The death of the cutscene; it’s been a hot topic following the onset of such narrative wonders as Bioshock’s drip-fed plot and Half-Life 2’s ‘the story’s here if you want it’ approach. Assassin’s Creed’s convoluted expository dialogue certainly lends support to the abolishment of passive viewing in a medium defined by its very interactivity.
However, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – an out-and-out, story-driven action-adventure – knows that if its use of cutscenes is deft enough that they inform the narrative as much as they engross the player, then they can be just as good a narrative technique as the new forms currently being experimented with. Naughty Dog knows how to craft a good cutscene: they are well-scripted, directed and voiced, and sensitively coupled with gameplay so not to be jarring. It is clear that the Californian developer knows that to showcase characters whilst keeping the momentum of the story going, cutscenes are a perfect choice when utilised smartly. The dramatic framing they provide seems to sit just right with Uncharted’s raison d’être, and it’s hard to imagine any gamer having a problem with them. Uncharted knows exactly what it is: a strongly visual, over-the-top action piece, with a little bit of Indiana Jones thrown in for good measure. It doesn’t attempt to teach, nor does it try to change the way you view gaming. What it does do is give its all to exhilarate and delight.
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