10 Best Video Game Openings of All-Time

First impressions matter a lot, especially in video games. The first half-hour or so is crucial – if a game doesn’t quickly grab your attention with a good story, teach you how to play in an interesting way, and feature likeable characters, players will likely stop playing. It’s easy to lose players early on, as there are so many other games available, so developers really need to earn their audience’s time. Even highly-rated games, like Red Dead Redemption 2, can struggle with this – its slow start has turned some players away.

We’ve put together a list of video games with incredible beginnings. These games immediately grab your attention with compelling stories, exciting action, and a fantastic setup for the adventures ahead.

10) Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit

You might not have heard of Indigo Prophecy (also called Fahrenheit), as it was released two decades ago and wasn’t a massive success. It’s an older game from Quantic Dream – the creators of Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human – where your choices directly impact the story. The game begins with the main character, Lucas Kane, unexpectedly stabbing a man in a diner bathroom on a snowy night. He was in a trance-like state during the act, but regained control immediately afterward.

You play as someone who’s committed a crime and now has to cover it up, escaping the scene before anyone discovers what happened. This instantly grabs your attention and makes you care about what happens next, while also demonstrating that your actions have consequences – you’ll need to hide evidence and protect yourself.

9) Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 starts with a dramatic and destructive event: the Normandy spaceship is attacked and destroyed. Commander Shepherd is thrown into space and tragically dies, but the shadowy organization Cerberus recovers his body and brings him back to life. He wakes up two years later to find himself in a world drastically different from the one he knew, and the game immediately throws players for a loop, defying any preconceived notions about the story ahead. It’s a bold and fresh take on BioWare’s sci-fi world.

8) Dead Space 2

A few years after the first game, Dead Space 2 finds Isaac Clarke in a mental hospital, still struggling with the traumatic events he experienced, especially the loss of his girlfriend. Unfortunately, his peace is shattered when a new Marker appears on the station, bringing a fresh wave of horror to everyone nearby.

The game Dead Space 2 begins with a shocking and disturbing scene: Isaac is trapped in a straitjacket and forced to flee through a space station, completely helpless. He’s exposed to terrible sights and constant danger, and is ultimately freed by a man who immediately takes his own life. While deeply traumatic, this unforgettable opening effectively sets the bleak and terrifying tone for the entire game.

7) Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 faced the challenge of following up the exciting beginnings of the previous games. The first Spider-Man game started with a memorable fight against Kingpin, and Miles Morales began with both Spider-Men pursuing Rhino. Spider-Man 2 raises the stakes even higher, immediately throwing players into a massive battle with Sandman. The game is thrilling from the start, with Peter and Miles teaming up to swing through the city before confronting a giant-sized Sandman.

Players will swing and fight through the city, crashing through buildings as they try to rescue people and outsmart the villain, Flint Marko. The game highlights the strong partnership between Peter Parker and Miles Morales, introducing cool new abilities like the web wings. It feels like an amazing, large-scale action sequence from a Spider-Man movie, but even more exciting because you’re actually playing it.

6) Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain begins right after the events of Ground Zeroes, which served as an introduction to the final Metal Gear Solid story. Big Boss’ helicopter was destroyed, and he wakes up from a nine-year coma. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have time to recover properly, as his hospital is attacked by a mysterious group attempting to kill him.

Guided by a shadowy, bandaged figure named Ishmael, Big Boss struggles through the hospital, desperately trying to avoid both a violent outbreak and powerful psychic enemies like Psycho Mantis. This scene is widely considered one of the most frightening and suspenseful in the series, as you’re completely vulnerable and unable to fight back. Your chances of survival depend mostly on luck and the actions of Ishmael, whose real identity we won’t reveal here.

They actually used a shorter version of this opening for the very first trailer! Back then, the game was just called The Phantom Pain, and Hideo Kojima hadn’t announced it was a Metal Gear Solid title yet. It was a really powerful trailer, and honestly, it got everyone hyped and wondering what the game was all about before it even came out.

5) Resident Evil 4

The beginning of Resident Evil 4 is famously terrifying, much like Dead Space 2. The game starts with Leon Kennedy being sent to rural Spain on a dangerous mission: rescuing the President’s daughter from a dangerous cult. He quickly discovers the villagers are infected and violently attack outsiders, forcing him to fight for his survival.

