Holy crap moments in PC gaming.

[Forward Observer]

Ok, every gamer has had them---those awesome or scary, or simply defining moments in a PC game that made you suddenly exclaim: Holy crap--I can't believe that this is just a computer game

Some of those moments for me.

European Air War----Maybe the 5th or 6th mission of the Battle of Britain campaign when the Germans have switched from bombing airfields to the city of London. Your squadron of Spitfires is racing at top speed to intercept. Suddenly your flight leader announces bandits at 12 o'clock.

You see a sky filled with Heinkel 111 bombers, and just behind them, their Bf109 escorts. Then your wing commander, in his best English manner says: Tallyho, Let's get them chaps---Look out for the escorts I cannot describe the immersive rush I felt, when I first experienced this moment in EAW.

Shogun Total War---It was at the end of a very hard defense of some mountain valley---one of those maps in the middle of Japan that you seem to battle on more than any other.

The enemy had just broken, and I released my cavalry to chase routers. I started to pan my camera forward to watch. I must have had the camera speed perfectly matched to the speed of the cavalry and the sound turned up too loud. It just seemed like I was riding with them as they over-ran the fleeing enemy. It's hard to explain, but it felt truly immersive and cinematic.

Aliens versus Predator 2----The start of the colonial marine campaign in this game is right out of the second Aliens movie. You are alone walking down a dimly lit, deserted, desolated installation corridor. Steam is escaping from pipes, and there are blood smears everywhere. The only sound is an occasional scream off in the distance and the beep of your motion detector.

Every once in a while your motion detector registers a blip, but you never see anything. You turn a corner---suddenly the grating you are walking on collapses and you think you are sliding towards your doom. You come to a stop and----nothing but silence.

You regain your composure and move on. Bang---an overhead panel drops down and steaming hoses burst swirling from of the ceiling. Another false alarm. Time to change your underware again.

I don't think one ever even sees an Alien to near the end of the level, but the suspense is absolutely terrific. I swear, I must have started and stopped this level about ten times before I had the nerve to see it through to the end because it creeped me out so. Playing this in darkened room is a real trip.

Well, those are some of mine---what are yours?

[Leet Eriksson]

one of the best moments in gaming ever...Robert the Bruce with 5 Highland Clansmen with jacked up valour,wasting the british(MTW Historical Missions).Ok well not,but really you don't see scenes where your outnumbered in flat terrain and your enemy has superior units to yours.I was like Holy Crap british everywhere...i'm gonna lose

Best Multiplayer gaming ever....Americas Army with friends(no really,its really immerisive)

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] (Forward Observer @ April 24 2004,16:01)]European Air War----Maybe the 5th or 6th mission of the Battle of Britain campaign when the Germans have switched from bombing airfields to the city of London. Your squadron of Spitfires is racing at top speed to intercept. Suddenly your flight leader announces bandits at 12 o'clock.

You see a sky filled with Heinkel 111 bombers, and just behind them, their Bf109 escorts. Then your wing commander, in his best English manner says: Tallyho, Let's get them chaps---Look out for the escorts I cannot describe the immersive rush I felt, when I first experienced this moment in EAW.
True. It happened to me too. EAW was an awesome game indeed.



Quote[/b] ]Shogun Total War---It was at the end of a very hard defense of some mountain valley---one of those maps in the middle of Japan that you seem to battle on more than any other.

The enemy had just broken, and I released my cavalry to chase routers. I started to pan my camera forward to watch. I must have had the camera speed perfectly matched to the speed of the cavalry and the sound turned up too loud. It just seemed like I was riding with them as they over-ran the fleeing enemy. It's hard to explain, but it felt truly immersive and cinematic.
The novelty of Shogun with it's cinematic camera and 3d tactical battles, really was perfect for that feeling.

I have to ad some games to that list:

Half-Life: Fantastic game. The immersion from beggining to end, was creepy...

Thief - The Dark Project: Great story and awesome dark, scary immersion. Very original FPS.

Homeworld: The beauty of the cinematics really set you into the game. The final battle gaved you a burning scare...

[The Wizard]

Hmm, nice idea.

Metroid Prime - the part of the Phendrana Drifts where you're deep inside the Space Pirate base. You're in the Research Core, a high room where you have to descend, not knowing what's down there and if there are any Space Pirates in hiding, waiting to scare the crap out of you.

