[beril]

Lately I've been kind of against any type of non gameplay elements in games, so I guess no cutscenes is preferable in general.

However, a lot of developers seem to take pride in having no cutscenes only to replace them with annoying scripted scenes that really aren't any more interactive, but less visually interesting and never skippable which is just worse in every way.

As for in-game vs pre-rendered. It's a bit disjointing when there is a too big difference between cutscenes and gameplay, and whenever I see a trailer with prerendered with pre rendered cinematics it seemes like false advertisement and as a developer pre rendered cutscenes feels like cheating, but honestly from a user experience it's hard to argue why it would matter if it's rendered in realtime or not and why it wouldn't be better to have as good looking cutscens as possible.

[Loxley]

I hate CG cutscenes with a a passion, and I used to like in-engine cutscenes as well, but the Uncharted series has really soured me on them.

[tkscz]

As few cutscenes as possible, in-engine. Perfect. :)

This, because looking at your avy makes me think what could've been if Team Ninja did that.

[Canis lupus]

In engine. CGI bullshit was the worst in FF12, a whole different audio between gameplay and cgi cutscenes. I also hated the fact that everything was so clean and shiny in FF13 cutscenes.

[MNC]

I like in-engine cutscenes.

[inky]

Few expository, non-gameflow breaking cut-scenes, in-engine where possible (I understand it is not possible in every game). Got nothing against 2D cut-scenes either (like the comic books style some games frequent), as long as they are short and fit well with the art style.

I don't care for pre-rendered, CGI, or others where it is obvious they are using different assets or lighting and they show stuff that can't be done/achieved in game. It breaks the mood and immersion more often than not, even if they are well done.

[PaineReign]

The only thing that kept me playing through the first ten hours of FF13 were the cgi cutscenes. The story wasn't really worth a damn but the cutscenes were gorgeous.

Tha being said, in engine is what I prefer, keeps the game consistent.

[Dick Justice]

In-engine all the way. Like people have pointed out, it's great to see your customizations and stuff actually get reflected in the cutscenes. For example, the in-engine cutscenes in Max Payne 3 show your chosen skin in arcade mode, as well as the weapons in your inventory, a nice little detail.

[Kinyou]

I prefer stuff that is completely rendered in real time. Let's you really appreciate the graphics. Otherwise you have to wonder if that scene would even have been possible if they hadn't pre-recorded it. It sucks especially in Gears of War because of the bad video compression.

Uncharted does it better, but I don't like that almost every cutscene is pre-rendered in the game's engine, even those which would have been possible on the system.

[Newline]

I prefer in-game real time rendering consistently throughout my games, with my exception being Diablo 3.

[Silly.Mikey]

Uncharted 2-3 style. They look amazing and dont take you out of the experience like SWTOR. God damn, that games cut-scenes are amazing then you play the game and you're like....

[Artanisix]

NO GODDAMN CUTSCENES. I HATE cutscenes so much. I'm trying to play Ys Origin and I can't skip any of the cutscenes, it's seriously killing my interest in the game. People need to learn from Valve. Integrate your "cutscene" scenarios into the actual game. Don't take control away from the player, ever.

[inky]

I prefer ingame cutscenes with my exception being Diablo 3.

Diablo 3 cutscenes are so fucking compressed that at that point I rather have in-game ones tbh.

[ZombiePlatypus]

I'll take lavish and lengthy FMV's all the way. Make that shit use up exorbitant amount of space too. The more discs/blurays a game spans, the grander it feels to me. :p

I would die for an epic 5 blurays spanning JRPG with meaty gameplay and lengthy cut-scenes that make xenosaga's and MGS5's cut scenes feel brief.

[Yoshichan]

Diablo 3 cutscenes are so fucking compressed that at that point I rather have in-game ones tbh.

They were very good if you installed it from the CD (and not the digital version).

[ArachosiA 78]

I don't like cutscenes because they are just trying to emulate films. Games are a unique medium that shouldn't try to emulate other mediums.

[RockmanWhore]

On consoles, I prefer CGI with in-engine assets so that they hide the loading, can be skipped, and save the devs from some head-aches (I prefer the enginers to work on gameplay related things, I'm fine with some tricks for cinematics).

On PC I prefer in-engine stuff because loading times are rarely a problem (or won't be on a future PC), and with the infinite possibilities of configurations, it's impossible to make proper CGI that don't look different from the actual gameplay, and it brakes the immersion. Oh, and it needs to be skippable!

[Nibel]

They were very good if you installed it from the CD (and not the digital version).

Really? Are there comparison pictures?

