Many video games excel in giving us unforgettable experiences. In a way, you could say that these moments are what make this hobby of ours a passion and drives us to continue playing. These happen regardless if we play a rather slow real-time strategy game like Civilization VI or a fast-paced battle royale like Apex Legends. If you’re wondering which ones I’m referring to, we’ve compiled them below:

Pulling off a fantastic move

Have there been moments while gaming where you’re just like “I should record this?” which renders you to quickly press the capture button? Well, it is definitely these situations. With that in mind, such occurrences vary per game, and some examples may include:

- Shooting a biplane in mid-air in Battlefield 1
- Managing to keep up with a veteran power builder in a building battle in Fortnite
- Pulling off a succession of high-level chain reactions in Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Dodging torpedoes while running on 1% health in World of Warships
- Managing to pull off a combination attack in League of Legends: Wild Rift or Mobile Legends
- Sniping an enemy from a far distance in Call of Duty: Warzone

These are some of the moments that surprise us, especially if we’re not sure of our abilities and smile from ear to ear.

Subconsciously moving and reacting

There are moments in games where you just move your fingers and tap on the buttons on a mouse or controller without any thought. You’re doing it even while you’re not giving your brain instructions. While this happens, you’re making life miserable for your opponents and on the cusp of victory.

We could say that this is like going into the “zone”, which usually occurs in sports, and it gives off the feeling you’re invincible. Everything seems to go according to plan, and even if you’ve got your back against the wall vs a strong opponent, it feels like you can still pull off something miraculous.

In Genshin Impact, this involves situations wherein you deliberately yet subconsciously swap between characters fairly quickly in order to pull off elemental reactions caused by character attacks, dealing devastating damage to enemies.

Finishing a building project

This happens when you play games like Conan Exiles, Ark, and even The Forest. Building projects can for weeks, while large-scale ones can go unfinished for months. Personally, I’ve spent 30 hours building a single castle in Conan Exiles (only to have it destroyed after a destructive raid).

Although the grind you put into a project is long and in many cases, arduous and tiring, the fulfillment that comes after this is nothing short of euphoric. Moreover, you might also be playing on a public server, exposing your work to others. Seeing and hearing them marvel in awe and praise the finished product will definitely give the same feeling of happiness as well.

The chills as the start of the boss music and cutscene

Boss fights are one of the highlights of many games, regardless if you’re playing a platformer or a turn-based RPG. You have a daunting task and a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in front of you. Odds are stacked against your success, and you’re out there to prove them all wrong.

This smorgasbord of emotions is triggered by the start of the boss music and the opening cutscene. Some of the best I can list on the top of my head include:

- God of War (2018), the two battles between Kratos and Norse God Baldur.
- Cipher vs Solo Wing Pixy in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- Fighting a horde of zombies in Days Gone.
- Every Cuphead boss
- Snake vs The Boss in Metal Gear Solid 3
- Link vs Calamity Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Winning despite an obvious handicap

Imagine playing Apex Legends, and you’re the last person on your team. Unfortunately, you’re up against a full squad. With great skill and dexterity, you manage to snipe one of them from a distance. Still undetected, you immediately rush to them, trying to catch them off-guard and you successfully do so, with one of them reviving the downed teammate and the other with his back turned. As Bloodhound, you then trigger your ultimate skill, and arm yourself with your LMG, showering them with a hail of bullets.

After the dust settles, it became clear you’ve pulled off the improbable. Yourecstatic teammates shout and praise your efforts while you feel both joy and relief.

When the credits start rolling

The feeling of beating a game can be described as bittersweet. Yes, you’ve helped the protagonist conclude his tale or this part of the story, but you can’t help but experience that hollow emotion inside. After all, a game that has given you an entertaining few dozen hours is over. Concurrently though, you’re elated because hey, you’ve accomplished what you’ve set to do.

Overall, games are more than just an entertainment medium. They give us enriching experiences which subsequently makes us gamers feel a variety of emotions, regardless if you’re going through a huge boss fight or against three other players in the final seconds of a battle royale.

In your case, have you experienced any of these before?