"This is why play video games"

[Valanthe]

Most recently, Mass Effect 3, I'll admit I'm not the greatest man alive and it took me a couple of tries to finally down Kai Leng, and when I finally did, "This is for Thane you sonofabitch" made me quite literally cheer out loud, and evoke some surprised and slightly annoyed reactions from both my room-mate and my cats.

It's moments like those, that evoke real emotion, or the dilemmas that have you sitting there for five minutes because you cannot decide what option to take (Legion's Loyalty Mission, the final choice in Dragon Age: Awakening) and even smaller moments, like when I execute a perfect wall-run, vault, slide, disarm in Mirror's Edge, or when a friend and I execute a perfect tag-team kill in Halo. It's those little moments, and the emotions, whether it be sadness, happiness, or just "Like a Boss," that make me love this hobby and ensure I'll never leave.

 

[Latinidiot]

It's fun. Fucking hell, it's a hobby, why does anybody need excuses to enjoy it?

No excuses, reasons! every thing we do has a reason, and while almost all of them boil down to 'it makes me happy', the reasons why things are fun are quite interesting. Well that's what I think anyway.

And as for gaming moments, I always think of the freedom of movement that the Prince of Persia, the Assasins Creed games and Outland gave me. Just fluidly jumping and running around going from platform to rooftop to bale of hay, just moving like I myself will never be able to.

 

[BENZOOKA]

When I do something very skillful, in a game like CS:S, and when I'm able to play up to my best skills.

When I get to see numbers get bigger and my character get stronger in a single-player RPG for example.

Obtain a sensation of flow, concentrating with a deep interest in a game like Civilization V.

See an interesting story unravel through my actions.

To be in awe for physics, graphics, music, visual style, gameplay, story, simulation etc.

Achieve a challenging goal I've set for myself, like getting past a difficult point in a story or defeat the last four opponents.

Witness awesome teamplay, play with other players who are in on the current plan and know what they ought to do.

To achieve better and better score, time, results

...

 

[Living Contradiction]

Looking out over the city of Jerusalem and seeing it blooming green and gold in the desert.

"The genophage must end!" "Not like this."

Destroying a towering zombified robot that has come to stand on my roof with cabbages, watermelons, jalapenos, and mushrooms.

Making Hanako smile.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey lady! Hey! Hey lady! Hey! Lady! Lady! Lady! Let's go to space!"

Playing "Point Blank" with my little sister in the arcade. And watching the look on her face when she beat me for the first time.

Finding the cure for the disease I created that was supposed to cure cancer. And realizing it didn't matter anymore.

"Smilesville. Welcome, Keeper."

Founding a colony on the planet Irata that allowed myself and the colonists to live comfortably.

And getting through Metal Slug 2, from start to finish, on a single coin.


This is why I play. And for all the experiences I have yet to discover.

 

[J-dog42]

Personally, the rush mode on BF3 has provided me with some of the greatest moments. On Kharg Island, we got pushed back to the final point and were defending like crazy. It was one of the biggest adrenaline rushes ever. Abrams tanks rolling around the corner, helicopters and jets strafing, RPGs going everywhere. Just bliss.

 

[jebara]

The endings of Persona 3,Portal 2 and Ghost Trick; those made me shed manly tears.
Persona 3 was a perfect way for a game that took as long as it did to end, Portal 2 closed off with a song so beautiful I could not help but be moved by it and Ghost Trick...I can't really explain why its on the same level as the other two so all I can say is "it just is"

The final case in Ace Attorney made me feel the same way as well, and so did Persona 4 when I reached the half way mark and realized how much I've fell in love with the game and am addicted to it.

 

[MBurdock]

Journey - all of it. Muramasa - all of it.

Getting into Half-life 2: Deathmatch for the heck of it and one day finding myself consistently at the top of the end-game scores.

Successful defense on first phase of Dustbowl. Successful offense on last phase of Dustbowl with less than a minute left.

Unique drops.

Who is Darth Revan?

Finding random deep caves and temples in Morrowind.

 

[SirPlindington]

Playing Fallout 3, being alone against a massive horde of Super Mutants- and coming out on top.

Also, Journey. That game was fantastic.

 

[silver wolf009]

Winning a match 50-20 as a solo marine against three Predators and three Xenomorphs in AVP 2010. Thought they'd get some fun by starting when I was the only one on my team. I beat them back and took them down. Made me feel like a badass.

The status screen of a high leveled Pokemon team which you took with you through the entire region as you stand at the gate before the Elite Four.

