Coolest effect in a game...

[A2597]

We've all had them, those moments that just make you pause and go "wow".
(usually just before your hacked apart and have to restart...)

For me:

NFS:U - The blur effect that starts at about 100mph, and gets better the faster you go...sweeeeet.

COD: I really hated the demo, but when a grenade went off right next to me, the audio effect made the download worth it. Really awesome.

Wheel of Time: the first unreal powered game I played, It was dark and stormy, I was outside hunting trollocs...I rounded a corner and CRACK-BOOM, an insanely loud thunder, with lightning that illuminated the dead city of shadar logoth...left me speechless, and then the "Oh shoot, I gotta go in there..."

Unreal 2: The story needed work, but you have to admit, the flame thrower, incindaray shotgun, and incinderary grenades = WOW.

XIII: Using the crossbow, and having the three cartoon panels showing how it hit...

[ailevation]

:naughty: I like the physics in FarCry and in Max Payne 2. Rainbow Six 3: Ravenshield and it's flashbang effects, it actually blinds you and screeches like it's real.

[Soundwave]

The grenade bubble effect in FEAR.

[Warbie]

The first time Mario jumped through a painting in Mario 64. Magical :)

A close runner up was using the Cannon Bros. in Secret of Mana - that was very cool.

[6Three]

The Resonance Cascade!!

[A2597]

The first time Mario jumped through a painting in Mario 64. Magical :)

Dood, how could I forget that! Man...I remember running around the castle, then jumping into an underwater level...SWEEET.

[crabcakes66]

All of the weapons in elite force 2 look very cool.

[Soundwave]

The flame effects in Return to Castle Wolfenstein were really nice in it's time. Unreal 2's flame effects as well.

Soldier of Fortune's GHOUL engine.

[FictiousWill]

The RTCW flamethrower has to be the prettiest weapon effect yet. Seeing some of the Far Cry vistas were great too. I'm trying like hell to remember my first ragdoll enemy death... rrg dunno.

[Mr.Freeman]

The rain effects in Metal Gear Solid 2 were awesome.

Wolfenstein flame effects

Dynamic lighting is always cool

[FictiousWill]

The slatted window in the treehouse pen compound in FarCry. I would have said 'wow', but I was too busy shitting myself and keeping my crosshair trained on the door. All of FarCry was great.

[Letters]

Any time a game makes good use of my subwolfer... great effect. :D

[The Terminator]

The grenade bubble effect in FEAR.


and the awesome kills in Max Payne 2

[Soundwave]

Oh yeah, the lighting in Doom3 and Riddick. It really goes a long way in making a game look better.

[Z|insane]

The first time Mario jumped through a painting in Mario 64. Magical :)

A close runner up was using the Cannon Bros. in Secret of Mana - that was very cool.
Cannon travel *Gets all giddy with memories of SoM*

[venturon]

Time travel in Chrono Trigger!

[Soundwave]

That effect in Castlevania IV with the rotating rooms blew me away back when it first came out.

[Javert]

Slow-motion in Max Payne, and the lethal hum of the lightsaber in Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight.

[Ch1cKeN]

bullet time is overdone i think. Still cool noetheless.

THE COOLEST effect i think in a game would be Specific Hit Location Damage. You've all seen the Doom 3 trailer. When that imp started clawing away at your face the view reeled left and right as you were being pummeled.

Call of Duty did an alright job at it with the head reeling whenever you got shot or the "shell shock" effect after almost getting hit by a motar or tank shell.

[blahblahblah]

Colored Lighting - I remember I had Quake 2 before my TNT and there was no colored lighting. Then I bought a TNT, put in my computer and played Quake 2 with colored lighting. It absolutely blew my mind how different it looked.

Dynamic Lighting - Who doesn't love dynamic lights?

Shaders - Love them all, from the water effects to the cool steam effects that are in Far Cry

[Kon]

encountering the dopefish in commander keen for the first time..

[merc]

i really liked the physics of max payne 2 and i also loved that room in far cry that was blue and had two bad guys at the bottom with a little pool and a piece of wood floating in it... taht area was so cool with all the blue lighting and water and reflections!

-merc

[CyberSh33p]

mario is missing at the end when bowser gets launched from the cannon

god I enjoyed that so much

[The Dark Elf]

I'd have to say Morrowind's Weather effects. Need good speakers and to play it in the dark though for best effect. Wandering along and begin to notice the clouds slowly building up overhead and a very overcast effect going on and then a drop of rain, starting slow and gradually building up. Sometimes just a small shower that goes away after a few minutes, sometimes a huge downpour. Sometimes the thunder comes in and the lightning which scared me half silly the first time with the sound way up. A little too much on the realistic side for me and I shut it off lol. Granted Daggerfall had the same thing but morrowind did a grand job of making it more believable. Even down to the ash or snow storms forcing people to cover their faces if they face into the storm. Not seen that in any game before. And I think just down to the general day/night cycles, doesn't flick from one to the other, its just a slow progression and seamless. Very nicely done, hmm gonna go play it some more :)

[disruptioN_]

Ripple effects in FEAR are the secks.

