7 First Levels that are Easily the Best Bit of the Game, So You Can Stop Playing Now

Lots of games start strong out of the gate, but not all of them can keep up the momentum. Here are the titles whose opening sections are way more fun, polished, and/or interesting than the rest of the not-so-great game.
Cheers to Our OX Supporters Club Discord members for their suggestions!
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[@finnover9781]

Just watch the first part of this video and then skip the rest.

[@dans2709]

This is a quality comment! 😂

[@shotgunshells2]

I'll just read the first comment and skip the rest.

[@exaggeratedproblems5483]

Ha I see what you did there

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Can't do that. No one should skip the tutorials.

[@dmcgee3]

The ad for fake eyelashes?

[@rozasupreme]

My favourite "Feature" in Shadow of the Tomb Raider was in the climactic scene in the hidden city, crossing the landscape as everything burns, and one point a scripted Helicopter flies in front of your face, heading into the distance... And then vanished in plain view because the devs didn't consider you would turn the camera around

[@lilhanhan]

Or the part where you were told that that helicopter was the last of Trinity in the game and that it conveniently disappears, making the main villains of the last 3 games, comics and books more or less worthless. Yes you face the main instigator, but his entire group just conveniently gets wiped out because it seemed they rushed the last part of Shadow's story ...

[@rozasupreme]

@@lilhanhan Core Design era Lara would body Crystal Dynamics Era Lara with ease

[@riotangel4701]

"ALIENS"

[@cjofulue5218]

@@lilhanhan I always wondered what they were pulling with that one. Rip Annie, her bro and Colonel Rourke.

[@J7T800]

​@@rozasupremeIt's no contest. Core Design Lara is taller and "bigger" in every aspect compared to "almost a Tomb Raider" Lara.

[@TheInternetHelpdeskPlays]

As a note with Colonial Marines, a few months after release, people went through the code and realised the alien AI had a spelling mistake which totally borked it. Once it was changed, the AI became deadly.

[@Banquet42]

I have heard that before. Apparently it plays a lot better.

[@SilverEye91]

It wasn't a few months even, it was years. The game was released in 2013 and the mistake wasn't spotted until 2017 and it wasn't fixed until 2018. The code in question was what allowed the Aliens to know which map they were on, and could thus use advanced routes to try and attack the player from different directions. But because of the spelling mistake the aliens defaulted to the most basic AI behavior it had, run towards the player. In a straight line which just made the easy shotgun targets xD

[@LorenHelgeson]

The hell of it all? The code error was a single misplaced decimal point in a single number, shared across all of the game's code.

[@ZaiyadR]

Whoever wrote those lines of code must've _really_ facepalmed when it was figured out

[@SilverEye91]

@@LorenHelgeson No, it was a misspelt "tether", as "teather".

[@KvngXziz]

In Lara’s defense, I also say “Oh shit” at any minor inconvenience 💀😭

[@SolaScientia]

They could have spiced up the swearing at least. I rather typically swear a lot when gaming, but I at least try to get some variation in there.

[@Linki8uu]

@@criminalsaint9611 I feel it’s not a bad game if it came after 2013’s but because we got rise before hand and rise is infinitely better and has a lot more meat on its bones it probably would’ve been better had rise and shadow been switched

[@zanite8650]

@@criminalsaint9611 If they'd had younger Lara swear, but never as an adult it would have been hilarious.

[@animegamergeek1427]

@@Linki8uu dunno about it being infinitely better 😂

[@Heartshapedbox81]

@@SolaScientia I already found the swearing to be boring during Rise, it was already reaching the last of us 2 levels of swearing for the sake of trying to sound cool and failing miserably, and it's something that's just not needed in (alleged) Tomb Raider but then it's not really TR anyway... Decided to edit, and scratch that I was tired of it in the first one, it was just more prevalent in the second, oh and if you need to know how much of a fan of the original series I am in spite of my feelings towards these games I am currently trying to replay the first of them again and it is such a boring slog, full of unrealistic surviving and way too many qtes, one of the laziest forms of gaming when overused, the puzzles are crap, AI is horrible and unrealistic and they spot you no matter how much you stealth through a segment, puzzles are almost nonexistent and they're not mandatory but I'm going to stop before I get ahead, suffice to say I'm immensely disappointed with this series and what it could have been but no one cares about keeping a legacy of characters in games going anymore same as in movies or TV shows because they just want to put in whatever the heck they want to put in rather than caring about what the fans of the original games love and want to see more of, they just left the name of a brand on some generic model and claim that it is the real thing.

[@Cr0de5_]

in reference to We Happy Few: I feel like there was a moment in video game history when "procedurally generated" was a selling point of most games. My guess is that it was the single player answer to games-as-a-service multiplayer games having more "replayability" but in my opinion it takes game with really fun mechanics to enjoy it being procedurally generated whereas games like WHF seemed like they could've been really good if the story was focused on rather than worrying about someone constantly replaying ir

[@FistoftheSnackBar]

"Procedurally generated" is a phrase that instantly dries up any interest I had in a game.

[@westrim]

@@FistoftheSnackBar Like any tool, it can be useful, as long as you don't start treating everything like a nail, use it on the right features, and have ways to mitigate its effects.

[@boobah5643]

@@westrim Point is, when that's a bullet point on the back of the box, it's a statement that the devs gave up on creating content and off-loaded it to an algorithm. And the usual result is a sterile combination of 'meaningless jumble' and 'the same thing over and over again."

[@Oshroth]

There's a lot of games that use it as a crutch to not have to hand craft levels. The problem with procedurally generated levels is they tend to feel very samey and mish mashed so they get boring quickly. It's possible to use procedural generation with a large collection of hand crafted sections to give some variety, but not a lot of games do that

[@atomicgator5207]

Yeah, it does seem like focusing on making a game playable once is preferable to worrying about whether it is re-playable. Especially since many players rarely replay games anyways.

[@christinesinclair6938]

I remember when the Avenger's game was first introduced I was like "could be fun if it's single player." Then found out it was a multi-player live service and I noped right on out.

[@raimarulightning]

I desperately want someone to have the guts to laugh in those people's faces when they announce such an obviously stupid idea.

[@Laneous14]

Steam had it on sale for 3 dollars so I bought it just to play the opening level. I'll pay 3 bucks to play a nice level.

