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[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

While in-engine visuals nowadays are fantastic, I feel like there’s always a place for CGI cinematics. To me, really good ones elevate the entire experience.

In Diablo IV, not only was the opening CGI cinematic cutscene absolutely sublime, but the one right before the final battles was just…. oh my god.

Even the most graphically intense game with the best cinematography has absolutely nothing on the CGI cinematics in this game.

Spoiler: Late game Diablo IV cinematic

Every shot had an enormous amount of detail, excellent cinematography and music, memorable imagery… it was absolutely glorious.

Of course, it makes sense to use them more sparingly now; that, I won’t deny. But if used well, and especially if the game company has an in-house studio like Blizzard and Square Enix (*cough* Final Fantasy XVI *cough*), I absolutely feel like they still have, and always will have, a place in video games. Even if the game in question has visible armor/weapon changes and a CaC like in D4.


Thank you

 

[IlGialloMondadori]

I still felt they were all useless and boring in Diablo IV.
Shrug.

 

[Beer Baelly]

Only Blizzard and Square make AAAA cgi cutscenes

 

[Ar¢tos]

Only Blizzard and Square make AAAA cgi cutscenes

Blizzard used to make amazing cinematics, not sure if they still do.

 

[JimmyRustler]

OP wrote Diablo 4 by mistake guys, he wanted to write Diablo 2.

I agree.

 

[Ogbert]

The problem with D4 is the game, not the cut scenes.

 

[RoboFu]

Yeah Diablo 4 players just say the game itself is useless.

 

[hinch7]

Today's Blizzard are still great at cutscenes. Games, not so much.

 

[SJRB]

Who says that? What are you talking about?

The "problem" is the trend of revealing new games with CGI cinematics that tell you pretty much nothing about the actual game.

Literally no one watched that Diablo 4 cinematic and thought "well this is just shit, isn't it".

 

[RJMacready73]

Blizzard used to make amazing cinematics, not sure if they still do.

They are the best in the business ffs

 

[Skifi28]

They are the best in the business ffs

Tech-wise probably. Content-wise, most of them were meh and I'd trade them for an in-game cutscene where interesting stuff happens.

 

[killatopak]

Is it weird that I knew who the OP was just based on title alone?

 

[Hudo]

While in-engine visuals nowadays are fantastic, I feel like there’s always a place for CGI cinematics. To me, really good ones elevate the entire experience.

In Diablo IV, not only was the opening CGI cinematic cutscene absolutely sublime, but the one right before the final battles was just…. oh my god.

Even the most graphically intense game with the best cinematography has absolutely nothing on the CGI cinematics in this game.

Spoiler: Late game Diablo IV cinematic

Every shot had an enormous amount of detail, excellent cinematography and music, memorable imagery… it was absolutely glorious.

Of course, it makes sense to use them more sparingly now; that, I won’t deny. But if used well, and especially if the game company has an in-house studio like Blizzard and Square Enix (*cough* Final Fantasy XVI *cough*), I absolutely feel like they still have, and always will have, a place in video games. Even if the game in question has visible armor/weapon changes and a CaC like in D4.


Thank you

Yeah, the CGI cutscenes were far more fun than the actual game.

 

[Danjin44]

Is it weird that I knew who the OP was just based on title alone?

We have who obsessed with CGI and we have another who is obsessed about graphics looking like CGI.

 

[Porticus]

Tech-wise probably. Content-wise, most of them were meh and I'd trade them for an in-game cutscene where interesting stuff happens.

Yeah I totally agree with you, Square simply slap them completely content-wise, much more interesting and story centered, Blizzard ones are mostly BS.

 

[StereoVsn]

I still felt they were all useless and boring in Diablo IV.
Shrug.

Yep. I managed to play through about 3-4 hours across two free previews. I was bored out of my mind and the cutscenes didn’t make me any less bored.

 

[gaming_again]

Who says that? What are you talking about?

The "problem" is the trend of revealing new games with CGI cinematics that tell you pretty much nothing about the actual game.

Literally no one watched that Diablo 4 cinematic and thought "well this is just shit, isn't it".

OP is a CGI evangelist. It's all he posts about. It takes all kinds to make an interesting message board.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

We have who obsessed with CGI and we have another who is obsessed about graphics looking like CGI.

I think you forgot to drink your morning coffee lol.

*Runs*

 

[Ar¢tos]

They are the best in the business ffs

I haven't played a Blizzard game in many many years, so I wouldn't know.

 

[Madflavor]

Is it weird that I knew who the OP was just based on title alone?

No it’s not.

This fucking guy and his CGI Cutscene obsession…

Asking for CGI cutscenes in your video games in 2024 is liking bothering the waiter to put an umbrella in your drink.

 

[RJMacready73]

I haven't played a Blizzard game in many many years, so I wouldn't know.

Game quality may have nose dived somewhat but there cinematics department are still rocking it

 

[saintjules]

Not entirely useless, but until we can play games like CGI cutscenes, they don't mean much to me.

I hope we get there someday.

 

[Spyxos]

I would say that Diablo 4 is not the best example of ingame cutscenes. Sure, they're okay, but they could be a lot better. In contrast to ingame cutscenes, the cgi cutscenes are very noticeable d4. But other games have done it much better.

