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Definitely agree. QTE's were great when they were first implemented in Shenmue- they were original, and they were fully integrated into the game. It really annoys me when you're playing a game for a long time and suddenly a QTE pops out of nowhere. It's like it was a last minute mechanic thrown into the game just to give you something to do.
I knew a "Nothing is sacred: QTE" post was coming! Ha. Anyway.
I hate QTEs. There is nothing stupider than having all gameplay stop and having the game demand you push a certain button to continue.
PUSH A NOW OR ELSE YOU WILL PROBABLY DIE BUT IF YOU DO PUSH A YOU'LL WATCH A COOL CUTSCENE THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL YOU EXECUTED AS THE PLAYER!!!!!!!!
No thanks, I'd rather not.
I think QTEs are done best when you don't realize they're QTEs. I use this example all the time: Zelda: Ocarina of Time, fighting redeads. There was no dialog on screen that said "MASH THE A BUTTON TO GET THIS FUCKING ZOMBIE OFF YOU," that bit was left to your imagination. So you sat there the first time and waited for it to jump off, but it didn't. Then you got scared. You started mashing buttons, doing anything to get that thing to stop moaning and stealing your life. THAT is a QTE done right.
I hate QTEs. There is nothing stupider than having all gameplay stop and having the game demand you push a certain button to continue.
PUSH A NOW OR ELSE YOU WILL PROBABLY DIE BUT IF YOU DO PUSH A YOU'LL WATCH A COOL CUTSCENE THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL YOU EXECUTED AS THE PLAYER!!!!!!!!
No thanks, I'd rather not.
I think QTEs are done best when you don't realize they're QTEs. I use this example all the time: Zelda: Ocarina of Time, fighting redeads. There was no dialog on screen that said "MASH THE A BUTTON TO GET THIS FUCKING ZOMBIE OFF YOU," that bit was left to your imagination. So you sat there the first time and waited for it to jump off, but it didn't. Then you got scared. You started mashing buttons, doing anything to get that thing to stop moaning and stealing your life. THAT is a QTE done right.
Actually, GoW really is just a series of QTE's for any big creature. It's kinda stupid how the gimpy weaklings don't have QTE's but every other enemy bigger than them does. Hell, can you beat the bosses without the QTE's and make it feel satisfying?
I don't get why failing a QTE in God of War restores something like 60% of the enemy's life. That's one of the reasons I can't play it for very long.
The thing about GoW's Quick Time Events was that it was player-initiated. Hey, there's a giant circle floating over that cyclops! Push it when you're ready. Whereas something like Resident Evil 5 it was just "Chris and Sheva just stepped on an obvious trap in a cutscene! Now push X as fast as you can!"
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Speaking of QTE's I'm interested in how Heavy Rain is going to make them fun. As pretty much all the action is QTE based from what I understand. Apart from the exploration. Oh yeah did you know that? Heavy Rain is like christmas for QTE's. I've been dubious ever since I read about it... Fahrenheit certainly didn't implement them properly.
I'd like more complex QTE in the future. Say for example, rather than just "push a button" you have to move a cursor with your pad to a certain point and then push a certain button. Or perhaps a QTE with no prompts (the game will teach you what to push when, but no literal screen).
I the long run though, we'll probably see less and less of them. QTE were designed to compensate for the inability to create the kind of fights that would be impossible with just real-time context sensitive commands. In the long run, I'm sure eventually a game will be able to produce the same QTE event with just real-time commands.
I the long run though, we'll probably see less and less of them. QTE were designed to compensate for the inability to create the kind of fights that would be impossible with just real-time context sensitive commands. In the long run, I'm sure eventually a game will be able to produce the same QTE event with just real-time commands.
wait...so RE4 did QTEs right? Far as I recall it was still a "press x or die" situation which is absolutely the wrong way to do it. Horrible pseudo interactivity.
QTEs fucking suck. Period. They need to be abolished as do those developers who like to include them.
Now that I'm armed with the knowledge, I will not be purchasing God of War. Ever.
Now that I'm armed with the knowledge, I will not be purchasing God of War. Ever.
Man, this is brilliant; though I have to say Resident Evil 4-5 were some of the MOST annoying/frustrating QTE's I'd experienced. I love the images and all of the examples (even defending the QTE when done right, bravo!) Win.
I more agree with Jim on this bit. QTE's can be fun, and Indigo Prophecy did them very well, what with the fact that due to a time delay you could still see fruits of your button-pressing, and messing up didn't get you instagibbed.
http://www.destructoid.com/defense-force-quick-time-events-149073.phtml
http://www.destructoid.com/defense-force-quick-time-events-149073.phtml
before, I became immersed in the internet gaming culture, I was blessed to have never heard the phrase "Quick Time Event". That thing games do where you have to push a button to make something happen?
developers and people need to shut the fuck up about this until Heavy Rain comes out, then the verdict will be in.
developers and people need to shut the fuck up about this until Heavy Rain comes out, then the verdict will be in.
Man, Uncharted had super easy QTEs, I barely even remember them. I do however remember how punishing that game was on Impossible mode. Easily one of the hardest extra hard modes I've played in a long time.
That game was so punishing on Impossible mode because the enemies never missed any of their shots. I can't believe I had the patience to beat that game, let alone in three days.
I have never, ever enjoyed a QTE. I would SO much rather watch my character do something cool in a non-interactive movie than have to push the fucking reload or jump button to make me feel like I really did it myself. Annoying.
