10 Most Breathtaking Moments In Video Game History

4. The Rub' Al Khali Desert - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

'Breathtaking' is an apt word to describe almost every set piece in any of the Uncharted games, so it is incredibly difficult to pick just one. What separates Uncharted 3's Rub' al Khali desert sequence from the rest is how it strips away all the punches and gunfire, allowing you to properly absorb the jaw-dropping visuals and focus on the mental state of Nathan Drake.

After surviving a plane crash, Drake finds himself stranded in the Rub' al Khali, alone and with no idea where to go. You push Drake ever so slowly across the desert, surviving sweltering days and chilling nights, encountering mirages, and succumbing to the unraveling of his mind.

All of this plays out in a stunningly gorgeous desert environment, rendered with an attention to detail that's second to none - seriously, you can see individual grains of sand get displaced with each step Drake takes. It's so visually powerful you won't mind the fact that, other than just pushing forward on the analog stick, there is no gameplay involved.

Uncharted 3 pushed to PS3 to its graphical limit, and it was all worth it for sequences like this.