Flawless Sequences In Flawed Games

[@DarylTalksGames]

Don't forget to try all Brilliant has to offer for free! Use my link brilliant.org/DarylTalksGames/ for 20% off the annual premium subscription. What in-game sequences do *you* consider flawless?

[@andydove5078]

The Surgeon boss fight in Othercide for the same reason you like Ashtray Maze, the use of music in it is *chefs kiss* and beating it makes you feel like a god of tactics. It's a perfect example of what you're describing in this video too because after that boss fight the game falls completely flat for me and I've never gotten past the boss after it.

[@cobalttj6356]

Cyberpunk: Phantom Liberty Yes as jank as that game can be and as much as people like to shit on it, Phantom Liberty was "fan-fuckin-tastic" as Johnny would say. Near the climax of the story when the grand heist plan goes into effect to steal the mcguffin that could save V and So Mi's lives, you're given the agency at the pinacle moment, to either betray the president and flee with So Mi and the mcguffin, or trust in the president and the two opperatives that you've come to care for, leaving So Mi out to dry. It puts so much pressure on the player because you know that you're gonna hate either decision because of those you'll end up betraying, but the game makes sure that you feel that both decisions are worth it, despite those who die because of your choice.

[@HardCodedGaming]

Metroid: Other M's epilogue. In which Samus does NOT speak but DOES get a really satisfying character moment, you confront a properly challenging boss, and finally get the mandatory self-destruct escape ending sequence. It almost feels like an apology for the rest of the game!

[@xynystervolt]

Bro you missed the chance to talk about Alan wake 2's live action sequence with the song..

[@brentsacks]

Daryl: “All right y’all, I’m just gonna coast for a month and put out a lowkey video.” Also Daryl: *releases an absolute banger and a half*

[@DarylTalksGames]

That’s super generous 😅 I appreciate it!

[@brentsacks]

@ 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@SonicRooncoPrime]

@@DarylTalksGames They're right! Keep up the great work!

[@azuarc]

Divinity Original Sin 2 has a party member named Lohse. Lohse is a bard that has been possessed by a demon, and during your travels, you try to help her during some sidequests and realize that little by little, Lohse is going to be squeezed out of her own life, permanently taken over by the demon. Worse, the demon will own her soul itself, which fuels its own power, until it moves on to the next mark. In act 3 of the game, you finally learn who the demon is and how to access its domain. In that domain, you find no enemies, but in the twisted caverns of this region, you do find a candle. And you realize that this candle represents a soul. A soul that is possessed by the demon, is supplying it with power. You have two options -- to leave the candle be, or to snuff it out, effectively exterminating that person from existence, but weakening the demon ever so slightly. So you snuff it out and deem it an act of mercy. A short way down the path, you find a second candle. You look into the flame and see the person who once was. What their life represented, who the people they touched were. This person who *you* will effectively be eliminating. But knowing what is at stake, and to prevent future victims, you snuff the candle. You continue down the path to a third candle. And then a fourth. And when approaching what appears to be a fifth and final candle, you realize that its location looks out over a cliff. As you approach this candle, the camera shifts to give you the view over the cliff, and....there is an open cavern below that is nothing but a sea of candles. Hundreds. Thousands. An uncountable number of them. THIS is the monster that you contend with. And this is, arguably, the monster you have to be in snuffing them out.

[@L4dyR3d]

I was about to make this comment

[@chrismanghane8731]

Almost works but this is about flawless moments in flawed games and DoS2 is actually a flawless game.

[@TheMinecraftMan757]

@@chrismanghane8731 If it's flawless then how come I stopped playing it for reasons I don't rememb- ok, it probably is flawless, just long.

[@flameflyer42]

My gosh, after having read the Wikipedia and TV Tropes pages of the two Smile films and Longlegs, and reading this comment, demonic possession turns out to be utterly heartbreaking...

[@flapjackgd937]

I somehow managed to miss this in my first playthrough, and simply went and killed Adramahlihk without going through the candle sequence. And then in my second playthrough I didn’t bring Lohse. Someday I’ll get to it, it looks fantastic.

[@PaladinGaymer]

Control’s use of the medium using sound and asset manipulation is incredible. Poets of the Fall has a few songs in the game and they are all absolutely amazing. Neir Replicant’s opening is immaculate. The use of a boys choir in it, contrasting the ethereal and heavenly innocence that style of choral music brings against the utterly one sided carnage and violence you as a player unleashes is potent stuff.

[@narcissusfemboy]

So happy to see someone mention poets of the fall presence in control, they're awesome

[@SleepyFoC]

That ashtray maze sequence felt like being in a Marvel movie. I was losing my mind. And as soon as I finished I said “that was awesome.” And then Jesse did. Perfection.

[@csk24816]

So satisfying I made sure to go back later to redo it multiple times.

[@JimFaindel]

It is moments like this that remind you videogames are art. A random outstanding cutscene, an enthralling mechanic, a dungeon you are more than willing to lose yourself into, a rhythm that always gets you to give it one more try. Things of true beauty hidden for all to see.

[@alexforce9]

I love Control, so for me the maze was even better. Like a nice epilogue , the cherry on top of amazing experience.

[@ivanllopis5882]

This vídeo reminds me of when you face Gwyn in Dark Souls. The name «Gwyn Lord of Cinder», the poetic subtitle, the music, the final boss putting yourself to practice being aggressive, however vulnerable to other mechanics (like the parry) you've been learning along the game.

[@weirdalexander8193]

The fact that he’s literally the only boss that you can parry really shows how well he’s doing.

