Immersion in Video Games

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

Just because something is normal doesn't mean it has to be accepted.

That's a part in how highly rated video games are made these days. On some level or another, the vast majority of games that are considered to be "good" and have have a storyline... have cutscenes too.

I stated that both of these games have cutscenes, it doesn't kill my point.

My point was that there are other ways to tell a story without cutscenes, not that they don't have it, but the stuff they do outside of the cutscene is a lot more interesting and better helps develop the characters and the world than their actual cutscenes.

There's a way to tell a story without cutscenes, yes.. but cutscenes add to the effect and get people more immersed in the game. Thus why pretty much all the highly rated games that have a half decent story have some cutscenes.

I don't care about story in games.
Give me a weapon or a goal and point me in the right direction.
I'm good to go for like the next 10-20 hours.

I like both games with stories, and pick up and play games. I just get more immersed in games with a story personally.

[TheGame]

Originally Posted by Angrist

Sometimes I'm already annoyed by the cutscenes in Super Mario Galaxy, where I'm getting launched to a new planet. I dislike losing control over Mario.

Ok with Ocarina of Time, good example... Maybe it's a love/hate relationship. I love the scenes, especially with Link. In the meanwhile I keep holding my controller, impatiently waiting to take control again. I enjoy the story, the quiet parts that can't be easily told in another way.
BUT! OoT does it wrong in one point. Dealing the final blow to Ganon. I HATED the game for stealing my kill. I was about to slash Ganon in the head when a cutscene starts that shows me what I wanted to do myself.

So maybe that's the problem right there.

Yeah, I agree with the last part, that's why I said: "The way I see it, as long as you're only watching dialouge and not actual fights your main character is involed in, in cutscenes.. then there shouldn't be an issue. It would only feel long if you could care less about the story."

The only time it has the potential to bug me is when its a fight scene with the main character in a cutscene.

[BreakABone]

Thought of another good example of a game that adds story/character without forcing too many cutscenes.

Batman: Arkham Asylum, you learn a lot about the characters and the history of the Asylum through various interviews and tapes you find. And the best thing about it IMO, is that the tapes will continue playing even while you beat up baddies.

And yeah, we are on opposite ends of this spectrum it seems.

[TheGame]

I didn't get to play that game much, but I downloaded the Demo. Just seems like a button-smasher beat-em-up game to me. It didn't really pull me in enough to buy it.. questioning if I should even rent it.