#Cinematic Games

[blazehedgehog]

How do you feel about the Like a dragon/Yakuza series? Cause on a surface level at least, it has all the elements many take issue with in modern big budget games A big focus on a cinematic experience and realistic looking presentation. But I rarely hear that criticism for those games.

I dunno. They have different feels than what I'd consider a "cinematic" or "prestige" game.

For starters, Yakuza games aren't really any more cinematic than, say, an typical JRPG. You get a lavishly produced cutscene every few hours, but a lot of your dialog interactions aren't even voiced, as far as I remember.

A lot of scenes are classic scrolling text and canned animations.

Two, I think it's important that the Yakuza games do not take themselves seriously. Even Uncharted, with its pulpy adventure, still takes itself seriously.

The primary Yakuza game I've played is the first Judgment, and that's a game with claw grabber (UFO) machines, arcade games, drone races, there are questlines advertising real Japanese restaurants that are full of cheeky product placement dialog, there's a whole quest where you're photographing stray cats, a quest that's a big parody of Phoenix Wright where you have to gather evidence and make a case for who stole a cake, etc.

Like those games have a very serious core, make no mistake. but there's a lot more going on that runs a wide gamut. Prestige games mainly seem focused on being real, and dramatic, and "epic." Yakuza games will do whatever they want as long as its fun and interesting.

Prestige games are also seemingly in a race to see who can spend the most money. Again, we can go back to the Insomniac leaks to reveal Spider-man 2 cost half a billion dollars and they'll be lucky to break even, for a game most people might not even notice is any better looking or more technologically complex than the last one.

Meanwhile I think someone at Sega said "The Man Who Erased His Name" took them 18 months to put together, and since probably 50-75% of the game's story sequences don't even require voice acting or complex animation, they both go together quickly and don't cost much to make. That's not to say they're cheaply made games or that it's totally problem free, far from it, but they are more economical than something like a Horizon, or The Last of Us 2, or whatever.

I mean, Digital Foundry noted we haven't actually gotten a proper new Naughty Dog game since The Last of Us 2 in 2020. But in the last four years, we've gotten two Yakuza games? Three? Maybe even four? That's not to say quantity beats quality, and I think to some degree Sega should be careful about burning people out on this series and its spinoffs.

But whereas Spider-Man 2 could be a game that sinks Insomniac if it doesn't meet its nearly impossible sales figures, I don't think Sega's in too much danger if a Yakuza game under performs.

A cinematic/prestige game is something trying to pretend it's not a game at all and is an interactive movie. Very little about the Yakuza franchise has ever felt ashamed to be a video game.

[fogaminghub]

https://www.fogaminghub.com/post/until-dawn-explore-decision-making-in-horror-gaming

🌙✨ Ready to face your fears? Explore how decision-making drives the narrative in Until Dawn! From Dr. Hill's office to the fate of your characters, every choice counts. Will you embrace friendship or succumb to unease? 🌌��� Dive into our latest blog post to unravel the mysteries!

[tmarshconnors]

 Avoid being an ignorant fanboy or fangirl.

Xbox is the element of community. The Xbox player base enjoys multiplayer games and has bonds that can last for years. PlayStation is the element of single-player games. They range from being cinematic to having great gameplay. PC is the element of freedom PC gamers appreciate the most popular and niche titles and the community has some really funny mods Nintendo element of variety they love to experiment and be innovative when they find something that works. They make it incredible. It’s important to see the good in all gaming platforms. This is how you avoid being an ignorant fanboy or fangirl. The four nations lived happily until the mobile gamers attacked.

[an-aussie-button-masher]

The Rise of “Movie Games”

   To say that video game storytelling has come a long way is a tremendous understatement. Remember back thirty or so years ago when the “plot” of a game was just an excuse to give the player an objective? Nowadays, the writing and presentation of a game’s story is often taken just as seriously as the actual gameplay, if not more so. Cinematic games are on the rise, and advancements in technology like motion-capture are causing the differences between game and film development to be outnumbered by similarities. Video games are such a unique medium, able to accomplish things that others cannot, and combining them with the medium of film creation and storytelling is a fascinating and increasingly popular concept. I’ve found a few excellent examples of “movie games” that each showcase ways that games are becoming part of cinema in their own right, and together prove just how far games have really come.

   Every now and then, movies will feature scenes shot in a single, long camera take. For a full minute or even longer, the camera moves around the set without being interrupted by cuts, for a difficult yet spectacular final result. It’s arguably even more difficult to pull off in animation, considering the animators all have to work together on the entire scene at the same time. Now, take that idea and extend it to an entire 50-hour-long scene - that’s God of War: Ragnarök. The full game has the most impressive cinematography I’ve ever seen in a game, which might even be more noteworthy than any long take in a live-action film because of how seamless the camera moves between cutscenes and gameplay. When the camera is often controlled by the player, keeping it consistently uninterrupted and smooth takes incredible talent from both the game’s programmers and director. To add to the cinematic feel of the game, every character is animated entirely by motion-capture, making the characters feel more like actors on a stage rather than just hand-animated character models.