[@3Hatts]

This is why the Guardians game was such a surprise! And it was great!

[@jpdoe9005]

I always found it weird how in the intro Assassin's Creed 3 nobody sees the guy climbing around in the theatre. I mean sure theatres are dark and there is a play going but there are hundreds of people in there and nobody looks up and spots somebody doing something absolutely weird? Always messes with my immersion.

[@SorowFame]

I imagine people clambering on things they aren’t meant to is just mundane to people in the Assassins Creed world. It’s been happening since at least Ancient Greece.

[@Alakaizer]

People really don't look up.

[@fumblztv8979]

I've worked for Penn & Teller and David Copperfield, and I can say that people in the audience don't see anything. I'd give examples, but that would break the NDAs I had to sign.

[@jpdoe9005]

@@fumblztv8979 Interesting but in this case the people don't even have to look up. There are people (including the victim) who are sitting in booths directly opposite from where Haytham is climbing. I imagine you couldn't help noticing the movement in the corner of your eye which would draw your attention to it.

[@WoobertAIO]

If you think that, you really need to go to a theater and watch an act one day. There are very few spaces as dark as a theater's seats and as distracting as a theater's stage.

[@spartakip9507]

Ellen mentioning how unpolished is after showing the bowstring clip through Lara's face is genius levels of editing. 2:43

[@matthewspringuel5370]

Far Cry 3's opening will always stick with me. The way Vass ratchets up the tension when he comes and talks to you and Grant in your cage really sets the mood for the escape. Like, you KNOW that if you are caught, bad things will happen. Then, you reach a point of escape, your adrenaline starts to lower, you're home free.... BAM Vass shoots Grant dead, yells at you to run, and one of the most intense chases ever ensues. The rest of the game is pretty good (I've 100% 3 times, just like it too much) but the opening sequence is what got me hooked on the game.

[@fito3496]

Yeah men, i love Far Cry 3 but you are right. That intro was just so good.

[@DiceSully]

Found with Far Cry 3 the first half the game is better than the second. Enjoyed it all, but Vass was the better villain by a long shot.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

A shame some of its nice DLC is now rendered inaccessible. At least Blood Dragon is still active.

[@matthewspringuel5370]

@@DiceSully Totally agree. If the end of the game was you killing Vaas, that would have been perfectly acceptable. The second half, for me, is forgettable. I honestly don't even remember what the BBG's name even was.

[@Justacheese]

@@matthewspringuel5370 I think it was "Hoyt" Odd name for someone who was that vicious and smart.

[@BouncingTribbles]

Merchant voice lines should be infrequent, simple, or consistently unique. The merchants in tomb raider, for instance, would have been fine if they'd said those lines as you exit and were silent, said "yes", or just nodded after each item

[@iambicpentakill971]

"Hello adventurer! Welcome to the town of Honeywood!"

[@annana6098]

And for goodness sake let us buy a quantity of items in one purchase, don't make me click 30 times to buy things, AND have the vendor react to each one.

[@digitalboy80]

What're you buying?

[@Tob1Kadach1]

@@iambicpentakill971 " Adventurer, my sheep have run amok and I need you to find them for me."

[@ElTequilla]

Is that all, stranger?

[@peachstars219]

This gives me an idea for another list: best moments in otherwise awful games (or scenes/levels too good for the game they were in)

[@33pandagamer]

An example of this would be the final boss fight in Sonic 06. It's a really cool-looking boss fight, that as far as I can tell, doesn't have very many glitches in it. Honestly, the final boss fight is one of the main reasons why I want to play that game. Sadly, I don't own any PlayStation or Xbox.

[@iangahm8047]

@@33pandagamer Project 006

[@LpDodo]

I know at this point it is quite iconic and has been talked about a lot, but the beginning to Uncharted 2: Amon Thieves is still one of the coolest intros there are. You wake up in the middle of the game, hanging from a giant cliff inside of a train while trying to get Nathan Drake out while the world tries to kill him... the usual stuff

[@SilverEye91]

Sure, but I wouldn't say it's the best part of the game. It's cool as hell but later on when you play the entire section on the train from start to finish is a lot better. And on repeat playthroughs the start is actually pretty annoyingly slow xD

[@LpDodo]

@@SilverEye91 Oh fair fair, I guess it's not quiiite aligned with the idea of the video! I agree, later parts of the game are pretty amazing as well and likely top the intro too! Just thought to mention that the beginning of that game is still pretty darn good~!

[@SilverEye91]

@@LpDodo Oh 100% agreed! It's amazing

[@carlsiouxfalls]

Except I hate that narrative device. To me it's an artificial way to build tension which is diffused immediately when right afterwards the game/movie/tv show goes back in time to answer "bet you're wondering how I got here?" Unless you've got some kind of time manipulation plot device which calls for audience manipulation, just tell a linear story in a linear fashion and let the tension ramp up when needed as the story progresses.

[@fuzzysteve]

@@carlsiouxfalls in media res. Often beneficial to give you an idea what the rest of the [media] will be like, and a quick capsule of the character. And a little intrigue building for how it actually got there.

[@Telemachus2814]

With regards to assassin's creed 3, My favorite part of the game is actually the Homestead stuff. I just love how it all feels and how they feel like an actual community and like real people who know each other and care about each other and it actually gives Connor a chance to be a human being.

[@dakotacross1519]

i at least enjoyed shadow and ac 3

[@big_creamo]

Facts, the rest of the game was pretty mid, but I always like a community building feature in a game

[@thecommenter9671]

I feel like ac3 just has the unfortunate job of following up Ezio maybe one of the most beloved video game characters ever so he's just a little underhwelming idk I liked the game

[@Telemachus2814]

@@thecommenter9671 You are not wrong, Ezio is a very hard act to follow. But like you I also enjoyed AC3.

[@RaccoonHenry]

I have the fondest memories of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. my cousin got it for christmas when it was released and we basically played it through in its entirety that week, staying over at his grandparents' house. the soundtrack for city escape never fails to make me smile. he now lives half a world away, but I will always cherish those memories.

[@rubag223]

I loved that game. And that song too. I still remember the lyrics! It's been almost 20 years wtf! Akso, chaos!

[@blaat44]

ROLLING AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND!

