I Hate Tutorials in Games!

[Mr Metzger]

Simple enough - I hate game tutorials.

I was reading on somewhere on IGN that Assassins Creed III has roughly 6 hours worth of tutorials. That is ridiculous. I got the game there for Christmas and I think I just about got to the main part of the game, where you finally become Connor, and unfortunately my PS3 was not turned off correctly and all system data has been corrupted so I have no save files. Anyway I doubt I will go back to play Assassins Creed again because I have to start from scratch and because of the time it takes to get into it!

What games do you think have unbearable tutorials or a similar long boring prologue period before the actual game starts?

 

[Zydrate]

The AC series is bad with that. Revelations has about 2 or more hours worth of tutorials, and that is entirely too much.

The fault is more with their ambition. They think throwing toy after toy at us will help the game, but it murders replayability.

It's not tutorials you should be angry at. Far from. They're basically required. AC in particular is just... a case of "doing it wrong".

 

[Iwata]

It depends on the games. I don't need to spend 15 minutes in a firing range when playing an FPS being taught how to switch weapons or aim down sights, and it pisses me off when the game forces me to do it.

On the other hand, some games offer so many gameplay choices that they can get a bit overwhelming even WITH tutorials, so, it does depend on each individual game.

 

[Jimmy T. Malice]

I like it when the tutorial is integrated into the game's story and environment, like in Half-Life. In the second game, you see all of the enemies and elements in a safe environment where you're prepared for fighting them before you actually meet them. You see a 'de-beaked' headcrab before you fight real ones, for instance. One of the best examples is in the most overt tutorial; while being explicitly taught how to use the Gravity Gun by Alyx, you can play with a deactivated Rollermine which shows you how they work and how you can get rid of them before you encounter them on the coast.

 

[Rose and Thorn]

They have never bothered me. Tutorials can actually be fun if they are done right and include the story.

 

[Vern5]

I don't mind tutorials per se. But Tutorials quickly stop being helpful when they are something you are forced to do. An optional tutorial is a great thing. You can start that tutorial up, learn how to play the game in a controlled environment and then jump right into the main game once you feel confident.

These days, there are a lot of games that seem to have their tutorials forced into them rather than having them as an option. It is as if the developers are being forced to assume that every player has the potential to be a impatient moron who will snap their controller in half if they cannot figure out whatever they are currently playing with a little trial-and-error. I'm not sure when this trend started but it is annoying and very prevalent in newer games.

 

[Glaber]

What's wrong with tutorials? They're there to help you learn how to play the game, and I loved Assassin's Creed III slow intro, a nice change of pace instead of just jumping into mindless action.

 

[Hazy992]

One bad tutorial isn't an indictment of tutorials as a whole. I like tutorials as I don't particularly like being thrown into a game without the slightest inkling of what to do.

It's gotta be done right of course.


Takes less than five minutes to complete and you're taught the basics. Short and sweet, good tutorial.

 

[Bostur]

I generally hate them as well. I'm fine with a very brief tutorial to cover the basics, 3-5 minutes at the most. I prefer to look information up when I need it, instead of the game telling me everything up front. Most tutorials are frontloaded and way too long. I prefer interactive learning, and text with a good index is the best way to make interactivity. The reader can choose when to read it and what to read. Most tutorials however are very passive, with the game setting the pace all the way. Being forced to clik buttons during the tutorial doesn't exactly help, it just makes it more annoying.

A detailed in-game reference, or brief fact sheets that the player can explore at his own pace is what I prefer. Civilopedias are great, so are the hint sheets in some of the Bethesda/Obsidian games like Fallout 3/NV and Skyrim.

 

[scorptatious]

I'm fine with tutorials for the most part. But I can see why a forced one will annoy some people.

 

[Twilight_guy]

You must hate Portal. The game is over 90% tutorial. Blatantly obvious tutorials at that. You must also hate the first levels of the Half Life games and its boring tutorials.

You should probably revise your statement to specify "bad tutorials".

 

[lechat]

yeah AC3 had the longest most unnecessary tutorial ever
i think the prince of persia games mostly had the right idea. you run down an area and the game says press A to jump, then the next area is press B to wallrun then press X to kick some ass. alright off ya go good luck

incorporating the tutorial into the first lvl while letting you just ignore it and keep playing is usually the best way to make sure ppl know what they are doing

 

[Beautiful End]

Some tutorials are useful. Believe me, I've had the same argument with others before.

For example, in games like Portal or Rockband, a tutorial is needed. Hell, when I started playing Guitar hero, doing the tutorial was perhaps the best thing I could have done. and I, too, hate tutorials for the most part.

but games that require you to "press X to jump" in order to move on are just insulting. If the controllers are pretty intuitive and easy to figure out (X for jumping, square for attack, etc.), then either have the option to skip the tutorial or make it pretty discrete.

One tutorial I hated was Ratchet and Clank: All for One. The series has had who knows how many releases so far and yet its the first time I remember seeing a tutorial as condescending as the one in that entry. I found myself doing all sorts of moves before the tutorial indicated me to do so. And it's not just me having previous knowledge of the game. The game itself is pretty easy to understand.

But yeah, like everyone said, it's just a matter of knowing how to integrate them into the game. In Rayman: Legends' music level, the game tells me what to do but I don't care because that level is just badass in so many levels.

 

[Olas]

Well they shouldn't be forced on you, if they're made optional then I couldn't care less.

 

[Rack]

They should really be optional or very short at least. When you're playing Assassins Creed 7 and it's going over how to run AGAIN it's getting a bit ridiculous. GTA IV is even worse I think there's close to 18 hours of tutorial in that. Screed 3 would be better with a little Animus update tutorial, a re-familiarisation section and a "for new users" section. Heck they could have been the same for all 7 games.

 

[Smooth Operator]

They are perfectly fine for those who need it, and a bloody waste of time for those who don't.
Still astounds me how devs always forget there might be someone else then a complete dumbass at the helm and they might want a less retarded experience.

 

[Traun]

Simple enough - I hate game tutorials.

Go play a Paradox game without a tutorial, see how that goes.