[@barronvrba6380]

The piano is also only played on the white notes(For lore reasons)

[@Scootch]

Plin plin plon

[@KABLAMMATS]

_Plin plin plon_ *PARRY* *One shotted The Lord Of Cinder*

[@DirtMG]

*weeps*

[@theprofessor5970]

The final scene of Final Fantasy XV is the only time a game's made me cry, despite the game's many flaws it manages to capture the feeling of friendship and a shared journey perfectly

[@Crocogator]

When I was finishing up Final Fantasy XV, my partner was at work. All the stuff leading up to the final scenes, he came back from work when I was forced to choose one final picture. I had spent the whole game cultivating my album. He could hear me crying from the hallway before even getting to the apartment. He thought the cat had died. "You guys... are the best."

[@archonthaaproducer]

FFXV is a weird one for me because up until Altissia the game was exactly what I wanted and then it kind of fell of after that then picked itself up at the ending. I will always say the FFXV has some of the highest highs for FF but the lows are quite literally in hell

[@relentlessfisting]

I played thru FFXV since it was leaving PS plus one month, and I rushed through, didn't really enjoy the gameplay, or certain story choices all that much, and still, the ending was amazing, and made me wish I spent more time with the game than I had. I was shocked by how it made me feel considering my conflicted feelings around the rest of the game, but a great ending can reshape our memories of the rest of an experience, and FFXV nailed it.

[@miked4904]

I'm a huge final fantasy fan. I was extremely let down by how baren the game was at launch. But it absolutely nailed the feeling of brotherhood in the second half. Definitely dropped some tears.

[@Pendragons_Art]

I had never played any of the other Final Fantasy games (and still haven't actually) so I never had the same issues as many fans did. Still, that ending and the photo and all of it made me cry and I couldn't listen to stand by me for like a year without tearing up. It was immaculate.

[@evelynrobinson3573]

"Too big to fit in a memory" Already earned a like goddDAYUM

[@Hyziant]

The segment on 1000x resist reminds me a ton about Return of the Obra Dinn. That game is all about unraveling a mystery in a similar way and it’s similarly amazing. I am skimping on details because no one should ever be spoiled on this game. If you haven’t played it yet and you like detective games, PLAY IT.

[@bane2201]

Obra Dinn is amazing, I played it earlier this year and LOVED it. It's one of those games that takes an idea that can't really be done twice* and does it _perfectly._ (mention of spoilers below) * - By that I mean: what setting other than an old ship is very spatially dense, very socially stratified, could have a variety of different-looking/sounding people, is very isolated from the outside world, and has a variety of ways that crimes can occur? I've tried a lot and I've only ever been able to think of 4: a old-style mansion on an island during a storm (that's just Umineko's setting), a prison colony, a moon base, and a non-prison colony. And the latter two don't have much social stratification, which gives you a lot of clues in Obra Dinn (e.g. you wouldn't expect the captain to go to the cargo area). (also midshipmen are the worst)

[@BishopCDN]

THAT reveal, when you turn around and the music ramps up and you realise what sort of game you are playing... *chef kiss*

[@cornbuff]

Hey Daryl. I’ve had this video idea for you for a long time. I always wondered about the psychology behind clearing the notifications on new items in your inventory. Playing games like Xenoblade, Pokémon, persona. You constantly get new items. For me it drives me crazy if I don’t clear those notification dots. Just thought it was a cool idea worth sharing. You’re one of my favorite channels! :)

[@MEZOMEZO2011]

Is that not ocd?

[@cornbuff]

lol yeah I guess so. I still find it interesting.

[@Avendesora]

@@MEZOMEZO2011 Unless they’re doing it because of intrusive thoughts and a fear that something bad will happen for not complying with said thoughts, then no, not even a little bit lmao

[@DarylTalksGames]

@@cornbuff This could be a fun topic! I’ll add it to the list haha because I know I’ve experienced it

[@archy2529]

​@@DarylTalksGames and it could be part of a bigger topic about how messy piles of information in videogames make us anxious. I'm talking about your Skyrim quest log that gets updated with stuff you'd never want to actually do, and how messy your inventories get in Witcher 3 and Baldur's Gate 3, those always stress me out

[@twosoup3252]

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s ending sequence was stellar. For all its flaws, the game still managed to conclude in an incredibly satisfying way that tells a compelling and surprisingly tragic story, and it’s hard to believe that this story came off the heels of Sword and Shield’s. It goes to show how a perfect sequence can really appear in even the most heavily flawed of games.

[@DarylTalksGames]

@@twosoup3252 Totally agree, the ending made me forget about a ton of the flaws leading up to it

[@ichl46]

@@DarylTalksGames The game's story is pretty mid until you arrive to the Area Zero. That entire final location is incredible.

[@TainoMoya]

facts

[@FaelumbreProject]

The end of the DLCs as well. They're not as bad as the base game, but their association with Area Zero elevates them to the best character arc in the series (and then you're rewarded with more character interactions as a bonus in the club!)

[@Hauxe]

This! I was so disappointed throughout my playthrough and then in the end it was an aha moment where I felt like “yes! GameFreak CAN tell a story!” Need more of that in future games!

[@Psilomyde]

0:26 bro had to casually let us know he was >6 foot lmao i see you lanky king

[@GurenSan]

"Nier Replicant will always be Automata's little brother". Funny, because for me it is the older and rougher from Automata, like a father. Funny and extremely fitting.

[@src248]

Justice for daddy Nier

[@KuroeNezumi]

@@src248 tell that to Yoko Taro who apparently detests the decision to have him for the western release of the game, which actually caused issues with the writting and, as such, the overall development of the game. Not saying you aren't right, but that it quite literally affected the game in negative ways as much as in positive ones.

[@rruhland]

Poets of the Fall are such a great band, and the version of them as the Old Gods of Asgard are so great. Every Remedy game since Max Payne 2 (aside from Quantum Break) has had a song from them. Fun Fact: They were formed when Sam Lake gave eventual lead singer Marko Saaresto a poem he wanted made into a song for Max Payne 2. They formed and made “Late Goodbye” specifically for Max Payne 2. They became a band specifically because of Remedy Software. Likely the reason they’re so willing to work with Remedy.

