PCG Article Quick Time Events are Actually Good

[mainer]

Quick time events are actually good, and I can prove it | PC Gamer

Ha! No, QTEs are still BS in my opinion, with no disrespect to the article's author, Joshua Wolens. But I found the article interesting for the examples he gave to support his point, especially Mass Effect 2. The issue there, for me, being the "conversation paragon/renegade choices" that are timed responses during certain conversations. Those choices are referred to, by Bioware/EA, as "conversation interrupts", which could technically be considered QTEs, as they require a certain keystroke within a certain timespan. Those are cool in my opinion, and actually add some drama to the game, without leading to "insta-death" if you don't click a certain key within a certain limited time frame.

One of my favorite "renegade interrupts", even though I always play a "paragon" Shepard:

View: https://youtu.be/Tw7A28ax7as


QTEs, in my opinion, are those scripted events that result in the player's death if he/she doesn't hit the exact key at the exact time and result in that insta-death scenario, forcing the player to replay that same scene over and over until he/she gets the exact timing down. A huge difference in my opinion, yet subtle in terms of QTE definition.

 

[Pifanjr]

I'm fine with QTEs like in Mass Effect, because you get quite a decent amount of time to decide, the button you need to press isn't a surprise and you don't lose anything if you do happen to miss it.

I don't agree with the assumption that QTEs make cutscenes more memorable. If anything, I'd be too distracted by the QTE to pay attention to what's happening on screen.

 

[Brian Boru]

{has bad dream… discovers it's real}

{{muffled screams}}

{{{struggles violently against restraints}}}

 

[Zloth]

I don't mind QTEs just for being QTEs. They have to do bad things to be a bad QTE. Things like being a complete surprise or killing me off if I fail to complete a hard QTE sequence.

For instance, if there's a boss fight... (sounds of muffled screaming until Zloth tosses another thick blanked over Brian)

For instance, if there's a boss fight that does a little video late in the match with a QTE in it, that can be good or bad. If no other boss had anything like that in the game and if missing the QTE just meant massive damage to me, that's a very bad QTE. If other bosses before had QTEs and this was supposed to be an exceptionally hard boss, then I can deal with it killing me off for missing it, though I sure won't call it my favorite feature. If these happen in boss fights plenty and are just an opportunity to get some extra damage, or even just a chance to grab the bosses hat and wear it on your own head for fun, then I might really like the feature.

 

[Colif]

Need more blankets, be much quieter around here.

Doesn't play games with qte, doesn't miss them.

 

[Frag Maniac]

I'm not sure I'd qualify the decision prompts in ME2 as QTEs the way they ae traditionally done, as they are more for play style choices than combat. The action serves only as a cinematic that emphasizes the decision.

I've mostly always hated QTEs though, and as I've grown older, the ones that bug me the most are the ones that have you tapping a single button or key very fast repeatedly to open something, or engage in a strength battle with someone you're grappling with, sword clashed with, etc. There are MANY devs now though realizing some players (like us old farts) are too taxed by this silliness, and offer a hold that key/button option as an alternative. I have used that option quite a lot in the game I'm playing now, Dying Light 2.

 

[mainer]

I'm not sure I'd qualify the decision prompts in ME2 as QTEs the way they ae traditionally done, as they are more for play style choices than combat. The action serves only as a cinematic that emphasizes the decision.

That's my feeling as well, which is why the example of ME2's conversation interrupts stuck out to me when reading that article. Those are timed interactive conversation choices, and while they might lead to a combat situation (depending upon you choices), they weren't inherently lethal if you failed to hit a certain key in a certain amount of time. And as @Pifanjr mentioned, there is a decent amount of time to make those choices.

QTEs, by my mental definition, are lethal to your character if you fail, and usually occur during exploration, an action sequence, or combat, and the time to hit the right key is really short. If you fail you have to go through the whole thing again. And again. And again, until you get the timing down. From my limited experience with QTEs, they occur on the main storyline, so you have to complete them to proceed in the game. That may be exciting to some, but for me it's just frustrating.