You pop in the game disc or cartridge and expect a good first impression. An opening scene alone can motivate you into playing more. Oftentimes, they can set the tone or atmosphere on what you are about to play. That is the topic for this list.
What I'm looking for in a video game introduction is something that plays specifically at the very beginning, whether it's before the main menu or after starting a new game. It has to draw the player in right away. As much as I want to put the opening credits for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, I'm not including it because it plays after the prologue chapter. By then, you're either skeptical due to the number of cutscenes or interested to know what goes on later in the story. Also, no montages. A collection of clips from the game or made for that montage is not the most clever way of doing it.
Why 12 openings? Because I couldn't narrow it down to 10. After listing my picks, I couldn't leave out any one of them. I'm not ranking these in any order because I do not have a number one favorite. It's something that I never really thought about. I will instead put these games in order of release as a way of illustrating the evolution of video game introductions.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)
Seeing how Metal Gear is a cinematic video game series, I had to include one game on this list. It was a little hard to pick because the introductions were... pretty slow. None of them grabbed me as much they could. Starting my playthrough of Metal Gear 2 was different, however.
Hearing the "Theme of Solid Snake" makes me want to sneak around a base and kick some butt. It just boosts your excitement in general. Like a great opening credits in a movie, it sets the mood and introduces/foreshadows some things to come later on. It shows pieces of the Metal Gear schematics before piecing them all together as a way to establish that this is a life-threatening weapon we have to destroy. The opening does slow down, though, when the exposition begins. To be fair, it does give the player background information on why Solid Snake is sneaking into Zanzibar in the first place.
A lot of people quickly compare this to the opening credits of an 1980's action movie. The only film I can think of that Metal Gear 2 closely pays homage to is Escape from New York. After all, Solid Snake was named after the film's protagonist, Snake Plissken. Just replace the "Theme of Solid Snake" with the theme of Escape from New York and you're good to go. I think that's what Metal Gear 2 is: a great homage to 80's action flicks. After seeing the whole opening, who doesn't want to press "New Game" afterwards?
Final Fantasy VII (1997)
I have recently gotten into the Final Fantasy series, with Final Fantasy VII being the starting point for me. Not having grown up with this game, I still tried to put myself in the perspective of a gamer who bought this game on launch day back in 1997. Full Motion Videos were nothing new; games on the Sega CD and 3DO tried to push this before.
With the PlayStation being much more popular, more games began to take advantage of the CD-ROM format by including FMV's. Instead of using live-action clips like in Night Trap or Wing Commander III, we have a fully animated cutscene. It uses some very complex camera techniques, most notably that tracking shot which begins with Aerith walking until it zooms out to show off Midgar, with the title flashing out.
What makes this opening great is that it seamlessly transitions into the gameplay itself, like it was part of the cutscene, too. You thought the opening of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes was impressive? Final Fantasy VII did this almost twenty years earlier. Now THAT is a technological achievement.
It's one of the most iconic intros in a video game because of how it showed what advancing technology can do. This scene is also significant for Final Fantasy in general because this is the series' jump to 3-D graphics and the setting is a departure from previous titles, being more steampunk than fantasy. It truly dropped a lot of jaws when people first played this game. It sure did for me when I started playing.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998)
Going back to my review of the game, I think Crash 3 was where developer Naughty Dog began to put a cinematic approach in their cutscenes. There is a greater emphasis on mise en scène here and what better example than to bring up the scene where Uka Uka is first talking to Cortex. One of my favorite shots in video game history gives a sense of foreboding thanks to the lack of music, dark lighting in the Time Twister, and the camera zooming in at the evil mask. With that moment alone, you know Uka Uka is a force to be reckoned with. Even Cortex kneels at his presence. By the way, I love how N. Tropy is just standing there in the shadows until his dramatic reveal.
When we cut to the bandicoots and Aku Aku, I feel the latter's sense of dread thanks to Mel Winkler's acting. Of course, dread is not the only feeling that the beginning is going for. The moment Aku Aku says "He. Must. Be. Stopped!" and the main theme starts playing, you know the stakes and you feel determined to gather all the crystals and stop the bad guys.
What it also accomplished out all the PS1 games at the time is its exceptional lip-synching and decent animation, making the high production values all the more evident. Of course, this isn't the last time that I'll be talking about a Naughty Dog game on this list.
Ape Escape (1999)
All right, I said no montages, but this here is different. Here's a video game introduction that gives us the premise, characters, and general gameplay in under a minute using visuals alone. It also establishes the overall tone of the game, being wild and crazy. After all, you're capturing monkeys that are wearing advanced helmets. They're seen running, dancing, shooting machine guns; it can't get any crazier than that. The music is also incredibly catchy and addicting to listen to.
