Video Game Cutscenes

[rainfyre66]

Steven Spielberg disapproves of cut scenes in video games, and rather, thinks plot points should be incorporated into the gameplay so as not to be so intrusive. What's your take on cut scenes? Do you think games should stop relying on them as a means of driving game plots forward, or do you think they help enhance the overall interactive entertainment experience?

I'm pro-cutscene, but then again I prefer things that are story or character driven over mindless, non-stop action (kind of ironic, since I consider myself more of an "old school" type gamer). What are your guys' thoughts?

[Vy'drach]

As long as the cutscenes are good, I enjoy them. Look at the Metal Gear Solid games, I doubt they'd be as good without the cutscenes. They make the game feel more like an interactive movie, and are amazing to watch.

Then there's games with "Eh" cutscenes, like the God of War games. Most of the cutscenes in em could be done without. They don't detract from the gameplay, but they usually don't add anything.

[Sabre]

Ah yes, let's take advice from the film guy on how to make a good computer game. Imagine if John Carmack said films need more explostions. It's BS. He's a film maker, not a games maker, the 2 are way to far removed from each other.

On topic, I like any 'cutscene' that can be skipped, and I'd rather have cut scenes instead of walk and talk unskipable bollocks. Potal and CoD did a great job of having the plot in the game itself, but there can be issues during the long talky bits where alot of exposition has to get put across. Half Life is murder for those.

[ThePointingMan]

Skipable cutscenes are good, Once I've seen a cutscene, I don't need to see it again, I don't mind cutscenes, just as long as it's not like, you run at a ledge, you jump, OH CUTSCENE OF YOU JUMPING ACROSS THE LEDGE AND LANDING DRAMATICALLLY!!! I don't like cutscenes if they take anything I should be able to do in the game away. So although I enjoy cutscenes that don't steal my game, I also like having NO cutscenes, it just depends on the game.

[SlyJedi]

Cut scenes rock in my opinion. When used in the right way, they can help to give a great cinematic feel to a video game.

Though, being given the option to skip can be nice for those who want to just go through the game.

[Asper Sarnoff]

I'm for cut-scenes used well. But they have to be completely skipable, just in case I've seen them before.

[Sabre]

Skipable cutscenes are good, Once I've seen a cutscene, I don't need to see it again, I don't mind cutscenes, just as long as it's not like, you run at a ledge, you jump, OH CUTSCENE OF YOU JUMPING ACROSS THE LEDGE AND LANDING DRAMATICALLLY!!! I don't like cutscenes if they take anything I should be able to do in the game away. So although I enjoy cutscenes that don't steal my game, I also like having NO cutscenes, it just depends on the game.

Don't play Devel may cry, or Metal Gear, or Zone of the Enders... Better yet, just avoid japanese stuff. DMC is really bad, all the good fights are done in cutscene leaving the plebs to you. MGS and ZotE have you win a boss fight, only for the cutscene have it kill you. It's madness.

[CrypticQuery]

As long as the cutscenes are good, I enjoy them. Look at the Metal Gear Solid games, I doubt they'd be as good without the cutscenes. They make the game feel more like an interactive movie, and are amazing to watch.

Then there's games with "Eh" cutscenes, like the God of War games. Most of the cutscenes in em could be done without. They don't detract from the gameplay, but they usually don't add anything.

I thought that Metal Gear Solid has some of the BEST cutscenes in video games.  Also, the first Ninja Gaiden's cutscenes were revolutionary for the time, and they were awesome too .

[Guest DRL]

It depends.

Some games are AWEcool with cutscenes,

where in others the cutscenes are just annoying.

Red Alert : 2, for example, has cool cutscenes.

I do not remember what name this other game had,

but it had cutscenes and it made it suck; in fact,

most of the cutscenes had barely ANYTHING to do

with the story.

Think of cutscenes in a skirmish game.

[Sabre]

It depends.

Some games are AWEcool with cutscenes,

where in others the cutscenes are just annoying.

Red Alert : 2, for example, has cool cutscenes.

I do not remember what name this other game had,

but it had cutscenes and it made it suck; in fact,

most of the cutscenes had barely ANYTHING to do

with the story.

Think of cutscenes in a skirmish game.

Black?

[Star Fox Runner]

It all depends on the game being played. Games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor don't need cutscenes, all of the story can be pulled off through character interaction. They did this pretty well in Dead Space, there really isn't any cinematics except for right at the very end, the story is pushed forward by limited character interaction, radio transmissions, crew logs, and video logs.

The way the story was driven in Metroid Prime was that you found all the story details through the logs you downloaded, and the cutscenes were used just to set up encounters and boss fights using no dialogue.

Then games like Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid just couldn't be pulled off right story wise without full cutscenes. It adds a lot of depth to the story of the characters that just couldn't be pulled off in game.

It all just depends on how you set the game up, certain games can do without cutscenes. But they do need to be skipable, I will get in a mood sometimes where I just don't want to watch it again and just want to play.

[EazyIN]

I enjoy cutscenes IMO. In games like resident Evil, those cutscenes send chills down my spine especially with the chainsaw ganado CS in RE4

[Guest DRL]

Black?

Black would be flattering them.

I mean, the guys were talking about

magic or something like that, and then

you used obiously tech-based units in

a tech-based enviroment (think of a cutscenne

of the LoTR in a Star Trek game...)

And also the characters that were there were

not even in game. No reference to the ingame units,

evironment; ANYTHING. The cutscenes were obiously

oriented for a magic-style word, in fact you once see

a Phoenix and in-game you only use Hi-Tech robots

and units, plus there are things like advanced research

labs, ect... I can only wonder who was the moron with

that idea, because it does not makes sense to me... Honestly.

[Vy'drach]

I enjoy cutscenes IMO. In games like resident Evil, those cutscenes send chills down my spine especially with the chainsaw ganado CS in RE4

I remember someone summing up the cutscenes for Resident Evil 4 when it came out.

This ain't no cutscene, bitch! Press A now!

[EazyIN]

I remember someone summing up the cutscenes for Resident Evil 4 when it came out.

Well this is just me but when I watch a cutscene I like to think of myself actually there...

[evilwaffles]

Some games need cut scenes, others don't. Like CoD: MW2 does not need cut scenes, where as Starcraft does.

[Scott7]

It all depends on the game being played. Games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor don't need cutscenes, all of the story can be pulled off through character interaction. They did this pretty well in Dead Space, there really isn't any cinematics except for right at the very end, the story is pushed forward by limited character interaction, radio transmissions, crew logs, and video logs.

The way the story was driven in Metroid Prime was that you found all the story details through the logs you downloaded, and the cutscenes were used just to set up encounters and boss fights using no dialogue.

Then games like Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid just couldn't be pulled off right story wise without full cutscenes. It adds a lot of depth to the story of the characters that just couldn't be pulled off in game.

It all just depends on how you set the game up, certain games can do without cutscenes. But they do need to be skipable, I will get in a mood sometimes where I just don't want to watch it again and just want to play.

Well said.

And yes the option to skip cutscenes and diologe should be used in pretty much every game. especially if the scene is long and its your first play-through, don't want another game like the first kingdom hearts. it had a terrible story but surprisingly good gameplay. i only got it because i heard Sephiroth Was a Secret boss in it and that he was EXTREEMLY difficult to kill.

And he was... took me a good month to finally to get that last point of health off him.