Turns out it was a lot more scary than I had first expected.

You get down there. Turns out there's an item there, the heat visor. You get it, and then jump down. The lights go off. You don't know what's happening, and it's silent. Then, suddenly, you hear to clunks nearby. You don't know what it is as you hear grunts and know there is something nearby. Then, one of the things lunges at you with his weapon, and you jump in fright. About at that point I remembered I had heat vision now, and saw the two Shadow Pirates. Quite a rush.

Metroid Prime (again, yes) - Once again in the Phendrana Drifts. You're in the abandoned temple zone, exploring the ruins and vanquishing some normal foes. Suddenly, you get one of those bleeps.

'Heightened predatorial activity'. And that one room away.

I knew that meant certain crap, but I went to it anyway, solving the puzzle to get in. The room was totally empty. In front of me was the wave beam. I knew something bad was gonna happen once I grabbed it, but the door behind me was empty. So, I tried to grab it.

Then, two doors opened and two baby Sheegoths charged out. What followed was a tough battle, and I killed one of them. Then, another two charged out and I found myself facing three. Eventually I beat them, but then a huge Sheegoth comes storming out. Strangely enough it wasn't as hard to beat as the three baby Sheegoths.

That battle really made me feel like I was there, however strange it sounds.



~Wiz

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

The first time I ever played the Omaha beach assault mission on MoHAA is one of my most intense gaming memories. Say what you like about MoH being scripted, that was an awesome mission. The first time I ever attacked a star destroyer on X-wing Vs Tie fighter was cool as well.

[Cazbol]

The first time I saw the Mongols arrive in MTW.
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/jawdrop.gif

[TheSilverKnight]

when I first tried NTW, and I fought my first battle, as Prussians and invaded Russia, I exclaimed OH CRAP I'M GONNA LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSEEEEEEEE but I won instead http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Beirut]

When I installed my (then) new GF4-4200 and cranked up the graphics on Splinter Cell. What eye-candy http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

Flying Wild Weasel strikes in Falcon 4 with full realism. Very heavy.

Janes WWII Fighters, with a hundred German bombers in the air and thirty or forty P-47s and P-38s intercepting, at sunset, burning bombers trailling flames, falling to the ground, tracers everywhere. Huge furball, great A2A action and gorgeous, sumptuous, delicious graphics. One of the prettiest sights in all of gaming.

And of course, all of those Holy S*** moments in M:TW when you wipe the sweat off your brow and realize you just beat 4 to 1 odds by the skin of your teeth.

[Efrem Da King]

Umm.....





FF8- the machine creature that attacks you in your first seed mission. WOW

FF8- Later on you are on a rope extended of a jet pack and are flighing around he garden And most imprortantly the battle And then running through the battle.


FF8 escapinge from the prison THose screws. I died fisrt time it just looked so captivating





And the train and well basically every cutscene in FF8

Don't forget the parade.


GOD FF8 ROCKS

[Fragony]

The mother of holy crap moments: finding docter Polito in system shock 2 'The Polito form is dead insect' say what? then : HOLY CRAP

Another holy crap moment: Thief, return to the cathedral. What does my eye see, is that a hammerite? Hammerite + blackjack = fun, so I sneak behind him. When I club him instead of going in down it laughs in the most disturbing way possible, it turns around and I see a skull instead of a face. I try to run away but it is fast I tell ya, so I will have to fight I got gored within a second. Congratulations, you have just been haunted. I haven't touched the game for months after that.

[Kraellin]

one that stands out for me was a special deal done in Air Warrior, by Kesmai Corp. this was pre-internet. we played on the GEnie network. Kesmai rented some time on a satellite and 'linked up' across the atlantic to play some special scenarios with our european cousins. they played the axis and we played the allies.

the whole thing was designed to re-create some air battles of wwii. the kesmai guys acted as the referees and as the various generals in charge of things for both sides. we got briefings in briefing rooms about the mission. we then took to the skies and flew in squadrons. now mind you, air warrior was one of the first fully graphical multiplayer games ever, but it was done VERY well. as we rose from the ground and assembled our squadron and then headed towards the mission coordinates, the whole thing started to really drag me in. i remember being in the cockpit of a fighter and looking out the various views and seeing this massive fighter squadron around me and going, 'holy sh*t, this seems so real'.

