Cut-Scenes in Video Games

by wickedcestus

Recently, I've been thinking about storytelling in video games. I was inspired by some guy (I don't remember his name) on Good Game saying that video games need to come up with an alternative to cut-scenes. At first, I was puzzled, but now I fully agree. Cut-scenes are just video games trying to be movies. Maybe abolishing cut-scenes is a bit too far, but toning down is definitely necessary if this medium wants to tell stories in a way no one else can. Another problem with cut-scenes is when they take away control of the player just to show the character you're supposed to be in control of doing something awesome. Let me do that awesome thing! I'm playing the game for that very reason!

How To Do It Right

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a game that does cut-scenes right. It still has them, but it manages to make them something that fits into the whole video game thing. In order to elaborate, I'm going to have to spoil a part I especially enjoyed.

SPOILER WARNING: (SERIOUSLY DON'T READ THIS IF YOU ARE PLAYING THE GAME)

Most people agree that the Scarecrow sequences were the best part of Arkham Asylum. The first two are pretty amazing, but it's really the third one that made this game special to me. The glitches that appear on screen are obviously fake, but when it went back and started showing the first cut-scene again, I seriously thought the game might be broken. The next sequence where you are being wheeled into Arkham Asylum is clever, but the end of the cut-scene is my favourite video game moment of last year. Joker shoots you in the head. BAM. Some games would have ended with this, but the fact that they show the Game Over screen you've been seeing this whole game really emphasizes this. The hint in the corner says, "Use the middle stick to dodge the bullet." I looked down at the controller and thought, "Am I going to have to play through that sequence again!? Wait, Middle stick...". I just thought it was insanely clever, and isn't the kind of thing you couldn't do in a movie. I think this would have made Modern Warfare 2's myriad of player deaths a bit cooler. If the screen grayed out, and it showed a quote from a historic figure, I would have been very impressed.

*SPOILERS OVER*

Other games that do it right:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - All the cut-scenes are just still images and the cool things happen in game.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Same as above
Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 - No cut-scenes, all story is shown in game.

How To Do It Wrong

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is an example of how to make cut-scenes intrusive. It would just randomly take control to show your character do something you could have done easily. The point of these cut-scenes are the supposedly comedic dialog, of which there is enough sprinkled through the gameplay for these moments to be completely unnecessary. I am of the firm belief that when the character I am controlling in a game does something awesome, I should be in control. I don't play video games to put down a controller and watch a guy do cool things. I want to feel like I'm in control. Even in scripted moments, I want to be able to do what I want, even if it's not as cool-looking as the developers wish it was. The main problem I had with Bad Company's single-player is that the multiplayer is so right. Tons of cool things happen in the multiplayer that you get to react to in your own way. Helicopters may crash into the ground right in front of you, buildings crumble as you run out of them, or maybe before you have a chance to run out. If I was watching my character run out of a crumbling building, it wouldn't have been anywhere near as impressive. If only the single-player team had figured this out.

In Conclusion

Cut-scenes are a part of games that were popularized during a time when graphics matter a whole lot more than they do now. We can do so much more with games nowadays that games focusing on cut-scenes are starting to feel a bit dated. Cut-scenes are still going to be a part of video games, but developers are finding ways to make gameplay sequences a lot more interesting than cut-scenes. The one thing that needs to be done is finding a way to fit exposition in games. Having to stand around watching people talk in gameplay is probably more infuriating that watching a cut-scene is, but I'm sure someone will find a way to make it work. And I'm sitting here hoping they do it soon, because cut-scenes are starting to get annoying.