10 Iconic Tutorial Sections In Video Games

Video games are becoming increasingly accessible with each passing year, and their increasing functionality allows all players to jump into any game of their choosing.

These implementations are amazing, but they all stem from one common feature in video games: tutorial levels.

These are usually introductory sections, opening missions, or fun little asides that help players get to grips with the controls and mechanics being thrown at them. However, they can often be dull, obligatory slogs that get in the way of the actual fun stuff.

But a handful of games have made these learning experiences just as fun as the main game itself. So, let’s shine a spotlight on these awesome tutorials, shall we?

10 Elden Ring

Into The Death Pit, We Go!

If you’re anything like me, Elden Ring will be a game that you return to often just to exist and further explore The Lands Between despite beating the game plenty of times over.

The game offers a rich NG+ experience and loads of replay value through the variety of builds and playstyles. However, one key reason it’s so easy to go for another lap around is that the tutorial doesn’t get in the way of jumping into the action.

You see, Elden Ring has the genius idea to place what looks like a death pit next to the doors leading to the real start of the game, and players can decide to hop down there for a refresher course and some easy runes. Or, you can just push on through and avoid this tutorial altogether.

There’s nothing I hate more than a game forcing me, a returning player, to learn the basics just to get into the meat and potatoes of the game. So, this excellent design that caters to all deserves to be commended. Plus, you’ll still get stomped by the Grafted Scion (Chapel of Anticipation), so you still get your humbling Souls moment as standard.

9 Cuphead

Even This Dumb Journalist Can Do It

We begin with a tutorial that might not be as memorable in terms of actual content, but as a means of applying each of the game’s mechanics before being thrown in the deep end, this one is a perfect way to get to grips with the Vaudeville-inspired hit.

Cuphead is famous for two reasons: its difficulty and its amazing, unique art style, both of which are on show here.

Even mastering the most basic skills the game asks of you takes a minute to get your head around. But the good news is that the charming sketchbook conveyor belt you’re placed on makes this a fun little romp before the real punishment begins.

It’s short, simple, and prepares you for everything that comes thereafter. But, fair warning, you’ll still die a lot.

8 Spiderman 2

Superhero In Training

The modern Marvel’s Spider-Man titles are games with seamless and fun tutorials in their own right, with set pieces that drop you right into the action.

However, it should come as no surprise that we have decided to highlight the tutorial to Spider-Man 2, the tie-in for Sam Raimi’s second film in the Spider-Man Trilogy.

It’s a tutorial that teaches you the basics, and allows you to swing around The Big Apple as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man should. But the star of the show is Bruce Campbell.

It’s not the first time that Bruce has lent his sarky and patronizing charm to a Spider-Man game, as he was a staple of the PS1 era outings, but seeing as Spider-Man 2 is probably the standout Spider-Man title of those he features in, we thought this one fit the bill best.

There’s nothing quite like performing superhuman feats, only for an armchair critic to belittle you. It sounds awful, but it’s actually hilarious and well worth checking out.

7 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

“What Kind Of Name Is Soap Anyway?”

Many people will remember COD4 for its bombastic missions, regular dressings down from Captain Price, and, of course, All Ghillied Up. But I would urge players to think back to the training day mission where Soap gets his gear before setting off on their first mission.

For many, this could be seen as a throwaway portion of the game. But for those that love honing your craft and showcasing your FPS prowess, this mission will be very memorable indeed.

This mission allows you to run a training gauntlet against the clock, hoping to surpass the times of the regiment’s most decorated operatives.

It’s a fun little mini-game to get lost in that also actively predicts the difficulty level you should play with. A very underrated tutorial, but one I can’t help but shine a spotlight on.

6 RuneScape

Point The Way, Reginald

As an MMO experience, RuneScape really was ahead of its time, offering a rich and accessible Free-to-Play experience all the way back in 2001.

It was an iconic title that just about anyone with crackly dial-up Internet access hopped into back in the day, and one of the most memorable moments was visiting Tutorial Island for the first time to get to grips with this expansive and socially driven epic.

This island teaches you all the basic skills, like mining, fishing, and such. It gives you the starting gear you’ll need to survive and thrive, and introduces you to dungeon crawling into the mix.

