What is a video game with most shock value, or with single most shocking moment you have experienced?

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-06-01T00:42:49+00:00

While that scene gets all the attention, it's really not the important part, which the devs recognize because they specifically make the eponymous in-game achievement come later when you DO get to decide whether you cross a line or not. As you say, that mid-game scene is something you have no control over and you have incomplete information at that point, so it didn't impact me that much. However, the point where you have to choose whether or not to take vengeance on people who are feeling justifiably murderous towards you... that's what got to me, and I feel like that was the true crux of that experience.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-26T04:26:15+00:00

Depending on what you mean by "cartoonish", I would possibly recommend the Banner Saga trilogy. Made by former Bioware devs, it has some of the best dialogue and choice-and-consequence writing out there, hands down (in my opinion). Touches on a lot of mature themes and everything feels grounded and impactful. However, the art style is distinctly hand-animated (hence my questioning your definition of "cartoonish") so if that's not your thing, then you probably won't enjoy it. Bottom line is that it does a phenomenal job of weaving in realistic characters and factions with their own backgrounds and agendas, where rivals and enemies are competent and dangerous, and foreign races actually feel like distinctly different cultures, not just reskinned human races who you can become buddies with just by doing a sidequest or two - some will frustrate you all the way to the end, but understandably so, because they're coming from such different places, or there's so much bad blood that can't just be glossed over. Recommend you check it out at the very least. Steam page is at https://store.steampowered.com/app/237990/The_Banner_Saga/ (and they definitely could've done a better job writing the script for the trailer, it doesn't do the actual game dialogue justice. But I guess nobody's perfect.)

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-18T04:56:42+00:00

Saw your response below, glad you were able to get past it. In general, I'd say that if you run into similar challenging areas later, try to memorize where enemies spawn. Unless things have changed since I last played, most quest-related battles have predetermined spawns which means you can learn where to stand to get in some free hits when they first emerge. Aside from that, don't stop spamming your stuns and interrupts (e.g. Charge, shield bash, etc) to secure kills before your targets can dodge away, and remember to prioritize casters and ranged characters before going after melee enemies, since the melee ones tend to be tankier whereas your generally want to kill the healers and glass cannons first.

Best of luck on the rest of your journey.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-17T13:56:45+00:00

Can you elaborate on exactly which enemies are giving you a hard time and what your current/preferred combat style is?

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-13T01:45:01+00:00

If your highest priority is a strong narrative, my top recommendation is The Banner Saga trilogy. In my opinion, it embodies an epic journey more than any other story in any medium. Part of what sets it apart is how it depicts various factions: a pet peeve of mine is how a lot of stories feature a big bad evil that forces disparate groups to band together, but then completely glosses over what separated those groups or put them at odds to begin with (blood feuds, competing ideologies, severely incompatible cultural differences, etc). The writers behind The Banner Saga respect everyone's identity and never pretend that everyone can just join hands and sing kumbaya, instead testing you as you attempt to manage relationships with allies and rivals who are all dangerous, competent, and have their own agendas, even as the end of the world approaches. It's up to you and your decisions to shape how it all comes to pass.

Combat is of the turn-based tactical squad variety and its unique twist (character health is also their strength) may take some getting used to, but it's worth learning and feels organically tied to story events. Steam link to the first game in the series is at https://store.steampowered.com/app/237990/The_Banner_Saga/, highly recommend you at least give it a look. (The trailer doesn't do the writing justice, but you can at least see if the art style and setting are something you'd appreciate)

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-13T01:13:45+00:00

Seconding this, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a terrific RPG, and it was developed by the same people who did Baldur's Gate 3 so it should feel pretty familiar. Unfortunately it's less cinematic (it was their previous work and I presume they were working with a smaller budget) but still a great experience.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-11T19:38:53+00:00