   Taking the idea of motion-capture even further, Detroit: Become Human is about as close as it gets to a full live-action game without actually being live-action, largely thanks to mocap magic. Every character is modelled to look exactly like their voice actors, who also perform the motion-capture for a complete live-action feel. On top of the realistic graphics and excellent acting, the choice-based nature of the game makes D:BH closer to an interactive movie than a video game. Many choose-your-own adventure games can feel clunky and inconsistent due to allowing the player to control certain character decisions that clash with the rest of the writing, but D:BH is impressively consistent with any choice made by the player thanks to incredibly intricate programming and quality writing. Watching this game makes it easy to see why there is a growing overlap between game writers and film writers - the screenplay of this game could be mistaken for a film, and could very well be adapted to film with almost no modifications.

   Is the screenshot above taken from a game, or a new Pixar movie? The fact that it’s nearly impossible to tell will never not impress me, and that’s just the beginning. Despite what some might say, animation has just as much of a place in cinema as live action - animated films can tell some of the most emotional and moving stories ever in a short few hours (and if anyone disagrees, they haven’t watched Toy Story 3), and Kena: Bridge of Spirits does exactly that. The only difference is, instead of a bucket of popcorn, you’ve got a controller in your hands. Kena has an incredibly touching story told through a cute, charming and downright gorgeous artstyle, combined with whimsical orchestral music and adorable sound effects that make the game feel as close to a playable Pixar movie as it gets. You could pop a walkthrough of this game in front of a theatre audience and it would probably be a while before they realised they were even watching a video game!

   Looking at these games and all the technology and tricks that go into making them, it’s fascinating to see how far things have come in the past 50 years or so. Advanced cinematography, motion-capture and incredible animation, all held up by genuinely emotional and engaging writing that puts plenty of best-selling films to shame, makes me honestly believe video games are just as important to cinema as any movie or series. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this - do you agree, or do you think games aren’t quite there yet? Feedback is greatly appreciated, alongside reblogs and likes!   Thanks for reading!

[sunrithyll]

I think it's weird how some people talk about how stupid "walking simulator"/cutscene & storyheavy games are and how they would never ""play"" such a ""game"" because that would be so extremely boring, but then they talk about a movie they recently watched

[notacluedo]

lil gods own country Andrew and Neil

[yellodisney]

[orangechickenpillow]

The ✨️Genders✨️ of the Pedro Pascal Cinematic Universe:

Asshole (affectionate)

Babygirl (derogatory)

Babygirl (affectionate)

Slut

[jonnywaistcoat]

Hi sir! Do you have any opinions on the new dungeons and dragons rules??

The same opinion I've had on D&D rules for over a decade now - they're fine, pretty bland and I'll play it if I have to, but I'd always rather play an RPG that's actually interesting.

The impression I get is it's a coward's update, too scared of alienating the 5e players to actually make any change that matters. I mean, I hear the illusionist changes are fun, and everything else has been smoothed down a bit too much and overbalanced, but they've certainly not done anything to render the system actually compelling to me.

[jiyascepter]

Sooo i made a silly game :3

Screenshot and see which loki do you get 𖹭

Reblog which one you got (on your first go!)

DO NOT CHEAT !!

Tagging some peeps who might be interested (no pressure): @vbecker10 @holdmytesseract @foxherder @mypainischronicbutmyassisiconic @lulubelle814 @fandxmslxt69 @queenoffiresign88 and anyone who sees this!!

[mayasaura]

Guys. The cows were about how if people don't like you or don't want to listen to you, they'll decontextualise your actions and use them to discredit you in any situation. How doing one (1) memorable bad thing can be held against you forever. The cows are about looking a council of world leaders in the eyes, telling them we're all being robbed of our futures by megacorporations, showing them the receipts and numbers and photographic evidence, and being told none of your arguments matter actually because you're The Cow Guy.

The cows are about how people don't forgive, not really.

[guardian-of-da-gay]

For @sonicfashionweek's prompt: 'Traditional' (this isn't late shhh)

The high priestess would've performed a ceremony, formally welcoming the Master Emerald back to the tribe. But there are no more priestesses. There's no one else at all. So Knuckles makes do.