[kruis]

I've always loved CGI cut scenes but going PC and a few PS3 HD collections made me realize that in game is ultimately better. It's jarring to play a game in 1080p (HDTV) and then see a 480P cut scene (Ratchet & Clank HD) or a cutscene at a lower resolution with shitty compression compared to the pristine ingame visuals (Darksiders).

On the other hand, I can't say no to the CGI goodness Square Enix produces. I also loved the CGI interludes in Diablo (despite the visible compression artifacts). I'd hate to lose that, if only the devs wouldn't have to compress everything to hell so the game would still fit on a DVD. That's why the PS3's Blu-Ray format is a godsend.

[Silas Lang]

Not a big fan of cut scenes in general. If there, I would rather it be in-engine though. Keeps the game looking more consistent.

[Newline]

They were very good if you installed it from the CD (and not the digital version).

Well I installed it from a disc so perhaps this was why. They didn't look all that compressed to me, Tyrael looked badass.

[SniperHunter]

I only like Square Enix's CG
Half Life 2 does it well, so does Uncharted and Crysis.

[omonimo]

I hate with all my self in engine pre-rendered cut-scene; I love the games which use all in real time.

[mephixto]

Cutescenes help with the loading time in some games, CGI or pre-rendered. for me

[Yoshichan]

Really? Are there comparison pictures?

Can't find crap on Google but I can promise you this was the case. I've loaded the identical cutscenes on two computers at once, one had some framerate problems and the artifacts were noticeable while the other one was really solid and clean.

[Kinyou]

btw. Contradicting my previous post; I didn't mind those in the new Deus Ex at all. Even though they were a weird mixture of prerendered in-engine and CGI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLQkJiSfpJs&feature=plcp

[jett]

I can barely stand video games cut-scenes anymore, because let's face it most of them are fucking awful. CG, in-game, or otherwise. I wish some developers had the ability to recognize "yep, we fucking suck ass at this".

[Vulcano's assistant]

btw. Contradicting my previous post; I didn't mind those in the new Deus Ex at all. Even though they were a weird mixture of prerendered in-engine and CGI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLQkJiSfpJs&feature=plcp

I really did not hate them that much, since it seemed like the most economic way to do it (assets wise, space wise, and budget wise; plus they added artistic details that would have been to much for just in-game) but they were very compressed, that was my only problem with them.

I think Crysis 2 was much worse, specially since Crysis was all in-game; and the pre-rendered cutscenes made for the sequel did not look any better than what the engine can do in-game.

[Pimpbaa]

No cutscenes. Keep the dialog in-game. If I want to watch something, I'll take out a blu-ray.

[Herb]

Really, it depends on the game. Even story-heavy games can get by without a single cutscene, such as Portal 2 (the end scene/credits doesn't count), and I think Portal 2 is a flawless game one I would personally describe as perfect. So maybe I prefer games with no cut scenes at all.

However, I think when it comes to games that do have cutscenes, in-engine is better. Playing Arkham City recently I have found that some cut-scenes are in-engine and are very smooth, even including facial animations and subtle hints of interactivity. However, it is also spliced with scenes that are not in-engine, and I immediately notice because there are tons of video compression artifacts which takes me out of the game, what's more these videos don't seem to be much better than in-engine, WHY they choice to use videos I'm not sure. I suppose there are subtle animations that they couldn't quite do in-engine.

Generally though, if you're going to tell a story between snippets of gameplay, I'd rather the look be consistant. I'm super impressed with Naughty Dog's persistance to keeping everything in-engine, it gives a much smoother experience because the transitions are flawless and you get more of a movie-type pacing.

CGI is good too at times, but it can seem gimmicky, as a bit of a CGI enthusiast maybe my vision of games like Final Fantasy X are regarded by myself as so high because the cutscenes were of such quality. When looking back, the story was nonsensical and pathetic. Had the CGI cutscenes been replaced with the awful animation of in-engine ones (which FFX is littered with too) the game in my own opinion would have probably sucked.

[LastNac]

Uncharted 3 showed me what can be done with dynamic camera angles in favor of cutscenes. The pressence of interactivity during complete wow moments. Yep, after what ND did in 2011 I find it hard to go back to anything else.

[Net_Wrecker]

As few cutscenes as possible, and EVERYTHING that's not actual gameplay, including exposition where you jump around the room like an idiot, should be skippable. If a cutscene must be used, in-engine is best.

[Peagles]

In-engine all the way. The difference between the visuals in the PSX era with stuff like FFVII pissed me off to no end. I also hate having to watch low res videos in PC games where I can clearly see the compression, especially when it is easily something they could render in game and keep it at the res I'm playing at.

