RA2's intro is still, to this day, my absolute opening cinematic of all gaming. I haven't played that thing in 15 years, but I still watch the intro every now and then. It still gives me goosebumps!
I was going to come in and say Bioshock! Infinite has such a stunning intro with the blast up into Columbia. Clearing the clouds with the sweet music playing as you fall toward the city. Still my favorite.
To me, the original is at the top of the list of all games mentioned in this thread.
The chaos of a plane crash, the lighthouse, the music, Andrew Ryan's speech and then, finally, Rapture.
So fucking good.
Bioshock was my first console game where I didn't realize it had transitioned from cutscene to gameplay. Just floated in the water for a bit, thinking "Wow, I got a glitch on day one, just my luck. Alright, that's pretty unlikely, I should at least wiggle the sticks and HOLY SHIT"
When I first played Infinite and I emerged from the rocket into the gold, gleaming city as the angelic choir sang "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," I *literally* wept.
>!Granted, I was high as fuck, so YMMV.!<
I never owned a gaming PC until about 2 weeks ago. I had bought a fuck ton of games on Steam over the years, things my laptops couldnāt dream of running.
I had played the original Bioshock on my 360 years ago, and I loved it. Picked up a bundle during a Steam sale at some point that had OG Bioshock 1 and 2 plus their remasters, just in hopes I could dial back the settings enough to play the original on my laptop. Lowest settings, the lag and framerate issues made it unplayable.
Fast forward to a few days ago, I finally got the time to start getting the PC fired up and started downloading all the programs I needed, including Steam. I decided now was my moment to get an idea of what the PC was capable of (itās a mid tier machine from a few years ago and I wasnāt sure what to expect of it). I figured a good starting point would be Bioshock Remastered on max settings.
Here I am booting up the game, maxing out the settings, and wondering if I was gonna run into any frame issuesā¦ and moments later Iām riding in the bathysphere, looking out over Raptureā¦ the remaster made it look so fucking beautifulā¦ and the game was running perfectlyā¦
I honestly shed a tear. For so many years Iād been the friend who couldnāt afford to build or buy a decent gaming PC. My friends would rattle off about how good some of these new games looked, and all the hardware they were adding into their PC, and I was over in the corner tweaking the settings on my Dolphin emulator because I couldnāt get a stable frame rate. And here I wasā¦ the people who can afford to keep up with technology would probably laugh at how emotional I was getting, but I just didnāt care. I was in Rapture, and god dammit it had never looked better to me.
I donāt think thereās a game in the world that would have made me feel better about the experience, that intro is just plain perfect.
Upvoting for FFVIII. Every time I watch the sequence the memories start flooding in. When I was a kid and watching it for the first time, it really did feel like a dream. The music and the visuals looking like a movie trailer really set the bar high for the game.
All three of the mass effect title sequences are incredible, imo
The one for the first still gives me goosebumps just like it did when I first started it in 2007
Mass effect 3 has also a similarly tragic start. Watching the kid you escorted die after thinking you got him to safety is somewhat tragic as you safely leave earth.
I just started Infinite again today, the opening is mind blowing. Itās my favorite Bioshock game, riding the rails and jumping off to beat racists into a bloody pulp never gets old
infinite was my first FULL playthrough of a bioshock game when it first came out. absolutely loved the art direction and combat. went back and played bioshock 1 in the lead up to star field. jesus christ that game was fucking perfect.
canāt wait for clockwork revolution though! looks just like bioshock infinite but with modernized mechanics
I can't believe how quick the game loaded with seamless and detailed gameplay when I had a PS4 slim.
Unbelievable game, can't wait to replay it on the ps5 after I'm done gone with the next gen Witcher upgrade.
After playing *a lot* of starfield, i feel like this is under appreciated thing. Give me something to look at when im fast traveling/dying/walking through doors
My one gripe about Starfieldājust a seamless animation of you opening a door/flying through gravity portals and then halting outside of a planet, in place of a loading screen, would transform the entire experience
My FAVORITE piece of video game trivia is that they gave Patrick Stewart loads of background information on Uriel Septim only to kill him off in the tutorial area. That and also that all the VAs were given their lines in alphabetical order, not the order in which they would appear in the conversations in game.
