For Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Donkey Kong, Mario, and many other loved Nintendo brands, the worth of a videogame often comes down to its key moments. It doesn’t have to be complicated or overly cinematic either. Even the earliest Mario games threw players a memorable curveball when they first learned that the princess is in another castle.

While it’s difficult to pin down an exact quote in all the interviews he has given over the years, the sentiment remains the same: Great games should evoke emotion, challenge the player to want more, learn more. And many designers over the years have diligently followed this ethos.

We’ve run four of these greatest in gaming articles, but this has to be my hardest callout to date. Through a combination of gameplay, visual and sound design, moments in games can outshine even the most famous scenes in movies and iconic lyrics in songs. There are so many to choose from too. It seems like every game these days attempts to have at least one section that inspires emotion and sticks in your brain.

Yet, Substack’s game writing community delivered, picking scenes and segments I’d never even considered. (Keep in mind, there are some minor spoilers below, which I’ll attempt to flag). Here are some of their most memorable moments from the games they’ve played.

Raphael’s House of Hope fight, Baldur’s Gate 3

By Mike Piggott, Twisted Wonderland

In 2024’s Game of the Year, Baldur’s Gate 3, a fantasy RPG set in the world of D&D, you meet a character early on, a devil named Raphael. If you steal from his house in the Nine Hells, what results is one of the greatest boss fights in gaming. Upon entering his lair, if you’re sharp-eared you’ll hear subtle musical notes which play as you explore. These occur whenever Raphael appears in the game, and are a nod to Raphael’s Final Act, a song which begins with this fight.

This gothic and dramatic melody plays during combat, and is a delightful Disney villain-esque number, performed by actor Andrew Wincott (Raphael) and classical singer Mariya Anastasova. With the wonderful lyrics: Hell, Hell, Hell has its laws / Hell, Hell, effects and the cause / Curtain falls, but hold your applause / Squirm, squirm, for now down here come the claws!

An unforgettable moment.

Encountering Bowser for the first time, Super Mario 64

By Peter Monks, Late to the LAN Party

In the beginning, games were in 2D, and life was good and flat. But we were always yearning for the third dimension, and the early 90’s brought us the pioneers of 3D gaming. One of the biggest was introducing a famous mustachioed plumber to a whole new world. And what better way to do that than to have him fight his nemesis in a way we had never seen before.

Bowser now towers over Mario, huge in every way. Lumbering towards him, there is no hope of jumping on his head this time. Instead, we can now go around him! Grabbing his tail, the brand new Nintendo 64 controller invites us to twirl the analog stick around, faster and faster. We see bombs surround the arena, the inevitability hitting us in the head. All we need to do is aim, let go, and watch the fireworks.

So long, Big Bowser!

Arriving in the Village, Resident Evil 4

By Evan, Everything Unimportant

The opening sequence of Resident Evil 4 is a slow trickle of mounting tension that eventually explodes into a massive battle in the main village square. Leon Kennedy is blitzed with murderous villagers as you have no choice but to run around evasively and take shots when you can with limited ammo. There’s no end in sight, no hope that you could possibly take all of these enemies out before you’re overwhelmed. It’s already challenging enough to balance maneuvering and shooting to stay alive in the horde, but then…

…you hear the revving of a chainsaw. If the droves of sadistic villagers coming to tear you apart wasn’t enough, you’re faced with an enemy wielding a chainsaw that can kill you in one swing. The feeling of panic that you feel any time you see this enemy running towards you is enough to get your palms sweaty, and they tank a ton of ammo before they go down for good. Only the sound of a church bell tolling gives the player a chance to catch their breath as the horde is drawn away from you in a trance, but only after your blood pressure has been adequately spiked.

It’s an absolutely iconic opening and enough to let you know that Resident Evil 4 is in a league of its own.

The stand-off over Synth M7-97 and blind betrayal, Fallout 4

By Dusty Gamer, Dusty Gamer’s Substack

If you’ve spent any time in the wasteland, you know the Brotherhood of Steel is a complicated beast. I’ve been in a “it’s complicated” relationship with them since the original games, with Fallout 3 coming the closest to winning me over. By the time I was climbing the ranks in Fallout 4, I was all in until the moment I handed that network scanner tape to Proctor Ingram.

The confrontation over Synth M7-97 is one of the most layered, tactile narrative sequences in the series. The dialogues with Elder Maxson are haunting; the zeal in his voice is unmistakable. It’s a moment that feels eerily prophetic today, as Maxson’s fear of uncontrolled technology echoes our own modern AI anxieties.

This stayed with me because it’s more than a plot twist; it’s a masterclass in agency. It taught me that with hope and a bit of silver-tongued diplomacy, you can navigate the wreckage of betrayal and the collapse of someone’s life mission and purpose to find a place where something entirely new can begin.

Facing Endsinger at the end of an epic journey, Final Fantasy XIV Online

By The Game Enjoyer, The Game Enjoyer Substack

If there’s anything that online RPGs excel at above every other type of videogame, it’s their ability to make the world feel alive and deep beyond what the player sees. When Square-Enix gave Naoki Yoshida the job to rescue Final Fantasy XIV, nobody expected its original story to last for 8 more years.

Over that time, players adventured, fought terrible foes, bonded and formed communities. When, at the end of 2021, the story that started back in 2010 and had converged with every expansion came to an end, it wasn’t a solo moment. Facing the Endsinger next to 7 other players, we were all at the same point, the final fight after years in Eorzea. When the enemy was felled, there was not the usual collection of loot, “gg” messages and leaving. Everyone stood there, knowing there was no going back: the story was over. Then I realised what an epic journey it had been all along.

The unscripted rollercoaster of each surface run, Arc Raiders

By InGameScientist, Just One More Turn

Heading Topside in Arc Raiders is dangerous business. The elements, robots, and sometimes other players all conspire to prevent you from making it back home safe. But it also gives birth to epic sequences of thrill, uncertainty, and finally, relief.

On one occasion, I went through the emotional rollercoaster of hiding from a haelstrom of rockets unleashed by one of the game’s most feared enemies to fighting against said enemy with fellow players, then losing some of those players to a downpour of rockets, and finally, escorting a downed player to safety.

The great thing is, I can look forward to and experience something unique and epic every single time I play the game. It’s the reason this is the only game I’ve played for the past several months: I get an epic 100+ hour RPG story experience condensed into an action packed 30 minutes.

Revan’s reveal, Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic

By Cat, Cat’s Controller Corner
*Spoilers ahead*

Star Wars is known for one of the biggest reveals in cinema history. Knights of the Old Republic made that into something personal. Something that you had your own say in. In it, Revan wasn’t your father, the reveal was that they were you. Nothing is more quintessential to gaming.

This moment meant a lot for me as a kid because it was what really solidified my love for videogame stories. Not only was I seeing them happen, I was a part of them. It showed that those stories can be complex and have depth. It made me replay the game again and again because it was so impactful and fun. I sat through the same reveal time and again and each time I got chills. It was monumental for me and for the industry at large.

Also you can go to Korriban, the Sith academy planet, after finding out you’re Revan and tell everyone there and no one believes you and the fact that you can do that at all is fantastic.

The Coin, Legacy of Kain

By ROP, ROP’s Passions

Legacy of Kain is a saga built on revelations. With each conversation, what you believed to be truth fractures and reforms. History rewrites itself; like when Raziel or Kain introduce a paradox and the world reshapes to accommodate it. The Coin discussion is one such moment: deceptively simple, yet… a moment that remained ingrained in my memory of the Series.

“Suppose you throw a coin enough times… suppose one day, it lands on its edge.”

The coin represents choice, yet both of its faces promise ruin. Two outcomes, same Fate. Two paths, both foretold. And then, you realize… Raziel became that coin when Kain cast him into the Abyss as a calculated wager. And this wasn’t a gamble on prophecy’s design, but on its flaw: the impossible third outcome!

By the end, Raziel might not escape Fate, but… the edge wasn’t about evasion—it was about Defiance. Through acceptance, Raziel chose to live by shaping the lives around him in the best way possible and to show us that Free Will can exist even in a reality ruled by insurmountable Fate.

And therein lies the revelation: The Coin landed on its Edge!

Stepping out into Hyrule, The Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild

By Christena Maurer, Tunesdays With Mauer

The Legend of Zelda series is known for presenting stories of grand adventures. Each iteration of Hyrule promises heroic quests and valiant battles, from the music to the characters to the world design itself.

However, few moments capture the scale of the quest set before Link quite like the opening of Breath of the Wild, which had me staring in breathless silence on my first playthrough. Waking up from a hundred years of slumber in the Cave of Resurrection, Link finds some ratty old clothes and a Hylian-Tablet ahem “Sheikah Slate” before venturing outside.

Until this point, the sound design is understated and the colors are relatively dark. However, as Link squints into the sunlight and steps forward, the music swells and the camera pulls away to show the vast beauty of the world of Hyrule spread out before him.

And the fate of this world rests on his shoulders.

A Leap of Faith, Shadow of the Colossus

By The Videogame Storyteller, The Videogame Storyteller

Ever since Jumpman began leaping over barrels in 1981’s Donkey Kong, jumping has been among gaming’s most iconic mechanics. And yet, I struggle to think of a more exhilarating single use of the jump than when it was deployed early in the battle against Avion (the fifth colossus) in Shadow of the Colossus.

Not that Shadow of the Colossus is known for its intuitive leaping. The game’s notorious physics mean that Wander’s jump feels more like an ascending stumble than the effortless nature of Mario’s springs. This means that when the flying colossus Avion swoops down towards you like a gigantic bird of prey, you hardly feel confident in your pressing of the “triangle” button.