[@berengerchristy6256]

@@blaat44 GOT PLACES TO GO GOTTA FOLLOW MY RAINBOW!

[@rubag223]

@@berengerchristy6256 CAN'T STICK AROUND, HAVE TO KEEP MOVING ON!

[@offdutyenglishmajor9924]

I felt the same way about Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. You start off kicking ass as a fully powered Dracula, even taking down a siege titan, which is such a cool set piece with amazing music and then... everything else.

[@corywilson2974]

The game was fun but definitely agree. It just made Dracula this weakling. Even at the end game they still had enemies you could only sneak kill because a fully powered vampire that can KILL THE DEVIL is unable to kill some dude in armor.

[@reno_2200]

There is a set of collectibles in Watch Dogs that give the backstory of the guy that killed Aiden's niece and it is genuinely haunting.

[@Onslaught524]

Always annoyed me the game never gave you a mission to rescue the dude's wife. Really tragic story with no conclusion. 😥

[@reno_2200]

@@Onslaught524 I guess it's because you have the option of killing the guy later so (potentially) any reunion or reconciliation could get brutally cut short... by you, the player! At first, you might think he deserves to die. Then you might reason that revenge would be pointless. But over the audio logs, you discover that he's absolutely broken and feels he has nothing to live for. It was an optional side mission thing that completely changed my feelings on a main story choice. There's no 'good' outcome for Maurice.

[@alexroy5854]

@@reno_2200 I wish they went with the crazy subplots more, it's genuinely disturbing stuff

[@Rockalanche]

I was so excited for We Happy Few when they first showed it off. I became incredibly disappointed once I found out it was a survival game and not at all what they advertised.

[@OrangeDog20]

It isn't really though. It was in early access, but then it tried to pivot to a single-player story campaign but didn't want to drop the previous systems entirely.

[@Sniper361984]

In defence of AC3 the reveal that Haytham is a templar is accompanied by the best achievement drop in games.

[@mattalan6618]

is that where the achievement/trophy pops up just before its revealed?

[@ChrisPreece]

*Sees Shadow of the Tomb Raider on this list And Ellen never forgave, and she never forgot.

[@redshirt49]

I think the game is fine, really. Not as good as its immediate predecessor. And the whole series was always lacking that element of adventure and badassery that made all other iterations of Lara Croft so popular in the first place. But it's fine.

[@oldharlock7760]

Always remember: If Ellen see's an opportunity to state, that Big Ben is not the name of the tower, but that of the bell, she'll mercilessly pounce on it like a cat on an unasuming pigeon!^^

[@francisconavarro123]

But then it is smug to say that Frankenstein is the doctor and not the monster

[@Vladimir_Kv]

And then suddenly realize that both are results of the same linguistic laziness: _Frankenstein's Monster_ and _Big Ben's Tower_ turning into _Frankenstein_ and _Big Ben_ after throwing out everything past _'s._

[@MSte21]

@@francisconavarro123 No, that's Andy.

[@torgranael]

I can't help but hear Ellen's voice for most of this comment.

[@Kartissa]

@@francisconavarro123 Except that Frankenstein *can* be considered a monster for what he did to his creation (who was actually quite cultured and well-spoken in the novel).

[@Minilena]

You people's script writing skills are so darn solid. Thanks for all the smiles

[@hellbent650]

What do u mean, "you people" huh?

[@coffeekat5066]

Yeaah, pretty sure part of their job is writing their own scripts.

[@firefly9187]

I saw the title of the video and just knew We Happy Few was going to be on the list. I can’t believe the opening was so incredible just for the rest of the game to be… that

[@hotchocbooks]

That's what I was thinking! And all of the plots are so interesting in different ways, and if you tell me that you didn't tear up a little at the big reveal of what happened I don't believe you, but then the gameplay is...well. 😬

[@Jonitherat172]

everytime I hear people talk about this game makes me wonder if I was the only person who liked the gameplay? but yeah the best moments where the hand crafted ones but I remember the looting as good moments

[@vault29a]

dlcs are pretty good tbh

[@firefly9187]

@@Jonitherat172 I’m honestly glad to hear someone liked the rest of the game, because I wanted it to do well so badly

[@firefly9187]

@@hotchocbooks the concept itself? Incredible. I loved how the opening of the game was so tight and every element was there for a specific reason. You learn a decent amount about the main character and the universe in those few opening minutes. But when the game became procedurally generated, it felt as if the game lost a lot of its intentionality (if that makes sense)?

[@maxvel0city906]

I guess we kinda finally got the rest of Ellen's Shadow of the tomb raider rant in this video. 😃 Can we have a new video series please "Ellen's Rant Academy" In which Ellen and the rest of the team Rant about things that annoy them in Video games. Can't wait for Andy's input.😂

[@oriolgonzalez9328]

That would just be a series of longer, unscripted "list" ranting videos. Which means I would watch them start-to-finish, of course.

[@Tob1Kadach1]

She rants enough on her own YT channel

[@TheMilleProductions]

Maybe i'm weird but i really enjoyed and love Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

[@madalice5134]

I enjoyed it too. I think Rise was my favorite of the reboot, but I had a lot of fun playing Shadow of The Tomb Raider as well. I liked seeing Lara's interactions with Jonah and felt he was great at humanizing her.

[@mattcanterbury]

@@madalice5134 rise was so good. I think her comment was that shadow didn't feel as put together as the other two, which is how I kind of felt. Beautiful game and for sure enjoyable, but just didn't hit as hard as rise or the first one when first played.

[@plipster1]

I feel like "This game was good until the world opened up..." was common sentiment in these games.

[@SolaScientia]

Yeah. That's the issue I have with Horizon Zero Dawn also. I love the beginning, but once she's on her own after the trials I started getting really sick of Aloy, and various aspects of the world itself.

[@michaelpirrone]

Because it's often a sign that they spent all their time, money, skilled programmes, skilled artists, and everything else one can spend on the linear part and had to deliver the rest on an unrealistic deadline with none of the above at their disposal. See also: Lyberfunk 2077.

[@Darkprosper]

It feels like the whole gaming world is starting to realize that carefully crafted narratives and sequences are so much more impactful than open worlds where the rythm becomes completely disjointed and the significant content is spread out too much to be powerful. I really hope that we stop seing those story games/open world hybrids. Pick your lane.

