so, studios put quite a bit of effort into their intro cinematic's and trailers. to the point, some would argue that many have better production values than some actual AAA films..

when you put that much effort and work into a trailer or intro, you hope it will leave a lasting effect on the viewer..


so, for you personally, what was your most memorable game intro or game trailer?


for me, i got to go with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srkeqFc2P14.. I may not have actively played WoW in many years (not since Burning Crusade Launched) and will likely never go back because it no longer that same great game i had fallen in love with, but i played it a lot in the Vanilla days.. I remember, after installing it and setting up my account on launch day, opened up the client and was ready to experience this game and team up with a buddy of mine, and that intro blew my mind with how well done it was.. it was one of the most high quality intros I had ever seen, and it still holds up to this date as being of better quality than what some newer games have..

i'll also give an honorable mention, i gotta say the intro for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVeBw3S020E had a pretty big impact on me.. throughout the entirety of the 90s, the Might and Magic series was the subject of an addiction for me (ever since we had gotten a copy of Isles of Terra).. but that intro to HoMM3 was the very first time i sat there staring at a screen after it was over and said to myself "okay, that was pretty epic".


so, what game intros or trailers were most memorable to you?

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings has always been one of my favorites.

I also liked HoMM III's intro.

Dark Souls intro was always very memorable for me and the cinematic aside, the actual intro, or lack thereof is always gonna be one that sticks with me.

Warcraft III's opening sequence blew my mind, the one with the raven that precede's Medivh contacting Thrall. I must of watched that trailer a hundred times before the game's release.

For cinematics, though... Also WC3. Arthas' Usurpation of Terenas' throne. I don't think I've seen a more well directed cinematic in any other game, even by Blizzard.

The Bioshock trilogy does a great job with its openings, from Bioshock's plane crash and first view of Rapture, to a Big Daddy's POV and focusing on the Little Sister, and then the whole trip to Columbia and the baptism in Infinite.

Final Fantasy VI in the Final Fantasy Anthology is also very good. Ditto for Final Fantasy VII and X.

I was actually going to mention the original Bioshock (someone beat me to it). The Decor in game is glorious but the Plane crash, the lighthouse in the middle of nowwhere and finally the Bathysphere trip through the high rise pillars of the underwater city is glorious. I struggle to think of a game that has an opening as good.

Of course having one of my favorite computer game characters in Sander Cohen and Andrew Ryan in it always helps.

Tes oblivion intro when the emperor says "and the final years of my life" then the music picks up and the camera starts rising over the city it all comes together to create that epic moment. Man it still gives me goosebumps! Oh speaking of goosebumps that trailer for skyrim and were the dragonborn shouts at the dragon the camera starts moving and the music starts picking up....man bethesda knows what I like.

My favorite is the beginning of Xenogears on the original PlayStation. That girl waking from the wreckage was a really beautiful part of the cutscene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am4W2uZOpf4

Farcry 3 - Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?

Hands down the most memorable for me. Vas made that game awesome.

Hard to beat Elder Scrolls Online's cinematics.

Agreed.

Also Starcraft II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6opaIl8h8U was one of my most recent favorites. The new StarCraft 2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_XwzBMTJaM is pretty amazing too.

Mechwarrior 3 and 4.

Both Metro games.

I'm going to nominate GTA IV. That was just jaw-dropping when that came out.

I do agree about Oblivion, though.

Starcraft, and Battlefiel 1942 as a close second

My favourite is SMAC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=035cpHEowS4

Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACNPxKhxAjM
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BzmH1NBXCg (which turned out to be my biggest gaming disappointment ever )

As others have said, the Original Bioshock intro is possibly the best ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uumf9anB7Hk

Original Fallout intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkBNKa2KXZE

Some of the best trailers ever IMO:

Valiant Hearts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP8q5F6dFqQ

The Phantom Pain

2015 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9JV0EvCkMI

E3 2015 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_8Qi-I4o9E

I just watched the Valiant Hearts trailer again and i'm on the cusp of crying

I'm not the biggest Mass Effect fan, but my most memorable opening was the whole ME2 intro sequence. The ship getting attacked and severely damaged, walking around in the space suit (though it was slow bordering on annoying), and finally Shepherd's death. Pretty spectacular.

The Saint's Row 4 intro (if you can count the whole first 15 minutes) is a pretty good runner up. A ridiculous intro action sequence that ends in dismantling a nuclear missile while clinging to it's side... after it launched. Then it skips ahead a few months and you're the president, to be followed by an alien invasion and waking up in the middle of a bad 50s sitcom, complete with the best enthusiastic walking animation ever.

EDIT: Just saw John Henry Eden's post above. Yeah, Fallout 1 was definitely up there with the best ever. I was sold before the game even started.

For trailers, the Witcher 3 one was stunning.

I love the opening sequence to oddworld abe's Odyssey, it's not the best ever but memorable, for me at least anyways.

Me and my cousins had hours of fun trying to get past all the various puzzles when we were kids.

Morrowind's intro cutscene... Especially that quote. Gotta mention Bioshock at least. Fallout New Vegas's intro... Man. I know it was a game but you got shot in the head... Not something that can easily be forgotten.

Blur does some amazing cinematics, the Warcraft, WOW and Starcraft ones are amazing, i love the original https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Nf-m6WGl4, not a great fan of DC but i really liked that.

Also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oixARdpajp0, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N735VQRebw but mines the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmECZm1RsN8

Yup. I forgot that one. Great set up for the rest of the plot.

Oblivion's trailer/loading screen cutscene definitely still gives me goosepumps. If I watch it, I want to play the game, despite its flaws

First by carriage, now by boat... to the east, to Morrowind!

WOW, Thief 2, Civilization IV...