It’s a heart-in-your-mouth moment in gaming where danger is fast approaching and you must react. And just like with Donkey Kong’s barrels, there is really only one option. You must jump. So, you do. You jump, grab onto Avion’s wings, and then take to the sky.

Waking up in Tibet, Uncharted 2

By Evan C Moore, Play Moore

Nathan Drake woke up dazed. A stranger spoke to him in an unknown language. He bid Drake drink, stand, dress, and follow. We later learn that this stranger is Tenzin. Over the course of several minutes, Tenzin guides Drake through his hometown. I will never forget it.

The scene is calm, easy, and nonviolent. Drake’s only urgency is Tenzin’s encouraging voice to follow him. All the pleasantries and delights of Drake’s explorative nature are still present: the expansive views, the sheer beauty of this remote land. We are forgiven for thinking it a moment of peace.

But the scene is still hectic. Drake himself is recovering, and he does not know where he is. He doesn’t speak Tibetan. Outward beauty and inward strife.

That contradiction sticks with me. How can we enjoy a steady breeze or the image of children playing when the threat still looms over us? What greater moment can there be, but one of confusion in the face of peace?

When you suddenly end up playing as a ring, Kid Icarus: Uprising

By Calvin Barrett, Retro Journal
*Spoilers ahead*

Kid Icarus: Uprising was a far more innovative game than the general public gives it credit for. The narrative was perfectly interwoven with the ongoing gameplay as the gods of the world joked, argued, and bickered with each other as you desperately fought off hordes of demons in an attempt to just stay alive. But in chapter 18, after Pit had apparently died, the character suddenly takes control of... a ring. Yeah, with no introduction, you’re playing as a ring now. Passing from the little girl who discovers you, to a dog, and even Magnus, and a tank of a human that you met in the first chapter of the game. The world is entirely different now: Palutena is the antagonist, and the world has been plunged into darkness, just moments after you thought you were poised to save it.

Everything, and I mean everything, about the game is changed from this moment onward, down to the themes of the menus and the goddess who controls your flight path. Such a bold decision and such a drastic shift in momentum changed how I viewed not only Kid Icarus: Uprising, it became the standard for every narrative-driven game I’ve played since.

Encountering The Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough, Dark Souls

By Joe, The Saved Game

Those perturbing names from Dark Souls quickly became etched into my mind from the moment I first stepped through the fog and witnessed the shockingly beautiful cathedral within the depths of Anor Londo.

That grim boss fight and the unnerving atmosphere inside the otherwise ornate cathedral resonated with me. It was the beauty mixed with the challenge, the relief following the trial, and the powerfully epic music that made this moment stand out to me. My heart pounded as I faced them, my hands tightly gripped the controller as I dodged their attacks, and my soul became weary in exhaustion after I fell many times. However, the immense relief of victory made the pain worth it when I finally defeated them and received the Lordvessel from Gwynevere!

Years later, that ruthless duo set the bar for me when it comes to an incredible boss fight — with it becoming one of my greatest gaming moments of all time!

The death of Aerith, Final Fantasy VII

By Kamikaze Worm, Kamikaze Worm’s Gaming Adventures
*Spoilers ahead*

It’s 1997 and my little brother and I are aged 7 and 10 playing Final Fantasy VII.

Your team discovers Aeris praying and believes you are about to be reunited as a group when the unthinkable happens, and Sephiroth descends and kills Aeris with his sword.

Everything moves into slow motion and we watch as Aeris’ hair ribbon twirls to the ground and a glowing orb of materia tinkles down into the water below. Aeris theme begins to play and our tears begin to fall. We barely register the battle between our team and Jenova, so enraged we are by this turn of events.

We believed it wasn’t possible for us to lose one of our beloved team and we sat open mouthed as Cloud carried Aeris and gently dropped her body into the depths.

It remains the most emotionally charged scene from a game for my Brother and I that has been unmatched in the last 30 years.

Boss fight, or a moment of remembrance with Great Grey Wolf Sif, Dark Souls Artorias of the Abyss DLC

By Taylor V, Taylor V Substack

There are so many moments from video games that have stuck with me, but none of those moments compare to the Great Grey Wolf Sif fight from Dark Souls. If you ventured through the DLC (which took place in the past) you had the opportunity to save puppy Sif. If you did, then that one action transformed her boss fight into an emotional piece of storytelling.

As soon as she leaps off a giant tombstone she protects, your character falls as she stands over you. She takes one sniff and her eyes shift from anger to sorrow. Then she somberly walks over to her sword. That alternate scene always gives me chills. And that’s not all. Once her health gets low, she begins to limp and her attacks get slower. She is still the only boss that I hated to beat, but the storytelling aspect has always stuck with me.

When a mouse’s letter ends a cat’s pursuit, Post Mouse

By Systemfehler: Ich?, Systemfehler: Ich? Substack
*Spoilers ahead*

Post Mouse is a tiny, free puzzle game about a mouse delivering letters through an abandoned, ruined mansion. For hours, you’ve been piecing together hints about the people who once lived here –strange paintings, lives left behind. The game never tells you what happened to them.Then, in the basement, a black cat with glowing yellow eyes stalks you.

She’s fast and looks dangerous. You stumble, the letter falls open. You begin to read aloud: “Dear Irene, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Mom’s been muttering your name... I really hope you don’t hate me still.” The cat stops. She sits right in front of you and listens. The letter is from her sister. An apology and invitation to come home.When you finish, the cat – this creature you feared – looks at the letter and whispers: “Someone sent a letter... to me?”You smile while you nod ,she lets you go and as you leave, she bows her head over the letter and says, quietly: “...and thank you.”

That four-hour game? It was worth it for this one moment.

Tifa nearly meets her end at the Mako Reactor, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

By Harrison Polites, Infinite Lives
*Spoilers ahead*

Twenty hours in, just when you start to think Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a straight rehash of the original, it throws you a curveball. Out of nowhere, Tifa -- one of the game’s most beloved and iconic characters -- is knocked into the Mako Reactor in Gongaga by a confused Cloud Strife, manipulated by the game’s big bad: Sephiroth. It’s a segment that smartly subverts the player’s expectations: we spend the whole game bracing for Aerith’s death — the most iconic moment in the original — only to see Tifa nearly meet her end midway through instead.

There are whole conspiracy videos about the significance of this scene, revolving around how Tifa — not Cloud — is perhaps the ultimate foil for Sephiroth’s plan for his new timeline. Sephiroth makes a concerted effort to remove her from the equation here, more so than in the original game. That reads to me as a setup for a much larger role in the third game — and I think we’ll look back at this moment accordingly. It had me glued to my chair, yelling at the TV, and it’s not one I’ll forget any time soon.

There’s plenty of moments that haven’t been mentioned here. Tell us about your favourites, or discuss the ones featured here in the comments below.

Especially if it’s based on one of the best panels I’ve seen in a decade of attending the PAX Australia expo. The concept: a group of creators, journalists and broadcasters hosting a mock trial of gaming’s greatest villains.

Each panellist would take a turn pleading the villains’ case to creator and illustrator turned “judge” Ruby Innes. Then a slide would come up detailing their—often horrific—crimes. The event was the idea of former GamesHub editor Steph Panecasio. To summarise the court’s rulings: They basically got away with it if they were hot? Or had daddy issues? Possibly both? It was all a bit of fun, and a great way to cap off the first day at PAX 2024.

Given it’s Halloween, I’m running a bit of a variation of a theme here today. I’ve asked writers to delve into gaming’s greatest villains. We’re giving away some devious plots here. So keep in mind that there may be game spoilers in the copy below. They are marked where appropriate.

There’s a lot of great, and really diverse, names in the mix below. Plenty that I did not expect to see. Here’s what Substack’s writing community had to say:

The Nemesis System, The Shadow of Mordor

By InGameScientist, Just One More Turn

Sometimes the greatest villain in a game is the one unique to you. The Nemesis system in the Shadow of Mordor, War games lets you do just that -- every play through brings new enemies with randomly generated names and looks that will taunt you for falling victim to their weapons of choice.

You don’t always have to defeat them either -- you can turn some of these villains to your cause, adding more depth to this relationship. But the feeling of finally besting that pesky rival is satisfaction at its peak. And the best part is, you’ll want to search for your next personal villain, just so you can have the satisfaction of defeating them in battle.

Khotun Khan, Ghost of Tsushima

By Jack Dunn, Double Jump

When the Mongols storm the beaches in Ghost of Tsushima, it’s the beginning of the end of Jin Sakai as we know him. Khotun Khan, their leader, breaks down the society and social order of the samurai by ravaging villages, killing leaders with unsanctioned methods, and forcing the entire island to bend the knee. He is worth every ounce of cinematic buildup: Khotun is a bear of a man, clad in fur-lined armour but just as quick with a spear. He thinks nothing of the people of Tsushima, just another domino to fall in the conquest of the Khans.

But even more than physical damage, Khotun breaks Jin’s family, breaks his sense of security, and breaks him when he throws him off a bridge to his death. It forces Jin to confront the shortcomings of the samurai and destroy his own relationships and build new ones—all to come within striking distance of Khotun.

Inadvertently, Khotun transforms Jin into the Ghost. Was it worth it? Only the player can be the judge of that.

“Do you wanna know how I was prepared for today? I learned. I know your language. Your traditions. Your beliefs. Which village to tame and which to burn.”

The System as the Villain, Black the Fall

By ROP, ROP’s Passions

What’s remarkable about Black the Fall is that it has no singular villain. There’s no monster to slay, no tyrant to face in a final boss battle. The antagonist is the world itself—the system. The machinery, the endless walls, the cameras that survey and the sirens that call mind-washed brutes to punish. All serve as a living entity built to suppress you, to make all comply with the system’s needs and wants.

