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This video counts down 10 epic video game moments that absolutely blew players away, even though the plot heavily foreshadowed them. From the delayed gratification of finally wielding a lightsaber in KOTOR and the heart-wrenching inevitability of John Marston's Last Stand in Red Dead Redemption , to the iconic plot shift when Link pulls the Master Sword —these moments still hit hard.
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More often than not, the most shocking moment in a video game is a jaw-dropping twist or a death that nobody saw coming
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That said, sometimes there are still legendary moments in a game that you did, in fact, see coming
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but that doesn't take away from how great they are. I'm Jess from WhatCulture and here are 10 video game moments that blew us away, even though we saw them coming
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The sanity effects. Eternal Darkness, Sanity's Requiem. It's a little ironic how the sanity effects in Eternal Darkness Sanity's Requiem so often
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caught players off guard, given it's kind of the selling point mechanic for the game
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Throughout the cosmic adventure, our 12 heroes encounter all sorts of paranormal creatures
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Every time you confront a ghoul, demon, or ancient deity, your sanity meter slightly depletes
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A low sanity meter results in various hallucinations, including creaky footsteps, statues moving or hanging bodies appearing in the background these mind-bending moments can also get
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pretty meta pretending the game has restarted or acting like the save file has been deleted
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players are warned early on that the illusions can't harm them unless the sanity meter is empty
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and for this reason there isn't exactly a real reason why the sanity effects should bother anybody
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nevertheless these effects never stop being scary no matter how many times you encounter them
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Even when you recognize that the sanity effects can't hurt you, the creepy visuals and sounds are likely to rattle pretty much anybody
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especially after experiencing an audio hallucination of babies crying for 10 minutes straight
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As freaky as it is to battle Lovecraftian beings and primordial entities, there's nothing more frightening in Eternal Darkness than losing your mind
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Wielding a Lightsaber – Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic While looking at Knights of the Old Republic's complex plot, focus on character relationships, and innovative light side dark side mechanics, it's easy to see why BioWare's Galactic RPG has maintained its legacy as the definitive Star Wars game
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Another reason why KOTOR works so well is because it doesn't rush anything
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Now the advertising for the game prominently featured lightsaber wielding, so we kind of
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absolutely knew that it was coming and you'd assume upon starting it, if you didn't know any better
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that given you're playing as a force wielder, you'd start with a lightsaber. Not so. You have
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to play for up to 10 hours before you get to wield the iconic weapon. In theory, this decision could
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definitely have backfired since any diehard fan wants to play around with a lightsaber immediately
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But that's the point. Receiving a lightsaber in the game is incredibly rewarding because you feel
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like your patience and hard work paid off. After relying on blasters and melee weapons for the first
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few missions, you feel like a god after you finally obtain that laser sword. This moment is also really
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important in the narrative since this is your seminal moment of being given the lightsaber
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once you begin your Jedi training. Because of this, the lightsaber isn't just a badass blade
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it's a symbol that your character is committing themselves to a higher calling
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The Cyberdemon, Doom 2016 Although the Doom Slayer can mop the floor with Hell's most daunting fiends
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taking down the merciless Cyberdemon is no easy task. Debuting in the original Doom, this rocket-launching cyborg is renowned for being one of
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if not the, toughest enemy in the franchise. Since the Cyberdemon rocks up in pretty much every single entry
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it only a matter of time before you encounter the mechanical nightmare in 2016 Doom And yet his reveal is sure to blindside you Just before his grand entrance Doomguy will have nabbed the most powerful gun in the game
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the BFG-9000. Players will be so excited to get their mitts on this room-clearing weapon
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they're totally unprepared for when the cyberdemon corners the Doom Slayer immediately after
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But you just picked up the BFG, so surely this is gonna be a breeze, right
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Wrong. Rather than blasting you with missiles as per usual, this hellish skyscraper utilizes a more
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tactical approach for a change, unleashing a relentless barrage of shockwaves, lasers
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and tracking projectiles. Even with the BFG in tow, this is the toughest incarnation of the
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Cyberdemon by a long shot. You likely saw this one coming as veterans of the franchise would
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have known this guy was going to rock up at some point, but few would have been ready for it
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Obtaining the Master Sword, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Pulling out the Master Sword in Ocarina of Time remains not just one of the most memorable
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moments in the series, it's kind of one of the most epic and legendary and iconic moments in
