I honestly think Kojima cinematography looks great even for film. I think some might have a hard time seeing that because maybe since it's all digital characters it doesn't present itself in the same way a movie would.
Kojima is so far ahead in terms of Cinematography in Games (Warning: GIF Heavy)
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I'm not a Kojima fan at all, I respect his contributions to the industry but up until now his games haven't really been for me. Just never connected.
HOWEVER, Death Stranding is a fucking feat in itself and I'm 100% locked into it based on the style and setting alone. Somehow he managed to make a game about some very mundane shit (tar monsters and all the other weirdness aside) into one I can't wait to play every night. It's zen as hell, and the last time I was so into exploring an "empty" world was Shadow of the Colossus.
HOWEVER, Death Stranding is a fucking feat in itself and I'm 100% locked into it based on the style and setting alone. Somehow he managed to make a game about some very mundane shit (tar monsters and all the other weirdness aside) into one I can't wait to play every night. It's zen as hell, and the last time I was so into exploring an "empty" world was Shadow of the Colossus.
I absolutely despise Kojima's writing but his directing is good. MGS5 had some awkward moments but overall the cutscenes were very well done. And from what I've seen DS is a step above it. (Havent played myself yet)
I don't think he's "on another level" though, there's plenty of games there with great cinematography now, but he's definitely among the best. However, just because some games are more "static" with their cutscenes, that doesn't make them any worse, like some replies imply here. It's a stylistic choice.
I think TLOU is fantastic and is much better than any Uncharted game when it comes to cutscene direction. Modern rockstar titles are great in this regard as well, GTA 5 and RDR 2 in particular. The new Wolfenstein titles are also superb, the cutscenes feel very pulpy which fits the games tone perfectly.
Then there's first person games which are unique to this medium, and Bioshock & HL2 are absolute kings IMO. HL2 is very impressive with how the player has basically full control of the camera at almost all times yet unless youi're being silly on purpose it still manages to feel cinematic as if it was a movie directed by someone.
One personal disappointment is God of War 2018, I think the sense of scale was really hurt by the "one take" approach, and it also affected gameplay in a negative way.
I don't think he's "on another level" though, there's plenty of games there with great cinematography now, but he's definitely among the best. However, just because some games are more "static" with their cutscenes, that doesn't make them any worse, like some replies imply here. It's a stylistic choice.
I think TLOU is fantastic and is much better than any Uncharted game when it comes to cutscene direction. Modern rockstar titles are great in this regard as well, GTA 5 and RDR 2 in particular. The new Wolfenstein titles are also superb, the cutscenes feel very pulpy which fits the games tone perfectly.
Then there's first person games which are unique to this medium, and Bioshock & HL2 are absolute kings IMO. HL2 is very impressive with how the player has basically full control of the camera at almost all times yet unless youi're being silly on purpose it still manages to feel cinematic as if it was a movie directed by someone.
One personal disappointment is God of War 2018, I think the sense of scale was really hurt by the "one take" approach, and it also affected gameplay in a negative way.
Totally agree on the mad respect for Kojima's cinematography but...
... nope.
... nope.
If you asked me after MGS4 I would say "hell yeah!"
If you would ask me after MGSV I would have said "nah".
After Death Stranding I'm all onboard again. DS is breathtaking at times in some cutscenes, some of them in the later half of the game are damn perfect. He may have some other problems telling a story, the images are not one of those problems.
If you would ask me after MGSV I would have said "nah".
After Death Stranding I'm all onboard again. DS is breathtaking at times in some cutscenes, some of them in the later half of the game are damn perfect. He may have some other problems telling a story, the images are not one of those problems.
This is such a terrible scene, in so many ways that it's almost good. But no. That being said, MGSV is such a waste of perfect controls and great mechanics.
Playing MGS1 on vita right now, and the cinematic direction stood out from the first moment.
I remember being blown away by this when I first played in on release. I'd personally never seen a game like it.
And Death Sranding has further cemented Kojima Pro's reign as champions here.
I remember being blown away by this when I first played in on release. I'd personally never seen a game like it.
And Death Sranding has further cemented Kojima Pro's reign as champions here.
In general, I'm a fan of games pushing the boundaries of storytelling in their own way that movies cannot do.
But a big reason for this is just that most game makers don't make as entertaining cutscenes as movies. However, Kojima is so talented at this that it would be an absolute waste for him not to load up his games with cutscenes.
Engaging God-tier level design and mechanics as well as superbly directed and enthralling cutscenes are a killer combo and I really can't think of any other dev that can boast that. It makes for killer pacing and such great games, it really speaks to the fact that I complete MGS4 in only a couple of sittings when the game has 7 and a half HOURS of cutscenes.
