Who is glad there aren't many cutscenes?

[PhantomoftheOpera1989]

I, for one, am happy that they aren't putting many cutscenes in "Bioshock". Why? Because it would cause so much whining from the casual gamers that just pick the game up.

Think about it. "Bioshock" is one of the best looking games I have ever seen in my life. It looks as realistic as I imagine a game could look, and that's just in regular gameplay. FMV's in a game are always, graphically, the best part of the game. I don't know about you guys, but I seriously can't see Bioshock's graphics getting any better. That being the case, casual gamers who play Bioshock would be like "D00d!!11!! WTF?!?! ThEsE GrApHiCz 4R3 TeH SaM3 4S TeH GaMe?!?!?! ThIz G4M3 iS TeH SuXxOrZzZzZ!!!1oneone111noob!1!11!"

Anyone agree? Disagree?

Please don't flame me.....

[Pandamar]

Well, I'm not sure I agree with your view on casual gamers, but I'm very glad there aren't many cutscenes.

[russianspy]

Well, I'm not sure I agree with your view on casual gamers

But I wouldn't mind cutscenes. As long as they're not Metal Gear Solid 3 long.

[TheVinster]

With graphics this good why would we need cutscenes? That's so PSX.

[Bgibbs]

I wouldn't mind cutscenes. Just nothing too long.

[Hod the Reborn]

There is an advantage of cutscenes in that they can show things that the regular graphics engine and animations wouldn't allow...but they are much, much less immersive than having the story unfold before you.

[Nias Wolf]

I love interactive cutscenes, like the few that are in BioShock. The idea of letting the player experience the world for themsleves, instead of having it presented to them in a cutscene, is a great one. I think more games should put it into practice.

I have to say though, that if a game has 20+ hours of cutscenes, it just makes me all the more excited! :D

[Derftron]

No cut scenes = good.

[deathcheckedin]

no cutscenes= more gameplay

[coolumar335]

I think its good that Bioshock has a narrative that tells its story in realtime, not cutscenes, just like Half Life 2.

[Adabiviak]

Cutscenes are fine by me. 5-minutes of cutscene isn't 5-minutes less of gameplay, the game just takes 5-minutes longer to end. They're another embellishment found in games that has been done well in some and not so in others.

[CodeMonkey]

It's funny, when I was younger and systems were much, much less powerful I hated watching cut scenes because they yanked you out of the game with the dramatic difference between the cut scene and the game graphics. But now days with powerful systems and cut scenes using the game engine I actually like them and watch them at least once. Half-Life pioneered this type of story telling; it really helps keep the player immersed in the game while still telling the story.

I guess the only cut scenes I don't like now are the Vampire-D'esque slide show type of cut scenes. I appreciate good art but if I wanted to watch a slide show I'd go back to kindergarten.

[CJ Mcnasty]

I like cutscenes. They give me a nice break from the game after an intense fight or something like that. I don't think that they ruin the immersion at all, they definately immerse me more in the story.

[Camp1nCarl]

Give me some cutscenes that I can interacte with and im fine, Or scripted events.....

[jagguar20]

I, for one, am happy that they aren't putting many cutscenes in "Bioshock". Why? Because it would cause so much whining from the casual gamers that just pick the game up.

Think about it. "Bioshock" is one of the best looking games I have ever seen in my life. It looks as realistic as I imagine a game could look, and that's just in regular gameplay. FMV's in a game are always, graphically, the best part of the game. I don't know about you guys, but I seriously can't see Bioshock's graphics getting any better. That being the case, casual gamers who play Bioshock would be like "D00d!!11!! WTF?!?! ThEsE GrApHiCz 4R3 TeH SaM3 4S TeH GaMe?!?!?! ThIz G4M3 iS TeH SuXxOrZzZzZ!!!1oneone111noob!1!11!"

Anyone agree? Disagree?

Please don't flame me.....

Interactive cutscenes sounds good too.

