Real-Time Over Pre-Rendered Movies
CONCEPT
Games that overlay realtime characters or objects over FMV (full motion video) cutscenes to lessen the contrast against the realtime portion of the game.


Overview

This was a technique that started appearing in the Arcadein 1983 with the help of Laserdisc technology, with titles such as Astron Belt (Game) and Bega's Battle. It later gained popularity on home systems with the release of the Sega CD (Platform) a decade later, with StarBlade (Game), Bram Stoker's Dracula and Silpheed (Game). It was primarily used in the PSX era in games that used pre-rendered backgrounds. By playing back a full motion video (FMV) behind the in-game characters the game could reach unprecedented visual quality while still letting the player control the character on screen in real time.