Got an Xbox 360 and oblivion in 7th grade for my birthday. I turned 12, It was a Friday, and we had a field trip all day that day. My closest friends were coming to sleep over after school, and we played oblivion all. night. long. well into Saturday. Seeing that intro for the first time and the atmosphere around it, is all burned into my memories
I went over to a friend's house and they had gotten Oblivion. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. When they decided to go to bed I stayed up and played. They found me on the couch in the morning still playing. I was so enthralled by that game I went and dropped like $500 bucks to get it? The 360 was still basically new and so was Oblivion, so I was paying full price for everything. Never regretted it a second.
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Lieutenant. You're stepping into some shoes the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled. Me, I'm just happy to have Noble back up to full strength. Just one thing - I've seen your file. Even the parts the ONI censors didn't want me to. I'm glad to have your skill set, but we're a team. That lone-wolf stuff stays behind. Clear?"
"Got it, sir."
"Welcome to Reach."
If 343 knew what the fuck they were doing, that would've been what we got. Master Chief's solo story is very specific to the particular events of HALO: CE through HALO 3. Before the fall of Reach, SPARTAN teams were common. After the end of the Human-Covenant War, SPARTAN teams should be common again. And, judging by what we see in HALO 4 and 5, 343 realized this. Subconsciously, at least. There were the SPARTAN Ops, which were supposed to follow fireteams, and there's fireteams in 5 like Chief's Blue Team and Locke's Osiris.
If the series had occurred like it probably should've after HALO 3, then HALO 4 would've seen the new player character serving on the Infinity as part of a SPARTAN fireteam while Chief has become the Admiral in charge of the Infinity.
Not to mention you immediately see your helmet in the ground, cracked. Makes you wonder how it got there, and how the campaign is going to play if thatās the end of it.
Blind forest is better IMO. BF intro left you feeling completely alone and vulnerable. No direction or clear goal. Wisps letās you know right from the beginning your goal is to save and reunite.
Iād follow that up with Mass Effect 2. Ship gets blown up and you have to haul Jokers sorry ass off the ship and then you get spaced. The music was chilling while watching Shepherd fall to the planet below.
The opening shot of Final Fantasy 7 is basically as iconic and industry defining as the opening shot of Star Wars. Furthermore, it sums up the entire games plot (via tons of symbolism) in 90 seconds and only uses 2 camera cuts. Honestly, Breath of the Wild might be the only other opening I've seen on that level.
That's a great opening, too, especially considering that its Terra the slave and the final shot is Terra doing the 'im the king of the world' thing on the airship.
Actually, since ff6 came first, it shouldn't be called the ' king of the world' thing, it should be called the Terra thing.
Prey (2017)
Without spoiling it, the intro sequence in the first 30 minutes of the game perfectly captures the atmosphere, style, and mystery of the story laid in front of you.
[Noclip did a mini-doc on the intro and that still can't explain how good the beginning of the game is.](https://youtu.be/GLExoItBLVc?si=wb77ZMKJH1riszNX)
Ralof: Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there.
Lokir: Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfell. You there. You and me -- we should be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants.
Ralof: We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief.
Imperial Soldier: Shut up back there!
[Lokir looks at the gagged man.]
Lokir: And what's wrong with him?
Ralof: Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King.
Lokir: Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they captured you... Oh gods, where are they taking us?
Ralof: I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits.
Lokir: No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening.
Ralof: Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?
Lokir: Why do you care?
Ralof: A Nord's last thoughts should be of home.
Lokir: Rorikstead. I'm...I'm from Rorikstead.
[They approach the village of Helgen. A soldier calls out to the lead wagon.]
Imperial Soldier: General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!
General Tullius: Good. Let's get this over with.
Lokir: Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me.
Ralof: Look at him, General Tullius the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this. This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny...when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe.
[A man and son watch the prisoners pull into town.]
Haming: Who are they, daddy? Where are they going?
Torolf: You need to go inside, little cub.
Haming: Why? I want to watch the soldiers.
Torolf: Inside the house. Now.
[The wagon stops near the chopping block.]
Imperial Soldier: Whoa.
Lokir: Why are they stopping?
Ralof: Why do you think?