[PvtRyan]

Also pretty nice are the shader effects of Joint Ops. The warm air out of a helicopter engine, or the air above a burning wreck leaves a very pretty 'distorted hot air' effect. Even rockets have this effect at the end of their tail.

[ShadowFox]

There is a UT2k4 user made level where these bridges build under you as you walk over them. Sweet effect.

Besides that, the thing that wowed me the most in a game was Freespace 2's beam cannons. Awesome sounds and sights.

[guchi]

the physics and dynamic lighting in "pong"

[Sprafa]

Bullet Time in Max Payne.

[StardogChampion]

bullet time is overdone i think. Still cool noetheless.

THE COOLEST effect i think in a game would be Specific Hit Location Damage. You've all seen the Doom 3 trailer. When that imp started clawing away at your face the view reeled left and right as you were being pummeled.

Call of Duty did an alright job at it with the head reeling whenever you got shot or the "shell shock" effect after almost getting hit by a motar or tank shell.

Personally i've only played 2 games that've used it... Max Payne 1 & 2. There are obviously other games... but i bet they're all ****.

[lans]

The bullet time in max payne is the best - in other games it doesn't seem just good enough. The whole effect with the heart beat, the shapening of noise, bullets whizzing past and the noise of firing with the new brownish twinge that was introduced in MP2 - it's very well put together. I'd have to say that's the best effect IMO.

Shellshock in COD is equally good. Love the shader heat effect in far cry. Does HL2 have that effect?

[FictiousWill]

There is a UT2k4 user made level where these bridges build under you as you walk over them. Sweet effect.

I'd love to see that. Anybody have a link?

[serpret]

wolfenstein 3d was.... 3d.

[A2597]

the map is "DM-Reconstruct" by Angel Mapper. Get it in the CBP2 or sepertly from UT2k4hq, unrealplayground, or the atari forums.
and yes, that is one of the coolest effects in UT2k4 I have ever seen

[Ch1cKeN]

bullet time's in another game as well. guess what it is

*Answer
enter the matrix
(pretty bad game)

i really liked the physics of max payne 2

Oh yeah, the phyics were fun, but they never really did affect the gameplay. Too bad the character physics only came into play AFTER they're dead.

[A True Canadian]

How about the tornado in NOLf 2?

Or many of the gravity defying moments of Serious Sam 2?

Or the climactic battle with LeChuck in Monkey Island? (good for its time)

It'll take me a while to remember many of these unique moments.

[booogerhead]

The "disruptor cannon" at the very end of Unreal 2. It just so happens to be one of the coolest guns ever created. The technicalities behind it's design is near-impossible, but shooting a black-hole and watching the models warp and shrink as they fly around and into the black hole is the coolest thing. Ever. Or the fact that anything living that started getting sucked in made hilarious screaming noises.

[Tr0n]

Hell...the coolest effect in a game would have to be in Astroids.You shoot the astroid and it breaks apart.Now that was revoultionary!

[lans]

bullet time's in another game as well. guess what it is

*Answer
enter the matrix
(pretty bad game)



Oh yeah, the phyics were fun, but they never really did affect the gameplay. Too bad the character physics only came into play AFTER they're dead.

Bullet time (while not exactly that but slow mo) is in a bunch of games, almost all games have a feature like that.

Examples: Spiderman 2, hitman contracts, PoP sands of time, F.e.a.r, e.t.c.

Anyway, The physics in max payne 2 were fun - even though they didn't do anything to the gameplay it was fun to knock of chairs and bins - and it was the first game to debut with havok's new version 2.0 engine.

[SLH]

The effect behind the sword on Devil May Cry
edit: Also the heat-haze effect

/me picks up his console and runs!

[ailevation]

:naughty: I just watched some E3 2004 videos from STALKER, I like how they decided to implement the "bullets shoot through objects" effects, now you can shoot enemies through doors without even seeing them at all, vice versa.

[CrazyHarij]

Saber dismemberment in Jedi Knight 2 : Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy.

Bullet time and camera-twirl-around reload thingie in Max Payne 2.

Damage effects and stuff in Far Cry.

Zombie gibbing and stuff in HL2.

Weapon smoke effect in Hitman: Contracts.

Grenade explosions in Halo.

Weapon effects in No One Lives Forever.

The Shotgun™ in Doom.

[lans]

:naughty: I just watched some E3 2004 videos from STALKER, I like how they decided to implement the "bullets shoot through objects" effects, now you can shoot enemies through doors without even seeing them at all, vice versa.

Awesome!...oh wait, I remember killing my friend in CS through the walls of Cs_mansion.

Wow, stalker really is revolutionary.

[CrazyHarij]

go **** yourself, lans

[The Dark Elf]

How about the tornado in NOLf 2?

Or many of the gravity defying moments of Serious Sam 2?

Or the climactic battle with LeChuck in Monkey Island? (good for its time)

It'll take me a while to remember many of these unique moments.


Damn I forgot about that tornado, your right that was a damn cool effect. First time I saw it and the whole atmosphere in those maps I just stood and watched for a while 1) because it was cool 2) wondering how they did it :)

The LeChuck battle was fun

[lans]

go **** yourself, lans

bit harsh there mate.