[@TimeofRagnarok]

Control was more than a a game, it was an experience.

[@sbilldmilk]

You don't just play Control, you Take Control.

[@hilaku_vir]

Really wish Remedy will make Control 2 or something with the same vibe. Greatest experience I've ever tried.

[@TimeofRagnarok]

@@hilaku_vir it is one of my all time favorite games.

[@ogto]

Bastion's final "battle", when you can't fight back because you're carrying someone, specifically what the enemies do. That was one of my favorite moments for over a decade.

[@RememberingTheLost]

That was such a good part to an already amazing game, especially given the story for who you are carrying. I always look back on the moment you find Zia as one of my favorites. Bastion and Transistor have made Supergiant my favorite studio for a long time. There is just so much raw emotion in their storytelling through the imagery and music alone.

[@TheMinecraftMan757]

I especially love how the song Build that Wall and the song Mother I'm Here, sung by that man while you carry him in that scene, comes together in during the credits to form a beautiful duet with the melodies of their songs weaving together flawlessly. Honestly, this is a big part of what has made Supergiant Games special from their very first release. Doesn't matter how perfect the gameplay is or isn't, whether it's their first publication or the award-winning Hades, if you play a game from Supergiant, you will see a gorgeous marriage of gameplay and song with the most beautiful ideas.

[@Dan-km8je]

brother how do you not have a million subs yet like you said "yeah thanks for letting me do a smaller/lower effort vid this month" and i laughed, this is some of the highest quality writing on the platform

[@kendrel2099]

Super happy to see Jin becoming “The Ghost” here. It truly gives you what you’ve been hoping for as a player the whole time prior to that moment.

[@vaguetype]

the more i hear you talk about 1000xresist, the more i anticipate the video you'll make about it!! it's one of those games that i wish i could erase my memory to play again.

[@chucklebutt4470]

I think I'm near the end of the game and I've been putting off finishing it lol.

[@amokriinprolgiid3409]

I personally loved Control. The opening sequence is very jarring and it takes some time and diligence to understand what's really going on, but it's such a weird and fascinating story that I loved. I personally enjoyed the combat. And while the level design didn't really fold back into itself in a game-like fashion, I was willing to excuse that because the powers were so cool. It was a refreshingly different kind of game. It didn't hold the player's hand in terms of storytelling. If you want to know what's going on, the evidence is there, but it's up to you to put it together.

[@samuelantoniocastillomeza5034]

Happened to me with MGSV: The Phantom Pain. For all it's narrative issues, the ending for the sidequest of taking pictures to Paz made me emotional and got me to tears. Such a good scene with almost no dialogue spoken.

[@wegogiant]

Yes! Good pull. I occasionally refer to MGSV as "the greatest, worst game" and I always find other people who played it always understand exactly what I mean

[@sbilldmilk]

@@wegogiantIt's like playing an super-extended second act of a much larger game. The beginning and end are hazy and incomplete, it's just one hell of a main body

[@fistbump5785]

The play in the rain cutscene was also another favorite. Yes I appreciated the fan service, but it was also one of the few times the game actually tried to put in effort to humanize Snake and Quiet, and actually try to build some kind of bond between them aside from "they both kill good"

[@Rakka5]

Mass Effect 2 had some issues and might have been a downgrade in some aspects from the first game, but the final Suicide Mission is probably one of the most memorable video game experiences I've ever had. It's a downright perfect sequence of some of the hypest, tense battles, where EVERYTHING you did in the game makes a difference. Also shoutout to Prince of Persia Sands of Time. The baths. Kakolookiyam.

[@Ontos99]

do you think ME3 is better than ME2. Will start it soon. No spoilers please. thanks

[@Shvabicu]

Also the soundtrack. ME2 and RDR2 imo have some of the best final missions in gaming and those tracks playing just elevate them to another level. It's very similar to the Ashtray situation. I listen to those tracks at the gym to get hyped for a heavy set of squats.

[@Shvabicu]

​@@Ontos99imo ME1 and ME2 are better because the ending of ME3 is disappointing, even after the rework. It was the biggest gaming controversy in 2012. Basically the original sin of botched endings.

[@Miycu]

@@Ontos99 ME2 is the apex of the series. ME3 is fundamentally brought down by all the internal changes that were going on in the studio and the pivot away from the established story 1 and 2 laid out the groundwork for. It's an acceptable game but it spends a lot of time retreading story beats, putting emphasis on cringe celebrity cameos or franchise callbacks, trying to ape 2s structure instead of moving the franchise forward and pulling the various story threads together properly. It shows in the games overall quality.

[@bison3854]

You seem super excited to make the next one and the teaser looks super interesting!

[@brentsacks]

I’m so hyped for whatever that next one is 😱😱

[@19Szabolcs91]

The very beginning of Zone of the Enders. You are a confused kid running away from gunfire, and you find this mech and enter it in desperation. Now you are supposed to fight off enemies, which you can do, but you get no tutorial. You mash buttons, quickly try what anything does and what is going on. Just like your character who is controlling this thing and has no idea how it works, and is scared. It’s brilliant, and unfortunately the best part of the whole game.

[@fistbump5785]

That actually sounds so perfect 😮

[@ichl46]

The Ashtray Maze is AMAZING. It changed the way I play the game for me. I'm not really that good with shooters, so I was playing the game slowly, taking cover often, and making sure I killed the enemys one by one. But then I arrived at the Ashtray Maze and everything changed. The Maze doesn't give you any power-up, it doesn't weaken the enemys or anything like that, but with that music and level design, it was empowering ME as a player. I didn't realize at first, but near the end it hit me. I played the maze as a maniac, flying through the level and killing enemies like I was born for this. It was like a beautiful dance where I felt invincible, and the enemies where just like little stones in the road before I passed through them. I will never forget the Ashtray Maze. Definitely one of the best videogame levels I've ever played, and a great example of the sensations and emotions that only games can give you.

