5) Discovering The Flood – Halo: Combat Evolved
We all love twists, and the appearance of the Flood in Halo: Combat Evolved is up there with the best of them, rendering the Covenant a superficial threat in the face of this new alien menace. The reveal is in many ways reminiscent of the first time you meet the marines in Half-Life 1, and this dab-handed u-turn makes a similar impact, appearing during the mission known as “343 Guilty Spark.”
In search of Captain Jacob Keyes, Chief heads to his last-known location where the good Captain was looking for gear to beat the Covenant with. Keyes has been unsuccessful, though, and his whereabouts are revealed in a classic scene ripped straight from the pages of the horror playbook. The Covenant have accidentally released the Flood, a type of fungal zombie that have the potential to wipe out humanity for good. And when Chief discovers found footage recorded by a member of Keyes’ team, he realizes that Keyes is not in one place, but several. The horror that unfolds is Alien-esque, complete with blood-curdling screams that send shivers down players’ spines.
It’s a classic moment in the series and a deserving member of this list.