10 BONE-BREAKING Video Game Moves That Made You Wince
Yup, Kratos in Mortal Kombat was EXACTLY what we expected.
One of the most satisfying moments in gaming is when you defeat an opponent with a devastating special move. Why beat your enemy with a punch or a kick when you can humiliate them with a Hadouken, Fatality or an Omnislash?
Even though special moves are meant to be excruciating, they rarely appear that way, either because of limitations in graphics or a cartoony aesthetic (Super Mario's attacks never look particularly painful even he though he is literally crushing enemies with his butt).
Even if the graphics look realistic, gamers usually don't bat an eyelid while watching characters get decapitated, incinerated or dismembered, because they've become desensitised to digital violence.
But every once in a while, you will see a character perform an attack that looks so unbearably painful, you can't help but shudder. Some of these moves have become so legendary over the years, you see gamers cringe just by talking about them!
Even though gamers know the violence and gore in a video game isn't real, we can't stop ourselves from recoiling in disgust when we see some of these agonising special moves.
10. Shadow Jago's Ultimate - Killer Instinct (2013)
In 1994, Rare released Killer Instinct; an arcade beat-em-up that focused on defeating combatants with ludicrous combos. Although it was fun to perform 40-hit special moves, they didn't look particularly painful, mainly due to the limitations of the system at the time.
But for the 2013 sequel, also called Killer Instinct, it was clear the developers wanted every punch, kick, and headbutt to look as savage as possible. The most satisfying part of the game (and the most excruciating looking) is when you defeat an opponent with a finishing move called an Ultimate Combo. (It's like the Fatalities in Mortal Kombat except... okay, it's exactly the same as the Fatalities in Mortal Kombat.)
Even though every one of these Ultimate Combos is badass, Shadow Jago's finisher is especially gruelling. The mystical ninja starts off by slashing his rival with his sword, impaling them from every direction. He then launches them in the sky before hurling them back to Earth with a single sword slash.
As awesome as this attack is, the best part is when he uppercuts his opponent with such force, it creates a sonic boom. When you hear that cracking sound, it's hard not to let out an audible "Ouch!"