7 Most Kick-Ass Intro Cinematics That Didn’t Need to Go This Hard

[@andyv8624]

The Borderlands 1 intro. The sketches and narration by Marcus build up Pandora even before we see it, and then Cage the Elephant starts playing and sets the mood for the entire franchise.

[@cyberpersephone]

Honestly, all the Borderlands openings are pretty great.

[@jefi1298]

Yeah the first Borderlands intro is better than the entire game haha

[@TheROOTminus1]

I think BL2 intro goes harder, but the original struck a better balance between exposition, gritty visual tone, and the humour

[@thumper5555]

So, you want to hear a story, eh?

[@BlackRedDead1943]

@@jefi1298 well, atmosphericly, sadly yes - but you have to admit it has it's fine moments, inbetween traveling these literal borderlands - can't say the title wasn't accurate tho xP B2 on the other hand had a disapointing intro, but again great music choice, and is by far the better game of the two! (tho i miss atlas weapons *teardrop*)

[@RavenGrave113]

"And then Shulk from Fire Emblem gets a premonition" I have never seen Luke so gleefully toss out a hand grenade XD

[@greenhydra10]

I genuinely had to do a double take on that. >:|

[@boobah5643]

@@greenhydra10 Who'd have thunk that a lesser-known character with a sword was _not_ from _Fire Emblem?_ Sure, the lack of high fantasy-style clothes _might_ have been a clue, but...

[@liamnehren1054]

The worst part is that while he is only in one game@@boobah5643 that game has been getting the Chrono Trigger treatment and was remastered on the next console! kind of shows how popular it was. I have heard it rated as one of the most popular Wii games and the Wii won that generation of the console wars hands down.

[@FelisImpurrator]

We do a little trolling.

[@randomcuttlefish6778]

Yeah, that’s Mike’s job.

[@FredCDobbs-rd5wi]

The intro to Bioshock revealing Rapture was pretty awesome. Maybe it doesn't count because you had to enter the Bathysphere first? Still pretty cool.

[@joels5150]

BioShock’s actual cinematic trailer is a first person perspective of a Splicer fighting a Big Daddy. They use the bee attack, and it goes about as well as you’d expect.

[@phantomeyebrow]

That was the first thing that came to mind for me as well. Soo atmospheric.

[@amyjojello2040]

"That was so dirty, I appear to have dropped out of frame....There we are" was so deadpan I choked on my spit 💀

[@ferd617]

Me too! I also choked on your spit. ...I now have many questions.

[@ToastierJet3082]

Mass Effect's opening cutscene will forever give me goosebumps. The swelling music, the character reveal, the mystery and intrigue. The entire opening act of that game is absolutely perfect.

[@Vexsent]

Honourable mention to Kingdoms of Amalur's opening scene (plus character creation, dumping you in a corpse pit), and no, this isn't Ellen's alt account.

[@DarylVanHumbeck]

Hmm. But are you *sure* it's not Ellen's alt account? (presses X to doubt)

[@raikensmasher]

that's what ellen would say

[@aardbei54]

Alyn's voice over the events in Alabastra that started it all is just... so good. Really sets the tone for the Crystal War and everything that's going on in Amalur. And it's made even better by the fact that, once you've beaten the game, you realise that the opening narration was only *the first half* of the cutscene

[@GinsuChikara]

That's exactly what Ellen's alt account would say

[@bencoomer2000]

Ellen's alt account would say that...

[@weedo3]

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was awesome with Letho icing those guys on the boat. "Icing", get it?

[@DemoncF]

The Witcher 1's opening cutscene is still one of my favorites of all time. And it works as a standalone piece as it just recaps the first story in The Last Wish, which is referenced later in the game but not depicted as it happened prior to the opening.

[@errolhardy1865]

Damn beat me to it

[@PileOfStones]

As cool as that scene was, you need to chill out with the heavy handed pun.

[@Cudddlefish]

No. Could you please explain it to me?

[@kireta21]

@@DemoncF it was so good, Vader used it in official promo video for "Sword of the Witcher"

[@scottskene8387]

Star Wars: The Old Republic. Any of the three intro cinematics (Decieved, the game intro, Hope, the Republic intro, or Return, the Empire intro). I watched them on repeat at launch and still go back to them now. Pure spectacle that can't help but get you pumped

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

They don’t play in game anymore :(

[@Broll00]

Agreed. I still go back and watch those some times.

[@mistformsquirrel]

They really are good. Also honestly the cinematic for the Zakuul expansion is also stellar imo.

[@kindridkin]

I wish there was a way to bump up comments .

[@abraxix]

The tossed lightsaber deflection...my god i must have watched that a thousand times.

[@Kuitehkui]

Not seeing the Dawn of War 1 intro here is mind boggling to me, really high quality opening that just lives in my head rent free to this day, and also in my local games workshop where it just plays every now and then along with the games soundtrack

[@Darth-marmite]

This needs to be in the commenter video of this topic. That opening cinematic will always have my vote for the top spot.

[@nathanmisener3328]

Came here to add this!

