I have some questions to relieve

I've read on here some people saying they always skip cutscenes. If true how can someone enjoy the game? I understand that gameplay is ahead of story for many people, but isn't this taking it too far? How can you blindly complete objectives without knowing the reason behind your actions and what you are doing? So, can you still enjoy a strory-driven game if you skip the cutscenes?

Wouldn't say I skip all cutscenes, but usually know when my time is being wasted. When characters start monologuing/ ramble about unimportant information for an absurd amont of time; that's lame. Not to mention the writing in games is 99% garbage anyhow_

It's in these moments I see if skipping the section is an option.

Cutscenes are best being thirty seconds a time. Cinematic, or a cheap joke. Maybe even a quick heart felt moment (usually terribly handled). Anything past that is weighing its welcome.

@marrish: I skip every single cutscene I can. I want to game, not watch a scene with mostly dubious voice acting, and CGI graphics. Perfect scenario is a game like RDR2, which has hours of cutscenes....you skip them and your objective is displayed, saving time.

I do that with some games. I do it because I watch good movies and TV shows all the time and sometimes don't want to be forced to sit through some below amateur cinematics when all I want are a few minutes of gaming. I dropped Wolfenstein 2 because it didn't let me skip its trash story. Bad offenders are those games that start with thirty minutes of cutscenes before you know if you even like the gameplay. Of the cinematic 2019 games I played, Sekiro, DMC5 and Resident Evil 2, I did not skip the cutscenes.

How is that so hard to understand? Literally every hugely popular game is popular because of its gameplay, not its story. Or do you know anyone playing Fortnite or Minecraft for its story? Also there were entire gens and there still are entire genres that don't have or barely have any story. Imagine playing Tetris and being interrupted every minute by a story sequence. I'd argue many games would be better with less story-interruption, especially if the story is subpar anyway.

I never skip cutscenes in my initial play through of games myself. I very much enjoy following the stories in games. Even on subsequent play throughs I’ll still watch the cutscenes again.

It really depends on the game for me. If it's story driven...of course I won't skip them.

I only skip them if I replayed the game alot.

Is it weird that I skipped every cutscene in a story heavy RPG (Divinity: Original Sin II) and still felt like I fully understood the messages and characters it was presenting me; due to one line dialogues/ narrations and visual presentation?

I skip cutscenes - shoot me.

I don’t play RPGs or story heavy games so they are mostly irrelevant to my preferences.

Awesome! lol. If I ever play this I'll keep that in mind. Might save me some time. :P

I dont usually skip them until I've already seen them even if they bore the crap outta me because I'm OCD like that. I think cutscenes are generally best when they add context that makes what you're doing feel more fun.

Cut scenes rarely bother me - in fact I generally like them. I haven't encountered many that were overly long either. But skipping could be useful if you keep dying over and over in the same section or if you're playing the game multiple times.

@marrish:

The only people who skip them are those with a tiny attention span. Cutscenes add narrative and motivation to complete the game. Especially for current gen games. I could never stand playing any modern game (no matter how boring the story may be) without watching the cutscenes. I don't know how anyone can. You'd literally be ripping yourself off on what you paid for by doing so.

You wrote that as though it's factual.

Don't think you have any form of data to back up this statement.

It's the same as stating 'people who skip Pro Wrestling have a tiny attention span'

I could never stand playing any modern game (no matter how boring the story may be) without watching the cutscenes. I don't know how anyone can. You'd literally be ripping yourself off on what you paid for by doing so.

So wait you admit watching boring cutscenes just to waste your time? Couldn't do that myself. .

Some people buy games, to play games. A crazy concept I'm sure. Phrased as "substance over flair"

Enjoy what you like however. We have genres solely because Gamers have different interests from each other.

@RSM-HQ:

If you have time to play a game, you have time to watch a 2 minute cutscene or so. That's all I'm saying. Here's a $60 game you bought with everything the developer put work into. You might as well get your money's worth. The only person you're hurting by skipping content is yourself. The developer doesn't care if do or don't. You already bought the product. There's nothing to gain by skipping cutscenes.

@nepu7supastar7:

If you have time to play a game, you have time to watch a 2 minute cutscene or so

Usually watch short ones. Even enjoy ones that clip it at thirty seconds like most monster reveals in MH. Short dumb fun is fine_

As you know however varies from game to game. I really like Devil May Cry 5 for example and some of those cutscenes are eleven minutes long; nope! I've beaten DMC5 nine times, not once have I seen every cutscene all the way through.

Here's a $60 game you bought with everything the developer put work into.

And staffs are broken up into divisions. And honestly I care little for the cinematic production over other divisions. Plus it has been documented fact many of these longer scenes in games are due to contract demands. Writers demand so many lines so it's worth adding into a portfolio, same for certain voice actors demanding more lines. This doesn't always make the games better, and can hurt the game all these other divisions are slaving over.

So really, your argument works both ways.

You might as well get your money's worth.