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all of video games. Not long into Link's adventure, he's informed that the legendary blade is the
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only thing that can vanquish the scourge of Hyrule, that of course being Ganondorf
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Although obtaining the Master Sword is as epic as you'd expect, the repercussions from acquiring it
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are bigger than anybody could have imagined. Due to Link's youth, the gods believe he's too young
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to handle its power, urging them to seal him away for seven years. This decision ironically gives
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Ganondorf the opportunity to conquer Hyrule, leaving the kingdom desolate. So now he's in an
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adult body with the sword in hand, Link has to do everything he can to restore the peace
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Acquiring the Master Sword was inevitable in and of itself, but it still left a colossal impression since it triggered a drastic shift in the plot, not to mention the gameplay, character conflicts, and Link's abilities
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Most importantly, the Master Sword allows Link to travel back and forth through time, which gives the player more power and responsibility than ever
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Dom's Sacrifice – Gears of War 3 Oof, this one hurts. From the beginning of Gears of War 3, its apparent Dominic Dom Santiago has been left traumatized
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after he was forced to execute his infected wife during the events of Gears of War 2
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Due to his distant and emotionally detached manner, he seems resigned to the idea of dying
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As a result, it's not terribly unexpected that Dom decides to sacrifice himself to save his companions at the earliest chance he gets
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Now Dom's sacrifice is deeply poignant since his death spared his friends and allowed him to reunite
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with his wife in the afterlife. But at the same time Dom's decision also highlights how much pain
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he must have endured and yet still carried on with his mission for the sake of humanity. The use of
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the track Mad World during this sequence is not only significant in that it absolutely and brutally
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symbolizes exactly what Dom has sacrificed, it also ties back to that iconic teaser from the
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first game. The fact that Marcus ultimately uses Dom's commando knife to defeat the main villain
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is sure to tug on the heartstrings, since it shows his influence and legacy can still be felt
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even after he's gone. Saying goodbye to Lee, The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead has never had any
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qualms with brutally offing beloved characters. With that in mind, nobody would be particularly
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surprised that most of the ensemble in Telltale The Walking Dead failed to make it out alive And yet having to say goodbye to Walking Dead protagonist Lee Everett hit oh so very hard Now it worth mentioning the game doesn pretend
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that Lee is a perfect person. Hell, the story opens with him heading to prison for murder
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Nevertheless, you can't help empathizing with him since he is trying to be better
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especially when he befriends a young girl called Clementine during the zombie apocalypse
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For his flaws, we absolutely want Lee to survive, especially after watching him connect with and become a surrogate father to Clementine
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That's why it's absolutely heartbreaking when Lee is scratched by a walker in the penultimate chapter
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With the infection coursing through his body, it's only a matter of time before Lee joins the undead
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And since his demise is guaranteed, you'd think that that would lessen the impact
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But seeing Lee die after everything he's gone through isn't just sad
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it's absolutely depressing. What's worse is that the game gives players the option to put Lee out
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of his misery in the final scene. Even though logically executing Lee will let him remain a
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human in his final moments and not turn into a mindless brain-eating monster, that doesn't make
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pulling the trigger any easier. John's Last Stand, Red Dead Redemption. As the title indicates
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Red Dead Redemption centers around murderous outlaw John Marston, who seeks absolution
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To protect his wife and son, he cuts a deal with the government to hunt down his former gang members
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and bring them to justice in exchange for his immunity. With all that said, it certainly is hard
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to imagine that this game ends with John Marston riding off into the sunset with all of his loved
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ones. The game repeatedly emphasizes how violence is cyclical and inescapable, so it becomes
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increasingly obvious things are probably not going to work out for John. And yet nobody is ready to
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watch his last stand. Despite doing everything asked of him, John is ultimately betrayed by the
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government that promised him freedom. When an army unit invades John's ranch, he embraces his death
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in order to give his family the chance to flee. Though John's former self did perform unspeakable
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acts of evil, the fact that he willingly walked into his execution to save his family more than
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proves that he was truly a changed man. Although John's son Jack does exact revenge in the epilogue
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for his father's murder. Unfortunately, this actually just accentuates what a tragedy the
