10 Most Iconic Opening Sequences In Video Game History

4. Half-Life

Before Half-Life, it was expected that a first-person shooter always begin with a gun in your hand and enemies to shoot. Then Half-Life was released, and instead of continuing this tradition, it bucked it completely, opening with you (as Gordon Freeman) riding an underground tram to work at Black Mesa. You get off, meet and greet with your colleagues, and prepare to take part in a mysterious scientific test. Of course, everything eventually goes wrong.

The fact that Half-Life opens with what is essentially just another day at the job may seem unimpressive now, but back when it was first released it was the first major instance of a slow build in a FPS, which was a huge deal. It wasnt expected that shooters spend time building suspense, and so when gamers got their hands on Half-Life it was a revelation.

Instantly Half-Life became one of the most popular and influential games of all time, and future first-person shooters began to emphasize presentation and story just as much as the shooting. Anyone who remembers playing the original Half-Life can recall the first time they experienced this opening scene, and its precisely because of its ability to immerse you with its slow and monotonous nature that it remains memorable after all this time.