Shenmue 3: 10 Things It Needs To Be Successful
9. Fewer (Or Intelligently Placed) QTEs
QTEs will never go away because they're a handy way to force the player to react to a certain scene in a pre-determined way given a set amount of time. In Shenmue, they're often using during chase sequences or when fights are about to break out.
They've spread successfully to other games, too. Resident Evil 4 had plenty of action-movie set pieces such as dashing down slopes to get away from conveniently spherical shaped boulders or the old classic "hammer a button to avoid being stabbed in the chest with a knife mere inches away" QTE.
QTEs, then, are accepted despite their poor reputation. And, to an extent, Shenmue III needs QTEs to make it feel genuinely like Shenmue. But they really need toning down. We don't really need them for dodge moves anymore, nor should we be forced to add them in so frequently when on the run or chasing down a hoodlum.
They should be used sparingly, and there should definitely be alternatives for those players not willing or able to respond quickly enough. It could take cues from Nintendo and Rockstar: fail a set number of times and you can skip or have it made easier. Some slick slow-motion, perhaps?
Let us know in the comments what your views on QTEs in the modern gaming landscape are.