In many ways, a game's first level is its most important. Not only is the first level responsible for teaching players the fundamental gameplay mechanics, but it also needs to set the tone of what's to come. Moreover, opening levels are especially significant today as value-for-money services like Game Pass make it easy for players to swiftly uninstall a title and play something else if its opening fails to grab them.
The upcoming ten games are all prime examples of how to successfully kick off a game, with an opening act that engrosses players into its world and sets the stage for what's to follow. Although peaking at the first level/quest/sequence may suggest that the rest of the game drops in quality, it's certainly not the case with most of the titles on this list, as many of them are classic releases.
10 The Last of Us
The Last of Us exemplifies the previous point about how a game peaking at its opening doesn't mean it takes a significant drop in quality afterward.
A game branded as a post-apocalyptic adventure was never likely to open with wholesome, fun for all the family sequence, though few expected the beginning of The Last of Us to be so devastating. Part of the game's opening puts players in control of a child named Sarah, which is particularly effective for two reasons: firstly, the player shares her confusion as to what is happening, and secondly, it makes the introduction's end all the more shocking.
9 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
From one Naughty Dog game to another, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves somehow manages to take even less time than The Last of Us in getting straight to the action.
Similar to The Last of Us, Uncharted 2 begins with players in control of a character who is just as confused as to what is happening as they are. The Indiana Jones-inspired Nathan Drake is trying to work out where he is and what has happened before he suddenly needs to fight for his life, as the broken train that he's on begins to literally fall off a cliff.
8 Sonic The Hedgehog
The Sonic The Hedgehog franchise is fairly divisive today, with debates between fans and skeptics raging as to the quality of the series' games. However, one thing that is hard to disagree with is that Green Hill Zone is one of the most iconic opening stages of all time.
Granted, Green Hill Zone isn't the most complex level in the series or even in the first game. However, the level earns Sonic the Hedgehog a mention for being one of the few that can rival Mario's World 1-1 in terms of its legendary status.
7 Resident Evil 4
Following criticisms that Resident Evil Zero had failed to evolve the franchise, Capcom didn't rest on its laurels and decided to change its beloved franchise's core gameplay completely. The risk paid off, as Resident Evil 4 became one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, exemplified by its whopping 96 Metascore.
The game's opening eases players into the new over-the-shoulder perspective and mechanics before chucking them into the center of a village where they must fight a horde of enemies. Players can gain shelter at a small house, though their sense of security will soon crumble when they hear the revving of a chainsaw.
6 Far Cry 5
The Far Cry series is no stranger to a memorable opening, with the beginning of Far Cry 3 kicking off in an impressive fashion as it smartly teaching players the basic controls and gameplay mechanics by making them escape imprisonment. In stark contrast, Far Cry 5 begins with the playable character being the one who needs to imprison someone else.
Arresting the cult leader never looked like it was going to be a walk in the park, though not many would have predicted how dramatic the opening sequence was going to be.
5 Crash Twinsanity
Following criticisms that Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was too similar to its predecessor Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Traveller's Tales decided to completely reinvent the series with the next main series title, Crash Twinsantiy.
The game's beginning certainly looked like it was going to be the breath of fresh air that the series needed, as the open-level that kicks off the Twinsanity is well-designed both visually and gameplay-wide. Sadly, Crash Twinsanity is one of many games that fell victim to a rushed development cycle, causing a noticeable drop in quality as the game progressed.
4 Sonic Adventure 2
The second Sonic game to appear on this list, Sonic Team impressively managed to create a level that was almost as iconic as Green Hill Zone with City Escape. The level implements everything that players love about the Sonic franchise, with its fast-paced and over-the-top platforming gameplay.
Just when players think the level can't get any more action-pact, it ends with a dramatic chase sequence as the blue hedgehog is chased by a large, imposing truck. The level gets the player's adrenaline pumping right off the bat, setting a high standard for the stages that follow.
3 BioShock
The opening to BioShock has a strong claim to be the best introduction to a game ever. Much like the aforementioned Uncharted 2, BioShock wastes very little time getting started. In fact, the game's opening is so abrupt that many people end up drowning as they don't realize they're in control of their character.
Once realizing that they're in control, players must swim to a lighthouse that is nearby. They will then be taking on a short tour around Rapture, which wonderfully sets the scene before things suddenly turn sour as a Splicer brutally kills someone right in front of the player, just a few seconds prior to them entering the underwater city.
2 James Bond 007: Nightfire
There are many artists, franchises, and series that are victims of the success of their earlier work. The James Bond video game franchise certainly falls into this category, as each game post-1997 is compared to the classic GoldenEye 007. Rare's iconic N64 game revolutionized multiplayer gameplay on consoles and also offered a memorable campaign, making it one of its generation's best FPS titles.
Of all the games that have tried to emulate GoldenEye 007's success, Nightfire has arguably come the closest. The game's first full campaign mission, The Exchange, soon became recognized as one of the franchise's best, largely thanks to the vast number of ways that the mission could be completed, encouraging players to think like a true 00 agent.
1 Shadow of the Colossus
Although there's a debate to be had as to which fight is the best, it's hard to deny that the first time taking down a colossus is the greatest experience that Shadow of the Colossus has to offer. Taking down the first colossus displays everything that the game has to offer: exploring the open map to find the giant creature, working out what its weaknesses are, and engaging in the difficult battle before landing the satisfying final blow.
This is the same process that players have to follow for the rest of the game, which the developers managed to keep interesting. However, the feeling of conquering the first colossus isn't matched through the rest of the game.