as we continued to fly, 'radio' reports started coming in. one of our bomber wings had been discovered and was under attack. we were directed to alter our mission and go help them out. we changed course and headed towards the fray. as we got closer, you could see the tiny little specs of planes get bigger and bigger and our bombers truly were in trouble. as our squadron entered this furball, i remember thinking again, 'damn, this is good'.

and now, here in present time, looking back on this, it almost seems like a memory from a war rather than a computer game. i can still see that sky filled with 'our' pilots and then seeing that furball up ahead of us and the rush of adrenaline as we charged in to save the day :)

frankly, i dont even remember who won. what i remember was how well the dev guys set this thing up, how immersive it got with all the briefings and radio traffic and the visuals and then how confusing things got as we dove in to rescue our bombers, just like how in any battle, things break down into confusions pretty quickly. it was a pretty amazing day of computer play :)

K.

[Cebei]

Quote[/b] ]one of the best moments in gaming ever...Robert the Bruce with 5 Highland Clansmen with jacked up valour,wasting the british(MTW Historical Missions).Ok well not,but really you don't see scenes where your outnumbered in flat terrain and your enemy has superior units to yours.I was like Holy Crap british everywhere...i'm gonna lose


A far better OMFG is the Richard the Lionhearth's last campaign battle against Saladin. Endless tide of cavalry emerging from the hill...

[Lechev]

STW:- The aftermath of a battle. looking around the battlefield i see the pixel bodies of the vanquished reminds me last scenes from Kagemusha directed by Akira Kurosawa. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

[Lechev]

Another game that impressed me :- Close Combat series. The cries for medic of the fallen men, the scream of berserk soldiers when they cannot take it (battle-stress ) any more.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Quote[/b] (Lechev @ April 25 2004,22:40)]Another game that impressed me :- Close Combat series. The cries for medic of the fallen men, the scream of berserk soldiers when they cannot take it (battle-stress ) any more.
Have you ever played any of the Combat Mission series? You sound like you'd really like them.

[Lechev]

All the way since the first game BKS. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Thought so. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] (Big King Sanctaphrax @ April 24 2004,17:38)]The first time I ever played the Omaha beach assault mission on MoHAA is one of my most intense gaming memories. Say what you like about MoH being scripted, that was an awesome mission.
I agree. Really scary, really immersive, really difficult and the most realistic possible in a PC game at the time. Saving Private Ryan style... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink.gif

[RisingSun]

I thought the Omaha mission was great in the atmosphere, etc, but if you looked around, there was a total of like, 5 other guys on that whole stretch of beach... Kind of a buzzkill.

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] (RisingSun @ April 25 2004,18:18)]I thought the Omaha mission was great in the atmosphere, etc, but if you looked around, there was a total of like, 5 other guys on that whole stretch of beach... Kind of a buzzkill.
LOL http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-jester.gif The other guys were covered by the smoke and fog... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink2.gif

Serioulsy, it was just to stop PCs from bogging down with too many polygons. If it was now, with DX9 graphic cards and P4 and Athlon64 CPUs, it would be a very different story. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

[Demon of Light]

Not to crash this thread but note to Forward Observer and Aymar de Bois Mauri: there is a European Air War topic up and waiting for input.

[Monk]

I've had a few omfg moments in pc gaming, here's a few:

MTW: it was i think 1342, as the Horde i had carved out a huge empire (used -ian at 1231) that stretched from Tunisia to Muscuvy, and i had just launched a campaign against Christian Europe. Well the Pope didn't like my pagan armies rampaging through his gardens in Italy so he called for a Holy war against me. What happened next nearly made me fall outta my chair, the remaining factions (Danes, English, Spanish, Italians, Polish) All invaded by the sea or land they launched an all out attack on me, IIRC i counted at least 7,000 troops that invaded on four different fronts. They never had a chance though as my supperior Mongol cavalry made quick work of the pathetic allies in a number of battles. However, i have to admit it was a huge shock to see such a sight.