It’s an invisible enemy, yet omnipresent in a suffocating atmosphere. A reminder of how oppression doesn’t always wear a face. Instead, it seeps into decaying architecture, into a cog-like routine and into the collective fear of standing out. In that way, Black the Fall succeeds not just as a dystopian game, but as a mirror… showing how systems, not people, can become the monsters of history.

Xehanort, Kingdom Hearts

By Mike Liberale, Progress Not Perfection

Xehanort is a complicated guy. He’s technically first introduced in the original Kingdom Hearts game as Ansem, who we later find out is actually Xehanort’s Heartless form. His other half is his Nobody form, Xemnas, who we eventually find out is actually the possessed body of Terra.

Confused? I don’t blame you.

Xehanort’s a bit like Voldemort. He just keeps coming back. Like Horcruxes, Xehanort creates multiple forms/vessels of himself to achieve his dark goals.

Despite the confusing lore of Kingdom Hearts, I love the Xehanort Saga. Eventually, we learn that he originates from the same island as series protagonist Sora, and had similar dreams to see other worlds.

Xehanort is manipulative and cunning. The original trailer for KH3 showed a young Xehanort playing a chess-like game. And that’s exactly how I see his role in the series: a chess master, always thinking several moves ahead of his opponents.

Badeline, Celeste

By Hugo Acosta, Visualytics

Badeline is the antagonist to Madeline in the indie gem Celeste. She embodies the sarcastic, angry, and fearful side of Madeline in her journey through the Celeste Mountain, in short, a classic evil version of our hero. What makes Badeline a compelling and interesting villain is how the game reframes this inner conflict: towards the end, she isn’t something to defeat, but to understand.

Through their struggle and eventual reconciliation, Madeline learns that strength doesn’t come from suppressing our negative feelings, but from embracing the parts of ourselves we find hardest to face and making them our own. In that moment of clarity, Madeline becomes more powerful, not because she destroyed her evil doppelganger, but because she finally made peace with it and claimed Badeline’s strengths as her own.

Goro Majima, Yakuza / Like A Dragon

By OldScotland, OldScotland

Goro Majima isn’t evil — he’s what happens when loyalty collides with corruption.

In Yakuza 0, he begins as a man bound by duty and honour, running a nightclub with quiet dignity after being exiled from the Tojo Clan. What transforms him isn’t malice, but betrayal. Forced to commit brutal acts to regain his place, he becomes the “Mad Dog of Shimano”; a mask built from pain and performance. Beneath the eye patch and the grin lies a tragic truth: Majima’s villainy is the price he pays to exist in a system that rewards cruelty and punishes mercy.

Yet for all the tragedy, he’s wildly entertaining to play; unpredictable, stylish, and unhinged in the best way. Yakuza 0 gives us the full picture of how the legend began, setting up the larger-than-life character who would define the series for years to come.

Gaunter O’Dimm, The Witcher 3

By Katya Ryabova, Playing This Week

The most insidious one of all is the evil that pretends to be friendly. When you meet Gaunter O’Dimm in The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, you think nothing of him. I bet you don’t even remember that it happens in White Orchard, not in the DLC Hearts of Stone. (Go ahead, start a new save if you don’t believe me.) He passes unnoticed, unseen, until he wants to be—and then, dear player, beware.

Maybe you buy into his bargain or just decide to play along. As you quest at his behest, when you’re already in too deep, you realize that you’re dealing with something truly frightening. The acronym of his name could give you a clue as to who he is. Will you ever know? Keep your wits and your blades sharp if you hope to live to find out.

Luca Blight, Suikoden II

*** Spoilers ahead ***

By murderous_chalices, Mechanized Narrative

Suikoden II examines the tragedy of war, but Luca Blight embraces its horror and savagery with glee. He stalks the game like a slasher villain, his bloodlust growing until he sees others only as squealing pigs for the slaughter.

Beyond his menacing presence, Blight is a standout villain because he reveals the hypocrisy of his allies. Many of Suikoden II’s other characters hide behind false nobility and talk of a greater good. Blight’s brutality exposes these as nothing more than comforting lies.

His death midway through the game is an incredible set piece: an elaborate ambush with a multi-stage boss battle requiring three different player parties. In his death throes — stumbling through a burning forest, bleeding from a dozen wounds, yet still calling us pigs and hungering for more death — Luca Blight shows us that war will always be a matter of blood and steel.

JP, Street Fighter

By William F. Edwards, The Warthog Report

While Street Fighter’s signature villains M. Bison and Akuma firmly exist within the genre they helped define, JP is a subversive newcomer to Street Fighter’s roster of villains who became my favorite. Rather than world domination or proving his strength, JP hosts a tournament to launder money at the expense of a third world country.

In a series where hero and villain alike seek to grow stronger, JP has no interest in self improvement, running counter to the ethos of the entire series. When the player defeats him in direct combat he simply doesn’t care. JP made his money from the tournament, sold the audience a good story, and got out alive, indulging in a bit of sadism along the way. He’s the most dangerous villain a fighting game could have, someone who can’t be defeated through fighting.

“This I impart unto you: Strength… is meaningless. You must be disappointed.”

Kessler, inFAMOUS

*** Spoilers ahead ***

By Cat, Cat’s Controller Corner

The best villains have goals that we can relate to. Kessler, from inFAMOUS, is one of those villains. His goal is revealed in the last few minutes of the game when we find out that it was to make Cole, the main character, into the best version of himself so that he could save the world from The Beast. See, Kessler is Cole from the future that came back in time after The Beast of his timeline ruined the world and killed his wife, Trish.

Kessler went back in time to save the future. One of his methods is to remove all attachments from our Cole, including killing our Trish. Kesslers methods might be horrible but his purpose is pure. And as we see in the sequel, he was the key to saving the world. Kessler is one of the best villains in videogames because he is only a villain out of necessity. He just wanted to save people, no matter the cost.

Dr Robotnik, Sonic The Hedgehog

By Peter Monks, Late to the LAN Party

Dr Robotnik may appear to be a cartoonish buffoon and intellectual property thief (Death Egg, anyone?), riding around in his little floating contraptions ineffectually trying to bash his nemesis, Sonic, to smithereens. However, he represents humanity’s constant self-destruction of the environment we call our home. Someone with high intellect yet a complete lack of morals or ethics becomes a dangerous mix. Couple that with a burning desire to become master of all he surveys, and the means to achieve that in any way he chooses, and you’ve got a classic villain worth hating.

Robotnik will merrily entrap innocent animals and turn them into mechanical slaves, burn down forests, mine the ground he stands on, destroy history by building upon ancient ruins, and industrialise and pollute the natural world - and think nothing of it. Is he malevolently evil? Probably not. Is he detestable though? Absolutely.

Sand Pest, Pathologic

By Jim Mander, I Play Games So You Don’t Have To

A killer stalks the streets of Pathologic. But it’s no monster or murderer. The enemy haunting this town is the most insidious and terrifying villain in videogame history – a transmissible disease known by many names, including my favorite, the Sand Pest.

After the outbreak, players are trapped in a city gripped by death itself. Quarantines, looting, purges, clouds of infectious dust, plague-ridden husks shuffling through ashen streets. What little is actually known mixes with suspicions and superstitions, and the Pest assumes as many forms as there are enmities between people. Did the plague blow in from the steppe, summoned by a pagan changeling or borne from the earth itself? Is it a curse on the ambitious, suffering heaped on the poor, or a literary device in a Russian play? The true horror of the Sand Pest is not the disease, but what it liberates people to do to each other.

Ridley, Metroid series

By The Pneumanaut, The Pneumanaut

At 12, I borrowed a copy of Metroid: Fusion from a friend. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was bound to cross paths with that frozen space dragon I’d found deep in the bowels of the doomed BSL station many more times in the future. It’s not just Ridley’s cool design or his difficult boss encounters that make me love him. It’s how personal the conflict with him feels.

I’ve played nearly every Metroid game, and I always look forward to re-engaging with my old enemy. He gives true meaning to the idea of an archnemesis. In the lore, he murdered Samus’ parents and razed her homeworld. Also, the fact that he keeps coming back, again and again—as a clone, a cyborg—shows the hatred he has for her. Their grudge match is enough to bring him back from the grave. That’s the determination of a true villain.

Ravenholm, Half Life 2

By Sam Shedden, The Melbourne Snap

Ravenholm isn’t a villain in the traditional sense. It’s not a maniacal, scheming character. It’s a place, a rusting mining town turned nightmare, but it embodies evil as effectively as any single antagonist. Once a quiet community, it was overrun when Half-Life 2’s inter dimensional invaders, the Combine, rudely dropped headcrab shells that turned its people into screeching, shambling husks.

What makes Ravenholm terrifying isn’t gore or combat but the jarring shift in tone. One moment you’re joking with Alyx and playing fetch with Dog, the next you’re alone, low on ammunition, surrounded by silence. The air feels thick. Bodies hang on spikes, and severed limbs litter the streets. But it’s the sound that truly unsettles. The zombies don’t roar, they scream muffled, reversed cries of human agony beneath the parasites controlling them. Ravenholm reminds you how inhuman the Combine really are. As the game warns, “We don’t go to Ravenholm.”

The High Prophets, Halo

**Spoilers ahead***

By The Game Enjoyer, The Game Enjoyer

The High Prophets in Halo’s original trilogy all have somewhat ironic names; Regret pushes towards Earth with his own forces, and as a result he is killed unceremoniously without achieving any goals; Mercy begs for his life, to be assisted as he is being killed, and he is ignored; Truth lies and keeps secrets.