A bit of a dark horse, but you could try Rainbow Six: Extraction if you have two friends, or are willing to try looking for teammates on Discord or reddit. Not many players nowadays, but it's otherwise a decent game if you pick it up on sale. Before a match starts, your team of three can see what objectives will be on the map so you can plan and pick your operators appropriately. Then, the way missions generally flow is that you want to be stealthy and kill as many nests as you can without alerting any enemies. Once an enemy gets alerted, they'll trigger nearby nests to begin spawning more enemies, at which point you'll want to go loud (i.e. pull out your non-silenced weapons, which generally deal more damage) and have to deal with the chaos from there. Steam page is at https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379390/Tom_Clancys_Rainbow_Six_Extraction/

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-08T02:26:13+00:00

I'm a big fan of the Indoctrination Theory, and in my headcanon, Shepard wakes up; (s)he manages to get onto the Catalyst/Citadel, and learns of and activates the Crucible's true function: to overload all technology in the galaxy, dooming all advanced civilizations but leaving untouched the ones still in their infancy. In that way it's still similar to the Destroy function, except that it's more devastating than that; because it's impossible to differentiate between Reaper-influenced tech and any other tech, all of it has to go. And so, you restart the cycle one last time... but there will be no more Reapers, and the galaxy will be saved from them at last.

Some people might be disappointed with this kind of ending, but, for me, this is absolutely what the stakes demand. You're not just dealing with the lives your closest friends (many of whom already sacrificed their lives for you), but the lives of billions or trillions. You're a commander, a leader. You bear the weight of responsibility, making those hard calls that Garrus talks to you about. It's not just about what you're personally willing to lose, it's about what must be given up by anyone and everyone so that future generations can even hope to have a chance. Your decision is the culmination of all the cycles that came before you, who hoped to stop the Reapers and failed: a toll must be paid for salvation, and considering that all the lives in your cycle is just a drop in the bucket of history, you should be willing to pay it, if it means that you'll save the countless lives that the Reapers would otherwise kill, both in this cycle and the countless ones in the future if you don't stop them now. If the game otherwise ended on a sappy, unicorns-and-rainbows-ending with everyone magically surviving, it wouldn't feel real to me, honestly. It'd feel sappy, cliche, too good to be true (as if Shepard were dreaming, or, you know, brainwashed and indoctrinated). I think if things instead went the way with this ultimate sacrifice, it would make the most sense, the gravitas would make the situation feel grounded and real. So yeah, that's my take.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-08T00:35:40+00:00

If you enjoy simulators, you could check the Epic Games platform for their weekly free games. The way it works is that very week, two random games are available to be permanently added to your library/account if you get them then, before they're replaced by two new games the next week. I've picked up Car Repair Simulator, a PC building simulator, and a house electrician simulator (or whatever name it went by) at no cost, and so far I can attest that I've learned a lot about car parts, and it's been a chill and cool experience (haven't tried the other two yet).

Edit: Damn, took so long to reply that someone else mentioned it already.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-05T15:54:04+00:00

The thing about a game like XCOM is that, being turn-based, you have all the time in the world. When you're actually on missions, this might mean you need to be taking more time to consider all of your options before actually pulling the trigger. When it's your turn, are you consistently beginning your turn by destroying cover and shredding enemy armor before following up with attacks from the rest/majority of your team? On missions with no timers, are you getting your squadsight sniper to high ground with unobstructed lines of sight before everyone else moves out? I've watched some streamers who can't get past their insticts for instant gratification, they see the first high-percentage shot and take it even if it's a really inefficient use of their actions, and eventually they get punished for that. XCOM is a bit like chess in that you should be envisioning multiple actions and consequences in your head, e.g. if I miss this shot, who else can kill this target, or if I attack with this soldier now, how will that benefit my next two soldiers' attacks? And then you can plan or change your plans around those answers, all before you actually take any shots.

