Top 10 Best Game Beginnings

NowGamer: A good opening is important in any aspect of entertainment, drawing the player, reader and/or viewer into its world. And since we’re feeling optimistic for the year – and have already made all our resolutions – we thought the best way to celebrate was to look into the best beginnings in video games...

[BLACKBOIJONES]

IMO god of war 3 had the best.

[Focker420]

Completely agree. God of War 3 has the best opening I'ver played.

If the demo of Mass Effect 2 on the PS3 is the beginning of the game (which it seems like it is) I'd have to say I wasn't all that impressed. Especially when you compare it to God of War 3.

[saladthieves]

God of War 3 was just beyond epic...come to think of it, which other game has you fighting on the shoulder of a titan as an opening.

[crxss]

I couldn't agree more with this list, amazing article. I think game beginnings become amazing/memorable when you pop the game in for the first time after waiting forever for it to be released and it meets your expectations. The longer the wait the more great the beginning needs to be, so I'm expecting kh3, ff versus 13, uncharted 3, the last guardian, and every other extremely long awaited game to have amazing intros.

[FrankMcSpank]

I think God of War 3 has the most epic opening, but I really liked Bioshock's beginning. I have never been more afraid in a game. It was literally like falling down the rabbit hole for me.

[gunnerforlife]

@crXss

uh i got you putting some of them games on your least of long awaited games.. but seriously uncharted 3 :/
that games only had like 2 years of development time that is a hell of alot faster then most games this generation, the only other game that i can think has come out faster or is going to come out faster is MS3... its not really fair putting uncharted 3 on your list!

But yh God of War 3 is top of the list for me.

[Ducky]

MassEffect2's beginning is better appreciated if you've played the original.
It doesn't do anything epic asside from raising a lot of questions... that, and how many games start off with the main character dying?

Anyways, is this list counting the intro cutscenes or the beginning's gameplay?
Onimusha3 had one hell of an intro cutscene.

Good list though. I forgot about Fahrenheit's opening. That was an awesome way to kick off the story.

[NoBias]

Yeah the impact of the beginning of ME2 is really only felt if you play the first one. It's an awesome feeling seeing the Normandy and your crew again and then within a few minutes, it's completely destroyed and Shepard dies.

If you played the first, you'll probably be saying "Wtffff!" when that intro happens. Awesomeness. Hopefully they let ps3 people play the 1st sometime. It completely adds to the ME2 experience.

[Deputydon]

@ Focker.

Honestly the Intro isn't that good if you haven't played through ME1. It seems pretty cheesy and just throws you into it. But if you played ME1, and got to know all the characters, who they are and why they are there, then the intro for ME2 is incredible.

SPOILER!

The reason Joker (the pilot) has such a hard time moving around is because he has Osteogenesis imperfecta. Which is brittle Bone syndrome. As after that your character, shepard, dies and is reconstructed in an attempt to get people to follow behind him. After the events of ME1 he is an icon that everyone knows.

[jeseth]

While some of the intros on this list are great, this list is pretty unbalanced...

It goes over obvious intros from games people can still remember (Uncharted, Mass Effect, God of War) then switches to games with such cult followings that no one will argue with them (FF7, MGS2).

There are so many great intros to games from old consoles that people get blinded by the present.

[FrankMcSpank]

Like Chrono Trigger, the first 30 mins is kind of a big deal to the story later on.

I personally think the best intro ever is from Oddworld Abe's Oddysee, that dropped you into a world I still think is the most amazing ever.

[Cajun Chicken]

"This is Rupture Farms..."

[MagicAccent]

@Cajun
Now 'that' brought a smile to my face^^

Also, I think MW is worthy of a mention, I mean. Even If you didn't enjoy the game, or just plain hate activision, you gotta admit that it was pretty interesting.

[jalen247]

GOW III definitely had the best opening in the history of video games!

GOW III has the best graphics to date also.

[Arup02]

ME2 hands down. One of the best beginnings that i've saw in my life.

[Capdastaro]

Agreed

[Kran]

how old are you? If you're around about 20, then that sentance shoudl be changed to the best beginning in the past 50 years. (longer than your life :P)

But Ill agree. Having started playing Mass Effect at Mass Effect 2, the beginning was certainly surprising. Mass Effect 2 will explain a lot more when I get round to playing ME1.

[SnakeMustDie]

The best beginnings I have seen this past two years are Uncharted 2 Train, God of War 3 Gods vs Titans(+Kratos) and Mass Effect 2 Shepard's Death. Also from few years back, the mindf*ck commercial beginning of MGS4 and Bioshock plane crash.

