"Games as movies"

[StaceyPowers]

Sometimes I see people complain about what they perceive of as a game being “more of a movie than a game.”

I suppose I can see the complaint if a movie-you-play-a-part-of simply isn’t what one is looking for in a game, but often disdain is expressed at the entire concept.

I rather like the “game as a movie.” To me it is just another way to tell a story, and it can potentially create a stronger empathetic link than a passively-viewed film.

Thoughts?

[The Blackangel]

It's not really my cup of tea, but I don't see a problem with it. It's fun to watch others play, but I don't enjoy playing myself. But if others enjoy it, then go for it. If someone has a problem with you playing a style you like FUCK EM.

[Bravosi]

some games are indeed better than most movies oddly enough

[skyfire]

I think the way movie industry works. sometimes movies out perform the games and then there are cases where you don't want the movies to be damaged by the games plot etc. 

[StaceyPowers]

16 hours ago, Bravosi said:

some games are indeed better than most movies oddly enough

That is true! With some games, I try to imagine movie adaptations, and then am like "What's the point? It'd be really hard to even match this."

[Folk Artist]

This is kinda of cool, being that some of the video games are movies that you control - a game that feels this way is called Alan Wake, and they say if Stephen King ever wrote a video game, this would be it. This game starts out with a successful detective novelist traveling with his wife to a picturesque town in the Pacific Northwest, and the reason he is traveling there, is writer's block.

Edited May 2, 2019 by Folk Artist

[Aerielle del Rosario]

I enjoy games with story-like because it feels like I'm part of it. 

[skyfire]

I think having cinematic minutes within the game is a good thing. Many people feel like they are being part of the game. And also game becomes more exciting when there is decent story to it instead of pure battle royale or survival type of stuff. 

[Bargain_Bin_Gaming]

Spec Ops: The Line.

[killamch89]

Do you mean games like the walking dead where it is mostly cinematic with a few button-pressing sequences? Because I find those kinds of games pretty boring - I love to have a plethora of choices in my gameplay style rather than button-pressing sequences.

[skyfire]

1 hour ago, killamch89 said:

Do you mean games like the walking dead where it is mostly cinematic with a few button-pressing sequences? Because I find those kinds of games pretty boring - I love to have a plethora of choices in my gameplay style rather than button-pressing sequences.

Yes those type of games. I think some even go ahead and have their own timelines and the story. Like say silent hill and the resident evil. 

[killamch89]

23 minutes ago, skyfire said:

Yes those type of games. I think some even go ahead and have their own timelines and the story. Like say silent hill and the resident evil. 

You do have button-pressing sequences in those games but you also have the option to run around.

Walking Dead's gameplay contains only button-pressing sequences and watching cutscenes which is very boring to me.

[skyfire]

Yes that and there was one more game I forgot the name where you have to survive from the serial killer till the dawn. So that was another game where you had option to either run or do some random damage. 

[StaceyPowers]

On 5/5/2019 at 11:09 AM, killamch89 said:

Do you mean games like the walking dead where it is mostly cinematic with a few button-pressing sequences? Because I find those kinds of games pretty boring - I love to have a plethora of choices in my gameplay style rather than button-pressing sequences.

That'd be an example, sure.

There are less extreme examples too though. I mean, I routinely see gripes about TLOU being basically a movie-as-a-game, where there are people who don't enjoy all the story elements and cutscenes (or are annoyed that they aren't making choices for the characters). I'd also argue that Bioshock Infinite plays as a kind of movie-with-fighting-sequences. I'm a big fan of both of those games, but the backlash I sometimes hear made me curious to bring up the topic.

[killamch89]

1 hour ago, StaceyPowers said:

That'd be an example, sure.

There are less extreme examples too though. I mean, I routinely see gripes about TLOU being basically a movie-as-a-game, where there are people who don't enjoy all the story elements and cutscenes (or are annoyed that they aren't making choices for the characters). I'd also argue that Bioshock Infinite plays as a kind of movie-with-fighting-sequences. I'm a big fan of both of those games, but the backlash I sometimes hear made me curious to bring up the topic.

Bioshock and TLOU have way more freedom than the aforementioned games though - I love a brilliant story but it must be balanced with some amount of freedom and action.