[@kidkamando]

Hellgate London's intro also went very hard. But, yeah, still love the DoW1 intro.

[@kittinplus4]

Yes! A thousand times yes!

[@Mister_Immersion]

The witcher 3 wild hunt intro really sticks out to me aswell! I can actually talk along with the old mans speech. Such perfect worldbuilding and storytelling! "I see you gather before me..."

[@fredbyoutubing]

Hold on, I was thinking of the intro cinematic with Geralt and Vessimir retracing Yennifer's steps on a battlefield. The music alone didn't need to go this hard. But I'm glad it did.

[@alastorcorvus]

All three witcher games have amazing intro cinematics, the first one has that recreation of the battle between Geralt and the Striga from the books, even better than the show (which was ok, at least the first season). my favourite is the second one, tho. The ambience, the music, the spectacle and opulence, just to see how the snake slithers into the boat, pulls a 5D chess move and freezes the entire thing with Blizzard, proceeds to take them down one by one in the most amazing and badass way possible. Leto is the GOAT.

[@joost0133]

The Witcher 2 also has a kick-ass opening. It's he only part of the game my potato laptop was able to run.

[@ACchappo]

The WiiFit trainer getting vaporised mid-routine absolutely killed me

[@speckle2592]

It's Snake just sitting there in the box that gets me

[@BenMarcWilliams]

It killed her, too.

[@Alsebra]

"...and whatever these blue cats are!" - Lucario (based on Anubis, so jackal/wolf-ish) and Greninja (a frog) appear Um, Luke...?

[@JustCamW03]

Does no one remember borderlands, God that intro always gets me hyped to play that game

[@PanAndScanBuddy]

Especially 2

[@xTyler118x]

The first 2 definitely had incredible openings

[@knightx6263]

Yeah, Borderlands wins for me

[@boxinabox23]

Ain't no place for a hero!

[@matthew_natividad]

So? You want to hear a story huh?

[@kristynamccullough2230]

The opening of Dragon Age Origins remains my absolute favorite opening

[@graywonderer4005]

Was looking for this reply!

[@szaql000]

YES, I was about to mention it as well, thank you!

[@Shirafune161]

YES, thank you! The music especially still lives in my head rent free

[@donavancampbell6658]

Came here to mention it too! The second one had an amazing one also.

[@nickchalmers609]

1:54 that freaking intro, the snow, the wrinkles on the dwarf's face, the roar of the bear all the way to the ending blow by the tauren. All memorized in my head since i was a kid and my stepfather used to disconnect the internet while i was on WoW, since i couldn't play i just sat there and watched the three trailers of Wow, burning crusade and wotlk. Masterpiece

[@KeyWiteWolf]

Agreed. Ah, the cinimatics of WoW's glory days. Still, my favorite part of all those original 3 trailers was "You are not prepared". If you know, you know.

[@night_owl365]

The Wrath of the Lich king Warcraft trailer. OMG I played this over and over. I'll never forget it.

[@thefriendlyknight]

For a non AAA game, Darkest Dungeon(2016) has a fantastic intro. Any player can remember the voice of Wayne June and recite "Ruin has come to our family. You remember our venerable house, opulent and imerial, gazing proudly from it's stoic perch above the moor..."

[@CodecrafterArtemis]

"Our every step unsettled the ancient earth... Hideous, rotten aggressors assailed us from the shadows... We drew whatever strength we could from our companionship... But we were in the realm of Death and Madness! In the end, I alone fled, laughing and wailing, through these blackened arcades of antiquity. Until consciousness failed me. You remember our venerable house? Opulent and imperial... It is a festering abomination!"

[@Mahabajaba]

Wayne June is still my Dota 2 in game announcer of choice (sometimes Glados). "Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer" is such a good line.

[@dadab22]

Absolutely

[@alastorcorvus]

@@Mahabajaba All the combat commentary are cool af, specially with June's voice. “Many fall in the face of chaos, but not this one. Not today.” “Injury and despondence set the stage for heroism or cowardice.” “Slowly, gently, this is how life is taken.”

[@EvelynMadisonFaust]

"Final Fantasy 8" and "Kingdom Hearts 2" also had openings that went WAY harder than was necessary.

[@Joe90h]

My disc 1 of FF8, when being read in a PS1, used to stutter horrifically (It was fine in a PS2, for whatever reason). I'm not kidding, I had to leave the game running for 2 hours to get through the opening cutscene the last time I remember trying to run it on its original hardware. I ended up loaning the game to a girl I liked, forgetting about it, and then nearly ten years later a friend of mine ends up dating her and she gives it back to me when we're out for drinks one day.

[@4mobius280]

That’s one heck of a story

[@xylamaraliagiba5922]

Most of the Kingdom Hearts openings go pretty hard, but KH2 and Birth By Sleep probably go the hardest.

[@jembozaba4864]

KH2 and 3 have the best openings to me. But 0.8 had the best remix of Simple and Clean. The ray of hope remix is amazing @@xylamaraliagiba5922

[@Reavyn1]

I was hoping FF8 would be on this list. I still occasionally watch all of the FF8 cinematics.

