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Top 10 Video Game Cutscenes

A top 10 list is always going to result in heavy debate… No matter what you say, there will always be someone who disagrees. With that in mind however, I’ve tried to make a top cutscene list that explains why I have made these choices, so even if you don’t agree with my choices, you will understand why I rate them so highly.

Rules for this Top List

  1. The scene must be part of the game’s narrative (e.g. not a trailer)
  2. They must be actual cutscenes, not partly playable (e.g. quick time events of interactive scenes.)

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Top 10 Cutscenes Summary

Top 10 Video Game Cutscenes

10. Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus may be the very definition for ‘Games as Art’; however what earned it the spot on my list is the hero’s horse and faithful companion Argo. After many hours playing the game and traversing the giant world, I’d been taking him for granted and was really hit emotionally when he throws you to safety at the cost of his own life when the bridge collapses.

It’s a truly memorable moment and leads you into the final Colossi on a low point as opposed to the excitement I had been feeling prior to this.

9. .Hack GU

I never was one for watching the .Hack animé series but I’d always played the .Hack games. After waiting for .Hack GU, I was immediately impressed at the quality of game play and visuals over the original quadrilogy, but the series really hits you with its best moment at the start of the first game of the GU series. Watching Haseo get destroyed and reset to ground zero was necessary for the narrative, but the scene played out in such a way that you really feel his pain. Not just at the inability to get his revenge, but the physical pain he feels when he’s hit by the beam.

To this day the games still have a visual style that I’ve not seen replicated, falling somewhere between cel shading and standard CG, but with crazy light effects making it a visual treat to watch in style and not just content.

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Top 10 Video Game Cutscenes

So how about you? What are your favourite cutscenes of all time? Share them with us in the comments below, and let’s make this an extensive resource of the best game cutscenes to date!

Video & Article by

David ‘Ryatta’ Wyatt

 

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Top 10 Video Game Cutscenes, 4.3 out of 5 based on 6 ratings

 

 

 

 

6 Comments

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  1. Profile photo of Jonathan Gipson
    18/07/2012, 10:35 pm

    Very unique list. I’ve only experienced 3 of them, but they’re understandable choices! You mentioned X-2, but one of my favorite scenes is in Final Fantasy X. The end cutscene (which I won’t reveal for anyone who hasn’t played it) is one of the most powerful scenes I’ve ever seen, and the wonderful musical score amplifies that power to make a beautiful ending to a wonderful game.

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    • Profile photo of David ‘Ryatta’ Wyatt
      19/07/2012, 10:02 am

      I’m pretty certain I know the scene your referring to and I admit I was actually considering it as an alternative to my FFX-2.

      FFX does alot of things right, with the most important being the build up the scene you mentioned. FFX-2 on the otherhand does alot of things wrong, especially in narritive and that makes the 1000 words scene game defining in its own right compared to FFX where that scene is the climax of a games worth of build up, not quite as powerful without the setup.

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      • Profile photo of Jonathan Gipson
        19/07/2012, 9:57 pm

        I definitely see your point. FFX definitely had a very powerful story, which required all that build up to make the impact it did at the end (which is why it’s on of my favorite games of all time). Though FFX-2 certainly had it’s flaws, I felt the end redeemed it in a way, and that it brought some closure that was lacking from X.

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  2. Profile photo of Christopher A. Carlson
    19/07/2012, 12:43 am

    I still watch the ‘1000 Words’ cutscene from FFX-2, years and years later. :)

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  3. Paladin says
    20/07/2012, 10:00 am

    I think there were some true classics that were missing from the list.
    One that comes to mind is Lucas Arts Full Throttle. The cartoon like graphics were great for their time and its the only game where i can say I have never skipped the intro.
    Ben’s gravely voice over leading into the Main theme perfomed by the Gone Jackals was pure cinematic gold.

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    • Profile photo of David ‘Ryatta’ Wyatt
      21/07/2012, 7:38 pm

      The intro for Full Throttle certainly gets you pumped for playing the game but it never really goes anything beyond that. Its just keeping you entertained through the credits, not really striving to create any sort of emotion in the player outside of the feel good factor.

      While I never considered that game for the list I did consider the opening of Boarderlands for a while which does the same style of intro, with the cartoon style and awesome music it seemed like a recreation of that opening in spirit.

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