Which video games are the most cinematic?

Call of Duty 4

Going back to the PS1 I thought Parasite Eve and both Lunar games had some incredible cut scenes.

I thought the Prince of Persia games were quite cinematic in their presentation.

I can't believe the Xenosaga series was left off the list. 

I think that Final Fantasy X was the most amazing cut scenes I had seen up to that point.  It was a turning point in Games.

Final Fantasy VII didn't make the list, but Double Dribble did????

Anything by Blizzard.

I would agree about Final Fantasy and Call of Duty 4 (to a certain extent, since that game was broken up between a couple of different characters).

I liked some of the cutscenes in the Crysis games. Those scenes would switch so a superwide mode, the story elements of the game were cool, and the graphics gave a more cinematic feel.

Halo 3 and MGS4 certainly deserve to be on the list, no doubt.

F.E.A.R. was also cinematic in a "horror movie" kind of way. But it doesn't really deserve to be on this list.

Super Mario. "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" Never has a scene invoked more emotion from a player nor been more memoriable then this scene. More then you stupid Double Dribble. And funnier too. "What do you mean she's in another castle?! I just lost 5 guys trying to get here! How did all 7 of you guys get captured anyways?! your as big as Bowser!" The rage.... the rage...

Going back to the old PC games.  Hands down the best cinematic game has to be the Wing Commander Series.  

Or how about the Kings Quest and Space Quest series.  Old school here

Hey! None of those hold a candle to the Wing Commander series! Was the first real cinematic video game and was always on the forefront until its' demise.

Agreed Wing Commander all the way!

Lunar Silver Star Story had some awesome cut-scenes, I remember..

Call of Duty 4, Bioshock and for the old school gamers out there, the first Ninja Gaiden game on the NES. 

Warcraft 3.  Blizzard's cutscenes are some of the most epic in game cinematics.  None probably can top Arthas' return to his home of Lorderon after attaining the runesword Frostmourne.

Umm.... Resident Evil!!!!!

What? No mention of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune?

Final Fantasy VII had some of the most emotional cinematics.  EGM even went so far as to say "The Death Scene" (to not spoil things) is what taught gamers to cry.  I also believe Blizzard cutscenes are right up there, but Final Fantasy VII should have DEFINATELY made the list.

There is a difference between being cinematic, and having cinematics. Games that are cinematic have incredible visuals that are tied into the gameplay; such as Shadow of the Colossus, God of War, Dead Space, Gears of War to an extent. They are visuals that help draw the player into the game by being a part of the world and seemlessly mesh event with envrionment.

Games with cinematics, on the other hand, use them to accomplish events which would otherwise be impossible due to the limits of the game engine. Usually cinematics results in forcing the player to stop and watch, removing them from the action and reducing the involvement the player feels; as see in games like Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy. While this isn't always a bad thing, it isn't always good either (as evidenced by Metal Gear "I should have just made a movie" Solid 4). Too many cinematics ruins a game.

The best games are usually the ones that push the cinematic envelope without relying on cut scenes. My list would run a bit like this: Call of Duty (series), Dead Space, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus. I'm hard pressed for a 5th, but I could reasonably count Fallout 3 in that position over Elder Scrolls 4, I could also go with Freelancer as the space combat was reasonably impressive.

Double Dribble? Are you kidding me?

What about Xenosaga? Sure the cinematics don't compare in graphically quality to that of todays generation of consoles, but any game that has about 80% of it's cinematics released on a 2-4 hour dvd (I can't remember exactly how long it is at the moment, but it was long) has got to down as one of the most cinematic games.

Though, I cant say I was a huge fan of the series... I am floored that Xenosaga by Sqaure for the PS2 didnt make the list, that game had more cinimatics in it than any other game I have ever seen. 

Love the Lunar:SSS, and Lunar:EB cutscenes for the PS1 remakes, those two games are by far still two of my favorites.

What were you thinking without adding Final Fantasy VII and Bioshock. Maybe there should be a top 10. But these 2 would have to make the top 5.

anything by blizzard (naturally) and both Lunar's!!

Final Fantasy VII should have, IMHO, made the list.

I'm partial to Bioshock, but I'm not sure I'd call it "cinematic"....since it's more "visual literature" than cinema, IMHO.

I'd also add the Wing Commander Series.

Blizzard and also Civilizations series.