A game’s opening hours can be a slog. Players must get through tired tutorials and familiar plot beats that they’ve seen a million times before. These issues are especially annoying on repeat playthroughs. That said, some titles try to lessen the boredom by including multiple openings, thereby injecting some much-needed novelty.
RELATED:Great Tutorial Levels In Gaming
How these prologues are presented depends on the game’s style. They often come from RPGs as a means of differentiating the character classes. They may also appear in more linear stories, though. On top of enhancing the replay value, multiple prologues can offer some intriguing perspective, showing a setting in a whole new light. Therefore, fans owe it to themselves to experience them all.
8Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
This prequel distinguishes itself in theKingdom Heartssaga by including three playable protagonists. They each go on a separate journey through theDisneyworlds, and these adventures all form one interconnected narrative.
That narrative begins in the Land of Departure. Ventus, Terra, and Aqua spend time here before setting out. Amid their Keyblade training, they have unique interactions and information dealt to them. Terra gets encouragement from Master Xehanort; Ventus meets the malevolent masked boy Vanitas; Aqua receives special instructions fromMaster Eraqusto bring them both home. While they start in the same place, the various prologues lay different foundations for each character’s quest.
7The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The thirdWitchertitleseems to get right to the point. It begins at Kaer Morhen, where players learn the basics and Geralt establishes his bond with Yennefer and Ciri. The eponymousWild Huntthen shatters this peaceful scenario and reveals it all to be a dream. Nevertheless, these parties are the driving force behind the story.
RELATED:Open World Games With Multiple Endings
Before that story can begin, though, fans must go through an extended questline in White Orchard. Here, they learn the essentials of the witcher trade and slay a griffin. Only after this does Yennefer appear with news of Ciri. Then, the plot begins proper, and Geralt sets off on his quest. With these two prologue sequences, it’s no wonder Ciri is so far ahead of him.
6Dragon Age: Origins
Among the main draws of this RPG is character variety. The firstDragon Agestrives for a distinction between its player characters. That largely stems from their respective origins.
The game crafts backstories for all six of its classes. For instance, the Human Noble begins in a life of luxury before losing everything in a familial betrayal, but the Dwarf Commoner struggles in the underground slums before running afoul of a crime lord. Granted, these all lead to meeting Duncan and joining the Grey Wardens, where the tale truly begins, but the journey matters more than the destination.
5Cyberpunk 2077
This stylish title is similar toDragon Agein that it outlines multiple origins for the main character V. Sadly, only three such origins exist here: Nomad, Street Kid, and Corpo. Regardless, these are instrumental in the mercenary’s background.
Thus, they alter howCyberpunk 2077starts. The Nomad begins in the Badlands in the middle of a smuggling job; the Street Kid gets busted for stealing a car; the Corpo discovers sensitive information while working counterintelligence for Arasaka. Also likeDragon Age, these all culminate in meetingJackie Welles. The circumstances simply vary.
4Assassin’s Creed 3
The third mainlineAssassin’s Creedtitle devotes an obscene amount of time to misdirection. It begins with a charismatic killer named Haytham Kenway. This Englishman sails to America and gradually gathers followers for a secret group. However, it’s not the Assassin Brotherhood; it’s actually the Templar Order.
Following this twist, players take control of Connor,a child conceived when Haytham bonded with a Native American woman. The tale thrusts him into conflict with the Templars when they kill his mother and burn his village. It’s only after this that the game jumps to an adult Connor meeting the Assassin remnants.
3World Of Warcraft
Numerous races populate theWarcraftuniverse.The setting is home to humans, orcs, dwarves, gnomes, and several others. The incursions of the Horde, the Burning Legion, and other evil parties affect them all in varying ways.
This comes in during the online entry,World of Warcraft, where each race begins in a different region. For example, the draenei start in Ammen Vale while the tauren come from Red Cloud Mesa. That applies to all core races: they start in their respective areas and accomplish rudimentary tasks vaguely connected to the encroaching hostilities. Progressing through these questlines prepares players to tackle the challenges outside.
2The Lord Of The Rings Online
Despite its more focused story,The Lord of the Rings Onlinetakes cues from rival MMOWorld of Warcraftin this respect. It fashions a backstory (and starting area) for each race in the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. Dwarves and Elves begin in the mountainous region of Ered Luin; Men and Hobbits set out from a quaint village in the Green Hill Country.
The expansions have since added new races, each following the same pattern. Beornings start in an eastern village near Mirkwood Forest and the River Anduin. High Elves begin in Dagorlad, otherwise known as the “Dead Marshes.” Finally, the Stout-axe Dwarves have dealings in Barad-dur: Sauron’s tower in Mordor.
RELATED:MMOs That Have The Best World Building
All of these characters contend with dark forces rising, eventually getting swept into the larger War of the Ring. That premise essentially paves the way for the tutorial. Players perform a series of quests involving material collection or eliminating enemies, which eventually culminate in a raid. Only then can fans set out intothe wide world ofThe Lord of the Rings.
1Trials Of Mana
Here’s one of the earlier examples of multiple backstories.Trials of Mana(and its remake) has six available characters:Duran, Angela, Kevin, Charlotte, Hawkeye, and Riesz. Players select three of them for their party.
They then progress through any one of their origins. These mini-tales establish the characters' motives for the journey, as they all lose someone or something close to them due to a malicious despot. Such misfortune leads them to the city of Jadd, where they learn of the Mana Goddess and her ability to grant wishes. This prompts them to embark on the main adventure: seeking out the elemental spirits. Along the way, they meet the other party members, whose own tyrannical enemies hinder the group. In short, more than one prologue is canon.