[@ApolloDawn85]

Ai Somnium Files is a very flawed game, but Ota’s somnium has to be one of the best sequences in a video game. I’ve seen people who have major grievances with the game bawl their eyes out over the backstory of a character they hate.

[@DarylTalksGames]

@@ApolloDawn85 ooooooooh that’s a great one! I do remember being skeptical going into it and then kinda being floored once it ended.

[@SanktaLo]

YES AI MENTIONED!!! I love that game so much. It for sure has problems but I remember Ota’s somnium was just incredible. I didn’t care for Ota at all until I played that

[@Mp5Drummer]

I played the whole game and really didn't love it. It is deeply flawed in my opinion. But god damn, learning the identity of the culprit and how they did it made the whole thing worthwhile.

[@RememberingTheLost]

Bastion, finding Zia will forever be a section I consider to be flawless. You go from the chaos of the game, a land where you have only seen two other living people and you don't know if anyone else is alive, to this area with this powerful yet tranquil song being sung in the background. When I played through it felt like the perfect emotional pitstop in the midst of a calamity, which was only further amplified by being able to find the singer, Zia, and help get her to your bastion of safety. Another one was the white phosphorous scene in Spec Ops: The Line. I don't think I really need to explain that one though..

[@WingsOfOuroboros]

Finding Zulf is also like that, in kind of the opposite way. Everyone turned to stone, and Zulf just standing in the middle of it all- unmoving, speechless, broken. That's when the game really starts to signal the extent to which it's willing to go to dark places.

[@thomasallen9974]

Spec Ops: The Line. Man..... that was something else. Made me a wanton war criminal and I never thought twice til that happened.

[@AssasinZorro]

Every game is flawed, even the best ones The saying "a game is never finished, only released" has its origins in the reality that you can do anything but you can't do everything. I could point to several or many flaws in the games I love with my whole heart

[@christiang1781]

The eternal struggle of every engineer

[@Shvabicu]

The final missions in Mass Effect 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2...they are amazing in their own right, especially the Mass Effect 2 final mission due to choices and consequences, but they both have incredible music that elevates the entire thing just like the Ashtray Maze. Man, going after that rat in RDR2 while American Venom plays is just a fantastic experience. Also, Nier Automata is just an entire series of flawless scenes. Or Geralt's stare into the camera at the end of Blood and Wine...or the Gaunter O' Dimm meeting at the inn...

[@relentlessfisting]

RDR2 is also a game that I think tells a lot with its gameplay. Playing as John doing farmhand stuff, it can be extremely boring. Cleaning shit, milking cows, etc. And that's exactly how John must feel too, which is why he's drawn towards the action and life of who he used to be.

[@Miss_Trillium]

I personally love control, it was my intro to the remedyverse. The ashtray maze, as stated, is easily one of if not the best levels in gaming history, next to halo 3's final warthog drive

[@RememberingTheLost]

Oh man, the final drive in Halo 3 and the running from the first flood encounter in Halo:CE are two of my favorites from the series.

[@ric_gama]

I love spiritfarer but I think after a while it drags on, it gets repetitive but damn the first spirit you help pass through the afterlife, that's a moment I'll never forget

[@MsKornkitty]

If I had to pick one moment that really stuck with me it was Atul, but to say why would ruin the thing that made it such an emotional sucker punch. Spirit Farer is such a strange mix of heavy themes with cozy game mechanics.

[@ZakZak246]

I'm actually playing Ghost Of Tsushima right now, and I had a feeling you'd mention the defense of Yarikawa. That moment honestly blew me away and I was speechless when playing

[@Raykon333]

Please explain what's great about that moment, I'm confused about it after watching the video.

[@paulgerald1985]

The final scene of SOMA. Flawless. Masterpiece. Truly a , man..... , scene

[@OrchardFox]

Absolutely. That game ruined me, in the best possible way. Ugly cried for hours afterwards oof...

[@kaptenteo]

15:50 1000xResist reminds me of Obra Dinn. Another visual novel kind of game where you have to puzzle out the truth of what happened, by viewing stills from past dramatic moments. It turned out to be a great storytelling technique that felt truly novel and engaging.

[@doug7897]

I'm a broken record about this but The Turing Test, which is frankly an just-okay puzzle platformer, has an absolutely stunning moment at the start of act 3 that is a combination of new gameplay mechanic, plot twist, and meta twist on the concept of a player character.

[@GyroCannon]

I think that for me, the example that comes to mind is end of Act 2 of Dragon Age 2. The whole game up until then felt like your character was stumbling around between NPCs in reused locations over and over, and the plot felt so loose... (Both of which are true and worthy of criticism) And then the loose plot threads all tie together and a spark was lit and you finally feel like you're part of a significant story. I just remember being blown away at that point the first time that I played it.

[@Azarornery]

5:15 Edith finch, one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played

[@Crocogator]

Literal chills during the ashtray maze recap. It's so hard to come up with any level comparable in any game.

[@Siferiax]

This video makes me realize why I love your videos so much. I love listening to your stories, even if I'm not invested in them fully or don't know the games you talk about. You always tell the story itself in such an interesting way. Love it ❤

[@Photopassprincess]

I discovered your videos about a week ago and let me say, the quality you put in to each one is amazing! Feels like an early Christmas present to see you upload a new one

[@brentsacks]

@@Photopassprincess Yes ☝🏻

[@exoskeletons]

Daryl gushing about the ashtray maze is sure sign he's gotta play Just Shapes and Beats

[@Usmcnco]

16:00 with the stormlight archive

[@tol_ghost]

Such a good series, ive been listening to wind and truth

[@Jpingman]

Life before death

[@schiapu]

Strength before weakness

[@xerveeon]

Journey before destination.

[@mrravinraven]

What is the most important step a man can take?

