The Top 10 Opening Levels in Video Games

With the massive competition happening in the video game industry, it’s important for each new title that it provide a solid first impression for gamers. That first impression often comes, in almost all cases, from the game’s opening level, where players either fall in love or lose interest and move on.

Considering the impact opening levels can have on gamers, we polled our writers to see what games they thought have the best start. In our list below, we’ve selected games whose first level impressed us, challenged us, and sparked within us a love for gaming.

Considering the subject matter, there are spoilers ahead.

Super Mario Bros.

It’s quite possible that the opening level in Super Mario Bros. is the most-played in video game history. Even gamers too young to remember the game’s original release have the opportunity to run, jump, and stomp their way through the game’s first level.

Despite its simplicity, the opening level in Super Mario Bros. will be remembered as the one that introduced millions of gamers to the red-clad Italian plumber, and the level that ignited a love for gaming in the hearts of gamers around the world.

The Last of Us

For many PlayStation gamers, The Last of Us was the best game on PlayStation 3, and its current-gen re-release is one of the best so far on PlayStation 4. For the most part, gamers praise the game for its impressive story, which started off with a bang.

From the first few minutes of The Last of Us, players get the feeling something big is going to happen – and they don’t have to wait long for confirmation. At the end of the first level, players witness the death of a key character, which affects the rest of the game’s story and provides players with a heart-wrenching opening.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim kicks things off right, with a dragon. Rather than just have players select the equipment they want and starting them off running around the vast open world, the developers at Bethesda instead throws players right into the action, letting them make character and gear selections as they go along.

With an opening like that, it’s hard to imagine a more impressive start to the next Elder Scrolls game. Of course, they could always just start things off with two dragons, right?

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