Double Dragon and how the CG intro ruined video games

Posted by stephen - 06/07/09 at 09:07:51 am

Around the time the original Sony PlayStation came out, I started losing interest in video games. Part of it was because I really didn’t like the almost unanimous jump publishers made from 2D to 3D. In early 3D titles I found the graphics to be grainy and horrible, the controls fidgety, and the awkward camera angles frustrating.

But a bigger reason was because almost overnight, publishers seemed to discard the notion that game play was the most important aspect of a game. Now, success meant that a title needed to look and play more like a movie than a video game. And by movie I mean big budget, brainless, Hollywood blockbuster complete with cutout characters, inane dialog and lots of explosions.

One of the biggest reasons I have trouble getting into newer games is that more often than not, after hitting START you’re almost always subjected to several minutes of cliched, cinematic backstory that does absolutely nothing to draw you into the game’s world. After that, you’re usually subjected to a tedious tutorial to get you familiar with the controls. This often takes just as long.

We’re now nearing 30 minutes since I pushed START, and I have yet to play the game. At this point I’m bored. I don’t even want to play the game. I actually resent it and the publisher for wasting my time despite how shiny and impressive the graphics are.

Compare that to this intro from 1987 arcade classic Double Dragon:

BAM. In about 15 seconds, I have all the back story I need: Some assholes came and punched my girl in the gut and took her away. Not only do I know exactly what I need to do, I’m emotionally charged to do it. I have to do it. Who the fuck do they think they are?! Tutorial my ass. Just give me the fucking controls and I’ll figure it out myself.

I’m pretty sure this intro didn’t costs millions of dollars to create. However, it served its purpose and I’d argue it’s a lot more effective than the CG wankfest intros we have today. I don’t need drawn out and arbitrary video game world politics, dramatic shots of the lead character looking determined, or forced emotion to get into a video game. The classics gave you the basics and left the rest to your imagination.

July 6, 2009 | In Gaming | 4 Comments

4 Comments »

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How’s your lawn? Kids staying off of it?

But seriously: CG cutscenes aren’t anything new, and they never ruined video games. Some of them are horrible, yes, but in all honesty CG cutscenes have served to better video games. Look at the intro to Marvel Ultimate Alliance. It’s about 2 minutes long, and then bam you’re playing the game. There is a tutorial, but its pretty much the regular game you’re playing.

Games like Final Fantasy have overly long cutscenes, but that is because those games have a hugely overarching story that starts from the minute you press start until the credits roll. Those are deeply satisfying intros, and deeply satisfying stories.

I understand what you mean when you say the intro to Double Dragon was perfect. It is, it truly is. But you can’t look at it and go “Wow that is just so much better than the intro sequence to [insert final fantasy game here].

Better graphics does not equal a better game, but you have to admit that when good gameplay and good graphics team up it makes a hell of a better game than Double Dragon which, while had great music, had a pretty mediocre story and very little moves to learn.

Comment by Jaryd Weiss — July 6, 2009 #
Thanks for the comment Jaryd.

Fair enough. When good gameplay and graphics come together, it definitely makes for a better experience.

I guess my point is that maybe too much time is spent now on back story. That sounds like heresy, I know, but more often than not these storylines (to me) come off as either completely disposable, or typical plot devices used to either force emotion or justify the game experience. Again, I agree: when it’s a good story that properly serves the experience, it’s great. When I’m rolling my eyes and repeatedly pressing buttons to skip through text or bypass pointless dialog, it’s brutal.

Comment by stephen — July 6, 2009 #
Dude, your unfairly dissing Duke Nukem. Being one of the first 3d games out there and having little more to it than big explosions and even bigger guns. More importantly I feel it was the first real game to feel like you were in the movie, and it rocked ass over all the previous games.

“It’s time to kick ass and chew bubblegum… and I’m all outta gum”

Comment by matt — July 28, 2009 #
Yes, Duke Nukem was a classic. I did enjoy one of the 2D DN games too though.

Btw, hang tight: I hear Duke Nukem Forever will be coming out during the year of Linux on the desktop.

Comment by stephen — July 29, 2009 #

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