I want neither crappy 3D or crappy 2D. I'll take anything good though, be it 2D, 3D, 4D, direct-to-brain neural interface defining as many dimensions as we can imagine, or anything else. I don't really care much about the graphics, it's the game behind it I want to play.
Although, I'm pretty sure I'd play it no matter how bad it was.

Full Throttle did rock about as hard as its possible for a game to rock. Its the kind of game that brutal legend should have been rather than a 3rd person beat em up crossed with an godawful rts (I really want to finish it since the music and story is really good but the rts is just so bad...)
Yes, yes it is.
its one of the truly rare games that manages to build a perfect balance of atmosphere, storytelling, challenge, interesting mission design and the sheer fun of flying for the empire and exterminating the rebel scum like the bugs they are. Seriously if they'd had me at Yavin, skywalker would have just been another kill marker on my TIE's hull...

That's because we all have nightmares about the fucking last goddamn piece of shit impossible mission. I have NEVER finished it... And I've tried for years... But I'm not bitter. Oh, nosirree. No bitterness towards that hateful collection of 1's and 0's... Bitch.
Oh and fixed :)
Karl
Oh, and for those that don't know, you can hide the link in a sentence.
using the (url)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJTD60hBQbc[/url].
However using (url=Universe at War
Just replace the "(" and ")" with "[" and "]"
Oh and Universe at War is a great intro :)
Karl

I was mulling over Fallout 3, for its return to basics and perfect transition into the one thing missing from the original - ingame character creation, a Bethesda standby borrowed from the Ultima games which I'd argue were the real beginning of the genre. It was apolitical without rejecting the original premise, and they didn't mess with the speed of the song to make it sound more corny. The corniness and red-scare references were charming in 1997, but it wouldn't have been effective to repeat them in 2008.
I was going to say World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, beautifully executed but also interesting for its noble portrayal of the ridiculous Draenei and rare treatment of the Blood Elves' cruelty. The great thing about WoW is it makes no bones about being completely fucking retarded, and the business with the sheep and the murlocs was special for a form (the game intro, that is) usually over-the-top with testosterone and flattery. The connection to the original release's title screen was also a nice touch, as was the reference to content planned for much later.
But then you had to go and do this.
The answer is always Homeworld.
brb reinstalling

Ah, but the intro to Crusader: No Remorse is also excellent.

I have these 2 saved on my PSP just so i can show them to people whenever i mention thief as being my favourite gaming experience... desperately waiting for Thief 4.
Dawn of war intro is also on there, cause its cool.

FreeSpace I
Fallout (I and II)
Lionheart. But the game was a failure IMO. Great intro, though.

Personally, I loved Fallout 1's intro, it is so amazingly simple yet it is such a prolific portrayal of the world it takes place in.
I also loved both Dawn of War intros, they're very nice at bringing the grim gothic future to life.
Quake 2's intro I still love to this day since I saw it so many years ago in primary school. It was my suspensive aquainting with the strategy of drop pods...
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver I also love, the voices of the characters, their personalities and their dialog inspire me to my darkest corners.
Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2 both have awesome intro scenes.
Deus Ex I see the intro and get the idea of the world, yet the suspect that there is far more than I know behind the veils.
Blood 2: The Chosen's intro portrays Caleb as the badass he is while explaining the previous game's base plot, I love its style.
UFO: Aftermath's intro sends a shiver down my spine, both with its visuals and brief explanation.
X-Com: UFO Defense (AKA UFO: Enemy Unknown) is just awesomely stylish.
StarCraft and StarCraft: Broodwar both had intro scenes I thought were awesome. Upon playing through the campaigns I was treated to many other awesome scenes.
Crusader: No Remorse and No Regret both have introductions that I feel are quite badass.
Borderlands' intro I find quite amusing and stylish.
Half-Life's introduction, while not a video, I find rather well done, it really builds on the idea of a normal work down going down hill...
Mass Effect's intro, while small, I always do enjoy. Many of the game's scenes are awesome to be a part of, so to speak...
BioShock's intro I find rather delightful, a wonderful way to make a bad day worse...
Dragon Age: Origin's prologue stories I find to be great introductions into the game, very nicely setting up just how you're seen in the world rather than leaving all that up to you.
Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines' intro I find to be a grand way to be thrown into the world of darkness. But then again, maybe I just like the idea of vampires in bed...
If you manage to trawl through my excessive list, I commend you. I also apologize for my laziness in not finding videos of these for those who're interested.

Lucasarts made the best cinematic adventure games, with some of the best cinematic intros ever.
Someone already mentioned Full Thorttle, but do not forget the amazing DOTT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vJioAZ1oIY
or Curse of Monkey island (the way the camera pans still sends chills down my spine)ű
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43-2jE-9OhA
Grim fandango is probably the funniest ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kVZ1sJZ9lo
Other favorites
Beyond good and evil is just beautiful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY_Dz4vLrMk
Also Mafia is absolutely mesmerizing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKsaJe2zKSo
How about an �ber-stylish cyberpunk epic?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3iBAjvnOQ0
...spiced up with DAVID BOWIE himself?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZAAW6Dxue4
+
This one actually made me get the game, it looks so incredibly overwhelmingly awesome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlv_ipbjfvw

The intro from Reunion comes to mind.

There's only one fantastic intro in the history of video game, so big it has been cut in two, and that's this one:
[url=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms2sYa6yFRg[/url]
[url=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mStHq8qshlo&feature=related[/url]
Man was I impressed the first time I saw this. Hey, I was young.

A lot have been mentioned, Call of Duty 1, Katamari Damacy, Dragon Age Origins.
I'd add the original Half Life. It was the first first person shooter to give you limited control during the opening credits and it perfectly set you up for your day at the office.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAqbdtsK6NI
Planescape: Torment also gets a nod from me. Waking up from the dead with a floating skull talking to you? Priceless. I will say the first couple hours of gameplay are slow but the initial waking up is great.

Don't forget Age of Empires 1 & 2 (+ the expansion intros).
They are all pretty much the same intro with some changes but they are pretty good and capture the heart of the game quite well IMO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bQ-WsquMwE
Also Donkey Kong country intro is very nostalgic to me every time I watch it.