Throughout the story of Halo 2, we see the Prophet of Truth’s megalomaniacal takeover of the Covenant’s leadership, and his use of deception to further his own goals. He learns of the Forerunners’ true inheritors, but chooses to declare them heretics to continue his holy war. After learning of the true purpose of the Halo array, he chooses to hide the truth, so that he can use them to wipe his enemies out in the galaxy. At the climax of his story, he declares himself to be “the Voice of the Covenant”: a fitting statement for an alliance built on lies.

The spiritual force behind Silent Hill, Silent Hill series

By M.Campassi, The Boss Level

In a franchise as legendary as Silent Hill, it’s often said that the town itself is the true villain, but that’s a gross oversimplification. The fact that Silent Hill 3 and Homecoming begin outside the town already challenges the idea that the horror stems only from one place.

The real antagonistic force, if it can be called that, is far more abstract: a spiritual power that can dwell not only in a location but also within the human mind. According to the series’ original lore, a cult called The Order emerged around the town, promising “paradise on Earth” through communion with God via a hallucinogenic flower, White Claudia.

Through rituals and blood sacrifices, they corrupted what may have been a neutral spiritual energy, turning it into a mirror of human sin and desire. As result, those touched by it perceive reality as a distorted paradise or a nightmarish Otherworld. This is such a high concept it’s easily misinterpreted by players and developers, especially after the original Team Silent disbanded. This force is not a vengeful spirit (Homecoming), a talking ghost (Downpour), or a product of therapy (Shattered Memories, The Short Message).

It’s a metaphysical current warped by belief. Thankfully, despite replacing its setting from the titular town to Ebisugaoka, the recent Silent Hill ƒ restore this core idea to its eerie brilliance.

The Reapers, Mass Effect

By Harrison Polites, Infinite Lives

Is there ever a more sinister villain than a routine galactic spring cleaner? The Reapers, the big bad of the Mass Effect series, were born out of an attempt to maintain order in the galaxy, which they believe is typically destabilised by the creation of inorganic life (or sentient robots).

Existing in the deepest reaches of space, they wait until a civilization hits their preordained tipping point, then swoop in to wipe the slate clean, leaving behind any up-and-coming species. In their eyes, they are preventing an inevitable disaster. But to those species on the receiving end, they are an apocalypse like no other. The rub: The Reapers actually help each civilization get to that breaking point, leaving behind key technology that speeds up their development. Each ‘clean’ is just another run of their grand experiment.

What makes The Reapers particularly insidious are their methods. They don’t just destroy, they ‘repurpose’ conquered civilisations. First through mind control, then using their advanced technology to create cybernetic hybrids to fight their wars. They are tactical, devious, and experienced at getting the job done. A five star service; too bad there’s nobody left to leave them a review.

What do you think of the villains mentioned here? There’s plenty that we missed. Let us know your favourite or perhaps one that didn’t make the cut in the comments below.

Welcome! Infinite Lives latest edition is free to read, but requires a paid subscription to access over 80 past articles, including more explainers, unique analysis and game reviews. Each paid subscription helps support independent games journalism in Australia.

This article however, along with the rest of the Greatest in Gaming series, where other Substack writers weigh in on gaming topics, will remain free to read!

It was crushing seeing two of my favourite video game characters reduced to receptionists.

Diddy and Dixie Kong absolutely carry their own fandom. They had their own games back in the '90s. But in the latest game, Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo made a decision to focus mainly on the big ape himself this time around, relegating the pair to a token appearance partway through the game.

It's not the first, nor will it be the last time that a duller protagonist has taken the lead and the more interesting or diverse side characters remain sidelined.

Compared to other mediums, games are a bit unusual in this regard. Because you have so much more time to convey a narrative, you can build complex side characters. More often than not, those side stories are more interesting or more deserving of attention than the protagonist.

This post was actually inspired by Oya's review of Final Fantasy XVI, where she plainly points out how one of the side characters, Jill, does not get her due in that game. I couldn't agree more (more on that below). But it got me thinking: who do others think is gaming's most hard-done-by side character? The ones that really deserve their own games. So I put the call out, and here's what some of Substack's most prolific gaming writers came back with.

It wasn't as clear-cut as I thought. Aside from some very thought-provoking picks, some argue that the main characters of various games are actually side characters in their own story.

Lakitu, The Mario Kart Series

By Pixel Fix, Pixel Fix

He’s started every race you’ve ever raced in Mario Kart, but chances are you stopped noticing Lakitu long ago. Veteran racers focus instead on the starting countdown, not the happy little turtle dangling a traffic light from a fishing rod like it’s a prize trout.

But does that wipe the smile from his plump yellow face? No! For Lakitu’s head is truly in the clouds. All he wants is a good, clean race. Is that too much to ask? In the cutthroat world of Mario Kart, absolutely it is.

Spun out by a rival's well-aimed turtle shell? Lakitu’s there flashing a ‘Wrong Way’ sign to alert you. Raced off the track? He’ll swoop down and fish you out like the prize trout you are.

But after all his help, across every game of Mario Kart you’ve ever played, have you ever thought, ‘That Lakitu, he’s a rum fellow!’? No. No you haven't.

Poor old Lakitu. The most under appreciated character in all of gaming.

Trucy Wright, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy

By Oya, Oya’s Game Hub

Trucy is the adopted daughter of the renowned attorney Phoenix Wright and one of my favorite characters of all time. She debuts in the first game of the Apollo Justice Trilogy, in which she is a key character with a lot of depth. Her relationship with Phoenix was one of the highlights of the game for me. She is a genius in every meaning of the word.

Which is why I’m mad that the later two games completely sideline her and use her just as a one-note comic relief. She has one joke, and it’s not even a funny one. Her wit, her cleverness is nowhere to be seen as she becomes the happy-go-lucky mascot of the office. Animation-wise, she loses her ‘serious’ and ‘worried’ sprites, which should tell you quite a lot. There is only one case that focuses on her, and it’s pretty decent (yet also very flawed) and even then her relationship with Phoenix is non-existent. I just think that the daughter of THE Phoenix Wright deserves more respect to her name and actual relationships with other characters.

Dragon Age 2, Aveline Vallen

By Laura Bibby, Baby Gamer
*Spoilers ahead*

We meet Aveline Vallen early on in Dragon Age 2 as she’s fleeing Ostagar with her husband. As darkspawn surrounds them, the player character “Hawke” comes to the rescue and what transpires next is harrowing to say the least. But Aveline keeps going, banding together with her new companions and settling in Kirkwall as Captain of the Guard.

This fiery, red-haired warrior protects her new home with the valiance of a knight and her no nonsense attitude which, let’s be honest, a lot of dudebro gamers find intolerable, is what made me love her. The thing is, you always know where you stand with Aveline.

Sure, her bitchy squabbles with Isabela raise a few eyebrows, yet the friendship you build with her is one of the best across the series. Her brutal honesty can be misconstrued for meanness, but I think that she’s always coming from a place of kindness and she will always have your back.

James Grayson, Resistance: Retribution

By The Video Game Storyteller, The Video Game Storyteller

James Grayson may be the protagonist of his game, but the fact that the game in question is a PSP spinoff to an Insomniac franchise no one talks about anymore qualifies him as an underrated character in my eyes.

Which is a crying shame! Because James Grayson from Resistance: Retribution has a lot going for him as a leading man. His genuinely tragic backstory makes for a maverick-style hero who isn’t afraid to bend the rules to get the job done. He’s crass, he’s blunt, and you better believe he’s got a plan to destroy any Chimera conversion centres in his way.

Robin Atkin Downes delivers a nuanced voice performance, shifting from suave to distant to hostile and everything in between. The writers also do a wonderful job pacing out James Grayson’s character arc throughout the game, showing this character go on quite the journey towards rediscovering their purpose.

Katsumi Goto, Mass Effect 2

By Cat, Cat’s Controller Corner

The Master Thief Kasumi Goto is the most underrated Mass Effect 2 Companion. She asks Shepard to infiltrate a swanky party to help steal back her dead partner's "graybox" (a digital collection of memories and a final message) from his murderer. This is the entirety of her presence in the plot of ME2. And it's a DLC.

Like most companions, Kasumi makes you want to have one-on-one conversations with her. She has this depth that you can clearly see during the DLC. She has her own world of performing heists all without anyone even knowing she's there, and making criminals pay if they violate her morals. Yet, she doesn't even get fancy camera angles with dialogue options. Her only main game dialogue comes from the few sentences of information per object in her room that she divulges if you inspect them and a couple more each time you try to talk to her, all without Shepard saying a damn word. She is amazing and is criminally underused, deserving of just as much detail as the other companions.

Onix, Pokemon Red and Blue

By J.Kyle Turner, A Fictionalized Account

Onix is the star of Pokémon Red and Blue. At least, it should be.

It's twenty-six feet long, made of solid rock, and burrows underground at 50mph. There aren't a lot of problems you can't solve with that kind of horsepower. Oh, a locked door? A tree blocking the path? A sleepy cat that won't wake up?

Two words, buddy:

1. Onix
2. Go

Onix should be an absolute force of nature. Instead, it has less HP than a Geodude and the same devastating type weaknesses. You can fill out its atrocious move set with TMs, but Rock Slide and Earthquake look better on a Rhydon, and there are better choices for Dig. It's too slow to trap with Bind, too frail to tank Hyper Beam, and too weak to break walls (even with Explosion).

Onix gets a much needed evolution in Gen 2, but they should have never disrespected my boy like that in the first place.