[Kyorisu]

The Mako Cannon firing in FF7 (The Sister Ray)

FF8 cutscene were the Radio tower deploys.

Beam effects in Homeworld 1, Cataclysm and 2

[Synthos]

Thief 3's effective use of gamma & shadows.
1st time I ever saw HL2 bink videos. Traptown almost gave me a heart attack
Prince of Persia's acrobatics (the fighting sucked balls)
Call of Duty (everything BUT the repetitive gameplay and over-scripted sequences)


and


Homeworld is a kickass game, revolutionary in my opinion

[A2597]

wait....
Freespace 2...
meeting the Sathanas Juggernaught for the first time.
I was like....thats big. thats REAL big.

[Brian Damage]

Well, one thing that really made me go "Woah", was looking up at the sky (With those impressive moons) in Morrowind, at night...

[The Dark Elf]

Well, one thing that really made me go "Woah", was looking up at the sky (With those impressive moons) in Morrowind, at night...
install the meteor mod, very atmospheric seeing those at night :)

oh and on topic erm... homeworld in general was cool looking. yup.

[Brian Damage]

There's a meteor mod?

Searchinggggggg...

[Letters]

I can't find it. ;(

Sounds cool. I've recently reinstalled Morrowind; it's a VERY atmospheric game. Sadly, lots of the mods I see require Bloodmoon/Tribunal, which I don't have... :x

[Sprafa]

Homeworld was generally great.

[The Dark Elf]

I can't find it. ;(

Sounds cool. I've recently reinstalled Morrowind; it's a VERY atmospheric game. Sadly, lots of the mods I see require Bloodmoon/Tribunal, which I don't have... :x
took a bit of searching to find it again but here it is

http://www.elderscrolls.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=2672978&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

ignore the screenshots, they don't help, it looks far better in the game when you don't expect it late at night and just see one flash across the sky. Just like IRL.

[Foxtrot]

I bought Morrowind for the xbox :(
Although I don't regret doing it because at the time we only had 1 family computer with 4 people who wanted to be on it all day.

[Soundwave]

Also for PC Morrowind get the advanced Weather mod, that is downright amazing. Gives the game a whole new (and improved) atmosphere

[The Dark Elf]

Also for PC Morrowind get the advanced Weather mod, that is downright amazing. Gives the game a whole new (and improved) atmosphere
Got a url? I dunno if i have that or not.

[Soundwave]

Nope, but check the Morrowind Summit and search for most popular or highest rated or something. You should see the weather one, and I believe the same guy did an atmospheric sounds mod as well that will be listed.

[Xenome]

The effect in half-life 2 at the end of the E32003 video, at the end of the strider part, before the final g-man part. It get's all blurry suddenly, when the strider 'shoots' at you...i was stunned when i saw it.

[The Dark Elf]

Nope, but check the Morrowind Summit and search for most popular or highest rated or something. You should see the weather one, and I believe the same guy did an atmospheric sounds mod as well that will be listed.
sounds like i've possibly got it but under a different name, summit didn't have much for weather :\

[Some_God]

Just before the strider shoots... time freezes. *creams pants*

[Shakermaker]

The ragdoll physics in Max Payne II really blew me away.

[Dalamari]

VC attacking the main HQ in the last level of Vietcong, the levels last 1 or 2 days in total and in the end you get the base napalmed, it was like We Were Soldiers, sooooo sweet.

[Soundwave]

sounds like i've possibly got it but under a different name, summit didn't have much for weather :\

I think it may have been called Atmospheric Sounds, but each update of it had a new feature, one of the updates having those amazing weather effect. It's been awhile since I've played MW. I would definately recommend it though, adds so much to the atmosphere of the game.

[brink's]

The jiggle effect in Dead or Alive Beach VolleyBall.

[FictiousWill]

^^^ Oh yes. Gentlemen we have a winner!

[Synthaxx R-or]

Having sound in wolfenstein with my brandspanking new 200$ soundcard i had bought off a friend.
Ow, sorry you mean like, ehm .. new right?

I loved the A-bomb in Generals, really cool.

"mein leben!" :E :cheers:

[Dedatorv]

There is a UT2k4 user made level where these bridges build under you as you walk over them. Sweet effect.

Undying had that in the place called something like 'Oineros' or something like that. Really cool how at first you could see this weapon but it was like 20 feet away and had no way of reaching it, there were about 3 steps leading to it and they just stopped. Once you went to the steps all these pieces of tileing(sp?) would appear, very cool effect. Undying's water effect was cool as well, I remember at one point a room had a small puddle in it, as you would run around it would do the whole ripple effect. Another really cool effect in Undying was at one point you come across a body and you see blood dripping from the body up to the ceiling, gave it a very spooky feel.

Morrowind's lightning was one effect that has stayed in my memory for a long time. I loved it how well it was on a 5.1 sound system. You could feel the entire booming effect of lightning, often scared me because the lightning was so far away and wasn't expecting anything.