Most Cinematic Moments in Games

Take a look at some of the most memorable scenes in games that could easily transition to film.

Video games and movies share uncountable strands of DNA. As games continue to creep towards the realm of realism, and with the next generation of consoles well-within sight, the amount of cinematic experiences we'll be controlling within games is only going to increase. Well, we thought it might be a good idea to take a look back at some of our favorite interactive moments in games that embody the very essence of cinema -- scenes that we played, but could've easily watched in a darkened theater. This is not a top 10 list, but rather a quick dip into the pool of cinematic games. Also, keep in mind that these are interactive moments only -- cutscenes were strictly verboten. With that being said, enjoy the following 10 moments, and be sure to let us know what your favorites are in the comments!

--- SPOILERS AHEAD ---

The Last of Us -- The End of the Beginning of the End

This list could've easily been filled with moments exclusively from The Last of Us, but the one in particular that sticks with me comes in the waning moments of the game's impeccable prologue. After your car wrecks in the middle of a city swarming with infected humans suffering from some then-unknown disease, you're tasked with guiding Joel, his daughter in arms, as you continue to flee from town. Running down the street as you're surrounded by humans devouring other humans quickly becomes nightmarish, as it's not your safety that you fear for, but that of your daughter's. This scene captures the sheer terror of the finest horror and disaster films.

Metal Gear Solid 3 - Goodbye

Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series has become increasingly more cinematic thanks to the growing number of cutscenes contained within each successive game. Hell, there were moments in Metal Gear Solid 4 where I had put down the controller for so long that I straight-up forgot that I was playing a game. But Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater's penultimate interactive element is also one of the series' most memorable moments. After a tense and extremely gratifying battle with The Boss, Snake has his former mentor at gunpoint. But while the series would usually smash-cut to a cinematic, Kojima shows immense restrain by forcing the player to be the one to pull the trigger. The scene won't advance until you participate in The Boss' murder, and in doing so, instigate Naked Snake's downward spiral towards villainy.

Portal 2 -- The Courtesy Call

So many games fall into the trap of opening with a heaping dose of boring, expository story. But the folks at Valve are smarter than that, and instead have built a reputation on throwing the player straight into the deep end of a world. Portal 2 is a prime example of this, as it immediately opens with Chell waking up in a strange apartment, listening to a menacingly-saccharine voice, and accidentally falling asleep for a few hundred years. Dubbed "The Courtesy Call," Portal 2's opening minutes thrust you into the world in a way that's both fascinating and hilarious, and acts as a perfect entry point into one of the best video game stories of all time.

EarthBound -- Like a Prayer

Few RPGs have ever managed to create as captivating a final battle as EarthBound. With your four heroes up against a seemingly invincible other-worldly being named Giygas, you quickly realize that your vast arsenal of weapons has no effect on the grotesque villain. When it seems like all hope is lost, your only option for survival is to have Paula, your party's spiritual anchor, kneel down and pray. Your characters' hopes are heard by the friends they've met along their journey, with each one dealing damage to Giygas. The final prayer goes out to you, the player, who ultimately ends up dealing the final blow to the monster. Magical, inspiration, and fourth-wall-breaking stuff to say the least.

BioShock -- Under the Sea (almost)

BioShock has the astute honor of being one of the few games where I sat staring at the screen like an idiot for a solid minute before realizing that I wasn't actually watching a cutscene, and instead had full control over my character. Your character emerges from the ocean after a plane crash, only to realize that you're completely surrounded by the horror of your flaming wreckage. He bobs on the surface of the water in a gorgeous, terrifying scene...and keeps bobbing...and keeps bobbing. Yup, it's time to stop being a doofus and pick up the controller, because this chaotic moment isn't a cutscene. This post-wreckage scene is as tense as the Lost pilot, but contains decidedly less polar bears.

Assassin's Creed -- Welcome to Damascus

The sheer scope of Assassin's Creed's world was a bit of a wonder back in 2007, and nothing exemplified that more than Altair's first glimpse of Damascus in the opening hours of the game. Much like the moment in Return of the King where Gandalf rises over a hill and the intimidating beauty of Minas Tirith floods the frame, the introduction of Damascus, the AC series' first major city, is a scene of true awe. As you guide your horse through the twists and turns of a rocky pass, you become unprepared for the grandeur of what unfolds before your eyes. Seeing the entire city before you and realizing how small you actually are in this world is something that filmmakers like Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, and David Lean have always excelled at.

Journey -- The Road to Awe

While many of the examples so far have felt cinematic in the ways they've told their stories, Journey's iconic moments rely much more heavily on a particularly cinematic presentation. About halfway through your adventure, with your nameless wanderer sliding down a vast hill of sand, the camera swoops around and provides a completely unforgettable tracking shot. The orange dusk burns down upon you, your mysterious robed figure is centered in frame, and the silhouette of your destination looms in the background. Austin Wintory's unforgettable score swells, and every single element comes together for a brief, perfect moment that almost makes you forget that you're in control of a small slice of video game history.

Shadow of the Colossus -- Killing in the Name Of

Each of Shadow of the Colossus' 16 titular battles unfold with excitement, terror, surprise, grace, and eventual melancholy in a way that surpasses most of Hollywood's action scenes. In particular, the first ancient beast you come across acts as a masterclass in staging. You first spot the massive colossi from a distance, but have no idea just how big it is until you begin the close the distance between you. Climbing up its stone body, grasping a tuft of hair as you jab your sword into its body, and ultimately murdering the (possibly) innocent beast for some mercurial reason is an absolutely unforgettable moment. It's not surprising that a Shadow of the Colossus film is in the works, but it'll be nearly-impossible for it to capture the same cinematic magic as its interactive inspiration.

Red Dead Redemption -- South of the Border

No game has been able to articulate the scope, grit, and unique tone of the spaghetti western quite like Red Dead Redemption. In a game filled with unforgettable cinematic moments, the one that stands out to me happens when it's time for you to guide John Marston south into the wilds of Mexico. The moment Jose Gonzalez's evocative song "Far Away" hits, and you begin galloping across the cracked earth and into the dark corners of the map as the sun sets behind you is as legendary as anything Sergio Leone ever put onto film.

Super Metroid -- This is the End

Super Metroid predates most of the other games on this list by nearly 20 years, and yet it's still chock-full of cinematic moments. In particular, its final 10 minutes are filled with a series of wildly different playable scenarios that are each inherently cinematic in their own specific ways. Your hopeless battle against Mother Brain unfolds with shades of Boromir's no-win battle at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. The way the last Metroid sacrifices itself in order to give you the strength to win brings to mind Spock's noble sacrifice at the end of Star Trek II. And finally, your last-minute escape from Zebes is as thrilling as Lando flying the Millennium Falcon out of an exploding Death Star in Return of the Jedi.

Obviously, this is just a small taste of the amazing cinematic moments that video games have allowed us to experience. The nuke going off in Modern Warfare, the plane crash in Uncharted 3, the opening of Half-Life 2...seriously, I could probably spend the rest of my life adding to this list. And then there's Grand Theft Auto V and Online, which provide pretty much a never-ending series of emergent moments that would fit nicely inside the trailer of a summer blockbuster.

So the question stands: What are some of your favorite playable cinematic moment in video game history?