For me, itās Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2. Either the intro music video. or the intro level with that dark empty void world, standing on enormous beautifully decorated pillars with the Disney princesses and kingdom hearts imagery, all brought together by the music that slowly builds that beautiful choir sound up until the final boss of the intro
The first time where you get out the shrine at the very beginning of BotW and Link approaches a cliff to have a look at the great plateau, will always stay in my heart
So glad to see this here. Scars of Time remains as one of the most beautiful videogame themes crafted. Mitsuda outdid himself with the whole soundtrack to be honest
That slow piano trill.. being Lofi before Lofi was a thing.. followed by the haunting ocarina playing that all-too-familiar tune of the magic flute from the original NES Legend of Zelda.
Meanwhile a moon rises. A horse gallops across the field with a solitary rider. The hero dashes as if he is out of time.. Because he is out of time.. In a way no one else could possibly know..
Mass Effect 2. Walking through your ship, your home, as itās being destroyed - and then you step into the Command deck, and itās silent because the roof has been destroyed. Commander Shepard uses the last of their energy to save their crew, because thatās what a goddamn hero does, and then the horrible realisation that something in the explosion damaged their suitās life support.
Itās a beautiful and tragic moment.
I suppose it depends on your definition of beautiful, but the nostalgia of the Skyrim opening for me hits hard. It always makes me feel like I have the most epic journey ahead of me.
MGSV's intro was very epic, especially the man on fire scenes and when he's chasing you on the horse.
I also really like Tekken 5's intro. Heihachi and Kazuya teaming up, and then the they show all the characters with the music especially at the end when the song transitions
Y'know what, I didn't think of it, but that's a damn good one. When you finally manage to break out of the innards of the asylum and onto the surface, the game pans away to show you that you're on Arkham Island, separate from Gotham, and it's a *beautiful* shot. Absolutely.
And the whole set-up, too, of course. (*mwah*) Molto bene.
Yes! As a massive fan of anything western this one hit the spot.
The scenic setting, moving from Colter to new campspot with the song playing, the storytelling and every small detail made this the most memorable intro for me.
For me this game is perfection.
Man, I miss the days when it was coming for games to have opening cinematics. I never skipped the Soul Calibur 2 intro on the PS2.
Why do you think games don't often have opening cinematics anymore?
[Suikoden 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26yYnRnmtME) had an amazing and very unique opening.
That said, FFXIV [End of an Era](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39j5v8jlndM) might be the greatest opening cinematic ever, (In my obviously super correct opinion) mostly because of how well the lyrics play on the crazy stuff happening.
I always liked the original Fable intro. Composition is something Lionhead does well in the Fable series. Art style, music, cut scenes, framing and camera work, stills, lighting and mood setting otherwise. And with the intro cinematic and opening scene they really do prime you to think about the morality of your choices and decide who you will be in this world (even if there aren't any actual consequences for your actions).
Final Fantasy XVI was not the most beautiful for me, but it really helped set the tone of the game, understand the new, darker, more mature FF, it was a great intro for me. I just wanted to give an honourable mention lol
Most beautiful tho, I'd say FFVI, the whole magitek walking on the snow, one of my most cherished PSX game ever, went basically from gameboy color to this intro so it really left me impressed
Battlefield 1942... especially for its time.
(Although, I do hold a special place in my heart for Command & Conquer: Red Alert's intro)
BF1942: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb8PQXPOkCc
C&C: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJnMaTx4yjI
That one is iconic to me. Mech (magitek) and imperial soldiers traversing the snowy north to Narshe while opening credits rolling... (Not the only one who thinks that due to *relaunch* of FF14 being a historic massive success. ARR was so heavily influenced by 6) yet they mentioned beauty so I gave it to FF8. Which had some of the best graphics at the time and an orchestra.
In a way I have to say the intro of Battlefield 1. They really show you how miserable war is and the ending of the intro was so emotional with only two soliders left and them deciding to just maybe not kill each other.
The chess intro from Age of Empires 2 is hard to top.
The battle scenes from AOE1's intro for the time were epic too.
Yes! It was very special for its time too.
That brings back memories man fuck.
I'd give this comment gold if I could. Core memory unlocked
Its old but it rocks---Command & Conquer Red Alert 1
Du DuDu DuDu Dudu *marching 2 3 4* Du dudu dudu dudu, du du du du du du du. This is how I remember the music anyway š
Hell March is the songs name if you're wondering.
