Full-motion video games, also known as FMVs, were popularized in the 1990s with games like and Instead of using renderings or computer-generated visuals, FMVs featured pre-recorded videos for cutscenes and character animations. This allowed developers of the time to create the most immersive experience they could, especially on PC, given the limitations of the era.
Once computers and consoles became more powerful and hardware became better able to process and create computer graphics, FMVs became less popular and eventually fell into obscurity. There were a handful of noteworthy FMVs in the 2000s and early 2010s, like the genre-bending and remakes of classics like the cyberpunk detective franchise. However, in recent years, FMVs have experienced a comeback, and there are now many excellent games that rely on video to tell a story using a blend of movies and video games.
feels like an interactive movie, akin to the Netflix hit interactive film. The movie-like feel may be due to the fact that the game was penned by one of the writers of the 2009 Guy Ritchie film, Michael R. Jones, along with game director Tobias Weber. The crime thriller throws players into the midst of a London heist in the role of Matt, a student who wants no part in the robbery but is forced to go along with it.
The Isle Tide Hotel is an interactive FMV mystery game that presents some interesting ideas with a talented cast, but it could use more depth.
Decisions matter in with certain small details potentially affecting something later in the game. In a unique twist, the game doesn't pause the action to allow players to make a decision. Instead, the footage continues to run, forcing players to think on the fly without breaking the immersion. There are seven different endings in and player decisions can send them careening toward any of them.
While FMVs have had their ups and downs in the past two decades, romance games and dating sims have remained popular throughout. It was only a matter of time,
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