Lots of videogames have weapons for players to use, but some of them are more than just weapons; they’re icons that represent a game or a series. No matter which game in that series you pick up, you pretty much know that weapon will be in there, and you know how it works. There are plenty of examples of this phenomenon, but these eight weapons represent some of the most iconic in videogame history.
Don’t see your favorite? Tell us what it is in the comments!
The Hidden Blade (Assassin’s Creed)
The Hidden Blade is the primary weapon of the Assassin Order. It is worn strapped to the inside of the wrist, and can be activated to spring into position for stealth kills or open combat. It was upgraded over time to include a poison blade, a poison dart launcher, and even a gun. Later updates added a hooked blade used for disarming foes and utilizing ziplines. You can even buy real-life replicas at this point, if you really want one.
Blades of Chaos (God of War)
Kratos’ first set of signature weapons were presented to him by Ares. Essentially swords with chains attached to the hilts, the Blades of Chaos are permanently attached to Kratos’ arms. They extend to a set length, allowing Kratos to attack enemies at a distance. After defeating Ares, the Blade of Chaos disappeared and were never seen again. After that, Kratos was presented with the Blades of Athena, which function in a very similar fashion. In God of War 3, the spirit of Athena transforms them into the Blades of Exile.
Portal Gun (Portal)
While you could argue that it’s not technically a weapon, there are few guns more instantly recognizable than the main implement from Valve’s first-person puzzler. It deals no damage and never has to be reloaded, yet it’s vital to the completion of the game. Firing orange and blue portal that you use to get around and solve puzzles, the Portal Gun is limited in its application only by your creativity (and gravity).
Redeemer (Unreal Tournament)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more badass weapon than Unreal Tournament’s Redeemer. It might look like a rocket launcher, but when it detonates, it looks more like a nuclear bomb. It’ll kill anything in the blast radius, including the person who fired it. Best of all, you can use its alt-fire to launch the missile and then take first-person control of it, guiding it directly to your target.
Gravity Gun (Half-Life)
Half-Life 2 was more than just a game – it was a showpiece for Valve’s new Source engine. That’s where the Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator, more commonly known as the Gravity Gun, came in. Capable of both pushing objects away and pulling them in, the Gravity Gun was invaluable as you made your way through the game. You could grab anything in the environment that you could lift and use it as a projectile to launch at enemies. Whether it was saw blades in Ravenholm or explosive barrels all over the world, the Gravity Gun made killing enemies kind of awesome.
The Master Sword (The Legend of Zelda)
Appearing in almost every game in The Legend of Zelda series, the Master Sword be obtained by a hero who is “pure of heart and strong of body,” and usually must complete a number of missions to prove their worth. It has a number of abilities. It has the ability to repel evil, and in Ocarina of Time, it can be used to travel through time. In A Link to the Past, Link can even upgrade the sword to make it even more powerful. It’s appeared in several other games, been created by swordsmiths and cosplayers alike, just as you would expect for such an iconic weapon.
BFG 9000 (DOOM)
DOOM’s signature weapon has been around since the very first game. The BFG 9000 shot a ball of plasma that would obliterate all but the most hardy foes. In the original game, the explosion of a BFG projectile would not damage the player, but that changed in Doom 3, as did many of the weapon’s characteristics. Still, the BFG has been referenced in many games over the years including Everquest, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, and more. It’s more than an icon of DOOM, it’s an icon of gaming.
The Lancer (Gears of War)
Although I strongly considered putting the BFG 9000 in the top slot, there was one thing that kept me from doing it: It doesn’t have a chainsaw attachment. The Lancer is the standard assault rifle issued to troops of the Coalition of Ordered Governments. It can fire fully automatic, and yes, it has a freaking chainsaw slung under the barrel. Said chainsaw can be used for various purposes, not the least of which is as a melee weapon against nearby enemies. It’s also used in one of the coolest scenes in modern gaming, when Marcus Fenix and his squad cut their way out of a Riftworm after killing it from the inside out.
