20 Most Powerful Gaming Moments Of All Time
1. Final Fantasy VII (1997) - The Death Of Aeris
The Moment: Imagine the moment Obi-Wan was chopped down by his former friend and apprentice, multiply it by Sarah's horrific death in The Last of Us and then add that feeling the first time you were dumped and you have some idea just how painful the murder of Aeris deep below the city was. As the flower merchant finishes saying a prayer, Sephiroth - the games despicable antagonist - descends down upon her, impaling her with the Masamune. In a scene which would draw tears in the eyes of a gargoyle, the gentle, vulnerable Aeris dies in Cloud's arms.
How Is It Powerful? Deaths are two-a-penny in video games and always have been. Mario wasn't busting a sweat collecting all those coins for nothing, after all. However, the death of Aeris is rather more significant. The player had had some 20-hours to establish a strong relationship with both Cloud and Aeris, and so to see her murdered so brutally and Cloud to - once again - have his most cherished companion killed by his nemesis is a powerful emotional experience.
With an utterly unexpected twist like this, we also saw Squaresoft really flexing their story-telling muscles. The PlayStation was the first console to embrace CGI cut-scenes as a tool to add additional dimensions to a game's story, and FFVII certainly did this. By having a massive turning point in the story at the end of the game's first disc, Squaresoft not only shocked gamers with the unconventional pacing but also used this powerful set-piece to provide Cloud with the intense motivation needed to seek his revenge.
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What do you think are the most powerful gaming moments of all time? Let us know in the comments!