Some people believe that no video game should have a slow opening, while others believe it is important to learn about a new world in an unhurried and natural way. Whatever your opinion of video game’s best openings, it’s often hard to argue against a game that expertly throws you into the heat of battle with an impeccably crafted opening segment.
Sometimes there is nothing you can do, things just go wrong. It’s hard to scramble for survival or just get your bearings when it seems like the whole world is ending around you. Some of the best games of all time throw you into the thick of a conflict in minutes, letting that often-sought-after slow build-up pass.
10 Mass Effect 2
There’s probably no explanation needed for the inclusion of Mass Effect 2 here, especially if you’re a big fan of the series. The opening of the second game shocked and continues to shock people who take the title for the first time to this day.
Instead of a few merry space hijacks to reunite with the crew of the Normandy, everything goes horribly wrong and you pretty much die at the start of the game. It’s a shocking decision, but one that makes a lot of sense in hindsight.
9 Resident Evil 2 Remake
Something really nice about most Resident Evil series is that things tend to go seriously wrong from the start. Being locked in a mansion, hunted by a ferocious creature, attacked by local villagers, and in the case of Resident Evil 2, unknowingly getting trapped in a zombie-filled city.
While none of the games start with the heroes in excellent shape, Resident Evil 2 Remake really takes things a step further. Instead of starting with a big crash and zombies on the street, you get a more claustrophobic gas station to start with, before being dumped in that whole mess.
8 Skyrim
It’s easy to forget how hopeless your situation really is at the start of Skyrim. You are transported to your execution and you even see one take place before things get worse: a random dragon appears.
Sure, it’ll all work out for you, but that doesn’t mean the situation isn’t terrible. You narrowly avoid being beheaded until you’re nearly roasted alive by a dragon, a situation most wouldn’t call ideal. Still, it was all necessary to experience one of the greatest adventures in gaming.
7 A link to the past
Zelda A Link to the Past Master Sword
For those who somehow haven’t played it yet, A Link To The Past is a deceptively dark game. Before you even enter the game’s first real dungeon, the entire kingdom is turned upside down and you narrowly escape with the princess.
Before you can even do that, the only family you have, your uncle, is murdered and left alone in the sewers of Hyrule Castle. Worse, you’re just a kid who has to go through all that. Fortunately, Link is a hero who always perseveres, no matter the huge opportunities ahead – even if he doesn’t have a reliable companion.
6 The last of us
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Anyone who has played The Last Of Us will probably never forget how impressive and heartbreaking the opening segment is. It’s kind of a fake-out, where you believe the game will start off slow, but a sudden breakout makes its way to Joel and Sarah’s house.
If you try to flee, you will encounter waves of infected people as they attack innocent civilians who are simply trying to escape the violence. The entire segment is interrupted by initially being separated from Tommy and then the passion that is the tragic death of Joel’s daughter Sarah.
5 Dead space 2
Few games really do things as well as Dead Space 2 does. For a moment it looks like Isaac is getting the much-needed help he deserves, but that takes a quick turn when he starts seeing his dead girlfriend.
Just minutes later, Isaac is awakened by someone trying to save him, but then things get really bad. With his arms still attached, you must get Isaac to safety as Necromorphs run towards him from every direction. It’s a shocking start, but one that gave the series the legendary status it once had.
4 Bloodborne
While many games make the events of the story go bad in a cinematic sense, Bloodborne would never be the kind of title to do that. Often considered one of the hardest Souls games, Bloodborne gives players a reality check from the get-go.
As you stumble into the world, still captivated by the slightly new controls, you encounter a werewolf-like beast. The problem is you don’t have a good way of defending yourself and it can knock you out in a few strokes. Everyone died on their first try, but it’s intentional, so that’s okay.
3 Uncharted 2
It must be said that from the start of Uncharted 2 things go a bit cheesy, as the opening is actually more of a flash-forward into the story. Despite this, the opening of this sequel is still one of the most harrowing experiences in gaming.
Who needs to start a game with a fun conversation in a car when you could dangle over an amazing height on a train? The entire segment is one that sends most people’s bodies into an involuntary squeeze, especially as the train seems to be falling apart around you.
2 Fallout 4
The Fallout series as a whole starts off in a pretty dire situation. The game is set in a post-nuclear wasteland, something that is putting the whole world in serious trouble. Still, Fallout 4 arguably begins that everything goes wrong right away.
Instead of growing up beneath the surface, you must flee from imminent nuclear attacks to take cover in a vault. Once there you enter a sort of cryostasis, but you wake up just in time to see your child being kidnapped and your wife being shot.
1 Super Mario Odyssey
Most Mario games are pretty simple, but Mario Odyssey has managed to pack a few surprises into the classic formula. Mario fights Bowser from the start, but things don’t go quite as he wants. Bowser actually beats Mario with his mighty top hat.
He initially fails to save Princess Peach and must enlist Cappy’s help to make the rescue. Beaten, thrown from a ship and unable to save the girl, Mario is in a pretty bad spot from the start of the game.
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