10 Devastating Video Game Openings That Totally Broke You

It's no secret that a stellar opening is essential for any great video game to take off straight away. Though plenty of releases have overcome spotty introductory hours to become fan favourites, it's not ideal, and no developer wants to ship a game that leaves people telling their friends: "No, it's good, I promise. You've just got to get through the first five hours first."

To avoid having to convince a player of a game's quality after a poor first impression has put them off, most studios double down in an attempt grip players from the get go, immediately engrossing them in the world they've created. Often that means jumping straight into an explosive set-piece ala Dead Space 2 or Uncharted 4, but other times it's a more considered, emotional pull the devs are going for.

And in many ways, these end up resulting in the most memorable openings. Ones which attack your emotions from minute one and don't let up from there, hitting you with a devastating gut-punch of an introduction that leaves you reeling for hours afterwards.