Top 10 Video Game Moments That Changed Everything

The Top 10 Moments in Video Games That Changed Everything

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Unfortunately, we can’t change how 2020 played out … but you can play these games instead! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Moments in Video Games That Changed Everything. For this list, we’ll be looking at specific moments in video games that transformed the way they were played. To be clear, we’re not talking about iconic or monumental scenes that changed your outlook; we’re referring to points that had serious gameplay implementations. If it introduced new mechanics that impacted the character or world around you, it’s eligible for this list. Bear in mind, spoilers will follow.

“Infamous: Second Son” (2014)

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If you’ve got an open-world design and a city to use as your playground, you’re going to need a lot of toys, and by toys, we mean powers. Delsin Rowe is a conduit, and that grants him access to a slew of unique abilities. While you start with the ‘Smoke’ ability, you eventually get other categories of power that fundamentally change how you traverse the city and combat enemies. The Neon powers are great for closing great distances, while Concrete is excellent for dealing incredible amounts of damage. Combined, the powers offer countless different strategies on progressing through enemy encounters.

“Transformers: Fall of Cybertron” (2012)

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What we have here is primarily a third-person shooter with the Transformers coat of paint on it. Ranged attacks are your go-to in the game, and you can upgrade your weapons as you progress. Toward the end of the game, however, you unlock the ability to play as Grimlock, a towering beast of a Transformer that transforms into a Dinobot when you’re ready to dish out severe damage. Grimlock, in his regular form, is no pushover either. Sword in hand, you’re now forced to get up close and personal to destroy your foes, which changes the experience into more of a hack-and-slash action game.

“Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” (1997)

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This cutscene is so epic, it’ll leave you staring at the screen as you comprehend what just happened. Anyone wanting to play the game now will have no doubt heard of the Inverted Castle, but a lot of players back in the day would get half-way through the game, only to have the credits roll. After meeting specific criteria, a cutscene plays after the supposedly final boss battle, revealing a second, inverted castle in the sky above. You then have to traverse through the castle again, in an upside-down, mirror version, with much tougher enemies.

We all love Solid Snake and the first Metal Gear Solid game. So when the sequel came out, and after a couple of hours we realized we’d no longer be playing as Snake, but as newcomer Raiden, we were… annoyed, to put it lightly. After repeat playthroughs, and time, that perspective changed. While there were a few gameplay changes that came with the new protagonist, namely, his sword as a primary weapon, the main difference came from experiencing the story. As we embodied a rookie who shot back with questions Snake wouldn’t have asked, Raiden became an extension of the player, and thus, our perception and understanding were changed.

“Resident Evil 2” Remake (2019)

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Searching through a monster-infested police station is tense enough as it is. Any room can be home to a group of zombies, or worse. The one saving grace was that you could go slow, devise strategies, plot your routes, and take your time to work out the puzzles. However, once the T-00, or, Mr. X arrives, you can’t even do that. You’re forced to rely on instinct to determine which way to go, whether or not to fight off a creature or run from it, and your stress levels are elevated immensely. This hulking, unkillable tyrant will follow you wherever you go… mostly.

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)

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Every party needs a designated healer, and in Final Fantasy VII, Aerith is your healer in most cases. Her caring and upbeat nature cemented her as a fan-favorite among the entire series as well. So, when she’s killed at the hands of Sephiroth, not only were players emotionally devastated, they’d now lost their White Mage too - forcing them to replace her with another healer. This isn’t the first time Final Fantasy has done something wild like this. Remember the entire world being destroyed in Final Fantasy VI, anyone?

“The Messenger” (2018)

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This is an incredible game that brings us back to both the NES and the SNES days. How? It transforms from an 8-bit experience to a 16-bit experience when you travel through time to the future, and back to an 8-bit experience when you go back. The first part of the game draws heavy inspiration from the old Ninja Gaiden games. It takes a turn when it evolves into a Metroidvania style game when you open the scroll you’re transporting, mostly moving away from your typical action side-scroller to a vast open-ended map with quests and all. Whether you like one type of game over the other, you can’t dispute that it’s a unique experience.

There are many reasons why Half-Life 2 is hailed as one of the greatest games of all time. The story, level design, and characters are all contributing factors, as is the Gravity Gun. Physics plays a big part in solving puzzles, and once you get the Gravity Gun, they play a new role in killing your enemies. Previously, you would rely on shooting them to bits, but when you get the Gravity Gun, you can broaden your horizons with how you dispatch enemies. Tossing circular saws, hurling barrels, or using objects as shields are just some ways you can take advantage of your new toy.

“God of War” (2018)

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Kratos is up there with the Master Chief and Doom Guy in terms of badassness, and a lot of it is due to the fact that he wielded the Blades of Chaos. For most of the new God of War, however, your trusted weapon is the Leviathan Axe. This dominated for one-on-one encounters, but group encounters could prove quite challenging. After acquiring the Blades of Chaos when you return home, a wealth of new attacks and playstyles are open to you. You’ll have a much easier time with crowd control and clearing a path with these devastating weapons. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The Cape Feather, “Super Mario World” (1990)

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Because It Allows You to Fly

The Zero Suit, “Metroid: Zero Mission” (2004)

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Because You Lose Your Suit & Are Forced to Use a Stun Pistol

Because the Game Opens Up into a Sprawling Land

Obtaining the Lightsaber, “Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II” (1997)

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Because It Adds Third-Person Melee Combat & Duels

The first few hours of this game are an absolute blast. There are already a ton of things to do and areas to explore. The dungeons are varied with great level and creature design, and the experience never gets stale. Everything is elevated to a whole new level, however, when you finally acquire the Master Sword. The entire world changes around you, the Castle Town Market is in ruins, you’re older, and you can wield new equipment. There is a significant difficulty spike that comes with your new stature, and you’re forced to strategize in almost every enemy encounter. The real quest has just begun!