[pr0digyZA]

Agree with your post, But I'd include Bioshock (mystery opening) and prey (cool opening).

[Malebaria]

Off the top of my head U2's, SotC's, Planescape Torment's, HL 2's & GoW 3's beginnings are all masterful.

[Snatcher]

ME2 opening was so sad if you played the heck out of ME1. You were used to that ship and crew. And seeing it being teared by another ship, is sad.

But I felt good again when I saw Normandy being reborn ;)

That's the thing about ME2, it's a masterpiece.

[Etseix]

psh.. now i know why i was like . -meh..- once i downloaded the demo, i did not played the 1st game , mmm . o well need to check it out then

[BLACKBOIJONES]

Apart from that which other game shows u that type of graphics???? :)

[Xilef]

I thought Killzone 2 had an epic beginning, Visari's speech send chills down my spine.

[49erguy]

It wasn't gameplay, but it was arguably the best voice acting opener ever IMO. I never skip it lol.

[Focker420]

I never skip it either. Such a great way to get you pumped and ready to play.

[MGRogue2017]

Uncharted 3 has the best beginning! xD

[Areeb11]

haha you are so funny.

[ForROME]

My Favs:

FFVII
Half Life
Halo 1 CE
UC2

[lastdual]

I was happy to see Half Life on the list.

The opening alone to Half Life 1 let you know that this was going to be unlike any FPS before it. So atmospheric for the time.

A personal favorite of mine would have to be Thief: The Dark Project. Lord Bafford's Manor perfecly encapsulated the open-ended stealth gameplay and forced you think differently about how you played 1st person games.

[grailly]

I'm not the biggest fan of gad of war, but the opening to god of war 3 is the best this generation, followed closely by uncharted 2, which is behind only because it's a relatively short sequence compared to the good 30mins the GOW3 opening lasts.

if we go back a bit further, I do like the final fantasy openings, especially the FF8 et FF10 ones.

[AK46]

This

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_z...

[jalen247]

This was definitely the best game opening...till GOW III...It is a close 2nd now.

[Eamon]

I dunno I kinda prefer GOW2's colossus of Rhodes opening Boss to GOW3's Leviathan opening boss.

It's because Santa Monica made it possible on a last-gen console that it just blew us all away. We already knew stuff like this was possible on current-gen.

[Ummm Da Dum]

good list.

A few extras:
Silent hill 1
Resident Evil 1, 2
MGS4
Killzone 2
Doom 3

GT3 A Spec, although it was more an intro. just loved the dramatic music and then suddenly the feeder song kicked in to the racing.

[gersh]

I will never forget the first time playing Silent Hill when I thought I died by the crazy psycho midgets.

[jalen247]

GOW III hands down is the best.
I enjoyed the Uncharted 2 opening.
Bioshock opening was pretty amazing
GOW II opening with the Colossus of Rhodes was amazing
SOTC opening...battling a Colossi for the first time was amazing
Super Mario Bros. - Stomping on my first Goomba was amazing...LOL

[Miraak82]

Xenogears ,Final Fantasy 8,Chrono Cross, GoW3, LoK : Soul Reaver, Uncharted 2,

[actual_gamer]

Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy

[danielle007]

Yes!! I was just going to make a INDIGO PROPHECY capslock post, but I then I noticed you had beat me to it. ... Jerk.

But, anyways, when the first scene of the game is you committing a vicious murder that you have to cover up, it's just epic. Completely sucked me into the game within the first 5 minutes.

[actual_gamer]

Started playing it one night, next thing i knew it was 6am!

[danielle007]

Me too!

Up until the Lucas & Carla romance thing, I was completely sucked in. Then I was kinda like .. wait.. what? ? ?

Still an amazing game, though. So epic.

[Ponurasky]

FF6, Ninja Gaiden 2, MGS2, Shenmue came to my mind in the first place.

[Imalwaysright]

My favorite opening of all time is from Half-Life. I know is just a dude riding on a train but the 1st time i played it, seeing the opening i knew i had a masterpiece in my hands.

[BShea]

Extremely happy to see Shenmue on that list.

[divideby0]

its not even close... GOW easily.... how epic was that start to a vid game...

[Too_many_games]

Throw in Final Fantasy VIII and we have a deal

[Alcohog]

MGS4 was one of my faves this gen.

[Relientk77]

Pretty good list

I like the opening for FF VII, VIII, and IX