The moment you purchase that brand new game, start the application and get ready to play that game that you’ve been patiently waiting for, you need to be prepared for whatever is to come. There are many ways that the opening minutes of a video game will welcome you to the environment, some like to ease you in and let you get to know the characters, some leave you in total mystery and then...there are the ones that throw you directly into the fire and let you know that this is what you signed up for, this is who you are and this is who you’re going to need to be to complete this game. These are the top 9 best first encounters with enemies and the environment in video game history.
9. X - Men Origins: Wolverine (Falling from the sky)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, mainly based on the movie “X-Men Origins,” follows the story of Logan before he joined the famous X-Men and is focused on his character for the entire game. The famous Marvel hero has several abilities such as a rapid healing factor, heightened senses and retractable Adamantium claws capable of slicing just about anything in his way. The game lets you control an aggressive monster of a mutant and lets you feel it with an opening cinematic, a flash-forward of him brutally mauling an entire team of heavily armed soldiers. After a very brief introduction of what Wolverine is capable of, you are taken back a few years earlier where you are riding in a chopper with a few recognizable characters such as Sabertooth right before the chopper gets shot down by a rocket launcher. From that moment it is your turn as you freefall from easily over 10,000 feet in the sky while you maneuver around more rockets, debris and gunfire. As you approach the ground, Wolverine extends his arms and claws as he dive bombs forward, aiming right through a helpless soldier as the screen freezes, revealing the title right before he wipes out the enemy in a massive slam. As the enemies surrounding look to see what kind of beast could survive such a fall, you can see all of the mortal wounds slowly healing as Wolverine cracks his neck, clearly unphased as he and the player get ready for a bloodbath. This entrance did justice to one of the coolest characters in the Marvel universe and really shows you right off the bat why despite being a superhero, this game is rated M for mature and you can expect a ton of oddly satisfying gore and dismemberment.
8. Bloodborne Old Hunters DLC
Bloodborne by FromSoftware is a souls-like game that brings about the extreme difficulty and horror as the other games of the Souls series including, the Dark Souls Trilogy and Demon Souls. Some distinct features within these games are that you start off with little to no instruction or direction and must struggle to get an understanding of how everything works and be able to deal with highly punishing enemies. The Bloodborne Old Hunters DLC like most Souls DLC are for players who have already finished the main game and have built a strong enough character to deal with the higher caliber enemies that await them. The DLC starts you off at a lamp (a save point/checkpoint between locations) named “Hunter’s Nightmare'' where there is only one available door leading outside. Playing the original game, you can tell that the area is similar to “Cathedral Ward'' but some things are clearly different such as the physical pathway to the “Grand Cathedral”. Upon exiting, you may first notice two beast patients (a dangerous enemy type when in groups) walking together in what looks like the path you are supposed to take. If you are confident in your skill and stats you’ll probably get right to the action and if not, you’ll likely attempt to sneak up behind them for some free damage. With the latter option, before you even get a chance to get close, the sounds of heavy boots and metal reveal another type of hunter (the old hunters) coming around the corner with glowing yellow eyes who approaches the two enemies and without hesitation, pulls out a massive heavy whip from his side and One-Shots both of the enemies in one heavy slam. Having faced Beast Patients before, you know that taking them out in one attack is almost impossible without any consumables or a massive difference in level between you and the enemy. Seeing the power gap between the Old Hunter (Mind you, a regular enemy, not a boss or NPC) and yourself instantly sets the tone for what you got yourself into and knowing Bloodborne, that won’t be the only Old Hunter you see. Before you decide to engage, without any words or music but only the horrifying sight of another enemy getting their health bar helplessly obliterated, The Old Hunters DLC asks you as the player, if you are actually ready for what’s to come?
