BATTLE OF 1,000 HEARTLESS
(KINGDOM HEARTS 2)
You’re alone, you’re trapped in a gigantic bowl of a thousand swarming ‘heartless’, and the music suggests that the stakes of this battle are rather high. Never disrespect the Kingdom Hearts franchise, because these guys know how to do a good set piece.

THE AIR STRIKE
(GRAW 2)
Let’s blow this thing and go home! The massive, brutal air strikes of GRAW 2 are of blockbuster quality, thrusting this previously dull series into the melodramatic clutches of modern, Hollywood warfare. It might be slightly racist, but we had to see past that ’cause it’s brilliant!

T-REX BATTLE
(TOMB RAIDER)
“Oh, f*ck. It’s a T-Rex.” Did anyone really see this coming? It’s such a creative design choice, as well… at this point, you’re just wandering through the trees, minding your own business with low expectations. Suddenly you are duelling with a dinosaur, in the jungle. Scary.

PEARL HARBOUR
(MEDAL OF HONOR: RISING SUN)
You wake up, and everything is sinking. You hear explosions all around you, see planes screeching overhead and hear screams in the background. The audiovisual glory of this opening sequence made the rest of the game seem tame by comparison.

THE HARRIER BATTLE
(METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY)
Given the smart scripting of the connecting bridge’s destruction, you can’t help but praise the nature of this set piece. It’s too beautiful, really, as Raiden crawls behind a crate, hoping to avoid the incoming inferno: “DIE!” shouts Solidus. Absolutely brilliant.

THE CAR CHASE
(THE DARKNESS)
For many, this initial flurry was the real highlight of The Darkness. Having the car chase in the background with the cast credits running over the top was a great idea, and when the guy in the passenger seat loses his head, you, quite literally, jump.

THE TROLLS AND THE LAVA ROOM
(RESIDENT EVIL 4)
Choosing one of Resi 4’s set highlights was pretty tough, but the lava chute, used to drop one of the trolls into a blazing inferno, was a great combination of timing and QTEs. Plus, the troll isn’t actually dead when you drop him in…

COLOSSUS BATTLE
(GOD OF WAR II)
The beginning of God Of War II was triumphant. Immediately, you’re thrust into a destructive, exciting battle through the decimated city of Rhodes, before facing off against the massive figure of Colossus. This really helped set the tone for what was to come.

THE FLYING COLUSSUS
(SHADOW OF THE COLUSSUS)
It was too big. The desert Colossus battle was a behemoth of gaming design, combining the timing-centric task of jumping onto its wings with the thrilling idea of running along its body while in flight. When you finally kill the creature, you’ll gasp.

SISTER RAY VS DIAMOND WEAPON
(FINAL FANTASY VII)
How did Shinra stop Diamond Weapon, when it crawled out of the sea and headed for Midgar? They strapped a cannon to the middle of the city and tore a hole in it, making it the greatest Final Fantasy set piece in memory.