10 Most Breathtaking ‘First Time’ Video Game Moments

5. Seeing Cyrodiil In Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

This moment could easily be swapped out with exiting the Immigration Office in Morrowind as an example of overwhelming the player with a spectacular feeling of open-world freedom. But what gives Oblivion the edge is Bethesda's excellent orchestration of the 'seeing the world for the first time' moment - a strategy that you can see in all their subsequent games, including Fallout 4. After spending the best part of an hour knee-deep in the Imperial City's sewage system, you finally reach the gate that leads out onto the open world that you'd heard so much about in the months building up to the game's release, and were itching to head into and explore. But upon emerging from the sewers, I remember feeling too mesmerised to just run off and start exploring. It was early in the day, a few clouds specked the otherwise blue sky, and I stood over a gorgeously reflective lake. Just on the other side, there were some ruins, teasing the possibility of dungeons, then behind that were forests, mountains, and a path, all pointing to some kinds of adventures. It was the archetypal 'high fantasy' view realised in a game like nothing before, inviting you warmly to go out there and see what it had to offer - and how could you possibly refuse?