In Medias Res
Ask any Final Fantasy X fan about the one moment that really started to hook them and get them invested, and you’ll probably hear the opening get brought up at least once or twice.
Final Fantasy X has such a powerful opening, thanks in no small part to the gorgeous Zanarkand theme, and Tidus’ heartfelt plea to the player to listen to his story. The opening scene itself takes place near the end of the game, where Yuna and her guardians are finally about to reach the end of their journey, and she can summon the Final Aeon.
Of course, you wouldn’t know all this if you were starting the game for the first time, but that doesn’t matter. The solemn tone of the scene is enough to let you know that some serious stuff’s going down, and it really helps set the tone for the rest of the game.
