50 Most Memorable Achievements in Gaming History

By Alex Turner / December 10, 2012

41. Left 4 Dead 2 - Guardin' Gnome

Rescue Gnome Chompski from the Garden. Definetely a part of my personal top ten, this achievement requires you to carry and evacuate via helicopter a small garden gnome which is awarded for winning the shooting gallery game in the carnival level. Of course, holding the gnome means youre unable to shoot and, to make matters worse, dropping the gnome at any point will cancel the achievement. This requires a lot of caution, running, hiding and a friend willing to watch your back the whole way.

42. Halo 3 - Legendary Complete

Finish the Campaign on Legendary. There really was nothing quite like finishing Halo 3 co-op on the hardest difficulty. The game on legendary has always been one big gun puzzle, rife with trial and error, checkpoint reloading and working out patterns to fight your way through a seemingly endless onslaught of unfeasibly tough-skinned bad guys. Sticking it out with a friend to finish the campaign on this difficulty gave a real sense of achievement and its all the sweeter when those points pop up at the end.

43. Gears Of War - Seriously 3.0

Reach level 100 and earn every Onyx medal. The Gears Seriously achievements have always been soul-crushingly time consuming, but this final one hundred points to round off the series is a strong competitor for the ultimate completionist achievement. Some will see it as a challenge; fewer still will see it as an attainable one. Most of us will see it as one hundred points well never get.

44. Red Dead Redemption - Hit The Trail

Get from Blackwater to Escalera before sundown in a public Free Roam session. Red Dead Redemption is second only to Skyrim in its beautifully crafted environment. Riding with a buddy across the length of this map over a day/night cycle is a sight to behold and a testament to the incredible skill and craftsmanship of Rockstar North.

45. Fable II - Dog Trainer

Teach your dog a trick, or see another Heros dog learn one. The Dog Trainer is simply a story achievement that is almost impossible to miss. It does, however, represent the beginning of what turns out to be a great gaming experience your very own pet dog. Unlike your dog in Fable 3, the personality of this character shines through and I found very easy to become attached to them. And it all started with teaching them one simple trick.