i wanna play my games not watch em ;p

The skippable ones.
Damned, ninjaed.

The opening cutscene for Sacred's Underworld expansion. It's weirdly well done considering the game is basically bereft of any meaningful story or characters.

Also, pretty much anything Square made back in the PS1 era. All of those games had great cutscenes. One of my favorites is the opera cutscene from Parasite Eve, mostly because it's hilarious. The main character is a cop and she's looking around as the place goes up in flames like, "These are some great effects!" A+ police work. I'm also a huge fan of the one in FF8 where Mopey McMoperson gets an ice spike to the chest. Man, Square was awesome at inflicting harm on people in cutscenes.

Better yet, how about the nonexistent ones? (For example, in Super Mario Bros., the one that plays after you press start, but before stage 1-1.)

even better

That's a good one. ... Those SC videos sure were a sight to behold back then.

Death of Mannoroth and the wonder videos of Civilization IV, like the Great Pyramids

I really like the intro video of System Shock.

Flashback: The Quest for Identity intro (PC floppy version).
Eye of the Beholder (PC).

I was going to post about these too... but I liked all the cut scenes.

Metal Gear Solid 4 had some excellent in game cutscenes.

Also Ninja Gaiden 2 had brilliant cutscenes.

Vagrant Story intro I've always really liked.

The Super Robot Wars series ARE cutscenes. Every time a fight breaks out, a cutscene plays out - and there is a ton of variety, since there are all kinds of units and weapons at play. Plus, you can skip if you get tired of them. The cool and convenient nature of SRW cutscenes makes them amongst my favorite in the gaming world.

The Moon Dwellers PV2


Honorable mention: Thief I and II has good cutscenes. They have an interesting aesthetic that manages to pull off grittiness so much better than other games and movies that make the attempt.

Thief Gold - Cutscene Compilations


Have I mentioned that I am a believer of Thrawn, and dearly hope for his succession to the throne of the Empire?
TIE Fighter Intro

That was utter hilarious, I can't believe I missed this game. It seems very similar in atmosphere like Giants Citizen Kabuto. Wishlist it is.

Some really good cutscenes, great thread, I'll add my own later.

No wonder - it was made by the same studio :) It also has some of the best weapons ever in a video game, including a land shark launcher :D