10 Most Iconic Opening Sequences In Video Game History
A good first impression can make all the difference.
The first moments in any video game are arguably the most important. It doesnt take long for you to decide whether a game is worth spending your valuable time on, and so it is imperative that any opening sequence draw you in, while simultaneously familiarizing you with a game's mechanics.
Many of the best titles do this in a way that's so inspiring and effective, they leave their mark on the industry as shining examples of how to start a game - if not introduce anyone to the medium overall. Some start off with a bang, throwing you into the fray and immersing you through sheer spectacle, others are memorable for beginning slow, building suspense and setting the stakes for what's to come.
The following games contain some of the most legendary opening sequences the industry has to offer; beginning moments whose quality is as such that they have become iconic in their own right. If you ask the average gamer what the most iconic video game opening is, chances are, one of these will be their answer...
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10. Final Fantasy VII
The most acclaimed entry in the Final Fantasy series wastes no time throwing you into the action by beginning with a covert assault acted out by AVALANCHE, an eco-terrorist group trying to stop the exploitation of the planet by the company Shinra.
Now, it would've been all too easy for the opening moments of a game like Final Fantasy VII to get bogged down with tons of exposition and an elaborate set up. Good thing then, that it eschewed this approach for something more efficient and immediately engrossing, saving the more heavy-handed storytelling for a bit later. This entire opening grabs your interest through action at the service of a simple set up that works to invest you into the greater story yet to come. Its both good storytelling and good game design - and that's key.
It allowed gamers of all predilections to get engaged with something that could have easily repelled all but the most dedicated players if told in any other way. This is probably why FF VII is held to such high esteem by so many; the ability to immediately hook anyone and everyone right from the start is still its greatest strength.