Iorweth, The Witcher Series

By Katya Ryabova, Playing This Week

I was dumbfounded to learn that 72% of people who played The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings chose the Vernon Roche path over the rogue elf commando Iorveth path. This early-game choice shapes not just your role-playing experience, but the setting, the quests, and even access to certain storylines for the rest of the game, to the degree of significance only a rare game can pull off. TW2, while great in many ways, doesn't offer players much before presenting them with this game-altering decision, or even betraying just how important it would end up. It's part of the fun, but boy, does Iorveth suffer as a result!

It's not that his character is misunderstood; Iorveth just doesn't get to shine if you don't follow him down the Pontar to Vergen. Sure enough, he appears as an antagonist at first, but if given a chance, he can be your hero, baby, especially if you role-play Geralt as an honourable warrior. Iorveth's fierce loyalty to the Scoia'tael cause, combined with the willingness to admit defeat and adapt, is admirable. He's also just plain fun, and his Vergen quests are better than Vernon's (there, I said it!).

Even so, it's not even TW2 that does Iorveth dirty―it's The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt that really drops the ball. Vernon is involved in several story-crucial plots in TW3, but Iorveth? Iorveth isn't in the game at all, aside from a passing mention from NPCs in Novigrad. Was he supposed to be in the game? Yes. Was he cut? Also yes. And that's the true crime against the (non)humanity.

The Emerald Herald, Dark Souls 2

By Gonçalo Santos, Button Musher

Universally praised despite being quite difficult to get into, it is hard to imagine anything under appreciated from the Soulsborne franchise, but Dark Souls 2 does exist. A bastard child developed by the studio while Hidetaka Miyazaki worked on Bloodborne, it is widely remembered as the weakest of all Souls games. That is not how I see it, though, for two main reasons: it was the first From Software game I played, and it features the most unforgettable Maiden in the franchise, Emerald Herald.

Even if you can’t jive with Dark Souls 2, you will never forget the words of this mysterious woman, apparently spoiling the game’s ending when you first encounter her. Expertly voiced by Ruth Negga, the Emerald Herald points you towards your destiny with a tone that’s equal parts soothing and sinister, leaving you wondering if she is merely using you for an ulterior motive. To this day, I’m still left wondering.

"Bearer of the curse, seek misery. For misery will lead you to greater, stronger souls. You will never meet the King with a soul so frail and pallid."

Andrei Ulmeyda, Killer7

By M.Campassi, The Boss Level

Andrei Ulmeyda is often seen as a quirky detour in Killer7, a bizarre intermission marked by Gorillaz-style cutscenes, Cam Clarke’s unforgettable Texan accent, and the boss of the game’s most distinct level. But beneath the surface lies one of the most pivotal and most misunderstood characters in the story.

Ulmeyda, a charismatic tech mogul turned political messiah, builds a utopian city that promises salvation. What he truly represents, however, is Killer7’s sharp critique of political spectacle, blind idealism, and the illusion of control. His transformation into a grotesque Heaven Smile reflects how utopias are easily corrupted when rooted in authoritarian systems, a system the own Smith Syndicate are able to operate within. He stands as both mirror and foil to Garcian Smith: one man embracing a false identity, the other breaking free from it.

Far from a quirky boss from Suda 51's twisted mind, Ulmeyda is a cautionary tale about the seductive power of ideology, and a chilling reminder that those who believe they’re in control are often the ones most manipulated.

Link, The Legend of Zelda

By Maurice Klimek, The Solo Gamedev

Link, the silent protagonist of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is often overlooked as a person. While players guide him through epic quests and breathtaking landscapes, we rarely get a glimpse at his ambitions, dreams, or personal struggles.

Link’s silence is not just a design choice; as revealed in Princess Zelda’s diary, he chooses to bear his burdens quietly, feeling the weight of expectation as Hyrule’s chosen hero. This stoicism, while admirable, leaves him under-appreciated as a person with his own agency. We perceive him only by the call of duty he feels towards his work-a-holic princess-boss.

Even his victories are bittersweet, often leading to more responsibility rather than rest or recognition. Heroes deserve a voice—and a break—after saving the world time and again. Not just a sequel with more silence and responsibility!

Scientist, Half-Life series

By Sean Thomas Milligan, Ctrl+Alt+Decay

It doesn’t get more underrated than Half-Life’s humble scientist. Often nameless and identical to one another, these clonelike NPCs seem expendable. Yet they know more about what’s going on in the Black Mesa Research Facility and what needs to be done than the protagonist himself.

Without the scientists, Gordon Freeman would be trapped, forever doomed to wander the corridors of Black Mesa. The scientists offer utility, operating retinal scanners placed at locked doors and providing crucial institutional knowledge of the facility and its layout that Gordon -- and by extension the player -- lacks. Perhaps more important than their practical usefulness, however, is what they represent: a moment, however fleeting, of respite from the loneliness and the sterile, hostile halls of Black Mesa.

They may repeat the same few voice lines ad nauseum, but they give Gordon temporary companionship. So here’s to the nameless, generic, unsung heroes in lab coats: the scientists!

Conway, Kentucky Route Zero

By Evan C. Moore, Play Moore

Conway from Kentucky Route Zero (2013-2020) is underrated because he represents a worldview often left unacknowledged or disregarded in the zeitgeist. Here, Conway (the player-character) chooses his dog's name and gender - not just what it is now, but what it always has been. Conway's first action in the game is to determine what was, and he is largely defined by the past. Conway is a delivery driver for an antique shop, and they’re closing up. He’s on his last delivery.

The sun sets in the background of the first scene, just as Conway has to reckon with a life without this job. Play along to see his (tragic and emotional) journey. The “old man” (as the other characters call him) has an interesting relationship with labor. He is proud and respectful of all work. For Conway, work has a meaning for the worker’s internal character. And this is not a capitalistic view. Profit and productivity don’t matter. Rather, keep your word and die with dignity. This is still work, but for Conway it’s also a life.

Jill Warrick, Final Fantasy XVI

By Harrison Polites

Final Fantasy XVI should really be renamed Clive Rosfield: The Game. Every minute of the 40-hour title is dedicated to his story, suffocating everyone else's plots in his wake. There's no better example of this than the tale of his childhood confidant Jill Warwick.

Jill, of course, has a much better story. Raised alongside Clive and his brother Joshua as part of the region's nobility, she's later captured and taken prisoner by the Iron Kingdom and forced to wage war for them as Shiva's dominant. She's the only one in the world who can wield the powers of this game's ice god. Clive eventually frees her from their service and helps her attain vengeance. By 'help', I mean he more or less kills all of them for her while she sort of watches? Time and time again, the game shows her as a very confident and capable character, only to have Clive step in and smother her. The final insult to injury: despite being an emotionally distracted, lacklustre leader, he convinces Jill to allow him to absorb Shiva's power so he can take on the big bad by himself. If there's a sequel to be had here, I sure hope Jill's at the helm of it.

What do you think of this list? Are there any that were missed? Or any that you agree or disagree with? Let me know in the comments.

While you might not hear video game music on the global charts, it's becoming difficult to deny its popularity outside of games.

Toby Fox’s Undertale is estimated to have sold around 8 million copies. Yet on Spotify, one of its tracks — Megalovania — has been streamed over 193 million times, with a further 183 million views on YouTube. That pales in comparison to some of the world’s most popular tracks, which have billions of streams, but it’s still far, far more than most songs receive.

The ABC’s Meena Shamaly built his career as host of ABC Classic’s Game Show off the back of this trend. It’s a radio program dedicated to showcasing video game music — Australia’s answer to similar shows that have emerged around the world over the past decade.

In addition to impressive streaming numbers, Shamaly points to the rise of video game–inspired orchestral performances as another sign of growing popularity. Indie Symphony, which held its debut concert in Melbourne in 2023, came close to selling out. “It was successful enough for them to do it again,” he says, pointing to increasing frequency of video game related orchestra events.

As with everything in gaming, the music is incredibly diverse; from high-energy dance tracks through to classical arrangements. For instance, Shamaly’s favourite piece is a choral requiem: a funeral composition by Jesper Kyd used as the title theme in Hitman 2 — not something you’d necessarily associate with video games.

“It’s one of the first times in a video game I heard the might of a full symphonic choir,” he says. It was part of the inspiration behind his research into the evolution of video game music, which eventually led him to host Game Show on ABC Classic.

The Substack community was equally diverse with their choices. When asked, here’s what they had to say about their favourite — or most memorable — pieces of music from video games.

Burning Hearts ～炎のANGEL～, Burning Rangers (1998)

By M. Campassi, The Boss Level

Burning Hearts ～炎のANGEL～ is my favorite game theme of all time and I never even finished Burning Rangers. I didn’t grow up with a Saturn, but the moment I heard Takenobu Mitsuyoshi’s powerful vocals and those mid-90s anime-inspired arrangements, I was hooked. It was bold, energetic, and totally unlike anything I expected from a game soundtrack. I already admired Take-san’s work from Daytona USA and Virtua Fighter, but Burning Hearts was on a whole different level. This tune moved me in ways I didn’t expect. It sounded like the opening to an anime you wish existed, inspiring courage, heroism, and emotion. Even today, it gives me chills. It’s one of those rare songs that transcend the game and stand on their own as an anthem. Needless to say, that track made me a fan for life.

Children of the Omnissiah, Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus (2018)

By Ashlander, Ashlander Analysis

There are few musical pieces as perfect as Children of the Omnissiah from Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus. I use the word ‘perfect’ because everything about this track is immaculate: the haunting vocals, the hypnotic melody, even the title, which refers to the game’s protagonists, a pious Tech-Priest expedition exploring the depths of an alien tomb.

What is most iconic about this track is the combination of electronic synth music with choral and organ music, the latter recorded on a real church organ. The combination of human voices and synthetic notes suggests the mingling of flesh and metal: for the cyborg Tech-Priests, this is a sacred and beautiful union, and Children of the Omnissiah conveys that perspective.