this one made me laugh

Americas Army: Back when i used to play this, a few of us from the .org had a team going (i think sinan and the others still play, idk) anyhow, we were practicing on the Pipeline map in an empty server with just us on either sides, one of us went afk in a sort of alley way. When I saw him crouched down but not moving, I hid behind him. One of his teammates came along and saw the guy sitting not moving and began to wonder what he was doing. I leaned out from behind my human shield and fired off a few rounds, the enemy down the alley took cover and fired back, killing his own teammate i was using for cover. when he saw i was exposed i didn't move at first as i was laughing so hard, i then explained what had happened, and he shot me dead http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Cebei]

1-Thief the Dark Project:

-When you open the main hall door in the haunted cathedral
-Cinematic where Spoiler Alert! Highlight to read. Constantine turns into Trickster[/QUOTE]

2-Tie Fighter:
-The fourth episode where the admiral sends you to show new pilots how to clear a minefield and all of a sudden Spoiler Alert! Highlight to read. he reveals that he is a renegade and when you call reinforcements to deal with him several very big ships like Nebulon B frigates, arrive [/QUOTE]

[Knight_Yellow]

Quote[/b] (faisal @ April 24 2004,22:50)]one of the best moments in gaming ever...Robert the Bruce with 5 Highland Clansmen with jacked up valour,wasting the british(MTW Historical Missions).Ok well not,but really you don't see scenes where your outnumbered in flat terrain and your enemy has superior units to yours.I was like Holy Crap british everywhere...i'm gonna lose

Best Multiplayer gaming ever....Americas Army with friends(no really,its really immerisive)
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

Britian =

England
Scotland
Wales
N. Ireland

you mean english.
--------------------------------------------------------

Battlefield Vietnam:

Im playing as VC and me and 4 other guys are trying to capture a flag inside a building.

as soon as the flag turns grey waves after waves of US soldiers storm the building and the next 30 seconds was complete reaction over load.

by the end we had killed all the enemy 2 of us were dead and we had used all our ammo.....

it was cinematic.

one of the best MP games ive had.

[Lehesu]

Quote[/b] (Cebei @ April 26 2004,12:14)]1-Thief the Dark Project:

-When you open the main hall door in the haunted cathedral
-Cinematic where Spoiler Alert! Highlight to read. Constantine turns into Trickster

2-Tie Fighter:
-The fourth episode where the admiral sends you to show new pilots how to clear a minefield and all of a sudden Spoiler Alert! Highlight to read. he reveals that he is a renegade and when you call reinforcements to deal with him several very big ships like Nebulon B frigates, arrive [/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
Yeah, that TIE Fighter mission was one hard one. The damn rookies were actually pretty good pilots and tied me up a while.

[frogbeastegg]

Quote[/b] (Cebei @ April 26 2004,18:14)]2-Tie Fighter:
-The fourth episode where the admiral sends you to show new pilots how to clear a minefield and all of a sudden Spoiler Alert! Highlight to read. he reveals that he is a renegade and when you call reinforcements to deal with him several very big ships like Nebulon B frigates, arrive [/QUOTE]
I do beg to differ ever so slightly - it was the first mission of the fifth camapign, and you only got 1 nebulon b frigate and 2 TIE advanced to help you out when you called for reinforcements. Why am I so certain of this? Because I was stuck on that mission for so long I used invulnerablity to get past it, and got stuck on it in each and every campaign I played.

[MalibuMan]

I have two heart-stopping moments, and both are from half-life. While I can't imagine anyone not having played this game, I'll give both of them spoiler tags:

Spoiler Alert! Highlight to read.
Level three, 'We've got hostiles', when you first meet the marines. You can hear their radio chatter before you actually see them. 'Enemy sighted', 'moving to intercept' etc. When you do first meet them, the first thing your likely to hear is: tink, tink tinkety tink.... 'FIRE IN THE HOLE'.
[/QUOTE]

Spoiler Alert! Highlight to read.
Possibly, in my opinion, the best moment in the game: you've been chased on and off for several whole levels over open ground by this f***ing attack helicopter, so you've been stuck hopping from cover to cover whilst fighting ground troops. You have no weapons to take the b*****d down. You're on an exposed mountainside trail, praying it won't come back now where there's no cover at all. You find a cave off the trail. Inside is a laser-guided missile launcher. As you pick it up, it makes that fantastic lock and load noise, you can suddenly hear chopper blades getting louder in the distance, and the pounding music starts up...
[/QUOTE]

[MalibuMan]

Oh yeah, the other thread reminded me of another one. The ending of KoTOR (I've only seen the light side one). The movie is cool, and then when it ends and the music and credits cut in...