[angelo91]

no cutscenes=good.......leting the player find out the storyline on his own=better

[swordbear]

I was under the impression that the game was going to be pretty much anti-cutscene, besides maybe the opening plane-crash. With the emphasis on not using scripted sequences and the interactions between the ai, I doubt there will be many at all. It seems like they are going for the half-life style storytelling to make it more immersive. Im glad, because it works really well.

[37inf.div.]

Choices = crappy cut scenes (usualy) Lots of choices small cutsceense and vica versa
Im glad there are not many and even more so they do a great job of telling the story in general.
I hate cutscenes were i find my self yelling " shoot him for god sakes he's right in front of you stop talking he will run.......... i toldyou i told you now we have to find him again and fight another boss again!!!"

[37inf.div.]

i dont mind a short or ingame/interactive cut scene but if you go out side of 2 minuets i hate it like in that one final fantase game 30 MINUET CUTSCEENE TV SHOWS TAKE LESS TIME!

[Nias Wolf]

I have a beef with games that have a ton of tiny cutscenes. I don't mind huge FF style cutscenes, as much as when every 5 minutes you have to stare blankly at your TV while nothing importaint happens. :(

[Raveness]

If the question is whether using the game engine to produce a cinematic, or a BIK video, I'd prefer the former.

It is rare that produced videos are excellent and enhance the game world (Jedi Knight, Diablo 2 all I can think of off the top my head), and they take up more space that could be devoted to other game assets (more level maps for instance). They tend to take the player far out of the game atmosphere they will be introduced to or continue playing within.

[501105]

I am happy about it I hate it when you are taken out of the gameworld

[yodashins]

After all this talk of cut scenes... I am a bit confused .. the video that came out during E3 ( I think it was E3..starts with you menacing a little sister, and getting your hand drilled thru by a Big Daddy).. was that just a sort of demo reel? was that actually gameplay?? at the end, you look down, and see the drill thru your chest... seems like it was just a fanciful introduction to whet my appetite (if so, worked perfectly), but, if it is more, and my death could play out like that, or any of a myriad other ways.. hoooboy, that would be insanely sweet

[Mad Max]

If the question is whether using the game engine to produce a cinematic, or a BIK video, I'd prefer the former.

It is rare that produced videos are excellent and enhance the game world (Jedi Knight, Diablo 2 all I can think of off the top my head), and they take up more space that could be devoted to other game assets (more level maps for instance). They tend to take the player far out of the game atmosphere they will be introduced to or continue playing within.

Final fantasy?

[Inresurrection]

I'd imagine it's sort of like Half-Life 2. All of the scenes are interactive. You can move during the dialog, etc. All real-time.
At least, that's how I think it will be. I'm sure it will be done perfectly.

[Seamonkey]

In recent memory, Stalker managed to pull off cutscenes and make them cool. Most of the time though, they detract from the experience.

So I'm glad we're getting more of a HL approach.

[swordbear]

yeah that E3 cutscene where you get drilled through the chest by a big daddy was just kindof a teaser/advertisement. It wasn't actual gameplay. It was what origionally drew me to the game though, so I guess it did its job!

[yodashins]

yeah that E3 cutscene where you get drilled through the chest by a big daddy was just kindof a teaser/advertisement. It wasn't actual gameplay. It was what origionally drew me to the game though, so I guess it did its job!

Definitely! that was my first real taste of bioshock, and I've been compulsively absorbing whatever I can since. Finally, my 360 has a purpose besides mindless Gears of War carnage.

[FP 4LC4PON3]

I agree. im happy about the almost no cut scenes idea. Thats exactly what ruined gears of war. it was more of a movie then a video game in m eyes plus the game sucked.

Can wait for BioShock its going to rock.

[Nias Wolf]

In recent memory, Stalker managed to pull off cutscenes and make them cool. Most of the time though, they detract from the experience.

