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 Giancarlo Varanini
Assistant Previews Editor, PC Games
Recent Favorites: Devil May Cry, Civilization III, Wave Race: Blue Storm

Most Wanted: Rogue Squadron II, Return to Wolfenstein

When Is a Game No Longer a Game?

By the time you read this, one of the most eagerly anticipated games of all time--Metal Gear Solid 2-- will have hit stores. Of course, I'll be one of many who runs out to the local store as soon as I get "the call," but even with all the excitement, I can't help but wonder about the general direction that the game industry is heading. It's become quite apparent that the days of shooters (the scrolling variety) and straightforward platforming fun are over. Sure, some companies are still clinging to their roots by releasing games that are distinctively retro or developing games that use new technology but try to harness classic gameplay elements. But most high-profile developers are walking a tight rope with a balance beam that reads "game" on one side and "movie" on the other.

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Metal Gear Solid is one game that offers a cinematic experience.
One of the major complaints about the original Metal Gear Solid was its liberal use of movie-style cutscenes to advance the narrative. I remember a few friends constantly joking about how movielike some of the game's action and more melodramatic cutscenes--particularly those in which Snake would constantly sulk while talking about his life--belonged in a movie instead of a game. I dismissed their comments at the time because I looked at Metal Gear Solid as a good action game that had a great story rather than a great story that happened to have a game attached to it. But, as I remarked in a previous episode of GameSpotting, what kept me coming back to the game was the story and the desire to see specific scenes play out once again. It seemed that the reasons for replaying Metal Gear Solid were no different from the reasons for watching a movie repeated times.

 
 Are games becoming too much like movies?

Yes.
No.
I don't know.
It all started with Jaws for the NES.

 
That's not to say I've never replayed a game for somewhat similar reasons. I've gone through games like Super Castlevania IV over and over again just so I could see the rotating dungeon and the haunted treasury. Indeed, there are countless other games I've gone through just to reexperience certain moments, but these moments and those of Metal Gear Solid are somewhat different. I was actually a part of the moment--as opposed to being an audience member who has little or no control over what's transpiring onscreen.

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I want Super Castlevania IV for the GBA.
Is that really a bad thing?

While there's definitely evidence that games are becoming more and more like movies, there's an equal amount of evidence suggesting it's evolution at work rather than extinction--the reason it's a balance beam to begin with is that the "movie" elements and "game" elements complement each other. For a few years, RPGs have been using movielike cutscenes to delve deeper into the psyche of individual characters, filling out the storyline and making it much more dynamic. It only makes sense that other genres would start to use the same techniques to produce a richer gaming experience. You really can't fault Kojima and his crew for wanting you to care about the characters, and it's clear that gameplay wasn't completely sacrificed for the purposes of telling a story.

Anyway, to keep this brief and to the point, the moral of the story is that developers can put in all the cutscenes they want--but just don't forget to put a game in there too. We don't want to have a repeat of games such as Night Trap and Sewer Shark on our hands.
 

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