Favorite opening level?

[Lodestar]

First level of Brave Fencer Musashi, bitches! Shame the rest of the game didn't live up to that. That thing was practically wall to wall action.

Ah yes, the classic Crash Bandicoot style escape while running from the statue. I honestly loved the entire game, so I wasn't upset by what came later.

I also agree with Bioshock and will add that Mega Man X3 had a really cool opening level with a great song and the ability to play as Zero for the first time. I also liked Breath of Fire 3's "play as a dragon whelp and burn miners to death" introduction.

[god]

The first level of Sonic & Knuckles blew me away the first time, and I'm still impressed by it. The bit with the brown leaves blowing accross the whole screen in a seperate layer... bliss.

[ethinethin]

The first level of Thief: The Dark Project was excellent and showed what a stealth game based on a medieval fantasy thief could be like. Sneaking into a mansion, nicking valuables, avoiding some guards while knocking out others with a blackjack from behind. They wisely made the majority of the first level available as a demo around the time of release, and that is what caused me to buy the game.

Unfortunately the gameplay quickly degraded from there, and within a few levels, you were fighting off hordes of skeletons and zombies. The first level set a precedent for an awesome game, but the rest of the game failed to live up to it (as far as I know; I never got very far in it after the switch in gameplay).

[BRIK]

Also, I forgot about the intro to Far Cry 2. That's all I played of it actually, but it was impressive.

Yeah unfortunately the gameplay somewhat degrades after that

lol what is this?

[sabrage]

Also, I forgot about the intro to Far Cry 2. That's all I played of it actually, but it was impressive.

Yeah unfortunately the gameplay somewhat degrades after that

lol what is this?

Killer7. That's the most "sane" scene in the game.

I wish Suda would realize that his games aren't going to sell regardless of how "normal" they are and go back to batshit-whatthefuckville like Killer7. I mean, Lollipop Chainsaw and Shadows of the Damned are pretty weird, but they don't hold a candle to the mindfuck that was Killer7.

Anyways, the two opening levels that spring to mind for me are Doom and STALKER. That opening music always gets me pumped in Doom, and nothing will ever make me feel helpless the way I did the first time night fell in The Zone.

[ExedExes]

How can you not remember Blaster Master (NES) -- freakin epic!

Also, the first Mega Man X had an intro level which was going to get you ready for an awesome experience.

[StuntDouble]

I always enjoyed the intro to Metal Gear Solid. I loved everything about that level,the cutscenes, the music, and the way the credits were rolling while you were playing. I really felt like I was taking part in a movie. The same could be said for Metal Gear Solid 2, but I didn't enjoy that game as much as I did the first.

[ExedExes]

Deus Ex - Liberty Island

I seem to be a very rare fan of the Liberty Island portion of the game. It hooked me in instantly the first time I played the game, and now whenever I "dab" into it for a replay, well I'm won over by the start of the game and the ride begins.

I was to mention that too, starts off right with an important decision -- your starting weapon. Then however you choose to dispatch the NSF on the way inside, and then figuring out how to enter, which itself is a decision you'll have to make many times through the course of the game. Then do you free Hermann or let him make a break on his own? And what of Leo Gold? Cap him or let him talk?

Sets up the game quite well.

[GameMasterGuy]

Favorite opening level would have to be from Mega Man X, but favorite beginning of a game would have to be Sonic Adventure. They throw you right into a boss fight- no tutorial, no level, no anything, just you, Chaos 0, and a small handful of rings.

[ZeroAX]

Deus Ex - Liberty Island

I seem to be a very rare fan of the Liberty Island portion of the game. It hooked me in instantly the first time I played the game, and now whenever I "dab" into it for a replay, well I'm won over by the start of the game and the ride begins.

Dude, we 2 should hang out more, I find that we have very similar (and excellent, if I may add) taste in games. xD

I had no idea people didn't love the Liberty Island opening. It was AMAZING. Very open, I spent hours playing around it on the demo (to this day, I still have no idea how I am supposed to go in from the front door, except if the only viable strategy is going gun-ho, but I was always trying to stealth around that game), the music is amazing, the blown up statue is a shocker and a reminder that this is a much darker world.....AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING opening.


I will also add every Megaman X game's opening level is amazing, though X and X3's opening stages do stand out for me.

The first level of Sonic & Knuckles blew me away the first time, and I'm still impressed by it. The bit with the brown leaves blowing accross the whole screen in a seperate layer... bliss.

I loved it, mostly cause it was an original opening level for a Sonic game. (no more island/green hills), but also cause like all of S&K it had some of the best level design in the Mega Drive games .

Sonic Adventure 2 I loved the music and the pace of the first level, I dont know, it just has a good feeling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnD0B2vsero