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The quick time event gameplay mechanic burst onto the scene in its current form in 1999 with Yu Suzuki’s Shenmue for the Sega Dreamcast. Suzuki is credited with coining the term “quick time event,” but he likely had no idea what this context-sensitive gameplay device would ultimately morph into. The original God of War may have perfected the art of using QTEs, but just like that game’s protagonist, it now seems as if God of War’s success with these random on-screen button presses has opened Pandora’s box of overused gameplay gimmicks.
These days developers seem compelled to work quick time events into even the most mundane of scenarios. What once was used only for cut scenes, or finishers, has now been implemented into simple tasks such as opening a door, or prying into a chest full of loot. It’s as if “QTEs 101” has been added to the curriculum of every game design school in the world. Gamers can’t escape them, and developers can’t help but include them. They’re everywhere, and quite frankly they’re becoming a distraction in modern video game design.
There’s no doubt that at one point in time QTEs were a value added experience in an action platformer such as God of War. They’re what made that bloody affair stand out from the pack, and most gamers found it to be a thrilling and innovative way to stay connected to the experience at all times. When used in the right situations, QTEs can definitely offer a sense of immersion with the game world, but there are also numerous cases where the mechanic has been shoehorned in.
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A recent example of this troublesome trend rears its ugly head in the new Tomb Raider, which is a superbly crafted video game. Regardless, the fact that gamers have to incessantly mash buttons just to open doors, or to turn puzzle related cranks, does hamper the otherwise excellent gameplay experience. What value does this gimmick add to the game? These types of QTEs just prolong inconsequential sections of an otherwise action-packed tomb-raiding experience.
Tomb Raider isn’t the only offender in 2013. Dead Space 3 is packed with mundane QTEs as well. I guess the inhabitants of Tau Volantis didn’t believe in routine door maintenance, because it seems like Isaac has to hack his way through more doors than any one Rambo-like engineer should have to suffer through. What’s worse is that most of these door hacking quick time events had no real penalty for failure. It’s not like a horde of rabid necromorphs would begin tearing at your flesh if you failed at opening a locked down door. The scenario just resets, so there’s truly no use for it other than to make the task of opening doors a chore.
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Despite this recent flood of the mechanic, quick time events do have a place in modern gameplay design. When implemented correctly, they truly can heighten the tension of the action taking place on screen. When it’s a life or death situation for the lead character, these types of meta games make sense. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and God of War: Ascension are both current games that still implement QTEs that ultimately matter. It’s not fun to battle a tough boss only to muff an on-screen button prompt that leads to your character’s demise, but at least the fear of doing so adds to the overall challenge of the game.
At one point in time, the now-infamous quick time event gameplay mechanic seemed like a new and refreshing addition to modern video game design. The next generation of gaming is upon us, and developers will continue to search for new ways to add QTEs to the experience. One can only hope that the trend of using this gimmick to perform arbitrary in-game actions eventually subsides. There are probably some of us that wouldn’t mind seeing them go the way of the dinosaur either. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to experience the fruits of your boss-beating labor without the need to take your focus off of the punishing action to see which button prompts appear on screen?
Quick time events had their heyday, but it’s time for a new gameplay innovation to be ushered in with the next generation of consoles and video games. The question now remains as to what that innovation could be.
Matt Heywood appears courtesy of EntertainmentBuddha.com.
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