10 Most Awesome Video Game Openings

3. Half-Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAqbdtsK6NI Half-Life redefined the first-person-shooter game as we have come to know it, highlighting its ability to implement cinematic elements into the aesthetic, highlighted in no better instance than its stunning opening sequence. As soon as the Half-Life title card fades out, we begin our on-rails trip through the Black Mesa Research Facility - a place that's going to become the bane of our existence over the next 8-or-so hours - and it's truly an awe-inspiring experience. The facility seems so extensive and vibrant, few games had managed to achieve such a convincing environment; the researchers going about their jobs, the robots, the helicopters, the caves, and of course, the creepily banal voice-over telling us about the facility. It all adds up to create an unforgettable opening that makes it clear that getting out alive is not going to be easy once the proverbial hits the fan. As the first notable interactive cut-scene in gaming, it was an absolute revolution, and one that games have been attempting to live up to (mostly unsuccessfully) ever since.