5. Rinoa, Squall, Seifer & Edea (Final Fantasy VIII)
Final Fantasy VII is frequently praised for its incredible opening cut-scene, but in the eyes of many it's completely outdone by the eighth game, which boasts a breathtaking, 3-minute intro which gets us to know Rinoa, Squall, Seifer and Edea: pretty much everyone important in the scope of this magnificent game. At the time, the opening shot of a beach was probably the most photo-realistic image in a game, and has held up pretty well. Much like Shadow of the Colossus, it's all about creating the right mood: we see Rinoa in a field of flowers, before the scene cuts to an epic duel between Squall and Seifer, inter-cut with shots of Rinoa and Edea. Finally, it ends on a montage of images as Squall and Rinoa prepare to embrace (pictured above). The epic music and the insane quality of the animation combine to create a goosebump-raising experience, both now and back when it first wowed us in 1999. It's difficult to imagine these characters being introduced in a more mind-blowing way (even if Squall did end up being a bit of an annoying emo in the end).