10. We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat - Resident Evil 4
I make no secret my love for
Resident Evil 4. Despite all the backlash it has received over the years, I still consider it a milestone within the franchise. I may love the originals, but even I was getting tired of the increasingly archaic game design and purposefully clunky controls. Despite the greater emphasis on action, it never forgot its horror roots, creating a perfect blend of thrills and chills (unlike its sequel...). It may have more guns and explosions, but it also had an intensely creepy atmosphere and the pacing was utter perfection. I could make a top ten list of
Resident Evil 4 moments alone, but without a doubt one of the best was Leon's encounter with Del Lago, a huge Plagas-infected Salamander. Early in the game, Leon has to cross a lake in order to get a key so that he can unlock the church that Ashley is being held in. The only problem is that it is guarded by Del Lago. Cue epic boss battle. RE4 has so many amazing boss battles, but the first is actually one of the best. Battling such an enormous creature in such a tiny insignificant boat really added scale to the battle; a scale unseen in any of the previous titles. The battle itself may not have been particularly difficult, but it was insanely fun and the creature itself is a great design. Most importantly, it was one of many "wow" moments that further signified the change in direction the series was taking.