7. Minato vs Obito/Sarutobi & the Shinobi Alliance vs Nine Tails - NSUNS 3 - /
Arguably the most popular series of anime games, the “Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm'' series following the stories of the anime “Naruto” and “Naruto Shippuden” provide you with a dramatic, action-packed way of retelling the story and all the battles within. “Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3” gets you started by giving you one of two roles to play in the war as the protectors of the village, Minato the Fourth Hokage who has encountered a masked man who he believes to be the facilitator of the invasion, or Hiruzen Sarutobi the Third Hokage who is working with the Shinobi Alliance to protect the village from the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox that is mindlessly destroying everything in its path. Regardless of the choice you make, you are guaranteed a proper representation of the tone and are able to feel for yourself what is truly at stake. While Minato’s path gets you a feel of how the regular game combat is along with some cool cinematics from QTEs, Hiruzen’s path is at the centre of the battle and holds on to the most intensity and desperation. As you jump from building to building while watching buildings get crushed around you, you call upon the shinobi alliance to exploit the openings of the Nine-Tailed Fox. The fiery battle is teamed with the only soundtrack that will ever fit the battle, from the orchestra to the ominous choir in the background, this is one of the soundtracks that will stand out to you once you’ve finished the game. For being the first boss battle of many in the game, the movement, environment and QTE’s captured all the aspects of that battle that for some may even be better than what was displayed in the anime such as the emotions of the shinobi alliance, the leadership of the Third Hokage and the ferociousness of the Nine-Tailed Fox. If this is the first Storm game that you play, it definitely sets the tone for the best of the rest of the series.
6. Starting off Maxed Out - God Of War 2 & 3 - /
Having defeated the God of War Ares, Kratos now wears his armour giving him the ability to grow to the size of a giant along with the other perks of being the new God of War such as his own throne. With this power, Kratos destroyed armies in hopes to eliminate any possible opposition, so many that the Goddess Athena had to warn him that if he continued down this path it would affect the world negatively and have consequences. Kratos refused, went into battle and was soon met by a bird sent by Athena to not only take away his growing ability but also possess a giant statue to put an end to him. At this point, control is yours as your stats are maxed out, in addition to, access to magic abilities as you find a way to take down this giant by killing minions and moving around the city to find good positioning and equipment to take the boss down. Although there are gaps in action where you aren’t directly engaging the boss, most of the time you can still hear or see the boss, keeping you focused on the threat. By the end of the boss fight, the game reassures you that “No, you did not work for these stats so you are going to sacrifice all of it, yes all of it, even your magic, in order to defeat this boss,” right before you are thrown into the real game and story of God of War II. What makes this opening so effective is how it reveals the power you can obtain later in the game if you dedicate time to find the collectibles and with that damage the boss was hitting you with, you sure are going to need more health than what you are left with after the fight unless you don’t plan on getting hit for the next 9-11 hours.
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Being the first look of the series on the next-gen console, God of War III for the Playstation 3 was expected to deliver another high-quality game after three years of waiting, in which Santa Monica Studio did not disappoint. Continuing from God of War II, Kratos continues his pursuit of the gods by climbing Mount Olympus through a storm on the shoulder of the titan Gaia with his alliance of other titans as you get a view of the four remaining gods including Zeus who are preparing for this battle. When you are given control, you start off with an enhanced version of the Blades of Chaos and maximum stats such as health and magic as you did at the beginning of the second game. Once the game gives you a few minions to experiment with and learn the controls, you are faced with a giant crab-like water horse that latches onto Gaia that you need to fight several times in order for Gaia to continue climbing, all within a spectacular view of the other titans making their way up to Olympus and the next-gen details of the characters and environment. After getting a feel for the controls and movement it appears you are once again faced with this crab-horse until an even larger entity emerges from the view of Gaia’s body rumbling in a thunderous voice, “...You challenge me mortal?” as its name is revealed as Poseidon, one of the 3 central gods of the series and your first boss, who’s voice and stance displays murderous intent revealing his famous trident and how small you are in comparison to a god. God of War III definitely met expectations and for some even exceeded their expectations. With their amazing score and the fact that you know that you are going to face all of the gods in the game eventually, yet they make you fight one, moments after picking up the controller, was a unique way to let the fans know that, yes, Kratos is here to end this.
