Heavy Pain - Do quicktime events really count as gameplay, or are they just a pain?

[darkhawk918]

Do quicktime events really count as gameplay, or are they just a pain stringing together a film incorporated into a game?

Don't get me wrong! Heavy Rain has a good story and the decision making and the massive effects it has is a great idea - but only really in a way that the "turn to page ..." in the goosebumps series of books worked.

What do you think? Are quicktime event games the future or the game industry, or is it just a way for film makers to make films more interactive?

 

[ultrachicken]

It's not the future of the gaming industry. Only the creators of Heavy Rain would dare do it again.
Gameplay is pressing sequences of buttons to cause a response from the virtual world around you.
Therefore: QTE=gameplay

 

[Gardenclaw]

Have to agree with Ultrachicken, soon as you start interacting with the game, it's gameplay. Even if it is something as simple as QTE.

 

[Zannah]

If well executed (See ResEvil V, see Tfu, see MeII), than Qte's are perfectly fine, and an overall improvement to the game. If executed badly, they can easily get very annoying.

 

[Souplex]

It's not the future of the gaming industry. Only the creators of Heavy Rain would dare do it again.
Gameplay is pressing sequences of buttons to cause a response from the virtual world around you.
Therefore: QTE=gameplay

The difference is, gameplay is aboot control. QTEs are aboot following orders.

 

[darkhawk918]

QTE can indeed add a lot to a game. It gives you a sense of urgency however, heavy rain gives you too much and not enough of anything else.

If all the cutscenes in HR were QTE that would be great, but the whole game is...it's like it's one big cutscene

 

[fix-the-spade]

A QTE is not gameplay, it's a compulsory cutscene.


From a technical stand point it counts as gameplay, but really it's just a rubbish movie that stops if you aren't paying attention. I can't think of anything more likely to make me switch off a game than extended Quick Time Events. I want to play the game, not be punished for failing to watch someone else playing it.

 

[ultrachicken]

It's not the future of the gaming industry. Only the creators of Heavy Rain would dare do it again.
Gameplay is pressing sequences of buttons to cause a response from the virtual world around you.
Therefore: QTE=gameplay

The difference is, gameplay is aboot control. QTEs are aboot following orders.

There is a lot of decision making in Heavy Rain. The game is not entirely composed of QTEs.
Death does not mean game over, in fact the story molds to fit death, so you do have control over which characters live or die.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

It's not really a game per-se, but an interactive movie. QTEs for shaving? Seriously groundbreaking.

 

[Nomanslander]

Heavy Rain was an interesting experience, and an experiment.

But building an entire game around QTEs is well....if a market was to develop with people wanting interactive movies such as HR, then that's all fine and dandy.

But, personally, I rather not come across more games like this, keep the great story in HR, just give me better gameplay.

 

[ThePreshFrince]

Heavy Rain is probably the only game ever where QTEs really work. There's no other way to play this game other than those events, and it's not trial and error like it is in every other game. i'm on my second playthrough right now, and i succesfully completed some sequences i didn't before and vice versa, and i'm actually having an other experience. a similar one sure, but it's still got its own feel. and don't start that "following orders" shit, that's why there's multiple options for basically every QT choice. so. also norman jayden sounds like they went to england and approached the first guy in his thirties they saw and asked him to do a new york accent


also: i kept thinking how awesome this game would be if sony's cone motion sense thingy is as precise as they claim it to be.

 

[Brotherofwill]

I think it worked outstandingly well in HR, it certainly wasn't a pain. Otherwise I see it as a small diversion, not real gameplay.

 

[darkhawk918]

The guy who plays Norman Jayden quite probably is English. He was on a BBC adaption of braveheart or something like that

 

[Souplex]

It's not the future of the gaming industry. Only the creators of Heavy Rain would dare do it again.
Gameplay is pressing sequences of buttons to cause a response from the virtual world around you.
Therefore: QTE=gameplay

The difference is, gameplay is aboot control. QTEs are aboot following orders.

There is a lot of decision making in Heavy Rain. The game is not entirely composed of QTEs.
Death does not mean game over, in fact the story molds to fit death, so you do have control over which characters live or die.

You are making decisions, but you still don't have control.

 

[chromewarriorXIII]

It's not the future of the gaming industry. Only the creators of Heavy Rain would dare do it again.
Gameplay is pressing sequences of buttons to cause a response from the virtual world around you.
Therefore: QTE=gameplay

The difference is, gameplay is aboot control. QTEs are aboot following orders.

There is a lot of decision making in Heavy Rain. The game is not entirely composed of QTEs.
Death does not mean game over, in fact the story molds to fit death, so you do have control over which characters live or die.

You are making decisions, but you still don't have control.

Most of the game gives you control. You walk around in a "level" (like you would in any other game) and interact with the environment. Therefore, you do have control.

 

[meepop]

It's not the future of the gaming industry. Only the creators of Heavy Rain would dare do it again.
Gameplay is pressing sequences of buttons to cause a response from the virtual world around you.
Therefore: QTE=gameplay

My thoughts exactly; even if it is a pain, if it's just a small one (and you don't hate them like Yahtzee on ZP (not criticizing him)), then there's no problem; and even if it is a big one... QTE's are somewhat-filler but also provide a certain challenge; they're not annoying, just a way to test your skill and quickness. Messing up means you're screwed most of the time, but as long as it's entertaining (doesn't have to be enjoyable just keeps you playing) then yeah it's not a bother.

 

[Meggiepants]

If we consider throwing a pair of dice (say...Yahtzee for instance) a game, then why wouldn't a QTE heavy title like Heavy Rain be a game?

There are all kinds of games. Heavy Rain reminds me a bit of Dragon's Lair. It isn't exactly the same, but it has many of the same elements. It's just evolved.

And Heavy Rain adds the dimension that your decisions/performance affect the storyline. I think I would call that a game.

 

[Altorin]

every game is a quicktime event.

Press B to jump. Press A to attack. Attack at the right time, and you win.

The only difference between any other gameplay and "QTEs" is that QTEs break the fourth wall. They say specifically "Press B to Not die." Whether this is a bad thing or not, I don't know.. doesn't bother me, but if it makes an awesome cutscene something that I'm contributing to, it's much for the better.

my only problem is the QTEs in Assassin's Creed 2. They appear in the middle of cutscenes, and even though they don't usually have anything big as punishment for failing (Usually the scene just plays out a little differently) it sucks to miss them. I left Leonardo Hanging when he tried to hug me.. and I totally would have hugged him, but I didn't notice the "Press B Button" in the middle of the screen.

 

[Meggiepants]

every game is a quicktime event.

Press B to jump. Press A to attack. Attack at the right time, and you win.

The only difference between any other gameplay and "QTEs" is that QTEs break the fourth wall. They say specifically "Press B to Not die." Whether this is a bad thing or not, I don't know.. doesn't bother me, but if it makes an awesome cutscene something that I'm contributing to, it's much for the better.

my only problem is the QTEs in Assassin's Creed 2. They appear in the middle of cutscenes, and even though they don't usually have anything big as punishment for failing (Usually the scene just plays out a little differently) it sucks to miss them. I left Leonardo Hanging when he tried to hug me.. and I totally would have hugged him, but I didn't notice the "Press B Button" in the middle of the screen.

I actually turned off my system when I missed this. I didn't want the game to auto save, and Leonardo looked so hurt...