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Aliens: Colonial Marines has quick-time events

Published on 12th March 2008 by Joe Martin

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.

23 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

Fod 12th March 2008, 12:16

but, RE4 did QTE pretty well.

sotu1 12th March 2008, 12:18

yep, quicktime events largely pointless. ruins the flow of the game really. however, it doesnt sound like it'll butt too much. as long as they limit it i think we'll be fine.

actually, thinking about it having them sparse and rare may add to tension. keeps the player alert throughout, rather than expecting and waiting.

genesisofthesith 12th March 2008, 12:19

If the quick time events are used to provide different narrative paths then its ok, if however they have no tangiable benefit to the game experience then I don't see their purpose.

I'm still hoping this game turns out good.

mmorgue 12th March 2008, 12:26

So, kind of like Dragon's Lair and Space Ace..?

ChaosDefinesOrder 12th March 2008, 12:30

Quick time events could work ok if it's used for something like dodging a face-hugger leaping at your face or avoiding a head-bite/tail-whip/sting when wrestling an alien that got too close! If it's on-the-rails running down corridor stuff then that will ruin the pace!

Veles 12th March 2008, 12:51

No, just no

adamc 12th March 2008, 12:59

Opposing Force

Redbeaver 12th March 2008, 13:28

quicktime events can still be done good. it can.

it just CAN! :(

rjkoneill 12th March 2008, 13:49

they may as well just scrap all the platforms its announced on and release it as a wii exclusive then

Tyrmot 12th March 2008, 14:00

QTE can be rubbish... but then Shenmue did a great job of it... made the cutscenes so much more interesting and interactive

Boogle 12th March 2008, 14:18

Almost all the best games never have you leaving your character - you always see through their eyes. If the QTEs occur from that perspective I reckon it might add some tension to things like face-huggers as Chaos said. But if you suddenly jump out of your body and have to press keys, then it's going to be a little jarring to say the least.

echostrike 12th March 2008, 15:20

i dont care--im still looking forward to this game--so much so that i recently went out and got aliens and watched the extended version. RIPLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!

hotdog 12th March 2008, 15:22

"Game over man, game over" JK

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.

Silver51 12th March 2008, 15:53

Quote:

...It's also being developed by Gearbox, who won out hearts way back with the Opposing Force expansion pack for Half-Life...

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.

MrMonroe 12th March 2008, 18:44

I don't think this mechanism has been used well since "Die Hard Arcade."

Jordan Wise 12th March 2008, 19:10

Metal gear solid did it well with the torture scene

johnnyboy700 12th March 2008, 19:30

This might be a game breaker if they keep it in and make an arse of it - gawd I hope not because the sceen shots that I've seen so far look just spot on.

The AvP games were pretty damn good both in looks/atmosphere and gameplay, I just hope that this one is as good.

Journeyer 12th March 2008, 20:01

Hate QTEs ... hate them!

If it were up to me the QTEs would be taken to the local city square to be whipped and beheaded.

DarkLord7854 12th March 2008, 20:13

Hmm.. I'm ignorant of what a QTE does.. >.>

Bauul 12th March 2008, 20:37

One the one hand, it could add a level of interactivity to scripted-sequences, you could actually influence the sequences as they played out, which would be cool.

On the other, it could be game-breaking, immersion killing feature-o'-crapness. Which wouldn't be cool.

DXR_13KE 12th March 2008, 20:43

maybe they could do it a la max pain....

edit:

and someone has been seeing to much of zero punctuation.....

Kipman725 12th March 2008, 21:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkLord7854
Hmm.. I'm ignorant of what a QTE does.. >.>

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.

DarkLord7854 12th March 2008, 21:16

Ah.. I think they said that would be for when you get face hugged no? Where you gotta hit the right combo to not get humped? Was in the GameInformer magazine I believe..