[@Shakey92]

Dawn of War had an epic intro. It was the first I remember blowing me away

[@awmperry]

One of those that still holds up. Arguably one of the best ever.

[@marneus90]

Absolutely! It had no right to go as hard as it did. Although the sound tactical planning of the noble astartes does quite go out the window as soon as their chest high wall is turned into so much rubble

[@scorpix96]

I particularly like the DoW II one with the introduction of the Tyrannids

[@PileOfStones]

So blown away in fact your second sentence has poor grammar!

[@al137]

A yes, that was the day my very expensive addiction started.

[@moonlytedemon5426]

The multiple intro cinematics from Star Wars: The Old Republic, but especially 'Return'

[@ashr6109]

I gotta say, the opening to Dragon age origins is truly epic. It kickstarted my love for bioware.

[@mistydolphin2524]

Worthy of a spot on this list in my eyes: Final Fantasy 8. Just listen to that music and those haunting lyrics. And that cutscene? The icing on top. I dare anyone to watch that cutscene and try to tell me with a straight face that it doesn't send a chill up your spine. Go ahead, I'll wait.

[@mathsalot8099]

It's not just worthy of an honorable mention, it is demonstrably superior to FF7 in graphics, music, tone, etc. Plus the fact that both FF7 and FF8 were on the SAME GEN SYSTEM (OG Play Station), the difference is even more striking!

[@dark14life]

I remember the first time I played that game back in 2000 on PC. The cinematics were wild for the time. I still get chills when I fire that game up from time to time.

[@alexmorgan6672]

This comment should be higher, it blows ff7 out the water

[@Delphineas]

@@alexmorgan6672 FF7 fanwankery gets this video a downvote. If talking about FMVs 8 should have been on the list, or maybe even 9. Not 7.

[@wavion2]

It's the fully-orchestrated music (with choir) that made it so special for the time. We were used to midi-type music, and this was a holy sh*t moment. The video itself looked amazing and gets you hyped to play the game, but it's just a collection of moments from the game you're about to play, not a proper intro on its own. It's like something that would play on a loop on an arcade game to get people to walk up in put some quarters in it. In fact, it does exactly that if you don't start the game right away. That's why I think it's great, but I wouldn't rank it as high as VII or X, or XII.

[@hozz1014]

Diablo 2. It sets the story in such an incredible way and gets you pumped for re-un-aliving the undead and sending demons back to the fiery pits that spawned them.

[@nispelsm]

All of the cinematics in that game were awesome. The atmosphere, the buildup, and the payoff at the end cinematic was just inspired.

[@Tolly7249]

Final Fantasy XIV's 'A Realm Reborn' intro. Bahamut swooping across the battlefield is absolutely unsurpassed in giving a true feeling of SCALE to the terrifying summon, and the way it transitions from Loiusoux's resigned yet content smile to characters exploring the reborn world is fantastic in every way.

[@Folicanis]

I was just about to say like all of FFXIV's cinematics are *chef's kiss*

[@tejatheslayer1586]

Heavensward my personal favorite, combined with the music just chills

[@Tolly7249]

@@tejatheslayer1586 Heavensward is so atmospheric, I love it. Honestly they're all amazing and go incredibly hard.

[@khaeilyn2000]

Final Fantasy intros never cease to make me cry. Even to this day, 15 years or so after I originally played it, FF3 Remake's intro still draws tears. FF FMVs are just on a different level, man...

[@Acradius]

Oh but Shadowbringers though 🥴 Seriously, they're all good. 1.0 has to be the weakest, but even that's pretty.

[@ianwoodwick964]

The Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 intro is a core childhood memory. Ray Wise is a treasure

[@cocodojo]

It didn't hurt that they had such a memorable theme just marching along in the background! sometimes, you just wanna boot up C&C: Red Alert for that Hell March to get you pumped for some hours of RTS fun.

[@tranquility1991]

I wasn't expecting the genius bit of physical comedy that was Luke popping back up into frame like a startled meerkat. Bravo

[@uredbulldawg]

The first game that came to mind was Borderlands. The sketch drawing intro with Marcus does an excellent job of describing to you how the world works and what your motivation is, while the following character intro cinematic accompanied by Cage the Elephant’s “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” truly sets the tone for the hours upon hours of dark humor and general badassery that is to follow from the moment that unassuming skag gets absolutely obliterated by Marcus’s bus to the moment the title shows and said skag’s carcass smacks into the camera.

[@ianburt2290]

I mostly agree with you, because the BL1 intro set the tone for the entire series and it really is the most iconic, I think the BL2 intro is better in almost every way. The pacing, the music, the storytelling through visuals. It just comes together in a way that's leagues better than the other three games. But the BL1 intro will always have a place in my heart as the reason the whole franchise really exists today.

[@LaNextNotchPoisonoak]

@@ianburt2290I agree. Borderlands 2 is one of the few games I don't get tired of playing. It should show since I bought it on ps4, xbox one, switch, and if I had a pc, I would buy it on there too.

