The Importance of Cutscenes

This post will hopefully compliment a discussion that I will be having on tommorrow's(June 29, 2007) podcast. Alright, so heres the thing. I became a gamer really late in the game and because of this, I was introduced to games at a time when they were starting to really become more and more cinematic. They were no longer simple, 2-d side scrollers with a single objective. Instead, they had opted to start involving character depth and story. In fact, the game that got me hooked in the first place was Goldeneye 64. You all remember that dont you? Story is a totally different animal that I will be discussing the near future. Right now, I want to discuss what I feel to be a very important part of a games presentation: the cutscenes.

Cutscenes started rather simplistic with games like the original Resident Evil and the turok franchise and have now blossomed into beautifully choreographed scenes full of depth and drama. The first Resident Evil is infamous for it's incredibly corny voice acting and live action actors but it did something that few games before it had done, it added depth and a sense of real purpose to the game as you played. This is one of the aspects of gaming that quickly drew me in and made me the gamer that I am today. I would actually go as far as to say that cutscenes and story presentation have really been the two main factors that have shaped my tastes and personal preferences when it comes to what games I play. I very rarely pick up or play a game if it doesnt have a story that is presented with cutscenes. I love the gameplay in every one of the games that I play but I can almost never play a game in which the gameplay isn't drivin by an underlying story or narrative. It is for this reason, that I am not big into puzzle or fighting games. Video games just happen to be a medium that can incorporate cinematography and essentially kill two birds with one stone by allowing gamers to experience a satisfying story told through animated cutscenes while connecting the major plot points in between with gameplay. It basically makes video games nowadays an interactive movie which is what I think appeals to a lot of people, including myself. For me, I look forward every year to seeing what new stories, game developers will tell and what amazing cutscenes will be created in order to tell these stories. I hope that there are others out there who agree with me and I pray that game designers of the future will continue to carry on this trend. Below I have listed a few of my favorite titles that have incorporated some amazing cutscenes as well as a few upcoming titles that I believe will be truly memorable cinematic/gaming experiences. Peace!

Wanna see some awesome cutscenes, check out these titles:
1.) Final Fantasy X (ps2)
2.) Devil May Cry 1 or 3
3.) Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube, PS2, Wii)
4.) Resident Evil 1 Remake
5.) Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (Gamecube, Wii)
6.) Silent Hill 2 (PS2)
7.) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)

Upcoming Titles:
1.) Bioshock (XBOX360)
2.) Lair (PS3)
3.) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
4.) Resident Evil 5 (PS3, XBOX 360)