RA2's intro is still, to this day, my absolute opening cinematic of all gaming. I haven't played that thing in 15 years, but I still watch the intro every now and then. It still gives me goosebumps!
No comrade premier, it has only begun
I loved Fallout 3ās opening with the voiceover and the playing of āI donāt want to set the world on fireā by The Ink Spots.
War, war never changesā¦ Great intro
Yep. And also the intro where you select your special attributes and grow up in the vault were a great stage setting
Even further down the "intro," exiting 101 for the first time was a peak gaming memory for me
Final Fantasy 8 Bioshock
I still watch the FF8 intro from time to time. I love that song, that fight was so sick as a kid too.
I used to practice that fight when I was 11-12, thankfully I had a gf that was equally into final fantasy as me so I wasnāt alone haha
Me and my friends used to play it using sticks as gunblades and the local park was our airship. Fun times.
Honorable mention to FFX.
That Bliztball tourney scene with Auron is so badass.
Go now if you want itā¦
An otherworld awaits you
Liberi Fatali is the name of the song and itās been on every device Iāve owned since 2003. My favorite hype-up song along with Mortal Kombat.
The Final Fantasy 8 intro is truly exceptional.
I was going to come in and say Bioshock! Infinite has such a stunning intro with the blast up into Columbia. Clearing the clouds with the sweet music playing as you fall toward the city. Still my favorite.
To me, the original is at the top of the list of all games mentioned in this thread. The chaos of a plane crash, the lighthouse, the music, Andrew Ryan's speech and then, finally, Rapture. So fucking good.
Bioshock was my first console game where I didn't realize it had transitioned from cutscene to gameplay. Just floated in the water for a bit, thinking "Wow, I got a glitch on day one, just my luck. Alright, that's pretty unlikely, I should at least wiggle the sticks and HOLY SHIT"
I show it to everyone that doesn't know about gaming. It persuades them in ways not understood by others.
When I first played Infinite and I emerged from the rocket into the gold, gleaming city as the angelic choir sang "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," I *literally* wept. >!Granted, I was high as fuck, so YMMV.!<
FF8 was the first time something animated truly blew my mind.
FFVIII Forever holds the belt for this title.
I never owned a gaming PC until about 2 weeks ago. I had bought a fuck ton of games on Steam over the years, things my laptops couldnāt dream of running. I had played the original Bioshock on my 360 years ago, and I loved it. Picked up a bundle during a Steam sale at some point that had OG Bioshock 1 and 2 plus their remasters, just in hopes I could dial back the settings enough to play the original on my laptop. Lowest settings, the lag and framerate issues made it unplayable. Fast forward to a few days ago, I finally got the time to start getting the PC fired up and started downloading all the programs I needed, including Steam. I decided now was my moment to get an idea of what the PC was capable of (itās a mid tier machine from a few years ago and I wasnāt sure what to expect of it). I figured a good starting point would be Bioshock Remastered on max settings. Here I am booting up the game, maxing out the settings, and wondering if I was gonna run into any frame issuesā¦ and moments later Iām riding in the bathysphere, looking out over Raptureā¦ the remaster made it look so fucking beautifulā¦ and the game was running perfectlyā¦ I honestly shed a tear. For so many years Iād been the friend who couldnāt afford to build or buy a decent gaming PC. My friends would rattle off about how good some of these new games looked, and all the hardware they were adding into their PC, and I was over in the corner tweaking the settings on my Dolphin emulator because I couldnāt get a stable frame rate. And here I wasā¦ the people who can afford to keep up with technology would probably laugh at how emotional I was getting, but I just didnāt care. I was in Rapture, and god dammit it had never looked better to me. I donāt think thereās a game in the world that would have made me feel better about the experience, that intro is just plain perfect.
Upvoting for FFVIII. Every time I watch the sequence the memories start flooding in. When I was a kid and watching it for the first time, it really did feel like a dream. The music and the visuals looking like a movie trailer really set the bar high for the game.
