The Top 7... Best Beginnings

Personally my favourite is Half-life 2's beginning.

"Rise and shine Mr. Freeman, Rise and shine..."
and then the train arrives and you're like where the fuck am I and what has happened to the earth?

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Jimmyjammy - 10 months 4 days ago

Yay, First on page 3!

WOOOO!

Russian Hobart

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Cernunnos - 10 months 4 days ago

i was actually thinking Fallout shouldnt be on this list, and then its the first game i see.

personally i would say Skate and G.H. because if you have never played them before; the gameplay becomes kind of a wow-experience.
i'd also nominate DMC3

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Fred - 10 months 4 days ago

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bugmenot - 10 months 4 days ago

you left out God of War 1 and 2. The Hydra and Colossus were epic.

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The_Tingler - 10 months 4 days ago

I'm sorry, but... FRONTLINE? Don't you mean Allied Assault? Yes, granted, D-Day wasn't at the beginning, but still...

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Sash - 10 months 4 days ago

I read the article title and almostly instantly thought of MOH Frontline. I click second page and there it is. :D

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Thequestion 121 - 10 months 4 days ago

You are completely right on MGS 2! Playing as Raiden was one of the worst twists that I've ever had to play. Good thing playing as Snake is the best.

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Chiropteran - 10 months 4 days ago

If you're writing fiction, this is called the hook. For a short story, a few lines, no more than a page. For a novel, three or four pages, maybe a short chapter. But the principles are the same. An engaging character or characters whom the readers -- um, players -- care about, a setting and situation that captures the imagination, a problem which almost certainly is not the ultimate problem of the story, or game, and questions about what's going on which can only be answered by playing more. And more.

Fiction writers have some understanding of this. Game developers should have more. That they don't is why there are so few memorable openings.

I teach this stuff at SF conventions.

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Grenade - 10 months 4 days ago

I thought Fallout 3 had a really corny beginning, not helped by the bad voice acting. The actual first level was pretty lame too.

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TrIp13G - 10 months 4 days ago

Half-Life? Indeed.

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schmeidenkamp - 10 months 4 days ago

@grenade
Why was the beginning to fallout 3 corny? because there were no explosions or guys in oversized armor killing aliens?
I'm sorry, but that was one hell of a creative opening.

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golub - 10 months 4 days ago

I think you should have included God Of War II because it has the best beginning movie and 1. level I've ever seen, I mean, movie starts with you being one of the most powerful gods on Olympus, suddenly you are like a half-god and after about 20-30 min of playing you are killed by the Zeus and sent in the underworld but Gaya saves you and you are about to take revenge....
GoW fans know what I am talking about :)

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familiarrealms6 - 10 months 4 days ago

Dudes and ......mabey dudettes; final fantasy 7 should definately be no1.

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familiarrealms6 - 10 months 4 days ago

Dudes and ......mabey dudettes; final fantasy 7 should definately be no1.

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cricket0 - 10 months 4 days ago

I think the BioShock and Half-Life beginnings are the best.

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sage62 - 10 months 4 days ago

great list and all, but wheres god of war? both of them have absolutely epic beginnings, not 5 minutes in and you're already fighting the Hydra/Colossus, I was expecting it to make this list

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PapaLazarou - 10 months 4 days ago

Final Fantasy 9 opening.

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