The 'late title card' is a concept more commonly seen and discussed in reference to film, but as games have always taken huge chunks of influence from everything movie-related, we've started to see some of the best developers in the medium use it to fantastic effect. You can't just have a title or logo at the end of a protracted cutscene, instead the rules are that forgoing menu screens and opening cinematics you must first have been a playable section - either through a level or otherwise interactive segment before the game's full titles or logo appears; much in the same way as an introductory sequence will play out in film before the titles appear. Finding that balance between just dropping you in and hoping you'll find your way versus giving you a suitable introduction to the plot or events of the game is something that developers are still playing with - especially when it comes to a title that's hyped to death and we just can't wait to start playing. In addition layering titles on top of footage has been used by directors like the late Tony Scott or in hyper-stylish films like Smokin' Aces, which in their cases served to establish a solid sense of style and identity. However, in games due to the aforementioned balancing act of how the first few moments are going to be taken in, it opens up far more possibilities when it comes to how to 'deliver' your game's logo for maximum impact and resonance.
10. Assassin's Creed II
The first AC game ended in a similar vein to that of LOST; a whole hell of a lot of preamble and tantalising plot-points still withheld as the final credits rolled. Ubisoft did a masterful job at drip-feeding information to us throughout the time-travelling series about exactly who or what things like the Abstergo Corporation and the Pieces of Eden really were, and thanks to a few levels set in the real world, you could take an optional stroll around the game's office to find out additional details. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ-9CmTApV4#t=139 Picking up with blood-stained returning-character Lucy telling us we had to get back into the Animus, it set things back in motion pretty fast, especially since breaking free of the scientific laboratory-prison area was something we were all dying to do throughout the first game anyway. After fighting a few guards off with her help and escaping, you meet up with a ragtag group of new-age Assassins who jack Desmond back into the machine, kickstarting the game proper by warping back to the Italian Renaissance and switching to fan-favourite Ezio Auditore da Firenze. After a tussle with an opposing family, both Ezio and his big brother Frederico take off up the side of a few buildings before resting at the top of a large church, making fans feel right at home as we once again took to clambering up the side of any given structure. To top it all off the game then switches back to cutscene as the brothers overlook the city, which is when the camera zooms out and pans way wide; showing the beauty of the architecture through gorgeous graphics and displaying the AC II logo in all its glory, the wondrous accompanying score setting the mood perfectly for what's to come.
