We Almost Got Quick Time Events In Devil May Cry

[Goldsickle]

When Devil May Cry was still being developed as Resident Evil 4, there were actually plans for Tony/Dante to experience some "press X to not f*** up" sequences.

One example can be seen in this illustrated plan.

These sequences are called "Action Events" and from the looks of it, they lead to two outcomes but it doesn't seem like you will automatically die if you fail.
You can see the word "QTE" at the top left of the page.

I'm actually kind of glad that the whole idea was dropped in the final release of DMC and not having QTE seems to be a preserved standards for the series.

However, Hideki Kamiya went on to implement "press X to not die" sequences in Bayonetta, so you can play out alternate realities where the world's most powerful witch who can bend time and headbutt skyscrapers die from being smacked against a wall.

 

[Demi-fiend]

 

[aoshi]

I don't get why people hate QTEs so much. Its fun to guess the buttons first time playing through. In RE 4 there is an intense QTE sequence that changes every time we replay the level with vertigo boss fight. I quite enjoyed them while they lasted for some time until i stopped playing the game.

But good call on not having QTEs in DMC. It would have totally ruined the smoothness and continuity in gameplay and would have been a bit disruptive but i enjoyed them in modern Resident evil games RE 4 and RE 5. Although they were kinda abused in RE 6.

 

[WolfOD64]

Having quick-time events in DMC4 or DmC I would've been fine with. Especially considering some of Nero's hidden interactions with each of the in-game bosses once he has Devil Trigger, which is never once prompted or alerted to the player through any of the tutorials.

But having them in the PS2 games? Good LORD, no. Those games (even the two that DON'T completely suck, being the first two), were clunky artifacts of their time. They already had awkward controls and cameras to deal with...injecting QTE's in there would've only made things worse, especially when the concept of QTE's were still a new and generally-imperfected concept in Japanese games.

And I don't even want to fathom what DMC3 would've been like with QTE's. I hate that game enough already for its absurd sense of difficulty for the wrong reasons...throwing in quick time events with THOSE enemy types and bosses sounds like something that would make the game the literal spawn of Satan.

 

[Viper]

that would make the game the literal spawn of Satan.

No no no, Satan needs blood of virgins, not their sweat. Although the Devil running game industry would explain some things.

 

[Foxtrot94]

I don't get why people hate QTEs so much.

It's quite simple, stripping the control away from the player (more precisely, straight up telling him what to do and depriving him of any kind of choice, only to have him watch a cutscene showing him what he could be doing himself) is not as fun as, you know, actually performing a certain action yourself.

Nero's Buster actions are something I sometimes see people confuse with QTE but they aren't, they're just contextual actions, not mandatory as you are in control over doing them or not, and they're never prompted on the screen. You have to do the work yourself, realize when they can be used and to what effect.

DMC as a whole is a series that is heavily focused on freestyle combat, it's its trademark and what sets it apart from other action games, especially since the third game, where the true potential of the system started to surface, so having QTEs would defeat the purpose of such a combat system. So of course I agree with you there, good call on not having them in.

 

[Goldsickle]

Quick Time Events is kinda like an insult to action/combat games, since it's essentially pressing buttons on-screen, regardless what goes on in the actual game.

What I look for in action games is full utilization of its physics and properties.
In Soul Calibur for example, you have attacks with multiple properties and ways to react to them, such as side-stepping for vertical attacks, crouching under high attacks or jumping over attacks aimed at your feet.
You react accordingly to multiple properties, using moves at your disposal.

As for Quick Time Events?
The screen says "A" and you press "A".
No properties, no physics, no contacts, nothing.
You're reacting to an on-screen command, not against the enemy's attack pattern, obstacles or hazards.

It's cheap because they could replay the same cutscene but change the on-screen prompt.
This gives a very shallow illusion of "testing reflexes" and not as good as actually anticipating the enemy based on their patterns or habits.


If QTE is implemented in DMC, then you'd see BS like time slowing down when Credo throws his spear and you see "GRAB SPEAR: Y+B" on screen.
It's a lot better that it all relies on physics, timing and contact instead.