5. Kashyyyk (Darth Vader) - Star Wars the Force Unleashed
Star Wars the Force Unleashed is a unique story developed by LucasArts following the original main character on the cover nicknamed “Starkiller” who throughout the game is alternately swayed by the ways of the Sith and the Jedi. If you already know of the Star Wars universe, the game does its best to stay consistent with the planets, characters, structures and concepts while still bringing about its own series of events. Your first encounter with the world starts off with an invasion of the Wookiee homeworld, Kashyyyk, led by everyone’s favourite Sith Lord Darth Vader and his supporting Stormtrooper minions. The game is special in its combat system as it grants you all the power available to one that wields a lightsaber and one that is capable of using the force. Being one of the most powerful users of the force, it is a privilege to be able to experiment for the first time all of the Sith Lord’s famous abilities such as the force choke, and the other range of force abilities in this game for the first several minutes of gameplay. As you effortlessly tear through squadrons of Wookiees while only needing to walk at a menacing speed matching the rhythm of his notable theme/soundtrack, you truly feel the superiority of Darth Vader to anyone standing in his way. The layout of the planet along with the passive action of Stormtroopers battling Wookiees around you and the racing of Ti-Fighters places you right at home in the classical Star Wars universe.
4. The Beast - InFamous 2
The sequel to Infamous continues the story of Cole McGrath and his unique powers as a conduit with the ability to conduct and manipulate electricity. Within the opening minutes, you learn of a threat named “The Beast” who Cole has been preparing for between the timing of the first game and the beginning of InFamous 2 and claims that he will be ready once it arrives. When you finally get to see the newly formed team and the slight changes made to Cole through the first cutscene, the relaxed and welcoming mood is abruptly interrupted by none other than The Beast himself. As intimidating as this Statue of Liberty-sized, and absolutely destructive figure of lava is, the game passes you the controller with your job being to carry out Cole McGrath’s mission to take it down. The music, the air of a city set aflame, the dialogue of Cole, and the isolation of just you and the beast with nothing in the way between the two of you, are synced to perfection to make this opening so memorable. This first encounter with the Beast is not only scary for first-time or rusty players but also exhilarating when you find out just how powerful Cole has gotten once you begin fighting back and internalize that same determination as Cole to take The Beast down.
3. Outlast
If you haven’t already heard of Outlast, it is a popular first-person survival-horror series by Red Barrels. The first game of the series “Outlast” starts you off with a brief overview of your character and your goal as an investigator to check out Mount Massive Asylum. With that being the only information given to you, Miles Upshur (the character you will be playing throughout the game) drives at dawn to the location and as he reaches for the camera (that you will be using throughout the game to document your experiences), you are given control. The drive to the location in itself is eerie and ominous as the quite massive asylum gradually grows in size as you approach. The fallen leaves blowing through the wind that somehow feels controlled by a supernatural presence, the partially lit asylum, and the darkening of the clouds as night approaches, gives you the feeling that you are not alone although there is no one in sight. Even the very gate to enter the asylum has no formal greeting but the distant storm, the abandoned military trucks, the disorderly dispersion of the crows circling around you, and the flickering of the lights within the asylum as you get closer, all delivering uncertainty and brewing fear. If you are keen-eyed, you may even notice some figures in the windows waiting for you. Even before you set foot into Mount Massive Asylum, Outlast builds up all the fear that you should have for taking on such a job without enough background information of what you are getting yourself into and will have you questioning the same. Outlast does an excellent job at hitting home the player’s first encounter with Mount Massive Asylum in a matter of seconds, and the feeling only begins to intensify within minutes, putting the player in the same shoes as Miles Upshur with the same questions and fear that this area brings.