But a big reason for this is just that most game makers don't make as entertaining cutscenes as movies. However, Kojima is so talented at this that it would be an absolute waste for him not to load up his games with cutscenes.
Engaging God-tier level design and mechanics as well as superbly directed and enthralling cutscenes are a killer combo and I really can't think of any other dev that can boast that. It makes for killer pacing and such great games, it really speaks to the fact that I complete MGS4 in only a couple of sittings when the game has 7 and a half HOURS of cutscenes.
Interesting. Because I had sort of the opposite reaction. I thought MGSV was brilliant in its execution, but I thought Death Stranding might be his worst game yet when it comes to camera work. There were so many times during those cutscenes where I thought "Why is this angle so awkward? why is this shot overly long? There is a lot of exposition being dumped here, and it's a shame it is all taking place in this bland looking private room with the camera milling about..."
I think Kojima overindulged a bit too much in his motion and face capture technology. He really wanted to show off nice looking tech at the expense of interesting action and visual information.
This thread is absolutely something else. Talk about appreciation of something being so much above everything else in the cinematography department, yet op doesn't even fully grasp what it's about. If you can't grasp what was the one shot aspect of God of War about specifically, yet praising "what looks like a movie", you're not talking about cinematography at all, you're just showing bias toward a style of direction
Is he really the (video game equivalent of a) DoP for the cutscenes/cinematics in his games? Seems wrong to give him credit. He certainly has an eye for picking talent for the cutscene/cinematics department. I think at most he might do some storyboarding to guide the team.
OP
OP
Um, I know what a one-shot is for and meant to convey. And besides Birdman, none of the films you cited used a one-shot beyond a single scene for obvious reasons. God of War is "shot" in one continuous take the entire game. There is no question that this is a distinct style and difficult to pull off, the question is whether the game benefited from such a cinematic style. Did it need to be all one-shot? Would it have worked better without it?
A one-shot can create an intense POV feeling, as you are experiencing everything close to the perspective of the main character. It can also create a sense of voyeurism as the audience is treated as a omni-present observer, almost as if we are another character just out of frame watching everything unfold. In MGSV, the one-shot takes are clearly meant to invoke this latter feeling. Venom Snake is NOT Big Boss as we will later learn. Instead, he is being watched by other individuals which he is not privy to and the shaky cam adds to his unstable state of mind and foundation. This is later reinforced by the obvious homages to 1984 in Ch. 2 with the whole "Big Boss is Watching You." These posters serving a double meaning as it's meant to keep the soldiers on Mother Base in line as rumors of a traitor in their midst spread, but it also literally implies to the player character as Big Boss is literally watching Venom Snake. This unstable, voyeuristic cinematic choice is why the one-shot is important to MGSV. It's also why when Big Boss appears at the end the cutscene immediately stops that and goes to traditional, stable camera work with cuts. By the way, this sense of voyeurism is why the one-shot is important to Birdman, in addition to it mimicking a stage-play as if a play within a play since the film is about the main character putting on a play.
Now let's turn to God of War. What was the purpose of the one-shot? It certainly was not to create a sense of voyeurism. Kratos is not being watched by some nefarious figures outside of his knowledge. He's not putting on some play. He's not paranoid believing others are watching him. Thus, it certainly isn't meant to convey such a feeling or theme. Well then, perhaps it's to create a certain type of intensity as the action closely follows Kratos, never relenting. Well, the problem is that the game is not some non-stop intensity ride, it's often slow and plodding. That scene in Hard Boiled uses the one-shot for this exact reason, to create tension. The action does not stop, you don't get anytime to breathe. You're in it with the character. God of War is not that, it's full of slow character moments. So, why are we sticking to a one-shot.
And, this is where it actually hinders some of the game's themes and intent. First, God of War is often about scale and this latest entry is no different. Massive beats and environments are revealed to the player. Yet, the one-shot camera does a disservice to these moments as it most always stay near Kratos and cannot cut back to truly present to you a sense of massive scale. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the camera detracts from Kratos' relationship with Atreus. A one-shot camera is extremely intimate, that's why you gotta be sure when using it the whole time for a story. You're meant to be right there in the face with the character, closed in with them as if you are right there. Well here's the problem, Kratos' arc in God of War is all about his distant relationship with his son. This, as you might see, creates a problem when you are trying to frame distance between to characters yet are forced to stick with a very intimate cinematic choice. It's creates a dichotomy where on the one hand the narrative and character arcs is all about closing the distance between these two characters but cinematically they are already right next to each other.
So yes, that's my problem with GoW's one-shot take. But please tell me more what I don't grasp.
He's pretty involved as you can see here, of course he also credits Hideki Sasaki in all those trailers.