10 Most Breathtaking ‘First Time’ Video Game Moments

7. Playing An MMORPG

Many of us have been there, sucked into an alternative high-fantasy reality brimming with thousands of other people seeking adventure, companionship, and 'phat lewt.' My personal poison was the original EverQuest (for many others it was probably World of Warcraft), and I'll never forget my disbelief when I sent my first ever MMO character (I'll never forget you, Ludor McBear of Halas) out into this new mysterious world. Not only was the world unfathomably huge (being an MMO world, it's still big by today's standards), but the fact that it was populated by actual people was incredible. Particularly at a time when the real world is a bit terrifying to sheepish-around-the-opposite-sex guys and gals, MMOs mark the ultimate escape, because you're not alone in their vast fantasy world, which meant you could satisfy your social needs as well. No one should forget their first time approaching a group of players (not yet sure enough of the world to even know they're real players), giving them a 'Hail', and being invited along for a hunting trip. EverQuest, like so many MMO universes, felt like a special, safe place; one that I'd stay captivated in for three years - and you can apply this adage to every entry in the genre out there. For most people, the magic of an MMO eventually fades, and the decreasing popularity of the genre today suggests that its golden age is now in the past. Most of us probably wouldn't go back to an MMO at this point in life, because we're too seasoned to overlook their occasionally poor game mechanics, but back in the day, those first moments in any online fantasy world were nothing short of sublime.