11 Powerful Video Game Opening Sequences That Gave You Chills

7. Sarah's Death - The Last Of Us

It might be impossible for any game to ever surpass the gut-wrenching intro of The Last of Us, but if anything, Naughty Dog's masterpiece stands alone as an example of how to perfect audience retention, all the while drip-feeding aspects of the world and what's to come.

Starting with the unsettling feeling of having to locate your own parent, character Sarah is then joined by father Joel as he frantically runs into the room and states, "Something is wrong with the neighbours". Granted, the game's pre-release cycle clued us into the reveal that The Last of Us is routed in zombie fiction, but it's in the exemplary acting of Troy Baker and Hana Hayes as Joel and Sarah respectively, that really give fresh weight to all that unfolds.

Sadly, in a turn that set you up for the notion that anyone and anything is expendable in this universe, Sarah doesn't survive this opening sequence. However, rather than die to a zombie bite, it's a soldier following orders to contain the quarantine who opens fire on the pair, missing Joel but fatally wounding his daughter in the process.

It's the following, outstanding piece of acting from Baker and Hayes that really stands out - both you and Joel's loss for a child that was inevitably killed no matter what your chances of survival were in the first place, is a very emotional way to open any story, especially a video game.