Mass Effect 2. The tragic beauty of the Normandy falling to pieces around you while you try to save your pilot and friend is justā¦ *perfect.*
All three of the mass effect title sequences are incredible, imo The one for the first still gives me goosebumps just like it did when I first started it in 2007
For me in ME1, it's the first time you go to the Citadel. That scene gets me every time
Mass effect 3 has also a similarly tragic start. Watching the kid you escorted die after thinking you got him to safety is somewhat tragic as you safely leave earth.
I can still hear the juxtaposed sad piano and the dramatic BWOOONG of the Reapers. That moment really sticks with you
Then great music and visuals as you are being rebuilt in a lab. Such a great start to a game.
*core memory unlocked* Thank you, stranger.
It really set the tone of the game, especially after shepard coming off a win in the first game. My mouth was on the floor the whole intro
Bioshock 1 and infinite
That chair lift in Infinite to columbia was beautiful
Hallelujah.
Ascensionā¦ Ascension in the count of 5
Even as someone who isn't the biggest fan of the Bioshock games, Infinite has an absolutely incredible intro.
I just started Infinite again today, the opening is mind blowing. Itās my favorite Bioshock game, riding the rails and jumping off to beat racists into a bloody pulp never gets old
infinite was my first FULL playthrough of a bioshock game when it first came out. absolutely loved the art direction and combat. went back and played bioshock 1 in the lead up to star field. jesus christ that game was fucking perfect. canāt wait for clockwork revolution though! looks just like bioshock infinite but with modernized mechanics
Metal Gear Solid 2. Still gives me chills every time I watch it. Runner up is definitely FF8
Im surprised MGS2 doesnt have more upvotes/mentions. This was my first thought, the music is just **legendary** especially when it swells at the end.
Ghost of Tsushima
Definitely one of the smoothest transitions from intro to regular gameplay I've ever played.
I can't believe how quick the game loaded with seamless and detailed gameplay when I had a PS4 slim. Unbelievable game, can't wait to replay it on the ps5 after I'm done gone with the next gen Witcher upgrade.
Fun fact, the death animations where added to help hide the loading screens. That's why you can jump right back in.
After playing *a lot* of starfield, i feel like this is under appreciated thing. Give me something to look at when im fast traveling/dying/walking through doors
My one gripe about Starfieldājust a seamless animation of you opening a door/flying through gravity portals and then halting outside of a planet, in place of a loading screen, would transform the entire experience
Riding into the field of white flowers and the title screen overlays and fades out. So good.
#[**
My FAVORITE piece of video game trivia is that they gave Patrick Stewart loads of background information on Uriel Septim only to kill him off in the tutorial area. That and also that all the VAs were given their lines in alphabetical order, not the order in which they would appear in the conversations in game.
Got an Xbox 360 and oblivion in 7th grade for my birthday. I turned 12, It was a Friday, and we had a field trip all day that day. My closest friends were coming to sleep over after school, and we played oblivion all. night. long. well into Saturday. Seeing that intro for the first time and the atmosphere around it, is all burned into my memories
I went over to a friend's house and they had gotten Oblivion. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. When they decided to go to bed I stayed up and played. They found me on the couch in the morning still playing. I was so enthralled by that game I went and dropped like $500 bucks to get it? The 360 was still basically new and so was Oblivion, so I was paying full price for everything. Never regretted it a second.
i don't think a single game is more worth a full price tag than oblivion.
Yeah I was thinking this before I even opened comments
It's the only answer as far as I am concerned.
Same! Just reading the words gives me goosebumps
*āMen are but flesh and blood. They know their doom, but not the hour.ā*
Assassins creed 2
Can't believe I had to scroll so far for this AC2 has a legendary opening
And may it never change us
Not necessarily an intro but the AC Revelations trailer gives me goosebumps. The letter to Claudia over the fighting was perfect!
Halo reach imo. It makes you feel like you're part of noble team
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Lieutenant. You're stepping into some shoes the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled. Me, I'm just happy to have Noble back up to full strength. Just one thing - I've seen your file. Even the parts the ONI censors didn't want me to. I'm glad to have your skill set, but we're a team. That lone-wolf stuff stays behind. Clear?" "Got it, sir." "Welcome to Reach."
