Final Fantasy 6's Intro Sequence Is Perfection

thegamer.com:

Flashes of lightning illuminate an ominous, stormy sky, accompanied by the sinister strains of a church organ. The camera descends slowly into the maelstrom and the music swells ominously, revealing the game's logo wreathed in flame: FINAL FANTASY VI. It's a striking way to open a game, and every bit as powerful today as it was back in 1994.

But then the organ fades, replaced by a gentle, ethereal melody played delicately on a piano. The camera continues its descent and soon we see a town, Narshe, nestled in a snowy mountain range cowering beneath the storm. The distant pinpricks of warm light coming from the houses are your only clue that anyone lives in this cold, barren place.

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This sequence is a masterclass in establishing a mood, and it's amazing what Square was able to squeeze out of the humble SNES. Longtime series composer Nobuo Uematsu often says that Final Fantasy 6 is the score he's most proud of, and rightly so. The piece he wrote for this intro, titled Omen, is up there with his most evocative and impactful work.

Then it's time for a history lesson. As the camera moves across a series of landscapes, we hear the Final Fantasy 6 main theme for the first time and learn about the state of the world. Aeons ago, the discovery and use of magic resulted in a destructive war—and now, amid a booming industrial revolution, it's on the verge of happening all over again.

Then we're introduced to Terra, one of Final Fantasy 6's large ensemble cast, and the closest thing it has to a main character. As the wind howls, three figures in mechanical, magic-infused armour observe Narshe from afar, from the top of a snow-whipped mountain peak. Terra is one of them;