[Mount Suribachi]

KOTOR - The Kaiser Soze moment :D

MOHAA - Omaha beach level

NHL 2004 - The first time I scored on a breakaway (Radek Bonk, shorthanded) using the new manual deke feature - went backhand/forehand and wristed it over a sprawling keeper http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif That was sweet watching it on replay http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

BG2 - Before you descend to take on Irenicus and your character turns and thanks all your NPCs personally and asks them if they're sure they want to follow you. I had a lump in my throat.

Champ Man 2 - Spending all day one gorgeous August Bank Holiday with the curtains closed managing Sheffield United. In my 8th season in charge of them, that sunny day was the day I got them into the Premiership by beating Man City on penalties. I'm not even a Blades fan, but I still remember running round my bedroom cheering when Nigerian international Peter Anosike scored the winning penalty http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif I had put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into that game...

[Knight_Yellow]

i just had one of those moments reading PC Zone.


Hl2 exclusive

ive got the link to Scans if any1 wants them PM me.

[barvaz]

About 20+ years ago, playing Zork I. There was a scene that you fight some monster with a knife but unlike any other adventure game I played to that point, the outcome of the battle was not fixed but actually determined at runtime. I was simply amazed. That moment made me later play through all Zork and most other Infocom games.

The other moment was about over 6 years ago when I first set foot in Vesper, Ultima Online. It took me several moments to realize that I was inside a living and breathing fantasy world and that the other avatars around me are being controlled by actual people somewhere on the other side of the world. That moment was awesome and the next couple of days playing UO were unlike anything else I experiences in computer gaming.

- barvaz

[Mount Suribachi]

I also forgot to mention Tomb Raider (the original one). Who can forget the 4th level, The Lost Valley ? You've just dispatched a couple of little dinos, and are happily exploring the valley. Then the ground starts shaking, then the whole screen, when suddenly a giant T-Rex rounds the corner. I remember when this happened the surprise was terrible, I just panicked and before I knew it, I was lunch. So brilliant as it was so unexpected, and so perfectly executed. We all forget what a great game the original Tomb Raider was. It was moments like the T-Rex that made it so.

Planescape:Torment, when Annah comes onto you. Hoochie Mama I was like http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-blush.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-surprised.gif I really dug Annah, she was such a lovely girl who had been treated so badly by men. I just wanted love her and show her tenderness & compassion. I connected with her like with no other character in any other book, movie or game. She is to me what Bastilla is to Froggy I guess. And Annah has that really passionately wild streak, must be that demon blood of hers, hehe http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[MalibuMan]

Oh yeah, the bit in BG2 when Aerie agrees to be Minsc's witch Look out evil, Minsc has a new witch

And then, the first time Aerie drops to low hp, and Minsc goes beserk, you lose control of him and he attacks whoever's after her

[Hetman_Koronny]

Quote[/b] (Cazbol @ April 24 2004,18:27)]The first time I saw the Mongols arrive in MTW.
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/jawdrop.gif
*bows*

Me too. Especially in VI http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-shocked2.gif.

*bows*

[benF86]

a funny moment:
MTW - I invade a province with an army of 3k or so. I get to tactical map, and since I knew the enemy only has one unit there I take my time and enjoy the march. When my first units get over a hill, I see the enemy unit. It was like 100 peasants against an entire army :P I slowly move forward. The peasants start marching towards me, still only a few of my units were visible. They make some 10 metres or so. Stop. By now quite a few more units were visible. Peasants stand still for a few seconds. Turn around and run off the field. I almost fell of my chair. It looked like perfectly

EAW - I chase some enemy plane, and pull up too hard. I black out completely. it was black for about 5 seconds. It slowly starts to clear up and finally everything I see is the ground moving VERY FAST towards me :P Crash :P I regained sight @ about 100m height :P

Heart attack - AvP - playing as the predator I got to the part where you loose your helmet. I slowly creep down a dark corridor when suddenly somethings jumps @ the screen. I almost got a heart attack. A face hugger :P