To each their own. I think it's got a good design, and kind of tells a lot with saying little. They developed this game with Dragons being a centerpoint - and that's what it is, and focuses on.. just in the same way Oblivion might give you that more colorful sense of adventure.

Uh, I assumed the wagon ride and the execution were in interactive cinematic intro. All Oblivion had was music and a camera flying around the Imperial City while the Emperor talked.

Indeed, I love that intro. Feels so cinematic!

I do wonder why they decided to have the second guy there? Just holding the torch, looking all serious.

I think it's great that there in so cinematic. Throuws you right into the game,.

You've allways been that mysterious prisoner in TES games.
I dunno about arena though - i've never played it. But ever since daggerfall you've been a captive of some sorts that can't remember it's origins and/or why he's been held captive with a somewhat promising future ahead of him/her.

I would've been really dissapointed if we weren't prisoners in the beginning. <3

Actually, Daggerfall is the odd one out. In that you start out as a trusted friend of the Emperor.

Believe it or not, that's Chancellor Ocato.

I was surprised there was no intro for skyrim given how epic OB's was with Patrick Stewart. I thought they may included an introduction to the world and what is happening like appeared in the original gameplay trailers with the wall comming to life. Even that would have done.

Eh..I prefer the Skyrim intro much more over Oblivion's... Even if it's a cutscene.

A lot more immersive.

I have to admit the intro caught me off guard. I was expecting the Wall, the Voice, image of a dragon, etc. Instead I see three guys tied up sitting in a cart. Really? That's the intro?

OB's intro was a hundred times better.

What? Phew - sorry: my bad. I Just remember that starting dungeon (that cave with that campfire in the room you awake. Ah yes - but as you say it a line "my dear old friend" comes to my mind... and I think it's from daggerfall... Aaaw I miss dem daggerfall times!

I thought the intro was great- the first time I played it! I find it really anoying to go through again with no option to skip. I have a save file at the point before race selection, but still have to wade through the rest before i'm set loose on the world. Granted, I'm only on my second play through, but I can see this being a right drain. Couple this with the fact you have to do a couple of missions to fully activate the game world.... My only real gripe with the game, too straightjacketed for the first couple hours of gameplay.

I like the opening: It tells you what's going on, and they leave the rest of the game to fill in the rest of the information. Non pre-game voiceover needed at all!

Why do people keep tossing out the "there was an opening cutscene" as an excuse for the lack of a cinematic? Those are two completely different things. The cinematic is the one people like to watch repeatedly because it has a good score on top of a good action sequence that summarizes the entire game. The sequence of your character riding in the cart to be executed is nice, but it's just a prologue to the game and I'm ready to skip it after watching it once or twice. Meanwhile, I've watched the cinematic trailer for Skyrim many, many times. And that's the kicker.. it's already made; we've all watched it on sites like youtube before. Why not just include it on the install and hook it up to the game for the people that want to see it there? I mean, we (the PC users anyway) did pay $10 more for Skyrim than we do for most other PC titles.. Bethesda couldn't throw us a bone here and save me a trip to youtube? At the very least a little "Extras > Trailer" option at the loading screen like they have for the game credits.

Agree.

@Biat.
The problem for using the trailer is it features storyline aspects from a point in time beyond the starting point, whereas a cinematic opener should be a short prelude to get you up to speed.

By Odins balls that was one fantastic intro back in the day....

As most game cinematics do. Since when is this a problem? If you don't like it, hit the spacebar and skip past it. I seriously doubt there were any people picking up Skyim that did not already know they were playing a Dragonborn, or that dragons were in Skyrim. That information is, after all, available right on the back of your game box:

"Dragons, long lost to the passage of the Elder Scrolls, have returned to Tamriel and the future of the Empire hangs in the balance. As Dragonborn, the prophesized hero born with the power of The Voice, you are the only one who can stand against them."

Haha, maybe to add a little "seriousness"? Probably just to make it a little more nuanced I guess.

Oh wow, I didn't even notice ahaha.

They give you an autosave just before you choose your race/appearance etc.

The scene from the teaser would have done the job. :/

I liked it. I was immediately thrown into the world. It felt... real.

Yeah I'm glad there was no cinematic. I liked the cut-scene. Also I laugh at the people who expected a bigger manual. It's 2011, What do you expect?