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PS4 Games are Interactive Movies (let's hash this low level bait out)

Birdo

Banned
When people call games "Interactive movies" they are usually referring to the feeling that you are just being led around until the next cutscene trigger.

For example. Naughty Dog games have a very set structure.

1. Cut-scene leading to area.
2. Player enters small area littered with enemies or abstacles.
3. Player clears enemies or scales obstacles in area. Triggering next cut-scene.
4. Cut-scene then plays, leading to next area.
5. Repeat 2-3.

It's that linear structure that feels automatic and repetitive. Making it feel like you have no real control over what is happening. Hence, an interactive movie.

As to why people accuse Sony of this more? Well, they just have more story-driven games with this style of structure, I suppose.
 
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sol_bad

Member
Sony games are certainly not "interactive movies", they are as far from it as possible. I'm not sure why people want to keep saying that and throwing shade at them. TLOU seems to be a hot topic, I'm not sure if anyone remembers a little game called Manhunt or even Splintercell, they are both stealth games, TLOU is a stealth game. How can anyone love Manhunt/Splintercell and not love/be interested in TLOU. Is it simply because it has more cut scenes. In terms of actual game play mechanics, it's far more advanced than Manhunt or Splintercell. If you think the gameplay sucks because you can use that ability that shows you enemies through walls, why not just not use it? Yes I know, it's a gameplay mechanic and the developers put it in there to be used. But you don't have to force yourself.

Spider-Man is like the Arkham games, the new GoW is a slower paced Zelda adventure game, Days Gone is a post apocalyptic RDR, Driveclub is a .... car game, Uncharted 4 is a 3rd person shooter with cut scenes, Horizon is like Witcher. How are any of these interactive movies?

People throw shade at Sony games, why not throw shade at JRPG's? They are just interactive audio books. You either read or listen to heaps of text/dialogue and then look at lots of menus to do things. If it's battle system isn't text based you still basically do the same shallow thing over and over except for the bosses.

*EDIT*
On top of what birdo said above, not every game needs to be open world. Is Half Life an interactive non movie because you are directed down a single path?
 
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Hobbygaming

has been asked to post in 'Grounded' mode.
Reading this post is like reading a post from someone who hasn't played many video games at all.

If you watched GDC session, then you would know how deep their gameplay mechanics are.


I compare Gears and The Last of Us because they're both third person games.

Both have cut-scenes, which are generally the game length of time.

Both features those long so called "corridors" when you're walking from one destination to the other.

Both games features sessions where you're talking your time to walk to one destination to the other.


The Last of Us - Where Ellie and Joel walking to meet up with Tommy and shows Joel the tour of the place.
Gears 5 - Kait walks through the city to meet with her uncle.

Both games features walking sessions and it would be a lie to say TLOU features way more when it doesn't.

Stuff like this is features in many games, but if people actually paid attention, then they would realize that this happens in a lot of games.

I've noticed this too, Quantum Break, Ryse, Gears 4 and Gears 5 are exempt somehow lol
 
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J3ster

Neo Member
That's true, i hate game cutscene cinematics since MGS series, they didn't even let me pass them arrgh...
 
We have to ask...why not ms games are cinematics games? What's the differences?

That's my main question, Nintendo Switch fans can lob this complaint but very often I see it from Xbox owners or people who just in general like games trying just as hard to emulate movies as PS4 games do. It legit confounds me that there's such a lack of self awareness. Gears 5 has been receiving heaps of praise from XBOX Gaf and though I wouldn't say it's without reason I would say it's weird considering it's the most story/cinematic focused Gears we've ever gotten.
 

Keihart

Member
Well they are interactive and can look as good as movies sometimes, but the key part is interactive and the fact that somehow it's used as a derogatory term. The adjectives in "Interactive movie" are kinda right, the games capture the cinematic aesthetic but are interactive is just the intention behind the use of it the problem. ND games are very much interactive and way more interactive than most games that try to be movie like, even from studios that try to copy or emulate their formula.

I get triggered at how unappreciated the combat in Uncharted and TLoU is sometimes tho, even more so in Uncharted 4. Uncharted 4 has amazing combat but since everything else is so good too and the fact that it is so different to other third person shooters so most people that don't adjust just get kicked in the face by the harder difficulties makes for a lot of "uncharted combat is subpar" or the likes. One of the things i will kinda miss from Uncharted since is kinda retired at this point is how much mobility and finishers are part of the combat. Learning how and when to move and how to execute enemies fast makes for some great player controlled set pieces when presented with arenas and the way they control they encounters make for some very movie looking shootouts in the more linear segments.
I'll just post an old video i uploaded to show that you can very much use all of Drake's move set even on the hardest difficulty:
 
Well they are interactive and can look as good as movies sometimes, but the key part is interactive and the fact that somehow it's used as a derogatory term. The adjectives in "Interactive movie" are kinda right, the games capture the cinematic aesthetic but are interactive is just the intention behind the use of it the problem. ND games are very much interactive and way more interactive than most games that try to be movie like, even from studios that try to copy or emulate their formula.

