Top 10 Great Moments in Bad Video Games

Top 10 Great Moments in Bad Video Games Even in the face of failed endeavours and misguided productions, games can still offer glimmers of brilliance and charm. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 Great Moments in Bad Video Games. Like the title says, we’re examining those works in the wide history of gaming which – despite being overwhelmingly troubled in design – can still deliver the rare delightful scene or sequence. From amusing gestures to astounding finales, these moments help take the sting off of otherwise awful experiences.

#10: Arriving in Hell

“Agony” (2018) Well, at least it tried to put its best foot forward, right? “Agony” found itself derided at launch for, as critics stated, being increasingly dull and infuriating to play despite its unabashedly gruesome visual design. The game’s flaws aren’t instantly apparent from the outset, however, as it opens in rather impressive fashion. We get to witness the protagonist’s descent through clouds and heavenly light into the brutal depths of hell itself. Walls of flesh and cartilage, the realm coloured in a harsh mix of red and black shades, fire-lit altars providing a limited light source – as a tone-setter it’s phenomenal.

#9: Flipping Off the Aliens

“Duke Nukem Forever” (2011) For once, Duke’s particular brand of irreverence proved a somewhat worthwhile inclusion. Releasing to a middling reception, “Duke Nukem Forever” wasn’t exactly loved by its audience or the gaming press. Its mechanics seemed lifted from every action game released since “Duke Nukem 3D”, its humour reliant on tiresome nods to other media, its titular hero an unpleasant jerk. One aspect that works as intended, though, is how Duke opts to show his disrespect for certain alien bosses. Every so often, Duke will flip the bird at a giant creature or spaceship he just finished destroying, prior to passing out. Small comfort though it may be, we’ll take what we can get.

#8: Police Musical

“We Happy Few” (2018) Much can and has been said of “We Happy Few”, of its technical imperfections and of its irritating moment-to-moment play. Still, we can’t deny being equal parts amused and unsettled by the off-kilter sequence, which follows Sally Boyle being called on by the police. Players witness, in first person, a surprisingly well-choreographed musical number put on by the Bobbies in celebration of their precious Miss Boyle. It’s fun, it’s colourful, and it’s just a tad bit unnerving – particularly with the contrast between the police’s admiration for Sally and their addictive fixation on her Blackberry Joy concoction. Scenes such as this, riding a very careful line in terms of tone, help when the surrounding game falters.

#7: Winter Battles The Raven

“Aliens: Colonial Marines” (2013) Marketed to the fanbase as a loving tribute to the “Alien” films, “Aliens: Colonial Marines” instead felt out of touch with its source material once it actually found its way to audiences. Yet the game finds ways to shine in particular moments, most notably in its fifth mission The Raven. After breaking free from the xenomorphs’ clutches, the player has to then flee from an especially large and vicious xenomorph variant. Of course, players get the chance to fight back when – at the end of the mission – they get to use one of the Power Loaders to senselessly beat the xenomorph to death. Ripley would be proud.

#6: Shaqtus

“Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn” (2018) It’s Shaq … wearing a cactus costume … I am not making this up. Those experiencing “Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn” without having followed its titular celebrity’s fascinating career might have been perplexed when the in-game Shaq discovers and dons a cactus costume. This costume turns Shaq into the being known as Shaqtus, which is a nod to a Shaq-shaped cactus from an old commercial for ESPN. Of course, the ESPN incarnation of Shaqtus wasn’t exactly known for firing off unending volleys of cactus spines at enemies... that we’re aware of. Anyway, it’s a fine tribute to a rather bizarre moment in sports advertising history.

#5: Invisible Snake

“Resident Evil 6” (2012) Historically, serpentine creatures in “Resident Evil” games have proved a wise inclusion, the surrounding instalment’s quality notwithstanding. This turned out to also apply to “Resident Evil 6”, a divisive entry aiming to please as many as possible yet falling short more often than not. During the third chapter of Chris’ campaign, he and his BSAA teammates are ambushed and drawn into terrifying game of cat & mouse with Iluzija, a giant mutant snake that’s invisible and very keen on murder. Iluzija is stunningly realized as ruthless and menacing monsters go, and for a moment the game actually starts to feel like “Resident Evil”. So it’s a shame that when we kill it, we go back to more mindless action.

#4: Ghost versus Trinity

“Enter the Matrix” (2003) Ah yes, the messy and complicated realm of video game tie-ins to major motion pictures. As tends to be the case for such licensed works, “Enter the Matrix” did not quite benefit from the rush to release it in the same month as “The Matrix Reloaded”. Still, some good came of the arrangement, such as the Zen Garden interlude in co-protagonist Ghost’s storyline. While meditating in a virtual garden, Ghost is disrupted by Trinity with Carrie-Anne Moss reprising her role – cue one-on-one martial arts fight. Fun as the brief combat between friends is, it’s the time taken to ruminate on personal philosophy and the dry wit both fighters share that truly makes this sequence work.

#3: Fighting the Mothership

“Earth Defense Force 2017” (2007) Leaning very much into its B-movie feel with its alien invasion plot and dubious audio-video quality, “Earth Defense Force 2017” certainly doesn’t hide its status as a flawed but charming title. Its final mission, however, manages the impressive feat of feeling grand and significant while still working within the limits of budget. Players are at last pitted against the alien mothership itself, a swirling mass of metal and advanced laser weaponry. What results from the ensuing clash is pure chaos and devastation, as the player dodges past explosions and debris in order to land blows on the ship.

#2: Golden Gate

“Homefront” (2011) Seems like good finales making up for underwhelming games is a trend here. Well, at any rate, “Homefront” delivered when it came to its final level, an all-out push across the Golden Gate Bridge alongside the United States Armed Forces. Beginning with a helicopter ride up to the bridge supports, the level then progresses into a string of tense shootouts as the player climbs onto the bridge itself. Everything from the pacing to the increasing danger of fights is solid to the very end, closing out on a rare moment of effective character drama.

#1: The Midgar Assault

“Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII” (2006) Whatever might be said about Square Enix and their priorities in the 21st century, they can make a damn handsome cutscene when they want to. “Dirge of Cerberus” picks up three years after “Final Fantasy VII”, shifting the spotlight over to Vincent Valentine and his quest to save the world from a vast conspiracy. During the cutscene leading in to the eighth chapter, “Dirge of Cerberus” delivered quite the special effects blowout in its depiction of the assault on the city of Midgar. Airships dropping soldiers from above, ground forces converging on the city’s defenses – the whole scene’s a delight even before Cloud and the other party members from “VII” show up.