That feeling of exhilaration as you sprint as fast as you can, knowing the other guy's right behind you and if you slow or turn around he'll get you so you keep on running as fast as you can but you know you have to stop and you've got nothing to defend yourself with and- *Inhale!*

The Suicide Mission in ME2.

Bioshock's Fort Frolic.

Psychonauts.

Getting to wave 30+ on Nazi Zombies.

Hell March.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Sega as a publisher and Obsidian as a developer.

Sega has published some great single player games recently that wouldn't fall into the AAA category and I'm glad they don't because they're so much better than AAA games.

If they marketed them at lower price than AAA titles they wouldn't have suffered as they did. Sega seems extremely reluctant to go into the paid DLC market which means the games you buy are complete on the disc.

One of my favourite titles is where Sega published an Obsidian-developed game, Alpha Protocol.

 

[Krantos]

when i not only survived the landing , the push off the beach, taking a village and holding off a reinforced armoured company in a personally created mission in operation flashpoint.

bullets wizzing passed your head,near misses with explosions, seeing the attack helecopters straffinf a convoy.. good stuff

Wait... is that Dragon Rising you're talking about? Because that mission sounds a lot like Island War...

"personally created..."

...

....Are you Templar?!

OT: Pretty much anything that engages me. Whether it's exploring a cave in Skyrim. Navigating dialogue in Mass Effect. Hugging the ground as bullets whiz over head, and having a friendly chopper wreck the shooter in Dragon Rising. Or fighting for my life in a strategy game. Anytime I can stand up and be glad that's how i spend my sparse leisure time is a win.

 

[Padwolf]

A certain scene of Metal Gear Solid 4

Spoiler: You can probably guess what I'm about to say

the microwave corridor. Mashing that button with al my might while watching Snake collapse a few times, shouting at the screen "Come on Snake! You can do this!" All the while my arm is beginning to hurt from mashing the button. My mum comes in and cheers me on too. Those moments in gaming, where I feel so absorbed in the story and character, is why I play games.

Other times it's Skyrim when I'm exploring.

Other times it's games like L.A. Noire where I just fall in love with everything in the game.

Doing speed runs of Sonic and just watching in pure awe of myself at having achieved it.

Playing Silent Hill 2 and working through all the symbolism and coming up with theories.

Playing Fallout 3, stepping out of the Vault and seeing the barren wasteland. Exploring it and helping people throughout. Exploring old Vaults and seeing how the people down there lived their lives.

Playing League of Legends and getting a 10 kill streak all from pure skill. Love those moments.

 

[StashAugustine]

Bastion, especially the ending.
The conversations and atmosphere in the Mass Effect series.
Most of Deus Ex and Human Revolution.
Exploring New Vegas and the Mojave Wasteland, helping the NCR restore order.
Experiencing Spec Ops: The Line.
And that's just the stuff which is specific to video games as a medium. Never mind the twist at the end of Metal Gear Solid 3, watching Max Payne's fall and rise across three games, getting scared witless by FEAR...

 

[Brendan Stepladder]

Getting a full squad of friends on Arica Harbor in Bad Company 2.
Killing Asha in Iji. I hated that bastard, and it was a fun fight, too.
Pretty much all of Cave Story.
Gigantic helicopter battles in Just Cause 2, and hijacking aircraft after aircraft in a manner that would make Spiderman jealous.

 

[Hawkeye 131]

This - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBzqOa9y02I

 

[Extragorey]

Spoiler: Mass Effect 3 is why I play games.

Bringing Tali's people the peace that was too good for them, but giving it anyway.
Watching a certain salarian scientist sacrifice his life because of his stubborn commitment to righting an ancient mistake.

Seeing Grunt emerge from the Reaper-Rachni nest covered in gore but victorious.

Yeah, Mass Effect 3 is why I play games.

 

[Gone Rampant]

Everyone remember the first time they left the cave at the start of Oblivion, and realising that you could do anything?

Also, playing Mass Effect and thinking to myself that I was probably playing one of the greats.

Lone Wolf in Halo Reach, and doing a BRILLIANT Invasion where the team clicks together and CURBSTOMPS the other team.

And essentially everything else listed here.

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

Portal 2's ending. Fucking beautiful in every possible way. In particular...

Spoiler

Overall though, everything about Portal 2's ending was absolutely fantastic and is probably one of - if not taking the the title entirely - my favorite endings in any medium period.

Captcha: "mark it zero". Not a chance, captcha. Not a chance.