I have nothing else to say but this intro is totally bananas.
Jak II (2003)
Hey, look, another Naughty Dog game just as I promised. I picked this as a favorite mainly due to nostalgia. I was about 8 or 9 years old when I first played Jak II and it totally surprised me. I remember getting invested in this story more so than the first game after watching the beginning and kept going.
This is what I call Naughty Dog's transitional period into making more mature games. Gone is the light-hearted and family-friendly Precursor Legacy and out comes the dark and mature Jak II. The game even goes out of its way to remind us that by having some mild swearing the moment Daxter says "Remind me not to piss you off." Yep, they've clearly grown up.
If that doesn't solidify that change, then the moment where Jak is getting injected with Dark Eco will. The shot where the camera dollies up to reveal the experimentation, with Jak screaming in agony, is brief but very unsettling, almost coming out of a horror movie. Actually, after reading a comment, that shot pays homage to the original Crash Bandicoot, just at a different angle, though:
What it also captures most is the feeling of entering a strange new world after getting used to the previous one. We feel pretty lost the moment we enter Haven City. It struck a chord with me so much that it's become one of my favorite openings in a video game. It's also what got me to appreciate darker tones in a story, so it means a lot to me. What a change in direction, indeed.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (2004)
All of my favorite openings happened to be cutscenes so far. How about we mix it up with gameplay while we're at it? All of the Sly Cooper games start out with a heist that kicks off the plot. It's about as much of a tradition as it is giving Carmelita a different voice actress in each installment.
Imagine you never played Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus before and Sly 2 was your introduction to the series. The beginning of Sly 2 perfectly introduces each of the main characters. Players will get a good idea that Sly is the cunning thief, Bentley is the brains, Murray is the brawn, and Carmelita is the cop who constantly chases after them. The banter between all of them give a sense that they have history together.
It's also there that Constable Neyla also gives us an idea on who we are up against in this game. Her introductory scene even establishes that while she is working with the law, her randomly bringing up the Klaww Gang in front of Sly might hint at her being more than that. Continuing on, if the player is confused on who or what Clockwerk is, that's where the 2-D animated cutscene briefly provides some exposition. We are informed that he cannot be reassembled again or else it's back to square one. The stakes are well-provided here.
Sly 2 is not my favorite game in the series, but it sure has my favorite opening. With a good set-up and a thrilling chase at the end, it makes for a memorable introduction.
Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
You buy this game blindly with very little knowledge on what it's about or how it plays. Can it guarantee a unique experience before starting a playthrough? From my own experience, yes it can.
The opening of Shadow of the Colossus is just brimming with atmosphere. There is a sense of majesty and isolation no thanks to the score by Kow Otani and outstanding cinematography of the various landscape shots. You feel like you're entering some new, possibly unknown world alone, with just your horse and a dead body (it makes sense in context, trust me). It's at the very end where we get a sweeping shot of that bridge to the temple that it truly captures the game's epic scope. The magic of this introduction is seriously unmatched by any other game before or after it.
Lastly, I'm probably the only person to spot this, but that one shot of Wander riding Agro in a forest with the camera panning left reminds me of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It's probably a shout-out:
Sonic Unleashed (2008)
Consider the state that the Sonic series was going through at the time. It wasn't in the best shape after Sega stopped making consoles. The 3D games made after Sonic Adventure 2 impressed very few people. Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was the lowest point by far. It suffered from glitches, long loading times, and a squick-worthy "romance" between the blue hedgehog and a human princess. I'm not making that last part up.
Sega had to put themselves back on their feet if they wanted to continue to cash in on the speeding hedgehog. It's there that I think Sonic Unleashed showed that they were in the process of getting their A-game back together. The opening cinematic alone showed a lot of promise.
This is one of the most well-animated and well-shot action set-pieces to ever be viewed by human eyes. I always feel like Pixar took over to construct this scene. From the opening shot of Eggman's fleet, to Sonic running towards the robot army, to the destruction of the ship that would put Michael Bay to shame, it is absolutely mind-blowing. Also, Eggman draining Super Sonic and splitting the world into pieces has to be his finest moment yet.
Whatever your feelings towards Sonic Unleashed as whole is up to you, but can we all admit that this opening is awesome? If you're not blown away by this, chances are that you're dead inside. Also, just for giggles, it also gave us this infamous face:
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)
Here's yet another Naughty Dog game, and this time it's their most cinematic series yet. Naughty Dog was on a roll with their recent games having a movie-like presentation. I say they even rival Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear titles.