Although Mechanicus was by no means the first 40K game to feature beautiful music, it might have been the first to receive mainstream recognition for its originality and artistic qualities. As a long-time fan of 40K, this meant a lot to me, as the setting is so often dismissed as lowbrow and derivative, yet Mechanicus showed otherwise.

Midna's Lament, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)

By Dragon Writer Luc, The Dragon’s Den and The Dragon’s Hoard

"Midna's Lament" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is, thematically, one of the best songs for the time in which it’s played. The first half of the game is spent gathering armor for Midna so she can use the full power of her ancestors to face down the usurper, Zant. But when he surprises her at a spirit spring, he shows her that the armor is not enough to win, and deals a nigh deadly blow and seals Link’s power with dark magic. With Midna despairing and on death’s door, we hear this song as Link races to find a cure, or at least a path forward, following Midna’s gasped directions to the princess locked in Hyrule Castle.

The only shame is that the programmers forgot to make the song override the combat theme whenever an enemy targets you. Twilight Princess was my first Zelda game, and my first game with solid storytelling. This theme helped to solidify the game among my favorites.

Herald of Darkness, Alan Wake 2 (2023)

By The Pneumanaut, The Pneumanaut

Show me the Champion of Light! And I’ll show you…. A damn good video game song!

We should have expected Alan Wake II to include something kind of musical extravaganza after the first game’s rollicking, rock-n-roll zombie-shadow-shoot ‘em up showstopper segment. But somehow, none of us were prepared for Old Gods of Asgard (real name: Poets of the Fall) to take things to the next level with their standout in-game performance of this killer track. You play as Alan experiencing a musical rendition of his own life story up to that moment, while huge screens on your own screen play the band playing the song you’re hearing…it’s a serious mindf***. And, in typical Remedy Entertainment fashion, the partition between worlds was blurred in newly strange ways when the Old Gods ‘Rebirth - Greatest Hits’ album actually charted on real-life iTunes for a while! Very meta. Very cool! Can’t wait to see how they top themselves in Alan Wake 3. Maybe we’ll get an actual live performance by the Old Gods…oh wait they did that at the 2024 game awards!

To Far Shores, Tunic (2022)

By Josh Vasquez, Attack. Item. Run.

What starts as a sweeping ballad of piano and electronics, the opening track of Tunic’s soundtrack, “To Far Shores,” quickly takes a hard minor turn, becoming a frantic adventure. High pitched blips ping back and forth like signals from other worlds. We settle back into the piano having been whisked away onto our journey.

The OST comes full circle with the song’s reprise. “From Far Shores” is the stripped down penultimate track in the almost three hour endeavor. Like the soundtrack opener, it evokes a call from far beyond the known. Now we have a better understanding. The shore from which the call came housed the memories and experiences which make up the self. The call is both to and from us, constantly in conversation, leading, following, understanding.

(Editors Note: Josh also recently wrote about how he fell in love with Tunic’s soundtrack, but bounced straight off the game. You can read that piece here.)

Omen, Final Fantasy VI (1994)

By The Videogame Storyteller, The Videogame Storyteller

Final Fantasy VI’s music has the power to take us places whose emotional resonance fails to be captured by something as restrictive as words.

With that said, let me now try to explain to you the feeling I have when listening to Omen —the multi-part pocket symphony from legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu which serves as the hauntingly beautiful opening track for Final Fantasy VI.

Omen is a fable. It is a thunderstorm and flood. It remembers the dying breath of a long-forgotten past and screams the threat of oncoming ruin. Yet it is also regrowth and hope. The faintest whisper of an old power, slowly building strength and marching across the land to restore balance to this world.

Omen is fantasy, but not final. For this transcendent piece of 16-bit music signals the beginning of a new adventure. One that you’re going to have to keep playing to find out what happens next.

The Nightingale, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

By Katya Ryabova, Playing This Week

"Nice tune,"—muttered Geralt to himself while strolling by a picturesque town square in the capital of Toussaint, Beauclair, in the Blood and Wine DLC. "Nice tune,"—I said to myself while playing The Witcher 3 all these years ago, not yet knowing the impact the game would have and how much my life would intertwine with its soundtrack.

While all of it is spectacular and worth a listen, I can single out two tracks especially. One, The Nightingale, is an upbeat tune with a hint of yearning that I have always associated with hope and the promise of something more. It is a melody of cheer and comfort without stagnation—and my ringtone of choice for five years and counting.

The other, Kaer Morhen, is a melancholy orchestral ballad fit for the titular location in the game. It is a little sad, but mostly just beautiful. It speaks to solitude and peace, calm among the storm, and happiness found when everything else is dark. This is why it was the track I walked down the aisle to, and listening to it now brings me back to the joy and happiness of my wedding day.

Dearly Beloved, Kingdom Hearts (2002)

By Brad Kabosky, Short and Sweet Fiction from B.Y.C. Connections

Yoko Shimomura has something special when a slow piano melody brings nostalgia and emotions from an in-game menu theme. Dearly Beloved and its many variations take you to a feeling of peace and tranquility as you leave the menu screen untouched for hours. It’s one of the first things I remember when firing up Kingdom Hearts as a kid, and I hope for many others as well.

Dearly Beloved has made its way into our lives. We find videos online of people playing the piano in public spaces and at weddings, attracting everyone to the music. Non-gamers would find this song a beautiful melody, while Kingdom Hearts fans are on a sandy beach on Destiny Islands, reminiscing about the days when we first discovered the series.

Sweden, Minecraft (2009)

By Oscar Robinson, Oscar J Substack

C418’s original Minecraft soundtrack is a masterclass in video game music that fits seamlessly into whatever you’re doing (mining or crafting, most likely) without intruding on the moment-to-moment experience.

It somehow manages to do this, however, not by being unremarkable – but by being deeply emotional. Sweden (the song, not the country) is the perfect example of that.

It’s wistful, melancholic, almost mournful – and yet there’s a hint of quiet hope.

It’s a recipe that seems to encapsulate the feelings that Minecraft can give you, if you catch the bug – wanderlust, cautious optimism, and (crucially) nostalgia.

My opinion of this song might be, frankly, wrong. It could simply be a product of remembering the simpler times when building a house with my friends after school was the biggest thing I had to worry about.

But even if this is just the nostalgia talking, Sweden stands out even among its peers.

Not bad for a block game.

The Opened Way, Shadow of The Colossus (2005)

By David Jagneaux, Jagger Byte

Shadow of the Colossus is as simple as it is powerful. There is very little dialogue in the entire adventure and you're left unsure of your place in the world other than knowing you need to slay enormous creatures in an effort to save the life of a young maiden. What unfolds is heartbreaking and beautiful, just like the incredible score that backs it all.

What makes this particular song special is the way it's used in the game. Many games of this type might deploy a boss theme during big fights, but since the entire game is just a series of boss fights, that would get repetitive. Instead, thSee more

Shadow of the Colossus' soundtrack is incredible on its own, and this track in particular really stands out, but it needs to be experienced to truly be loved so I sincerely implore you to try out the PS4 remake version of the game if you haven't already. It's a masterpiece.

Body In Motion, WipEout® 2097 (1996)

By Pixel Fix, Pixel Fix

In ’96, futuristic racer Wipeout 2097 burst onto the PS1 scene blowing our minds with a degree of immersion previously unknown. It wasn’t exceptional for its slick 3D graphics or sharp controls, but for the synergy of its elements. Wipeout 2097 wasn’t played, it was experienced and the soundtrack was its beating heart.

In-house game composer Tim Wright a.k.a Cold Storage bravely put his own electronic tracks alongside licensed music from EDM superstars The Prodigy, Leftfield and Underworld, and they stood tall. My favourite was synth anthem Body in Motion, which builds in intensity alongside the on-screen racing and provides a dark backdrop for menacing sound and voice effects.

I, and those who filled the sofa beside me, loved Wipeout 2097 because it was ours, our songs, our wins and eliminations and for one rapid moment, our lives synchronised with its thumping beats.

Dune 2000 Soundtrack, Dune 2000 (1998)

By Dune Navigator Martin, Dune Navigator

I still get goosebumps thinking about Frank Klepacki's masterpiece of industrial-tinged desert warfare music. Those grinding mechanical beats pushed through my sound card created something truly magical - and just as the game itself, it was new and innovative.

The way "Attack on Arrakis" kicks in during gameplay? Pure adrenaline. And don't even get me started on "The Fremen" with those haunting desert melodies that somehow make you feel both powerful and doomed while commanding your forces across the sands of Arrakis.

What I love most is how the music actually enhances the gameplay. The relentless percussion in "Fight for Power" mirrors the rhythm of the RTS while those ominous synth lines in "Land of Sand" remind you of the 1984 Lynch adaptation. Sure, the game had its flaws (hello pathfinding issues), but the soundtrack? Absolutely flawless.

All The Earth, Everybody Has Gone To Rapture (2015)

By Laura Bibby, Baby Gamer

I loved the score long before I ever played the game it was written for. Jessica Curry’s lush, choral music found its way into my writing playlist alongside other video game music thanks to an algorithm that was finally on my side. But it wasn’t until one of her songs completely influenced a scene in the story I was writing that I realised the impact "Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture" was having on me. When I finally played the game and heard the music in the context it was written for, I was completely beguiled. These otherworldly, melancholy songs gave the gentle pastoral setting of the game a completely different magnitude. The lyrics to "All The Earth" dripped with biblical references as tears dripped down my face while the sun set on a town eerily empty of its inhabitants.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥
𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘖 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥?
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦?