Warcraft 3 and Starcraft 2 had very impressive Cgi back then . The same applies to D2 and D3.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I didn’t think Diablo IV’s cutscenes added up to much in the end. I was slightly disappointed in the whole plot of Diablo IV. Diablo II has some incredible CGI for its time. It’s no joke that Blizzard has some talented people working for them, but Diablo IV felt like Maleficent‘s entry into video games. Visually stunning, but her story is boring as hell.

 

[rhodesianshepard]

games like World of Warcraft having AAAA CGI cinematics compared to the shit 2007 in-game graphics will never not be amusing to me

 

[Zekra Dezivad]

I never liked this Diablo approach, it's very 90s when you had to compensate the technical limits of the time with your imagination and CG helped in hyping you. Right now I do feel the enormous distance between what I see in the cinematics, with their camera work, details, acting, and what I really experience during gameplay. It's like imagine the Battle of Helm's Deep in your head while you are playing tiny characters in a diorama.

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

Only Blizzard and Square make AAAA cgi cutscenes

In-house, sure, but there’s still companies that outsource for CGI cinematics for games like Call of Duty

 

[Salty Popsicle]

Only Blizzard and Square make AAAA cgi cutscenes

The CGI from the Halo MC Collection were amazing as well.

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

The CGI from the Halo MC Collection were amazing as well.

This is true. However, they were outsourced.

I need Halo 3 to undergo similar treatment immediately

 

[bender]

Too bad you have to play Diablo 4 after that CGI intro.

 

[Nydius]

Blizzard has always had top tier CGI. Problem is, most of it is useless. What good were those fancy intro cinematics to WoW expansions when you'd get dropped into a game with 2006 graphics? The CGI in Diablo 4 had a very similar effect for me: They actively took me out of the game because we went from the actual gameplay to movie quality CGI that made me wish the entire game looked as good.

The cut scene of the battle between Inarius's followers and the demons of hell was fantastic... but all it did was make me wish it was a full length movie rather than a game.

 

[Hugare]

games like World of Warcraft having AAAA CGI cinematics compared to the shit 2007 in-game graphics will never not be amusing to me

So much true

You watch some epic looking CGI, and then when you get back to gameplay, it looks mediocre with stilted animations

Not to mention the far away camera

 

[zeroluck]

When the game sucks so bad, you rather watch a movie.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

I've always been a fan of them, particularly in FF how they're implemented in big moments throughout the game. They're blended well with the gameplay, whilst these Diablo ones seem more disconnected to me.

The one's in FF7R were a bit lower quality than the ones in lets say FF13, but I still loved them. This one wouldn't have been possible to do in real-time on the PS4 whilst delivering the same impact.

 

[Last Hearth]

While in-engine visuals nowadays are fantastic, I feel like there’s always a place for CGI cinematics. To me, really good ones elevate the entire experience.

In Diablo IV, not only was the opening CGI cinematic cutscene absolutely sublime, but the one right before the final battles was just…. oh my god.

Even the most graphically intense game with the best cinematography has absolutely nothing on the CGI cinematics in this game.

Spoiler: Late game Diablo IV cinematic

Every shot had an enormous amount of detail, excellent cinematography and music, memorable imagery… it was absolutely glorious.

Of course, it makes sense to use them more sparingly now; that, I won’t deny. But if used well, and especially if the game company has an in-house studio like Blizzard and Square Enix (*cough* Final Fantasy XVI *cough*), I absolutely feel like they still have, and always will have, a place in video games. Even if the game in question has visible armor/weapon changes and a CaC like in D4.


Thank you

When the game sucks, who cares about the CGI.

 

[DaciaJC]

I'll forever credit this trailer with sparking my interest in TW3 and getting into the Witcher universe as a whole:



So yeah, be it as an in-game cinematic or a trailer, CGI absolutely has its place and can be well worth it.

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

I've always been a fan of them, particularly in FF how they're implemented in big moments throughout the game. They're blended well with the gameplay, whilst these Diablo ones seem more disconnected to me.

The one's in FF7R were a bit lower quality than the ones in lets say FF13, but I still loved them. This one wouldn't have been possible to do in real-time on the PS4 whilst delivering the same impact.

It wouldn’t be possible on the PS5 either tbh. There’s nothing in XVI that comes even close to being as visually stunning as this scene. Though I do agree with you that the CGI cutscenes in XIII are better

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

OP is a CGI evangelist.

You’re damn right I am.

 

[Kaleinc]

Blizzard has always had top tier CGI. Problem is, most of it is useless. What good were those fancy intro cinematics to WoW expansions when you'd get dropped into a game with 2006 graphics? The CGI in Diablo 4 had a very similar effect for me: They actively took me out of the game because we went from the actual gameplay to movie quality CGI that made me wish the entire game looked as good.

The cut scene of the battle between Inarius's followers and the demons of hell was fantastic... but all it did was make me wish it was a full length movie rather than a game.

Their use is you watch and enjoy it never actually having to install piece of shit like WoW. New expansion means new cgi trailer

 

[Mortisfacio]

Blizzard has always had top tier CGI. Problem is, most of it is useless. What good were those fancy intro cinematics to WoW expansions when you'd get dropped into a game with 2006 graphics? The CGI in Diablo 4 had a very similar effect for me: They actively took me out of the game because we went from the actual gameplay to movie quality CGI that made me wish the entire game looked as good.

The cut scene of the battle between Inarius's followers and the demons of hell was fantastic... but all it did was make me wish it was a full length movie rather than a game.

That's definitely upsetting. Was hilarious the Blizzcon transition from this, which is technically stunning



To the feature drop