10 Gaming Opening Levels Which Surprised Us All
4. Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 marked a major departure from the series' roots in many ways, namely ditching the outright survival horror vibe, tank controls, and fixed camera angles for an increased emphasis on action and over-the-shoulder camera.
The game's opening level was a stunning mission statement for Capcom's bold reinvention of the series, throwing protagonist Leon S. Kennedy into hellish rural Europe to rescue the U.S. president's daughter.
While both the second and third Resident Evil games wasted no time at all hurling undead enemies the player's way, the difficulty level started out simple and accessible.
Resident Evil 4? Not so much.
The opening level gives players just a few moments to acclimate to the new controls and camera before sending an entire village's worth of hostiles at them, including a maniac wielding a damn chainsaw.
It is the perfect gaming embodiment of "that escalated quickly," and does a fantastic - if stressful - job of briefing players on the game's general intensity level.