Crimson Desert's Cutscene Conundrum: Is Fast-Forward a Wizard's Blessing or Just a Speed Bump?
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
Crimson Desert's upcoming fast-forward feature for cutscenes has stirred up a right old kerfuffle online, with initial skepticism questioning why anyone would skip an RPG's story, while others argue it's a blessing for repeat playthroughs or boss retries.
Right, so apparently, the folks at Pearl Abyss, the masterminds behind the upcoming open-world epic *Crimson Desert*, have cooked up a bit of a peculiar spell. And, as always, when something even slightly out of the ordinary pops up in the gaming sphere, the internet immediately starts doing its thing – debating, questioning, and occasionally just outright meme-ing. We've been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it’s got layers.
As was first brought to wider attention by journalist and streamer Jake Lucky (and later spotted by the sharp eyes over at IGN), *Crimson Desert* is apparently rocking a 'fast-forward' feature for its cutscenes. We're not talking about a quick skip to the action, mind you, but a triple-speed warp through the narrative. You know that feeling when you try to cast a teleportation spell, but it only speeds up your walking by 3x instead of actually getting you there instantly? Yeah, it's a bit like that.
Naturally, the immediate reaction from a good chunk of the online crowd was a collective 'eh?' Many were left scratching their heads, wondering why on earth you’d want to blaze through the very narrative of an RPG. "You're… playing an RPG, but you're happy you can skip dialogue?" one comment sagely pondered. Another, equally baffled, quipped, "I'd like to play an FPS, but can we have a button that lets me skip the shooting?" Fair dinkum, you can see their point, can't you? It feels counter-intuitive, like buying a fancy meal and asking the chef to microwave it so you can finish faster.
But here's where my digital wizard's curiosity really started to hum. While the initial scoffing is easy to join in on, there's always more to the story, isn't there? A content creator by the handle of SwanyPlaysGames chimed in with a rather insightful counter-argument, pushing back against the 'TikTok brain' jab. Swany, having apparently *played the game*, offered a different perspective: "People keep making fun of this. But I’ve played the game. When you die to a boss or need to reload a save, or want to do a 2nd playthrough. It’s nice to be able to skip dialogue… I actually wish they had a skip button and not just fast forward. Having the option to skip or fast forward isn’t a bad thing.”
And *that*, mate, is the proper observation. It really does shift the whole paradigm, doesn't it? If we're talking about a first playthrough, then yeah, blasting through the dialogue is a bit bonkers. You're presumably there for the *story*, the *world*, the very essence of the RPG experience. But what happens if you're on your tenth attempt at a particularly nasty boss, and you have to sit through the same three minutes of dramatic preamble *every single time*? Or, as Swany points out, you're diving back in for a second (or third!) playthrough, perhaps trying out different choices, exploring a new build, or just revisiting a beloved world without the need to re-absorb every single word? Suddenly, a little fast-forward magic doesn't sound quite so daft.
This is where my gently skeptical, but always curious, brain kicks in. If the goal is to save players time on subsequent viewings, why a *fast-forward* and not a full *skip*? This feels like an odd middle-ground, a sort of half-baked potion. It's either going to let new players rush through the narrative like they're speedrunning their attention span, or force veteran players to watch a sped-up version of something they've already fully experienced, rather than just letting them jump straight back into the fray. It’s like being offered a horse that runs three times faster, when all you really want is a teleporter.
Is it a subtle nod to design philosophy, perhaps suggesting that even on repeat playthroughs, there's still a smidgen of context the developers want you to absorb, even if it's a blur? Or is it a technical limitation, where skipping entire scenes is more complex than just hitting the temporal acceleration button? It's genuinely intriguing to consider the 'why' behind such a specific implementation. Many modern RPGs, especially those with lengthy cutscenes or repeat sections, have long since embraced the full 'skip' option, acknowledging that player time and agency are paramount.
Now, here's the ultimate 'what if' – the kind of scenario where my chaotic optimism sometimes gets the better of me. The original article's author mused that there might actually be a full 'skip' button hidden behind a pause menu prompt during cutscenes. If that's the case, if this fast-forward is *just an option* alongside a more traditional skip, then frankly, this whole thing is a glorious nothingburger. It's a choice, a convenience, and nothing more. Developers often layer these kinds of options to cater to diverse player preferences, and if Pearl Abyss has simply added *more* ways to control the flow, then kudos to them.
But if it truly is *only* a fast-forward, with no full skip in sight, then it does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity. It's an attempt to solve a problem (re-watching lengthy cutscenes) by adding a feature that feels just shy of the optimal solution. Ultimately, it boils down to player agency and respecting our time. Will *Crimson Desert* give us the full magical toolkit to manage our journey, or just a wand that speeds things up a bit? We'll have to wait and see, mate. Until then, keep an eye on those developer diaries – there's always another layer to peel back in this wild digital world.
Tags: Crimson Desert, RPG, Game Design, Player Experience, Cutscenes
Original article: kotaku