Top 5 shocking moments
From plot twists to scary surprises, these games play with your emotions
Top 5 shocking moments
Square Enix
Top 5 shocking moments
Just like a good book or a great movie, video games can draw you in and play with your emotions. One little plot twist can change everything, and a sudden turn in the action can make you jump out of your skin. Here are our Top 5 shocking moments. Be warned, the following contains plot spoilers. We’ve made the titles deliberately vague so that you might avert your eyes and click past if you’re still getting around to playing these games. And seriously – you haven’t played these yet?
The 'Resident Evil' dogs
Capcom
Capcom’s “Resident Evil” was pretty scary stuff when it came out in 1996. We know that whenever a game labels itself “survival horror” and features zombies, it’s going to be terrifying, but even we weren’t prepared for this.
As part of a paramilitary group, you’re sent to Raccoon City to investigate what happened to Bravo Team, a group of missing soldiers. Soon after arriving, you locate their downed helicopter and find only a severed hand. A pack of crazed dogs chase you from the wreckage and into a nearby mansion where you discover a man being eaten by a zombie. Clearly this is no ordinary mission.
And yet, the moment that shocked “Resident Evil” players the most happens during a seemingly quiet walk down a hallway. Out of nowhere, zombie dogs crash through a window and start to attack. It’s a startling moment that still holds up today when you replay the game - even when you know it’s coming.
The 'Karateka' princess
Broderbund
In “Karateka,” Broderbund’s classic side-scrolling game for the Apple II, the evil Akuma has imprisoned a princess in a fortress and it’s up to you, a martial arts expert, to break in and save her. To do that you’ll need to defeat Akuma’s army of minions while avoiding booby-trapped gates, a large bird hungry for your flesh, and eventually, Akuma himself.
But the most startling moment of “Karateka” comes after you have conquered all, and are on your way to free the princess. Run to her at full speed and she’ll greet you with a loving embrace, but if you walk slowly towards her in a fighting stance, she’ll kill you with one swift kick to the head. Doesn’t matter that you risked life, limb and a giant bird to save her – she’ll take you out without a second thought. We’re still scarred by it all these years later.
'Metroid’s' Samus is...
Nintendo
Samus Aran, the heavily armored bounty hunter in Nintendo’s “Metroid” series, is a fearless warrior who will take on anyone and anything that gets in the way.
While there are lots of good moments in the original “Metroid” game, the biggest shock comes at the end of the game: Samus takes off her helmet and reveals that she’s a woman, a fierce warrior that just happens to be a member of the fairer sex.
Back in the day, that revelation sent shockwaves throughout the gaming community. Up until then it was generally assumed that the soldiers in video games were men. And in one swift helmet removal, that all changed – for the better.
'Knights of the Old Republic' – the big reveal
Lucas Arts
After six blockbuster movies, how could anything in the “Star Wars” universe be surprising? LucasArts found a way to keep it real in “Knights of the Old Republic.”
“KOTOR,” as it’s also known, takes place about 4,000 years before “Episode 1,” and follows the familiar Star Wars storyline (you know, galactic battle between good and evil). The wicked Darth Malak, apprentice of the Dark Lord Revan, has overthrown his master and seized power as the new Dark Lord. Malak begins assembling a vast armada to unleash his fury upon the Republic.
The surprising twist comes about two-thirds through the game, after the player (a Jedi working to defend the Republic) fights Malak for the first time. In the middle of the battle we learn that we are Revan, though Malak’s original attack left us with no memory of our former life. What made this twist so stunning was the soul-searching that went with it: What did it mean to be good or evil? Can an evil soul be redeemed through good actions? Or were the Jedi just a bunch of manipulative jerks? We’re still trying to wrap our head around it.
Sephiroth’s unforgivable act in 'Final Fantasy VII'
Square Enix
“Final Fantasy” is one of the most popular franchises in video game history, with 12 games to its credit and numerous copycats. Aeris, with her air of innocence, is one of the series’ more endearing figures.
So color us stunned when Sephiroth suddenly and violently killed her in the middle of “Final Fantasy VII.” To Aeris’s legions of fans - who had grown quite attached - this despicable act was beyond horrific. What’s more, it changed the course of the game from a battle of good versus evil into a campaign of revenge. As the player, you were no longer just playing a game - you were out to get Sephiroth.
Via MSNBC
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