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Cutscenes?

Posted: July 13th, 2017, 7:01 pm
by DaHeckIzDat
Do you like or hate cutscenes in your video game? Me, I like them. Telling a good story is a huge draw for me in any game, so I'm perfectly fine with watching cutscenes. It can go overboard, sure (Metal Gear Solid 4, anybody?), but overall I'll enjoy a game with a good story way more than one that doesn't.

Re: Cutscenes?

Posted: July 16th, 2017, 8:58 am
by ptdebate
Cutscenes are, to a greater or lesser extent, essential for any story-based game. They are at their best when they convey essential information without going overlong and detracting from the gameplay experience. One example of a game with great cutscenes is Half Life 2, where they follow a very strict logic--if a part of the story can be told without taking control away from the character, there is no need for a cutscene.

Re: Cutscenes?

Posted: July 16th, 2017, 1:56 pm
by Zachwave
To add to your question, what about prerendered cutscenes versus real time custscenes?

I'd take real time any day!

Re: Cutscenes?

Posted: July 16th, 2017, 7:13 pm
by VideoGameCritic
Years ago I used to relish cut-scenes, but now I'm very often tempted to skip them.

I think they are most effective when short and sweet - like the old Ninja Gaiden games!

Re: Cutscenes?

Posted: July 16th, 2017, 11:28 pm
by eneuman96
Cutscenes work if they're fairly brief and don't make you wish you were playing the game instead of looking at it. Starting a video game with a lengthy cutscene is a major no-no for me. Another pet peeve I have in regards to cutscenes is when games won't let you pause them, especially if they're particularly long. If something important I have to do pops up in the middle of a cutscene I can't pause, I'm effectively screwed.

Re: Cutscenes?

Posted: July 17th, 2017, 3:01 am
by DaHeckIzDat
ptdebate wrote:One example of a game with great cutscenes is Half Life 2, where they follow a very strict logic--if a part of the story can be told without taking control away from the character, there is no need for a cutscene.


Honestly, I don't get the appeal of those. In an actual cutscene you'll get some cool cinematic shots of whats happening, and your guy might actually take part in it. With HL2's "in-game cutscenes" you're still locked into an unskippable cutscene, except now you're able to run around the room and throw pop cans at your friend's head while he and the guy on the tv have a little chat about you. It doesn't feel like you're part of the story so much as it does that you're just observing it.

Re: Cutscenes?

Posted: July 17th, 2017, 10:00 am
by Retro STrife
I know everyone plays games differently, and you can do whatever you want of course, but two of my biggest gaming pet peeves involve how other gamers handle cut scenes. (#1) People who skip cut scenes. I have a completionist mentality and I like a game with some back story to it. So it bugs me out when someone else plays a whole game while skipping the cutscenes. Even if they suck, don't you want to follow along with what's happening? Way worse are the people who skip cutscenes no matter what! (#2) People who shut off the game the minute the end credits start rolling. For two reasons. First, you just spent 10, 20, sometimes 50+ hours of your life on a game, and that's what you do? "Welp, game's over" and just walk over and flip off the system? Maybe I'm an 80 year old man at heart, but I like to spend the credits to just sit there and reflect back on the experience before moving on with my life. Second, even if you could care less about that-- don't people realize that there is usually a bonus cut scene after the credits?? Several years back, Game Informer did a feature story about bonus cutscenes after the credits. The next month they got a bunch of letters from crybaby readers, complaining that they felt cheated by game companies because they flipped off their consoles at the credits and missed all those bonus scenes over the years. I enjoyed that immensely and laughed at all of them.

As for me, Metal Gear Solid is my favorite series, so I must be a fan of cutscenes (though even I think MGS cutscenes are a bit too long). I just like a good story in games, as it's a big motivator to keep playing. Fortunately, most game developers now let you pause cutscenes, which is the greatest gaming innovation since the joystick.