20 Most Powerful Gaming Moments Of All Time

12. Spec Ops: The Line (2012) -€“ White Phosphorus

2K Games

The Moment: After arriving in the desert terrain of Dubai and finding that the squadron you were meant to rendezvous with have gone rogue, you are left with no option but to fight against your former allies. In true war-game fashion, you will do anything to stop your enemy, so when you come across some white phosphorus laying around (as you do), you make no qualms about using it. Unfortunately, as the subsequent cutscene shows, the enemy were not the only people hit. Civilians were also tragically caught in the blast.

How Is It Powerful? This is an example of one of the few times a war FPS has made us stop and think. The player is left knowing they took a huge amount of innocent lives in a horrific way. Particularly harrowing is the image of a woman holding a small child -€“ both have been visibly burnt and the look of horror has been preserved on their faces. Truly a powerful moment in a very under-rated game in a genre not known for its storytelling.

Contributor
Contributor

Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.