[@lycanthrochick]

It's almost as if making a game open world doesn't always make it better

[@pnutz_2]

sadly there's also an incentive for developers to frontload gameplay like that due to how much the player went through. case-in-point, witcher 3 - everyone remembers the bloody baron questline (damn that was good), but how many people got bored doing open-worlding and gave up before going to skellige?

[@lozeldatkm]

When I saw Assassin's Creed on this list, I thought for sure it was going to be Unity. I want a whole game around that first part where you play as a Templar knight besieging a castle.

[@KaitouKaiju]

Looking back Unity wasn't that bad I might actually finish it this time around

[@Cardali]

@@KaitouKaiju Unity is rad but it's radder with friends. I wish future titles kept that in.

[@King_Dragmire]

@@Cardali it would be radder with friends if the online wanted to work

[@Star-Commander-Vong]

@@Cardali Unity would be even radder with French Accents.

[@almightygod87]

Unity wasn't bad it was just really buggy at launch

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

Seeing Sonic Adventure 2 was like a knife was dug into my chest lol, I always loved Metal Harbor

[@TCBStudios]

I know right? The whole game is amazing

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

@@TCBStudios absolutely agree, there's no way that I could put every single other level under City Escape. I'd even put Chao Garden above City Escape lol.

[@ALoversRose]

I was like, excuse me only City Escape? I would argue that all of the speed (non-space) levels are amazing and I miss the entire Chao Garden deeply.

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

@@ALoversRose agreed.

[@JoshTigerheart]

Pretty much all of Sonic and Shadow's stages in that game were great. Except Crazy Gadget and Final Chase. So, saying "stop playing at City Escape" was like.... what?

[@kamron_thurmond]

In AC3 I actually really enjoyed the frontier and building homestead up.

[@mattalan6618]

i enjoyed the game like i enjoyed my last Root Canal

[@jamesrogers7049]

I get Watchdogs was a difficult game to love but I absolutely love it. It’s really great and I love the story.

[@lihzzahrdspeed6631]

“Difficult game to love” how

[@thanatosvorigan4986]

It was easy for me to love, There are some issues with it such as the game being impossible to 100% since it relies on multiplayer but no one it playing it, a fixer contract is broken due to a glitch that causes the cops to never go away. Not to mention a frustrating main mission that not only was unfair but made no sense because even if your reputation is maxed out, the public still call the cops on you after your Aiden's identity was revealed. But the game was really fun which is all a game needs to be.

[@mr-mysteryguest]

So much better than the sequels, really cared about the story and motivation...

[@elitefencer777]

I love Jordi, and how chipper he stays throughout. Even when people from the window of an apartment he broke into and tied up its occupants.

[@theSirhc]

Big Ben is the bell. The tower is Big Ben's Monster

[@JunkPhuJP]

Another thing about Tomb Raider was once you got to the hub world and started to explore tombs, you realized how scarce supplies and especially AMMO was. Many of her tombs with guardians could only be done with stealth and your bow and arrow, often only the normal arrows. The only times you could get ammo for your guns were when you fought Trinity soldiers.

[@kes-3d]

Halo Infinite's opening mission is absolutely fantastic. Going in and assaulting that giant cruiser and escaping as it launches drop pods at the halo below is pretty thrilling. Then you get dumped into yet another open world game with some of the blandest story mission design around. Not even the grappling hook saves it from becoming tedious.

[@SilverEye91]

Agreed. I really didn't like that game for that reason, it felt tedious. Even the bosses were so anti-climatic. You killed them and... nothing. Just a bit of dialogue through the ear piece and back to the boring open world with you!

[@kes-3d]

@@SilverEye91 I really dont like the bosses either, "bosses" in Halo have always been cool set piece moments. In the 343 games they are frustrating slogs where you just chip away at a health bar. And Infinite's open world really robbed it of any interesting level design or moments. Why was almost every story mission set in boring sci-fi corridors.

[@RKNGL]

Dead Space 3 A game that needs to be on a Part 2 to this list. The first scene is on the moon basically showing you the incoming extinction of humanity before you leave to do something that doesn't matter and even playing copy pasted levels. Like a movie that blew its budget on 1 scene.

[@DovahGoose]

15:52 this guy just when ahead and raided kazuma kiryu's closet huh

[@fynnh5459]

Omg, *that's* why he looked so familiar! 😂😂

[@zanetmh]

*Sees the list for the first time* first just because city escape is a good level doesn't mean that it's better than any speed level in the game, second bold of you to assume that I was going to play Marvel's Avengers in the first place

[@MillicentOak]

I'm not saying the rest of the game isn't fun, but the opening sequence to Brütal Legend is hard to top... the cinematic, the way the options are presented, the introduction of the mechanics and then the way the music waits for your cue before it kicks off... I played the demo multiple times before the game came out, and got my friends to play it too. The rest of the game didn't stand a chance against it.

[@alexandersmit4256]

I was going to mention Brütal Legend. The RTS elements really threw people off.

[@MillicentOak]

@@alexandersmit4256 Me included! I appreciate them... I just suck at them XD

[@alexandersmit4256]

@@MillicentOak I got through them first time on my first playthrough, on hardest difficulty(it was called Brütal, I had to). For some reason, I had a much harder time with them in subsequent playthroughs, on normal. I'm still somewhat confused by that.

[@Markworth]

This reminds me of when I finally got the full version of Thief. Somehow, in the span of one level, it went from you cleverly cashing a castle to some crazy ass game with zombies and stuff. To make matters worse, the first level was "updated" since the original demo, and not necessarily as fun.

[@roguedogx]

7:56 I do like how they tied this into the ending of AC4.

[@noahjimison4603]

Saw Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and I immediately knew Oxtra was going to let Ellen's inner bearilwen out of the cage.

[@geraintthomas4343]

Ellen: "Luke you get to choose any others to voice, Tomb Raider is *mine* ."

[@RevanAlaire]

And it is frankly getting tiring, the game is nowhere as bad as Ellen makes it out to be. The same can be said for Assassin's Creed 3, which actually had the courage to tell a story from a Native American perspective.

[@Archangel_349]

@@RevanAlaire yeah I agree with you the shit she was talking about isn't that big of a deal and ac 3 what do you expect skyscrapers america was barely getting going so of course they didn't have buildings like in the Ezio trilogy and the story like you said I like how they told a story from a native american's perspective it.