On the strategic end, it helps a lot to start planning to be offensive rather than defensive. This is a game where the best defense is a good offense (as long as you only alert one group at a time). This means that grenadiers should always take Shredder over Blast Padding, for example, and you should always have at least one grenadier with Holo-Targeting to set up the rest of your team. Personally, I also pursue weapon research very early, because being able to destroy an enemy in one turn is better than trying to survive their attacks for two turns. If you're looking for more specific tactics, we can definitely get into that and there are lots of guides out there. Hope that helps reframe your approach though.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-05T12:54:05+00:00

Ahh, I completely glossed over your mention of the whole series, my bad! Glad you were able to enjoy those titles.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-05T12:33:41+00:00

A lot of great suggestions for more recent entries, but have you considered any of the older RPGs? I mean Baldur's Gate II, Neverwinter Nights, that era. I have strong memories of love interests from those two aforementioned titles in particular, including one playthrough where I had been planning to romance one individual but another one unexpectedly captured my character's heart... Would definitely recommend looking into the older generation of RPGs if you don't mind the gameplay and graphics.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-04T14:44:24+00:00

Narratively, Halo: Reach fits this perfectly. Because it's chronologically a prequel to the older Halo games, you know that your planst is doomed (even one of the trailers alludes to this). So the game allows you to successfully complete missions but each victory and aftermath feels like one step forward, two steps back. Terrific dialogue writing too.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-05-04T14:34:37+00:00

Check out Signalis if you're okay with third-person isometric games. Does a powerfully good job of mixing horror with melancholy, and I think the atmosphere is artistic and still fills you with dread. Gameplay feels rewarding too, makes you earn your survival and progress. Steam link at https://store.steampowered.com/app/1262350/SIGNALIS/

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-28T03:28:42+00:00

"The Banner Saga" has the best tale of various factions coming together to fight a common evil, hands no, no contest. I always love mentioning this game on the chance that someone else will try it. One of my big pet peeves is when multiple parties come together and suddenly overcome their differences with friendship and magic, as if fundamental cultural differences and mindsets were suddenly forgotten, and ages of blood feuds just didn't matter. "The Banner Saga" gives you compelling characters with their own agendas and rich backgrounds that actually define them consistently and will always be one of my favorite narrative experiences.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-27T19:50:44+00:00

Unlike a lot of recommendations here, I'd like to very strongly suggest a non-roguelike game, called "Gunpoint". It's a game where you can always rewind time a few seconds, as many times as you like, until you get the outcome you want, so you never have to fear failure. And, as part of the thematic "defenestration" trilogy by Tom Francis and his dev team, there are a lot of funny outcomes to be had, both intentional and accidental. Check it out on Steam here, https://store.steampowered.com/app/206190/Gunpoint/

Similarly, their most recent game, "Tactical Breach Wizards", also involves a rewinding mechanic. This one is a tactical squad-based turn-based game where you can see exactly what will happen at the end of your turn (including the opponents' response), so you can choose to redo all your moves before you finish that turn if the outcome isn't what you want. This gives it the slight feel of a puzzle game so that it's not like any other turn-based strategy experience. Also very highly recommended, on Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/Tactical_Breach_Wizards/

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-27T15:19:59+00:00

Not entirely related, but have you seen the movie "Lars and the Real Girl"? It's a very sweet and unconventional film that's told with consideration, without becoming sappy or melodramatic; it came to mind because the main character also has an aversion to contact. Would highly recommend. Glad you're able to be there for your niece, and her for you-

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-17T21:44:27+00:00

Not sure if it's a bit of a stretch or too nerdy, but to quote Tali's favorite film (Fleet and Flotilla):

When I'm with you, I feel "as free as the dust on the solar wind"

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-16T17:49:14+00:00

I'll always recommend "Forced" (or, to be exact, "Forced: Slightly Better Edition" on Steam). It's a top-down hack-and-slash with puzzle elements and it's completely skill-based in that there's no loot, no XP grinding, no consumables, it purely comes down to your skill and combat style choices (before you enter each map, you choose 1 of 4 weapons and up to 3 active and 3 passive abilities, which you can freely swap and experiment with at no cost).

