Glossary

5.4 The Role of Cutscenes and Scripted Events

3 min read•july 25, 2024

Video games use various narrative elements to tell compelling stories. Cutscenes serve multiple purposes, from exposition to , while balancing needs with player engagement. As technology advanced, cutscenes evolved from text-based to full motion video, enhancing through cinematic presentation.

and scripted events create a dynamic storytelling experience. While agency empowers players to make meaningful choices, scripted events maintain narrative coherence. Techniques like , dialogue options, and environmental storytelling offer diverse approaches to game narratives, catering to different player preferences.

Narrative Elements in Video Games

Purpose of cutscenes in narratives

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  • Exposition and world-building expand game universe through detailed backstory and lore
  • Character development deepens player connection to protagonists and antagonists
  • Plot advancement moves story forward during non-interactive moments
  • Transition between gameplay sections smoothly connects different levels or areas
  • Visual quality and artistic direction enhance immersion through cinematic presentation
  • Voice acting and dialogue bring characters to life with emotional performances
  • Length and frequency balance storytelling needs with maintaining player engagement
  • Integration with gameplay ensures cutscenes feel natural within game flow
  • Evolution from text-based to full motion video (FMV) cutscenes as technology advanced
  • Graphics technology improvements enabled more realistic and visually stunning cutscenes
  • Potential disruption of player immersion when poorly implemented or too frequent
  • Overuse can lead to passive player experience, reducing interactivity

Player agency vs scripted events

  • Player agency empowers players to make meaningful choices affecting the game world
  • Implementing player choice through dialogue options, multiple paths, or customizable characters
  • Scripted events maintain narrative coherence by ensuring key plot points occur
  • Triggered dialogues and environmental changes as common types of scripted events
  • Branching narratives offer multiple story paths based on player decisions
  • Dialogue options with consequences impact relationships and story outcomes
  • Environmental storytelling reveals narrative through level design and object placement
  • Linear storytelling (Half-Life 2) vs. open-world narratives (The Witcher 3)
  • incentivize replay and reflect player choices (Mass Effect series)

Cinematic Techniques in Video Games

Impact of in-game cinematics

  • In-game cinematics use game engine, pre-rendered cutscenes use separate rendering
  • allows for character customization in cinematics
  • Creating tension and release through strategic placement of cinematic moments
  • Controlling gameplay rhythm by interspersing action with story beats
  • Seamless transitions maintain immersion between gameplay and story moments
  • Player engagement sustained through interactive or visually striking cinematics
  • Dynamic camera movements simulate professional filmmaking techniques
  • Framing and composition direct player attention to important visual elements
  • Music cues heighten emotional impact of key scenes
  • Sound effects enhance realism and dramatic effect in cinematic moments

Alternatives to traditional cutscenes

  • Quick Time Events (QTEs) blend cinematic moments with player input (God of War)
  • Dialogue wheels offer player choice in conversation flow (Mass Effect)
  • Scripted sequences during gameplay maintain interactivity (Half-Life series)
  • Environmental storytelling through level design reveals narrative organically
  • Player-driven stories in sandbox games create unique experiences (The Sims)
  • Procedurally generated narrative elements add variety to storytelling (No Man's Sky)
  • Audio logs provide backstory without interrupting gameplay (BioShock)
  • Found footage offers immersive storytelling through discoverable media
  • Augmented reality (AR) elements blend real-world and in-game narratives
  • Meta-narratives and fourth wall breaking challenge player expectations (Undertale)
  • Traditional approaches offer cinematic control, alternatives increase player agency
  • Narrative cohesion may be stronger in traditional cutscenes but less interactive
  • Alternative approaches often increase replayability through varied outcomes

Key Terms to Review (17)

