Top 10 Most Satisfying Things In Video Games

#10: Opening a Chest “The Legend of Zelda” series (1986-)

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When you grab yourself a new item in the Zelda franchise, it isn’t just a casual find, it’s an event in of itself. This is due to the iconic sound effect as you approach the chest, the music building and building until it’s reached a riveting crescendo as Link holds his treasure up in the air in celebration. Admit it, you hum along to the theme and do a little cheer on the inside every time Link finds himself a new toy to use. Da da da daaaah!

#9: Five Gold Stars “Rock Band” series (2007-)

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Admittedly most of us will never reach superstardom in the world of music. However, this series gave us a chance to put our non-existent talents to the test by letting us jam to our favourite tunes. Of course, jamming soon turns into a desire to be the best. The ultimate prize being five gold stars, which can only be accomplished by a near perfect score and on expert mode. Depending on whether you are going at it solo or playing with friends as well as your choice of song, seeing those five stars at the end of a track will truly make you feel like a rock god.

It’s not enough to just defeat your enemies in a fighting game, you want to destroy them. Demolish them. Obliterate them with ridiculously flashy techniques that literally light up the screen while you bask in the glory of your victory. Luckily the MVC has got you covered. After taking down your foe down to the point they have only a sliver of life left, instead of granting them a quick death, there’s no greater feeling than letting loose a Hyper Combo that brings a new meaning to the term overkill. Hell you can even go one step further with a Crossover Combination which see’s your whole team unload their finishers all at one. That’s gotta hurt.

#7: Glory Kills “Doom” (2016)

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Ah, that glorious moment when you realise on a planet overrun with demons of all shapes and sizes, you’re still the deadliest one of them all. As the Doom Guy, not only did we get the opportunity to gun our way through the legions of hell singlehandedly with all kinds of weapons, but were also given the option to use special melees. With these, we get to tear apart demons with our bare hands in a gratuitous parade of brutality. They’re gory, up in your face and wholly pleasing to execute. Not to mention we also get use the chainsaw in the same manner. Groovy.

It’s no secret that the boss battles featured in this series can range from challenging to balls to the wall insane, and we love them for it. With both the thrill of the fight, the various tactics needed to bring down these behemoths as well as the fear of losing all that humanity, we are never as focused as when that enemy life gauge shows up on screen. Whether we’re outmanoeuvring the combined might of Ornstein & Smough or holding on for dear life against the Nameless King, watching them finally go down is utterly alleviating.

#5: The Flagpole “Mario” series (1985-)

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Whether it’s just a causal stroll through the Mushroom Kingdom in the original Super Mario Bros or overcoming an ungodly gauntlet in Super Mario Maker, the flagpole at the end is a shining beacon that you’ve just conquered another level. Of course you can’t just walk past it, you’ve got to try and grasp it from the top and ride it on down to the bottom. Sure, in some cases it adds to your overall score, but other times it’s just the satisfaction of knowing you nailed the whole length. Wait.

After being constantly hounded by those four menaces Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde, we were all dying to get our revenge. Lucky enough for us, after ingesting a Power Pellet, Pac-Man is given the ability to chase down and devour those little ghost bastards! Given the limited amount of time players had before Pac-Man becomes vulnerable again, gobbling up all four in a single burst becomes a tricky but oh so necessary objective, probably even more so than collecting coins. Especially you, Clyde, you so have it coming!

#3: Breaking Blocks “Minecraft” (2011)

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For all the marvellous creations that have come from the imaginations of dedicated players, whether they be beautiful cottages, iconic cultural set pieces or even entire landscapes, the most fun we had in Minecraft was breaking down everything around us. With our diamond pickaxe in hand, smashing through the very earth beneath out feet until we hit the molten core of this rigid world was as an adventure onto itself. Despite the game’s countless mods and expansions, nothing beats hamming away at every block in sight.

#2: Fatalities “Mortal Kombat” series (1992-)

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Ever since we first saw Scorpion set his opponent on fire and Sub-Zero pull a fellow kombatant’s skull and spine from their body, we were hooked on these fantastically gruesome displays of violence and death. Over the years the fatalities have become a much a part of the series as the characters themselves, each instalment not only increasing the level of gore but also the creativeness of the kills. By the time Mortal Kombat X had rolled around, we had everything from death selfies, intestines being mentally pulled out, and even kontenders being blended via levitating sword.

No matter the franchise, not matter the weapon, no matter the situation, every time there’s a chance to blow someone’s head off in an FPS game, every player worth their salt is going to take it. While some shots are more exhilarating that others to pull off, nothing quite gets our trigger fingers going more than perfectly nailing a headshot in Unreal Tournament. Not only because it shows some degree of skill, but we’re rewarded by the announcer proclaiming said kill in the most badass way possible.