Roundtable: 2018’s Best Moments in Gaming

Question: If you had to highlight the single best moment you had in a 2018 game, what would it be? What made that moment so special?

Marcos:

Honorable Mention: Getting revenge for Cayde-6 in Destiny 2: Forsaken.

Moment of the Year: Acquiring the Blades of Chaos in God of War. The sequence is a beautiful note that Kratos will do anything for his son Atreus even if it means releasing what he had left behind many years ago and literally venturing through Hell. On the boat ride home Kratos constantly rubs at his forearms giving everyone a pretty good idea of what’s coming and his only expression is a cold lonely anger slowly condensing into the absolutely godlike reveal. When Kratos sees the blades after so many years he expresses an obvious regret and hesitation before swallowing his pride and begins chaining his arms back up once again. The scene is put back into the hands of the player after watching the blades flare back up to life and Kratos claims his independence from past sins and accepts the monster that he is.

Blake:

Honorable mention: Saving the dwarf gourami in Connor’s first chapter in Detroit: Become Human. #SaveTheFish

Moment of the year: Performing the Earthsong in Wandersong. Wandersong is a harmonious masterpiece that showcases musicality and optimism as antidotes to the evils in life. Everything in Wandersong builds towards positivity and compassion, unity and grace. I loved every single detail of this surprisingly emotional and unforgettably kind place in the gaming world. It’s not often that I think of games as having a morally “positive” message, and yet I put down the controller feeling more full than when I picked it up. The culmination of this game, where the entire world joins together in a unified musical performance known as the Earthsong, should be experienced by everybody, especially in a time where unity is too often lost.

Andy:

Honorable Mention: Death’s Gambit plays straightforward for a while, reminiscent of Dark Souls but as a 2D platformer. However, there is a pivotal moment where the protagonist descends into madness and many scenes take place in this “swimming of thoughts”, including a couple key boss fights, that completely flip the script about what you thought Death’s Gambit really was…and into something far darker with a haunting relatability.

Moment of the Year: If I had to designate a singular moment, it would be the launching of your rocket in Subnautica as you say goodbye to the world you came to slowly understand and relied upon for survival, comfort, beautiful moments of reprieve, and ultimately the largest incentive for the strength to carry on. But I can’t in good conscious say that the rocket launch is itself that moment, but rather the entire experience that is Subnautica lends to what makes that moment so special and meaningful; we all make of that world what we choose to, and context – bundled together at the end as our memorable experience – is the most important artifact that we take with us from that deadly, gorgeous world.

Ben:

Honorable Mention: Kratos acquiring the Blades of Chaos in God of War.

Moment of the Year: Reaching the top of Celeste Mountain. Beyond the catharsis of finishing the intensely difficult Celeste, few games have come to such poignant conclusions. Finally, a game demonstrated depression in a way that I could unconditionally sympathize with. Getting rid of it is an arduous, non-stop battle, and even once you climb the mountain, separating from depression is like a part of you (Badeline, in this case) being ripped away. The short and sweet conclusion to Celeste is this year’s most important moment in games, and sure to resonate with a lot of people like myself.

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This Roundtable was written by Marcos Carmona, Blake Andrea, Andy Webb, and Ben Vollmer. Follow us and our thoughts on @EpilogueGames or @LudonarrativeFM on Twitter. Check back every other week for the latest Epilogue Gaming Roundtable. This roundtable was edited by Blake Andrea.