Gold Box Best opening in a cRPG - Dark Sun Shattered Lands

[Darth Canoli]

I just launched this game to check a few things, created a party and launched it.
The opening is pure genius, it's concise but really immersive, it shows a deep understanding of narration and role-playing:

Then the decree is slowly burnt into ashes and you enter the Arena.

After those two screens, you're dropped into the arena to witness a powerful mage fighting a group of monsters and amongst them, a Rampager which; spoiler alert; will eat him alive.
He doesn't really eat him alive, probably technical restriction, he just rip him into pieces, had the game been released 5-10 years later, the Rampager would probably have swallowed the mage whole.

And then it's your turn... Gulp!

I don't remember any opening so good and immersive.
Wizardry 8 is quite interesting, your spaceship is shot down and you're stranded on unknown shore with limited resources but it's nothing like Dark Sun: Shattered Lands.

Any other opening this good?
Or just remotely interesting?

 

[Butter]

Shattered Lands might be the best in this regard, but here are some of my other favorites:

* Knights of the Chalice for having the best first combat encounter.
* Fallout: New Vegas for making its tutorial area fast and skippable but also engaging and worth doing on repeat playthroughs.
* Icewind Dale 2 for making its starter town a warzone instead of a sleep simulator like so many RPGs do.
* Wizardry 7 for its opening cutscene and flavor text that perfectly prepare you for an epic adventure.

 

[Bester]

a powerful mage fighting a group of monsters and amongst them, a Rampager which; spoiler alert; will eat him alive.

Actually I think the fight happens for real, and either side can win depending on the roll of the dice.

What's weird is that you're supposed to be next, right? But neither the mage, nor the monsters are there.

 

[Darth Canoli]

Actually I think the fight happens for real, and either side can win depending on the roll of the dice.

What's weird is that you're supposed to be next, right? But neither the mage, nor the monsters are there.

Yes, it happens for real, i played the whole fight, then went through my first fight before saving.
It even made me want to play it again.
I rolled a Half-Giant Gladiator, a Ranger which is going to be dual-classed into a rogue later, a fighter /fire druid and a preserver/psionicist.

As for the fight, you might be right about the mage being able to win but it's natural they're not here anymore, it's an arena fight, arenas get "cleaned up" after a fight and challengers/beasts get back to their quarters/pens.

 

[Darth Canoli]

Shattered Lands might be the best in this regard, but here are some of my other favorites:

* Knights of the Chalice for having the best first combat encounter.
* Fallout: New Vegas for making its tutorial area fast and skippable but also engaging and worth doing on repeat playthroughs.
* Icewind Dale 2 for making its starter town a warzone instead of a sleep simulator like so many RPGs do.
* Wizardry 7 for its opening cutscene and flavor text that perfectly prepare you for an epic adventure.

KotC 1 is great, still, the opening would have been so much better if you started on the first floor and the orcs attacked immediately.

I don't remember Wiz 7 opening at all, I thought it was boring so I'll have to check it out.

 

[lukaszek]

ever woke up in a prison with big destiny ahead of you?

 

[Dorateen]

Isle of Terra's opening is pretty iconic, with the Star Wars-esqe scrolling of credits along with its classic narration:

I am Sheltem; Guardian of Terra

But a personal favorite of mine remains the intro to Thunderscape:

Spoiler

 

[Darth Canoli]

Isle of Terra's opening is pretty iconic, with the Star Wars-esqe scrolling of credits along with its classic narration:

I am Sheltem; Guardian of Terra

But a personal favorite of mine remains the intro to Thunderscape

Interesting, I never played Thunderscape, the map from the first seconds of the video strangely looks like Prelude to Darkness worldmap.
Good intro, it's ugly as sin though, I can't say I ever liked 3D but early 3D was really bad.

 

[Dorateen]

I think the Dark Sun opening stands out because of its uniqueness in setting and context, compared to many classics that simply drop the party in the middle of the gameworld, often with little direction. That kind of start in a role-playing game has its own appeal, but is hard to compare with the well-orchestrated introduction to the gladiator fights of Shattered Lands and slave pen location.

 

[vazha]

I love the Inquisitor's opening (as in, not the bit when you sidetrack to kill bats and other local fauna, but go straight ahead and arrive at that godforsaken village where guards and townsfolk alike are all reeling from yesterday's murder), has The Name of the Rose written all over it.

The Game of Thrones RPG has a nice opening for the Night's Watch too, sets the tone straightaway.

And well, Morrowind and Arcanum are classics. And Enderal takes "the weird one" prize category.

 

[curds]

Video game openers should always be short and let you get to the "meat" of the game ASAP. Nothing worse than having to sit through a long opening sequence before you can actually get to the real game.

Good examples:

Gothic 1 is a classic. "Welcome to the Colony!" Quick chat with Diego then you're off to do as you please.
Fallout 1. You can kill all the rats for XP if you like, otherwise just leave the cave straight away and you're off.
Morrowind. Character creation/intro takes a few minutes, afterwards you can run off in any direction and do what you want.
Fallout New Vegas. Character creation/intro takes a few minutes, afterwards you can run off in any direction and do what you want.
STALKER ShoC. Have a chat with fat guy in the bunker then you're free to do whatever.
Baldur's Gate. You can skip the tutorial monks and then are free to go/do whatever after speaking with Gorion.

Bad examples

Oblivion. 30 minute dungeon crawl/tutorial in an open world game is a bad idea.
Skyrim. 30 minute dungeon crawl/tutorial in an open world game is a bad idea.
Nehrim. 30 60 minute dungeon crawl/tutorial in an open world game is a bad idea.
Enderal's opener is just weird/cringe.
Archolos. Great game but the intro drags on way too long.
Temple of Elemental Evil. Game about tactical combat encounters starts you in a boring as fuck village filled with tedious non-combat quests. (Technically easily skipped, but you'll be underlevelled, which matters a lot in low level D&D)

Not an RPG, but the worst intro I ever sat through was MGSV. You have like an hour of cutscene/QTE before getting to the real game.

 

[Tavernking]

I just launched this game to check a few things, created a party and launched it.
The opening is pure genius, it's concise but really immersive, it shows a deep understanding of narration and role-playing:

Then the decree is slowly burnt into ashes and you enter the Arena.

After those two screens, you're dropped into the arena to witness a powerful mage fighting a group of monsters and amongst them, a Rampager which; spoiler alert; will eat him alive.
He doesn't really eat him alive, probably technical restriction, he just rip him into pieces, had the game been released 5-10 years later, the Rampager would probably have swallowed the mage whole.

And then it's your turn... Gulp!

I don't remember any opening so good and immersive.
Wizardry 8 is quite interesting, your spaceship is shot down and you're stranded on unknown shore with limited resources but it's nothing like Dark Sun: Shattered Lands.

Any other opening this good?
Or just remotely interesting?

I've never seen someone with such strong nostalgia goggles. If someone made this exact game and intro sequence today in 2022 you wouldn't bat a fucking eye. Get with the times, you pitiful old fart.

 

[Darth Canoli]

I've never seen someone with such strong nostalgia goggles. If someone made this exact game and intro sequence today in 2022 you wouldn't bat a fucking eye. Get with the times, you pitiful old fart.

On the contrary, I'd applause.
Of course, as it has been done masterfully 30 years ago, it'd have to add something to the formula.

Also, I didn't mention the excellent music which adds a lot to the intro.