The 10 Most UNFORGETTABLE Video Game Openings

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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're looking at the most memorable video game intros that

00:13will stick with us for years.

00:24Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring

00:28the bell to get notified about our latest videos.

00:33The Spanish Village, Resident Evil 4 When it comes to Resident Evil, Capcom usually

00:46knows how to grab your attention pretty quickly.

00:49The fourth game opens with Leon Kennedy being escorted by two zombie fighter agents while

00:53in search of the president's missing daughter.

00:56But after venturing into a small village, he's attacked by its extremely aggressive

01:00denizens.

01:01The enemies being more human, at least in this opening chapter, makes the encounter

01:06a bit more vicious as they swarm Leon with scythes, axes, and pitchforks.

01:11Of course, then the guy with the chainsaw shows up and the panic really sets in.

01:15Resident Evil 4 revolutionized the franchise's formula, and the tense intro made a fantastic

01:22first impression.

01:27The Assault on Mount Olympus, God of War 3 God of War 2 ended on a cliffhanger that its

01:40follow up more than delivered on.

01:42With the titans on his side, Kratos scaled Mount Olympus with a singular goal in mind.

01:48Kill Zeus, and anyone protecting him.

01:51It certainly made for a bombastic intro, with legions of soldiers being sent to die at the

01:55ends of Kratos' blades.

01:57But Sony really turned up the heat with the opening boss fight against Poseidon.

02:02As is befitting of the god of the sea, the battle makes for a huge, impressive set piece.

02:07The direction, the mechanics, the visuals, the music, everything hits perfectly.

02:13And it culminates in a brutal beatdown, promising that this was Kratos at his most savage.

02:22A Stormy Night, Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty.

02:30Metal Gear Solid was always at the forefront for injecting cinematic flair into its video

02:34game world.

02:35For us, it's the intro to Sons of Liberty that really nails this mentality.

02:40We see a hooded figure walk across the George Washington Bridge, before cloaking themselves

02:45and diving slo-mo onto a passing tanker.

02:48This of course is Snake, given one of the coolest character reintroductions we've

02:53ever seen.

02:54As the first entry on the brand new PS2, these visuals blew the minds of every player.

02:59More than that, navigating the tanker and taking out enemies as stealthily as possible

03:04was a strong evolution of gameplay that made the original MGS so engaging in the first place.

03:14The opening attack, Mass Effect 2.

03:18It isn't often a game opens with the death of the lead character.

03:30While out patrolling space, the Normandy and its crew are ruthlessly attacked, sending

03:35everyone running for the escape pods.

03:37Commander Shepard, the player's customizable hero, is able to get Joker to safety right

03:42before the ship is completely torn apart, then dying due to a breach in their suit.

03:47Naturally, Bioware never intended to keep Shepard dead, and they're revived two years

03:51later when the game actually begins.

03:53However, that doesn't stop this from being an impactful opening.

03:57The attack signaled a huge shift in the Mass Effect world, and got our hearts racing.

04:09The arrival of the Mongols, Ghost of Tsushima.

04:23Going into Ghost of Tsushima, you know Jin Sakai will be a lone samurai trying to rescue

04:28his home from the invading Mongols.

04:30Still, Sucker Punch made the game's inciting incident one of staggering beauty and ferocity.

04:37Things don't look good from the jump, with the unceremonious death of one Lord Adachi

04:41and Tsushima's forces vastly outnumbered.

04:44Riding our horses into the fray before going on foot, it felt like going up against an

04:48insurmountable force despite this being the tutorial.

04:52Because that's what it was.

04:53Jin's allies drop all around him, leaving him badly wounded and alone.

04:58It radicalizes him to do what's necessary for the rest of the game, while at the same

05:02time getting us excited for a blood-soaked tale of justice.

05:12The Shinra Reactor, Final Fantasy VII.

05:22The launch of the original PlayStation was a huge turning point in gaming history, being

05:27a gigantic leap forward in visuals and gameplay.

05:30This is showcased profoundly in Final Fantasy VII, right from the beginning.

05:35We watch as members of Avalanche exit a train, dealing with guards on their way to a massive

05:40reactor.

05:41The polygonal character designs and the pre-rendered backgrounds for its environment were extremely

05:45impressive at the time.

05:47Additionally, infiltrating one of Shinra's reactors to blow it up was a genuine blast

05:52from start to finish.

05:53We all knew we were looking at the next step forward in video games, and it will likely

05:57remain iconic for all time.

06:06Trainwreck, Uncharted 2 Among Thieves.

06:17Starting in media's res can risk alienating a player or viewer.

06:20Thankfully, Naughty Dog executed it flawlessly in Uncharted 2.

06:24As hero Nathan Drake comes to, we find him wounded, strapped into a train car that's

06:29dangling over a cliffside.

06:31We instantly want to know how he got there, but there's little time to think before

06:35it's time to escape.

06:36Climbing out of this wreckage is nothing if not suspenseful, forcing you to tighten your

06:41grip as Drake narrowly avoids death.

06:43With every close call and leap to safety, the camera gracefully follows to capture the

06:48fearful situation.

06:50Uncharted is known for its spectacular set pieces, and this opening remains one of its

06:55best.

07:03The Great Plateau, The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild.

07:16Among the many things Breath of the Wild was praised for was the feeling of freedom

07:20it offered players.

07:22Here was an open world game that rewarded curiosity without littering your map with

07:27icons like a glorified checklist, and its opening serves as a promise to that design.

07:32As Link awakens a century after Hyrule's fall, the outside world almost beckons you

07:37to exit and explore.

07:39This moment is one of pure art, providing a gorgeous vista of the Great Plateau and

07:44a title card drop that brought lumps to the throats of Zelda fans everywhere.

07:49It was all we could do to stop ourselves from running in every direction, so alluring was

07:54the wild of Hyrule.

08:03The Death of Innocence, The Last of Us.

08:16In one of the biggest gut punches in gaming, this opening sequence made us acutely aware

08:21of Joel's mental state heading into The Last of Us.

08:24It begins innocently enough, with the protagonist meekly celebrating his birthday with his daughter.

08:30Of course, then all hell breaks loose, with the Cordyceps fungus infecting most people

08:34on the planet.

08:36As Sarah, it's completely harrowing as Joel and his brother Tommy try to reach safety,

08:41which goes about as south as it can.

08:43The transition to playing as Joel following a car crash throws you into the action as

08:47the infected swarm.

08:49Tragically, a soldier's orders lead to Sarah's death, and as she takes her last breath in

08:54Joel's arms, it's hard not to be impressed by the stunning writing, direction, and acting

09:00here.

09:05I Chose Rapture, Bioshock It's remarkable that all these years later,

09:19this sequence still gives us goosebumps.

09:22Features begin on a plane mid-flight, before waking in the ocean after its crash.

09:26With nothing but a lighthouse around you, you're naturally drawn inside, where a giant,

09:31golden bust of one Andrew Ryan greets you.

09:34Descending into the sea below, a recording of Ryan tells you his dream of an underwater

09:39utopia, before the curtain is pulled back, revealing Rapture in all its corrupt glory.

09:44In one haunting sequence, the villain and setting are beautifully introduced, making

09:49us crave more information on both of them.

09:52And as we step into the city, with its inhabitants promising violence and fear, it's apparent

09:57that you've begun something special.

10:03What video game has your favorite opening?

10:17Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great

10:21gaming videos every day.

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