History Main / NoCutsceneInventoryInertia

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' mostly subverts this, with cutscenes changing depending on what Mario is wearing at the moment: the only exception is the cutscene before the Robobrood fight on the Dark Side, which for some reason always shows Mario wearing the wedding suit.

** You will always be carrying an assault rifle during cutscenes in ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'', no matter what weapon you had beforehand. Later games only ever change what weapon takes the place of what you're using, such as the battle rifle in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'' and the silenced submachine gun in ''Videogame/Halo3ODST''. The first game at least does seem to try to avert this by starting you with an assault rifle in every level, but then also ends up having the most jarring example of the trope in the "Two Betrayals" level, where his cutscene assault rifle suddenly morphs into a shotgun and plasma pistol in gameplay.
** Averted on rare occasions in ''Halo 2'', however, where the Chief and Arbiter would actually carry what you had equipped before a cutscene started, such as "Delta Halo" starting Chief with the SMG and rocket launcher he pulled out of his drop-pod), and other instances would have him pick up something other than a battle rifle in a cutscene, then start the mission it preceded with those same weapons, such as "Gravemind" starting him with the needler he commandeered from a fleeing Grunt.
*** An interesting cutscene occurs during the level "Oracle", where whichever weapon the player has equipped is the weapon the Arbiter uses to shoot at the Heretic Leader's Banshee.
** In ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' your armor is completely customizable, but you will always be wielding either an Assault Rifle, DMR, or Pistol during cutscenes. Armor-wise, it's also partially enforced by the game hiding Armor Effects during the cutscenes, since poignant moments [[{{Narm}} would be ruined by showing your head be on fire during then]].

** Cutscenes in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' will nearly always have Raiden using the SOCOM pistol when he's brandishing a weapon. This game is at least consistent about depicting it with the suppressor if you found and attached it to the gun, but it will still make its normal unsuppressed gunshots if he fires it in a cutscene. Things get especially silly if the player equips the slide-locked, tranquilizer-dart-firing M9 pistol before entering the cutscene, as Raiden will brandish it instead of the SOCOM but otherwise use it like it ''is'' the SOCOM, complete with firing loudly and semi-automatically at, and drawing blood from, the [[NighInvulnerable otherwise invincible Vamp]] on two separate occasions[[note]]the ''Substance'' rerelease seems to have fixed the first case, but not the second[[/note]]. In one instance before getting the SOCOM, though - namely, the cutscene in which Raiden is introduced to Vamp and ''gets'' the SOCOM - if you found the M9 before triggering the cutscene, Raiden will be holding it if you have it equipped, and it'll be in his holster if not.
** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', Snake will usually keep whatever outfit or face-paint he has on in the following cutscene. This does not extend to his weaponry, however, as he'll usually just sport the M1911; at the very least, like ''[=MGS2=]'', the game will actually depict it with a suppressor attached if you have one on it. Same for the tranquilizer gun in cutscenes from the prologue Virtuous Mission, though in the one occasion where he ''fires'' it in a cutscene it sounds loud regardless (though since the cutscene is made with him using that pistol in mind, he only fires it one time without somehow turning it into a semi-automatic weapon). Notably, the few other weapons he uses in cutscenes (namely, the SVD and the RPG-7 in specific cutscenes during the endgame) are actually given to the player if they hadn't already acquired them at that stage, as they are required for the sections immediately following when he uses them. This can be {{Hand Wave}}d as the two weapons having been inside the sidecar of EVA's bike, right next to the [[BottomlessMagazines piles and piles of ammo for what you do have]] for the chase sequence before then.

** During the cutscenes of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'', Snake inevitably pulls out his favorite [=M1911=], even if he only has a tranq pistol in his inventory.