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ending is, the ending being John's demise. While John wanted Jack to live a peaceful life
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he ends up following the same cycle of revenge and violence, repeating the mistakes of his father
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Return of the King, Donkey Kong Bonanza. In DK's latest adventure, the tie-wearing ape joins forces
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with Pauline to stop a wicked monkey called Void Kong, who is hell-bent on obtaining a wish
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fulfilling artifact called the Benandian Root. In the third act, DK confronts Void right before
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he's about to get his hands on the enchanted plant. However, eagle-eyed players should recognize the
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root since it resembles the bulging gut of DK's nemesis, King K. Rool. When's the last time you
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seen a root with a belly button? Sure enough, the Benandian Root is revealed to B. K. Rool
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who's dead set on locating the real Benandian Root. Even though observant players should have seen
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the crowned crocs return coming it was amazing to have dk face off with his greatest enemy once
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again but that's not all once k rule is defeated the credits suddenly start rolling but these are
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no ordinary credits you find that instead of the developers names it all of k rule Kremlin crew Based on this reveal long fans should realise the final battle isn over since Donkey Kong Country
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played the same trick during the final showdown. So when K. Rool suddenly rises from the floor and
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gives chase, it wasn't much of a surprise. But once you hear K. Rool's original theme song
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the iconic Gangplank Galleon, this battle instantly becomes one of the most satisfying
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and epic moments in DK history. Even if you figured out the K. Rool was behind everything
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and those initial credits were a fake out, it doesn't stop this moment from being epic
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and a really fun finale to the game. The Fall, Halo Reach
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Halo Reach concludes with the Spartans fending off the invading covenant from the titular planet
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which is considered humanity's greatest defense against galactic threats. Although the last mission
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of any game, especially a game like this, is bound to be extremely difficult, this particular game
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makes it super clear that this mission isn't just extremely difficult, it's impossible. Considering
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the mission is called The Fall of Reach, it goes without saying this is not going to have a happy
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ending. Despite the bravery and skill of the Spartans, every effort to repel the Covenant
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invasion feels futile, creating a real sense of hopelessness. Players have grown attached to these
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characters throughout the campaign, so seeing them fall one by one really underscores the human
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cost of war. And it's not just Spartans that perish in the conflict. Cities are reduced to atoms
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military forces are overwhelmed, and civilian casualties are incalculable, reminding players that everyone is affected by this great calamity. Since Halo Reach is a prequel, this mission sets
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the stage for the larger Halo story, adding a layer of narrative tragedy. Reach's fall paves
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the way for Halo combat evolved, which really nails the theme home that humanity's battle for
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survival never really ends. Zack's death, Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII. With Final Fantasy VII
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being among the most celebrated games of all time, it was understandable when Square launched a myriad
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of follow-ups, including Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII. Initially released for the PSP
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the prequel follows soldier member Zach Fair, who discovers a world-shattering conspiracy
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within his company Shinra. Although Zach played an integral role in Final Fantasy 7
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he died before the events that kicked off that main story. For this reason, players go into
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Crisis Core knowing Zach's going to meet his end. Even though Zach's death is unavoidable
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it doesn't make it any less harrowing. Considering Zach has come out on top against countless
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monsters and god-like beings, it's so disheartening to see him being gunned down by the same company
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he dedicated his life to protecting. As faceless infantrymen surround Zack from all sides during
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the climax, it's clear that he just cannot win. Watching the hope, will, and life drain from his
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body as he continues to try and fight on is absolutely heart-wrenching. Upon revisiting
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Final Fantasy 7, any mention of Zack absolutely hits like a truck, since players recognize that
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he's just become a footnote in history, despite saving the world from destruction. That's the end
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of our list, but let me know which of these moments blew you away the very most, and if you
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want to celebrate other video game moments that are absolutely spectacular, don't worry, we got
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more of those for you. In fact, we have a whole list. It's on screen, I think, somewhere around my
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head. Click it. Video games are amazing. So many great moments. Here, check out 10 more. It'll be
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great. I'll catch you after. Bye