Aesthetic value: Aesthetic value refers to the importance or significance attributed to the beauty, design, and artistic expression within a work of art. In the realm of video games, this concept highlights how visual elements, storytelling, and overall presentation contribute to a player's emotional experience and engagement. Aesthetic value is particularly crucial in cutscenes and scripted events, as they serve to enhance the narrative and immerse players in the game world.
Artistic expression: Artistic expression refers to the ways in which individuals convey ideas, emotions, and narratives through creative mediums. In the realm of video games, this term encapsulates how game designers use visual art, music, storytelling, and interactive elements to create immersive experiences that resonate with players on a personal level. The richness of artistic expression in gaming is reflected in cutscenes, the blending of traditional art forms, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future audiences.
Branching narratives: Branching narratives are storytelling structures in video games where players make choices that lead to different outcomes, creating a unique experience for each player. This approach not only enriches the game's story but also engages players by allowing them to influence the narrative through their decisions, impacting characters and world events in meaningful ways.
Character development: Character development refers to the process of creating a believable and relatable character in a video game, enhancing their personality, motivations, and relationships over time. This process can be influenced by narrative elements, player interactions, and the overall gameplay experience, allowing players to form connections with characters through their journeys and growth throughout the game.
Cinematic cutscene: A cinematic cutscene is a non-interactive segment in a video game that presents narrative content through scripted events, often using high-quality graphics and cinematic techniques. These scenes serve to advance the story, develop characters, or provide context to gameplay, creating an immersive experience that enhances the emotional impact of the game.
Final Fantasy VII: Final Fantasy VII is a critically acclaimed role-playing video game released by Square Enix in 1997, marking a significant milestone in the transition from 2D to 3D graphics in video games. The game is known for its deep narrative, memorable characters, and innovative use of technology, which reshaped the artistic expression of video games, highlighted the importance of cinematic storytelling through cutscenes, and evolved the role of music in enhancing emotional engagement with players.
Gameplay integration: Gameplay integration refers to the seamless blending of gameplay mechanics with narrative elements and scripted events in a video game, ensuring that the player's actions directly influence and enhance the story experience. This concept emphasizes how cutscenes and scripted moments can enrich the overall gameplay, creating a cohesive and immersive experience where players feel actively involved in the unfolding narrative.
Immersion: Immersion refers to the deep engagement and absorption of players in a video game, creating a sense of presence within the game's world. It involves the player's emotional and cognitive involvement, making them feel as if they are part of the game narrative and environment. This concept is crucial in discussions about video games as art, as it highlights how games can evoke strong emotional responses and foster meaningful experiences.
Interactive cutscene: An interactive cutscene is a cinematic sequence in a video game that allows players to engage with the narrative while still having some control over their character or environment. This unique blend of gameplay and storytelling enhances immersion, allowing players to make choices or influence the outcome of events, which can lead to different narrative paths. Interactive cutscenes are crucial for maintaining player engagement and furthering the game's plot without breaking the flow of gameplay.
Motion capture: Motion capture is a technology used to record the movement of objects or people, typically for the purpose of creating realistic animations in video games and films. It allows developers to translate real-life movements into digital characters, enhancing the believability of character actions and expressions. This process has revolutionized character design and animation, leading to more immersive storytelling through cutscenes and scripted events, while also bridging the gap between video games and traditional art forms.
Multiple endings: Multiple endings refer to the various conclusions a narrative can have based on choices made by players throughout a game. This design feature allows for different outcomes, encouraging players to engage with the story in diverse ways and explore the consequences of their decisions. The inclusion of multiple endings can enhance player investment and replayability, making narrative choices feel impactful and meaningful.
Narrative exposition: Narrative exposition is the introduction of background information and context necessary for understanding the story within a video game. It sets the stage by providing players with essential details about the characters, setting, and plot, often delivered through cutscenes and scripted events that enhance engagement and immersion in the game world.
Narrative pacing: Narrative pacing refers to the speed at which a story unfolds and how it impacts the player's experience and engagement. It involves the careful balance of moments of action and tension with quieter, reflective segments, often facilitated by cutscenes and scripted events. The goal is to create a rhythm that maintains interest, builds suspense, and allows for character development.
Player agency: Player agency refers to the capacity of players to make meaningful choices that influence their experience and the game's outcome. It plays a crucial role in how players interact with the game world, shaping not only the narrative but also the overall enjoyment and engagement with the game.
Real-time rendering: Real-time rendering is the process of generating and displaying images or animations instantly as they are being created, allowing users to interact with a virtual environment in real time. This technology is essential for creating immersive experiences in video games, where the visual output needs to respond immediately to player actions, affecting artistic expression and narrative pacing.
Storytelling: Storytelling is the art of conveying narratives that engage audiences, often through characters, plot, and emotional arcs. In the context of interactive media, storytelling becomes an essential feature, as it enhances the player's experience by providing a deeper connection to the game world and its characters. It allows players to immerse themselves in the narrative, making choices that can influence the story's direction and outcome.
The Last of Us: The Last of Us is a critically acclaimed action-adventure video game developed by Naughty Dog, set in a post-apocalyptic world where players navigate a harsh landscape filled with infected creatures and hostile survivors. The game intertwines themes of survival, love, and moral ambiguity, making it a significant example of narrative depth in video games.
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