Aliens: Colonial Marines is looking good, but quick-time events could ruin the immersion...
Oh, please God no. Please Gearbox, we beg you not to try and put quick-time events in to the new
Aliens game - the combo of dark, brooding horror and 'Simon Says' just doesn't work. What's that? You've already put them in? Sigh.
According to a recent playable preview of the new
Aliens: Colonial Marines over at
GamesRadar, quick-time events have been incorporated in to the game even at this early stage.
“
It has quick-time events. But, fortunately, instead of huge button-icons appearing on screen and destroying the brooding atmosphere, subtle colour-coded tinges to the edges of your view will alert you to a required button press,” reads the preview.
If you're unfamiliar with the idea of a quick-time event then allow us to explain; you're watching a cutscene when suddenly a big sign says PRESS LEFT. If you do so then you carry on to the next bit, if you time it wrong then you take a short trip to the game over scene. Or, to describe it another way, it's like having metal splinters shunted under your fingernails.
That said,
Colonial Marines is looking good in a number of other areas - there's confirmed four-player, drop-in-drop-out co-op for one. It's also being developed by Gearbox, who won out hearts way back with the
Opposing Force expansion pack for
Half-Life.
What do you think about quick-time events in modern games? Let us know in
the forums.
actually, thinking about it having them sparse and rare may add to tension. keeps the player alert throughout, rather than expecting and waiting.
I'm still hoping this game turns out good.
it just CAN! :(
I too am really looking forward to this as Aliens vs Predator is oneof my all time favorite games. X-Fi and Z-5500's here I come.
Didn't Gearbox also make Brother In Arms? The one with the comedy guns and infinitely respawning Germans?
That makes me cautious. On one hand, BIA had good squad management (imo) but on the other the game looked and played like a dull console conversion.
The AvP games were pretty damn good both in looks/atmosphere and gameplay, I just hope that this one is as good.
If it were up to me the QTEs would be taken to the local city square to be whipped and beheaded.
On the other, it could be game-breaking, immersion killing feature-o'-crapness. Which wouldn't be cool.
edit:
and someone has been seeing to much of zero punctuation.....
imagin your nice fps suddenly turning into DDR for about 10s then jaring back into fps game for no aparent reason (pointelss scripted encounter usuly) and that if you fail the button mash sequance you die. Basicly they are the worst gaming idea ever.