Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

Tutorials Suck, But They Don’t Have To

Tutorials Suck, But They Don’t Have To

Sometimes starting a new game can be simultaneously exciting and daunting, especially if it’s a game with novel mechanics or a new twist on a familiar genre. Sometimes I’ll sit on a new game for weeks without starting it because I know that as soon as I boot it up I won’t be jumping right in; I’ll have to sit through that dreaded sequence of plodding pedagogy known as the tutorial. Use the left stick to move around. Cool, now look up at this thing. Look down at this thing. Are you an inverted freak (like me)? Press this button; now that one; and on, and on…

It doesn’t have to be this way, though. It shouldn’t be that way. I say the mark of a cunning developer that cares about its game is a strong, engaging, entertaining, and informative tutorial. In some games the tutorial follows an introduction sequence, but sometimes the tutorial is the player’s introduction to the game. You have to give it a little pizzazz, you know? It’s interesting when you stop to think about it. Which developers have managed to pull off tutorials that were as fun as they were informative? A few come to mind right away.

Intelligent Systems

These guys and gals know how to make a damn fine game, and damn fine tutorials. I remember the first tutorial in my history of playing games that I actually felt compelled to stop and appreciate, and that was the (very lengthy) tutorial for Advance Wars. Nell, your commanding officer, takes you through every single facet of combat and strategy with every type of unit in that tutorial. It’s entirely comprehensive, and she is so freaking polite. She always asks you to please place a unit here or there, and always thanks you for following orders. It honestly felt like Intelligent Systems’ gratitude for my playing the game was woven into the tutorial itself, and the team was making sure I was set up to enjoy it to its fullest. And enjoy it I did.

Tutorials Suck, But They Don’t Have To

Santa Monica Studio

These guys are masters of getting you up and running. When I mention tutorials that actually are the opening sequences to games, God of War III is what comes to mind. What an incredible introduction sequence, learning to move and fight as you climb up the torso of an enormous titan, and as soon as you get the hang of things, you’re shoved into a boss fight against the mighty Poseidon. From the very beginning, this game cranks the action up to 11 and doesn’t let up. Santa Monica Studio’s ability to get you competently playing in record time also shines through in other, less intense games like Sound Shapes.

Yacht Club Games

Shovel Knight is an old-school game, and Yacht Club Games worked in an old-school tutorial. By that, I mean it’s practically non-existent. As soon as you type in your name and start your save file, you’re good to go. No exposition, no cutscene, no world map; you hop right into a stage with the words “Let’s get shoveling!” flashing on-screen, and the rest is up to you. The “tutorial” is really all level design. Right in front of you is a shiny pile of dirt. In your hand is a shovel. “Let’s get shoveling!” Hmm. Soon thereafter you face a ledge, and after that a taller ledge that you have to utilize your pogo bounce to surmount. Within a couple of minutes you’re equipped with the skills and combinations that you’ll be using in various ways throughout the rest of the game, and the whole time it just feels like you’re playing. It’s very similar to Super Mario Bros. in that way.

What video game tutorials stick out to you guys as memorable and exciting? I could have also mentioned games like Portal 2, Uncharted 2, Pocket Card Jockey and more, but I figured for the sake of brevity it’d be faster to applaud a few developers instead. By all means, though, chime in and let me know your favorite (or least favorite) tutorials in gaming. I think that would be a fun conversation!

To top