[@technoboop1890]

Reminds me of Jacob Geller's "Perfect Moments in "Bad" Movies"

[@CreativeExcusesGaming]

The flawless sequence in a flawed game applies to movies too. The first Captain Marvel movie is alright, not great, but alright. But Maria Rambeau’s scene where she lets Carol have it for disappearing is one of the best performances and most emotional individual scenes in the entire MCU. Lashana Lynch absolutely crushed that scene and it is one of my favorite moments in the entire MCU.

[@Dew8Dew]

KZbin not giving me a notification for this video is criminal. I can't believe you would call this an "easier" video when I think it's one of my favorites, you do stellar opening sequences, but this one takes the cake and eats it. Never had any interests in SH Short Message, but you best believe I'm going to check it out in the future not just because I'm interested in the scene as a whole, but also how you exposed it, I remember in the Backlog Stream you said you didn't know much about DnD, but I think you would be an incredible Dungeon Master for your storytelling alone haha. Also next video featuring XB3 has me hyped to the moon, cannot wait, have a merry christmas and a happy new year!

[@XenoCrossx]

I don’t know about Replicant, but I’ve always considered it a masterpiece and my favorite game ever. Yes, it’s flawed mechanically and structurally, especially with the multiple playthroughs. On the other hand, no game has ever captured the inevitable tragedy and beauty within everyone’s life like this one. From the people who are doomed to suffer no matter how innocent they are, as shown in Fyra’s story, to those unfairly burdened by chronic illness or disability, as seen in the mermaid’s and Kainé’s tales. It shows that even when doing the right thing, your life may still be made miserable by the very people you’re helping, as with Kainé and Emil. It highlights that, as human beings, we are often shortsighted and prone to evil, no matter how righteous we think we are, as shown in the stories of Nier and the Shadowlord. Spoilers Ahead! There are many beautiful moments in the game. The most memorable for me was at the end of the ferryman quest. It’s a quest that’s very random and easy to miss, which made it feel that much more special to me. When the couple invites you to eat with them, you only get a voice clip and some text. But man, oh man, I’ve never cried so much over any fictional story in my entire life. This annoying couple, whom you probably hated during the quest, shares a moment of genuine joy with you in this unforgiving and cold world. End of spoilers. I could go on and on about all the stories and lessons in this game. You could fill an entire book with Kainé’s story alone. I like Automata very much, my 2nd favorite game, but this one takes the cake for me for how human and simplistic it is. To enjoy this game you shouldn't approach it from a gameplay or speedrunning perspective. Which is a tall order considering it's a game after all.

[@christiang1781]

Raphael singing his own boss theme in masterful duet with Hope in Baldurs Gate 3 was the pinnacle of gaming. The cherry on top of an already unrivalled masterpiece. What a fight!

[@AugustRx]

Was thinking about that but the fight wasn't nothing special except for the presentation

[@MrGlyra]

Seeing a clip of it in the intro reminds me of Gravity Rush's opening cinematic, it always speaks to me so dearly. Seeing this surreal landscape in the middle of the clouds, following a falling apple past characters that felt like the opening to a real fairy tale. While playing the game I just felt so so enamoured by the opening and I just kept wondering "when am I gonna see that character? when do I get to go to that place?" It just filled me with so much wonder :)

[@TCPolecat]

Admittedly I loved Control right from the get-go, as I felt it's unique take on horror was so much more effective and approachable than most games. But that said, the Ashtray Maze was a really REALLY good sequence. I always wished I could replay it, but it's one of those sequences that can't really be re-done. It stands alone, and would lose it's magic if you could keep going back to it and re-experience it easily. Without the build-up, it wouldn't have the appropriate pay-off....

[@sanguiniusszuiriel4984]

Your channel, and tale foundry, are my two favorite channels to brainstorm writing ideas to, and how I wake up in the morning whenever you post new videos. Keep it up bud, you do wonders for my mental health, and I’d be surprised if I was the only one.

[@Elesterion]

1000xResist MENTIONED!! Hekki grace sisters

[@64bitrobot]

You know something weird? I love that people want to keep from spoiling things all the time, but often I realize "I will never play this game, nor will I have the chance to. I wish they would just be willing to spoil it so they could speak their full thoughts and not feel a need to hold back as to not spoil something." I feel like sometimes, our need to prevent spoilers gets in the way of talking about a game in the way it deserves.

[@Professor_Utonium_]

Childhood is wishing you could play every game that you want to. Adulthood is realizing you can't Elderhood is purposely spoiling several games so you can rest easy with not having played them lol

[@Hawkenwhacker]

Not to mention the fact that for some, seeing a spoiler is what actually motivates them into wanting to play a game or watch a movie in the first place. The discourse I find on spoilers feels largely binary.

[@freakmaster3639]

I get what you mean, putting out a spoiler warning is fair, but so much context is lost when people just don't actually tell you the details of what they're talking about. I think it's usually the best when they give you a spoiler free snippet and then put up a timestamp to skip the spoiler part for anyone who doesn't want to get spoiled.

[@JonathanScarlet]

I get that feeling, but at the same time I think there are many experiences (in games and other media) where the spoiler can ruin the effect so you kinda shouldn't. One major problem is that one man's ruination is another man's motivation. Like you stated, a spoiler to a game might make you want to play it even more--potentially even tip you into actually buying it--whereas for me that spoiler effectively ruins any chance of me playing it because now I know what the finale is, what the plot twist is, or the only reason to buy the game in the first place that I just got to watch or hear about essentially for free and now there's no point. I'll probably always think that being spoiler-free is the highest priority when it comes to this so that newcomers get the most untarnished first playthrough possible, but anyone who knows somebody well enough to tell if revealing a spoiler will actually be good for them (insofar as buying that mediashould definitely do so.