[@spookyshran5274]

baldur's gate 3 has an absolutely stellar intro cinematic, enthralls me every time

[@sterling7]

My daughter showed me the "World of Light" cinematic when it first previewed, and I said: "Holy... KIRBY is the canon hero?!" ...So awesome. Love Kirby.

[@Maleketh42]

The more you know about Kirby, the less surprising it is that he's the lone survivor.

[@loganhagen5754]

Kirby, eldritch abomination in a cuddly package.

[@maileesaeya3614]

Just to add to Kirby's awesomeness there: Kirby was on the cliffside with everyone else just before the shit hit the fan. When next we see him riding the Warp Star, he's right next to Galeem as he runs away. This implies that Kirby's initial reaction wasn't to flee, but to try and CHARGE Galeem down.

[@nowhereman6360]

How else can Kirby satiate his intense thirst for the ultimate power. ^^ @@maileesaeya3614

[@michaell7778]

Legend of Dragoon really deserves a spot on this list. All of its cutscenes are insane but that opener hits hard every single time.

[@michaelcross7665]

I didn't think anyone else would mention this one! I booted it up a couple years ago and was blown away by how well that had aged

[@dadab22]

Warhammer 40k: Mechanicus. That dialog, the sound design, the imagery...it shook me first time I saw, and there is an excellent reason why it is often used as the introduction of an entire warhammer faction/culture to new players.

[@IceLordUlmo]

I was going to say W40k: Space Marine, that intro slaps

[@dakilleas]

All of the red alert games have excellent intros. Though red alert two will always be my favourite

[@marneus90]

Oh huge agree, Hell March 2 is still the best iteration of the song imo

[@thebumpercar1344]

Red Alert 2 has the best rendition of "New York City is invaded by the bad guys" I have ever seen in a video game.

[@hoabinhnguyen8839]

All of the Star Wars: The Old Republic intros are absolutely gorgeous if a little misleading. It was one of the only times I got to see what the Jedi and the Sith would be like duking it out in large numbers instead of just 2-3 person duels.

[@armelior4610]

Never played a second of the MMO, but those are better than any of the star wars movies we had since

[@Grimrapings]

The SWTOR intro cinematics are absolutely fantastic. Every time I see them I have an urge to re-play the game!

[@alalalala57]

​@@Grimrapings Ugh, fine I'll re-download the game already damn it.

[@danamaniac66]

Twilight Princess' intro cutscene gets me hyped every single time, that wolf howl fading into the title drop *chef's kiss*

[@Folicanis]

Omg I was gonna say the cinematic that plays with the orchestral piece, LOVE THAT

[@KingCarnage754]

Final Fantasy X is one of my favorites, the rock music was great and the cutscene actually managed to make blitzball look cool

[@zJoriz]

The 'special' effects at the end were much appreciated. Thanks James.

[@calebroberson7264]

Don’t forget about Kingdom Hearts. In almost all of their games the intro is always amazing. My personal favorite is Kingdom Hearts 3’s “Face My Fears” it is a beautiful song and got me hyped for the game.

[@PileOfStones]

When you walk away

[@Martyn_Wolf]

Sanctuary will always be the best KH song

[@toslofo]

It's a lot newer than the entries on this list,but the opening cinematic to Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the most beautiful opening cinematics I've ever seen! Instantly drew me in and made me excited to be a part of this world

[@ColinKillick]

I was coming to see the same, it's absolutely stunning and does a great job of underlining just how cosmic the stakes of the conflict you've been thrust into the middle of are.

[@MintyCoolness]

Even the Wilhelm scream didn't subtract from how sumptuous the intro was~

[@persephoneunderground845]

Yep, I watch the whole thing every time I start a new game.

[@philiphunn194]

Horizon Zero Dawn introducing the player to a world full of robot dinosaurs by having Aloy's adoptive dad Rost show her a field of Thunderjaws, Tallnecks and other huge machines was jaw-dropping.

[@MonoRoja]

The fact that the Chrono Cross opening cinematic isn't on this list is criminal. I watched that thing every time I started the game. I never skipped it-it was that good. And even from the PS1 Era, it still holds up.

[@Jaquille12]

Soul Blade/Edge intro. The music,the characters,the hype. It's all perfect for an opening.

[@ofmanynicknames]

For us older folks, the intro movie to Mechwarrior 2 was an absolute mind-blower. That level of dramatic FMV was often the first time one of us had seen such cinematic special effects work on a computer. The original Diablo also goes up there.

[@JR-tl5cr]

Finally I was looking for this comment I still remember how amazing the opening cut screen was. It absolutely blew me away back in the day.

[@beesforbreakfast]

Oh, MW2, you are missed (primarily because I blew out all my heat sinks and am now taking panicked potshots whilst backpedaling to safety)

[@VixenIcaza]

"We are Jade Falcon, greatest amongst the clans" I still have a love for my beloved clan JF. So much so that I paid for a character of my own to be added to the Clan during the 1st Battletech kickstarter.

[@TheWindwall]

I was there, Gandalf…. I was there 3000 years ago…..

