Quick-time events (QTEs) are fun. Insomniac introduced scenarios that include stopping people from falling off a bridge, and ensuring New Yorkers are not squished by a falling enemy helicopter. With the technology used in the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller, quick-time events I feel have been enhanced in a way. I love a QTE that offers a little bit of a challenge and while recently playingMarvel’s Spider-Man, I really enjoyed the triggers having a little bit more tension while webbing up the helicopter I recently mentioned. To me, it is moments like that where I feel the haptic feedback feature really thrives.
I feel more like Spider-Man in those scenarios because of their execution. If the camera was more zoomed out and I had to manually swing and try to catch the helicopter, it would not feel as immersive as it currently is in the game. Quick-time events, when done properly, help aid complex situations and scenes in video games, and I feel further immersed in the characters I am playing as. They allow games like the Until Dawn and various Telltale series to really thrive in both their storytelling and in the choices you must make.
In those games, if you press a QTE command a bit too late then that could spell disaster for your character(s), especially in Until Dawn — which is solely based on survival. I love how everything is based on timing and choices in that game. You have mere seconds to choose which paths characters should take (some lead to their arcs being wrapped up abruptly and sometimes gory), and how quick their actions are. If you are a second too late on a prompt while running from the killer then your character will either stumble or hesitate in their movements, and I love that form of chaos.
THE FIRST GAME WITH QTES
The term “quick-time event” is credited to Yu Suzuki, who is most known as the producer and director of the action-adventure game series Shenmue. Set in Yokosuka, Japan in 1986, the first game’s main protagonist Ryo Hazuki’s father whose name is Iwao enters a confrontation with a man named Lan Di. After the confrontation leads to Iwao dying in Ryo’s arms, Ryo goes on a quest for revenge to track down Lan Di. Shenmue was the first video game to use quick-time events, and these events ranged from a bar fight with sailors to racing motorcycles and many other scenarios.
In fact, the more I think back to my time playing it on the Sega Dreamcast, the more I realize almost its entire combat system was based around quick-time events. Despite being the first to use them, Shenmue is a case of not using quick time events properly. The game allows you to fight some opponents, so it would have offered a better fighting experience if the QTE was used to just initiate the bar fight. The opening bar fight scene in Uncharted 3 is a vast improvement.
Instead of the fight just being a bunch of QTE prompts, it allows you to fight the people attacking you in the bar while putting you in scenarios where you must repeatedly tap buttons like the circle button to escape an enemy hold at the beginning of it. What is great is that the encounter serves as a reminder for the rest of the game — if you find yourself being strangled by an enemy, just mash circle. If a game does not center around quick-time events as Telltale’s does, then it is important for developers to pick their placements carefully. Stopping vehicles is great, but when it comes to chasing other characters, long fights, and even driving vehicles, it is best to let the player play.
MAKE SURE TO USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SEASONING
In games like Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid 4, Resident Evil 4, and others, quick-time events are best to be thought of as very brief mini-games that help push the narrative of the story along. When done right, I find myself wishing I could rewind time and replay them over and over. I also love how when it comes to accessibility options in certain games, I can change repeated button presses to just holds. I remember I was at an E3 party about five years ago and I was talking to someone who had Cerebral Palsy.
While talking about our love of video games, and the topic ofaccessibilitywhen it came to quick-time events, they mentioned how the repeated button presses hurt their hand. As a way to alleviate that feeling, we discussed how great it would be if you could change how they must be executed. Fast forward to today and it is now a regular option in a variety of games. If you are a developer reading this, then I hope my words are something you take to heart when designing your next game, especially when it comes to accessibility.
While I normally do not have a problem completing quick-time events, there are people who require certain commands to progress through the same game we are playing. A lot of games are not based around QTEs, and just like spices when used properly in the correct amount, they can really take things to the next level. It is important to remember these are fun events at the end of the day and these events are supposed to be memorable for the right reason.