[@bane2201]

@@freakmaster3639 Mostly agreed, but I'd say for twists that are really late in the game, it's often best to just leave it as "I'm spoiling the late game/finale of [X]". (It's usually fine to give context for midgame spoilers.) Jacob Geller had a good approach in one of his recent videos on a certain endgame twist, where even saying "spoiler alert for [game]" reveals that twist is in the game. So at the start he said that he'd be listing 5 games, but 1 of them didn't fit the theme of the video. That way, if someone who really wants to play one of the six games sees the list and leaves the video, they won't have been spoiled.

[@TheSM1155]

We love the 1000xSweep rep!!! This story is soooooooooo good!!! I hope more people learn about it; its a game I am of the belief needs to be studied. Simply a masterpiece in storytelling and how games can be used to convey that.

[@Inverse_to_Chaos]

Perhaps the ‘flawed’ game/series I’m mostly fond of is Mario Party by Hudson Soft. My critiques: - Lacklustre solo modes - Repetitive minigame objectives - Tedious board mechanics - STICK ROTATION!! That said, having played several boards with 2-3 opponents and seen KZbinrs do so, the chaotic nature of the game is what resonates with so many people. The thrill of breaking a minigame record on your opponent’s file, the shock of finding the hidden block and receiving a free star, the many event spaces that alter the playing field without warning all culminate in an frustrating yet engaging sensation that you can share with your friends sitting together on the couch, and because of the aforementioned shortcomings, it’s a tense competition that is not taken seriously, and that’s the joy of playing competitive video games with your peers. The meta in Mario Party is non-existent, and I do not have to catch up to the skilled players.

[@JonathanScarlet]

I WON BY ONE COIN!! Shoutouts to those who know.

[@night1952]

When I played The Ashtray Maze I immediately told my friends that I had just played the coolest level ever and that they had to play Control.

[@Miycu]

I sort of disagree with the characterisation of 1000XResist, part of what's impressive to me about that game is how effective a storytelling and emotional instrument it is while at the same time being 100% megajank the whole way through with no exceptions. I wouldn't describe any of its scenes as flawless but they are often unreasonably compelling.

[@chucklebutt4470]

Hekki Allmo, homie

[@kaishido6698]

This has to be one of your best videos imho, Daryl. The writing is pristine and your current skills shine best in format like these where you do so much with so little. It shows how much you've improved all these years. Props to you, happy holidays and looking forward to seeing your content in 2025!

[@KiiRadov]

The ending of Superhot: MCD was fucking perfection! Personally, while I had fun with the game at the start, it slowly started to lose its charm to me. I even thought of dropping the game altogether. However, its ending was marvelously executed that it made the whole experience worthwhile. For obvious reasons, I will not spoil it, but what I would say is that the ending fully utilizes the gaming medium to express it. So much so that its ending can never be done in any other medium. For this reason, I will always fondly remember Superhot: MCD for its flawless ending despite it being a flawed game.

[@jasper265]

Interesting! I never got through that game. Maybe I should give it another shot...

[@DeadNovice]

2:47 even here I hear that song

[@ajamid0145]

Yea, Everybody knows

[@sword_of_dusk]

Daryl, you are one of the few people I trust when it comes to opinions on games. The way you speak about them draws me in, man! Makes me want to dive in and experience what you've experienced. Now I gotta check out 1000x Resist and Control, and I thankfully own the latter. As for this particular video itself, it's yet another banger. Nothing new there though. You always have banger vids.

[@Citrange]

Hey there, thank you for another great video as always ! I just want to bring a little information to you. When you were speaking about Nier Replicant you said something about it being a little sibling to Automata. In truth, Replicant is a remake (remaster ? Eh) of "Nier", that came before Automata. Also fun fact, at the time of release of the original there were two versions of the game, and the main (only ?) difference was that you either played the same character as in Replicant, or an old man that wants to protect his daughter (instead of sister, though the person being protected (sister/daughter) is the same)

[@austins.2495]

I’m replaying Ghost of Tsushima right now, to me this entire game is flawless 🙏

[@vslazer6728]

The one perfect sequence from a flawed game that comes to my mind is from The Last of Us Part 2 when Abby and the scar kid (don't remember their name) fight their way through and eventually ride on horseback through the burning native village as war erupts all around them. For as flawed as the game is, this sequence to me is the encapsulation of its message and value as a game, it's an incredibly cinematic moment that you get to play through as thousands of different micro-stories of the people on both sides of the war breaking out right before you converge into one great tragedy. Ironically though I think it does the game's whole message better than the game ever did with words. Revenge looks like relentlessly pursuing something despite that pursuit burning your whole world down around you, Abby and the Scar kid are the pursuit, the village is the world around them, and safety from this war they're partially responsible for is revenge. Just a brilliantly written moment in a very flawed game.

[@matthewparris8260]

Found a way to sneak in that he’s 6’2” in the first 45 seconds, outstanding

[@rebelblade7159]

There's that one sidequest in Tales of Zestiria that really shined more than the main plot for me because of how it was thought provoking and tackled the concept of evil within Zestiria's themes of malevolence. Its about a rich art collector who has no hesitation or remorse in using children to get his hands on art pieces, even if those kids could die. For most of Zestiria, you found evil being shown in a somewhat sympathetic light where negative emotions within people cause them to become Hellions due to Malevolence manifesting the turmoil within them. But that art collector? He had ZERO malevolence because of how he was so confident about his twisted logic. In the end, the goody two shoes Sorey can't help but allow Rose to put him out of his misery.

[@sarim.97]

Absolutely brilliant addition of some horror-esque music to one of the best sequences in 1000xResist to elevate your point. Thank you for another banger right before the new year my sir, it truly made my day (and bumped Replicant up my list). I'm so happy you loved 1000xResist as much as I did, and I'm incredibly excited to see what joyous musings you cook up next year (Dandadan video????? 👀). Have yourself a damn good one 🍉

[@acallixgaming]

Nier Replicant is my favorite game of all time (tied with nier automata and mother 3). I know that people consider it the younger brother to automata but it's story telling is just as good if not arguably better in some sections. The dining hall with the boar at the end of this game is a prime example. On a first play through your just clearing the rooms of enemies that are in the way of you and your goal, however on a second playthrough it's absolutely horrific. The screams of mothers pleading for their children's lives generally left me feeling awful and made me think introspectively about the force of evil that I was playing as. An absolute masterclass when it comes to narrative design.

