Cutscene
Also said as Cinematic, In-engine scene
A stretch of the game that takes control away and plays like a film. It gives you exact framing and timing, at the cost of the player doing nothing.
It is the most reliable way to land a beat, since nothing can go wrong. It is also a point where the game stops being a game, so players skip them if there are too many.
Say it
“Do not cut away for the bridge collapse. Let the player keep control, drop the planks behind them on a timer, and save the one cutscene for the moment nothing can be done.”
Where you’ve seen it
Metal Gear Solid 4 holds the Guinness record for the longest cutscene in a game, at 27 minutes. Half-Life went the other way and tells its story with the camera staying in your own eyes.
Not to be confused with scripted event
A scripted event plays out while you keep control and can look away. A cutscene takes the controller from you, so you cannot miss it, and you cannot do anything either.