In the modern world, video games have long been perceived as a separate art form. With multi-million budgets and developer talent, games can rival even the titan of the entertainment industry like cinematography. Some of the built-in in-game videos – cutscenes – can outshine most of Hollywood’s low-budget crafts. Check out this collection of some of the best cutscenes in the video game industry.
Metal Gear Solid 3
When talking about cutscenes, you are ought to mention the creations of Hideo Kojima. The ingenious game designer has long been associated with the abundance of long videos and the general cinematic style of his games.
This is especially true for the Metal Gear Solid series, where the videos sometimes take up almost as much time as the gameplay itself. Throughout the history of the series, we received many high-quality scenes, and it is difficult to single out the best one among them. Still, the final scene of Metal Gear Solid 3 is worth a separate mention. It combines the drama of the plot with creative Lynch-like symbolism.
World of Warcraft
Blizzard is another name that comes to mind when talking about video game cutscenes. This company has been creating high-quality videos for more than twenty years now, with most scenes loved by gamers. This is most evident in the MMORPG World of Warcraft and its cinematic mini-films.
One of these is The Old Soldier, a short film coming as part of the Battle for Azeroth expansion. It shows us the orc Varok Saurfang, a veteran of the Horde, preparing for another battle with the Alliance. The video focuses on the inner torment of the old warrior, thereby showing the Horde from the other side.
Resident Evil 2 Remake
The RE 2 remake received great expectations. Released in 2019, the game had to not only save the original version, which has become a horror classic but also implement something new, bring quality to a new level.
Fortunately, Capcom did not disappoint – the new product turned out to be amazing, and in many ways, its success was ensured by the updated cutscenes. It’s enough to mention the introductory video – the developers have drawn an allegory between the hunger experienced by zombies and an ordinary truck driver eating a hamburger with passion. And after a few seconds, the player is faced with zombies, and this time they are really scary.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Many Hollywood filmmakers should learn from Insomniac Games. The Marvel’s Spider-Man intro cutscene uniquely presents the player to the life of Peter Parker, the game’s protagonist, in just 2 minutes. With the help of small details in the video, such as photos on a shelf or faded flowers, we understand what kind of world Peter lives in: what he does, does he have loved ones, who are his enemies, and so on. Brief, but as informative as possible – this is exactly how the introduction for a video game should feel like.
Devil May Cry 5
The Devil May Cry series has long been the most popular slasher series, known for its whirlwind action and insane cutscenes. For example, in two games in a row, the main character is pierced with swords in the very first video. But then, after the success of the first four parts, there was a reboot of the series of dubious quality, followed by silence for five years.
But then Devil May Cry 5 was announced, and hope flared in the hearts of fans again. The developers did not disappoint – the game continued the traditions and plot of the original series, including incredible cinematic inserts. In the opening cutscene, Nero, the main character of the sequel, effectively deals with crowds of demons in slow motion.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
How can we fail to mention one of the best RPGs of all time? The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the creation of the Polish studio CD Projekt Red, is known for its high-quality storyline, which is only facilitated by equally high-quality cutscenes.
A particularly atmospheric video is the moment when Geralt finally finds Ciri. This happens somewhere in the middle of the game, and the gamer by this moment manages to spend many hours in the world of The Witcher and becomes emotionally attached to it. Therefore, when it seems that Ciri is dead and Geralt is late, the player takes it to heart. The complete absence of any sounds other than the violin melody only enhances the effect of loss and the feeling that you did something wrong. When Ciri wakes up, a whole storm of emotions rises even in the hardest heart.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Another remake in our selection. As in the case of RE 2 Remake, this game has riveted the attention of gamers around the world. The gaming community has been waiting for years for a re-release of the legendary JRPG classics with modern graphics and updated gameplay. But at the same time, everyone feared that it might suffer the fate of most remakes – poor implementation and many shortcomings, combined with a large price tag due to the popularity of the series.
Fortunately, Square Enix did not disappoint. The game lived up to all expectations and took full advantage of modern gaming devices’ capacities. It is worth noting that the developers paid more attention to the plot and divided the original edition into several parts. However, Final Fantasy VII Remake covers only the first of these parts.
Unsurprisingly, when the old-school gamers saw the improved old opening cutscene in the new game, they were swallowed up by a pleasant nostalgia.
Mass Effect 2
The acclaimed space opera by Bioware is considered a modern classic of Sci-fi RPG for a reason. The Mass Effect series combines fast-paced gameplay with a variable storyline.
The cutscenes of the series are a separate topic of conversation. Thanks to some of them, Mass Effect at one time became known throughout America as an immoral game with an excessive passion for female asses. But there are others that fans love Bioware for. For example, the ending of Mass Effect 2 – Suicide Mission – is striking in its drama and makes you empathize with Captain Shepard until the very end.
As you can see, video games are capable of creating amazing mini-films that are just right for an Oscar or at least can become the basis for a successful full-length film.
