Mascott: For current games with current levels of writing talent and technology, I'm going to go with Bioshock. Whether the intro was real or not, it lays out enough exposition for you to be lied to. (The statute of limitations is up on that one-we can talk about it.)
fuNGoo: Did no one mention the
tram ride through Black Mesa yet? Although it's a little long and drawn out before letting you into the action, the first time I booted up Half-life, I was just amazed at how pretty and dynamic everything that was going on around me was.
Ah, Black Mesa Inbound, it's good to see you again my old friend. I play through Half Life maybe once a year and the beginning is probably my favorite bit.
Speaking of that, has anyone else read Marc Laidlaw's extended opening for Half Life 2? It was supposed to be in the original version with the Air Exchange and what not, I believe it was in Raising the Bar. It had the G-Man explain everything. Flowers sprout up around his feet and die, the sky changes from clouds to storms-it was pretty incredible, and I would have loved to have seen it.
Cannot really agree with the Bioshock 'interactive' intro, purely on the basis that you are told by the 'voice' in the Bathysphere how dangerous it all is, and then you see through the window that the person he sent to get you has no weapon! This guy is about the only one in the whole game with no weapon! Him pleading for the Splicer to spare him felt very hollow to me. I would have been cursing either my stupidity or the 'voice' for sending me! :)