The Best Is Yet To Come, Metal Gear Solid (1998)

By Scanlines, Scanlines’ Journal

Metal Gear Solid 1 isn't my favourite game in the series; the best certainly was yet to come, with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater being my favourite video game of all time but I do think the original game has the most hard-hitting message. MGS1 covers many themes: nuclear disarmament, the (at the time) coming new millennium, it engages my Russian Studies background with its insight into the former-USSR in the 1990's but the fundamental message of the game to me is that you can be more than the sum of your parts and that even a monster like Solid Snake doesn't have a predetermined fate.

The lyrics of The Best Is Yet To Come are all about traumatic memories but also of remembering simpler times and the promise that letting go of pain can bring a better future. To me the song is a reminder in dark times that the future isn't written.

Opening - Bombing Mission, Final Fantasy VII (1997)

By The Video Game Library, The Video Game Library

Nobuo Uematsu’s “Opening - Bombing Mission” track was my introduction.

A 45-second pan through the stars, backed by ambient swells. Aerith’s face. The fate of the cosmos is intrinsically connected to the game’s characters. Soft synths. Bells. A sense of something ancient and powerful. Punctuating drums. The pulse of industry. As the camera pulls back through the mako to reveal Midgar, the music crescendos into a triumphant orchestral fanfare, perfectly timed with the game’s iconic logo. Chills. The city glows. Then, flashes of a train roaring to its station. The brakes screech…metal on metal. The rhythm kicks into overdrive, adrenaline building. A heart-pounding tempo re-sets the stage, propelling the first mission relentlessly. Persisting through the battles. Through the dialogue. Through the cutscenes.

It’s more than background music—it’s storytelling. It carries you from awe to urgency. It oozes mystery, momentum and meaning. And it was in these first cinematic moments, Final Fantasy VII had solidified itself in my eyes as the greatest game of all time.

Live Will Change, Persona 5 (2016)

By Cat, Cat’s Controller Corner

Persona 5, a game about fighting against the establishment. All of the music in the game builds on that, but none as much as Life Will Change. It's a song designed to pump you up while you finish a Palace to change the target's heart and it does that job perfectly.

The game helped me get through a really tough period in my life. I was in recovery at home from an MS related Hospital visit and playing Persona 5 gave me an escape, a safe space. Every time the song played it made me want to...well...change my life. To fight to be a better person. Video Game music isn't about filling an audio space, it's about making you feel emotions. Life Will Change does that and then every time you hear it you get taken back to those emotions, that desire to fight, even years later.

Terra’s Theme, Final Fantasy VI (1994)

By InGameScientist, Just One More Turn

The first minute of this orchestral version of is the very definition of epic game music. The slow build of the entire orchestra ends with a bit of a question, as the familiar rhythm of walking Magitek armor begins. It's the opening theme from Final Fantasy VI, the one heard while three hulking armors are trudging through the snow.

This one is particularly special as a demonstration of how 16-bit audio can be reimagined to be played by an orchestra. I spent countless hours writing my own sheet music for the main theme, long before the era of the internet. And as I listen to it now, it still gives me goosebumps as I imagine it filling the spaces of a grand concert hall.

Lucky Orb, Cytus II (2018)

By Kayla Medica, Mehdeeka

I'm not musically gifted, so getting into rhythm games was a real challenge for me. Cytus and Cytus II sucked me right in though. I was playing Cytus II as it was being released, with new characters, tracks, and storylines and the expansive worldbuilding was an incredible experience to be swept up in. My favourite tracks came from the characters Neko and Robo Head, however if I had to pick one song it's Lucky Orb by Hatsune Miku - that's right, there was an in-game vocaloid tie-in! I still regularly listen to the soundtrack whenever I need to get hyped up.

Each of the characters have very different music styles, from rock to EDM to vocaloid, so I'd recommend giving it a go to see who you mesh with.

Main Theme, Mass Effect (2007)

By Sam Shedden, Melbourne Snap

There is an abundance of phenomenal gaming soundtracks out there. The scores of great games capture you and pull you into their fictional world. Nothing does that better than the main intro theme from Mass Effect 1.

From the very first notes, I’m transported back to the opening scene of the 2007 sci-fi RPG. The player character, Commander Shepard, stares out the window at a blue marble Earth below. “Well, what about Shepard?” is overheard, the player’s chosen backstory is concisely explained and the music builds to a dramatic jingoistic crescendo.

It’s one of the most evocative intros in gaming. It’s also brilliantly succinct storytelling. In just over two minutes you find out who the hero is, tour your ship, see your crew mates and get an awesome demonstration of the game’s titanic Mass Effect Relays in action (basically giant hyperspace canons).

The synth-heavy intro, steadily building, sets the stage for something vast, mysterious, and full of consequence. Even now, decades since I first played it, the score pumps me up. It’s not just background music, it’s the powerful trigger for the escapism I sought from gaming back then.

Ronfaure, Final Fantasy XI (2002)

By Paul Shkreli, Boss Fights

Music and memory are intimately related, with scores of studies measuring the impact music has on memory (and vice versa). Music can transport us through time, it can help us increase our memory, and even has the power to heal. One particularly fond musical memory I have in gaming is courtesy of Final Fantasy XI, the long-running MMO.

Months after its launch in the states, I was stuck at home in the summer with my mom who was managing the family restaurant. I would lumber into the diner in the afternoons to spend time with her, bringing in my PS2 (modem and all) into the back office at the restaurant. There, I would hog the second phone line, being interrupted every once in a while so a credit card order could go through. Lost in the immersive world of Vanadiel was always easy, levelling up my Red Mage and finally clutching a sub-job or chocobo.

What I remember the most about those weeks, though, are the tunes. I will always have such fond memories of some of the zones right outside the starter towns - Gustaberg and Ronfaure in particular. I must've spent dozens of hours in that summer holed up in the craggy wastes of Gustaberg or the lush forests. Slaying untold worms and rabbits might not have been that exciting, but the flutes of Ronfaure are permanently downloaded to my brain. Hearing the song on my playlist - either the original or the gorgeous Distant Worlds version - always brings me comfort. I can remember the sounds and smells of playing the game in the back office 20 years ago. Even just for a moment, I'm also able to remember just who I was back then, too.

Stickerbush Symphony, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest

By Harrison Polites, Infinite Lives

There’s so many incredible tunes in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest, many of which I happily listen to on repeat as I work.

But, David Wise’s Stickerbush Symphony is a standout for me. There’s something almost melancholic about it for me. Hopeful, but sad. It reminds me of a simpler time where my greatest frustration in life was avoiding the brambles in the tricky levels that accompanied this tune.

While the original suites the game to a tee, these days, I’m a little more partial to remixes or orchestral arrangements of the tune — which I’ve included above. While the old version is still a classic, the a remaster with a full band feels like the full realisation of track.

If you are after an original that has aged well, give Forest Interlude a listen.

What’s your favourite video game tune? Did one of the writers here pick it? Or was it missed? Also, what topic should I cover next? Let me know in the comments.

I may be living in hope here, but it's surely known by now that games are a complicated vehicle for storytelling. We've come a long way since the days of Pac-Man and Space Invaders, which, despite their rudimentary systems, still told stories in their own way.

But as love stories are often buried in denser, richer, longer games, they get less attention than many others. Yet some of the most fleshed-out tales of love I've encountered are in the gaming medium. They simply have more time to dig at the nuances of a relationship and tease out unique points of interaction compared to a song, film or, sometimes, even a book.

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So in time for Valentine's Day, I polled writers across Substack for their most memorable love story within a game. I expected one or two replies. I was well prepared to do most of the heavy lifting for this piece. But I was inundated with interest.

Moreover, there was very little crossover or double-ups among the suggestions I received. That's telling, as perhaps it indicates that love is more prolific in games than even I first thought. Here's what the Substack community had to say.

Geralt and Yennefer — The Witcher 3

By Alex Stasenko, Gamedev Relay

Romance is probably one of the core pillars of The Witcher 3. As a person who has been a fan of the books since I was a kid, it's been such a pleasure to relive the life of Geralt with a new twist and to experience all these emotions -- I know, Witchers don't feel emotions -- from everything that's going on, especially when it comes to Yennefer of Vengerberg.

The whole romance perfectly translates the tone that I remember from the books, with Yennefer always being kind of a... Well, let's say: not a nice person. And Geralt being whatever you want him to be. But the best moment is that you can resolve sort of a cliffhanger from the book "The Last Wish" and finally decide if Geralt and Yennefer are meant to be or if it was all just a sick joke from a djin. It all connects like a perfect set of Lego and doesn't let you go even after you played it a dozen times!

Real love in Stardew Valley

By Josh Vasquez, Attack, Item, Run

Stardew Valley co-op was all we had for a while. With over 2,000 miles between us, my then girlfriend, now wife, and I created Fifth Dimension Farm. It was a place beyond reality where we were together. We had a farm, animals, mutual friends, everything we might have if we were closer and, I guess, farmers. We established our first chores there. I tended the crops, she fought her way down to the depths of the mines. At the end of the day, we’d unwind together by fishing in the ocean.

Years later we would walk down the aisle to “Nocturne of Ice,” one of the Winter themes composed by developer ConcernedApe— a fitting ballad to begin the rest of our lives. It was a reminder that for a while, Stardew Valley co-op was all we had, but to us it was everything.

James and Mary (or maybe Maria?) — Silent Hill 2

By The Pneumanaut, The Pneumanaut

Love can be twisted, torturous, strange. You can love the idea of a person more than the person themselves. This is what struck me about Silent Hill 2's protagonist, James, and his attraction to Maria - an uncanny, uber-sexualised simulacrum of his deceased wife, Mary. James comes to the nightmarish town of Silent Hill to seek the love he lost - to find solace, redemption, or maybe just excuses - but instead he finds a shadow of the woman he once knew.

