Roger Ebert once famously wrote, that “Video games can never be art.” and he certainly was not the first. The medium of video games has had a long and rocky road as it strives to be seen as a legitimate form of art, sitting at the same table as its brothers and sisters, Literature, Film, Television, Music, and Fine Art. While it is easy to vilify video games as a lesser medium, respect must be paid for how incredibly far video games have come in such a short amount of time. Video games have the ability to be just as potent as any other artistic creation. We here at MONG are proud to share some of our personal favorite gaming moments. Moments where video games transcend the stereotypes of their medium, and stand tall on the same level as their brothers and sisters. Now before we get started, we want to put a large SPOILER ALERT as this will reveal plot details on the games we are discussing.
Red Dead Redemption — The Ride into Mexico
Adam Leonard — Associate Writer
This is the moment that served as the inspiration for the article. While I feel sometimes Red Dead Redemption gets somewhat lost when talking about last gen games such as The Last of Us, BioShock, and Grand Theft Auto V, I feel the western stands tall as the greatest game of the last generation. A conflicted protagonist trying to outrun his past, an instantly memorable cast of characters, and a lovingly crafted open world, Red Dead Redemption has plenty of moments that make compelling arguments for the advancement of video games as an art form. But there is one moment that stands heads and shoulder above all others for me, and has become one of the most influential moments for me in the argument of video games as art.
Upon completing the first section of the game, John Marston (our hero), takes his quest to hunt down his past to south of the border as he heads into Mexico. What starts out as a fairly normal ride towards your next mission point quickly soars with the impeccable insertion of the song “Far Away” by Jose Gonzalez. The haunting, melancholic lyrics of the song, combined with the breathtaking visuals of the mesas of Mexico accented by the purple and reds of the setting sun transported me. I was no longer playing a video game, I was participating in a living breathing Western.
BioShock — Andrew Ryan’s Office
Shawn Richards — Associate Editor
This may seem like an easy pick, seeing that it is one of the most shocking twists in gaming and BioShock is my favorite game of all time. For those of you who do not know about it, let me set up the scene for you.
You play as a man, Jack, who found himself in a crumbling submarine utopia. He is guided by Atlus, a man desperate to take down the leader of the sunken city: Andrew Ryan. With Ryan taunting him all the way, Jack makes his way to Ryan, who is calmly playing golf in his office. It is then that he reveals that Jack is not a man of free will but is instead controlled by Frank Fontaine. The cutscene ends with Ryan killing himself using Jack and a golf club as an instrument. Atlus then reveals himself as Frank Fontaine, the man who has been controlling you with a familiar three word phrase.
The reason this is a memorable moment for me is not for the reveal that Jack was being controlled. It is not the fact that Atlus was actual Frank Fontaine. No, it was what Andrew Ryan tells you. Not Jack, you. It was the most ingenious way a game has broken the fourth wall, claiming that Jack is not in control of his body. In a way, we were not in control of him either, forced to follow the objectives given to us by none other than “Atlus.” We could not do anything besides watch as we kill Andrew Ryan. It made me think about video game storytelling as a whole and whether we play games or the games play us.
Journey — The Whole Thing (but also the ending)
Jesse Webster — Senior Writer
There has been a lot of games that had fantastic moments to remember, whether it be the ending to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater to beating Dark Souls. But for games that truly descends from game to art status to me is Journey. From beginning to end, it shows how games can get past the guns, and get pass the killing, and do something truly unique. I will never forget about trying to outrun the flying snakes or the surf in the sunset. The last ten minutes alone is worth the trip. Journey may be two hours, but there is more unique and unforgettable moments in Journey than most ten hour games. I cannot wait to get to do this adventure again on the PlayStation 4.
The Last of Us — Giraffe Scene
Matt Batson — Associate Writer
The Last of Us is undoubtedly one of the best games of the last console generation. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where most of mankind is either infected with a zombie-like disease, or they have become immoral killers only focused on survival. It is the apex of the cinematic game experience, and in terms of story, character development, visuals, and music, the game is high quality for any medium.
If I had to pick one specific scene from the game that stands out artistically it would be the giraffe scene. Joel and Ellie are the protagonists of the game. To say that they have gone through a lot at this point would be an incredible understatement. As you boost Ellie up to a ledge for what seems to be the hundredth time in the game, something different happens. Ellie runs off. While you go looking for her, you are reloading your guns, preparing for the inevitable horde of hostile enemies that you have grown accustomed to facing. However, when you ascend the last staircase and open the door leading outside you are met with a moment of peace. There were no hunters outside, nor were there infected. What Joel and Ellie saw was nature. A tower of giraffes peacefully migrating across a green landscape that was once a city. In the midst of a dark, gritty, depressing world, Joel and Ellie were able to find a true moment of solace. Joel asks Ellie, “This everything you were hoping for?” to which Ellie replies, “Its got its ups and downs. You can’t deny the view though.”
