Is “too many cutscenes” a legitimate criticism?
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This person is correct. Not every game is for every person. Some people like cutscenes, some people don't. Some cutscenes are good, some aren't. This is such a situation-dependent question that I don't think it's worth discussing.
It's legitimate as fuck for me personally at least because I absolutely hate having to sit through long and/or frequent cutscenes. I find it terribly boring.
Depends, most of the time I don't mind them, but if the first few hours of a game are just a constant stop-start of cut-scenes when all I really want to do is play the game uninterrupted for twenty minutes, then I'm likely to get fed-up with it, particularly if the writing is completely one-note and forgettable.
Cutscenes in video games are the equivalent of someone reading a book aloud or staging a play in a film. It gets the point across, but I really think the medium needs to find its own unique voice in terms of storytelling. Games like Bioshock came close in terms of delivering experiences unique to interactive mediums ("would you kindly"), but future games will push it much further and make cutscenes seem dated and obsolete.
It's when those cutscenes are shown and how interesting they are.
I know I've been bored by games that insist on showing me things rather than letting me play.
But that doesn't stop me buying games Th at I know are cutscene heavy
I know I've been bored by games that insist on showing me things rather than letting me play.
But that doesn't stop me buying games Th at I know are cutscene heavy
yeah you can have overbearing cutscenes, particularly if the narrative and characters aren't interesting enough to warrant it. I would say Japanese developers tend to fall victim to this more often than not with cutscenes that drag and have poor direction. and people will say Kojima but he has an eye for cinematography, even during lengthy exposition scenes, and he has more hits than misses
Probably. I used to enjoy it to an extent but I'm not sure that I feel like they're necessary any more. I'll also say that in 2019 if you've got a 7-minute cut scene like MGS you're probably going to get a big portion of your audience eventually looking at their phone and missing half of it.
Yes, 99% video games have shit stories or some have so bad it's good cutscenes but the novelty wears off like Yakuza and Metal Gear
It's a legitimate criticism, albeit a weak one.
Games are games, though, and cutscenes are pretty take it or leave it compared to play.
If you dont like cutscenes or the writing, hopefull you can skip it, and either enjoy or not enjoy how one actually interacts with the game.
You think other players should have less freedom in how they spend their time, which in no way affects you.
I didn't think this view exist, but damn the Internet taught me something new again.
Games are games, though, and cutscenes are pretty take it or leave it compared to play.
If you dont like cutscenes or the writing, hopefull you can skip it, and either enjoy or not enjoy how one actually interacts with the game.
You think other players should have less freedom in how they spend their time, which in no way affects you.
I didn't think this view exist, but damn the Internet taught me something new again.
Went through about 4 of them then on the way to my first actual event, got involved in a lengthy police chase that resulted in me being arrested and kicked back to the garage.
It's uninstalled now. I no longer have that kind of patience it seems.
Context for everything combined with personal preferences. If someone doesn't like cutscenes it's a valid critique (for them). If the game is more cutscene than game than it's valid to present that information without inherently thinking it's negative.
For example Zone of the Enders 2 is 90% Cutscene, and I'd tell people that when talking about it, but I'd also talk about how the robot action is so good that who cares.
For example Zone of the Enders 2 is 90% Cutscene, and I'd tell people that when talking about it, but I'd also talk about how the robot action is so good that who cares.
Of course it can be.
If the objection is that there's cutscenes at all, then no.
But even when it's a natural part of the game, it still needs to use them with moderation, and make them so that the user doesn't grow weary of them. Edit them, make sure that they progress with enough pace, and make sure that the dialog is bearable.
Cutscenes isn't the only way to carry a story forward in game.
If the objection is that there's cutscenes at all, then no.
But even when it's a natural part of the game, it still needs to use them with moderation, and make them so that the user doesn't grow weary of them. Edit them, make sure that they progress with enough pace, and make sure that the dialog is bearable.
Cutscenes isn't the only way to carry a story forward in game.
