Top 10 Best Video Game Cutscenes

GameDynamo - "Cutscenes and movie cinematics have come a long way. Watching Aeris get murdered by Sephiroth in FF7, or Kratos taking on the gods in GOW3, or the recent Tomb Raider trailer at E3 which was on par with the best of VFX movies, they are gaming cinema at its greatest. Cutscenes often serve as bookends and trophies for achieving something significant in a game, whether defeating an impossible boss or finishing a difficult game."

[trainsinrdr]

Rockstar and square enix are definitely the best at making cutscenes.

[Best]

MW2 had imo the best cutscenes ever.

[consolez_FTW]

If you truly believe MW2 has the best cutscenes than you must have started gaming on the 360 and you are 12 year old.

[Takoulya]

Relax, consolez, he's just trolling - and unfortunately, you're giving him the satisfaction he wants.

[snipes101]

So he likes MW2 cutscenes and that means he's a troll? That makes sense "consolez_FTW."

The hate COD gets on this site is just idiotic way out of hand. No one is allowed to like the anything about the franchise or they're stupid. Dumb.

Anyhow, I'd have to say some of my favorite cutscenes came from Catherine. Those had me on the edge of my seat and the anime style was different and new for me. I'd also have to say Enslaved and Valkyrie Chronicles had some nice ones too.

[MaxXAttaxX]

I guess you missed his previous non-stop trolling streak?

[morganfell]

I just can't agree with the article.

This wraps up 20 years of gaming and occurs after the final credits in MGS4.

***WARNING HUGE METAL GEAR SPOILERS***

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

And then there is this from Blizzard, champions of the cutscene:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[BiggCMan]

You could fit this entire list with Metal Gear cutscenes, but this author didn't put a single one. How could you compile a best cutscenes list and not include Metal Gear. Those games are famous for their storytelling cutscenes.

[Ace_Pheonix]

Thank you! I was grossly appalled by that fact, I'm glad to see someone got it in there within the first 5 comments.

[MaxXAttaxX]

Not only that, but DOA Extreme(Beach Volleyball) 2 made the list somehow.

FF7's opening scene was not the best.

And why is a trailer for an unreleased game there? lol

[meetajhu]

When i see such article first thing i do is go check if it has Onimusha 3 video in it. If it doesn't it fails miserably. This article is Win.

[DrRichtofen]

I will still always love the sly cooper cutscenes.

[snipes101]

YES I love those games! I'm playing through the HD collection as we speak. They had so much style it's ridiculous. Can't wait for the fourth.

[WhiteLightning]

Final Fantasy 7...best opening cutscene

Are you kdding me...

<Sigh>

FF8 gets overshadowed again for the "great" "almighty" FF7, even though FF8s opening cutscene is the best in the series.

Just because FF7 was first dosen't mean it's the best, that's why I think FF7 is overrated because people tend to think that because it was the first FF game on the PS1 with those great grahics (at the time) that everything in FF7 will be superiour to any FF that comes out after it.

"On top of that, the tense combat opening of Final Fantasy 8 lost all meaning when I found out Squall and Seifer were merely in a training exercise. "

Nice excuse...

[MrSpace]

Agreed. I enjoyed Final Fantasy 7 but the fact is Final Fantasy 8 did things better then it, Music, cutscenes, character development (Squalls was amazing) etc

[sarabbc]

I liked airships and the world of Final Fantasy 9. Same with FFX.

[consolez_FTW]

@ sarabbc

yeah, I recently re purchased FF9 on PSN and remembered that it does have some great cutscenes. Also that beginning FF10 cutscene was awesome!

[sarabbc]

@consolez_FTW: The beginning of FF10 and the first time Yuna does the dance is spectacular.

[NukaCola]

The original 2 Oddworld games will always be my number 1.

[tieryas]

I completely agree that 8 and 9 were technically superior and had amazing cutscenes! Not just the intro for 8, but the ballroom dance, the fight with the witch at the end of disc 1, the battle between the gardens, and on and on. At the same time, the first time I saw the opening of 7 (and this was more than a decade ago), I could not believe my eyes.

[Imalwaysright]

Imo this is the best cutscene of any FF game.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[tieryas]

definitely awesome cutscene!

[tiffac]

The difference between FF7 and FF8 is that FF7 captured the imagination of the industry back then.

No one expected it, no one has seen anything like it. So there is a certain connection that most gamers has of that time to FF7. Call it nostalgia if you will.

FF8 should be better in all aspects because its the successor to the one that started it all.

[WhiteLightning]

Started it all.....You know FF7 wasn't the first FF game you know. The only difference was the graphics for being the first FF on a PS1.

"No one expected it, no one has seen anything like it. So there is a certain connection that most gamers has of that time to FF7. Call it nostalgia if you will. "

Basicaly people only like it and say it's the best because it came first...... ¬¬

[tiffac]

lol! Well for some it was their first FF. We have a old school joke that most JRPG gamers back then lost their virginity to FF7.

I'm not arguing with your point (I mean that ballroom dance on FF8 dropped jaws too, who wasn't a JRPG fan back then who didn't want to be called up to a dance by Riona.) all I'm saying FF7 started the standards on what a JRPG should look like for the foreseeable future. It created a trend and left its mark of gaming history that can't be denied.

