Deserted Island

There are sometimes distinct moments in games that are so excellent that they bring the whole game up from simple greatness to excellency. The chapter with Celes on the deserted island in Final Fantasy VI is one of those. Its so superbly well made.

How you are made to collect fish for your sick father figure who as far as you know is the only other human who survived the apocalypse. And how after his death you get to control Celes as she climbs the northern peek of the island and throws herself down from the height intending to take her own life.

Its such an emotional scene, especially for a 16bit video game and it uses the intractability of the medium to really involve the player.

Mother 3 has en equally emotional and well put together scene but there it came in the beginning of the game setting the bar so high that it never could reach that same level of perfection again, making the rest of the game somewhat of a let down. In Final Fantasy VI it comes in the middle of the game instead, rewarding the player for sticking with it.