Quick Time Events

            Guess how a developer who has run out of ideas implements gameplay with an action-packed feel. Do they duplicate content to pad out a game? Close, but not quite. They put in a quick time event. QTEs, as they are often called, are these prompts that ask a player to press a random button or series of buttons in a brief time limit. They are pretty nice if used correctly, but most of the time they are a huge nuisance.

            The Walking Dead uses several QTEs in their action sequences. You either hit a directional key to dodge an incoming attack or rapidly tap E to fight off a knife being shoved against your neck. They feel appropriate, but not very compelling. 

            Final Fantasy XII has a minigame that involves catching fish. You win by hitting certain buttons in a specific order. In a way, this is more of a combo button input, but the nature of it makes it feel like a QTE. Doesn’t feel like fishing in the slightest.

            The worst offender comes from Resident Evil 4. They put QTEs during cutscenes. The point of a cutscene is to show the story visually with no input from the player. Yet, they slip in a QTE when you least expect it. This is inconvenient and breaks the experience. Even worse is when a QTE is placed in a game as a means to make you feel involved, but all it really does is halt the game briefly while you figure out what button you need to press to make the animations finish.

            Kingdom Hearts 2 had QTEs, but labeled them Reaction Commands. At the time, these were an awesome addition to the gameplay. You hit Triangle when prompted and Sora would do a sweet combat animation. Sure it was all scripted, but it was cinematic and stellar. If you missed, Sora would get hit or just have to try again. They weren’t required to win the fight, but they definitely made it easier. Doing Reaction Commands again would require something more engaging. 

            Basically, QTEs work for action sequences, especially when it involves mashing one button. However, they can ruin pacing and feel arbitrary. If you implement a QTE during a cutscene sequence or a scripted scene where you periodically press a button or two, you’re doing it wrong. Set up QTEs to where the player actually feels like pressing that button carries a huge impact in their gameplay experience.