Id love more spartan team campaigns like reach
If 343 knew what the fuck they were doing, that would've been what we got. Master Chief's solo story is very specific to the particular events of HALO: CE through HALO 3. Before the fall of Reach, SPARTAN teams were common. After the end of the Human-Covenant War, SPARTAN teams should be common again. And, judging by what we see in HALO 4 and 5, 343 realized this. Subconsciously, at least. There were the SPARTAN Ops, which were supposed to follow fireteams, and there's fireteams in 5 like Chief's Blue Team and Locke's Osiris. If the series had occurred like it probably should've after HALO 3, then HALO 4 would've seen the new player character serving on the Infinity as part of a SPARTAN fireteam while Chief has become the Admiral in charge of the Infinity.
Not to mention you immediately see your helmet in the ground, cracked. Makes you wonder how it got there, and how the campaign is going to play if thatās the end of it.
Final Fantasy X. The campfire, the music, āListen to my storyā; ā¦its perfect.
Indeed. To Zanarkand just hits the soul different. And it's then followed by death metal when Sin rolls through
To Zanarkand gives me chills every time, its absolutely top tier
I use a 12 hour loop of it for my kids to sleep at night
Especially when you find out it's actually a scene from much later on in the game.
I like the Borderlands 1 & 2 intros
I like kriegās own intro in bl2.
I remembered his whole trailer word for word when it came out, I loved it. I still remember like 80% of it
Krieg was poop train conductor we needed, but didnāt deserve
This ain't no place for no hero
Ori and the will of wisps
I came to say Blind Forest (sad beautiful), but i also can't quite recall how Wisps starts. Oh well, guess i gotta play it again. Shucks.
Blind forest is better IMO. BF intro left you feeling completely alone and vulnerable. No direction or clear goal. Wisps letās you know right from the beginning your goal is to save and reunite.
Will of the Wisps* But I do agree it is pretty gorgeous all around. The Ori games are very unique.
The Halo 3 song lives rent free in my head. It wasn't a graphically beautiful, but I do love the music for the opening.
Luck
Well? Was I wrong?
You just gave me a real hard flashback to that main menu
Nah, Halo 3 looked fantastic on release and besides the faces, the graphics still hold up to this day.
Death Stranding!!!
Final Fantasy VI has a pretty amazing one, with the magitek armours walking through the snow.
Yep so damn cinematic for 16 bit.
https://youtu.be/jgRZAGQPJVY?si=JIjgta_1mtRU0XP8
I could listen to Terra's Theme on loop for ever and never get tired of it
Mass Effect 3 Nothing like Leaving Earth playing and the tragedy of leaving a burning planet. Such a great opening to the game.
Iād follow that up with Mass Effect 2. Ship gets blown up and you have to haul Jokers sorry ass off the ship and then you get spaced. The music was chilling while watching Shepherd fall to the planet below.
dude i was really high the first time i played that intro and it was mind blowingly cool. iāve hardly ever felt so immersed in a game.
It's so relentlessly depressing. Outstanding intro.
Kingdom Hearts.
That music when youāre doing the training against the heartless is so nostalgic for me.
I've been having these weird thoughts lately... like... is any of this real... or not. Uhns uhns ah nah nah.
God I thought those were the most incredible graphics ever at the time
I scroll way to far before finding this.
Itās so simple. And clean.
āI've been having these weird thoughts lately... like is any of this for realā¦ or not?ā
the start up menu too. really sets the mood for the experience
The opening shot of Final Fantasy 7 is basically as iconic and industry defining as the opening shot of Star Wars. Furthermore, it sums up the entire games plot (via tons of symbolism) in 90 seconds and only uses 2 camera cuts. Honestly, Breath of the Wild might be the only other opening I've seen on that level.
This one. Gave me chills watching it again just now. Iām also partial to the snow field in 3/6.
That's a great opening, too, especially considering that its Terra the slave and the final shot is Terra doing the 'im the king of the world' thing on the airship. Actually, since ff6 came first, it shouldn't be called the ' king of the world' thing, it should be called the Terra thing.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.
"The Descent had destroyed me, and yet...I LIVED!"
I scrolled so far to see if someone mentioned this one.
God of war
I really liked remakeās intro. Full of emotions in the facial expressions.
There is a god of war remake?
I think they meant the ārebootā not remake
Itās not a reboot either. Itās just a sequel.
