Hm, I'd actually like a PC VS Console discussion, for the sole reason that I'm annoyed by an increasing amount of games that really feel like console ports, no matter how long the delay between the PC version and the console version.
Maybe Movie Bob can join and we can have a nice, little, completely friendly and non-inflammable talk about the future of Console/PC Gaming as well.
Harr harr harr.
amaranth_dru said:
Go Valve for instituting the best idea for cutscenes (don't have them).
As much as I like Valve for their rich worlds that tell a story on their own, the Half-Life 2 series does feature "cutscenes" - or at least close relatives, called "gates" in the commentary. Basically the player is locked in an area and can't proceed until a discussion or dialogue is finished, only then Alyx opens a door or Dog removes some rubble or lifts a gate.
Sometimes it's well-weaved in like basically the whole scene like in Dr. Kleiner's lab, but sometimes you do some basic control warm-up and then are the times like when Dr. Kleiner and Alyx' father state the mission objective and after the briefing Dog clears the way.
It doesn't drag you out of the First Person perspective and you retain full control, true, that's what makes it different from your average cutscene, yes. But you're still forced to watch through it, even if you're on your third playthrough and just want to explore the world or gather some explosive barrels and have fun.[footnote]There are chapter selections, but sometimes you want to get to a certain part in a level quickly for other reasons - and you don't want to make a savefile for every other scene[/footnote]
It's not like I hold a big grudge against those "gates" or anything, but they still feel pretty cutscene-like to me, but it's still different enough to make you suddenly feel helpless when facing an Advisor - which practically starts a traditional cutscene.
I just hope In HL3 they can work a bit on that and stop using Alyx as a door opener that frequently.
