I wonder if I’m alone in playing through Halo 3 to get to
the cut scenes?
As I played it, I looked forward to those sit-back digital
performances because they were beautifully executed and they really felt like
rewards for completing the level. My
only criticism of the Halo cut scenes would be that too much of the story was
told in dialogue which I often found difficult to follow. Even so, the visual artistry
and score more than compensated for this shortcoming.
So how important is the cut scene?
I’m currently playing Mass Effect (I know it’s a bit old but I’ve only just got around to it!) and I have to say I find the cut scenes
rather frustrating and intrusive. I am impressed by the nuanced performances
and the direction so it’s not the execution – the choice of shots and editing
within the scene is very nicely done and I thought this too for Gears of War 2.
I’m updating my directing course for Learn Film Asia and I’m wondering how I can
incorporate some of the cut scenes: it’s very interesting to discuss the
director’s choice of lens and camera position/movement in a situation where
there are no physical constraints. But that’s a digression….
My point about Mass Effect is that the cut scenes start to
feel unwelcome. I picked up my Xbox controller to take control, not to sit back
and be controlled…at least not so often. I feel terrible about saying this
because I want games to have more storytelling (I’ll get onto BioShock and
Fallout 3 in just a moment ) and it’s quite possible that I’ll ask Santa to
bring me a PS3 so I’ll be able to play Heavy Rain (which I’m really excited
about along with Alpha Protocol). But with ME it feels like information
overload. There’s just so much story to take in before I’m allowed
to progress and the game keeps taking away my control too frequently and for
too long.
Now look at BioShock and Fallout 3… oh brother what
beautiful works of art these games are. Yet the cut scenes here are few and far
between. And when they’re used it’s for the drama – sometimes delivering a
powerful plot twist that each time really amazes and engages me. Unlike Halo 3,
they’re not rewards for completing the level, at least not in the same way, they
advance the story and they can come at unexpected times: I’m suddenly flicking
the buttons on the controller wondering if it’s gone dead when BAM! I’m held
captive to a story advancement that’s a thrilling experience. The plot twist in
the middle of BioShock I found truly jaw-dropping: first class. The
storytelling, the cut scene and my active control are all in harmony and not stratified.
Friends of mine who “don’t have time for games” are missing
out on what I’ve found to be a rich, rewarding experience. I’m no game designer
so I won’t pretend to have any expert knowledge in this area, I’m just trying
to rationalize my experience as a humble gamer. I feel as though holding the
controller creates such a deep, heightened connection to the story that isn’t
there with movies. It’s more than just being in control, it’s also those
moments in the cut scene when the controller vibrates to underline what’s on
screen.
Although the vibration is felt in my hands, I experience it
in my chest.
Sidebar: In movies the closest we get to this is pumping up the
bass in the mix hoping it’ll cause the cinema seat to vibrate (it’s in the
Dolby Surround spec but I doubt I’ll be mixing in Dolby again anytime soon).
Maybe now that portable devices are so popular, someone could develop a media
player that while playing the movie it listened for a very low bass audio
frequency and then activated the mobile’s vibrator?
So how would I feel if BioShock or Fallout 3 had more cut
scenes? Hmmm… I don’t think they’d benefit to be honest. The cut scenes in
these games are not bolt-ons or after-thoughts or supplementary fluff, they’re
intrinsic to the gameplay.
But here’s another suggestion: I would love to see rendered
in-character pseudo “behind the scenes” footage from the “cast”. The Liam Neeson
interview on the Fallout extras is nice but what would have been really cool
would have been an interview with his digital character. For example, his
father character could have been interviewed by Three Dog at the radio station,
LOL! It would have blended realities in a very engaging way. I know this needn’t be part of the actual
gameplay but it could have delivered story insights – for example about the
shelters or the wasteland or other characters. And it could have been optional for those like
me who enjoy this stuff while those who just like killing mutants could
sidestep it.
So what’s the conclusion?
Well, wait a minute… how do I feel about the cut scenes in
the Tony Hawks skateboarding games? Hmm… they don’t really feel like level
rewards and they don’t really tell a story… not a proper story, come on. In the
THPS series the “story” is a flimsy mechanism to make the skateboarding venues
feel part of something cohesive. But it does definitely work. I buy into each
THPS “story” without any question but here the cut scenes tend to explain how
to get through the level - they’re
informational and they’re perfunctory. But most importantly they don’t feel
intrusive.
So maybe we can say the cut scene should never feel
intrusive; it must feel integral. Though what this means in practice is
different for each game (or depends on genre maybe?).
Perhaps the goal of the cut scene should be to go beyond
integral (that’s a hygiene factor) and strive to be something that heightens
the experience. I’d like to see more games like BioShock and Fallout 3 where
the cut scene delivers a real punch… but to do that well the game is going to have
to have a decent story.
End note: BioShock 2 – YES YES YES; BioShock feature film…
oh please nooooo. I just know it’s going to suck even with the great director
they have onboard. I’m sorry but Hollywood doesn’t have a good record with
game-to-movie conversions.
Had I been given the chance to direct the BioShock movie
(which was never going to happen), my choice would have been to make it a
motion capture digital movie using the existing BioShock in-game “sets”
(levels). So much of my love for that game is in the texture and the lighting:
it’s so so possible to create an amazing feature that leverages the existing
assets. Guys, give us fans a Creative Commons license and the machinima tools
to tell our own stories in the rich environment you’ve created. The ARG looks cool but think of the publicity and awareness you'd get with hundreds of user-generated videos? And you'd be rewarded with more
loyalty towards the IP such that should the movie suck you’ll have an easier
ride :) I
honestly believe you could make BioShock a cultural phenomenon: but you must unleash
the tools!