and the good guys shoot them. CoD: MW made some decent attempts to shake this perception, and while the overall success is subject to personal opinion, the nuclear explosion scene is not. While you and your crew attempt to escape a warzone via helicopter, a nuclear blast hits behind you, and it doesn’t take long to realize you’re pretty well screwed. After the crash comes the scary part: you actually control a wounded soldier as he crawls around the wrecked battlefield for a few moments, before dying of (presumably) massive injuries and radiation. In a game identified with multi-player, this single-player scene was by far the most unique thing on offer.
   
   Would You Kindly? (Bioshock, XB360/PC, 2007)
   A lot of games are capable of throwing an endless series of twists at you to keep you on your toes, and some even do it well. But it’s a rare game indeed that can knock the wind out of you with just a single secret. Whatever you’re expecting when you finally raid the offices of the tyrannical Andrew Ryan is probably not what you get. In the most exhilarating way possible, Ryan reveals that you’re nothing but a puppet, that your most trusted ally is a fraud, and that Rapture’s real puppeteer has been pulling your strings all along. The revelation and its consequences are enough to undo any man, but you’re saved at the last minute by the most unlikely heroes imaginable. The twisted dystopian world of Rapture had a lot of surprises for you, but this was far and away the most shocking.
   
   Kaim’s Dreams (Lost Odyssey, XB360, 2008)
   Okay, so technically this is a series of moments rather than a single one. The great thing about this being my column is I can cheat a little. Fortunately, Kaim’s various dreams of his forgotten past warrant a little fudging with the concept. These are probably the only things on the list that aren’t stirringly cinematic. In fact, they’re short stories done entirely in text, presented in varying visual styles. RPGs are no stranger to the amnesiac hero, but Kaim’s memories don’t stick to the tired-and-true “I just remembered my town got burned down by magic and I’m really a super weapon from the moon” style of backstory. Instead, they are beautifully told stories, each one completely unique yet linked to Kaim. Many of them could provide the backgrounds for games all by themselves, and all enrich the tale of Lost Odyssey.
   
   What Would you say if I Sang out of Tune? (The Beatles Rock Band, Xb360/PS3/Wii, 2009)
   Would you stand up and walk out on me? If it was me and you were smart, you probably would. The Beatles may not be to the tastes of everyone, but to deny their influence on music is to just be plain wrong. The band’s iteration of Rock Band allowed fans to step into the shoes of the Fab Four more completely than ever before. The most interesting addition the game made to the rhythm genre was duets. Not only did this allow two people to makes complete asses of themselves at the same time (always fun), but it allowed players to step directly into the shoes of Lennon and McCartney. That’s another way that the immersion of music games is getting better all the time.
   
   Holding Down the Fort (Left 4 Dead, XB360/PC, 2008)
   It was the moment that separated the men from the zombie snacks. You had survived everything the undead could throw at you, and made it to the safehouse, only to discover that whoever called it safe was being dangerously optimistic. It was only a few minutes until help arrived, but that few minutes could make all the difference. Barricaded inside decidedly feeble protection, getting through the last massive horde of zombies alive and escaping required all your strategy, firepower and teamwork, and was quite possibly the most exhilarating co-op challenge ever presented in a game. The transport is almost here! Just a few more seconds! I’m out of ammo! They’re breaking in! I’m down!
   
   Out of the Sewers (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, XB360/PC, 2006)
   The scene in Final Fantasy VII in which Cloud stares out from Midgar over the expanse of the world waiting to be explored is widely considered one of the defining moments in RPGs. The world of Elder Scrolls gives gamers a similar scene, but with much wider import. As you step out of the Imperial sewers and into the first direct sunlight you’ve seen in some time, you realize the scope of the world that now lies at your feet, and the fact that you can be pretty much anything you want in it. Just trying to decide where to go and what to do first was a chore right up there with slaying the hordes of Oblivion.
   
   Goin’ off the Rails on a Crazy Train (Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, PS3, 2009)
   If the first Uncharted was a tad uneven, the second let players know right off the bat that it was pulling out all the stops---literally, in the case of the train you find yourself dangling from as the game begins. You’re barely alive, which is not the state you usually find yourself in as a game begins, and you’re eventually forced to drag yourself through snowy wastes while barely standing. A suitably epic opener to one of the best action games of the decade.
   
   Back in the Saddle (Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts ‘N’ Bolts, XB360, 2008)
   Great gaming moments don’t have to entail insane action or high drama. Instead, they can be fall-down funny. As Rare’s latest Banjo game opens, the bear-and-bird combo have gotten rather fat on pizza during their ten-year retirement from gaming. When they are called back to it by the Lord of Games (the characters are very aware they are in a video game) the opening sequence involves humorous potshots at some staple gaming conventions (such as collecting tons of useless crap) and even takes a few shots at some of Rare’s, um, less notable games from the past few years. Anyone who grew up on classic platformers, or is just capable of appreciating a good satire, will find this tongue-in-cheek intro as appealing as gaming has to offer.
   
   Oh Crap Oh Crap Oh Crap! (Resident Evil 4, Gamecube, 2004)
   Devoted RE players know all about zombies. Most zombies are slow-moving targets that you can run past if you’re out of bullets and really just gotta get away. You enter the creepy village in RE4 thinking this is gonna be business as usual, and when you’re spotted and the villagers start inching toward you, you’re still thinking it. Then one of them tears loose and charges at you, and all bets are off. You start firing, but you can’t possibly take them all down. As the entire village crawls up your butt, you escape to the roofs and kick down the ladder behind you. Zombies can’t get you up there, right? Oh, crap…

   
   

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Dead Pixels has 3 comment s on this chronicle.

1. Dead Pixels
   Posted On Nov 25 2009

   Wolvie, the overwhelming support for FFX items on the lists so far suggests you are the lone voice in the wilderness on this one.
   
   Dyna, see the companion "close but no cigar" piece on my regular profile (as soon as I post it) for the explanation of why Oblivion made the list and not Fallout.
   
   Thanks for the input and praise, guys!

2. Wolvatron
   Posted On Nov 23 2009

   Don't worry, Dynafire. FFX's ending is only okay in my eyes. (Sorry to everybody who loved FFX.)
   
   The list is good! I dig it! The one I could relate to the most was the RE4 reference. "Psst! Zombies. They can't get me on the roo... whaaaaaat!?"
   
   Also, I was this close to complaining that Aerith's death wasn't included until I realized that event was more than 10 years ago.

3. Dynafire
   Posted On Nov 23 2009

   Grr, I forgot again. I'm terribly sorry about this time, but I am going to start working on the other categories right now. I'm glad you got the A-bomb scene from CoD4 in there. I believe that was the only one I had on my list before it got neglected.
   
   I feel as though Fallout 3's emergence from the initial area was far more enthralling than Oblivion's though. Being chased out of the Vault amid utter chaos, and then stepping out into the bright, and eerily calm wasteland was a really great moment.
   
   Regardless, that's a great list. Even though it spoiled FFX for me. Ah well.