[@RevanAlaire]

@@Archangel_349 I remember the entire video Outside Xtra made about AC3 and I don't recall them ever mention how the game told a story from a Native point of view, something rarely if ever seen in stories about the American Revolution and quite a risk for a game at the time. Or how the game didn't deify the founding fathers. George Washington for example is not portrayed in a wholly positive light. Ezio was a fun protagonist, but I personally found Connor much more compelling as a character. Sometimes I wonder how many of the games the OxBox crew play, they actually finish and if their opinion would be different if they did? Though, I do want to make it clear that I still love them, but that doesn't mean their critiques can't be countered by the opinions of others.

[@Archangel_349]

@@RevanAlaire yeah I get what you mean because it does seem like that at times with the crew. Same with me, I like them but sometimes like you said their critiques can be countered, or in my opinion they have a little to much of a bullshit bias, like come on it's a game drop your bullshit and actually properly critique the game.

[@jeremiahbristow7609]

ooh hey! It's Sonic Adventure 2, one of the most lauded and celebrated Sonic games throughout the fanbase!

[@thebarbaryghostsf]

We tested Sonic Adventure 2 in the SEGA SF offices, so it was pretty neat to play through City Escape every morning and seeing the city in-game. Damn, that game was so fun to test. I got to work as the Assistant QA Lead on Battle for GameCube, after the DC release.

[@therunawaykid6523]

I still remember being one of the first people to play crash bandicoot warped when my uncle owned an electronics shop and playing the tiger riding level orient express for the first time I will always remember that

[@oriolgonzalez9328]

The montage of Lara swearing while a jaunty happy piano tune plays is just *chef's kiss*

[@theelectricgamer9889]

Can you do a video titled 7 times your best friend or friend was a boss or the final boss? Five suggestions for this list is Riku from Kingdom Hearts Pixy from Ace Combat 0 The Belkan War, any Undertale character, Gunther from Fire Emblem Fates Revelation, and Edelgard,Dimitri, and/or Claude (depending on the route you choice) from Fire Emblem Three Houses.

[@medusathedecepticon]

Honestly you could also include your adopted and 'biological' siblings for Fire Emblem Fates. Imagine having to choose between both sides of your family with either option hurting the family you didn't choose. Especially if both sides spent a portion of your life raising you.

[@TheSleepiestPlurals]

they did make that video

[@theelectricgamer9889]

@@TheSleepiestPlurals no, they have not

[@TheSleepiestPlurals]

@@theelectricgamer9889 okay so turns out I was thinking of the boss fights that hit you right in the feels video. I think some of those bosses are former friends

[@breensprout]

they could make that entire video out of kingdom hearts content, honestly. it's like the entire plot of birth by sleep. in kh2 every time you fight axel kind of counts. and it's a big part of one of the levels in kh3.

[@hannahnielsen5165]

I genuinely love how people can have such different things they like about games. For example, I'm one of the few heretics who genuinely loved Assassin's Creed III, I only thought it ended too abruptly, and I absolutely hated playing as Haytham! I vividly remember constantly thinking 'when am I done playing as this guy' the whole time I was controlling him! Yet you guys loved that part, which is wild to me. There's truly something for everyone out there!

[@goma3088]

I wasn't a huge fan of Haytham and his playable parts either. Maybe I didn't connect because I knew he was a templar and was just the prologue to the real story and character. I thought he was kind of pompous. And I wasn't at all curious or interested in learning more about his life/story. It wasn't until the beginning of Connor's story and the introduction of some of the new gameplay elements that I became invested in the game. Connor is still an annoying character at times but his story was far more interesting to me.

[@hannahnielsen5165]

@@goma3088 I completely agree with you! Well said 😊

[@Ylyrra]

@@goma3088 I thought he was pompous too, it made him interesting. He had personality, and he clearly had history, it felt like you were about to go on a journey of finding out why he was this way. HA! Sucker! Nope, now you're playing a stroppy teenager with no other qualities for the rest of the game. (Sure, Connor was fine for the bits in between those two points.) He just sucked all joy out of everything interesting after that point. I spent most of the game wandering around the open world, not because I loved the game, but because I was avoiding the missions where I had to put up with his sulking, eventually to the point where I had to say "Why am I even playing this game if the main storyline is so annoying?"

[@mt_baldwin]

Don't know if this counts but Elden Ring's first "level" Storm Veil castle. It's an open world but it's the first "level" your supposed go to. It's a masterpiece of level design, they made it into a complex maze but also stayed true to the open world philosophy with many different way to get through the maze, a straight shot, multiple side routes or the roof tops. Another unusual thing is that it has two major boss fights, the usual one at the end but it also starts with one. IMO Storm Veil is easily the best of the legacy dungeons in Elden Ring and the one that really, really got roped me into 300 hours of playing it.

[@1993rnicholson]

Wouldnt quite fit due to the fact that Elden Ring has amazing sections through the world but yeah Storm Veil Castle is amazing and so wonderfully dense

[@paigeschoen4504]

The start of Prey always gets me. I love the entire game and the world/atmosphere is incredible, but the stress of the first couple hours as you wander through Talos 1 with nothing but a wrench, smashing everything in front of you (because what if it’s a mimic?!?!?) is peak horror. By end of game you’re so overpowered that not even the nightmare hunting you is scary.

[@dobbinb76]

I always thought that was the point, you become the hunter and everything else becomes the prey, a morality play on how absolute power can be used for either good in saving everyone, or just going full on bad kill everything and you destroy everything in your path without a care, like all the mimics and phantoms.

[@Henez89]

None of the enemies are as interesting or paranoia-inducing as the mimics. The game is good but definitely starts stronger than it finishes

[@SillySnowFox]

I had a Dreamcast years ago and Sonic Adventure 2 was one of the few games I had on it. I used to replay that opening level over and over. I did play through the full game, once. After that it was just _rollin' around at the speed of sound, got places to go, gotta follow my rainbow..._

[@joels5150]

For me BioShock’s first level kind of fits this bill. Not to say that the subsequent levels were bad by any means. But that first part just exposes you to this amazing world, with great lore, gives you puzzles to solve, which unlock weapons and abilities that expand your options on how to play through the content. I found it so replayable, I was almost sad each time I finished it. All I’m saying is, give me that level on repeat, over the final boss fight any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

[@shadowphoenix68]

To be fair Laura is just reading it to herself so I can't imagine how enthusiastic she can be with that. Also lol everytime Ellen talks about Shadow of the Tomb Raider her critique becomes harsher and harsher

[@Jonnyg325]

Ellen really wanted to love it and felt bettayed

[@night_owl365]

Me too. I was hoping it was going to be good.