[@nmelv170]

MW2 Mercs

[@DanGod07]

The intro for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is one of the best I've seen. I can still quote it to this day.

[@JWest8606]

Came here to say this one. Such a phenomenal introduction to that version of Nosgoth. I'm also gonna echo other people in saying Final Fantasy 8. Blew my mind when I was a kid.

[@angelshade00]

Kain is deified. The Clans tell tales of him. And that music. Ozar Midrashim is one of the best pieces of video game music ever made.

[@TheLogicKitty]

Yessss!

[@stuarttaylor7503]

Yes! 100%

[@gundamheavyarms4879]

I love the Legacy of Kain series. I hope we get a remake someday!

[@chrishill4883]

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion was my favourite intro cinematic; Part trailer, part scene setting. Patrick Stewarts Dulcet tones applying suitable Gravitas... It was also my first Bethesda game. Sucked me right in before the game had even started.

[@James__V]

Was going to post this one but you beat me to it and put it better than I’d have done!

[@Moroklumpen]

My personal favorite is good old Full Throttle (1995). It sets the tone perfectly, establishes its S tier villain with music that I still listen to every now and then. A true classic.

[@ericement6568]

Warcraft 3 intro should definetely be on this list. And, as an old-timer, the intro from KKnD is something i will always remember; Mechwarrior 2 intro was also a thing to behold at the time

[@IrideaeSnowbloom]

I kinda like the KKnD2: Krossfire opening better, but I concur that it's pretty awesome!

[@jimbo130406]

It's been said but for me FF8 stands out, from the music to the fight between Squall and Seifer...it was really graphically impressive when it first came out too

[@SebasTian58323]

Final fantasy VIII has an amazingly beautiful intro that sets up the story and the characters so well, and actually blew my with its beauty when I first saw it.

[@Jskierka2295]

And let’s not forget the song. Liberi Fatali is easily one of Nobuo Uematsu’s best tracks

[@xstarsystemsx]

Definitely. I kept rewatching it a lot.

[@SebasTian58323]

@@Jskierka2295 yeah, it matches the cinematic so perfectly as well

[@valetboy21]

For the longest time FF VIII was THE gold standard that I measured other games intros against. The fact it was on the same console as the one they chose for this list is nearly unbelievable.

[@SebasTian58323]

@@valetboy21 the glow up between games was crazy

[@FistOfFiori]

Dragon Age Origins had a fantastic scene setting intro - The Darkspawn in the Deep Roads looking like a horde of LOTR orcs, the Grey Wardens made up of Humans, Dwarves, and Elves fighting them, our mentor character Duncan kicking Darkspawn *rse at the end of it with an ominous warning of a new blight. Awesome.

[@1Holbytla]

😂”… consumed!… consumed!… consumed!…” and Lucario and Greninja being referred to as “…whatever these blue cats are!..” made me Lol 😂👍

[@gascon861]

At 12:28 the woman who is on a video call in the laptop in the cinematic turns around in her own room in front of the camera to tell off the guy who's standing behind the laptop 😄

[@bobsmith7066]

I’m surprised that the intros to Civilization 5 & 6 didn’t make the cut. I always thought they did an excellent job of showing what the player imagined was happening. You might only move units and watch turn timers tick down, but the intro turns that into viking warriors sailing to unknown shores, traders traveling half the world to arrive at distant lands, knights charging into battle, fighter pilots engaged in hectic dogfights, and astronauts launching into space. Plus, the intro movies just look nice and are narrated well.

[@nvh119]

UNA VOLTA CHE ARAIII

[@SouthernSouthAsian]

Loved with Civ4 wit Baba Yetu!

[@that1jamo]

Resident Evil 2 had an amazing cinematic opening that i think is even memeable nowdays. Leon/Claire getting into town, shortly after that, a truck driver knocking a zombie through a window bleeding and saying, "That guys a maniac. Why'd he bite me!?" Then finally, the tension kicks up from there making it one of my best/scariest childhood memories.

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

You gotta love a down to earth guy who gets bitten by what he presumes to just be a crazy hobo and just carries on with his blue collar job. "Should I maybe get to a hospital? Nah. It'll hold until I deliver these refrigerators."

[@jodinsan]

Parasite Eve will forever be that intro for me. From the slices of cutscenes within the game, to the perfectly 90s hard rock music punctuated with piano of all things, this intro absolutely _blew my mind_ back in the day. In fact, I have to go look it up again just for a refresh. ......ahhhh yeah that's the stuff.

[@idontwanna1316]

100% What a game too! Thought provoking, and the backgrounds were gorgeous for the time.

[@DrgnDrake]

Parasite Eve was an incredible game.

[@FooMantis]

I do so love the fallout intro lines. Thanks, Tim Cain!

[@NeverlandSystemPixie]

Honestly, the first time I saw the opening for Fallout 3 (my FIRST Fallout game) it gave me chills... and the very sudden change in tone of literally being born and first game play a quirky birthday party to the dull G.O.A.T thing to the sudden violent chaos of leaving the vault... was so wonderfully jarring for the game that was to come. That was a masterpiece of an opening...