*** An odd variant of this trope applying to ''people'' is in the final FMV of ''VII'', where Vincent and Yuffie never show up, even if you beat Sephiroth with them. This is because Vincent is an optional character while Yuffie [[SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear will leave the party permanently]] if a certain event isn't handled right, so accounting for all the possibilities would require four versions of the same cutscene. Later material would establish they were canonically elsewhere at the time.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''. When your character appears in any cutscene, they are always shown wearing exactly what they had equipped in the game at that point, including full face-covering headgear. This is made somewhat hilarious for cutscenes that include close-ups of your character for the purpose of showing off their expressions in reaction to a plot twist... as you will get a nice detailed close-up of a completely masked face instead. One exception is made for a cutscene showing the death of an NPC where your character's headgear is suddenly removed just so you can see their reaction to the person dying (if the headgear is a part of something that takes up multiple slots, then the headgear will stay on since removing that means removing everything else with it). Taken UpToEleven when you use the Story Journal feature to revisit cutscenes from throughout the game, as the cutscenes will always render your character based on what they're wearing at the time you view them, rather than being able to remember what they were wearing when you first saw that cutscene. This makes it possible to watch a main story cutscene with your character wearing a full set of crafting class gear or even nothing but your underwear if you feel like it. One scene in the ''Shadowbringers'' story plays it straight where it shows [[spoiler: the player character dead in a BadFuture scenario while they're wearing the clothes Tataru made for them at the end of ''Stormblood''.]]

->''"Well, it's finally happened. Shooters have been evolving for something like two decades, through thick and thin, through brown and gray, through showers of flailing ragdolls against a background of excessive bloom, but it was all worth it because shooters have reached the peak. Yes, with Max Payne 3, shooters have finally figured out how to have the main character holding the same guns in cutscenes that he was using in the preceding gameplay. Close up the shop and [[Music/PinkFloyd shine all those crazy diamonds]]; it's not getting any better than this."''

* {{Averted}} in the original ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', where going into any cutscene with any equipped Biometal (or ''no'' equipped Biometal), will result in the cutscene proceeding as usual and Vent/Aile's textbox will show them wearing that specific armor, save in very specific cutscenes where they will switch to Model ZX (The battle with Prometheus, re-Megamerging against Serpent's OneWingedAngel form). This even includes [[InfinityPlusOneSword Model OX]], a form that can [[BraggingRightsReward only be unlocked on a cleared save file]] and would only be able to show up in a cutscene if you replay the final level again.

* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' does an extremely frustrating variant of this trope: story mission cutscenes are rendered in-engine, but Arthur's gun will frequently get replaced with the [[StarterWeapon Cattleman Revolver]] which he will then be stuck with during the mission. Cue many, many cries of FakeDifficulty.

** It goes further than that in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' because the final image is not only wearing the armoured Vault 101 jumpsuit (despite the possibility you never even completed the relevant quest) but is ''always'' male. [[SarcasmMode Apparantly the female Lone Wanderer had some undiagnosed gender issues...]]

* The first three games would avoid the trope by always having the player character shown with whatever weapon they're equipped with as well as any alternate outfits you have them wear. This is not the case in CG cutscenes where the characters are always shown in their default outfits.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''. When your character appears in any cutscene, they are always shown wearing exactly what they had equipped in the game at that point, including full face-covering headgear. This is made somewhat hilarious for cutscenes that include close-ups of your character for the purpose of showing off their expressions in reaction to a plot twist... as you will get a nice detailed close-up of a completely masked face instead. One exception is made for a cutscene showing the death of an NPC where your character's headgear is suddenly removed just so you can see their reaction to the person dying (if the headgear is a part of something that takes up multiple slots, then the headgear will stay on since removing that means removing everything else with it). Taken UpToEleven when you use the Story Journal feature to revisit cutscenes from throughout the game, as the cutscenes will always render your character based on what they're wearing at the time you view them, rather than being able to remember what they were wearing when you first saw that cutscene. This makes it possible to watch a main story cutscene with your character wearing a full set of crafting class gear or even nothing but your underwear if you feel like it.

** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' averts this except for one cutscene, immediately prior to the 1000 Heartless fight, which is an FMV as it was simply impossible for the [=PS2=] to render the scene in real-time. On the flip side, the game also demonstrates one of the [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools unintended side effects]] of averting this trope; occasionally Sora's Keyblade will clip through other objects, characters, or the prongs in his helmet if in Space Paranoids, during cutscenes because you're using a bigger keyblade than the game expects.

*** As mentioned earlier, Sora wears a helmet in Space Paranoids with two prongs sticking out from the back. Should [[Disney/LiloAndStitch Stitch]] be summoned in that world with the cutscene playing, the prongs will clip into [[AlohaHawaii the ground]] when Sora gets [[LickedByTheDog knocked down and licked in affection]].
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' this is almost averted. [[spoiler:When Riku takes the keyblade from you it reverts to being the Kingdom Key, no matter what shape it was before.]] Justified in-universe as the Kingdom Key is the base form of the Keyblade. The keychains are what transforms it, and Sora still has those.