Most of the scenes if Stalker were memories. You felt like you (the player) had just recieved another piece of the puzzle. They did it in a way as to not distract from the immersiveness. :)

I like the route that BioShock is taking, keeping the player in the action the whole time.

[bluechaos1]

I Think They have to have Cutscenes To tell a good story so im fine with the journals.

[RedWolf26]

I Think They have to have Cutscenes To tell a good story so im fine with the journals.I disagree. Take Half-Life 2, for example. It has on of the best stories I have ever seen in a game, and there are hardly any cutscenes, except for the introduction and the conclusion.

[BioShockWins]

I disagree. Take Half-Life 2, for example. It has on of the best stories I have ever seen in a game, and there are hardly any cutscenes, except for the introduction and the conclusion.

they count those as cutscenes. or atleast the equivilent to bioshock's cutscenes.

[subjectme]

I suppose cut scenes do take you out of the game, but i love the graphical detail that can be produced from them, it depends on the type of game really and the way the story has unfolded to that point.

[Toasty the Splicer]

only a few not many because i want to get into the action!:p

[Funky Cow]

I can take it or leave it, both tell the story well in an entertaining way if they're done well. Half Life had excellent First Person "cutscenes" (for lack of a better word), As did Metal Gear Solid. Whatever fits the style I suppose.

[Kihou]

To me if theres less cutscenes it makes me feel more involved in the game which is obviously a good thing :p

[Ovan]

Same feeling here. What I ike about Half-Life 2 and such, there were no cutscene's, but to make you see something important, they would put something in there to make you look in that direction. In one example, an enemy who is shooting at you from far off. Fewer cutscenes is a good thing.

[conantheking]

I disagree. Take Half-Life 2, for example. It has on of the best stories I have ever seen in a game, and there are hardly any cutscenes, except for the introduction and the conclusion.

Well sadly I have not been able to play the great Half Life 2 but I did number 1. I agree with you Red because the story of Half Life was told in a way that many words were not needed. Everything was done in a way that the story was mainly told through actions rather than words.

As for the original question:

For Bioshock, there will be lots of recordings, journals to read which will give a great sense of history and in such a mysterious and unknown place it is important. I think everyone here would like to know in greater detail about how such a great place crumbled and fell apart. What did people think, how was life as everything started to fall apart.

And cutscenes I always felt could be replaced by text and optional reading. I love reading books in Oblivion or messages in Resident Evil.

[Killerbunnys]

Im glad there arnt any cutscenes

[Sam-o-]

if a game story can be told with few cutscenes it will probably be a great game made by great developers, example, Obivion.

[Shakura Jolithion]

I say it's sad that so few games get great cutscenes anymore; stuff like HL2 and such are actually pretty boring for me because I remember the good ol' days when you wanted to watch a cutscene over & over because of how good it looked (Starcraft, anyone?). That, and I found them usually more immersive than the gameplay itself; sometimes stuff was annoying, but not if the devs did it right. Plus, cutscenes are infinitely easier on a computer than trying to do things with in-game stuff. There are games where cutscenes are more or less necessary for a good story, and games where it's almost irrelevant. Personally, I found HL2 very dull and boring (on many levels... grav guns only fun for so long... plus it's just a generic shooter without that. Generic and bland, nothign compared to HL1...), and that a lot of the 'look around' 'cutscenes' to be not so fun. There's other games, too, where an in-game 'cutscene' will be a nuisance because you have to play it over and over to see everything because if you don't look at x y and z, you either miss something, or feel like you missed something. Being in an 'interactive cutscene' tends to lower the immersion for me, rather than raising it which actual video cutscenes do, simply because you're trapped in a space with nothing to do except go and trigger X thing, or sit and wonder how you can break it (or waste ammunition thinking something's breakable that's not, etc. etc.). The only thing in-game cutscenes have over actual cutscenes, imo, is the fun of glitches; stuff like teleporting around, or in Goldeneye (The one for N64, not the new stuff) where you could kill Natalya and have her dieing on the street while Bond does his thing at the end of some levels, or having the plane explode on the runway level, or using turbo and slowmo to get under the last door in Train before people can leave. That stuff was fun, and since then, I've seen very few games that let you do anything remotely good with 'in-game cutscenes'. Putting boxes on the top and bottom of my screen doesn't make a cutscene, that's just more gameplay with a hindered view. Giving a well-done video with good graphics and such, that's a cutscene, especially when there's explosions to be done (video rendered explosions are *always* better than in-game ones, always) or other stuff to be had.