I clearly view things slightly different. My time is more important than money spent. As the saying goes "time is money". And usually I back the right games so rarely feel I waste money at all. I've sunk hundreds of hours into some of my favorite games due to replayability/ multiplayer. Can the same be stated of your story driven games?

@RSM-HQ: Devil May Cry 3 was the happy middle for me. I felt the cutscenes didn't overstay their welcome, and they were usually at the beginning and end of a level, not throughout like in DMC5. Sometimes there wasn't even an intro or outro for a level. Felt more like a proper game than 5.

Bleh. Gaming is alongside movies, TV shows and graphic novels for me. I love sitting down and watching these long stories, so cram your attention span theory. Other mediums just do it way better than games. So when I'm playing a game I mainly want what those other mediums cannot offer me, interactivity. It's why I prefer my Switch games over modern western games.

@RSM-HQ:

Yeah, actually. I've put plenty of hundreds of hours into story games like even Red Dead Redemption 2 or Witcher 3. It's how I enjoy the game best. I just don't see why you would purposely cut a huge portion of that just because you can't sit still for a little story. You make it sound like your life is going to disappear just because of a small cutscene. I'd hate to see what an rpg like Persona 5 would do to you.

@ezekiel43:

I wasn't stating a theory -- it was just my opinion. You spend time no matter what you're doing. It shouldn't matter if there are components put into place so that what your game has a purpose. You could be wasting time for an online match to load or waiting for a level to load or just watching story unfold. What's the difference? Either way it takes up time off your day.

Believing most people skip cutscenes because they have low attention spans isn't an opinion.

Yeah, it SHOULD matter, because, like I said, other mediums do what these pretentious games do way better, so it's more worthwhile to play the games that actually aim for the interactivity and fun and skip to the good parts in those games that are just too loaded with boring cutscenes. Depends on what I'm playing, though. Resident Evil? Of course I'm watching the cutscenes. The story and the world would work poorly without them. A batshit crazy story like MGS? Too entertaining to skip. Max Payne series? I'm watching that. Cinematic adventure games? Story is the whole point, and most are better written than action games. But some lame western story like Battlefield or the latest Ubisoft thing? Even a three minute intro to a 2D platformer? Probably skipping the cutscenes. If I can't skip them, I might just drop the game, like I did with Wolfenstein II. You remind me of the users on the MyAnimeList forums, who refuse to drop any anime they've started, no matter how much they hate it. There's no sense in that. Better to spend your time watching stuff that's actually good.

@ezekiel43:

Well, at least it sounds like you understand what I mean. Some games just don't work without cutscenes. Battlefield stories are dead stupid, same thing Call of Duty and other random fps games. I get that too. But I have seen some games with great stories too so I wouldn't say it's all pretentious. Metal Gear Solid games definitely were though.

@ezekiel43:

Also that whole "stuck watching boring cutscenes" thing is actually pretty rare. Most stories I've seen in games are at least entertaining. So to me, it's like watching a bad, interactive action movie. That's why I still watch them.

I can't say I'd agree with you on other mediums doing it better than videogames though. I've seen some really bad movies or books that are actually worse than games like GTA V or Saints Row. There's a level of immersion that games offer that no book or movie can do. And that to me is something that can make them very gripping (when done right.)

lol Why do bots keep stealing my threads? Word for word! This is the 2nd time this has happened. Geez

https://www.gamespot.com/forums/games-discussion-1000000/can-you-still-enjoy-a-game-if-you-skip-cutscenes-33452620/

I think those two examples are very fitting to my overall point.

I just don't see why you would purposely cut a huge portion of that just because you can't sit still for a little story.

Oh I could theoretically sit perfectly still. But frankly, would prefer to play a game when I sit down with the intent to play a game. It's not unheard of, it's also worth noting I don't really watch much television or movies. So if you like movies with a lot of flashy scenes? Sure, probably is exactly what you want. Me however, I just have different taste.

You make it sound like your life is going to disappear just because of a small cutscene.

Perhaps just different walks of life. How is that difficult to understand?

In my line of work my hours are long, uneven, and travel is also long. Also get the option to work overtime at any opportunity, to hit deadline. And potentially get a monthy bonus.

So if I felt my time was wasted watching some terrible rambles of an NPC. Would prefer getting those extra hours in work.

My enjoyment from gaming comes from fundamentals. It puts a smile on my face, bored wasted time does quite the opposite.

Am I stating you should feel the same? Absolutely not. However you are calling out people for not having the same interest as you. Get off your high horse!

I'd hate to see what an rpg like Persona 5 would do to you.

Clear reasons why I've never dipped in despite having friends that adore the franchise. I'm told dungeons are very fun and conversations are both skippable, and for the most part optional. I'll find out if I drop it like Ultima VI or it hits a sweet spot like Suikoden.

Very relevant game to this overall debate. Some like rambling NPCs. Me?

This did seem like old ground being covered. Sadly that's common on GD.

The bots really seem to love your content World_Apart. Considering that thread is necro'd at this point this is really just a usable extension of your thread in all intense and purposes.