5 memorable gaming moments that no one ever talks about - Reader's Feature

Metro

27-04-2025

A reader highlights less well known games, such as Subnautica and Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons, for having some of gaming's most impactful moments.
When people talk about memorable moments in gaming you'll often hear familiar stories, such as the Bioshock elevator ride, the ending of The Last Of Us or perhaps even the fight against Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid.
Rather than discuss those again, I instead wanted to pick out five moments that have stuck with me just as much, but that perhaps don't get talked about quite so often.
All of the games discussed here are at least seven years old, but there will obviously be huge spoilers.
Frostpunk is a city builder in which your goal is to survive a world that has been plunged into an ice age. As the game reaches its climax, you're warned that a great storm is going to hit your civilisation. You prepare as best you can, then hold your breath as the wind batters your shelters and food supplies begin to run low in what is one of the most tense sequences in gaming. If you manage to come out the other side still alive, it's a brilliant feeling.
Having crashed on a planet covered mostly in water, your one hope seems to be a series of messages from a ship in orbit. You arrive at the given co-ordinates on an island that house a huge, impenetrable tower and as expected your rescuers enter the atmosphere to save you.
All of a sudden, however, the tower begins to move and by the time you realise it's actually a weapon it's too late for your would-be saviours. The moment is absolutely devastating and the way it unfolds in real-time, coupled with the incredible sound design, is just perfect.
A lot of gamers would argue that The Last Guardian is the weakest game in Team Ico's trilogy and your mileage will likely depend on whether you think the winged griffin-like creature is a clever piece of game design or just a pain in the backside. Whatever side you land on, however, Trico's tendency to not always do what you'd expect pays off brilliantly in a section in which the platform around you begins to give way.
Looking around for a way to escape, it soon becomes clear that you're going to have to leap towards Trico and hope that he catches you, which based on previous behaviour doesn't feel like a certainty. When he does throw out his tail for you to cling on to, it's not only a brilliant moment, but also one that creates an unbreakable bond that lasts the rest of the game.
This one has probably been talked about more than others on my list, but I had to include it as it's something that could only be achieved in a video game. For those that haven't played it, Brothers is a third person adventure game in which you control both brothers simultaneously, using the two halves of the controller. The game itself is very good, but it's the ending in which the older of the two brothers is killed that provides the truly memorable moment.
The scene itself is certainly emotional enough, but the masterstroke is in making the sense of loss physical, by forcing the player continue for the rest of the game using just half of the pad.
Journey is an amazing experience even if played alone, but throughout the game there is a chance that you'll be randomly paired up with another online player. You can only communicate with these players through a series of noises, yet rather than proving a hindrance it actually allows you to feel a deeper connection with your companion, as you help each other navigate the beautifully realised game world. More Trending
During my first playthrough I'd spent the best part of an hour with a companion and as I made the final climb through the snow they sat down on the ground and disappeared without a trace. Making that last part of the trek alone felt melancholic after that, and those five minutes of gaming still stick with me over a decade later.
By reader drlowdon
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