20 Games With Memorable Opening Lines

Great games know how to hook you from the very first words. These openings set the stage with a line that tells you who’s speaking, where you are, and what kind of journey you’re about to take. From matter-of-fact narrations to eerie greetings, each of these games uses its first line to establish tone, worldbuilding, and the stakes in seconds.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

You wake up on a cart beside prisoners and a soldier greets you before anything else happens. The line establishes that you’re a captive being taken to Helgen and that civil war turmoil is already underway. It puts you in first-person immediately with no menus or prologue text. That single greeting and the rattling wagon sell the grounded, in-world introduction the series is known for.

Fallout 3

The narration opens with a blunt statement that becomes the franchise’s refrain, delivered over retro footage. It immediately frames a post-apocalyptic America shaped by nuclear conflict and 1950s aesthetics. The voice you hear belongs to a familiar narrator who ties the series together. The line leads straight into the personal story of being born in Vault 101.

Halo: Combat Evolved

A commanding officer and an AI exchange quick, military-style dialogue while the camera pans around the Pillar of Autumn. Their first words tell you the ship is being pursued and that evasive tactics have limits. It introduces the tactical situation without a lore dump. That brisk tone carries you right into the cryo-pod wake-up.

BioShock Infinite

The game opens in a small rowboat with two companions speaking in clipped sentences about a lighthouse rendezvous. The first line poses a simple question about faith and fear before you even see the city in the sky. The exchange sets up the theme of choices and consequences. It also anchors you to Booker’s task with a clear objective card tucked between the dialogue.

Max Payne

A hard-boiled voiceover cuts in with a stark assessment as snowy New York slides by. The first line signals a noir confessional told in past tense, paired with graphic-novel panels. It locks the narrative to Max’s headspace and sets expectations for internal monologue throughout the levels. That framing carries through every chapter transition.

Silent Hill 2

James opens with a recorded message and a reflection on a letter that should not exist. The first line orients you to a missing person premise and a lakeside town that lingers in memory. It places the camera in a cramped restroom mirror to emphasize isolation. The calm, almost hushed delivery makes the mystery feel personal and immediate.

NieR:Automata

A pilot addresses mortality with a stark thesis before a sortie even begins. The first line matches on-screen mission readouts and a minimalist UI. It primes you for a blend of philosophy and bullet-hell action. That tone carries straight into squad chatter and a rapid escalation from briefings to combat.

Resident Evil 4

Leon starts with an agency-style debrief that recounts a catastrophe and his reassignment to protect a high-value target. The first line functions like an ops report that brings new players up to speed. It places you on a remote road in Europe with two local escorts and a missing-person case. The delivery makes it clear you’re stepping into a rescue operation rather than a lab outbreak.

Borderlands 2

A gravelly storyteller opens with a campfire-style setup that addresses the player directly. The first line invites you to hear “another story” while the camera shows a frozen wasteland and a derailed train. It reintroduces Vault Hunters and a villain without pausing for a tutorial. That framing becomes a running device as the narrator checks in during chapter breaks.

Undertale

White text on black recounts a myth about humans and monsters sealing themselves apart. The first line is simple lore that any player can follow without prior series knowledge. It moves immediately to a single child falling into a cavern and a flower greeting. The minimal presentation makes the setup memorable and clear.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

A gentle narration speaks of a great forest and a guardian spirit, then calls for a fairy to find a boy without one. The first line situates the story in Hyrule’s woods without complicated exposition. It transitions straight into Navi’s search and a bedroom wake-up. That opening establishes your role in the village before any combat.

Dark Souls

A somber narrator describes an age of ancients with no fire or disparity before naming beings that changed the world. The first line is mythic context that frames gameplay as a small part of a long cycle. It introduces key figures and a concept of fading flame. The storybook cadence continues until your character awakens in a cell.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

After the title card, the protagonist touches down and is intercepted by familiar officers. The first line he mutters has become shorthand for being dragged into old problems again. It happens before you ride a bike or meet allies, setting the street-level tone. That moment pivots you from arrival to immediate survival.

Portal 2

A polite automated voice greets you after a long suspension and asks you to complete simple exercises. The first line establishes a sterile facility and a cheery testing protocol. It disguises a systems tutorial as a wellness check. That style continues as a personality core barges in and breaks the routine.

Half-Life

A transit announcer opens with a welcome message that doubles as an in-universe safety briefing. The first line gives location, department names, and hazard procedures while you watch the railcar. It conveys scale through schedules and clearance levels. By the time doors open, you know who you are, where you work, and how the facility runs.

Final Fantasy X

A narrator asks you to listen to his story as campfires glow and weapons rest in the sand. The first line frames the tale as a recollection from a later, desperate moment. It then jumps back to a bustling city and a star athlete headed to a match. The structure tells you the adventure is being told from memory.

Kingdom Hearts

The protagonist wonders aloud about strange thoughts and dreams as a surreal beach sequence begins. The first line signals that much of what follows blurs waking and sleeping states. It leans into imagery before introducing familiar Disney worlds. That internal question sets up themes of heart, identity, and separation.

The Secret of Monkey Island

A young man walks onto a cliff top and announces his ambition directly. The first line is a simple declaration that doubles as your quest log. It leads immediately to looking for mentors and tests in a seaside town. The straightforward delivery makes objectives and tone obvious from the start.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

A dream sequence opens with a quiet exchange that names a scent and a search target. The first line signals that tracking and investigation are core to the journey. It brings you from a bathhouse to a fortress yard and then to a battlefield map without breaking character. That throughline connects narrative scenes to the contracts you’ll take later.

Bastion

A narrator speaks as the Kid wakes up and the world assembles beneath his feet. The first line launches a storytelling device that comments on your actions in real time. It provides place names, event hints, and context without menus. That voice continues to fill in the history of the Calamity as you move.

Share your favorite opening line that stuck with you and tell us which one we missed in the comments.