[@RanMouri82]

Shame they made Lara's VA read all the notes. Maybe they were trying to save money, but it wasn't great.

[@frodobaggins7710]

For me, none of the other levels in Wolfenstein: The New Order felt as good to play as the first one where you try to assault Strasse's castle

[@niceguy169]

Before I clicked, reading the title of this video, IMMEDIATELY Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, for which I was a gametester pre-release, popped in my head since the first level is very different than the rest. Then it's the very beginning of this video, LOL! Love that! Also before I clicked I realize it doesn't fit this theme, as you can do SO much cooler things in the rest of the game, you're very limited (I don't think you can even jump, or if you can nowhere near as high as the rest) for the first level.

[@Vincent.E.M.Thorn.Author]

I'm surprised that despite showing it off in the opening, they didn't mention the Force Unleashed. After the Vader prologue, the first actual level has you going through an Imperial Base playing with the physics engine in a space station, and tormenting Storm Troopers. Almost all the levels afterward take place in outdoor environments with fewer interact-able environments, and enemies immune to everything except lightning.

[@DaineHaven]

ac3 might not be the most "assassin's creed" ac game, but I loved it. especially all of the homestead missions. nothing has every quite had the same building a family feeling as doing quests for these down and out people just trying to make a life for themselves while a socially awkward deadly assassin does his best to help, or at least not make it worse. and watching the homestead grow and improve, not because you dumped some money into it in a menu screen, but because you helped people with what they needed. felt good.

[@AnubisHades]

Never got around to checking out We Happy Few, would never have guessed the survival stuff though

[@SharklordZerato]

You're actually hunting for pieces of the master emerald as Knuckles. The only point you hunt for chaos emeralds in the hunt stages is as Rouge in Security Hall

[@boobah5643]

So you're saying there are master emeralds _and_ chaos emeralds? Brilliant! No one would ever expect two different kinds of speshul emeralds to confuse people.

[@SharklordZerato]

@@boobah5643 No because that would be incorrect. I'm saying there's a single Master Emerald (not multiple) which is shattered at the beginning of the game as part of the story and you then collect the fractured shards.

[@noirakita428]

Just to back you up, Noodle Burger Boy... Yup. Carries over from Sonic 3& Knuckles. 1 master emerald, 7 chaos emeralds. The Master Emerald controls the 7 Chaos Emeralds. Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 had Knuckles(and Rouge in 2) hunting for Master Emerald PIECES because the Master Emerald shattered(Chaos 0 breaking out of it in 1 and Knuckles smashing it himself to keep it out of Eggman's hands in 2. But yes, you also need to collect the 7 emeralds as well for story reasons, like every other Sonic game earlier than SA1 and 2. Other than the original Sonic the Hedgehog 1, where there were only 6 Chaos Emeralds. And Sonic CD which was Time Stones.

[@FalloutUrMum]

We Happy Few was a very great game if you can get to the quests. There really wasn't a single quest that I didn't enjoy as any of the three characters, the writing in the game and the care they took in Uncle Jack and the music made the survival gameplay worth it. It's just a game that takes some getting used to, one tip, if you are doing a side quest and find you don't have the items, don't go looking around for those items, just do another quest and you'll definitely find the items you need.

[@OrangeDog20]

Don't forget the DLC. With the procedural generation and survival mechanics removed, it gets even better.

[@PhobosDynami]

Assassin's Creed 3 is good with its opening but I like the ship to America or when Haytham leads an attack on that fort. I learned a lot from that mission and had a lot of fun.

[@Airlord3670]

I have solid memories of the opening missions of Medal of Honour: Frontline and Rising Sun (showing my age!). Cinematic and impressive showings of D-day and Pearl Harbour, tense, difficult and chaotic… before it becomes linear corridors and confusing objectives.

[@aikan7457]

The bleeped-out swearing montage of Lara was made even funnier with the ragtime piano in the background. Edit: spelling

[@sherrie553]

Lara*

[@Dancingpinata-]

I think their point about Tomb Raider is why this happens a /lot/ in games. Games, like movies, don't always complete the scene 1 first, but the first scene (and the climax scene) are generally the best for trailers/teasers. Plus with modern gameplay demos and sponsored Let's Plays, the first scene is normally chunked off wholesale for it. There's so much incentive to make the first scene in a game good that frankly you could make multiple lists of _____ Games With Great Openings but are Otherwise Terrible

[@iambicpentakill971]

That last paragraph is a really good point that I hadn't thought of.

[@PastelN01r]

I feel like SOTTR had such a fantastic opening the only part that could compare in the rest of the game was her rising out of the water like a horrifying killer

[@jackd6881]

From the point of view of everyone else in the reboot games she kind of is a horrifying killer.

[@SolaScientia]

@@jackd6881 I love Yahtzee describing her as "bugfuck nuts" in his Zero Punctuation of the game.

[@Red-S-267]

There was also the cool volcano rock slide part

[@alastaircollins1145]

That poor one guard, not realising he was an extra in a horror film...

[@ZackC]

I’d really like to know what the internal communications were like during the writing of the story. It definitely felt like it was originally written (probably by Crystal Dynamics, in preproduction before they were moved elsewhere) with Lara being a much worse person, and then they decided to backtrack on that almost immediately with a hackneyed savior narrative.

[@nina9565]

Mass Effect Andromeda had a really good opening.

[@TransmitHim]

I genuinely thought Brutal Legend was going to be on here. That felt like a massive bait and switch as it promises it's going to be an action game (and I want to say that's all that was in the demo but I'm hazy now if there even was a demo) and then suddenly it's an RTS!

