In this generation of video games, whenever I show people a trailer, from actual gameplay for a new video game, the most popular response I get is, “That looks like a movie!” And while I smile and grin on the inside that games are now being looked at with the same awe as movies, a part of me wonders if all of this cinematic flair is making video games less “game-y.” It is an analysis that is debatable due to all games giving you an interactive experience but my stance on games being too cinematic is the blurring of lines between movie and video game.
Let me start off by saying that I do not dislike cinematic flair in video games. I think, when used effectively, cinematic elements can make a game more awe-inspiring. But games have fallen into a rut of removing the player from the actual game playing aspect. One way this is accomplished is through Quick-Time Events or QTEs. These are single button presses, when prompted, that the player must perform or else the game is over and then player must start over again. More commonly known as “Press X to not die.” They appear in such games as: the God of War trilogy, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed series, Resident Evil 4 and 5, Call of Duty series, Heavy Rain, etc. Heavy Rain, a murder mystery game, is nothing but QTEs and creates the cinematography you would find in a CSI episode. Yet you still have control of the actions. So is it a game? Or an interactive DVD menu?
One popular example of a game that revels in its cinematic flair is the Call of Duty series. Each game has a unique set-piece that could be compared to big budget Hollywood action movies. For example, in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 demo, after you blow up yet another satellite transmitter…thing, you get into a helicopter and start some sort of chase between you and a Russian helicopter through the Manhattan skyline. Once you kill it, it careens into a nearby building under construction. While this remains indeed an amazing moment in the demo alone, the player is removed from the situation. Sure, you can blow up the helicopter, but only when the game allows it. And you’re only allowed to shoot down THAT helicopter and watch it crash into THAT building. The single player of Call of Duty gives the illusion of interactivity.
In a discussion of the cinematic flair in games, Chad references a game that never removes the control from the player’s hands. “Finally, let me just mention The Elder Scrolls. The entire game is played out through the protagonist’s eyes. No change of camera angle, no scripting, just user-directed exploration. This game series is more immersive than just about any of the over-scripted linear games out there. Just saying.” I agree with Chad in this regard. Games that do not remove the player from the control of the game are more immersive and therefore more engaging than games that hold you by the hand and show you what they want you to see.
Leave a comment below with your opinions of cinematic-esque elements in video games. Tune in next week for my blogs on binary choice and video game reviews.