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons — Death of Older Brother
Riley Berry — Associate Writer
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is about exactly what the title states. Two brothers venture out into the wild to find a cure for their sick father. The player controls both of the brothers at once; each brother is assigned one control stick and one shoulder button. Towards the end of the game, the brothers find the cure. The younger brother sets the older brother down in order to obtain enough of the substance to cure the older brother and the dad. When he returns to the older brother, he finds him dead.
The player is forced to pull the older brother into a grave the younger brother dug quickly. The only sounds are of the body being dragged and the younger brother’s mix of crying and struggling. Later, the younger brother comes to a body of water, but he cannot cross because he required his older brother to swim earlier in the game. It took me several minutes to figure out how to get across; instead of using the button assigned to the little brother, the button assigned to the older brother is used. I cannot exactly describe why, but I was overwhelmed by emotions. The moment is absolutely beautiful and one only video games can create.
Shadow of the Colossus — Catching a Ride on Avion
Jason Patrick — Associate Writer
Shadow of the Colossus, from Team Ico is regarded as one of the greatest games of all time. You play as a boy named Wander, accompanied by his loyal horse Agro. The game pretty much eliminates all the filler that most games have and goes with a game design that is essentially 16 boss battles. The bosses in this game are giant, magnificent colossi that are technical and artistic marvels. You travel across “The Forbidden Lands” seeking out each colossi and killing them. Why? To bring back to life, a girl named Mono (presumably, the woman you love).
It is a game full of unforgettable moments. But when I sat down and started to think how I was going to contribute to this piece, and Shadow of the Colossus popped into my head, I instantly knew what moment came to mind.
The fifth colossus you come across is an airborne creature named Avion. When you first see Avion, this beautiful creature is soaring through the sky before he comes to rest upon a stone perch. Like all colossi that come before and those throughout the game, you have to find out how to mount the creature. In order to do so, you have to get Avion’s attention by shooting it with an arrow. Doing so, causes Avion to swan dive at you. As he swoops down, coming right for you, you jump and grab onto one of his wings, holding on for dear life. It’s a breathtaking moment as you soar through the sky, clinging onto this beautiful creature, as Kow Otani’s fantastic score plays. It’s a moment that always fills me with wonder and a sense of adventure.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater — The End
Jordan Loeffler — Associate Writer
It’s true that the ending to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is one of the most powerful finales in gaming history. Learning about The Boss’ past, her true mission and why she must die is one of the most heart-wrenching boss battles I’ve ever taken part in. It’s a scene that can stand tall next to some of the best in film and television. However, I believe that apart from Metal Gear’s dramatic weaving, the series’ smaller, more surprising moments are what show that games are an artform in their own right. Meryl’s codec number on the back of the game case and Psycho Mantis reading your memory card are elements that both break down the fourth wall and integrate the experience into reality.
Snake Eater’s “The End” boss battle is a beast of a challenge. The man you’re faced with defeating is an incredibly old, impossibly accurate sniper capable of putting Snake down in only a few shots. To top it off, he relocates himself often. In a rather large arena with camouflage to aid him, The End can be a tough enemy to find, let alone to shoot before he sees you. My first encounter with this baddie was… frustrating to say the least. After multiple attempts on his life, I found little success, and I decided to turn the game off for some time. A couple of days later, I decided to show a confident friend how much trouble I was having, only to discover a new cutscene where Snake finds The End has died of old age. The old sniper had been defeated because, unaware it was even possible, I had waited him out.
After years of reflection, there is no moment from the series that stands out more than this one. Surely, I’ve had far more impactful, emotional reactions from the story, but no event has evolved my gaming experience quite so passively, simply, yet artfully.
Pokémon Diamond — The Pride of Evolution
Lucy Pallent — Associate Writer
People say you never forget your first Pokémon adventure but I think you really never forget your bond with your original team of pokémon. Back when times were simple and you didn’t care about stats, natures or IVs. You build your team, if you will allow the cliche, from the heart. For me the moment I remember most is when my first pokémon, Chimchar, evolved.
I’d spent the last two hours catching bidoofs, going through endless tutorials and battling Barry. Until finally after reaching Oreburgh city something very special happened. “What? CHIMCHAR is evolving!”
All Pokemon trainers will understand the pride I felt just then. I wasn’t just proud about what I had achieved, I was also proud of those collections of pixels that was my first pokémon. This feeling of growth, development and pride continued throughout the adventure; however, it is this moment that sticks out most from my 10 year old memories.
Most peoples’ unforgettable video game moments are probably much more grand in scale but “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” So, in my opinion, there is nothing more beautiful than the coloured pixels that make up your first pokémon.
This is just a small selection of the many, many wonderful moments that video games provide. What is your favorite video game moment? Sound off in the comments below!
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