'MURICA!
It's the Fourth of July, and we are feeling patriotic! Fireworks! Barbecues! Eating meat! Shooting guns! Video Games! Games have a lot of profound moments, but there are some that represent this great country to the fullest that'll make you scream FREEDOM at the top of your lungs while riding an eagle over Michael Bay's mansion.
Skydiving in Saints Row the Third
Many times throughout Saints Row the Third, our guy is forced to put his skydiving and parachuting skills to the test. One time he crashes a pool party while Kanye West's "Power" sets the scene. Another time he's flying through plane windshields, killing a target, then coming out the other side to save his girl who's plummeting to the ground without a parachute of her own. Every time, however, is pure America.
Duke Nukem's field goal with the Cycloid eye
Ah, football. Nothing makes an autumn Sunday afternoon better than sitting in front of the big screen, cracking open a cold one, and watching our favorite gridiron gladiators beat the crap out of each other for a few extra yards and six points on the board. Day of rest? Please, football is more stressful than our jobs most of the time.
D-Day in Medal of Honor: Frontline
The Fourth of July is the day our nation became free, but as the old adage goes, "freedom isn't free." Many have fought and died to maintain that freedom, both successes and failures, and no other war can compare to the campaign of World War II. America was a big part of the fight against those stubborn Nazis, and gaming never forgot about it.
The Signing of the Declaration of Independence in Assassin's Creed III
The birth of America was made official with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. All of our founding fathers gathers in Philadelphia to put their names on that declaration, signifying our separation from the Queen. When Assassin's Creed III showed us this momentous occasion, our hearts swelled with patriotic pride.
Punching the reporter in Mass Effect 2
Sometimes, people just won't go away. They nag, they annoy, and they persist. Proper conflict resolution says we should walk away or talk about the issues at hand, but this is America, and sometimes it's easier to just shut the offender up with a shot to the jaw, and when Shepard makes his or her point, we listen.
Being a bad enough dude to see the ending
The Bad Dudes saved the president from the bad guys, and they're rewarded with a ceremony at the White House from the Commander-in-Chief himself. "Hail to the Chief' plays in 8-bit glory as our heroes join the President in front of the White House for pictures. The leader of the free world even offers free burgers for a job well done!
Being Guile in Street Fighter
Blond crew cut, army fatigues, penchant for style with those aviator shades...William Guile may be the most American video game character out there. Hearing "Sonic Boom" or "Flash Kick" is akin to hearing the Pledge of Allegiance, only with more ass-kicking. He fights for freedom and family, with his wife Julia and daughter Amy waiting for him to come home.
Dueling in Red Dead Redemption
The Old West duel has been a part of American culture for ages. Few movie scenes can emulate the tension and suspense of a duel; watching a hero risk his life to take the bad guy down in one shot is exhilarating. Watching screen legends like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood duel with the bad guys will get any American's heart pumping.
Turning the Statue of Liberty into a Bikini Model in Twisted Metal 2
Twisted Metal 2 may have been called "World Tour," but the spirit of America is coursing through it. Modifying cars into death machines? Fighting through the streets of major cities around the world while only fighting on American rooftops? Sounds like America to us.
Any moment in the Call of Duty or Battlefield series...seriously, anything
Modern first-person shooters are full of high action sequences, blazing guns, and plenty of explosions, but few present the current ways of the American military like Call of Duty and Battlefield. Using real military technology and real locations around the world, the fictional wars these two series fight can teach just as much about war as any textbook.