[@T0talcarnage]

There’s always been this super niche puzzle game called Pneuma: Breath of Life, it’s just a random little puzzle game and I don’t even remember why I played it but the way it ended blew my mind and combined the gameplay and narrative in a way that gave me the craziest gut wrenching feeling. Highly recommend giving it a try for anyone looking for these flawless moments in flawed games, especially cause it’s a short and easy playthrough and very thought provoking as I’m sure anyone here would enjoy.

[@darklinkrulesHyrule]

Really had me ready to throw hands, putting 1000XResist into a video about flawed games... But you saved it.

[@twooty2148]

Silliest grin was on my face when I saw Nier. One of the best intros in all of gaming

[@SolaireIntensifies]

regarding Nier Replicant's tutorial: Normally I don't like the opening that starts you at a high level, with all your abilities only to get it all yanked away in a moment as a sort of "tease" of what's to come. To me it always feels like negative progress, once your abilities get taken away it feels like you're playing catchup until you reach that point, which is sometimes the end of the video game. But Nier does it so much better than most. Like you said it feels good to level up, you start with the basic fist ability and level up exceedingly quickly. It's you that earns the powerups, not the game giving them out for free (even though it still kind of is free). So when the timeskip happens you think "I need to get back to where I left off" rather than "where the game left me off" which is a more intrinsic goal. Fantastic opening

[@cursedvoid]

The segment from "A short message" was giving me major flashbacks to childhood reading books like "A child called IT" and "So Be It" Super jarring to have those old childhood imaginings of those books.

[@zagobelim]

To be able to enjoy that which is flawed, quite a life lesson we have here

[@backlogbaldie]

Having just finished the silent hill 2 remake, I’d say every cutscene (flawless) vs gameplay and puzzles that wasn’t bad, just very early 2000s (flawed). For a gameplay sequence though, kingdom hearts 3 when you get to the pirates of the Caribbean world. I forced myself through that game for the story (insert regret) but the mini open world, underwater and ship combat made the potc segment genuinely enjoyable. Absolute banger of a video as always. You have very quickly become my favourite channel and biggest inspiration. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you too sir.

[@high.level.noob.]

Titanfall 2 has many perfect moments but the most memorable is the time travel ability. Everyone who has played it knows what I’m talking about. It is definitely a great game, but it also has some flaws.

[@abigailslade3824]

Its main flaw is being to short I love that game, but you that level is something else.

[@kastanimates]

Awesome video!! I absolutely love the concept of exploring the events that happened "frame by frame" as a way of experiencing (and unraveling) the events and the horror as it happens, while still being separate from the events. I'm not a big fan of horror, but I love unraveling tragedy ala "apocalypse logs," but the way you describe 1000xResist is very intriguing... something new for my "to play" list...

[@orderofscribes]

Seeing kaladin’s name in this video gave me whiplash. Bridge 4

[@demartijnvanbrenk]

Music does so much for a game. For me the most memorable moments included the ending of Assassin's creed Revelations, the scene where they spread the ashes in God of War 2018, the mission Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern in RDR2, fighting David in The Last Of Us (perhaps not entirely comparable to the rest, but I felt such intense emotion with this one). The mission The Covenant in Halo 3, and fighting both the Abyss Watchers and Pontus Sullyvahn in Dark Souls 3 was flawless as well. I do realize these are all highly acclaimed games though and a few are just cutscenes. Maybe I'll think of more flawed games and edit this comment.

[@fistbump5785]

It was the last couple minutes of phantom liberty for me - the game pulls back the curtain, reveals every lie its told you to get to this point, and then gives you the option to decide if you want to stay the course. The way the music swells and it forces you to just sit there and think about it for a solid minute before it actually lets you do anything... and that final choice it FORCES you to make with the sacrifice that comes with it. Every moment of it was perfect. It really redeems cyberpunk as a whole for me.

[@lordfelgrand4559]

DAMN ive been watching daryl talks games for a few years now and holy the quality of the videos are 📈

[@ogto]

it's funny how i've heard several 1000xRESIST talks that highlight different "best moments". and thing is, none of the 4 or 5 moments mentioned are my TOP moments. this game is just non-stop highlights, hard to pick just one . can't wait for more people to discover it.

[@qoganjacks146]

That mind banding sequence from Life Is Strange, That one boss fight from Hollow Knight where you fight with the dream of a fallen warrior, Fighting with the grandfather of the protagonist who i heard lots of good things about throughout the game from a little fan made Sekiro Clone mobile game called Takashi Warrior. Those are what i consider flawless sequence that i can recall right now. Btw, don't know how you manage this but your voice has a kind of charm that i don't get anywhere else. Keep up the good word man.

[@TS015-III]

This reminds me of this one mission in Dying Light 2 which i think stands far above the rest of the game, which is climbing the VNC tower (tallest building in the game). Everything really comes together, the level design, the sense of speed, the music, the visuals. It really got my blood pumping and makes me wish more of the game was like that level. I enjoyed Dying Light 2 on release but it definitely had its fair share of problems but that level alone is one of my favourite levels in gaming ever.

[@iliaxrz2735]

my god this video was amazing I don't know why but people never talk about these momments in video game even if they reach it when the video game is flawed they don't even see the beauty of it for your blood to pump so hard with water in your eyes screaming THIS IS WHY LOVE THIS GAME THIS SENCE WAS MADE FOR ME THIS IS.....why I play video games

[@Mal_Freeman0451]

Call of Cthulu DCOTE is a flawed but great game featuring a chase sequence in the first hour or so that is exhilarating and quite unique in gaming. I'm surprised we haven't seen more sequences like that in games.