* Due to [[VideoGame/RPGMaker graphical limitations]], ''VideoGame/AVeryLongRopeToTheTopOfTheSky'' does not have this problem per se. However, whenever [[TheHero Ivy]] draws a weapon in a cutscene, it is always referred to as being a sword (complete with an "unsheathing" sound effect), regardless of what weapon she actually has equipped.

* In the GBA port of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'', if you defeat the final boss with just Kiddy Kong, Dixie will speak whether she's present or not. [[DudeWheresMyRespect She will also get all the praise.]]

** On rare occasions in ''Halo 2'', however, the Chief would actually carry what you had equipped before a cutscene started, such as "Delta Halo" starting him with the SMG and rocket launcher he pulled out of his drop-pod), and other instances would have him pick up something other than a battle rifle in a cutscene, then start the mission it preceded with those same weapons, such as "Gravemind" starting him with the needler he commandeered from a fleeing Grunt.

** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' averts this except for one cutscene, immediately prior to the 1000 Heartless fight, which is an FMV as it was simply impossible for the [=PS2=] to render the scene in real-time. On the flip side, the game also demonstrates one of the [[TropesAreNotBad unintended side effects]] of averting this trope; occasionally Sora's Keyblade will clip through other objects, characters, or the prongs in his helmet if in Space Paranoids, during cutscenes because you're using a bigger keyblade than the game expects.

* Sometimes subverted in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', whenever the cutscene before a boss plays, Link will either sheathe his currently equipped weapon or just not have it in his hands and automatically pull out the [[InfinityMinusOneSword Master Sword]] right before battle. Especially true for the final fight with Ganon as a cutscene requires Link to have the Master Sword being hit out of his hands and out of the arena.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'', there exists a single prerendered cutscene, while other cutscenes are rendered in real-time. This cutscene is at the very end of the game, and shows Link and Tetra being picked up by Tetra's pirate crew [[spoiler:after the final battle]]. The game also has a second quest, in which Link does not wear his signature green tunic. Instead Link only wears his Outset Island "pajamas" through the course of the game. However, at the prerendered cutscene mentioned earlier, Link is seen wearing his green tunic. As the game was being rushed to meet the deadline, the developers probably did not render an alternate cutscene for Link [[spoiler:wearing the invisible clothes]]. It is also possible that this is intentional, as one theory suggests that the clothes are visible because Link has been deemed a true hero, and is worthy of being able to see the clothes. Additionally, depending on the scene, Link may or may not have his equipped weapon and Hero's Charm mask due to the way the game is programmed.
* Taken a step further via plot-induced glitch in ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' in the story mission "A War of Spirit" if you play as Link (other characters are usable in Free Mode) equipped with any weapon other than the Master Sword, (Epona, the Magic Rod, the Gauntlets, etc.). Link is shown wielding the Master Sword during the cutscene that occurs partway through the mission, and afterwards will be using the Master Sword for the rest of it. It's harmless, and somewhat justified because [[spoiler: the Master Sword's true power awakens in the cutscene]], but it's confusing if you had another weapon equippped.

** If Colette is wearing an alternate costume during the scene where she suffers ClothingDamage (when she TakesTheBullet [[spoiler:from a dying Forcystus and her scale-covered arm is revealed]]), she will switch to her default outfit the instant it happens. It almost looks like she is losing a power-up, like ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]''.

->''"Well, it's finally happened. Shooters have been evolving for something like two decades, through thick and thin, through brown and gray, through showers of flailing ragdolls against a background of excessive bloom, but it was all worth it because shooters have reached the peak. Yes, with Max Payne 3, shooters have finally figured out how to have the main character holding the same guns in cutscenes that he was using in the preceding gameplay. Close up the shop and shine all those crazy diamonds; it's not getting any better than this."''

** In most cutscenes that involve attacking/killing someone, the character will use a generic dagger- nicknamed the "[[FanNickname Murder Knife]]"- instead of their equipped weapon, regardless of their class or standard WeaponOfChoice. The two exceptions are if you choose to execute [[spoiler:Loghain]] and when you [[spoiler:kill the Archdemon]], which both show you using a generic greatsword--in the latter case, it's at least shown that the character picks it up right then and there on the battlefield, but in the former, there's no explanation given for why, say, a low-Strength rogue or mage is suddenly wielding this huge blade.