Of course it is, if you feel that a game has too many cutscenes it means that the story is not good enough and that the balance of watching and playing is bad.
Best example is MGS4, the game story is not good enough to keep the interest of the player during lots of hours of cutscenes.
Best example is MGS4, the game story is not good enough to keep the interest of the player during lots of hours of cutscenes.
They ruined Max Payne 3 for me because you couldn't skip them. I definitely think there is such a thing as too many too often though. I start to roll my eyes after I skip the 3rd cutscene in row. My experience is usually. Okay I'll give this cutscene a chance > I don't care this is boring > skip > another cutscene loads > skip > another cutscene loads > oh come on skip > we finally make it in game but it's unplayable and the cutscene is unskippable because it is in game now > oh btw, it's time for a tututorial > I turn off the game and never go back to it. Come to think of it, my most recent experience with this was Judgement. I'm not sure if it had so many cutscenes up front because I gave up on caring. Look you gotta let me kick some faces before you try to make me give a shit. That's what I am here for.
Yep, I mean even a great movie can be too long, some videogames can be excessive with cutscenes that are clumsily paced, intertwining the important plot points with tedious filler dialogue so that a skip risks you missing important context.
throw in interrupting gameplay, loading for scenes, jarring transitions and more.
throw in interrupting gameplay, loading for scenes, jarring transitions and more.
Let me skip them and I don't care; don't let me skip them and most of the time they will be something I ding a game for.
But I'd rather have a game full of stoppable cut scenes than the modern approach of long barely interactive "in game" story segments.
I'm a gameplay focused... gamer.
But I'd rather have a game full of stoppable cut scenes than the modern approach of long barely interactive "in game" story segments.
I'm a gameplay focused... gamer.
99% of the time, I don't care at all about the story in a game, so I always skip cutscenes except for the very few times I've actually wanted to see the story in a game (God of War, Fire Emblem, etc.) otherwise I just skip them the second they come up and if I can't skip them and I don't like them then I drop the game outright
If it interferes with your enjoyment overall then yeah it's a valid criticism.
Max Payne 3 had too many cut scenes and it interfered with the flow of the game. Seems like every gun fight ended with a cut scene of him elaborately moving to the next room and maybe throwing some dialog in there. I know on a practical level it's to mask load times, but the previous games had a flow to your freedom of movement in the environment that Max Payne 3 rarely let you have.
Also length of cut scenes can be a problem with that flow. Games with dialog choices need to let you continually be a part of the conversation. I am a big fan of The Longest Journey/Dreamfall series, but in many cases Ragnar Tourquist really likes the sound of his own writing and the wait for your turn to participate again can be excruciating. Especially compared to many modern RPGs that seem to have that flow down perfect.
Max Payne 3 had too many cut scenes and it interfered with the flow of the game. Seems like every gun fight ended with a cut scene of him elaborately moving to the next room and maybe throwing some dialog in there. I know on a practical level it's to mask load times, but the previous games had a flow to your freedom of movement in the environment that Max Payne 3 rarely let you have.
Also length of cut scenes can be a problem with that flow. Games with dialog choices need to let you continually be a part of the conversation. I am a big fan of The Longest Journey/Dreamfall series, but in many cases Ragnar Tourquist really likes the sound of his own writing and the wait for your turn to participate again can be excruciating. Especially compared to many modern RPGs that seem to have that flow down perfect.
I think it is. Gaming is a medium which requires input from the consumer, otherwise how could we tell it apart from other things like cartoons or movies?
But probably I should have made a premise: I'm a gameplay purist, can't stand even in-game long dialogue sequence and usually skip them. Exception made from RPGs which I consider typical gaming material and always pay attention to what happens.
But probably I should have made a premise: I'm a gameplay purist, can't stand even in-game long dialogue sequence and usually skip them. Exception made from RPGs which I consider typical gaming material and always pay attention to what happens.
