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Hello,
I'm the new Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+ and – given the impracticalities of catching up in person – was hoping to introduce myself in a manner that won't take up too much of your time, but may prove ill-judged if subjected to Freudian analysis. And, yes, it's a list feature. I like them.
I've included some videos below running through my top 10 entertainment moments of all time, in no particular order, but don't expect to find Jesus / Allah / Buddha unless you're sharing the memory. Viewed in isolation, I don't expect these moments to make much sense or have a fraction of the impact they did on me. My emotional attachment lives in their context, their meaning, their implication – and their legacy. I could've picked another 20 or 30 brilliant scenes, but these were the ones that stood out.
I think this is where GamesRadar+ comes in: to celebrate – and join-the-dots between – moments in games, film and TV that bind us together, or spark heated debate. I remember how I felt when the camera span around to reveal – how do I put it? – another side of arch villain Gus Fring in Breaking Bad. Or the end of Half-Life 2: Episode 2, or The Bloody Baron Quest in The Witcher 3… I mean, we all share different moments, but share the *need* to talk.
Whether you're new to site, or an old friend, GamesRadar+ will continue to talk passionately (as fans and critics) about the very best entertainment, be it profound – or profoundly daft. I want to celebrate the creators who dedicate their lives to building characters, stories and universes beyond our imaginations, but that we couldn't imagine life without; the moments that speak to the human condition, or echo timeless values. Y'know, to combine the meaningful, with the brilliant, stupid, warm stuff that makes us smile. That's what I've always loved about Hideo Kojima: even in his most existential musings on legacy, race, language, war and politics, you're only ever minutes away from a Jonny Sasaki fart joke.
(*May contain spoilers for things you should've watched / played in the last 20 years)
1) Climbing the ladder in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. I could – well, have – written 1000s of words about a scene where you press up on the d-pad for 2 minutes and nothing happens. In light of of the grueling one-hour long boss battle that precedes it, and the 'bigger, louder, faster' games market of 2004, this enforced moment of reflection is a metaphor, and rallying cry, for context itself
2) The 'Adama maneuver' from S3E04 of BattleStar Galactica. You need to appreciate the stakes – humanity's last stand, no less – but I remember stepping off the sofa at 1am and doing a weird fist pump thing before I caught the run of myself. I did, briefly, consider ringing someone and waking them up to talk about it.
3) The bit in Boyhood where Ethan Hawke chases his kids around the statue although they're all slightly too old to play hide and seek and… look, if you've ever caught yourself wondering where the time went, wishing you'd worried less, or how people you love changed, you'll *know*.
4) All Ghillied Up from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Y'know, the Chernobyl level with Captain Price. I once grew a mustache in a vein attempt to look a bit like him. I'm not proud. (I am.)
5) Getting on a bike in GTA: Vice City to find the radio (deliberately) tuned to the opening bars of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. Rockstar's pop culture gift transformed their sandbox into a frame, and a gallery of iconic memories.
6) Playing 4-player split-screen TimeSplitters 2 every lunchtime for three months (during my previous life as staff writer on a games magazine) and staring at my monitor all afternoon with weepy eyes because blinking during the game meant instant death. Madness, in retrospect, although my eyes still work. The good one, at least.
7) Bruce Willis punching Karl in the face while shouting 'Mother f*cker' about 50 times near the end of Die Hard. I know how that sounds, but as a teenager…
8) Watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens with my 7-year-old son having anticipated how that might play out 18 months in advance.
9) Falling in 'love' with masked alien Tali in Mass Effect 2, who – after I'd spent hours second-guessing her appearance – proceeded to die in the game's climatic Suicide Mission with a rocket in the face. Ah, the irony. Thanks game.
10) About 50% of The Walking Dead. We don't talk about Season 2.
So welcome to GamesRadar+. We're as dedicated to celebrating the past, present and future of brilliant games, movies and TV as we ever were, with lots of exciting new plans to share through 2016. We love list features (but we're dialling down the galleries). We love long-form writing. We love video. We love celebrating great things – but call them out when they should be better. Above all, we'd love you to join us in making GamesRadar+ a great place to hang out and share your opinions on the most exciting entertainment in the world.
Which, of course, brings us to your Top 10 moments… and, dammit, I forgot S04E05 of Lost, didn't I, where Desmond rings Penny after eight years and… when he says 'I love you'… yeah, that's what I mean… the moments that count.
Have a great day,
Dan
