5 Amazing Intro Cinematics

By Ben Tarrant
12 years Ago

5 Amazing Intro Cinematics featured image

You know when you’re on the main menu, ready to play, and then suddenly something else grabs your attention, like the microwave timer and the smell of a ready meal? You come back to your game to find the menu screen has been replaced by a stunning cinematic that you didn’t even realize existed. Yeah, I love those too, so here are five of the best of those intros with YouTube links to each of them for your viewing pleasure.

5. Dawn Of War

Released in 2004, this game is getting along to being nearly nine years old, but its intro cinematic is still awesome. A depiction of a classic Space Marine vs. Orc confrontation complete with infamous units from the table-top game all realized in amazing definition. The dreadnought is also undeniably cool, breaking backs and ripping apart the Orcs. The gore and violence was apparently incredibly appealing to my 11-year-old self when I first played this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJU5kUj6Puo

4. Bioshock

A stunning FPS game from 2007 set in the underwater city of Rapture. Bioshock stole the show winning multiple awards including Best Game at the BAFTAs. The intro for this highly acclaimed game is just as cool, putting viewers in the perspective of a Rapture inhabitant after listening to Andrew Ryan’s invigorating speech. The inhabitant attempts to harvest a Little Sister only to be confronted with a Big Daddy ensuing a brilliant fight complete with some plasmids and an unexpected ending.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_U6xSJ0Wis

3. Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars is a massive universe with tons of games and spin off storylines. SWTOR is an MMORPG spin-off of the game which I recently started playing again (my username is InElegance, hit me up!). Only this time I actually sat through and watched the intro cinematic which I am SO glad I did. I’m aware there are 2 possible intros depending on which side of The Force you pick. As I always choose Sith that’s the intro I’m referring to (Although you can view the almost-as-cool republic intro here). The trailer shows a Sith, along with some bounty hunter accomplices, attacking the Jedi Temple. A Sith cruiser then dramatically crashes into the temple delivering masses of other Sith warriors. This intro is nothing short of amazing and has many people crying out for a movie based on such events. Abrams, take note.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqAMDZB0bHg

2. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

I’m a huge fan of Transformers, namely Generation One. Because of this I was incredibly skeptical of FOC as I was worried they would play off the modern films too much. This intro proves how wrong my worries were. Depicting the epic struggle for Cybertron the trailer features some classic Decepticons and Autobots such as Shockwave and Bumblebee in their original G1 looks (albeit with some slight modern tweaks). Even Megatron has his flail! The music works brilliantly with the scenes and Metroplex’s appearance at the end with his little announcement really tops it all off. A great intro for an amazing game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CxEu676XV8

1. Assassin’s Creed

Last but not least is the Assassin’s Creed intro. There has been a huge amount of buzz and split opinions surrounding the Assassin’s Creed franchise recently what with the massively divided opinions of Assassin’s Creed 3 and the “leaks” regarding Black Flag. With all that in mind, this trailer is all the more relevant. One user on YouTube put it quite well in a comment (Picture below) and I fully agree. After Brotherhood, the franchise seems to have lost itself to some degree in frivolity and over-complicating the story where AC 1 and 2 were amazing for their simplicity.

This trailer translates the apprehension before an assassination and the rush of the escape. It shows the skills of blending into the environments and the likeness with eagles — things lost in recent installments in the franchise.