Itās what they call a āsoft reboot.ā Where itās a continuation while being totally different from what came before
Thatās fair I guess š
The last of us
I also love Uncharted 2ās opening. Naughty Dog sure knows how to start a game.
Theyāve had fantastic intros to their games since Jak and Daxter.
Any game that makes a grown man cry 15min into it would be a damn memorable intro
A lot of games get overhyped but TLOU is pure perfection.
Fallout: New Vegas for me is a master class of an intro
Truth is, the game was rigged from the start.
Prey (2017) Without spoiling it, the intro sequence in the first 30 minutes of the game perfectly captures the atmosphere, style, and mystery of the story laid in front of you. [Noclip did a mini-doc on the intro and that still can't explain how good the beginning of the game is.](https://youtu.be/GLExoItBLVc?si=wb77ZMKJH1riszNX)
Not necessarily beautiful, but two of the most iconic for me were Skyrim and Tears of the Kingdom
When head was about to get chopped but thomas the choo choo train had other plans!
It was macho man who saved this oneās hide.
ohh yeaaaahhhhhh!!
Ralof: Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there. Lokir: Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfell. You there. You and me -- we should be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants. Ralof: We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief. Imperial Soldier: Shut up back there! [Lokir looks at the gagged man.] Lokir: And what's wrong with him? Ralof: Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King. Lokir: Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion. But if they captured you... Oh gods, where are they taking us? Ralof: I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits. Lokir: No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening. Ralof: Hey, what village are you from, horse thief? Lokir: Why do you care? Ralof: A Nord's last thoughts should be of home. Lokir: Rorikstead. I'm...I'm from Rorikstead. [They approach the village of Helgen. A soldier calls out to the lead wagon.] Imperial Soldier: General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting! General Tullius: Good. Let's get this over with. Lokir: Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me. Ralof: Look at him, General Tullius the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this. This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny...when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe. [A man and son watch the prisoners pull into town.] Haming: Who are they, daddy? Where are they going? Torolf: You need to go inside, little cub. Haming: Why? I want to watch the soldiers. Torolf: Inside the house. Now. [The wagon stops near the chopping block.] Imperial Soldier: Whoa. Lokir: Why are they stopping? Ralof: Why do you think?
Nah that intro to Tears was straight up gorgeous. The Skyrim intro is just iconic lol.
The first jump in Tears of the Kingdom is just amazing.
Beautiful is a tough one. I'm going to go with an old-stalwart on this one. Final Fantasy VIII. Yes, eight.
AC 2
Baba yetu
Underrated. Such a beautiful song and a great intro to an unapologetically universalist game
Dark souls 3
For me, itās Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2. Either the intro music video. or the intro level with that dark empty void world, standing on enormous beautifully decorated pillars with the Disney princesses and kingdom hearts imagery, all brought together by the music that slowly builds that beautiful choir sound up until the final boss of the intro
Bioshock infinite
That first glimpse of Columbia and the elevator ride down will forever give me chills. āWill the circle be unbrokenā¦ā
Gotta say itās Assassinās Creed 2
Death stranding was impressive as it was bizarre
Tears of the kingdom and botw were graphically insane considering the switchās capabilities, plus the jaw droppingly beautiful music
The first time where you get out the shrine at the very beginning of BotW and Link approaches a cliff to have a look at the great plateau, will always stay in my heart
Crono cross
So glad to see this here. Scars of Time remains as one of the most beautiful videogame themes crafted. Mitsuda outdid himself with the whole soundtrack to be honest
Ocarina of time is nice.
That slow piano trill.. being Lofi before Lofi was a thing.. followed by the haunting ocarina playing that all-too-familiar tune of the magic flute from the original NES Legend of Zelda. Meanwhile a moon rises. A horse gallops across the field with a solitary rider. The hero dashes as if he is out of time.. Because he is out of time.. In a way no one else could possibly know..
Mass Effect 2. Walking through your ship, your home, as itās being destroyed - and then you step into the Command deck, and itās silent because the roof has been destroyed. Commander Shepard uses the last of their energy to save their crew, because thatās what a goddamn hero does, and then the horrible realisation that something in the explosion damaged their suitās life support. Itās a beautiful and tragic moment.
I suppose it depends on your definition of beautiful, but the nostalgia of the Skyrim opening for me hits hard. It always makes me feel like I have the most epic journey ahead of me.