It was just a game that was there at the right moment and at the right time and caught the imagination of a lot of gamers, the article maker included and there has only been a few games that has done that.

[dlohnug]

I think the fact that it was a training exercise adds to the effect.

[metsgaming]

Most on this list are old games i guess if its just old games i would have to say Streets of Rage 2 ending. One of the best endings ever the music perfect for the mood.

[CrescentFang]

I don't play any Bioware games, but I thought they made good cinematics? (especially CGI cutscenes)

Also the thing with Lunar is that it is animated and has held up well considering it's in this person's list. Animation is by Studio Gonzo (and I think they did the animation for BlazBlue CS, but I don't own that...)

[tieryas]

Agreed, Bioware has amazing cinematics.

[Why o why]

I liked a few of the ones from heavenly sword. The facial annimations just made them more realistic. Some were also quite humourous.

Seeing the cutscene after beating a hard boss increases my enjoyment by 32.7%. The cutscene after beating the final boss on uncharted 2 on normal (lazarovich or something like that) wasnt as enjoyable as when i done it on crushing....the amount of times he feed my back full of shells was enough for me to actally feel relief once the cutscene ...cut in....Seeing it start made me know i beat the fcuker. Im sure its not only me who feels this way

[DJZed]

Loved Heavenly Sword!

[firemassacre]

raiden in metal gear solid 4.

[consolez_FTW]

I agree dude, Raiden vs Vamp cutscene is one of the best this whole gen...of all time?? maybe.

[firemassacre]

i think of all time. hehe

[buddymagoo]

How could I forget about that? Also liked the Gray fox one in metal gear solid just after you find ocelot, I think.

[d-lirious]

As simple as it was, seeing Mr. X drop out of the helicopter on the 2nd scenario of Resident Evil 2 was pretty intense. When he started walking toward Claire I remember being stunned

[TheDivine]

Yea i def like to be rewarded after a boss with a badass long cutscene. I loved the ending to lost odyssey. You had to fight like 3 diferent bosses in a row with no checkpoints. It took forever but when i finnally beat it i got like 30 min of cutscenes. After 80 hours the ending was soo EPIC! Jrpgs and kojima games have the best cutscenes imo. Biowares great too but alot of that is interactive so idk if its still a cutscene?

[Imalwaysright]

Every damn cutscene on MGS3 and raiden vs vamp on MGS4.

[iNMyFiN4LH0uR]

I think MGS4 alone can take all of the top 10, it has atleast 3 cutscenes that should be on a list like this: the opening cinematic (war has changed), raiden vs vamp and the mind blowing cutscene/gameplay microwave hall sequence....Than there is the MGS3 ending, Modern Warfare 1 intro, FF8 intro, Mass Effect 2?

[ApexHell]

i am honestly suprised a metal gear solid game didnt make the list all 6 games including 1,2,3,4, portable ops and peace walker had jaw dropping cutscenes.

or bioware games swtor 1,2(obsidian entertainment) mass effect 1,2

mass effect 2 had outstanding cutscenes.

[Hicken]

Why isn't there one of these that just has all the best cgi scenes from the FF series?

I get the feeling that if you really compared them, there wouldn't be a whole lot from VII. Just saying.

[Quagmire]

You mention the DOA game, but completely omit anything related to Tekken? For shame...

[mac_sparrow]

Onimusha 3's opening was incredible, when I worked in GAME we had it on the TV's on loop, we sold so many copies based on that cutscene.

[jakethesnake]

Love that original Fallout opening. Really sets the mood for the game and I remember really blew me away when I first watched it.

[I_Guts_I]

Ominusha was such an awesome series. Bring it back!

[TheLegendsKiller]

No Killzone2 Visari speach intro??!.....crap list

[iceman2885]

Everyone, do yourself a favor and watch the Wild Arms opening cut scene. 2:15 of pure awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[solidsheep]

No MGS...... /sigh
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[tethlagar]

"Luna's wistful longing, her questions about destiny, Alex watching from the deck. It was one of my favorite moments on the Sega CD"

Except for the fact that Luna stays behind on the Sega CD version and there is no (big) cut scene. -.- The boat scene is rather bad frankly compared to the others in Lunar.

If you want great Lunar cut scenes tho, look at the Sega CD version of Lunar: Eternal Blue. Can hardly be beat then or now. Lunar used tech to its fullest back on the Sega CD.

[VanguardOfCalamity]

What about Mario 2 for NES <spoiler alert> At the end when Mario wakes up and it was all a dream - with the toadstool people dancing... it was .... spectacular

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[BitbyDeath]

MGS4 River scene should be on there and so should FF8 intro.
They are the two best cutscenes ever IMO

[Gratisfaction]

Where the hell is Metal Gear Solid 4?!

[powney91]

I really don't like this list :/

[masterofpwnage]

Mgs4 the microwave scene.
People should know what I'm talking about. Such a dramatic part of the game

[young7yang]

ninja gaiden was a good choice but i feel part 2 for the nes had a better intro and better music over all.. but nice pics non the less