A note to developers: pressing X (even repeatedly) will never make me feel like I am doing what you are showing me on screen, so stop wasting my time and let me enjoy my between-chapter movies like I should be able to.
A note to developers: pressing X (even repeatedly) will never make me feel like I am doing what you are showing me on screen, so stop wasting my time and let me enjoy my between-chapter movies like I should be able to.
God of War handles QTEs well because most of the stuff a QTE involves in that game is something that would involve a regular button press, but from a different perspective. QTE sequences involve jumping, slashing or grabbing and those are already tied to buttons.
Also, did you draw those pics yourself? Kudos.
Also, did you draw those pics yourself? Kudos.
The worst part of QTE's is when they're button mashing QTE's. They combine two annoying mechanics into one. Especially when the person playing doesn't have good button mashing skills.
One of my friends got stuck in the final tap A part in Twilight Princess for five minutes because he could tap A fast enough to keep from dying but not fast enough to actually win.
That is a QTE done wrong.
One of my friends got stuck in the final tap A part in Twilight Princess for five minutes because he could tap A fast enough to keep from dying but not fast enough to actually win.
That is a QTE done wrong.
For the record Die Hard Arcade/Dynamite Deka beat Shenmue to having Quick Time events by quite a few years.
Good article - Quick Time Events need to be done right - not just as an excuse to not have the player do anything. For instance although they're not the best examples - in Clive Barkers:Jehrico the direction of the action dictates the button you'll press (similar to Dragon's Lair) or in WET where the buttons the game asks you to press at least correspond to the button you press in game (if the quick time event involves jumping you press the jump button - if it involves sword you press sword).
Good article - Quick Time Events need to be done right - not just as an excuse to not have the player do anything. For instance although they're not the best examples - in Clive Barkers:Jehrico the direction of the action dictates the button you'll press (similar to Dragon's Lair) or in WET where the buttons the game asks you to press at least correspond to the button you press in game (if the quick time event involves jumping you press the jump button - if it involves sword you press sword).
Re4 qte were fun? ooookeeeeey. So having to press random buttons so you don;t get instant death at many points in the game is actually fun? having one button to evade attacks would've been much less frustrating
as for Fahrenheit - jim recently made a good point of them being implemented right in a way, that they were never a surprise. And the reason they become worse and worse towards the end of the game...well.. the whole games starts make no sense and being stupid after some point.
as for Fahrenheit - jim recently made a good point of them being implemented right in a way, that they were never a surprise. And the reason they become worse and worse towards the end of the game...well.. the whole games starts make no sense and being stupid after some point.
I found the Shenmue QTE's a little too unforgiving. I liked them as they are in No More Heroes (the finishing cuts and wrestling moves) - they fitted the flow of the game much better than any of the others that I've come across.
When you play through a game, you think in terms of making the character move, not which buttons to press. I find too often that "HIT B!" takes me out of the experience, makes me feel more removed from it than part of it.
When you play through a game, you think in terms of making the character move, not which buttons to press. I find too often that "HIT B!" takes me out of the experience, makes me feel more removed from it than part of it.
The games that do QTEs well are those where they are initiated by the player (God of War) or those where they are a central part of the game so you more or less always expect them. Also those where you don't die if you miss one button. So I disagree about RE4 doing them well. They pop up out of nowhere and if you miss you die.
The only time I've ever liked QTE is in Condemned 2. Here you activated the event and then had to mimic the punches with the trigger buttons. It was relentlessly unforigiving when you were rushing to get the fight over with since the window of opportunity was slim. I think it worked because you really felt every punch and headslam that you activated.
The rest of the game was average, but it was worth it for the way they implented QTE into the fighting without it being a seperate entity divorced from the action.
The rest of the game was average, but it was worth it for the way they implented QTE into the fighting without it being a seperate entity divorced from the action.
I'm glad somebody else out there thinks that RE4 had good QTEs and Indigo Prophecy had crappy ones. I feel exactly like that, and I openly disagreed with Jim on it.
Hey - I wrote a little piece about Quick Time Events and how they can be improved from really small gameplay changes - check it out if you want or don't http://www.backhandofjustice.com/what-can-we-do-about-quick-time-events/
QTEs are especially punishing on the PlayStation. Maybe I'm just really REALLY slow, but it seems that after years of playing on Sony's consoles, I still haven't memorized which button is the Circle, and which one's the Square. The X button is a gimme, and I can usually get the Triangle fairly quickly; but an unexpected Circle/Square QTE is almost certain insta-death.
Why couldn't they just use A/B/X/Y like everybody else??? At least those are intuitive.
Why couldn't they just use A/B/X/Y like everybody else??? At least those are intuitive.
Work part about Batman: Arkahm Asylum was having to mash A (X on the PS3) everytime I wanted to open a stupid grate. Seriously, they have a fantastic game with NO QTEs (seriously...wow!) and ruin their streak by having to mash a button anytime I need to do some sneaking around. Dumb.
Also, both RE4 and God of War were released at similar times, so I'd say both of them had a huge influence on QTEs. God of War had them more integrated into gameplay, while RE4 focused more on filling cutscenes with them. I still remember watching a review saying that doing that was "innovative" and "kept the player at the edge of their seat." Oh, how far QTEs have come!
Also, both RE4 and God of War were released at similar times, so I'd say both of them had a huge influence on QTEs. God of War had them more integrated into gameplay, while RE4 focused more on filling cutscenes with them. I still remember watching a review saying that doing that was "innovative" and "kept the player at the edge of their seat." Oh, how far QTEs have come!
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