The Last of Us - Opening Sequence

A tearful beginning

I am a crier. I feel no shame in stating that. If a story is so expertly crafted that I start bawling like a baby, kudos to the production team. Usually this cascade of emotion comes near the end of a story. After spending hours with characters, they meet their demise in meaningful ways and drive the emotion home. But the real master craftsmen find a way to tug at your heartstrings early on. As far as videogames goes, The Last of Us is the only game to fall into this category with a brilliant beginning. Hit the jump for more.

Burial at Sea - Opening Sequence

A return to Rapture

2K Games creates games with enthralling environments that hook players from the opening. It was true of Bioshock. It was true of Bioshock Infinte. So of course it is true of the return to Rapture, Bioshock’s underwater utopia, in Infinite’s first story-driven DLC, Burial at Sea. Hit the jump for more!

The Wolf Among Us - Opening Sequence

After the release of Telltale’s The Walking Dead last year, the humble adventure game studio created a high bar to live up to. They perfectly adapted the world of Robert Kirman’s zombie apocalypse while snagging numerous Game of the Year awards. Luckily, lightning seems to strike the same place twice. The Wolf Among Us manages to create a flawless adaptation of Bill Willingham’s Fables to the point of maybe even surpassing the source material. Hit the jump to read more.

Dead Space - Opening Sequence

Screaming alone in Dead Space

The only sound is the clank of my character’s boots, as I guide Isaac Clarke down a dimly lit hallway of the USG Ishimura in painfully slow fashion. My goal is a door at the end of the hallway, but the hallway is a horrifying sight. I cannot look anywhere around me without finding blood. Bloody hand prints and smears line all surfaces of the hallway, as though a mutilated corpse was dragged the length of the corridor. The trail of blood continues past the door at the hallway’s end. What kind of creature could have caused such agony? I hope it is not on the other side of the door. As Isaac enters the door with gun raised, I force him to plod forward. A body drops from the ceiling and the music features frantic striking of string instruments. I let out a tiny scream in the darkness of my bedroom. My dog gives me a quizzical look as I survey my bedroom to make sure nothing is in the room or witnessing my pitiful state. My embarrassment forces me to finish playing for the night. The game has beaten me again. Hit the jump to read more of me being a pansy!

The Strength of Videogames

Stories that carry the greatest emotional impact are ones that you take part in. If you have a hand in creating or shaping it, you’ll feel more attached. This concept is what makes me believe that videogames have the greatest potential for storytelling prowess. Hit the jump for more!

Red Dead Redemption - Opening Sequence

Savages and hypocrisy in Red Dead Redemption

The best games force their way into your memory. Days, months, even years later, you find yourself thinking about them and the complex story they told or the spectacular gameplay. Red Dead Redemption is one of these games. The story it tells and world it creates stands as one of the best in gaming, but what I find most fascinating is how it subtly establishes most of its major themes within the first five minutes. Hit the jump to read more!

Opening Sequence - Uncharted 2

Developer Naughty Dog nailed a perfect opening sequence in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

Everything you need to know about a game can be found in the opening scene.  It is a contract with the player that communicates important information about the characters, setting, emotions, story, and gameplay. From the first 15 minutes, you should be able to tell if this game is for you. Some games do this exceptionally well while others drown you in boring tutorials or heavy dialogue scenes where nothing happens. Only the best hit a perfect balance that makes the player yearn for more. I can think of no better example than developer Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Hit the jump for more!