When we think of the introduction of an Uncharted game, many of us will always point to the entire first chapter of Uncharted 2. Who can blame them? The first game started with a shootout against pirates and Uncharted 3 had a bar fight. Not too exciting, in my opinion. A wounded Nathan Drake hanging on for dear life on a train that is dangling off a cliff? Now that's how you begin a game! Uncharted 2 even immerses the player by having them participate, getting the hang of the gameplay mechanics by climbing up the train and feeling the danger of falling to one's death. You can't get more intense than that.
We also begin to wonder how Drake got himself into this mess. Once he takes a rest, the game answers that by flashing back to how he got there, which is what the entire first half is centered around. This storytelling technique is called in medias res, where the beginning chronologically takes place in the middle. That doubles the way to hook a player into continuing their playthrough.
Uncharted 4 tried to do this, too, but the end result felt pretty sloppy. We'll always remember sitting on the edge of our seats trying to get Drake to safety. It follows the simple rule of action movies in which you feel the sense of danger that our hero goes through in order to care for them. It's safe to say that Uncharted 2 did just that. Talk about a literal cliffhanger,
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (2009)
2009 was a remarkable year in gaming. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 further popularized first-person shooters; Batman: Arkham Asylum made superhero games great; Uncharted 2 received a lot of praise and awards; and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time was critically-acclaimed, but overshadowed by the aforementioned titles. It's a shame because this was intended to be the finale for the Ratchet & Clank series as whole. Insomniac Games gave it their all to not just end it on an epic note, but to also draw us in from the very beginning, not counting that Captain Qwark recap.
There is something mystical about the way that mysterious orange light moves around and the way that Orvus narrates the beginning that makes it movie quality at best. The shot that dollies down on Clank's body and zooms out to reveal him in a mnemonic chamber always brings chills down my spine. It really makes me wonder why this isn't playing on a much bigger screen.
Of course, it doesn't forget that Ratchet & Clank is a comedic series. Dr. Nefarious delivers a great amount of humor in this scene thanks to his animations and Armin Shimerman's hammy performance. The highlight of this scene comes from the camera going back and forth between him and Lawrence as the Hypersonic Brainwave Scrambler is about to be introduced. Always gets a chuckle out of me.
With some great cinematography, atmosphere, comedy, and animation, this is easily the best intro to any Ratchet & Clank game to what is essentially the peak of the series. It's a great way to start out a grand finale... back when it was originally intended to be that, of course.
Red Dead Redemption (2010)
My favorite game of the 2010's so far also has one of my all-time favorite openings. Red Dead Redemption is set in the year 1911, near the end of the American Frontier. The dialogue between the two ladies on the train further confirms this when they mention civilization being brought to "this savage land." There is even talk about new technology being developed, so we have a good idea on how the time period was like.
The whole mission is full of tension no thanks to the score during the credits and the lack of one when John Marston reaches Fort Mercer. There is some good enough exposition to inform the player on what Marston is assigned to do: bring his old gang members to justice, plain and simple. At the very end, the first gang member he is up against is firmly established as a force to be reckoned with when he shoots John and leaves him for dead. This will only leave us wondering on how the other two gang members are gonna fare up.
From that first mission alone, it sets up the game's main theme about confronting your past in order to move on. Given that it's set in the Old West, some surprises might also be in store for our main protagonist later on.
Gravity Rush (2012)
And here is the latest episode of "I Continuously Gush Over Gravity Rush." Self-deprecation aside, this is, by far, my favorite video game introduction in the past five years. There are several things worth talking about here.
It starts with an apple falling from a tree. I was wondering for a bit on the significance of that fruit. It was there that I came to the conclusion that it is a nod to none other than Sir Isaac Newton. It's said that he discovered gravity by watching apples fall from trees. I fully embraced the brilliance of that moment afterwards. That right there is great way to introduce the gravity theme in the game.
The score and the editing are also part of what makes this scene work. The build-up on the piano is just perfect. It's a sign telling you that you are just about to embark on a new journey in a strange new world. Then the accordion jumps in, not only giving this game a French feel, but it is flat-out saying "have a first look of Hekseville. Beautiful, huh?" The music even syncs up with each cut. We also see glimpses of some of the main characters, most notably Syd and Raven, indicating that they will play a role.
The build-up then has its pay-off when Kat enters the frame with the apple slightly bumping her head, waking her up. That shot alone is slowly becoming one of the most memorable images in gaming. I'm saying that because it's been imitated later on, from one of Kat's introductory scenes in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, to the ending of the two-part Anime short and even in Gravity Rush 2. The developers knew they had an iconic image in the making.
At this point, we have no idea what the game will be like, giving a sense of mystery to it. With great music, tight editing, beautiful imagery, and good set-up, it is an unforgettable introduction that made me fall in love with this game. If you're not sucked in after this moment, I don't know what will.
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And those are my favorite video game openings. Did I miss any? Feel free to mention your favorites in the comment section below.
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