20 Best Video Game Opening Levels Of The Last 10 Years

1. The Beginning Of The End - The Last Of Us

As with any critically-revered game, over time people attempt to say, "Well... maybe it wasn't that good". Then you revisit The Last of Us or watch it being played, and everything comes flooding back.

The sublime pacing, introducing Joel and daughter Sarah by giving them some very humanised, relatable dialogue. Then a cut to a few hours later and we're playing as Sarah, exploring the now-empty house, searching for our father. When Joel is then forced to shoot his virus-infected neighbour, it's genuinely shocking, the weight behind the setup coming full circle. This pair aren't 'game characters', a man just shot an innocent civilian to protect his daughter, and that's just the first 10 minutes.

Obviously the most memorable scene is the death of Sarah herself, to which it's very interesting to note actor Troy Baker (Joel)'s original take was far more over the top, like he trying to give the 'best performance possible' with a lot more volume. Director Neil Druckmann instructed him carefully in the method of 'less is more', and the version that ended up in the game is an incredibly raw mix of disbelief, awareness, pain and genuine emotion between both Joel and Sarah, and Baker and Hana Hayes.

The whole opening is obviously lacking in gameplay other than directing the scene forward, but for investment in a subject matter and the perfect blend of filmic influence and how controlling something elevates what's on screen into another realm entirely, The Last of Us is an absolute masterpiece.

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What's the best opening level of the last 10 years? Let us know in the comments!