I get triggered at how unappreciated the combat in Uncharted and TLoU is sometimes tho, even more so in Uncharted 4. Uncharted 4 has amazing combat but since everything else is so good too and the fact that it is so different to other third person shooters so most people that don't adjust just get kicked in the face by the harder difficulties makes for a lot of "uncharted combat is subpar" or the likes. One of the things i will kinda miss from Uncharted since is kinda retired at this point is how much mobility and finishers are part of the combat. Learning how and when to move and how to execute enemies fast makes for some great player controlled set pieces when presented with arenas and the way they control they encounters make for some very movie looking shootouts in the more linear segments.
I'll just post an old video i uploaded to show that you can very much use all of Drake's move set even on the hardest difficulty:


Every person I've argued with about Uncharted combat being great says they played it on easy or normal and upping the difficulty just so enemies are bullet sponges won't make it any better. Except they don't become bullet sponges, Drake just stops being one and it forces you to play the game better than you need to on lower difficulties.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Sony has focused on SP games. Not a surprise. There best selling and highest rated games are SP franchises.

You have a choice of games. Which ones would you buy?

Group 1 (SP focus)
- God of War
- UC
- Spiderman
- Infamous
- Horizon
- LoU
- Quantic Dream partnership games
- Bloodborne partnership game

Group 2 (MP focus)
- Killzone
- GT
- Resistance
- Socom
- MAG
- That all-stars fighting game
- Motorstorm
- The Show

Technically, Group 2 has more variety, but the better games (and sales) come from Group 1.
 
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Sony has focused on SP games. Not a surprise. There best selling and highest rated games are SP franchises.

You have a choice of games. Which ones would you buy?

Group 1 (SP focus)
- God of War
- UC
- Spiderman
- Infamous
- Horizon
- LoU
- Quantic Dream partnership games
- Bloodborne partnership game

Group 2 (MP focus)
- Killzone
- GT
- Resistance
- Socom
- MAG
- That all-stars fighting game
- Motorstorm
- The Show

Technically, Group 2 has more variety, but the better games (and sales) come from Group 1.

Killzone and Resistance I thought were best in campaign mode. Resistance 3 in particular was great, I'm also a big fan of Killzone 2-4. I hope PS5 gives us some sort of Killzone collection remastered.
 

MagnesG

Banned
I don't want to give in my thoughts if the only responses would be emotional answers that come out from these rants.

Even then, what's so wrong with games being called "movies"? Aren't we always tend to overgeneralize everything due to how much our brain got lazy, only focusing on the strong points? Also giving an example of a car game to alleviate the stigma, lol come on. Sony games doesn't have to mean ALL Sony games, just like how Ninty games are for kiddies.

Sony games got called out much often is because they market their games a whole lot on their story departments, strikingly similar to a movie trailer, they must sell on the story and adventure. Every time I saw it, I'll be thinking of investing on a new movie lol. Well, I'll be generous and would call it "interactive movies" for once.

Gonna post a less troll, constructive post next time if I feel like it. Would have to bait first and wait. :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
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petran79

Banned
The accusation does not stem from the cut scenes but that they try to imitate blockbuster movies when it comes to story, script and dialogue,even at the detriment of what makes video games unique as a medium.
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Well they are interactive and can look as good as movies sometimes, but the key part is interactive and the fact that somehow it's used as a derogatory term. The adjectives in "Interactive movie" are kinda right, the games capture the cinematic aesthetic but are interactive is just the intention behind the use of it the problem. ND games are very much interactive and way more interactive than most games that try to be movie like, even from studios that try to copy or emulate their formula.

I get triggered at how unappreciated the combat in Uncharted and TLoU is sometimes tho, even more so in Uncharted 4. Uncharted 4 has amazing combat but since everything else is so good too and the fact that it is so different to other third person shooters so most people that don't adjust just get kicked in the face by the harder difficulties makes for a lot of "uncharted combat is subpar" or the likes. One of the things i will kinda miss from Uncharted since is kinda retired at this point is how much mobility and finishers are part of the combat. Learning how and when to move and how to execute enemies fast makes for some great player controlled set pieces when presented with arenas and the way they control they encounters make for some very movie looking shootouts in the more linear segments.
I'll just post an old video i uploaded to show that you can very much use all of Drake's move set even on the hardest difficulty:


I mean, this just looks awful. Like, let's just agree to disagree on stuff like the movement feeling sluggish and awful in these games, or the shooting, itself, being woefully unsatisfying. What that video demonstrates is that the game makes it unclear what you need to do to survive. Where are you supposed to position yourself? When are you supposed to move? Which enemies are dangerous enough that they can kill you in like 2 hits? You have to be completely precise in your movements, yet the games communicate none of those things effectively.
 