It’s a wonderful introduction to RS, and while you do need to do some mental gymnastics when returning in the modern reboot due to the quest line where Tutorial Island sunk. It’s still great to see Tutorial Island back to its former glory today.

It’s Your Lucky Day, Prisoner

“Let me see your face… You are the one from my dreams… Then the stars were right, and this is the day. Gods give me strength.”

Ring any bells? It should, as it’s the first time that Emperor Uriel Septim, voiced by the talented Patrick Stewart, addresses you during the opening stages of Oblivion.

Thus beginning a fantastic jailbreak tutorial where the player skulks through the sewers and hidden cave systems that lead out of the Imperial Prison. Plus, naturally, you end up embroiled in a grand quest to find the heir to the throne. You know, a typical day in the life of an RPG protagonist.

It’s a stellar tutorial that gives you enough freedom to explore, do your own thing, and get to grips with the various mechanics on offer. But equally, it keeps you on a steady track toward the first main plot point.

4 Farcry: Blood Dragon

Just Let Me Kill Something!

As much as we are taking the time to highlight the best tutorials ever, it’s hard to get away from the simple fact that tutorials, by their very nature, are annoying blockades that stop you from getting into the action and having uninhibited fun. This is something that Farcry: Blood Dragon, the standalone DLC for Farcry 3, knows all too well.

This tutorial essentially treats you like an idiot going through the basic motions you would expect, all the while your player character states their unrelenting desire to kill anything and everything in sight.

Then, just when you think the game might be about to let you off the leash, you’re then bombarded with a series of tutorial menus that feel more like pop-up ads, with some of them advertising novelty in-game products, and offering a premium service that can ‘play the game for you’.

It’s basically one big gag about how annoying tutorials are, but equally, it it serves as a pretty good tutorial if you need a rundown of the basics. So, everybody wins, sort of.

3 Kingdom Hearts 2

Wait. You’re Not Sora!

As controversial as this may be for some, I think you have to look back with the benefit of hindsight at the Kingdom Hearts 2 tutorial and admit, it’s actually pretty brilliant.

Many people complained that this title cast you in the role of an unknown entity when you wanted to just play as Sora, and of course, many complained that the tutorial was about two hours long. But you have to remember, this tutorial had a lot to do.

It needed to seamlessly bridge the gap due to the existence of Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days. Plus, it needed to make you warm to Roxas and friends, explain what Organization XIII was to casual players, introduce a variety of new mechanics, and offer engaging, varied gameplay.

No easy task, but this tutorial managed to do that, offering an iconic setting in the form of Twilight Town, and telling the contained, heartfelt story of Roxas and Namine. It has its critics, but I am not one of them, hence the spot on this list.

2 Dark Souls

You Died

We gave Elden Ring its flowers for offering a tutorial that allowed you to engage or skip proceedings if you weren’t feeling it. But there is also a lot to love about a game that gives you a run through of the basics, and then locks you in a room with a gigantic boss and says ‘have at it.’

That’s what Dark Souls did all the way back in 2011. Asking players to take on the Asylum Demon with their pitiful loadout, which, for many, imparted Dark Souls’ most important lesson. You will die, a lot.

The Undead Asylum teaches the player all the Souls staples work, such as bonfires, bosses, dirty, underhanded environmental tricks, and NPC interactions.

All while offering an enjoyable snippet of what’s to come without overstaying its welcome. Obviously, nothing can prepare you for the perils of Undead Burg and beyond, but this tutorial definitely helped a little.

1 Fallout 3

Tunnel Snakes Rule!

While I’ve always been a New Vegas man through and through, you can’t deny that Fallout 3 has a sublime opening section, acting as a seamless tutorial before setting you loose on the Capital Wasteland. This tutorial literally has you play as a little sprout that can barely toddle to a full grown adult.

You’ll get to meet a bunch of memorable NPC’s, make key decisions that will affect your inevitable return later, and you’ll get to bond with Liam Neeson which is always a bonus.

Thanks to its unique format, the blend of exposition and actual gameplay, and the steady introduction of key mechanics, it acts as a tutorial that’s a lot of fun and isn’t a chore to endure when replaying. It feels more like an exciting first quest than an obligation.

Bethesda may have its issues, but it’s always been good for a strong opening.

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