 

[aoshi]

QTEs aren't completely dysfunctional. Ofcourse, in an action game when player controls the character where the control is not disrupted, its a given and expected but not all games follow the route of action or submit the control entirely to players. Heck, there is control when QTEs are prompted. If we press the wrong button, it could be fatal.

For example, inventory management in RE is an offline game on its own. Managing ammo, weapons and items is like a mini-game where the player does not have full control or follow the laws of physics but is still an important aspect of gameplay. Similarly, getting the button right when prompted is the goal of a QTE. Mostly, QTEs are prompted in cut-scenes expecting the player's attention.

Not all games strictly follow the laws of physics afterall its a video-game.

 

[Foxtrot94]

Not all games strictly follow the laws of physics afterall its a video-game.

He meant the physics of the game itself, not necessarily the real world.

 

[Goldsickle]

QTE is more or less a "lazy shortcut" when developers can't figure out how to program a sequence using the game's default mechanics or physics.

QTE occurs a lot when fighting a giant boss, possibly because it's difficult to implement the game's platforming and one-on-one combat against a colossal foe.
But they did not get lazy and resort to QTE for the Savior in DMC4.
They actually implemented in-game physics in one way or another, like being able to walk up to the Savior's arms to destroy some of its weak points.

Again, if it was any other game, the Savior will have a "JUMP ON: X" command prompt when you're near its hand after you stunned the Savior.

The Savior was semi-scripted but I appreciated how they did not resort it to being a QTE-filled boss battle.

 

[ItWasAnEggTimer]

I'm fine with QTE's if the button actually makes sense. Like if the protag needs to jump and it says to press X, and X is always the jump button, that's fine. But if it says to press circle or whatever it'd be dumb, because the input has nothing to do with what you're doing.

 

[Foxtrot94]

I'm fine with QTE's if the button actually makes sense. Like if the protag needs to jump and it says to press X, and X is always the jump button, that's fine.

Well but at that point, wouldn't it be just more fun to do it without QTEs, in an actual gameplay sequence? XD

 

[Goldsickle]

Instead of Quick Time Events, DMC has enemies attacking right after their introduction cutscene, such as the Shadow and Plasma.
We are introduced to them and they attack just as the cutscene ends, prompting you to quickly jump or roll away as soon as you gain control.

The most recent example I remember was Agnus in DMC4, where he attacks Nero right after the cutscene with him ends.

 

[Kurisu]

I don't get why people hate QTEs so much. Its fun to guess the buttons first time playing through. In RE 4 there is an intense QTE sequence that changes every time we replay the level with vertigo boss fight. I quite enjoyed them while they lasted for some time until i stopped playing the game.

But good call on not having QTEs in DMC. It would have totally ruined the smoothness and continuity in gameplay and would have been a bit disruptive but i enjoyed them in modern Resident evil games RE 4 and RE 5. Although they were kinda abused in RE 6.

In my case it's because of RE5. More especifically, the cutscenes QTE. I had to replay those cutscenes over and over again just because I failed.
But on other formats it's cool. Like, the QTE in-game, like the boulder punching QTE was neat. And KH2 used really well the QTE. I think the other type of QTE I hate is the run away/jump or die situations, 'cause I always fail. Like, always. I remember certain part on Bayonetta with a motorcycle I think and I failed on the last part. Ugh.
Going back to the topic, QTE on DMC wouldn't be necessarily bad. It kinda depends of the execution and the quantity? Of course, DMC shines 'cause of it's free movement, but maybe for one boss... I dunno. I have mixed opinions.

 

[berto]

I don't get why people hate QTEs so much. Its fun to guess the buttons first time playing through. In RE 4 there is an intense QTE sequence that changes every time we replay the level with vertigo boss fight. I quite enjoyed them while they lasted for some time until i stopped playing the game.

Overused. QTEs are not a bad thing, in principle, but the mainstream market used them so much and so often, at time even replacing what should have been an epic final boss fight, that they've become synonymous with bad game design.