10 Most Awesome Video Game Openings

2. Metal Gear Solid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VxIWAj3Ji0 Brilliant though the opening was to MGS4, the first Metal Gear Solid's opening sequence tops it even if it doesn't manage to integrate the thrilling cut-scenes and gameplay anywhere near as well. After the opening cut-scene informs us that we're going to be heading in alone without any weapons - a terrifying prospect as it is - we briefly see the game's big bad, Liquid Snake, heading up from the dock in a lift. We're not far behind, and once the game gives us a quick low-down on the codec, we're thrown straight into the action. It's in these first few minutes that Hideo Kojima redefines video gaming as we would come to know it, helping to popularise the stealth genre at the same time. As Solid Snake, we have to navigate our way through the dock using the soliton radar, either sneaking past the guards or killing them all. The trickiest part comes at the end, when the lift lowers with a bunch of guards on it, and you have to quickly run to the lift before they can rumble you. It's a great little tutorial to get us used to the basics that will define the game, and the fact that the opening credits roll over the gameplay is a fantastic little touch too.