* Taken a step further in ''VideoGame''/HyruleWarriors'' in the story mission "A War of Spirit" if you play as Link (other characters are usable in Free Mode) equipped with any weapon other than the Master Sword, such as Epona, the Magic Rod, or the Gauntlets). After a certain power-up cutscene partway through the mission, Link will be using the Master Sword for the remainder of the level.

* ''Videogame/BattlezoneII'': The cutscene at the end of the final mission in the ISDF campaign shows your character escaping in a [[HoverTank Saber tank]], even though you can disable and commandeer the enemy vehicles if it gets destroyed (likely to happen if you don't go the stealth route, as there is no opportunity to repair it). The fact that you can change vehicles easily, and they look much more impressive than the character on foot, is likely why there are so few cutscenes in the whole game.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', your party will never wear headgear during cutscenes or conversations. While it is possible that a heavy steel face-covering helmet would be removed for ease of communication, it does not make sense for a mage's or a priest's headwear to be removed. The game never shows the characters taking off or putting on the headgear. All the other apparel and weapons are the same as during gameplay, though.
** Though, in most cutscenes that involved attacking/killing someone, the character would use a generic dagger- nicknamed the "[[FanNickname Murder Knife]]"- instead of their equiped weapon, regardless of their class or standard WeaponOfChoice. The two exceptions are if you choose to execute [[spoiler:Loghain]] and when you [[spoiler:kill the Archdemon]], which both show you using a generic greatsword--in the latter case, it's at least shown that the character picks it up right then and there on the battlefield, but in the former, there's no explanation given for why, say, a low-Strength rogue or mage is suddenly wielding this huge blade.

** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain''. At the end of ''Ground Zeroes'', Big Boss pulls out an MRS-4 carbine to combat the XOF unit as they destroy Mother Base. This is the rifle he starts with on Normal, albeit in the cutscene, the ingame suppressor and flashlight are not present. Of course, on Hard he starts with only a tranquiliser pistol with two magazines and on subsequent playthroughs of each mission, regardless of difficulty, the player can swap out their default weapons for unlocked equipment.
*** During the cutscenes of ''Phantom Pain'', Snake inevitably pulls out his favorite [=M1911=], even if he only has a tranq pistol in his inventory.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' works around this by making starting weapons unsellable.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'''s Squall is always shown with his Revolver model gunblade, regardless of your current gunblade model.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII''. Equipment changes only ever appear in battle.

* It also happens in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', but for one scene only: The group shot as the team enters Zanarkand has the team put their weapons together. This will show default weapons and the Brotherhood, regardless of what is equipped. Why? The scene is actually the first scene of the game, and everything leading up to it is HowWeGotHere, so the game literally ''can't'' know what you'll have equipped when you catch up. It's otherwise averted; the FMV scenes typically don't show weapons--and one of the few that does, Auron's introduction, takes place before he's a party member, so he can't have anything but his default weapon. Most of the other scenes use the in-game engine, and use what you have equipped.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'' different dress-spheres change the characters' outfits and abilities. Despite this being a major plot point, outside of battle the girls are always wearing the same clothes.
* Averted entirely during ''VideoGame/LightningReturnsFinalFantasyXIII''. Lightning will wear whatever Garb, Weapon and Shield are equipped at all times, even if it's hilariously inappropriate for the scene. (An action packed sequence while dressed as [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Yuna]] or wearing an outfit made of Moogle plushies for example) Only the opening averts this due to being prerendered and happening before the player has access to schema.
** The only exception being the final concluding scenes (after you beat the final boss). Lightning will be wearing her default outfit for those scenes as they are prerendered. Sneakily however, the game also buffs Lightning's default Garb such that there is a very highly likely chance that you'll be equipping that exact outfit anyway.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''. When your character appears in any cutscene, they are always shown wearing exactly what they had equipped in the game at that point, including full face-covering headgear. This is made somewhat hilarious for cutscenes that include close-ups of your character for the purpose of showing off their expressions in reaction to a plot twist... as you will get a nice detailed close-up of a completely masked face instead. One exception is made for a cutscene showing the death of an NPC where your character's headgear is suddenly removed just so you can see their reaction to the person dying (if the headgear is a part of something that takes up multiple slots, then the headgear will stay on since removing that means removing everything else with it). Taken UpToEleven when you use the Story Journal feature to revisit cutscenes from throughout the game, as the cutscenes will always render your character based on what they're wearing at the time you view them, rather than being able to remember what they were wearing when you first saw that cutscene. This makes it possible to watch a main story cutscene with your character wearing a full set of crafting class gear or even nothing but your underwear if you feel like it.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' averts this for the most part, where the majority of the cutscenes are rendered in real time. The only times this doesn't happen are in the ending chapter, where Noctis is changed into his suit automatically by the game and in the alternate ending to Episode Ignis, where they're in their royal outfits. Both instances are where the cutscenes are pre-rendered.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'', Roxas always has the Kingdom Key equipped in all scenes. [[spoiler:Except for the last mission, where he finally uses his [[IconicItem trademark]] [[DualWielding Oathkeeper/Oblivion combo]].]]

** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' this is almost averted. [[spoiler:When Riku takes the keyblade from you it reverts to being the Kingdom Key, no matter what shape it was before.]]
*** Justified in-universe as the Kingdom Key is the base form of the Keyblade. The keychains are what transforms it, and Sora still has those.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', Ammy usually has Divine Retribution, the first weapon received in the game equipped in cutscenes, even when you've found far better weapons.
** And when you get the ''best'' weapons, that's all she's ever shown using.
** Strangely, in a NewGamePlus, any karmic transformers you may be wearing will translate into the cutscenes, including modified versions for the few scenes that show Ammy through mortals' eyes.

* In ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'', your character mostly wields a single low level handgun in cut scenes even if you have access to dual Kobras or [=GDHCs=]. On the other hand, it's completely averted with your clothes. It really puts a whole new spin on the game when you're gangbanging in a Santa Claus outfit, chains, and sunglasses.

* In ''Videogame/SilentHillHomecoming'', Alex will always be shown using the Mk. 23 handgun in cutscenes, even if you have the Chrome Hammer, the improved replacement for the Mk. 23.
* In the other ''Franchise/SilentHill'' games, your characters will be wearing whatever unlockable costumes they have on. This can turn ''VideoGame/SilentHillOrigins'' into [[spoiler: Travis' fursuit adventures]].

** {{DownplayedTrope/Downplayed}} in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' where the weapons you have do appear in cutscenes but armor and dyes don´t.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' is somewhat inconsistent on this, acknowledging any change in costume, including the variants that result from equipping a certain weapon and Umbran Elegance item, but the only weapons which Bayonetta ever uses in any cutscene are the starting pair of hand guns and the quartet of custom-made pistols named Scarborough Fair given to her by Rodin following the prologue. No [[LaserSword Pillow Talk]] or [[RayGun Bazillions]] to go along with that snazzy nun costume outside of gameplay for you! One will have to leave that look (in the cutscenes, anyway) up to the StarWars games!

->''"Well, it's finally happened. Shooters have been evolving for something like two decades, through thick and thin, through brown and gray, through showers of flailing ragdolls against a background of excessive bloom, but it was all worth it because shooters have reached the peak. Yes, with VideoGame/MaxPayne 3, shooters have finally figured out how to have the main character holding the same guns in cutscenes that he was using in the preceding gameplay. Close up the shop and shine all those crazy diamonds; it's not getting any better than this."''

* Happens in ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}: Shadow of Chernobyl'' with Strelok carrying an AKS-74U in every cutscene. While it's justified for flashbacks that occur before the game begins, it doesn't make much sense that the player would be using one at the end of the game, as the player would most likely have a more powerful weapon by then. The final cutscenes are even more JustForFun/{{egregious}} as he is seen wearing armor that the player likely sold a long time ago after upgrading to better suits, especially if you went for the true ending where you get a [[PowerArmor powered exoskeleton]] for free (and would have had a hard time surviving the final level without it.)

* Oddly inverted in ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia''. During the game, there are cutscene flashbacks to previous in-game events. However, the characters in the cutscene will always be wearing their current costumes, rather than the outfits they were wearing at the time of the event. (Considering some of the costume titles, it can end up looking like the characters' memories are rather. . . [[UnreliableVoiceOver flawed, to say the least.]])
** Fixed in the [=PS3=] [[NoExportForYou version]].