Ultimately, games should be judged on the whole adventure they offer. But it doesn't always work out that way. You can't help but form opinions about a game within the first few hours of playing it.
Some people even give up on a title and uninstall it if it doesn't grab their attention fast enough. This is understandable, but it means you risk missing out on some great games. Here are some examples of titles that are good, even if they have weak openings.
Wolfenstein: The New Order
The early stages of Wolfenstein: The New Order take place in the middle of World War II, as you fight in the trenches against the Nazis. Since there have been countless FPS games set during World War II, this part of the game feels a little original.
Things don't really pick up until time skips forward and you're in the 1960s. Even then, the game is still only okay until you get the resistance together and start to learn that the characters are deeper than they initially seem, especially the protagonist BJ Blazkowicz.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely regarded as one of the best games of its generation. But it's fair to say that it takes some time to get going. Before you're free to explore the Wild West, you're stuck on a snowy mountain doing rather rudimentary missions alongside a bunch of people you don't know yet.
So, the sequence can be a bit of a hit, and it has turned people off the game. Once you get through that, you get to do more exciting quests and learn more about the characters. Interestingly, on a second playthrough, the prologue is actually okay because the interactions between the characters are more engaging when you already know who they are.
Assassin's Creed 3
Assassin's Creed 3 has some strange opening hours. In the beginning, you play as Haythem Kenway for a while, while you learn the mechanics of the game. This builds nicely until you switch to the actual main character, his son, Connor. He's just a kid, so now you have to watch him grow up. It feels so slow compared to the Haythem missions.
The sequence wouldn't actually be as bad if the game started with it. But by the end of Haythem's sequence, you're ready for the game to open up, not become more linear and tutorial-heavy. It really hurts the pace of the game and probably drives some people away.
Pokemon Sun and Moon
Pokemon games aren't known for being fast-starters. The early hours are always spent introducing you to the concept of Pokemon in general, battle mechanics, and how to catch more Pokemon. Modern games like Sun and Moon have made things even worse by including a lot more cutscenes and dialogue.
Sometimes lots of cutscenes at the beginning of games can be exciting, but Pokémon is hardly a narrative-focused series. So the scenes aren't exactly exciting. Once you get past all that, and the many tutorials, Sun and Moon is a fun Pokemon adventure.
Spec Ops: The Line
In the early hours of Spec Ops: The Line, you'd be forgiven for thinking you're playing a pretty average third-person military shooter. Therefore, it is forgivable if you stop at that point. But as you play longer, you begin to discover that there is more to this game than meets the eye. The shooting mechanics remain average, but the characters and story become more compelling.
The horrible events that unfold throughout the adventure slowly begin to affect the protagonist's mind. As a result, the game starts messing with your brain as well. It's actually more effective because the game just feels like a standard shooter at first, meaning you don't see the weirdness coming.
Yakuza 3
All the Yakuza (aka Like A Dragon) games are great, but Yakuza 3 isn't off to a strong start. You play as the series' protagonist and former Yakuza member, Kiryu, who has left his former life behind and now runs an orphanage.
Because of that, the first few hours of the game aren't very action-packed, nor are there many big story moments. Instead, you just help the orphans by doing some pretty mundane tasks. It's clearly an attempt to establish what Kiryu's life is like now. However, it drags on a bit too long, and the game doesn't really get interesting until you leave the orphanage.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The story of The Witcher 3 is usually cited as the best part of the game. Unfortunately, it doesn't really get going until you leave the prologue area known as the White Orchard. While you're here, you're only engaged in monster hunting.
That's fine, but this part of the game isn't why many consider The Witcher 3 an iconic RPG. When you get out of the White Orchard, you meet some of the main characters and learn about your job to find Ciri. The story really kicks into gear at this point.
A lot of rain
Heavy Rain is an exciting narrative adventure game that revolves around a compelling mystery. However, it doesn't start off very convincingly. This is because before the story begins, you simply control a suburban father named Ethan, who needs to perform his daily tasks.
You brush your teeth, shave, shower, get dressed and do various other everyday things. In the process, you learn the basic mechanics of the game, but it's not exciting. It is a very boring part of the game that is easy to give up. The title doesn't really get entertaining until the mystery kicks in.
Most Metal Gear Solid games have strong and exciting prologues that set up the rest of the story. However, the story of Phantom Pain was set up in MGS5: Ground Zeroes, which is technically a separate game.
So, Phantom Pain starts with you waking up from a coma. Then, when you actually have the ability to move, your legs don't work very well, which means you keep falling down. After this, you crawl around in a very linear, handheld section as you make your way through the rest of the intro. It's very slow, and the gameplay doesn't reflect the quality of the rest of the game.
Driver
The original Driver game on PS1 has one of the most infamous intros in gaming history. Right from the start you get a list of things you need to accomplish: burnout, handbrake, slalom, 180°, 360°, reverse 180°, speed, brake test and lap. You don't get to know how to do any of these things, but you have to do them all in 60 seconds.
Although there are instructions on how to do everything in a hidden menu, most people don't find it. Instead, they fail a bunch of times and leave the game. Unfortunately for them, the game actually gets really good after this very frustrating sequence.
