8 Games with Awesome First Levels

[Cowabungaa]

Oblivion over the adrenaline fueled rush that is fleeing the Combine in Half Life 2's sewers? Dodging metrocops and the whole "Shit is hitting the fan" feeling. Especially combined with the awesomeness that was HL2's soundtrack:


Man that shit was amazing. Sure beats that dungeon crawl Oblivion made me go through, not to mention the combat looking silly sort of robbed it of its impact a bit. Shame I didn't see the thread in time, I would've posted it if I could.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Wow, the Escapist is desperate for content to be re-posting forum threads as 'featured content'.

At least they gave credit...

They do it all the time. And its not so much re-posting. Its the Daily Gallery. Its a highlight of one of the popular threads of the day.

Its not a bad thing to do actually.

 

[Dango]

It's hard to call Oblivion's opening a "level", since it was an open world RPG, but I guess that's semantics.

As far as great first levels go, Call of Duty 2 has one of my favorites, especially on the harder difficulties where a lot of your comrades won't live through it,

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Are you kidding about Oblivion? You start in a cell being abused by a twat of a dark elf, then you go down into a tunnel and fight some rats, then you tag alongside Emperor Patrick Stewart and go through a few boring, over-scripted fights.

It was so memorable that I saved a character right before the game gives you one last chance to respec and never played through it again.

 

[FPLOON]

Wow, the Escapist is desperate for content to be re-posting forum threads as 'featured content'.

At least they gave credit...

And with badges, man... BADGES!

OT: If I was Egoraptor, I would have said Mega Man X... #ridingoncars

Other than that, Sonic Generations throws you into playing Classic Sonic through Green Hill Zone before starting the game's storyline...

 

[Politrukk]

Oblivion was good but a great opening level?

it's just the beginning of the game... of an open world game... that doesn't qualify as a level!?

 

[soren7550]

If we're not counting the tutorials, then one of my all time favorites is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Much like the rest of the game, it's just so damn tight, tense, and awesome.

 

[immortalfrieza]

I think all the Bethesda opening levels are pretty good, Skyrim and Fallout 3 especially, but maybe that's because I just pick a character's race, attributes, and skills and just go from there through hell and high water instead of playing for an hour and redoing the whole thing 10 times like some people do, so if I end up restarting for whatever reason the whole thing seems fresh instead of annoying.

Oblivion though? That was a pretty mediocre opening level. Pretty much the only thing notable about the whole thing was Patrick Stewart as the Emperor, and he wasn't there that much and not for long. Bethesda hired a top notch voice actor for a character that the player only spends at most 15 minutes actually interacting with in any capacity, it was rather disappointing.

 

[maninahat]

Are you kidding about Oblivion? You start in a cell being abused by a twat of a dark elf, then you go down into a tunnel and fight some rats, then you tag alongside Emperor Patrick Stewart and go through a few boring, over-scripted fights.

It was so memorable that I saved a character right before the game gives you one last chance to respec and never played through it again.

I agree. It does set up a nice contrast for when you get outside and see gorgeous daylight, but that contrast is a result of the dungeons being so long, drab and boring to fight through. It's also clumsily directed and exposition heavy "Hi I'm the emperor! Oh no, I'm dead. Bye!" Skyrim's opening is better. Although it too has an overly long dungeon and badly implemented diverting plot choice bit (I didn't even realize there was a big choice involved until someone point it out), it did a much better job of being exciting, involving and introducing you to the world's conflict.

Fallout New Vegas has a really good opening though. Good mystery, an instant villain to chase, a quick introduction to the world, and a short tutorial section to set up your character in-universe.

 

[Auron225]

Standout ones for me would've been;

Fallout 3; more-so the first time you play it - lengthy if you're replaying the game a few times)
Sonic Adventure 2; Trust me and we will escaaape from the ci-ty!
Final Fantasy 9; the plot hooked me instantly. A band of thieves? Masquerading as travelling performers? Actually trying to capture a princess?? Who is herself trying to escape!? WHERE DO I SIGN?

 

[Lightknight]

Kinda surprised Metal Gear Solid didn't get a nod here. That Demo had many people replaying it for days.

 

[happyninja42]

Wow, the Escapist is desperate for content to be re-posting forum threads as 'featured content'.

At least they gave credit...

They do it all the time. And its not so much re-posting. Its the Daily Gallery. Its a highlight of one of the popular threads of the day.

Its not a bad thing to do actually.

I'll take this variety over the "Disney Princesses Reimagined as *Insert some pop culture thing*" over and over and over.

I might not like all the content they fill the site with these days, but at least it's varied. I'll give them that much.

 

[kris40k]

You absolutely must see the opening battle in Lost Odyssey. It's nuts.
Game grinds to a screeching halt for about an hour after that, but the opening is magnificent.

Oh man, I had forgotten about that opening. I agree, it was very impressive. You get a quick tutorial about the combat system, while simultaneously introducing the main character as a immortal, badass killing machine as he butchers his way through an army, and then

Spoiler: stuff happens

the friggin sky drops molten death on everyone killing everyone except for the previously mentioned unkillable guy

and afterwards your standing there like, "damn, what the hell did I just get myself into."

 

[Headsprouter]

Oh hey, I got mentioned in a thing. For some reason I think there may have also been a puzzle somewhere in the first level of ts2 as well.

This had me squinting thoughtfully for a bit. I've played that level so many times, but...no. I don't think there's a section I'd call particularly puzzley.

If we're going to be talking Elder Scrolls intros, I'd say Skyrim's was better than Oblivion's...what with the whole dragon attack and all.

I prefer Oblivion's because it's lonelier and sets up the tone of your (mostly) lone adventuring through dungeons quite well. Not to mention, the plot happens.

"Find him. And close shut the jaws of Oblivion!"

*assassin*

But yeah, both get more slow and tiresome the more times you play them.