At long last Listmas 2018 is here and we’re kicking things off by listing our most memorable gaming moments of the whole year. This list was actually a little trickier to build than I though it would be. Despite having less time to just game than I’ve ever had before, I still managed to play, preview and review a ton of stuff this year and it was difficult to filter out the moments that really wowed me at first. After some dedicated thought though, I’ve identified a few moments and games that stuck with me more than everything else. So..let’s dive on in!

God of War – Boss Encounters

I’ve never really been into the God of War series. I didn’t like the idea of maiming my way through the Greek pantheon, and Kratos was never that interesting of a character to me. I did like watching its boss fights though, and in playing God of War (2018) I’ve finally come to understand why. They’re absolutely epic! They all nail the feeling of taking on something greater than yourself and defeating them feels like a real accomplishment. Couple this feeling with some of the most well…epic music in modern gaming and you’ve got all the makings for some awesome gaming memories.

Undertale – Greater Dog Encounter

I know I’m really late to the party saying this, but Undertale is great. The whole game is kinda memorable in a way, but the thing that stuck out to me most was running into the “Greater Dog” enemy. For one, I love its design. It’s just a normal dog plunked into a big ol’ suit of armor. Two, it behaves just like a regular dog.  To defeat and spare it: you let it  sniff you to calm it down, pet it, then play with it, then pet it some more. Once it’s gotten enough attention, it just wanders off! I love it, and I love Undertale!

Tales of Berseria – Character Moments

Yeah, “character moments” is a bit generic, but I really want to avoid anything spoilery here. I went into Tales of Berseria thinking that I wouldn’t like it all that much. Tales games have reputation for being overly long, so I was prepared for a fairly boring and drawn out tale. HOWEVER, that isn’t what I got. The game was long, but I was invested in its story from the get go. It has a great plot, and it’s tale is told well. It’s the characters that sold me on it though, their personal stories really had me feeling for them all towards the end. Velvet especially, her personal moments and story were the most impactful of all.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy – Returning to Glimmer

This one is 100% fueled by nostalgia. Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! was the very first game I ever played on the original PlayStation. I’d been playing games for a few years already at that point, but booting it up and entering Glimmer (the first level) was my first foray into the 3D realm, and it was absolutely magical. The world felt so alive, Spyro controlled so smoothly, and the music was just so catchy! So of course it went on to be one of my all-time favorites. I never thought I’d get that same feeling of wonder from it again, and I didn’t. However, playing that level again for the very first time in Spyro Reignited Trilogy brought the memory of that feeling back after I don’t know how long. It knew the level, but it still somehow felt new again. I mean I couldn’t stop smiling the rush was so strong!

Celeste – Flying

I love Celeste. I absolutely love it! It’s a smart platformer with a beautiful story of self-discovery and perseverance to tell. It’s most memorable moment came about three quarters of the way through when protagonist Madeline is making her way out of a pit she’s fallen into. On her way up, she’s able to reconcile with herself and sort of gains the ability to fly though. It was a wonderfully touching moment that had me feeling like I was soaring up along with her. It was so powerful in fact that I can still call up the shadow of feeling even months later. Please, if you like platformers and good stories at all, you HAVE to play Celeste!

–

I’ve opted not to number these because I can’t really think of a good way to rank them. I mean, how can you compare an epic dragon fight with an emotional gut punch? You just can’t. These are my moments though, and I’m so glad I got to have them. In fact, they’ve kind of given me a newfound hope for next year! Onward! Onward to more gaming greatness I say!

What are your favorite gaming moments from this year? Were there more than last year? Were they better?

Lede image by Flickr user: commorancy (cc)