Best Game Openings

[thegooseking]

The Wizard led us to believe that 97 games was a lot to own. And perhaps it was when the film was released, but I know I have over 500 now. With all these sales, and our ever-expanding game libraries, a game needs to grab your attention quickly.

So what games have the best openings?

This topic came to mind because I bought Fallout 3 in the Steam sale and, gosh, I had forgotten how good the opening was. The prologue/tutorial is pretty good too, but the intro is so powerful. From where the old tube radio sputters to life and starts playing The Ink Spots, through the shot of the ruined city, and then Ron Perlman's "war never changes" speech, it just sets the tone of the game so well.

[jnx]

I was very impressed by the mood and atmosphere in Alan Wake's first hour. It devolves into a less special but still good game though.

[Tikey]

Left 4 Dead openin cinematic is brilliant in setting the tone and the basic gameplay mechanics of the game.

Deus Ex's Liberty Island is great as it's the perfect showcase for the game. "here's your objective, now do it however you see fit"

[airtekh]

Half Life's opening tram sequence is still etched in my memory as being a great opening to a game. At the time, it simply blew my mind. I didn't even realise you could move around the train until my second playthrough; I thought it was a cut-scene.

More recently, I thought Batman: Arkham Asylum's introductory stroll was very good at setting the mood of the game.

[Leopig]

Medal of Honour : Allied Assault

[Heliocentric]

Deus Ex's Liberty Island is great as it's the perfect showcase for the game. "here's your objective, now do it however you see fit"

Hahahaa... That's a really funny joke.

[Drake Sigar]

Deus Ex's Liberty Island is great as it's the perfect showcase for the game. "here's your objective, now do it however you see fit"

If this were a thread for gaming's worst openings, I would have nominated that level.

[The JG Man]

Hmmm, quite a few from recent memory.

Darksiders has you fighting through a city as the apocalypse happens.
Space Marine's tutorial has you taking out an aerial barge before landing on the ground. On foot. Similarly, Just Cause 2 has a great opening where you navigate a mountain-base and destroy it.
Assassin's Creed started well, good mix of story and gameplay elements.

[Hypernetic]

Bioshock hands down. I consider everything from the plane crash until you get out of the bathysphere the opening of the game. It was amazing.

[coldvvvave]

VtmB starting squence is pretty good imo.


good evening

[XisLoose]

Might be a bit corny, But I still like the opening for FF7.
Just throws you off a train, first battle after 30 seconds, now start figuring out what the hell is going on.

[Leopig]

Saints Row 3, the skydiving bit was classic.

[Leopig]

Amnesia - Dark Descent

[Mantracker]

Dragon Age for me. Not the intro motion video bit, but the whole character creation thing. At least if you were a dwarf noble, it was my first character and I can't remember much about the others.

[LTK]

Amnesia - Dark Descent

What? Why? You wake up with Amnesia, read a note to yourself, and get on your way. What's so great about that?

Bioshock hands down. I consider everything from the plane crash until you get out of the bathysphere the opening of the game. It was amazing.

Oh God yes. It was mesmerizing.

[djbriandamage]

VtmB starting squence is pretty good imo.

I agree with this now, but did you ever see this intro when the game was brand new? Some of the characters were mission animations so they kind of slid across the floor. The dialogue in this game is pretty well unsurpassed, though, and the intro was a great combination of story and tutorial.

My vote for best intro goes to Another World aka Out Of This World. That game drips with story despite there never being a word spoken. I have a soft spot for games that look so good you can't tell when the cutscene ends and the interactivity begins.

[mnemnoch]

I'll go for Fallout 2.

That "war, war never changes" speech followed by Louis Armstrong "A kiss to build A Dream on" have been stuck in my head for years.

Edit: Change Armstrong's name as I put the astronauts one. :D

Damn never post when you just woke up..

[motherpuncher]

I really enjoyed the opening parts of both Mass Effect 2 and 3. I think ME3's opening did a great job setting the mood for the rest of the game.

[Trelow]

Saints Row 3, the skydiving bit was classic.

Agreed. Best. Over the FRIKEN TOP. Love.

[fiddlesticks]

I'll go for Fallout 2.

This would have been my pick as well. All the Fallout games have very good opening sequences and Fallout 2 has the best one of them all. Then again, I would vote for anything featuring Louis Armstrong.

Another opening cinematic that has been burned into my memory is the one from Final Fantasy VII. Back then this looked incredible and while it's obviously dated, the music and the camera angles are still great. If only the rest of the game was on the same qualitative level.

And to bring up a more recent example, Bioshock's intro is one aspect of the game that I feel still holds up after repeated playthroughs. The plane crash and the subsequent arrival at Rapture is just brilliant.