Movie cutscenes look like crap

Gameplay graphics are great but, for example, I find that in Mass Effect the cutscenes I have no control over look really bad. Is that just how it is or do I need to change a setting somewhere? Happens in all my other games as well. Thanks!

A lot of console ports (such as Mass Effect) use low-res pre-rendered cutscenes to save space.You can't make them look better (unless there's some other problem with them, like choppiness?).

What other games is this happening in?

Dragon Age Origins and the intro to Civilization 5.

There's no choppiness, just low resolution. I guess they aren't so bad, just dissapointing when compared to the gameplay's graphics.

Console games mostly, but it's not that bad for the ME series, it barely has any cutscenes that are not in game.

DA:O is all on the game engine actually, that's how the game looks up close and Civ V is fine, it's intended to look like that.

This is the only thing that I hated about Arkham Asylum where the pre-renders. They never look as good as in-game graphics. There will come a day when they won't be used at all with GFX tech moving along so fast.

DA:O is all on the game engine actually, that's how the game looks up close and Civ V is fine, it's intended to look like that.

DanielDust

The intro movie for DAO is pre-rendered. I even found the movie file in the game folders. Ingame it does transition to in-engine at a certain point, but most of it is pre-rendered.

To the TC: Civ V intro doesn't even show ingame footage, so there's no comparison to even be made. Pretty much all games only have 720p cinematics these days. Even PC only games. Cinematics are big so they are always compressed. 720p with no compression would be several gigs for one movie. It's just too much and not worth it. Although yes, it doesn't excuse console ports which use low setting console graphics for the renders.