Quick-time events are undoubtedly one of the worst possible additions to modern games in recent years. They've been popping up ever since the release of Dreamcast classic Shenmue, which is usually agreed upon as the game that popularized QTE's. The problem with quick-time events is that they interrupt game-play, often add very little to the game in most cases, and can often lead to a premature game over screen just because you missed the exact timing of one button push. This is especially so in games which use quick-time events during cut-scenes, which forces you to watch the scene all over again before you get a second attempt. A potent example is Leon's knife fight with Krauser in Resident Evil 4. They were initially designed to keep players interested in cut-scenes, hence why they usually occur around scenes of major exposition, but since they've been placed in countless games, most of which are completely unnecessary. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a perfect example of quick-time events being taken too far. The combat requires them, levers, switches, cranes and any other environmental interaction requires them, they're basically everywhere. A timely button press isn't a display of skill, in most cases they're a display of whether you've encountered that exact quick-time event before, which you often have - making it both repetitive and pointless.
Sam is an experienced Film, Gaming and Wrestling writer, critic and journalist who was written for a vast number of different entertainment websites. Follow him on twitter at @Sams_Reel_Views.