The game starts with an incredibly tense and frightening sequence, immediately throwing players into a terrifying situation with a chainsaw-wielding enemy within the first ten to fifteen minutes. While it’s a brutal introduction, it effectively prepares you for the overall Resident Evil experience.

4) Fallout 4

Unlike previous Fallout games, Fallout 4 lets you experience life before the nuclear bombs fall—though Fallout 3 had a short simulation. The game begins with you creating your character and then seeing a news report about growing global tensions. You also meet your spouse, child, and a helpful robot butler before the world changes forever.

A Vault-Tec representative comes to your door, strongly urging you to purchase a spot in a local fallout shelter, claiming disaster is unavoidable. He clearly knows nuclear bombs are about to drop, though he never states it directly. After you complete the paperwork, a news report confirms nuclear explosions across the nation. You rush with your family to the nearest vault, and as the doors close, you see a massive mushroom cloud rising in the distance just before a powerful shockwave hits.

The beginning of Fallout 4 is incredibly memorable and creates a strong sense of what life was like before the world changed. It’s a powerful opening sequence, and only a few other games have had such a lasting impact on me.

3) BioShock

The game BioShock begins with a dramatic event: your plane crashes into the ocean. You’re the only survivor, and the only sign of safety is a distant lighthouse. Inside, a powerful statue proclaims “NO GODS OR KINGS. ONLY MAN.” As you venture deeper, you discover a submersible that carries you to an underwater city, founded by a man named Andrew Ryan, who envisioned a place where people could thrive without government control and build their own destinies.

You quickly catch sight of Rapture, a massive underwater city shimmering with neon and the allure of a perfect society. But once you enter, it’s clear the city has been ravaged from within, leaving you trapped in a desperate, watery ruin. That initial view of Rapture, combined with Andrew Ryan’s iconic speech and the powerful music, guarantees that BioShock delivers one of the most captivating opening sequences in gaming history.

2) Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

The game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves begins with a breathtaking and dangerous scene. Nathan Drake is trapped in a wrecked train hanging off a snowy mountain, seriously wounded, and forced to climb through the tilting cars to survive. Director J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) was so impressed with this opening that he told actor Nolan North it was the best he’d ever witnessed in any form of media – and it’s easy to see why.

This is a fantastic way to start a game, and it still works incredibly well. While Uncharted 3 and 4 don’t quite compare, another game from Naughty Dog actually surpassed it.

1) The Last of Us

The beginning of The Last of Us is incredibly intense. It starts with Joel and his daughter, Sarah, having a normal evening. Things quickly turn chaotic when Sarah receives a call from Joel’s brother, Tommy, asking for him. The call gets cut off, and Sarah soon notices explosions and police sirens nearby. As she searches the house, she hears a dog bark, then suddenly fall silent. Joel runs inside, injured, and grabs a gun, telling Sarah to stay back. A desperate man then bursts into the house, and Joel is forced to shoot him in self-defense.

Shaken and disoriented, Sarah is put in Tommy’s car, and the family flees, desperately seeking a way to escape the town and find safety. They soon hear reports of a spreading illness that drives people mad, and they witness the horrifying reality as they see people being dragged from their vehicles and attacked. They speed through the increasingly chaotic city, searching for any route to freedom, but are involved in a car crash. Joel carries Sarah through the panicked crowds and past burning buildings, finding themselves facing ever-growing danger.

A group of infected people start pursuing Joel and he’s forced to flee. They’re narrowly rescued by a soldier who shoots the infected, but then receives a disturbing order. The soldier turns his gun on Joel and Sarah, opening fire. Joel is injured, and just as the soldier is about to finish him off, Tommy intervenes and kills the soldier. Sadly, Sarah doesn’t survive her injuries, and dies while Joel desperately tries to keep her alive.

The opening of The Last of Us is incredibly powerful and emotionally devastating, often bringing players to tears within just a few minutes. This is thanks to amazing acting, especially from Troy Baker, clever and nuanced writing that reveals a lot about the characters without overexplaining, and a perfectly paced story that builds tension brilliantly. It’s widely considered the greatest opening sequence in video game history.

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2025-12-28 23:16