[@hardtech87]

You are correct about the demo. I still enjoyed the game and it still had the normal open world stuff but the pseudo RTS stuff was completely unexp2

[@tommyakesson8858]

My pick would be Call of Chthulu - Dark Corners of the World. When you get to the town of Innsmouth and its pretty damn creepy. You are NOT welcome, but you still look around town... And then get to the fantastic and adrenalin filled chase scene. Then you get a gun and can just stop playing right there.

[@amythistfire5042]

I think the first palace in Persona 5 is also the best. Not because the rest of the game isn't worth playing, but because the Kamoshisa arc is just so damn good.

[@CrowXIII]

The rest of the game does throw away the message of the Kamoshida arc so hard it's kinda gross, so on some level i feel like i do want to skip the rest

[@plipster1]

Seconded, (Spoilers) especially with the one following it being Madarame. Hey, you know what arsehole we just spent hours fighting following multiple sexual crimes including against one certain female teammember (And her best friend)? You know what would be funny? If we peer pressured that female teammember into a situation where she's sexually objectified by someone you now need to be friends with.

[@myrixica4222]

@@plipster1 Was just saying this exact same shit to friends the other night. Love the game mechanically, really nice tightening up of things [especially the life simulator aspects] but MY GOD did they handle that with all the precision and care of a nuke.

[@joshuarose1381]

While the Kamoshida arc is interesting, the real letdown is Madarame being the second palace abd how Yusuke is introduced... once you get to know Yusuke he's kind of a broken guy with no concept of normal human interactions... if they swapped palace 3 and 2 and made Makoto join the team before Yusuke it would flow better

[@john_7000]

GTFO, I AM SICK AND TRIED OF PEOPLE THINK KAMOSHIDA ARC IS GOOD, U GUYS PROBABLY HAVEN'T EVEN PLAYED AND UNDERSTAND THE GAME, THAT WAS THE WORST ARC KAMOSHIDA ID LITERALLY JUST BULLY COMPARE TO THE REST, DO U KNOW WHAT SHIDO DID THAT GUY IS A MONSTER!! AND PLUS LITERALLY KAMOSHIDA IS TAME COMPARE TO THE OTHERS.

[@andrewclark8989]

Maybe not quite the opening, but the job to get the robot in Cyberpunk 2077 was fantastic (and of course shown off to the public). You meet your fixer who gives you a proper briefing, you can see a third party (the Corpo woman) which gives you options, and then have pretty intense meeting with some well fleshed out (ha!) Maelstrom characters which gives you a good sense of their whole deal. Then the mission can then play out in different ways, including options to double cross one of the parties. This should have been the bulk of the main game. Instead of the thing with Keanu in your head they should have had a handful of fixers giving you well designed missions involving various gangs, corporations and other groups. Options to try to talk your way through, threaten or use violence, be all sneaky and hacky, etc and choices about who to side with and main characters to meet along the way. A reputation system could have opened or closed off options in later missions depending on who likes you and who you piss off (influenced by your background), and the main story could have been some nefarious plot gradually revealed as you complete related jobs. Instead the fixers just phone you out of the blue as you drive around town and give you crappy gigs that mainly just amount to going somewhere, killing everyone and retrieving a macguffin. What a waste of an absolutely beautiful game world and decent combat and RPG mechanics.

[@lagbert8610]

This exactly! The opening is the closest a video game has come to a pen and paper RPG. Everything following the prologue just feels flat and linear. Don't get me started on the secret ending being locked behind a series of dialog choices with Silverhand.

[@dogishappy0]

2005 Starship Troopers for the PC has a strong opening, the Klendathu Drop song blasting in the background, and plenty of bugs to kill. The rest.... not so much.

[@imreadydoctor]

Star Wars Shadows of the Empire, the snows speeder part was absolute gold, and everything just got a bit worse from then on out.

[@simonah624]

Brütal Legend. How is Brütal Legend not on this list. I preordered (yes, I’ll admit to that) after playing the demo and then the game was a RTS?!

[@0ceanicify]

Preach. Such an amazing bit in between the crappy game.

[@NoMoreCrumbs]

Video idea: times when collectibles were really good or added to a story. My contribution is the ones from Spec Ops: The Line, which help set the tone for how desperate the situation in Dubai has become. Also the sea shanties from AC: Black Flag

[@weirdoregonian]

Oh yeah. It is somewhat rare, but there are games where the collectibles were half the reason or more to play a game.

[@thanosjuice2840]

The Cassette tapes from MGS:TPP

[@rocketroux5838]

Collectibles from The Dark Picture show possible futur for your character, that can be very helpful

[@therunawaykid6523]

Love when you see that shiny rotating precursor orb in the jak and daxter games and that little ding sound when you collect them

[@RileyZilla1001]

I think that The Transformers (2007) game has a great example of this. The first Autobot stage you are Bumblebee and do some stuff idk... I just ran around San Francisco blowing up the city as a robot from hell while Optimus over comms goes: "Hey uhhhh Bumblebee; you alright? Sam's over- oh no okay blow up that gas station then, sure."

[@nickstoneham5629]

I did find myself missing the rough and gritty Aiden Pierce and the overall darker atmosphere Watch_dogs had when I ended up playing the second game. I think gameplay, the second game is better, but if it could continue on Aiden's story, I think that would be better. In my opinion at least.

[@jomialsipi]

I don't even remember the name of the second game's protagonist, but Aiden Pierce is stuck in my memory. It's a much better story overall.

[@vikingdrengenspiders7875]

@@jomialsipiMarcus hallway

[@willgaines8575]

Oh thank you for reminding me of Sonic Adventure Battle 2! Every time people talk terrible sonic games that always came to mind but I couldn't for the LIFE of me remember it's name! A game with it's weaker moments yeah (the gem hunting levels especially painful) but at times rad as hell

[@JanosXyn]

Brutal Legend was also a game that would fit this list perfectly. Great openining level that is completely detatched from the actual gameplay loop of the rest of the game.

[@DeinosDinos]

Or modded Skyrim, where the Stormcloak talking to you is a busty lady wearing extremely skimpy armour but with the head of Thomas the Tank Engine and Alduin was a very bizarrely stretched out model of Shrek whose presence, like modded LFD2, comes with the song All Stars by Smash Mouth blaring like there's no tomorrow.

[@thegreatpineapple4425]

To me the best part of Shadow of the TR was the cenote section.