[@PsychoSavager289]

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. For a PS1-era game, it still looks amazing, the title track Ozar Midrashim sets the tone of the world perfectly and Raziel's narration (expertly done by Michael Bell) gives you just enough story to pull you in.

[@zeldrath_]

That piece goes hard. I still listen to it often.

[@craigevans4694]

The music, the story it tells. Everything is awesome about it.. Cast him in!

[@PLightstar]

This!

[@freaknr1]

I was hoping to see Soul Reaver mentioned. I can still resite Raziels monologue to this day! From him saying "Kain was deified" to The Elder Gods "Raziel... You are worthy."

[@LordNerdhaevyn]

Classically-trained voice actors like Tony Jay, a complex narrative from the mind of Amy Hennig (Uncharted, anyone?), and a heavy Gothic fusion soundtrack? One of gaming's iconic masterpieces!

[@AndrewsYoutube]

The dog attack in the opening movie to the first 'Resident Evil' game will always stay with me. Especially true if you can find the unedited version.

[@brentage5000]

Surprised there wasn't a spot for Mass Effect 2. Kicking off with Illusive Martin Sheen and Miranda judging your performance in part 1 and then transitioning hard to the Normandy getting vaporized in a Collector attack that ends in your death before we even get a title card, ME2 did _not_ mess around with telling you what you were in for.

[@officialmikeg8000]

Feel like you could make an entire list of just Final Fantasy intros. But for my money the one that goes Hardest is Final Fantasy VIII, where 7's intro is fantastic and gives you a wonderous sense of scale of the city, FF8 is just all kinds of over the top, the visuals, transitions and score let you know you're in for one hell of a ride. Think about this intro all the time.

[@andrewbarr4930]

Yea I was surprised they went with ff7 over ff8

[@MikesPortugal-zm4oy]

I don't remember the intos exactly but I know I loved every single cut scene in driver's 1 and 2 for the ps1. They were able to make a game where at first you couldn't even get out of your car interesting

[@johnnyt7067]

The opening cinematic to Fable 2 is one of the most impressive I have seen. I was at uni when I saw it and my mate had been telling me about this game I didn’t know. When he finally got a copy and we played it together, that opening sequence into seamless gameplay was just jaw dropping for the time.

[@Eeveefall]

One of my favorite intros to a game ever was from FF12. It was amazing to see the lore happen so cinematically and sets up a really emotional and politically intriguing world. Then you're like oh damn I'm an orphan with dreams, I want to see this to the end.

[@silverwyhrecat5]

I love the intro to FF12. HOLY CRAP. I've never finished the game, but like, that intro has been seared into my memory even years after the last time I touched a PS2.

[@laterkater4213]

The year was 1997. I was 12 and just started a new game. The camera zooms across a desolate and dusty ancient ruin and pans down to an ancient skeleton with a helmet and a sword through its ribcage. Then suddenly a transition! We see the sword in the hand of the man who once wielded it, charging into battle. A massive conflict. Many die. Bodies litter the battlefield. And we fade back into what must be the present moment, the old skeleton with the sword and helmet. The camera pans up and reveals, etched in stone, Age of Empires. I've never forgotten it.

[@EldritchCypher]

Literally any Onimusha intro or near end cutscene blew my mind when I was a kid. The first being such a new revolution of style to me.

[@EER_87]

How 3s wasn't on this list I don't know. It's a crime.

[@Nolascana]

Yes! Onimusha3 was mind blowing the first time I saw it. The scale was just, larger than anything I'd ever seen. They re released the first game on ps4 years ago still waiting on 2 and 3 😢

[@Ball1501]

This! Onimusha 3's intro cutscene was just mind-blowing for teenage me. Made me buy the game, and I still love it to this day.

[@terminus9619]

Any list like this is incomplete without the original Dawn of War Cinematic. It perfectly encapsulates both the game, and the greater Warhammer 40k universe. Cinematic bliss.

[@desmofan1864]

Blizz cinematics were always sick. All of the SC2 intros were brilliant, too.

[@bwarrent]

Star Craft: Brood War intro is the GOAT.

[@DetectiveLance]

The intro for Heart of the Swarm was f*cking terrifying.

[@129das]

right the whole list could have been blizzard games now that I think about it.

[@FireallyXTheories]

StarCraft 2 Wings of Liberty is my favorite one. I can't look back at the SC1 cinematics without laughing my head off; they've just aged so poorly (I love you, Sarge). But Tychus and Mengsk, man. I never not get chills. "Make no mistake. War is coming. With all its glory. And all its horror. Mr. Findley, your freedom awaits." "It's about time" Setting up the game, its stakes, and its characters in one fell swoop. (And also letting old fans say the same thing as Tychus) Heck, even Reclamation in Legacy of the Void was fantastic. Nothing else highlights Artanis's strengths as a leader, the loyalty his soldiers feel he earned, and the history of their culture so well. Sadly, it isn't put in the game itself because it wasn't the full budget cinematic, but it is the cutscene that makes the cinematic matter, because now you know exactly who is leading the charge and what his fate is. ~~And then they ruined it with the epilogue, but shh...~~

[@anubislover8989]

Who else expected Mike to show up to pull Luke off-screen when he started reading that list? Careful insulting those car enthusiasts, Luke. 😂

[@RLplusabunchofdumbnumbers]

I 100% thought that was the bit and was honestly a little disappointed it wasn't. At least a "Mike's not here" from off camera followed by a "Oh, nevermind then." would have been great.

