11. Returning To Shadow Moses - Metal Gear Solid 4
MGS 4 is positively loaded with spectacular moments for both action-lovers and more importantly, fans of the series - but it's this mid-point reveal where the plot dictates Snake and co. must try and revive the legendary Metal Gear REX from the first game's Shadow Moses island, that makes for one hell of a nostalgia trip. Creative force Hideo Kojima knew exactly what he was doing too, including a fantastic moment on the preceding helicopter ride where Old Snake falls asleep, only to find himself (and you) playing an emulated version of the original PS1 title. It's unabashed fan-service of the finest kind, giving fans just enough of a reminder from where the love of the franchise came from, before dropping you in the souped-up 'next-gen' version for a great comparison. From there on in it was hours and hours (and hours)of cutscenes to wrap up every single dangling plot thread, returning characters long-thought to be dead monologuing their way into your heart and one hell of a REX vs. RAY mech-fight - but this one moment where Kojima said "Hey, thanks for sticking with me over all these years", that was bliss.