Or, is she exactly what he's been looking for all along? A version of his wife who yearns for him, who inflates his ego, who needs him to rescue her? Maria is not her own person - she harbors no anger against him for the terrible things he's done. In the end, perhaps the fantasy is better than the dark reality. It was for my James; I'm not sure it is for me.

The Rogue Trader and Heinrix van Calox — Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trade

By Inna, Catalystic Talks

I wasn’t expecting to experience such an intriguing romance in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader’s character Heinrix van Calox. He’s an Interrogator for the Inquisition and is assigned a role on your playable character, the Rogue Trader’s, ship. The rest of the party is wary, but the Rogue Trader can show kindness.

Heinrix can only be romanced by a female Rogue Trader, and she could either be an aggressive flirt or more subtle in their affections. I went the subtle route, while playing on an Iconoclast character, and the way Heinrix slowly lets his guard down is delightful. He becomes influenced by your character’s merciful behavior. That influence results in him struggling with his duty to the Inquisition and his desire to experience a genuine connection. This struggle between duty and love is compelling, resulting in a rich love story despite the violence of the Warhammer universe.

Jak and Ashelin — Jak 3

By The Video Game Storyteller, The Video Game Storyteller

People change and so do relationships.

I like to think this was the mindset of the Naughty Dog writers when they decided to make Ashelin the main love interest for Jak 3. It had absolutely nothing to do with Keira’s voice actor changing and her character’s role being dramatically reduced.

In my opinion, Jak and Ashelin feel like a natural progression for Jak’s character arc. The innocent heroism that defined his personality in The Precursor Legacy was completely corrupted by dark eco in the second game, altering core aspects of him forever.

Ashelin’s headstrong and confident outlook on life—and her own difficult past—beautifully complement this new, more layered Jak. And in the trilogy’s finale, we really see them bring out the best in each other.

Subsequent games would return to the Jak/Keira pairing, but, for me, Ashelin always felt like the person Jak was heading towards.

Lulu and Wakka — Final Fantasy X

By Paul Shkreli, Boss Fights

I remember feeling sorry for Wakka and Lulu at the start of Final Fantasy X. Living on the tropical island of Besaid, Lulu grew up as an orphan with Wakka and his brother Chappu after their parents died during an attack from Sin, the mammoth whale-like beast haunting the world of Spira. Prior to the events of FFX, Lulu was romantically involved with Chappu, who died in service as a Crusader, fighting against Sin.

When we meet Lulu and Wakka, they are both still wracked with the grief of their shared loved one. At first blush, they seem like polar opposites: Wakka is affable, silly, and lighthearted; Lulu, on the other hand, is stoic and seems rather cold. Lulu initially seems more annoyed by Wakka, believing his quick friendship with Tidus - an amnesiac who reminds them both of Chappu - is merely a coping mechanism to having lost his brother. But during the course of their respective journeys, they both confront their feelings of loss, guilt, and grief. In time, we see Lulu's icy exterior and incredibly sharp wardrobe are armour to protect her fragile emotional state, while Wakka is able to confront his bigoted views against the Al Bhed people, language, and technology.

When we walk away from Lulu and Wakka at the end of Final Fantasy X, they are not expressly romantically linked. Instead, we watch as the bombastic Blitzball player from Besaid and the taciturn Black Mage are there for each other, providing emotional support or even an admonishment when needed. They may not be in love, but you can feel the love is there. That's why it is so heartwarming to see their return in Final Fantasy X-2 where they are married and expecting. It's not a grandiose love story, but it's one that feels real. Could anything be lovelier than that?

Alan and Alice — Alan Wake

By Jesse Bartel, Damage Per Second

Alan Wake yelled at his wife Alice. Abused her for getting him a typewriter and encouraging the famous author to write. He portrays as a person incapable of love. Unconcerned with the happiness of his partner.

A vacation to Bright Falls was their last chance. To save their marriage. But a stay at a mysterious lake house and a prank gone wrong put Alice in danger. It stirred an ancient evil entity hidden in the lake. It took Alice.

That loss triggered something in Alan. He attempted to rewrite the story. His words, he learned, could twist reality. He braved the nightmares conjured by the lake for his wife. Fighting, climbing his way back to where that Lake House should’ve been. To find the typewriter and change the outcome. Save Alice.

He ended up trading places. Deemed a far more interesting captive for the entity. Only his typed words remain as a reflection of his love.

Miko and Quill — Spirittea

By Katya Ryabova, Playing This Week

Passionate, main-character romance is all well and good, but I crave variety in games too, much like in real life. Nothing gives a narratively rich game flavour like a well-written healthy and stable NPC romance that has nothing to do with the protagonist. Take Miko and Quill from the cozy management game Spirittea. They’re a pair of old geezers married forever and ever—he a grumpy old man with a soft heart; she an avid gardener and a spiritual soul.

As you play, you encounter them spending time together often, clearly enjoying each other’s company. You also see both of them happily doing things apart, having different hobbies and friends. Befriending them and talking to other NPCs reveals bits and pieces of their life that are perfectly ordinary. Yet it’s apparent that they care for each other deeply. Their love has clearly evolved many, many times and endured for ages. Such a tug at my heartstrings. Hashtag relationship goals!

Dimitri and Byleth — Fire Emblem: Three Houses

By Laura Bibby, Baby Gamer

Oh, how a golden retriever can become an angsty edgelord in the space of five years and a brutal war. In the beginning, the Prince of Faerghus and leader of the Blue Lions is friendly, somewhat chivalrous and more than willing for you (playing as a female presenting Byleth) to join his team. You might engage in some light flirting and maybe drink tea together.

Then the time skip happens, launching you five years into the future.

I have to say that this is a great display of how war and grief can affect a young person with a kingdom on their shoulders. It hurt my (Byleth’s) heart to be pushed away by him when you’ve been through so much, but with more time and gentle persistence you eventually cut through his new, fiercer exterior to the broken boy beneath. It’s a slow burn, emotional love story and one of my favourites in the Fire Emblem series.

Squall and Rinoa — Final Fantasy VIII

By J. Kyle Turner, A Fictionalised Account

I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope, and Squall and Rinoa in Final Fantasy VIII do it about as well as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. He's broody and taciturn; she's passionate but naïve. They argue every time they're in a room together.

As the game progresses, each character realises how wrong they were about one another. His cold exterior is his way of processing the sudden responsibility of commanding half his childhood friends in battle against the other half. Her sunny optimism is really just determination to make the world a better place - even if she isn't quite sure where to start. By the end of the game, they're so important to one another that their love literally transcends time and space.

I won't say Final Fantasy VIII is a perfect game, but you can get it pretty cheap nowadays, and no one's going to call the cops if you throw on cheat codes to breeze through it and enjoy the story.

Kotone and Akihiko — Persona 3

By Oyito, Oyito’s Game Hub

I first played Persona 3 Portable when I was around 18, so I was about the same age as the cast of the game. Akihiko quickly became one of my favorite characters, and the romance between him and the Female Protagonist (aka Kotone) became one of my favorites because of how well they complete each other. I’ve always been a fan of the ‘oblivious but earnest guy’ with ‘mischievous and cheerful girl’ dynamic and they encapsulate it perfectly.

Their Social Link which is about overcoming grief is truly special and personal to me. As heartwarming as their story is in the game, it’s also heartbreaking to think about after the end, where Kotone dies and Akihiko is left behind once again, as had just come to terms with the passing of his sister and his best friend. Thinking about these dynamics and the potential it brings with the story made it one of my favorite romances that I hold near and dear to my heart.

Dominic and Maria — Gears of War 2

By Exploring The Games, Exploring The Games

In my years of gaming, I’ve seen plenty of memorable relationships, scenes, and levels. But nothing has been as memorable or painful as what Maria and Dominic Santiago went through. A focal point of Dom’s story is that he’s searching for his missing wife, Maria. Wherever he went, he always asked for her in the hopes he would find her, and he carried a picture where she wrote, “You always have me with you… I love you, Dominic, Always, Maria.” Their story comes to a tragic end, when Dom frees Maria from captivity, only to reveal that she has become a husk of her former self, forcing him to put her out of her misery. That scene got me so hard that I still feel bad about it. A tragic love story in a tragic and grim world.

Tidus and Yuna -- Final Fantasy X

By Harrison Polites, Infinite Lives

Final Fantasy X is perhaps one of my favourite games of all time, and the first love story I encountered in a game. It revolves around the two protagonists Tidus and Yuna, who with a party in tow set off to defeat the big bad of their world, Sin.

The game gives the impression of its love at first sight, but the relationship actually blooms over the course of the game. Both are hilariously oblivious to it at first and it’s arguable the party plays a significant role egging on the romance.

It ultimately takes a failed arranged marriage — between Yuna and a gross antagonist — and a bleak revelation — Yuna is destined to meet her end defeating Sin — for them to recognise their feelings and get together. Tidus struggles, but eventually finds a way to stop this, the cost being his own life. It’s a tear-jerkingly bittersweet ending to a star-crossed lovers story. But let’s all omit that one scene of Tidus and Yuna fake laughing on the stairwell at Luca. What a mess.

Do you have a favourite relationship of the ones mentioned here? Or are there any burning ones that we missed? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks for reading this week’s edition of Infinite Lives!

But wait, where’s the review? I wrote one up for Red Alert 3, a blast from the past that I recently revisited on Steam Deck. However, due to the (file) size of this article, held over and mailed out next Tuesday.

I made an editorial call that readers needed to see each relationship mentioned, and adding in so many pictures made it impossible to run this piece and the review.

So… catch you next Tuesday.

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