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DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
When people call games "Interactive movies" they are usually referring to the feeling that you are just being led around until the next cutscene trigger.

For example. Naughty Dog games have a very set structure.

1. Cut-scene leading to area.
2. Player enters small area littered with enemies or abstacles.
3. Player clears enemies or scales obstacles in area. Triggering next cut-scene.
4. Cut-scene then plays, leading to next area.
5. Repeat 2-3.

It's that linear structure that feels automatic and repetitive. Making it feel like you have no real control over what is happening. Hence, an interactive movie.

As to why people accuse Sony of this more? Well, they just have more story-driven games with this style of structure, I suppose.


This is very common in linear games.

This is what people have a hard time understanding.

I'm literally walking through areas in Gears 5 and you have to clear out enemies in before moving to the next destination. Most of the time, all you're really doing is taking cover and firing your weapon, but in Last of Us, you more ways to take out enemies. This could either be by shooting, melee combat or stealth.


Gears does have melee combat, but it's no where near as deep as TLOU.

The interactive movie argument makes no sense. It just shows either that people don't really play many games or they're just finding reason to hate Sony games.
 

Humdinger

Member
I like the cinematic qualities of Sony games. I think people like Kojima can overdo it, but for the vast majority of Sony titles, I think the cinematics add to the game. I'm big on story and characters. Other people don't care about that stuff, and that's fine. Everyone is different. Personally, I've always valued story, characters, and dialog a lot. If you took all that out of the Sony games I've loved in the past, they would be much poorer. We'd essentially lose all the characters and all the story, just be left with fighting, collecting, and exploring. That's fine if that's all you want, but I want more in a game.
 

TUROK

Member
Where are you supposed to position yourself? When are you supposed to move? Which enemies are dangerous enough that they can kill you in like 2 hits? The games communicate none of this effectively.
Meanwhile in the gameplay footage there's a giant fucking laser pointing at Nathan Drake.

Maybe that was too subtle.
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Meanwhile in the gameplay footage there's a giant fucking laser pointing at Nathan Drake.

Maybe that was too subtle.

There were like 5 of them, and they were far from the only near insta-death at any given point in time. At that point, the warning indicators become meaningless.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Killzone and Resistance I thought were best in campaign mode. Resistance 3 in particular was great, I'm also a big fan of Killzone 2-4. I hope PS5 gives us some sort of Killzone collection remastered.

Thanks for reminding me, I still have a brand new sealed copy of Resistance 3 I got off of eBay for $12 shipped a couple of weeks back.

Gotta pop that bad boy in soon, and finally play it for the first time.
 

TUROK

Member
There were like 5 of them, and they were far from the only near insta-death at any given point in time. At that point, the warning indicators become meaningless.
Meaningless eh? Hm, someone should have told me that before I used all these indicators to help me eventually beat this section (and the game) on Crushing.
 
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I don't want to give in my thoughts if the only responses would be emotional answers that come out from these rants.

Even then, what's so wrong with games being called "movies"? Aren't we always tend to overgeneralize everything due to how much our brain got lazy, only focusing on the strong points? Also giving an example of a car game to alleviate the stigma, lol come on. Sony games doesn't have to mean ALL Sony games, just like how Ninty games are for kiddies.

Sony games got called out much often is because they market their games a whole lot on their story departments, strikingly similar to a movie trailer, they must sell on the story and adventure. Every time I saw it, I'll be thinking of investing on a new movie lol. Well, I'll be generous and would call it "interactive movies" for once.

Gonna post a less troll, constructive post next time if I feel like it. Would have to bait first and wait. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

I gave multiple examples, not just racing. RPGs also market themselves on story, don't endure the same crap.

The accusation does not stem from the cut scenes but that they try to imitate blockbuster movies when it comes to story, script and dialogue,even at the detriment of what makes video games unique as a medium.

Most games do, though. Also not sure in what way it's detrimental, the main games people point out as being like movies have amazing gameplay that outdoes their peers.