[Seamonkey]

I say it's sad that so few games get great cutscenes anymore; stuff like HL2 and such are actually pretty boring for me because I remember the good ol' days when you wanted to watch a cutscene over & over because of how good it looked (Starcraft, anyone?). That, and I found them usually more immersive than the gameplay itself; sometimes stuff was annoying, but not if the devs did it right. Plus, cutscenes are infinitely easier on a computer than trying to do things with in-game stuff. There are games where cutscenes are more or less necessary for a good story, and games where it's almost irrelevant. Personally, I found HL2 very dull and boring (on many levels... grav guns only fun for so long... plus it's just a generic shooter without that. Generic and bland, nothign compared to HL1...), and that a lot of the 'look around' 'cutscenes' to be not so fun. There's other games, too, where an in-game 'cutscene' will be a nuisance because you have to play it over and over to see everything because if you don't look at x y and z, you either miss something, or feel like you missed something. Being in an 'interactive cutscene' tends to lower the immersion for me, rather than raising it which actual video cutscenes do, simply because you're trapped in a space with nothing to do except go and trigger X thing, or sit and wonder how you can break it (or waste ammunition thinking something's breakable that's not, etc. etc.). The only thing in-game cutscenes have over actual cutscenes, imo, is the fun of glitches; stuff like teleporting around, or in Goldeneye (The one for N64, not the new stuff) where you could kill Natalya and have her dieing on the street while Bond does his thing at the end of some levels, or having the plane explode on the runway level, or using turbo and slowmo to get under the last door in Train before people can leave. That stuff was fun, and since then, I've seen very few games that let you do anything remotely good with 'in-game cutscenes'. Putting boxes on the top and bottom of my screen doesn't make a cutscene, that's just more gameplay with a hindered view. Giving a well-done video with good graphics and such, that's a cutscene, especially when there's explosions to be done (video rendered explosions are *always* better than in-game ones, always) or other stuff to be had.

You make some pretty valid points. Personally, I prefer games(like HL2) that go for the immersion factor over the idea of cutscenes. At the same time though, games like Stalker had some SWEET cutscenes that really added to the gameplay rather than detracted(same with blizzard games.)

But I'm all in favor of moving forward technologically, and cutscenes are the fare of yesteryear. Bioshock is proving this: no cutscenes FTW!

[Dashcan]

I personally like cutscenes, but only when they're spaced properly through the game.
Interactive scenes in-game, however, are much better, if the programmers can make enough reaction possibilities to account for player interaction.
[Admit it. You tried to shoot the two scientists in a certain Valve game as they were getting pulled into the vent and eaten.]

[bloody diarrhea]

in game movies suck, i like to play the game and let the game tells its story while i play it. i always skip in game movies if possible.

[I'm your big daddy!]

if its interactive cut scenes as in RE4 interactive cutscenes where you button bash..then no.
Interactive cut scene where you actually interactive and not button bash then yes.
I can live without cut scenes though.

[Cict]

It does have some cutscenes just they let you move the camera but not move such as when that splicer attacks the Bathyspehere

[banthonyd]

i love how the "cut scenes" Happen during gameplay. it immersses you in the experience better

[BioShockWins]

i love how the "cut scenes" Happen during gameplay. it immersses you in the experience better

except for that one... after you fall down? that's one bad ass cutscene...