The Best Opening Cinematics in Video Games

Video game opening cinematics are practically an art form unto themeselves. They are tasked with the monumentally pivotal role of capturing a player, immersing them in a manufactured world, and never letting up for even an instant.

Some could argue that openings in video games are almost as equally important as the game itself. They are used to sell the idea of a game sometimes months before a player will ever get behind a controller. Some are intentionally misleading, selling players on a cinematic experience that may fall well short of the actual in-game experience.

A well crafted cinematic will succeed in total immersion of the player before the game itself even begins. Opting for either delicate subtleties of mood and mise-en-scene for tone and setting, or, the sheer overwhelming scope of explosive cinematography, these are The Best Opening Cinematics in Video Games.

RELATED: The 50 Best Video Games To Play While You're Drinking

RELATED: The 50 Best PC Games Of All Time

RELATED: The 50 Greatest Cheats In Video Games

Amazingly, this opening cinematic still holds up to this day.

The 1989 NES title accomplished so much with only 8-bits and introduced an entire generation of Western audiences to the anime/manga aesthetic that would become so influential in the years to come. This opening still resonates because of, yes, nostalgia, but also for managing to animate and emote with such a limited tool box at the time. Still great.

Just think of all the best parts of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King then swap out any Anglo-centric imagery with all of the dopeness of Japanese myth and you have an inkling as to how badass the opening cinematic of Onimusha 3.

Skeletons, ninjas, skeleton-ninjas, and giant insectoid titans treading the battlefield are all displayed in true summer blockbuster fashion. Just look at the fight choreography, it's flawless. It looks as if it could have been plucked directly from a classic Jet Li film. Amazing and it still resonates all these years later.

This list wouldn't be worth much if Final Fantasy VII didn't make an appearance.

Sure, other Final Fantasy games in recent years may be more grandiose in terms of scope with their opening cinematics, but they often times come off seeming too bright and cloyingly sweet. FF VII, conversely, stands out because of the gritty urban sprawl of Midgar and the anachronistic inclusion of the speeding locomotive that propel the animation.

FF VII may show its age when placed next to its contemporaries, but that does nothing to lessen the impact it created for an entire generation of users.

I remember being so impressed with this when I was a kid, I'd watch it every time I sat down to play the game. No matter how far into the game, I'd always, always watch this.

Imbuing the fallen realm of Nosgoth with this sort of devastated beauty, setting up Raziel as an avenging fallen angel, making you so invested in his quest for vengeance/redemption, it's all achieved with such a keen eye within the cinematic. This was such a high point for the PS1.

Yes, we went with Halo 4.

While other entries in the Halo canon may have been more impressive in terms of scale, Halo: Reach for instance, Halo 4 takes a page from Valve and opts for a more muted approach to the opening. Muted, but no less powerful. Dr Halsey justifying her research and the creation of the Spartan program while images of the invasion of the Covenant intersperse her interrogation.

Light on the explosions and deft with the establishment of the world of Master Chief.

Another trailer that is nearly void of actual dialogue and from the first frame establishes everything we need to know about this world.

While many who played the first Witcher knew the quasi-medieval universe they were about to inhabit in the Witcher 2, many first timers were presented with a complete picture in less than five minutes. Magic, royal assassination, swords, and political intrigue are all firmly established without an appearance by the protagonist or a single piece of exposition. Watch this more than once. Trust.

When Bethesda released Fallout 3 we were understandbly stoked at the prospect of another entry in the Fallout franchise.

Then we get this absolute gem of an intro cinematic. The juxtaposition between 1950s alternate Americana and the utter devastation of nuclear war construct a world that seems teeming with artifacts from an era that never was. The perfect exposition laid over the top of the footage only immerses players even further in a world that has been ravaged by mankind's propensity for self-destruction. Amazing.

Rockstar would, of course, be on this list.

The nearly perfect Red Dead Redemption opening cinematic perfectly conveys one of the game's central themes. The confrontation between progress and the natural world creates the tapestry that makes up the world John Marston inhabits. Spaghetti Westerns, John Ford, Clint Eastwood, and Rockstar's innate sense of style makes this a timeless entry.

Also, John Marston doesn't say a word throughout the entire credits. As if the world was allowing him to simply pass through, invisible. So. Damn. Good.

Yeah. There's no room for argument with this.

There really is no other word other than epic that does this opening justice. The music is relentless in heightening the tension and scale of how massive and world-shattering this battle is. Riding Gaia and heading a legion of Titans to shatter the pillars of Olympus is sort of the definition of all things Greek myth is known for. Kratos, nearly molecular in size compared to the Gods, gives no fucks in this opening.

I think J.J. Abrams skipped film school and just watched this opening to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on a loop.

The massive interactive set pieces that serve as a backdrops for the Uncharted series have become the hallmark of Naughty Dog's series. Within the first five minutes, players understand the risks and consequences of Nathan Drake's situation. We are immediately grabbed by the throat and the game doesn't let up for an instant. Flawless.

Certainly the best entry into the Mass Effect trilogy, Mass Effect 2's opening was so triumphantly executed thanks to its unrelenting clip and pace.

Overwhelming the player with the total destruction of familiar face and settings within a matter of minutes. Shepard? Gone. The Normandy? Gone. Obliterated in celestial fire and the title credits roll. Amazing use of a sparse handful of minutes.

"Wake up Mr. Freeman."

And with those words Valve's brilliant sequel began. One of the few entries on this list that manages to accomplish so much with so little. The voice over does more for setting the tone and atmosphere of the experience to come than any epic display of swarming enemies or canned explosions. We love those things, but a little subtlety goes a long way.

First, let this be said: ALL of the Metal Gear opening cinematics are nearly perfect expressions in the form.

What sets Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater so distinctly apart is it's step backwards into time. All of the gear and tech is so perfectly curated and period specific, it's as if Kojima all of the sudden had a wardrobe department. I know that's insane considering we're talking about polygons that can be turned into anything, but man this is so flawless. Big Boss running the mission from the inside of the drop ship is just one more layer of foreshadowing and world building magic. Also, H.A.L.O drops.

This classic opening cinematic to one of the greatest games of all time perfectly executes what a cinematic should hope to accomplish.

Tone, setting, atmosphere are all checked off the list in under three minutes. Ken Levine's brilliant commentary on class, politics, and science are all established through the simple, passive act of riding a diving bell. Greeted with the ominous 'All Good Things' as you enter the landing bay, BioShock has its hooks so deeply attached you may miss all of the foreshadowing occurring on your descent to Rapture.

Sure, we left out the plane crash that got you there in the first place, but we can all agree that this is the far more meaningful portion of the introduction.