Shocking/Surprising Moments in Games.

[ZigZaX]

Ever had that one moment in a video game where the game builds up a certain style and theme, then it just slaps you in the face with a moment so sad, horrifying, or just out-right shocking that it goes against the entire feel or atmosphere that the rest of the game built up to that point?

It’s a surprisingly common trend once In a while that a game throws something like that, and sometimes it’s big enough to change your entire thoughts on an entire game, or hell sometimes even franchise.

This topic emerged from curiosity to see how many people have experienced a moment like that, and what types of games tend to have this.

 

Anyways, here are the rules:

1-      One game series per-post, feel free to point out several moments if the game does it multiple times during the same game, ark, series, etc… It also helps to explain how or why the moment was so surprising/shocking, unless it does it by itself.

2-      If the game is younger than 6 years, remember to point it out, and if you feel it’s that big of a spoiler, hide it in a spoiler tag (duh).

3-      …that’s about it as far as rules go, feel free to share those moments, and have fun.

 

With that said, I’ll start to give an example:

 

Disgaea 2- Cursed memories.[contains spoilers to one of the endings]

I’m not counting the other games, as those have some pretty messed up moments in them as well.

The game, although it might contain some adult humor and language here and there, it’s never really at the point at where it’s an adult, gore fest. Heck, for the most part this game is pretty tame with its themes and visuals; the game never even shows you a single blood-drop…unless you get the worst possible ending that is.

In said ending, your main character has to end up accidentally, and /violently/ killing what at the end of the game is considered his girlfriend. This is also the first moment of the game where you see blood, that by itself isn’t really shocking or surprising, however shortly after your main character gets possessed by the demon that pretty much /was/ his “girlfriend” and credits roll.

After the credits, your character slowly approaches his siblings, and violently kills both of them, screams of pain and terror and all. Both of which are no older than 11 by the way. The entire sequence takes place on a black screen, so you don’t see that. But if you have Japanese voices on, or play the Japanese version it gets worse.

Your character EATS them. You hear the sounds of flesh ripping, chewing, limbs being torn, etc… its enough to make one vomit. And I must remind, THEYRE NO OLDER THAN 11.

 

If you don’t believe me, here’s the ending:

(japanese version, warning its a bit loud)

its horrifying, its disgusting, and i love it.

[Jassbec]

@Zig - Oh god, that's fucking messed up.

 

My turn.

 

Major spoilers for Portal 2.

 

(Watch the video as you read this). In Portal 2, you're accompanied by a very entertaining personality core called Wheatley, he helps you out many times throughout the game, as he helps you escape GLaDOS after she reawakens and makes you do more test chambers. After you escape, you're given a goal of destroying GLaDOS neurotoxin supply and replace turrets with defective ones then face her and replace GLaDOS with Wheatley. At first, it seems like you won and the game is about to end, the mood changes to a very cheery one. Until his power starts getting a little out of control.

 

Here's the entire scene.

 

 

You DON'T see it coming, it really caught me off guard. It is also revealed that Wheatley was the source of everything GLaDOS ever did. HE WAS THE VILLAIN ALL ALONG AND HE DIDN'T DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT.

 

While it is sudden, Valve pulls off the plot twist so well that it actually makes sense, and the music playing only makes it better. I am not going to spoil the rest of the game though, I'll leave that to you.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Jassbec

[Riseodvi]

The ending of SA2 really made it feel like it could have been the last Sonic game, with Shadow dying and Eggman considering ending his pursuit of global domination. It's easily diffused by the awful mocap and the laughably bad voice-acting, but it's still alot for a game that tells you than your moves are "COOL!" and "JAMMIN'!"

 

These are full games rather than moments, but Sonic CD and LoZ Majora's Mask are pretty dark for their respective series'. The bad future in CD can be pretty jarring if you're expecting it to be like any ol' Sonic game. And Majora's Mask... the whole thing... is messed up.

 

Oh, and if you haven't already found out about this yet, playing a pirated copy of Sonic CD (or putting in a certain cheat code) gives you THIS FRICKIN' THING.

 

EDIT: Oh... one game per franchise. Nah well, I'm sure it's fine.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Riseodvi

[GSF]

What version did this apply to? The original Sega CD had this screen as a cheat code, but the system has no copy-protection whatsoever... so how did it trigger originally?

[Riseodvi]

What version did this apply to? The original Sega CD had this screen as a cheat code, but the system has no copy-protection whatsoever... so how did it trigger originally?

I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the system and more to do with the process of the disc of Sonic CD being copied.

[Serephim]

Star Ocean 4

I was 100% positive the purple-haired open shirt spiky haired badass douchebag with the scythe at the start of the game was going to reemerge as an evil villain later in the story. To my surprise though, Faize (the first new character you get and one of my favorites) from some really bad turn of events ends up leaving the party for good. And who fills the spot? That badass scythe-douche guy. And becomes a legit playable character through the end of the game.

 

It's surprising not for the change in story, but because of how late the playable character comes into the game. You acquire him after probably one of the hardest fights in the story near the events that (i think) bring about the final area in the game.  

 

  

[Hyper Emerson]

If I too may talk about Sonic, well, I couldn't believe Sonic Battle ended the way it did.

While Emerl is trying to be a nice guy to Eggman after defeating him, Eggman causes him to become insane with power and Sonic is forced to kill him. It was the first time I had encountered an unavoidable tragic ending in a game and boy, did they needlessly twist the knife with dark and depressing dialoque. There was no point to the Master Emerald showing up other than bringing false hope!

Why was a Everyone's Kung-Fu Fighting Sonic game, of all things, slamming those feels on me?