[Alienups]

The HL2 way, but with an option that enables you to skip them. Maybe only if you've finished the game once already.

edit: English hard

[Xdrive05]

Mirror's edge did this wrong, but that was more about the art style they uses.

[Fjordson]

Don't mind cutscenes. Prefer in-engine ones.

NO GODDAMN CUTSCENES. I HATE cutscenes so much. I'm trying to play Ys Origin and I can't skip any of the cutscenes, it's seriously killing my interest in the game. People need to learn from Valve. Integrate your "cutscene" scenarios into the actual game. Don't take control away from the player, ever.

I don't get why Valve always gets a free pass. You're usually stuck somewhere while an NPC talks at you. Basically a cutscene in my eyes. Only difference in Valve games is that you can control the camera.

[M3d10n]

I love seeing my hilariously customized characters partaking in would-be serious cutscenes, thanks. CG destroys all that.

But regarding cutscenes versus no-cutscenes, I prefer a middle ground: short cutscenes which are to-the-point, have little to no dialogue and do little more than transition between two distinct levels or introduce the boss I'm going to fight with. If the game wants to present longer dialogue, for whatever reason, do it during the gameplay so I am free to choose whether to listen to it or ignore it.

[BadData]

In Engine. I love them more than pre-rendered crap. MGS4? Awesome. Sure Uncharted 3 is "in engine" but it's also pre-rendered. It's much more of a technical feat to do it all in real-time, and I love it. Even with frame rate drops.

Dude I can't stand this. Frame rate drops during a cut scene are super unacceptable. You've taken out all the factors which normally cause frame rate drops (AI, unexpected game state changes like massive explosions/physics) and the state of the game is completely locked into a predictable state and you're still dropping frames? That's like saying "we know 100% the frame rate is going to drop here, and there are lots of things we could do to fix it, but we don't care." That's pretty weak to me.

[Metal-Geo]

Yup. In-engine please. Way more consistent.

[MrBS]

They were very good if you installed it from the CD (and not the digital version).

Nope. Hell they have noticeable compression on the CE bluray.

[VALKYRAY]

In-Engine are most likely unskipable, so I prefer CGI better

[SenEXunk]

FMV!

[Ambitious]

I'm okay with CGI for openings, endings, and other really significant events in games.

During the rest of the game.. well it depends. I don't like it when the graphical difference between CGI cutscenes and ingame is too vast, like if the CGI is high-res, anti-aliased, very polished, detailed and full with advanced effects, but the actual game looks like shit. Makes me sigh disappointedly when I'm back to ingame.

They're not really cutscenes, but I detest all those short sequences in the Zelda series like the grappling hook slinging around branches (Wind Waker) or doors unlocking. Stand on switch, watch door unlock. Leave switch, watch door lock. Accidentally walk on switch again, watch door unlock. Leave switch, watch door unloGODDAMMIT I get it.

[amardilo]

In game or CGI are fine with me. The only thing I don't like about CGI is when you can notice heavy compression in the video. If games use a modern codec for video I'm OK with a bit of CGI.

[AJSousuke]

in engine make more sense for games that you are going to play several times and support things like changing the appearance of something that appears in it (like the character clothes in the original MGS, Xenoblade or RE:4)

I prefer in engine any way.

Also, you are forgetting anime cut-scenes :P

[Empowe]

In-game.

I find there's a disconnect when I am playing, then suddenly the art looks leagues better. When the CGI scene has ended, it makes me feel like I am playing some budget version of the game or something.

Authenticity. That's what I like. When I see the cinematics done in-engine, it feels like the action really is taking place in the world I am presented with as I am playing. Plus, I like to see what sort of effects they can push with the hardware in the cinematics.

[Monty Mole]

Portal 2 gets it right. Perfect, in fact. Games shouldn't have to take you out of the action to tell a story. Cut-scenes (despite their high budgets) are just lazy in-game storytelling.

That said, if a game absolutely must use cut-scenes, then it has to be in-engine. Otherwise the immersion is lost even further.

[BigTnaples]

Love cut scenes. Love em.


In game is always more impressive and more immersive though.


I do like the occasional CGI hype video, but hate CGI announcement videos in general.

Halo 3 Starry Night
ToR Trailers
Deus Ex Extended Cut CGI

all awesome.


But prefer the actual game to have in game real time cut scenes.

[jbueno]

They were very good if you installed it from the CD (and not the digital version).

Is that so? I played at 1920x1080 and installed the game using my Collector´s Edition CD, and there is still plenty of artifacts and macroblocking in scenes with lots of movement. I can´t imagine the download versions being much worse.

[Won]

No cutscenes if possible. They should only used as a last resort, if you can't think of a better way to do something.