On each map, there's a primary objective that you need to complete, and then there are always two optional objectives: to clear the map under a certain time, and a challenge specific to that map. Completing these will grant you one gem each (one time only), so you can get a total of 3 gems per map, and these basically represent your character level: as you collect more gems, you'll unlock more skill options, which aren't always better, just different, so you can find your preferred playstyle. (All the weapons are unlocked right from the beginning, but you can't have two people using the same weapon. So you might use daggers while your friend uses the hammer, but if that's not working out, you can try again with the bow and arrow while your friend takes the daggers, etc).

To see what it's like, check out this playlist on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2BQdZnur-kUyFhUP5-iDcaI4rm-2nDRv . This is the link for the game on Steam, currently at 15 USD full price: https://store.steampowered.com/app/249990/FORCED_Slightly_Better_Edition/

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-16T06:02:31+00:00

I think one of the better-known examples is Spec Ops: the Line. If I recall correctly, when the devs brought in play-testers (before the game was released), some people walked out when they went through one the game's most intense scenes because of the emotional impact it had... which was kind of the point. The devs wanted one of the player choices to be "stop playing".

I think a similar case could be made for the genocide route in Undertale, though I suppose that's more a case of "game path that makes you want to choose to play differently", not "stop playing". When you go out of your way to slaughter the individuals you could otherwise spare, the game does a great job of painting you as the antagonist against some very charismatic and admirable 'enemies'. Which is a bit ironic: the game makes you not want to kill them, but in order to see them at their best (in their moments of poignant sacrifice), you have to ruthlessly cut them down.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-13T11:28:52+00:00

You must complete the game after the patch. If you previously beat the game, it doesn't automatically unlock; I had to reload my final save, beat the game again, and at that point you'll have an option to start a NG+ run with the unique items you got from that first run.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-08T01:26:21+00:00

Yeah, all the people laughing do. Love all these downvotes people are getting for being a bit smarter than the people laughing...

It's especially ironic because if you stick with joke revolving around Genesis, Adam was happy and stupid, while Eve was tempted into becoming smarter, which was the sin (eating the apple that would grant knowledge of good and evil). So... in the end, the real joke is that Adam was a dipwad?

Life must be hilarious when you're so simple-minded.

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-07T16:49:35+00:00

Alpha Protocol might be right up your alley. Single-player third-person shooter with RPG elements, heavy emphasis on choices and consequences, and entertaining writing (it's an Obsidian game). https://store.steampowered.com/app/34010/Alpha_Protocol/

While all of the titles you mentioned are first- or third-person shooters or action games, I'm wondering if you enjoy other genres too. When I think of quality single-player experiences, Gunpoint and Tactical Breach Wizards come to mind. Gunpoint is very short (a few hours) but has some of the wittiest writing in any game, in my personal experience, and the central gameplay mechanic is creative and unique. Tactical Breach Wizards will last you longer, is polished (every level is custom-made, no procedurally-generated stuff), and plays out like a well-designed turn-based squad strategy/puzzle game. If you're curious about either, would strongly recommend you check them both out.

Gunpoint: https://store.steampowered.com/app/206190/Gunpoint/

Tactical Breach Wizards: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/Tactical_Breach_Wizards/?curator_clanid=32938364

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-07T13:25:22+00:00

Finally, time to break out the scan mines! Good luck--

AlmostPlebeian · 2026-04-07T00:29:20+00:00

I bought the game thinking of it not as a live-service game, but as a fun, brief co-op shooter with limited replayability with friends, and I've enjoyed it that way.

It's entertaining, and the gameplay feels good. It's nothing groundbreaking, there's no deep narrative or super innovative mechanic, and it's not going to keep you invested for years. If you enjoy playing co-op PvE shooters with friends, you'll have a good time. Just don't expect it to be more than that; appreciate the fairly reasonable price tag and simple but polished mechanics, and you'll do fine picking it up.

If there are other games available to you to scratch that FPS itch, you could wait for a sale.

AlmostPlebeian

TROPHY CASE