2. Batman Arkham Asylum (Tutorial Fight Scene)
Often you may find that the 2nd or 3rd game of a series is the one that provides the best first encounter because they already had a chance to build up the story and ease the players in with their first game and what’s left is the “meat and potatoes” so to speak. The famous DC superhero Batman, luckily has had his story built since 1939, giving Rocksteady the pass to skip most of the talk and really show why this series is going to capture what it really feels like to be the caped crusader. The experience begins by briefly showing you the rainy and well-designed city of Gotham as the camera pans to cops zooming by the famous Batmobile that’s headed towards the Arkham Asylum. As Batman is first seen driving the vehicle and holding his most famous villain the Joker, we get to see just how large and lively the city of Arkham is. As the camera cuts and you both arrive in the Asylum to lock up the Joker, you are met by the Warden and the security before you begin your “tour”. While enjoying the Joker’s foreshadowing and witty dialogue that ensures you that the Joker is done right (shoutout to Mark Hamill), you’ll get a teaser of a few characters from the Batman universe such as Killer Croc and Commissioner Gordon. The entire time Batman is anxious and mentions that something is definitely not right and the moment he leaves the Joker in the hands of Arkham security, Joker to no one's surprise escapes. You break out of the window to go after him but are surrounded by released inmates as the real game begins. This is the first time you are introduced to the original and absolutely unsurpassable freeflow-combat system of the Batman Arkham series. What begins as a simple system that allows you to swiftly form combos with chained attacks between the enemies around you and the ability to counter any of their attacks with unique animations at the push of a button, the system really lets you feel as dominant and combat proficient as Batman should be. It’s rare to hear an impact of a punch so satisfying that you genuinely think that the enemy you just pounded needs immediate medical attention. During these combat sequences the silence of the Bat as the enemies express their hatred towards Batman with their comments (if they get the chance), and their pain from his attacks, is only a portion of how the image of Batman is encapsulated throughout the game. There couldn’t have been a better first encounter with Batman and the chaos of Arkham as engaging and welcoming as Rocksteady did for the kickstarter of the series.
1. The Last Of Us - Breakout of the Virus
One of Playstation’s greatest hits, “The Last Of Us” is remembered for one of the greatest stories in gaming in addition to details and gameplay ahead of its time. In the first 20 minutes you are introduced to the characters Sarah, her father Joel and their father-daughter dynamic that is strengthened with the absence of Sarah’s mother. The playful conversation and interaction between the two family members is so heartwarming, especially once Sarah falls asleep and Joel takes her up to her bed like most of our caregivers have done for us in the past. This comfortable mood slowly begins to melt once Sarah wakes up to the phone ringing and her Uncle who is on the other line, sounding frightfully desperate to reach her father Joel right before the phone line abruptly cuts off. Now able to control Sarah, you get to walk around the house for yourself looking for your father to pass on the message and if you’re the exploratory type, you will also find some items and notes that will give you some more context on the character and the world you are in. You’ll first notice that the only T.V that is on the local news is displaying some chaotic activity and right after the channel cuts off, you notice an explosion outside of your window as things only begin to escalate from here and as Sarah’s voice and body language reveal her anxiousness and confusion, you begin to feel the same. Cops can be seen and heard racing past your block, dogs can be heard barking violently, and car alarms all around that don’t feel like they will turn off anytime soon. When you finally find Joel, he is in a greater state of panic than you are, as if he just saw a ghost. Before he gets the chance to explain himself the glass door behind you shatters as an infected character that Joel seems to recognize, bursts through with hunger in his eyes. Joel, with his pistol recently equipped, blows the intruder’s brains out after several warnings and immediately grabs Sarah so they can escape the inner-city outbreak with their truck. Amongst the chaos they are met by “Uncle Tommy” who seems to have a plan and tags along. As all 3 of you are in the car driving away from the danger, you pass by more police cars, ambulances, burning properties, other evacuees and infected for each sight that appears to get worse for every meter you drive. In efforts to escape, your truck gets totalled by another vehicle before you blackout. Having all of you luckily alive, you are now even closer to the chaos as you take control of Joel and are carrying Sarah to follow Tommy to safety while everything around you becomes a hazard and more infected people start appearing. Any more explanation will definitely enter spoiler territory but, for the first time player with little knowledge of what the game is actually about, the first segment of the game really plays with your emotions, develops an attachment to Joel and Sarah and gives context to the world you will be playing in, masterfully in such a short period of time, and is only a fraction of why “The Last Of Us” is as loved as it is.
These 9 games are only some of many games that I’ve probably missed that suck the player in like a vortex and let you know what they are about within a matter of minutes. It is always a pleasure to have a game so impactful and engaging at the very beginning rather than halfway through and having already spent several hours in anticipation for the game to get juicy. I’m interested to know what games really had you hooked within the first minutes, so share and leave a comment below.
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