[mikelogan]

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (2023) || GERALD'S GAME (2016)

requested by @natscatorrcio

[meowstri]

you could wipe my mind, i'd still be stuck on you

tags: peter parker x fem!reader, tooth-rotting fluff, college/university au, lots of sarcasm, 1k words synopsis: while going out shopping to buy snacks for movie night, your bf, peter parker, tries to convince to you to let him get a new video game. chaos ensues. a/n: wow hey welcome to my first fic posted on here... sorry if this seems rushed haha. tysm @103rafes for helping me with the ending, ily man. reblogs, comments, and likes are appreciated!! title is from stuck on you by grentperez

"alright, i think we've got everything!" your eyes scanned through the various assortment of junk food in the grocery cart. "movie night is gonna be awe-" You turned to face your bf only to find no one standing near you. "ugh... where is that idiot?"

walking around the store, you find your boyfriend of 1 year, peter parker, in the electronics section. of course he was. you thought, he probably even forgot what they were at the store for.

he was staring intently at the newest spider-man video game. Spider-Man 2, it had came out just last month and everyone was going crazy over it. he had a scrunched up look on his face, studying the cover of the game in the clear display case.

as you walked up to him, his senses picked up on your location and he turned his head around, quickly glancing at you before turning his head back towards the display case. "i still can't believe they make video games of me. they really captured my likeness" he let out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "i am so going to get this."

rolling your eyes, you sighed. "no we're not mister. c'mon its time to go home." you tugged on the sleeve of his sweatshirt, but Peter still didn't move an inch.

"please y/n... ned has the game! so does everyone we know!"

"why don't you just go over to ned's house and play it?" you suggested, rolling your eyes once again. "yeah, keep rolling your eyes. it'll be stuck like that soon enough." he huffed with a pout. "if you let me get it i'll let you pick the movie tonight. i know you love those cheesy hallmark movies..." peter said in a sing-songy voice. he leaned in to give you a small peck on the cheek and looked at you with his chocolate puppy-dog eyes.

"your silly antics don't work on me." you can't help but let out a giggle as buried his face into your neck and kissing every expanse of skin on it. peter wrapped his arms around your waist hugging you close. "but no. out of the both of us, you're the worst at managing your spendings and we need the money."

he hummed. "but mr. stark gave me my paycheck on monday, its more than enough to buy the game and put away some of it in our savings..."

"you mean your allowance?"

"hey! i may not be an avenger, but i still work for one of the richest people in america" he laughed, messing up your hair. "so... can i still get it?"

you hesitated for a moment, doing some calculations in your head. the two of you lived together in a dingy apartment and did extra jobs on the side to keep the both of them afloat. you knew peter worked hard a lot, trying to keep his grades up while maintaining his life as the city's spider-man so maybe he did deserve something nice for himself.

the corners of your mouth lifted in a small smile. "well..."

—

“did you see that! i beat his ass so hard.” your bf laughed. you watched intently at the screen trying to decipher what was going on but all you could see were bright flashes of colour.

“you already beat ass in real life. don’t understand why you need to buy this game just to play a virtual version of yourself.” you said jokingly while eating from the bowls of chips and candy you bought earlier that day. you grimaced as you peter took a large handful of m&ms and popcorn, shoving them into his mouth.

“true, but this is more fun.” he said between mouthfuls. “plus i don’t get hurt.” he gave you a dorky little grin.

well there was no denying that, you thought as you smiled back. as much as peter tried to argue, you insisted on paying for the game as a gift. just seeing peter smile over some silly game made you fall in love with him all over again. it was surreal, dating the spider-man. the same one that appeared on the news 24/7. the same one that made you worry for days wondering if he might come back from saving crime.

but he wasn’t just spider-man. he was just plain old peter parker. the boy from queens that you met all those years ago. the boy who was practically an academic genius and the best boyfriend you could ever ask for.

interrupting you from your thoughts, peter wrapped his arm around your shoulder and held you tightly. he had already finished playing the game but he still grasped the controller in his hand.

“what are you thinking about?” he asked quietly, playing with the strands of hair falling on your shoulders. he smelled like fresh laundry and a hint of butter from the popcorn.

“what?”

peter chuckled. “you were staring at me with that look you get when you’re thinking really hard. like your nose scrunches up a bit and you have this wide smile on your face”

“oh… i wasn’t really thinking about anything.” you locked eyes with him, staring into his big, doe brown eyes. you shimmied closer to him and rested your head on shoulder. “just thinking about how great you are.”

“thanks for feeding my ego— ow!” you punched him on the arm but there was no anger to it. “im joking, im joking. you’re great too.” the smile lines on his face deepened.

peter leaned his head against yours. “thank you for getting me that game by the way. i love you.” he pressed his lips against your temple, making a line down towards your cheeks, then ending at your lips. they were soft and warm, and he tasted like slightly like chocolate.

“mm, love you too spidey-boy. now play your game, i didn’t spend 90 dollars on that for nothing.” you giggled lightly.

unable to pull away from your face, he grumbled. “okay, okay! way to ruin a moment with my lovely girlfriend…”

“does this spider-man have a girlfriend too?” you nodded towards the screen.

“you’re better than any video game girlfriend i could have as spider-man”. you couldn’t help but let out a string of laughs as he pulled you in again, planting kisses all over your face.

fin.

[upon-the-snow]

a crossover absolutely nobody asked for!

[marymunchkiin]

In a world of chaos, only the coldest survive. Welcome to special forces.

Inspired by my Crimson Resurrection AU where in desperate measures Arasaka temporarily reinstates Goro to his post as a special ops officer in the coming tech war against Militech.

Editing and photo by me <3 xx