Cinematic Tension in Games: When Decision-Making Feels Like Storytelling
Cinematic tension isn’t restricted to film and TV, as it is fundamental to most modern games, as it helps turn a passive plot into an active experience on-screen. Also, when decision-making is woven into a narrative, it increases the stakes, makes a player more responsible for the outcome, and elevates the overall gameplay.
Many video game developers use different tactics to create cinematic tension on-screen, amplifying the importance of making the right decision for a character. Continue reading to learn how cinematic tension is used in games to make decision-making feel like storytelling.
Consequence-Based Storytelling Raises the Stakes
Consequence-based storytelling is fundamental to cinema, as a character’s decisions shape a story’s outcome. The thrill of consequence-based storytelling isn’t far from the emotional tension found in strategic games like blackjack on NetBet — where one decision can change everything. For instance, selecting one too many cards could result in a player losing a hand.
It turns a game from passive to active, and it’s a powerful tool for enhancing tension in a game, as a player knows their actions have irreversible repercussions. Combat-based games are another great example, as the wrong choice will shape a character’s path and the outcome of a game.
There is, of course, a big difference between consequence-based storytelling on film and in games. In film, the audience is a spectator, as the character’s actions and journey are pre-scripted. Yet, in games, the player determines the narrative, making the decisions feel more personal, increasing the stakes and tension.
Smart Cinematography Increases Emphasis
Most filmmakers use dynamic cinematography to visually amplify an important moment on screen. For instance, a director will use close-ups, alternative angles, or dramatic lighting to emphasise a crucial moment in the plot. It is a storytelling tool that is regularly featured in modern games, as it can be used to signal the gravity of a decision during gameplay. As a result, a player might give a decision more thought to determine a character’s arc or secure a positive outcome.
Audio Design Creates Suspense, Excitement, and Urgency
Music and movies go hand in hand, as scores and sound can create a sense of atmosphere, advance the plot, or manipulate a viewers’ emotional state. Due to its power on the silver screen, audio design is often incorporated in most modern games, as it can create a sense of urgency, excitement, or suspense. As a result, it can be used to make a player make quick decisions, think twice, or play on. Total silence can even make a moment feel scarier or more tense. For instance, silence would allow a player to hear a character’s racing heartbeat or heavy breathing when placed in a dangerous situation.
Timers Enhance Tension and Satisfaction
The chances are you have watched a movie that has required a protagonist to save a character before a deadline or defuse a bomb before it goes off in a public setting. Time is a powerful tool used in cinema to escalate a risk or threat and force a character to make a quick choice. For this reason, many game developers use visible timers to increase the pressure, highlight potential risk, and force players to make quick decisions without time for deliberation.
The timers are used to create a sense of tension and urgency, making players feel as if they are an author of the game. It allows a gamer to internalise a character’s struggles on screen, making the game feel more interactive. Also, if they reach their goal before the timer ends, they will feel a greater sense of satisfaction, as their quick decisions altered the story’s course in their favour.