Game Movies, an excellent alternative

Game movies (not a feature film) is an excellent way to 'watch' a game without playing a game. As we grow older, we have more responsibilities and as a result, can't play as many games. Thus, things like Game movies provides excellent entertainment.

What are 'Game Movies'?

Source: Youtube

Game Movies are video games that are cut and edited throughout a playthrough into a 'movie' that could last for up to several hours. They are usually comprised of several cutscenes of the game and littered with gameplay footage. To be clear, this isn't a live-action or an animation of sorts.

The length of the video could vary from as short as 70 minutes to over 3 hours. A good indication of how long the video can be is dependant on the game's length time. For example, epic RPGs would tend to be far longer having 3+ hours of videos or multiple videos. Shorter FPS games might only require a single 2 hours video.

If you were to go on youtube and type something like "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Game Movie" on the search bar, you'll probably see some results of videos that lasts a few hours.

Why should you watch one?

There are times where we simply do not have the time or resources to spend on a game we want to play. Most games developed or published by triple A companies do require quite a bit of investment on the player's part to enjoy the game.

It also might be because your computer simply couldn't handle the high specs (I've totally been there). Game movies are sort of like a pseudo gateway of not really playing the game but experiencing it.

Another reason is perhaps you just don't want to play certain games like Horror Games. Amnesia or Outlast are perfect examples of games that aren't necessarily for the faint-hearted. If you definitely don't want to spend the money but see what all the rage about those kinds of games is, this is the medium for you.

The 'good' ones out there

Game movies aren't just cutscenes put together. Each one is crafted in a way where the story flows and make sense much like any typical film. Relevant gameplay (usually parts where dialogue is concerned) are injected carefully into the movie that is both intuitive and interesting.

There are a few youtube channels that built their reputation with amazing movies that a put together really well such as Gamers Little Playground or Gamematics. There are plenty more out there and it certainly is a joy to watch if you simply want to kick back and relax while experiencing a game without playing it.