Yeah sometimes. Depends on the game. If the cut scenes are really strong it's ok. Most games have bad writing though and employ camera cuts and sweeps to liven up the scene of several character models standing around like statues dumping lines of dialogue.
Not wanting to be held back by concepts such as "gameplay" this new game will feature exactly 20 hours of cutscenes and nothing else.
Joking aside I typically see a cool cutscene as a reward for my gameplay and as long as the game is nothing but cutscenes I absolutely adore a good set of them even if they are long. Especially when I worked hard for it.
Joking aside I typically see a cool cutscene as a reward for my gameplay and as long as the game is nothing but cutscenes I absolutely adore a good set of them even if they are long. Especially when I worked hard for it.
Maybe MGSV is for you then because after the intro there are barely any cutscenes. The ration to gameplay is much smaller
Well, maybe "allowed" isn't the right word, but you definitely shouldn't skip anything.
1) It's part of the game. The devs put a lot of effort into them (even if you personally think they are shit).
2) They are part of the price tag. People complain about $60 games and then skip hours of the value of that price tag
3) Cutscenes set the atmosphere for the gameplay. They provide agency. Gameplay is enhanced by cutscenes. It gives me a reason to do what I am doing in the game, or make me feel epic/cool/scared rather than just pressing buttons. They make you more invested in the gameplay.
4) Cutscenes often contain music/score that is fantastic that is not available in the standard gameplay.
5) They make you connect more with the characters in the game
The thought of people skipping all of these extremely important things because they can't be bothered watching a video and just want "muh gameplay" makes me sad.
Depends on the game. MGS4 was my first MGS and so the cutscenes were pretty handy for world building. But then The Order 1886 has cutscenes for simple things like climbing down a ladder.
So i think length has a bit to do with it but its more about how necessary it is to the story/experience.
So i think length has a bit to do with it but its more about how necessary it is to the story/experience.
Its a legitimate criticism, though one that is taste based and subjective.
I do think that the fundamental issue is more likely to be that the cutscenes were insufficiently engaging than the actual duration. If the cutscenes were better you probably wouldn't feel they were taking so much time.
I do think that the fundamental issue is more likely to be that the cutscenes were insufficiently engaging than the actual duration. If the cutscenes were better you probably wouldn't feel they were taking so much time.
It isn't if:
We take it at face value
It is if:
we actually look at what complaint actually is. Player just wasn't grabbed by the story. That's ultimately what complaint boils down to, with one exception;
they are doing like their 3rd or 4th run and cutscenes are unskippable.
We take it at face value
It is if:
we actually look at what complaint actually is. Player just wasn't grabbed by the story. That's ultimately what complaint boils down to, with one exception;
they are doing like their 3rd or 4th run and cutscenes are unskippable.
You and your friend didn't like the cutscenes. I assume the two of you could explain in a reasonable manner why you didn't like how many cutscenes there were. Sounds like a legitimate criticism to me.
The friend of yours defending Yakuza is also right about that style having an audience (I'm absolutely one of them!) but that doesn't mean it's not a legitimate criticism, it just happens to be criticism your other friend doesn't agree with. No biggie.
Another thing I really despise from cutscenes is that the character does things that the player can't do.
Not in and of itself. It's about how they're implemented and how worthwhile they are. Games like Until Dawn and Life is Strange have a ton of cutscenes, but that doesn't mean they should be automatically criticized for it, because they fit that kind of game. A movie is purely cutscenes, but who would say all movies are bad, with that as the argument?
If cutscenes destroy the pacing, are outright poor so they ruin the storytelling or similar, they might be worth criticizing.
If cutscenes destroy the pacing, are outright poor so they ruin the storytelling or similar, they might be worth criticizing.
Immediately thought of Yakuza 0 when I read the title. Amused to see it as the subject of the OP. I found the beginning of that game quite tedious because of what felt like hours of cutscenes. It doesn't do a good job of selling the game to me because I feel like I barely get to play it or get into a rhythm until a few hours in.