[@BlackRoseMii]

I had such a moment in Tales of Zestiria. It's similar to the last game you described, where the music is what makes the moment shine. During the early game, you're constantly reminded that fighting a dragon is way too dangerous and you have to avoid it at all cost. Then, when the first third of the game ends, you have to fight a dragon on a battlefield. You have no choice and noone who helps you. It looks like you're going to lose the fight (or it would at least take ages), but then the two armies who had been fighting on that battlefield before come in and help you. A new song starts to play. I don't remember much of the lyrics, but there's one thing that stayed in my memory: Don't give up. That's actually part of the lyrics. And during the fight, you will sometimes see a bunch of arrows that deal massive damage hitting the dragon. So the armies helping you isn't just for one cutscene. To be honest, the whole fight wouldn't be the same without that song. There's also a moment (the whole quest is great in general) in another game, but it's more personal and if I told you the game, people would judge me and I'd like to avoid that.

[@Quincunx_5]

I had already loved Control, but the Ashtray Maze was the part that catapulted it directly into being very possibly my favourite game of all time. You said it yourself: Enemies appear, but the Oldest House adjusts itself to protect you from them. Because they aren't the ones with the headphones - you are. They aren't the Director. *You are.* And here you are, on the warpath, finally telling them to get out of your House.

[@spezmen]

2:47 IM IN THE THICK OF IT EVERYBODY KNOWS🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣

[@EsperSpirit]

Death Stranding has some of those moments where you struggle through a sequence and when you finish there's a change of weather and/or music and you can feel the tension lifting from your shoulders. Not because the sequences are necessarily difficult but the surreal experiences often surprise you with things you couldn't have seen coming

[@handshandshands]

As an artist, this is the reason video game is my favorite artform! I'm happy to see a lot of developers are taking advantage of this medium more in these newer games. People really need to realize the true potential of this artform, which is truly a unique experience unlike any other. I hope that video game as a medium reaches its peak, and stop imitating movies/being cinematic, etc. so it can realize its real potential. I just hope I'm still around and alive to experience that!

[@acecondor5716]

Honestly for me it’s Pokémon mystery dungeon when you get taken by dusknoir in explorers. That whole sequence made me absolutely adore all of the repetitive stuff leading up to that! So good!

[@Tinybutfearless]

This video is flawless

[@beatriznick9795]

I love enjoying flawed things! Is a reminder to myself that even if I am only able to create flawed art there are people who will enjoy it and will resonate with it anyways.

[@rodrigonogueira9375]

Undertale from the "Homecoming" sequence to the final boss of the neutral route is probably the most perfectly paced and most flawless sequence of events in a videogame to this day, and its from an indie game made by one dev that doesnt know how to code in rogmaker, tldr indie games are awesome and toby fox is the goat

[@19Szabolcs91]

Yes, but Undertale is awesome in general, not that flawed.

[@rodrigonogueira9375]

@@19Szabolcs91 Yeah its oretty flawless, so it wouldnt apply on this list but when i read flawless sequences it was the first game that came into my mind so yeah heres your daily dose of undertale fanboysm i guess

[@enman009]

​@@19Szabolcs91I argue that, while not as flawed as these games, it has some issues, like some very bland/boring enemies, some shallow areas and the Genocide run forcing a grind into it.

[@19Szabolcs91]

@ No game is perfect, I could list dozens of flaws even in my favorites ever, and the most revered classics like OoT, FF9 and SotN. That’s usually not why people mean by “flawed games”

[@enman009]

@@19Szabolcs91 Gotcha. I just think that even Masterpieces have flaws, specially when they're very complex. I would say Portal 1 is one of those games that barely has flaws, yet it's not as dense or replayable as Undertale.

[@MccandlessH]

NieR Replicants prologue is the greatest intro to any game ever and it’s not debatable

[@ThePurpleCheeseMan]

Yes!! I think about games like this all the time! Two examples come to mind for me. 1. Sonic Frontiers - the first boss. Sonic games have had serious tones in the past, but there's a real melancholy, moody vibe to this one that's really, REALLY different. The game has this kind of odd structure to it, being open world and having a lot of empty space with not very meaningful collectibles. You collect all the chaos emeralds (way faster than you would in any Sonic game), and as you collect number 6 from doing this really tedious laser reflecting puzzle, and make your way to the boss for 7, you get hit with this massive, "anime-as-hell" tonal whiplash that imo, is worth experiencing blind. The whole game has very basic gameplay and a story that will really only be compelling for longtime Sonic fans... but when you get to those boss fights, it becomes such an insane spectacle, that makes all the long, quiet, average/sometimes weird gameplay pay off. The other one is Furi, a game that I saw you dropped in one of your backlog videos, sadly. I understand why it wouldn't hook a lot of people. It's brutally difficult and has a very unique control scheme that takes getting used to. But man, when you've got it down, it's exhilarating to play - so to ME it's not as flawed, but I can accept that it might not be easy for other people to get into. The moment I'm thinking of is the fight with the final jailer, that you need to kill to escape. As you progress, fighting each jailer, you start to notice the differences as you meet each one of them, and it culminates in a major realization about what's actually happening as you finally defeat the last one. You get a very ominous and vague final segment of gameplay while the credits roll and then some cool, mysterious stuff after the credits that helps you fill in the rest of the blanks. Ugh... I love Furi. It's such a hard game, but it's so cool.

[@matteste]

One that stood out for me was the final stage of the B route of R-type Final. Here you are suddenly turned into one of the Bydo and now have to fight other R fighters. What really sells it though is the narration that makes it appear like your pilot isn't even aware of what happened.

[@PatChatGC]

Your channel has become one of the few that I rush to make time to watch new videos when I see that there’s a new upload!

[@PatChatGC]

Yep it was great haha. Thanks for all the videos and looking forward to what you have in store for 2025!