[@LordHammer33]

Luke is one of those car enthusiasts himself though

[@mitigatedrisk4264]

"Shulk from Fire Emblem" How dare you

[@Joey-se1mk]

Honestly, I ain't even mad, that's just funny and reminds me of Rogersbase shouting Fire Emblem at Xenoblade 3's reveal trailer before he saw the mechs.

[@mitigatedrisk4264]

@@Joey-se1mk nor I. Twas a good gag.

[@Monkeyzforever]

Was wondering if there'd be any comments about this 😂 Given the later line about blue cats I'm assuming it was deliberate

[@thenonexistinghero]

@@Joey-se1mk None of the Xenoblade games even remotely look anything like Fire Emblem.

[@Joey-se1mk]

@@thenonexistinghero I didn't say that, I was talking about Rogersbase's little confused moment.

[@faithslayer2731]

The hellgate London trailer and game intros were so good! Someone has put them through the 8k process so they still look amazing!

[@KHShadowGamer45]

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance had an amazing intro with Raiden talking to the Prime Minister then all hell breaking loose when Jetstream Sam starts slicing things up being the badass that he is.

[@Vormulac1]

Mechwarrior 2 intro back in the mid 90's was epic. As someone who had played the tabletop game as a kid, seeing it loudly and violently appear on screen was glorious.

[@randomjimmystuff9862]

Ai. And mechwarrior 2 mercenaries.

[@grankmisguided]

Yep, +1 to that. MW2 was one intro cinematic I never, ever skipped as a kid. And I also agree that MW2 Mercenaries had a great one as well. I also enjoyed the Quake 2 cinematic, which was very Starship Troopers (the book more than the movie but yeah)

[@Machtyn]

The great thing is someone has uploaded it to youtube and it can be watched again. (Which I did this morning.) Very impactful.

[@Atlas3060]

HBS' Battletech intro was great too, a good way to briefly show new folks why this series has so many fans. The music, the scenes, for such a basic video it showed off pretty good emotions.

[@TheCreativeKobold]

Chrono Cross. Probably the best "trailer" type intro I've seen in any game, set to just one of the best melodies in game music history! Also the intro cinematic to Return to Castle Wolfenstein was just amazing!

[@bwarrent]

The intro cinematic to Star Craft: Brood war has stuck with me for 25 years. It hits so hard. Just incredible.

[@ridleycougar]

I'll never forget my first time watching the opening cinematic for Warhammer 40k's Dawn of War. It's short and sweet but graphically outstanding and really sets the tone for the universe as it was my first exposure to it.

[@trevortorres3676]

The intro For Age of Mythology was insane and awesome

[@groovatron3k454]

The intro to "Parasite Eve" blew me away back in the day. The beautiful graphics and music are gorgeous and set up the tone of the game perfectly

[@alexcurtis6180]

Elden Ring and Baldur's Gate 3 both recently left my jaw on the floor with their opening cinematics. I suppose I should expect nothing less from FromSoft, but BG3's near photorealistic presentation was absolutely stunning

[@elijahemerson920]

Wasn’t Elden Ring’s opening cinematic just a slideshow and a list?

[@Childofbhaal]

@@elijahemerson920Yeah but it was still epic

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

If only they made a decent game that respected the lore with BG3. It gets basic Forgotten Realms concepts entirely wrong to the point you wonder if it was actually a different game that got reskinned. Illithids implanting a Parasite to make you an Illithids? The fuck is that about? That's not how Illithids work and would be considered sacrilege to an Illithid if you suggested they were once a lesser race. They are damn near a Hive Mind with a Mother Brain that requires slaves, usually elves, to massage it continuously. Drizzt Du'Urden became such a slave in one of his books.

[@daviddaugherty2816]

​@@justinlast2lastharder749 5e lore. It's certainly... a choice sometimes.

[@Tonyrole]

The opening cinematics for Borderlands 1 and 2? Playing Cage the Elephant was top notch hype

[@tretretre1111]

Definitely. The song from 2 is still stuck in my head, years later.

[@Matthew-pd4zx]

For your consideration, for commenter edition... Final Fantasy X intro cinematic, where "Otherworld" plays and cuts between Tidus' blitzball game, Auron being cool, and Sin's attack. It's short and technically not much happens but the opening to Metal Gear Solid 2 [Substance] when Snake is walking along the bridge, at night, in the rain, and jumps down and you get the cool effect of the Stealth Camo malfunctioning. So cinematic. Oh, also shout out to the cinematic from the original Assassin's Creed.