I mean, this just looks awful. Like, let's just agree to disagree on stuff like the movement feeling sluggish and awful in these games, or the shooting, itself, being woefully unsatisfying. What that video demonstrates is that the game makes it unclear what you need to do to survive. Where are you supposed to position yourself? When are you supposed to move? Which enemies are dangerous enough that they can kill you in like 2 hits? You have to be completely precise in your movements, yet the games communicate none of those things effectively.

Sounds like someone needs their hand held? You're supposed to move when you get outflanked or cover deteriorates. He's showing you a late game area, the game progresses in such a way as to help you learn which enemies are most dangerous before throwing all sorts at you at the same time. These are honestly some ridiculous comments, if it was communicated poorly we wouldn't be doing well in our linked videos, maybe to a third party watcher seeing the game play section out of context it's confusing but that's also not how a game was played. The point of the clips is to show off how fluid and dynamic the game play is when playing at harder difficulties and playing well on those difficulties.
 
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Verdanth

Member
I dont mind my games to be full of cutscenes, as far as the narrative and casting are good.

I actually need a balance between this and a good gameplay formula.

For me, for a game to truly work, the balance between these two must exist.

No wonder Ryu Ga Gotoku is my favourite studio :messenger_tears_of_joy:
 
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Mods can't save you from his wrath Konami.
f6d.gif
 

Ian Henry

Member
I dont mind my games to be full of cutscenes, as far as the narrative and casting are good.

I actually need a balance between this and a good gameplay formula.

For me, for a game to truly work, the balance between these two must exist.

No wonder Ryu Ga Gotoku is my favourite studio :messenger_tears_of_joy:
There should always be a balance between narrative and gameplay. No matter what.
 
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Hobbygaming

has been asked to post in 'Grounded' mode.
That's my main question, Nintendo Switch fans can lob this complaint but very often I see it from Xbox owners or people who just in general like games trying just as hard to emulate movies as PS4 games do. It legit confounds me that there's such a lack of self awareness. Gears 5 has been receiving heaps of praise from XBOX Gaf and though I wouldn't say it's without reason I would say it's weird considering it's the most story/cinematic focused Gears we've ever gotten.
This. I see inspiration in Gears 5 from some of my favorite games
 

FranXico

Member
That's my main question, Nintendo Switch fans can lob this complaint but very often I see it from Xbox owners or people who just in general like games trying just as hard to emulate movies as PS4 games do. It legit confounds me that there's such a lack of self awareness. Gears 5 has been receiving heaps of praise from XBOX Gaf and though I wouldn't say it's without reason I would say it's weird considering it's the most story/cinematic focused Gears we've ever gotten.

And the true irony is that Coalition developers themselves have admitted to be inspired by God Of War's level design (not just the cinematic tone!).

For me, God of War was a big one. They’re not exactly the same scenario we have, but they do such a good job of pointing you to specific places, giving you visual cues that are consistent throughout the whole game. And it was such a fun game to play that we really took a lot of a lot of little cues from that, but tweaked to make sure it fits our experience.

Not bad for an "interactive movie".
 
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I just like variety within gaming, and Sony does what Sony does quite well imo. So if I'm in the mood for that flavor, I imbibe.

This is perfectly how I feel about this too. Sony has a very distinct direction with their first-party studios, but it works out really well excluding some mishaps. There's a nice balance to be had in gaming, you get many different options to what you want in your games. Sony does high production value like nobody else, so just portraying what could be perceived as their weakness instead of praising the good stuff is disingenuous.

Edit: that being said, if I have to endure the Naughty Dog special of walking in the snow while being sad in Ghost Of Sushi I'll fucking RIOT and cancel the PS5. Don't you dare doing that to my Sucker Punch.
 
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bitbydeath

Member
They serve a purpose for hiding load times which won’t be a problem next-gen.

Will be interesting if this dramatically changes these types of games as we know them today.
 
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The climbing/walking simulator aspect of their games is more of an issue than their movie-like presentation. Uncharted 4 didn’t suck because it was cinematic, it sucked because half the game you’re climbing around.
 

-Arcadia-

Banned
OP is right when he says it isn’t a Sony-exclusive problem.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good, interactive story, but I find the general strength of the medium to be in delivering fun, interesting experiences throughout a game.

As such, the modern priorities of games seem all wrong to me. These people seem genuinely more interested in delivering a Hollywood-type experience, rather than playing to the strengths of the medium, and immersing or delighting players. Gameplay seems to be an almost secondary concern.

One of my favorite games of the generation is the RE2 remake. You know why? It didn’t tell me the world was scary, through cutscenes dispersed inbetween mediocre, cookie-cutter gameplay. It made me feel that fear, every terrifying moment, with brilliant, immersive, and fun gameplay.
 
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