[@BlackJoker3067]

Knuckles stages were amazing for the songs I'll have you know and a nice break from the chaos of the game sometimes.

[@nastyevilbunny]

I loved all of we happy few. The intro was great, but the rest had a great atmosphere too, and the gameplay was good. Reminded me of bioshock.

[@rachelmarie3614]

Maybe it's just because I got early access to We Happy Few and stuck with it all the way from Pre-Alpha, but I loved that game. Great world-building, but they really didn't need to focus so hard on it being procedurally generated, that was more of a weakness than a strength. Building edges would clip through each other and things start to look the same after a while. The story is what made me love it so much

[@Jonitherat172]

It feels like someone forgot the best part about AC 3 you can finally play real missions as Desmond Miles.

[@ColoredCelestial]

I appreciate that they emphasized that Sonic was on here not because the rest of the game is bad but because the first level is just that fun. I've played through the whole game and still routinely go back just to play City Escape a few times before heading over to the Chao Garden.

[@Jonnyg325]

City Escape is an almost Textbook perfect Sonic level, there are maybe 3 sections that bring you to a stop, the level feels fast and it introduces you to sections organically. It is a great level

[@meisa3379]

When I was a little kid, I would've felt this way about Super Mario Brothers 1 for the NES in the 80s. Level 1-1 lets you enjoy grabbing every single item in the game, easily find 1 or 2 little extra areas, and maybe get some fireworks at the end occasionally. And then, from 1-2 onward, it quickly becomes much more of a dimmer, less upbeat, survival slog. Back then, I would often turn the game back off after playing 1-1 for quick, casual fun. 😄

[@vattmann1387]

The later water levels were what took the fun out of it for me :/ Oddly enough it wasn't the same in Super Mario 3 though.

[@Eeraschyyr]

Played enough of it that when the Sonic Adventure 2(battle) turned up the theme music popped into my head. So thanks for that. XD

[@33pandagamer]

11:03 I would like to point out, that City Escape is not the first level, if you choose to play the dark story first. If you chose dark story, then your first level is Iron Gate, a mech stage where you play as Eggman, who is breaking into Prison Island in order to acquire the military's top secret weapon (Shadow). Now I bring this up, because when I first played SA2, I chose to play the dark story first. Therefore the first level I ever played in Adventure 2 was Iron Gate. It wasn't until after I had beaten Dry Lagoon that I played City Escape.

[@Banquet42]

Travis Willingham voiced Colonial Marines? Cool.

[@clarencealger8380]

The first of the Tomb Raider of the trilogy is also the best. Rise of the Tomb Raider was cool, too. Shadow of the Tomb raider, though... I couldn't push myself to play when she reached that civilisation area. There's just soooo muuuuch errannnddsss

[@bandersnatchbeauty9692]

I played Sonic for the Chao Garden. Bring it back. BRING IT BACK.

[@DarkmoonWitch]

I purchased Shadow of the Tomb Raider on sale in 2019 and I barely put a dent in it. Everytime I scroll through my list of games, I skim over that one. I LOVE free roam, open world/exploration games but this one just doesn't grab at me like the others do/have done. I want to see it through just to say that I beat it buuuuut I think the only thing that will really set that into motion is when they announce the next Tomb Raider. My brain will be like, "Well now I HAVE to beat SotTR before I play the next one!" and I'll just speed run through it just to see the story. I 100%'d the first two but I don't see myself doing that for this one, honestly. Such a shame, too. I really liked the first Tomb Raider and I thought the second one was somewhat decent. This one just can't seem to keep my attention longer than 15 minutes before I'm already daydreaming about playing a different game. :(

[@kelvin1316]

I stopped playing SOTTR because I got the feeling the creators wanted to make a movie, at least given the number of times that you end up in an exposition QTE segment.

[@AxleTrade]

Star Wars: Shadows of The Empire is really one of the best examples of this. That Hoth level was groundbreaking back in the day and then you got to the levels after that and it was just jank.

[@noddler217]

Force Awakens, too. Nothing's gonna compete with stomping around Kashyyk slaughtering stormtroopers and wookies on a whim with Darth Vader at the height of his power. It's the closest we're going to get to playing the opening of ANH in a non-LEGO game, and it knows it.

[@starhew2868]

The first AC game I played was in one of the Americas collection. It starts with AC3 so that's what I played first and I wasn't sure what the fuss was about...but then the second game was Black Flag and I fell in love

[@jasonsorin1021]

I've played some Colonial Marines with the mod to redo lighting, models, and AI. Turns out when they're attacking from the darkness, staying low, and generally acting as an Isolation-level smart enemy, they can really make it fun. I spent like ten minutes trying and failing to get the first enemy before it ambushed me.

[@matthewpallenik1407]

I have to disagree on Assassin’s Creed 3. While the theater is the best assassination in the game, the Homestead missions are SO GOOD! Seriously, if you play this game, please play them as soon as they come up on your map.

[@gruggerduggerhoose]

Ahhh yes. An “Ellen dunking on SotTR” segment. You love to see it lol

[@listerofsmeg884]

Apparently 9/10 steam 9/10 IGN 8/10 IMDb Is 'shit' ...

[@DJAB87]

@@listerofsmeg884 Hence why i don't trust reviews and only judge a game based on my own personal experiences with it.

[@Qualnias]

For the Record... Hamilton was first performed in 2015. Assassin's Creed 3 was released in 2012. It is possible AC3 inspired (or drove the desire) Hamilton. Lots of people suddenly interested in that time period? Probably why they wrote it.

[@StevenRaden]

Just noting, the chill music vibes while hunting for chaos emeralds, was great.

[@pockylovingranger]

I personally love Shadow of the Tomb Raider but even I have to giggle at the number of times she says “shit” xD

[@Herowebcomics]

Oh,poor Avengers! If only they made it a game that you could play offline with a story that was good until the end! Then it would be amazing!

[@michaelanderson6394]

I have no idea if you’ll see this, but hear me out: Wheelman. The Vin Diesel driving game. That opening mission is incredibly over the top, with you destroying dozens of cop cars, making crazy stupid jumps, and being totally amazing. When I was younger, I’d honestly restart the game when it got hard just to play that level again.

[@Wheeliam_Ironside]

Opening level in sonic was definitely great…but you ever been to Chao Garden?