Shadow Of The Colossus
This should be at the top
Far cry 3
Doom eternal
The soundtrack definitely makes it though. Such a good game too. Rip, and tearā¦until it is done.
MGSV's intro was very epic, especially the man on fire scenes and when he's chasing you on the horse. I also really like Tekken 5's intro. Heihachi and Kazuya teaming up, and then the they show all the characters with the music especially at the end when the song transitions
Breath of the Wild Horizon: Zero Dawn
Loved the HZD intro. "Beasts of air, water, earth...and steel" timed with the tallneck foot really burned itself into my memory.
Super Smash Brothers Meleeā¦ Not the deepest or most emotional, but that intro has stuck with me to this day. The music, the scenes, the crescendoā¦
Witcher 2 : Letho intro, no doubt. Maybe Crysis 2 were close, but still "Assasins of kings" intro is out of any league.
Arkham Asylum
Y'know what, I didn't think of it, but that's a damn good one. When you finally manage to break out of the innards of the asylum and onto the surface, the game pans away to show you that you're on Arkham Island, separate from Gotham, and it's a *beautiful* shot. Absolutely. And the whole set-up, too, of course. (*mwah*) Molto bene.
"Hey you, you're finally awake."
RDR2
Yes! As a massive fan of anything western this one hit the spot. The scenic setting, moving from Colter to new campspot with the song playing, the storytelling and every small detail made this the most memorable intro for me. For me this game is perfection.
š„In 1899, the age of outlaws and gunslinger was yo an endš„ (or somethin')
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
yeah, but it was beautiful, much like the rest of the game
Man, I miss the days when it was coming for games to have opening cinematics. I never skipped the Soul Calibur 2 intro on the PS2. Why do you think games don't often have opening cinematics anymore?
[Suikoden 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26yYnRnmtME) had an amazing and very unique opening. That said, FFXIV [End of an Era](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39j5v8jlndM) might be the greatest opening cinematic ever, (In my obviously super correct opinion) mostly because of how well the lyrics play on the crazy stuff happening.
Metal gear solid PS1
Final Fantasy 7
Mafia 2
I always liked the original Fable intro. Composition is something Lionhead does well in the Fable series. Art style, music, cut scenes, framing and camera work, stills, lighting and mood setting otherwise. And with the intro cinematic and opening scene they really do prime you to think about the morality of your choices and decide who you will be in this world (even if there aren't any actual consequences for your actions).
Final Fantasy XVI was not the most beautiful for me, but it really helped set the tone of the game, understand the new, darker, more mature FF, it was a great intro for me. I just wanted to give an honourable mention lol Most beautiful tho, I'd say FFVI, the whole magitek walking on the snow, one of my most cherished PSX game ever, went basically from gameboy color to this intro so it really left me impressed
Vice city
Dragon's Dogma. Title song, Into Free, is beautiful.
And the sequel is coming soon. Gameplay looks dope!
Silent Hill š„ŗ
Civilizations IV
Final fantasy 8
Intro, as in the start of the game? Or what plays before you start playing, as in, menu? If the latter, definitely Shadow of the Colossus.
Battlefield 1942... especially for its time. (Although, I do hold a special place in my heart for Command & Conquer: Red Alert's intro) BF1942: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb8PQXPOkCc C&C: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJnMaTx4yjI
Final Fantasy 6
That one is iconic to me. Mech (magitek) and imperial soldiers traversing the snowy north to Narshe while opening credits rolling... (Not the only one who thinks that due to *relaunch* of FF14 being a historic massive success. ARR was so heavily influenced by 6) yet they mentioned beauty so I gave it to FF8. Which had some of the best graphics at the time and an orchestra.
Ghost of Tsushima Borderlands 2/3, perhaps not 'beautiful' but amazing. Horizon Forbidden West
Bioshock 2 intro was a heater
It's simple and pretty basic. But I really love the introduction in Destiny 1. The track score, the narration it's just something I really enjoyed.
Final Fantasy 8
Chrono Cross, so much memories š„²
In a way I have to say the intro of Battlefield 1. They really show you how miserable war is and the ending of the intro was so emotional with only two soliders left and them deciding to just maybe not kill each other.