Setting The Scene: The 12 Best Video Game Openings Of All Time
By Peter Rubin | Jun 9, 2011 | 11:57 am | Permalink
The first 10 minutes of a film are integral to the work's effect—a director only gets one chance to pull in the viewer. Video games are under similar pressure. It's not like we need Michael Bay explosions in order to fuse our hands to the controller for the next 10 hours, but we do expect more of a hook than we did back in the NES days. As games have become more graphically advanced, our pasty brains have been conditioned to search for a reason to keep playing past the first hour. And a game’s beginning sets up the main course. Hence, our picks for the 12 best game openings of all time. Sure, a lot of the games on this list lean heavily towards the new school, but that's developers have really been able to fine tune their art due to the tech. Don't think the old-timers are giving up their spots without a fight, though.
By Ryan Woo
lurock June 12th, 2011 at 05:21 PM
FFVI! - king of video games
Link June 12th, 2011 at 07:47 PM
I'd argue that Soul Blade (PSX) and UN Squadron should be on there. Deus Ex had a good set up too.
Person McPersonson June 12th, 2011 at 07:53 PM
Awesome. A list full of nothing but new games with one personal, nostalgic pick leading the way. If this list took you more than five minutes of throwing names out of a hat I'd be shocked.
Person McPersonson June 12th, 2011 at 07:57 PM
New AND popular, well-known titles I might add. You sure took a ton of liberties here, I tells ya wot.
Sean O June 12th, 2011 at 08:44 PM
No Half Life 1? Ultra fail. Fail beyond belief.
mattroe June 12th, 2011 at 10:10 PM
Half Life 1's opening was unnecessary long. So boring.
SuperDemonKing June 12th, 2011 at 11:26 PM
No Onimusha 3 in there or Wild Arms. Hmm...
Poptate June 12th, 2011 at 11:43 PM
This article is just more proof that the majority of gaming news authors have not been gaming for more than a decade and/or have very little knowledge of the medium. Seriously, 10/12 choices are from games appearing on current generation consoles. That would be like me coming up with a list of the top 100 movies and 80 of them being from the past decade. That wouldn't exactly be a very through representation, and neither is this article.
random guy June 13th, 2011 at 01:03 AM
whoever made this list is retarded and does not know anything about video games. How come Mass effect 2 is here instead of Mass effect 1?
Tyko Brian February 3rd, 2012 at 05:31 PM
You guys have no idea what you're talking about!!! The best is Deus Ex Human Revolution's intro. No doubt about it!! See it for yourself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIqJaT3cvf8&feature=related
Tarik February 9th, 2012 at 05:24 AM
No Final Fantasy VIII? That intro with the Liberi Fatali theme was memorable!!