Bioshock ushered in this whole audio log mania that now gets shoe hoirned in to games as a cheap form of storytelling. I'm tired of seeing this in every game, with Prey being the latest to use this clutch of poor storytellers. It's not realistiuc that you have a bunch of audio logs of people scattered across the world containing all this personal narrative. On what planet are audio logs a thing? It's not. It's also incredibly visually boring - I mean it's just an audio log. I really wish developers went back to the days of long cutscenes or simply real time dialogue that actually felt realistic, visually interesting and immersive. Scattered documents are also a pain, but at least theres some small sense of logical realism there. Not so with audio logs. Anyone miss the days of old cutscenes or is tired of the over use of audio logs? 

Actually it was System Shock, a decade earlier...

I have to respectfully disagree. I much prefer to absorb a story through gameplay. I like searching out a story and being rewarded with plot points for exploring and solving problems. Being a passive onlooker with a cutscene isn't as satisfying or immersive for me.

Audio logs are great if you can here them without interrupting the game, a la fallout 4. You pick it up, play it and keep walking around and exploring. IF you gotta stand around or wait inside of a menu, you can fuck right off with that shit.

I fully agree with everything stated by contestgamer, I loved Horizon Zero Dawn, don't get me wrong but I found listening to the audiologs a chore. Most of those logs could be immortalized with some cutscenes rather than listening to people complaining about Ferro machines, work load or their lost family. Yeah no shit that happened, but for Pete sake make a few interesting cutscenes, about those events. The holographic where nice though and where way more immersive than all those audio logs (and there where so damn many).

Nah it still feels so unrealistic do a cutscene

if the game has a good story and voice actors, like Bioshock, then I really like them. Put them in quieter areas when you're looking around, gives you something to listen to

I agree, they're really bad. I don't mind stuff you find by exploring, but audio logs are really, really cheap, and they take a lot of time because you can't really skim through them. I'd rather have text if there needs to be a cheap way to tell something.

The thing is, audio logs aren't the only way to reward the playe for exploring and solving puzzles. Pretty much any form of storytelling can be the reward, be it cutscenes, video logs, diaries... Personally, I think audio logs are possibly the most boring form of storytelling. I agree with you in that it's fun to find stuff by exploring etc., but audio logs are a really, really cheap way to pull that off. Personally I'd rather have text so I can at least skim through it if I want to.

Yeah, that's the ticket. I'll tend to not engage in combat or anything else that may be overly distracting, but still go about other business while it's playing, and it's all good.

Fair enough. I mean it can be anything: audio logs, books, diaries, even visual clues. I just like when the storytelling process is more seamlessly woven into gameplay.

I find it more meaningful when I stumble upon a body gripping a journal than walking into a room and triggering a cut-scene.