Games - wasted time for story

Soldato
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9 Dec 2006
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Was not sure how to title this but I wanted to ask if I'm the only one that get annoyed at the following Scenarios

Game: Vanquish


Intro - 17 Minutes - unskippable cut scene
Gameplay - 45 seconds (just running)
Cut scene - 5 Minutes - Unskippable
Gameplay - 3 Minutes (level 1..)
Cut scene 8+ Minutes

Other Games that do this to less extent:
Tomb Raiders (New ones)
Metal gear solid (heard their long but not sure if its skippable



Don't get me wrong,
  • I like a story but ALL cut scenes should be SKIPPABLE what if you playing this for 2-5 time?
  • Gameplay should always be longer than the cutscene
  • Gameplay should not be interrupted by a small cut scene that could be played in Real Time
  • Gameplay should not be Cut scene X minutes -> Game play x seconds -> Cut scene X Minutes
  • we not buying a Movie we are buying a INTERACTIVE game
 
Caporegime
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8 Nov 2008
Posts
29,012
I don't mind for the first time I play the game but I get what you mean, I think there should always be the option to skip a cutscene.
 
Caporegime
Joined
30 Jul 2013
Posts
28,889
Was not sure how to title this but I wanted to ask if I'm the only one that get annoyed at the following Scenarios

Game: Vanquish


Intro - 17 Minutes - unskippable cut scene
Gameplay - 45 seconds (just running)
Cut scene - 5 Minutes - Unskippable
Gameplay - 3 Minutes (level 1..)
Cut scene 8+ Minutes

Other Games that do this to less extent:
Tomb Raiders (New ones)
Metal gear solid (heard their long but not sure if its skippable



Don't get me wrong,
  • I like a story but ALL cut scenes should be SKIPPABLE what if you playing this for 2-5 time?
  • Gameplay should always be longer than the cutscene
  • Gameplay should not be interrupted by a small cut scene that could be played in Real Time
  • Gameplay should not be Cut scene X minutes -> Game play x seconds -> Cut scene X Minutes
  • we not buying a Movie we are buying a INTERACTIVE game

I believe the tab key skips the cutscenes in Vanquish.

Or the back button if you are using an Xbox controller.
 
Associate
Joined
2 Jul 2019
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2,426
I am a fan of cutscenes and good story telling, however when a game prompts me to press a key/button while a cutscreen is happening my eyes roll so much they fall out.

Skippable cut scenes are mandatory for replays imo.

I don't really play new games as just cba with all the better graphics at the expense of everything else and pay £50 for the privilage. Some people argue games are expensive to make now so cutting content and selling it is fine. Doom was made in a month and is still about today. Extreme example i know.

MSG 1 which i remember well had loads of cutscenes and talking. But it was all story and no interaction required. There was more gameplay than cutscenes, but the game was pretty vast for then so everything tied together nicely.

I think there's room for these interactive style games and OTT cutscenes, but it feels to me like the industry likes this formula and doesn't want to deviate because, well i dont actually know. Maybe it is the better graphics brigade driving this style of development?
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2012
Posts
8,333
i don't mind cutscenes when they're done well, however there should always be a skip option.

however (and i'm looking very squarely at you borderlands 3.....) the cutscene shouldn't be too easy to skip accidentally, it should be a button that is unlikely to be used during the regular gameplay.
 
Soldato
OP
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@ManCave
i don't mind cutscenes when they're done well, however there should always be a skip option.

however (and i'm looking very squarely at you borderlands 3.....) the cutscene shouldn't be too easy to skip accidentally, it should be a button that is unlikely to be used during the regular gameplay.
like holding (the hamburger menu button on Xbox Controller)
 
Soldato
OP
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I don't get this attitude.

Occasionally a game has a pretty decent storyline and needs cutscenes to advance the story.

Do you get bored watching TV shows and movies?

think it really depends 1, where the cutscene is, & 2 how the cutscene is done

if the 17 minute cutscene is before you get to use your Controls then No I agree, with him

if the cutscene is pointless & just banter between characters again no point.


I prefer Gameplay for 5 minutes then cutscene, with Story ( Believe Gears 5)

OR

Gameplay & tell the story as you play, (Bioshock)
 
Man of Honour
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Hampshire
Cutscenes should always be skippable. The worst is when you have a game with no manual saving, and then a checkpoint just before an unskippable cutscene followed by a difficult part.
As amazing a game as it is, KOTOR fell foul of this, it had a cutscene just before this misplaced turret shooting section that my sister (playing on a laptop with no mouse) hated.

Some games do have excessively long cut scenes, I played a couple of Uncharted games on PS3 and they fell into that category, although they were quite well presented.

In general I prefer in-game conversation arcs (with choices) to pre-rendered cutscenes, although it can be a bit tiresome exhausting all the arcs (OCD factor, I feel like I have to ask them every option available).
 
Soldato
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Location
Gloucestershire
I don't get this attitude.

Occasionally a game has a pretty decent storyline and needs cutscenes to advance the story.

Do you get bored watching TV shows and movies?
It's ******* lazy game design frankly.

It's a game : the story should be an immersive part of the experience, not just a bolted-on really **** version of TV or film.

There is definitely room for cutscenes to enhance games, can really punctuate the experience. But I can't be dealing with it all being carried by lengthy non-interactive sections.
 
I prefer the game which allow you to skip these if you want to. Those which don't, probably don't have much in the way of game play (QTEs for example) and probably are not worth the bother. I found this a few years ago with a Tomb Raider game. That was the last Tomb Raider game I bought.
 
Soldato
Joined
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5,951
It's ******* lazy game design frankly.

It's a game : the story should be an immersive part of the experience, not just a bolted-on really **** version of TV or film.

There is definitely room for cutscenes to enhance games, can really punctuate the experience. But I can't be dealing with it all being carried by lengthy non-interactive sections.

This. I want to play a game not sign up for half an hour of lame story watching.
 
Associate
Joined
25 Aug 2005
Posts
613
Only one I can remember with unskipable cutscenes was the original Resident Evil. Also had limited saves and poor cameras. I spent a lot of time watching cutscenes.

The suddenly kidnap you from out of nowhere and stick you in front of the loony in Far Cry 5 was worse.
 
Soldato
Joined
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9,315
If games don't let you skip cutscenes, it's to hide how little game there actually is, and how much padding they have put in to make out the game is longer than it really is. It's the same with games that don't let you save anywhere. That way if you die, they can make you replay the last 10 minutes over before you have to watch a cutscene and then you get back into the boss-fight or platform level that you actually want to play over because that's where you got stuck.
 
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