So with any luck you’ve all been able to play a bit of MGS4. And those of you who have played more than a couple of hours have witnessed the amazingly detailed (and lengthy) cutscenes that make up most of the storytelling. As I played through the first few hours I couldn’t help but wonder (as I’m sure most of you have) if I’ve payed for a game - or a really expensive movie with interactive moments. I hope it’s the former because sixty bucks is a lot for a movie - and games for that matter. It’s not a new thing really - Japanese RPGs have been doing it for years. I’m sure many of you fondly remember the cutscenes in Square Enix’s mega-hit Final Fantasy VII (my buddy Stevie B. would happily tell you all about them if you aren’t up to speed - flailing arm movements and all). But where is the whole thing going? How many franchises will follow the example set by games such as MGS4? And should they?
Now keep in mind that I’m still on the fence on this whole issue. This is simply a series of questions I ask myself and believe others should ponder. I have always enjoyed movie-style cutscenes. I think the crossover between electronic entertainment and movies has always been a good idea. And that as technology improves in swift paces I’ve always looked forward to the freedom that developers have in terms of realism and creative execution (seeing some of my favorite cartoon based mascots in a more realistic light has always pleasantly freaked me out).
But for the most part I’ve enjoyed these scenes as a nice, brief break from intense action. As in “thank God I reached this checkpoint after multiple attempts and now I can relax for a minute or two and watch a cutscene.” And almost every game worth its salt has these moments and are enjoyed by nearly everyone. But the lengthy moments have always been kept to the realm of the cinema - if you wanted to see the storyline fleshed out you’d hit the theaters or buy a DVD (FFVII Advent Children, etc.). And the next time you’d play the game you’d have a more well rounded feeling about what’s going on.
But where do you draw the line? Should you draw a line? Games like MGS4 asked themselves these questions and gave us a feature-length film embedded in its gameplay. But why cut into our playtime so deeply? There are more than a few people who believe that the game is outstanding but the cutscenes run too long - those people have a point. Then there are those who think that the lines between the two medias should be broken altogether to deliver a more full and satisfying experience. And those people have a point as well. I suppose that there really is no answer to the question. As always it’s up to the player to decide what’s worth watching and playing. Maybe developers could come up with a third option - maybe something where the player could skip the cutscene but somehow stay informed with the storyline. Maybe something text-based perhaps? Hmmm. Anyways.
So what do you think? Will we/should we be seeing an increase in longer cutscenes? Or will it/should it be left in the hands of a few developers with a few franchises to make that special experience? Let us know what you think.
Durka.
9 Comments
Write a Comment»Personally I thought the FFVII cutscenes were brilliant. I didn’t think that there were too many at all. That game I think had a great balance between the two. The only cutscene that I didn’t like was the one where Cloud Tifa are sitting on something in their hometown looking at stars and talking about when they were kids.
We need to have more in-game cut scenes especially ones that will be long (cough Xenosaga), I saw a cut scene for MGS4 it was really brilliant same for Bioshock. Upcoming FF games should adapt this since they have epic story lines.
i thought the cutscenes in MGS$ were brilliant as well, but there were many (sometimes a few seconds of gameplay the another one). As the game went on, I loved them more and more, but by the end i was ready for every game i play in the future to have shorter cutscenes. all in all, im on the fence unless its an hour long cutscene (act 3 is guilty as all hell) even if it is extremely interesting.
What about GTA4’s cutscenes? Those are boring as shit. AND THE GAMEPLAY IS ALL THE SAME - “This dude wronged me, go kill him” - “Steal this ____”, etc.
At least MGS4’s cutscenes are interesting and the gameplay is top notch.
MGS4 should be seen as a standard. Not a standard in ratio of gameplay:cutscene but a standard in quality of storytelling, graphics, variety of gameplay, player choice in gameplay, emotional investment, and many other variables. It is ultimately up to the developer to decide how much of the game is playable and how much is strictly viewable. I doubt highly that another game in the next 5 years could get away with the ratio that Kojima has set for MGS4, but every story driven game with substantial cut-scenes will be compared to it for a long time.
I obviously don’t speak for everyone, but for me its the quality, the cohesiveness, the absolute closure and completion of the MGS tapestry that the game gives you that prevents you from feeling cheated. It was these hour long cut-scenes that made that closure possible. However, if they had decided to omit the pause feature or not allow you to skip the cut-scenes many people, including myself would be very annoyed. Forcing gamers to sit on their couch and watch with eyes peeled for fear of missing some major plot twist or detail would be a mistake.
Compare the gameplay time to Gears of War(short but greatly appreciated), and you will realize that MGS4 has not cheated you on the gaming one bit. Play through MGS4, skip the cut-scenes, and you may have it completed in 6-10 hours, but you will have missed what makes the game great: the sum of its parts.
A good game should be a good game all the way through, not just a few moments of greatness. If Bioshock was crap all the way through, not one single person would have even cared about the ending let alone had the “Whoa” moment when all the pieces were put into the end-game position. Yet the ending in Bioshock will forever be remembered for the great reveal at the end.
It’s all about personal opinion Omalo. I really enjoyed the GTA story line a lot and I through the cutscenes were brilliant especially the whole “american dream” thing.
Who is anyone to say a line needs to be drawn?
It’s a style of game. For a long time now, it has been quite acceptable to have various styles of games including those that have large story portions as well as those completely lacking one.
It is quite simple. It boils down to taste. If you don’t like story driven games (including cinematic driven), don’t buy them. I don’t care for RPGs so I don’t buy them. See?
Many people love MGS cutscenes not for their length… but for their quality. The quality of MGS cutscenes FAR outweigh the length for many people.
If GTAIV had hour long cutscenes, I would definitely break that game in half.
Although MGS4 was pushing the length… it was needed in order to fully tie all the loose knots in the story, etc.
You can expect Kojima’s next games’ custscenes to be a lot shorter. Just look at ZOE2, there were few cutscenes in that game.
Great review. Cut scenes that are too long ruin the continuity of the game.