Meh, I want less cutscenes, more gameplay. My and many others complaints about MGS2 is that the cutscenes are too numerous and absolutely mess up the pacing. I don't understand how anyone would want a game that has less gameplay and more cutscenes. I want to have fun and interact, not sit though a movie.

Vegabond, 

are you implying most anime IS actually intelligent and mature? 

i don't know, xenosaga made me pretty much against too much cutscenes. While the story through cutscenes is good, gameplay is where it's at.

I didn't enjoy the cutscenes too much in the previous MG games. What I hated the most was getting a damn call all the time.

Looks like a lot of people are agreeing on one thing without actually agreeing on one particular point of view.

In a word: balance.

Much of that is dependent upon pacing of game just as it is with non interactive media like television or film.

Properly written, a game's plot should be such that there is a fine level of detail given to pacing when integrating cut scenes with game play sections. Whether they do this successfully or not, Valve gives considerable amount of consideration to this in the Half Life 2 series.

Even cut scenes in games are not completely static in all cases. Some designers have attempted to add some level of interactivity during these plot development driven scenes by allowing the player to retain control of their character, even as the dialog and character interaction is continuing. Half Life 2 and Assassin's Creed are two that come to mind.

When the game pacing is balanced properly, the player shouldn't feel as though he's plodding through narrative during a cut scene. If the game has been written well, the player should be paying attention, not so he doesn't miss something vital to completing the next section of the game, but because the whole point of having this additional depth is to provide a more immersive experience that genuinely places the player into the role of the character. That's the one thing non-interactive media can't provide.

Do it wrong and you're either stuck with cut scenes you'll only sit through so you know what's supposed to happen next, or a cut scene that you'll quickly skip because it adds nothing to the game.

You can't always have a game that runs at a constant frenetic pace. Everyone would be playing games like UTIII if that's what all gamers wanted. Variation in pacing is a very effective design technique, and it is often one of the factors that makes a stand out gaming experience a memorable one.

billy07 and hopefully billy08, I am with you!

The appeal of the MGS series has always been that it is an interactive movie experience. It's fortunate that it has also had great gameplay, but I've often watched MGS 1 and 3 in Theater Mode that just shows you the cut scenes and has text for action sequences that aren't included (I believe MGS3 might not have even needed those). The plots are thought-provoking and very well done.

The poster that suggested just watching Escape From New York must not have seen that movie lately because MGS 1 and 3 (at least) are better plots than Escape From New York and probably better acting. Of course, you may disagree...

If you have 10 hours of gameplay that easily stretches to 13-15 hours with the cinematics, so you get your money's worth. Many games are that short now, including Halo, Gears, God of War, Devil May Cry, Heavenly Sword, Ratchet, Uncharted...so if you don't like games of that length I don't know what to tell you other than play RPGs.

Speaking of gameplay, it's been fantastic since Metal Gear 1 for NES, so if you hate cut scenes you can always skip them and enjoy a great game.

If someone knows of a version of MGS2 that has Theater Mode, please let me know. I don't thnk my Substance (for PS2) has it. It's great to be able to watch them instead of having to play the entire game again or read a script on gamefaqs or something.

This thread could become epic

""billy07 and hopefully billy08, I am with you!""

who is billy08 ?

If billy07 is banned? That's my guess...

because billy06 was banned lol ?