Top 10 Video Game Opening Credit Sequences

Script Written by Fred Humphries

Top 10 Video Game Opening Credit Sequences

What a way to start a game. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 Video Game Opening Credit Sequences. Not to be confused with our Top 10 Video Game Intros list, for this list we’re looking at the opening scenes that look for creative

#10: “Resident Evil Outbreak” (2004)

This installment of the survival-horror franchise details the events in Raccoon City following the outbreak of the T-virus. This opening sequence gives you a hint as to what you are going to be coming up against as the camera pans around the sewers below the city. Law enforcement hopelessly struggle to fight against infected monstrosities as it transitions between the fighting and microscopic images of the offending virus surrounding the credits. It brilliantly gives you a rat’s eye view of how the carnage of the series began developing onto a larger scale.

#9: “Bayonetta” (2010)

In this introduction, the names of those who worked on this dark, fast-paced third-person shooter emerge from a selection of different tombstones in a rather gorgeously animated graveyard. Even though the names appear faded from view and memory on the gravestones, they will be very well remembered in real life as the game was incredibly well received by critics. Maybe having your name carved in video game stone is the best way to acknowledge the work they did. We should mention that by the time we get to Director Hideki Kamiya’s gravestone, Enzo is peeing on it, some sort of subtle symbolism from the animation department? Still, that same gravestone is actually made to good use when the action starts.

#8: “Max Payne 3” (2012)

The eponymous star of the series of third-person shooters struggling to adjust to his new life in Sao Paulo provides the setting for the opening of the game. The tortured ex cop turned private security contractor talks about his struggles with alcohol and his troubled past while the flickering shots emphasize how much of his life has been defined by the same struggles. The somber score also perfectly supports the beginning of Payne’s next unfortunate adventure.

#7: “The Last of Us” (2013)

Never doubt the artistic portrayal of eerie black and white footage showing growing fungus. Here, a number of audio clips from news reports give you just enough information to inform you that the world is in chaos but leave it vague enough to make you want to know more about how civilization has been left in such a state. If you know the game then the fungus in the background will make a lot of sense for this survival adventure title but in your first playthrough it will be an intriguing tease to what is going on.

#6: “Batman: Arkham Asylum” (2009)

All of the titles in this action-adventure series have impressive opening credit scenes with the Arkham Knight’s sequence coming in just behind this one. Alongside the Bat’s greatest foe you take a walk through the intensive treatment section of the asylum. The Clown Prince of Crime barely shuts up in an extended sequence that also gives you a look at Killer Croc. It also allows you some freedom to take a look around the dark comic book world you will soon be battling through.

#5: “The Wolf Among Us” (2013)

Sheriff Bigby Wolf has a stroll and a smoke through the neon-tinted world of Fabletown, the seedy location of this interactive mystery that reimagines classic myths and legends. It feels reminiscent of classic noir crime films and that is the same track the rest of the game follows. The events of the game are set in 1986 and the synthesizer score with the neon lights puts you straight into that era.

#4: “Half Life” (1998)

There are so many mysteries surrounding the lore of the Half-Life series and these questions begin with the opening credits of the legendary sci-fi first-person shooter. You take a tour of the Black Mesa facility in a monorail carriage and can look at the diverse range of goings on which shed no light on what the real purpose of the site is. The female voice over the P.A system is meant to be reassuring but you can’t help but feel as though there is a lot more at work than what you see on the surface.

#3: “Final Fantasy VI” (1994)

It may be pretty basic in comparison to some other sequences on this list but for the time it manages to employ a level of cinematic prowess that few other titles in the era could match. The credit sequence only has three soldiers in Magitek armor marching through a snowy landscape but Nobuo Uematsu’s powerful score gives punch to what otherwise could be a mundane scene. This series of RPGs gets you invested in the story like few others and this is the ideal way to get you going for the journey ahead.

#2: “God of War III” (2010)

We are reminded of the gory alternative take on Greek mythology that this game explores in this opening sequence using a beautiful illustration style that many forms of media try when looking at the time period. We get clips of Kratos fighting against other gods and titans as he defeats each one in a variety of gruesome manners. The whole series is one of the more mature you will ever pick up and even the credits don’t let you forget this.
Before we reveal our top pick, let’s take a look at some honourable mentions.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” (2009)
“Octodad: Dadliest Catch” (2014)
“L.A Noire” (2011)
“Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” (2004)

#1: “Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater” (2004)

No other game does opening credits quite like the Metal Gear series: with the opening from Sons of Liberty also made a great case for the top spot. The credit scenes have all been influenced by similar sequences in Bond films and they share many features. A powerful ballad plays over the top of abstract imagery while it transitions between our main character in various action set pieces. It’s a beginning befitting a Hollywood movie but is also right at home setting up this action-stealth game with global safety on the line.

Do you agree with our list? Which starting credit sequence gets you hyped up for the game ahead? For more top 10s with brilliant openings be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.