[@maxwell_fox]

Final Fantasy 14 Cinematic Intro Part 1 and the secret Part 2!! It's dramatic, epic as hell for an MMO 10 years ago. The Intro makes you wanna go out there and explore the world. 🎉

[@grandlancer]

Star Wars: The Old Republic has one of the best opening cinematics (and the 4th best Star Wars movie when pieced together with its subsequent trailers) I'm going to go rewatch it now. On a personal note the second one that came to my mind was the intro to Chrono Cross.

[@AK.Carcajou]

This! They’re still one of my favorite nostalgia videos to rewatch. I remember being so sad when the game looked the way it did compared to those videos😂

[@KaiserZERO]

I was there when they remastered the cinematics and released the newest one. The best part of the Legacy of the Sith cinematic was that it was taking place *WHILE* the players were doing the mission.

[@Genesis3Chi]

Dungeon Keeper or Oblivion will always win opening cinematics for me. The music and tone of each are just superb

[@Forestmarko]

20 years old and it still sends shivers down my spine.. shame blizz became activision years later

[@xXDeadlyPixelXx]

Final Fantasy X intro. It was my first Final Fantasy game and the intro cinematic on the PS2 was incredible and further enhanced by the song Otherworld. Although it didn’t help to set the expectation for the rest of the game, its effect to hype up the game certainly worked on me.

[@RobotikBeats]

Soul Blade/Edge on PSX. Namco was brilliant at pre-rendered cutscenes back then, plus the music is absolutely sublime. On a sidenote, Moon Over The Castle from the Japanese GT intro goes WAY harder than the other countries IMHO.

[@JT_Lich]

The Baldur's Gate 3 opening cinematics before and after character creation were epic

[@m0use253]

Final Fantasy 10 with its heavy metal rock intro, borderlands with its song ain't no place for no hero, and parasite eve with the opera and people catching on fire! Those games got me hyped 2 seconds in.

[@silverwyhrecat5]

I remember my first reaction to FFX as a ten year old. Instant love because of blitzball because of that opening cinematic.

[@m0use253]

@@silverwyhrecat5 Well doing the "how old was I" math is always fun. I was 12. 😆 The rock ballet with blitz ball plus Auron staring down sin took my breath away. You knew shii was about to go down. I remembered playing FF7/FF8/FF9 but none of them had the punch that FF10 intro had.

[@stevenferno]

That was the gold standard that I held all games to and I still think it looks great.@@silverwyhrecat5

[@bonnecherie]

Final Fantasy X was a great way to introduce what the PS2 was capable of. The music, the visuals, everything about it was 🤌

[@hansliss]

I agree with others about Mechwarrior 2. But also, Oblivion's intro is one of the best ever. And if you were lucky enough to see the original Myst intro on a Mac with the correct audio synchronization (the book is supposed to hit the ground exactly on the final note), that's also among the best.

[@Nynzy]

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - that intro cinematic is what convinced me to give the game another chance, and was an incredible spectacle combined with one of the best pieces of music ever made in Answers~ EDIT: Also would like to add the cinematics for Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void, I am partial to the former myself, but they are both incredibly epic!~

[@Dapperhippie]

Bioshock. The very beginning of the game is you surviving a plane crash. Taken to an underwater city through a weird pod thing. And ends with one of those tweakers trying to break into the pod and kill you. When I first played this game, I was NOT READY FOR ALL THAT!

[@cohenb18]

A little disappointed that the intro cinematic for FInal Fantasy VIII isn't on this list. That intro was LIT and still is I think

[@ellbent]

In case there’s a Commenter Edition: Devil May Cry 3 You don’t stop Dante from getting his pizza time or he will style on ya.

[@patheticplague9359]

I WAS GONNA SAY

[@bradchadicus2190]

"Suddenly, Shulk from Fire Emblem gets a premonition that everyone is going to die, and then everyone starts to die!" Absolutely killed me! Can't believe I haven't seen anyone else mention this!

[@BiowareNut]

The intro cutscene for Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void is one of the coolest cutscenes I've ever seen.

[@ChilliDogDave]

Dawn of War's action packed intro? Universe at War's badass alien invasion intro? Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver's great story introduction and voice acting (if not one of THE BEST introductions) all incredibly good intro cinematics

[@lunavixen015]

NGL, when the FF7 intro started, I got goosebumps up my arms. Even after all this time. One I’m surprised wasn’t on here was the opening to Kingdom Hearts. That opening scene was so beautiful

[@gwydionball104]

Oddworld for the original playstation has one of the best opening movies i had ever seen before

[@katemoseley5522]

Dawn of War had an amazing intro with the Blood Angels cutting through orcs! I remember my dad just calling me in to watch it just so he could replay it haha 😂

[@Nebula.Dragon]

I'm glad other people are mentioning this! Still amazing, even two decades later. Though, you do mean the Blood *Ravens*, right lol?

[@jiffypoo5029]

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic intro cinematics are so legendarily good that pretty much everyone that watches them wants a TV show or movie in that era and style.

[@KaiserZERO]

Me too

[@nickstubbs1688]

The Onimusha 3 intro should be in the commenters' edition. Easily one of the best of all time.