Most Welcome Surprises

[Azure Sage]

This can apply to any video game. What is something that a game has done that was really surprising to you, but in a good way? Something that caught you off guard and made you smile. Pirahna Plant being playable in SSBU comes to mind first, but I also want to mention Cloth in Hollow Knight.

Spoiler: Hollow Knight Spoilers

When Cloth arrives to help you defeat the Traitor Lord, I was super happy. That was my first experience with an NPC helping me fight in the game, and Cloth was my favorite character so I was extra happy and surprised that it was her. I'm still really sad that she died, but at least she wanted to die in a glorious battle....

So what about the rest of you? What was a welcome surprise for you in gaming?

 

[Fraxinus]

I'll also go with a Hollow Knight surprise because I can't think too hard about what else I could write about or my brain will melt out my eyes probably.

Spoiler: Hollow Knight 'True Ending' Spoilers

When you go to finish off the Radiance, who is the source of the infection in Hallownest, the final sequence of the fight is the void rising up alongside you. This unity is emphasized as you see your fellow siblings' shades rise up from the void as you ascend the stairway to where the Radiance had retreated above you. When you get to the top, the Hollow Knight's very own shade emerges and helps you land the final blow. This is such a moving moment to me, because the other final boss fight was the Hollow Knight under the Radiance's control, so it gives a lot of closure that the Hollow Knight gets to act freely in these final moments as all of the vessels drag the Radiance down with them, guided by your will.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

playing as kafei in majoras mask, it was super brief but was also super cool to play as a different character in a zelda game, and during a side quest of all things

 

[Spirit]

I think Nier Automata is the only gane recently I can think of which constantly surprised me.

I didn't read up on it before it released because I was focussed on BotW and the Switch (Automata came out a week after BotW), so when it came to playing Automata everything was new to me.

Everything in this game was damn wonderful, the story went places I never thought it would, the sidequests were so in depth they felt like proper parts of the game, the multiple playable characters and ganeplay elements I'd never seen in a game before were all surprises to me.

 

[the8thark]

Super Mario Maker
Seeing a well made stage was a surprise. Most of the levels we saw in the 100 mario challenge were utter garbage.

Smash Bros Ultimate
The fact that all of the old content is in there surprised me. I didn't think that was possible but I was clearly wrong.

Axiom Verge
I was put off the game because I thought the glitch gun was overused and would affect the game in a bad way. I ended up getting the game on sale and to my surprise the glitch gun was used in a really good way.

Sonic Mania
It's actually a good game. Not great, but good. Huge surprise that. It's not utter garbage like almost every other Sonic game in existance.