History Main / NoCutsceneInventoryInertia

* ''VideoGame/FarCry4'': Ajay always has a pistol when he needs to execute someone in a cutscene, even if none of your weapons are pistols. [[note]]Then after Pagan Min's cutscene, you have an opportunity to unlock a ''third'' ending if you have a rocket launcher in your inventory. Don't have one? Too bad, Pagan runs away and you can't do anything about it.[[/note]]

* {{Downplayed}} in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' where the weapons you have do appear in cutscenes but armor and dyes don´t. This was actually the result of a bug too deep within the game's code to be fixed with a simple patch, and was corrected in the remaster.

In recent years this has been minimized somewhat by the increased prevalence of in-engine cutscenes, which are complex sets of animations rendered in real-time as opposed to a video file that plays. That said, even for games that handle cutscenes in this manner, this trope is still noticeably prevalent for many reasons. One is that in-engine cutscenes may use higher-quality models for the characters and their weapons and equipment - if the devs only made one high-quality weapon model, then that's what you're always going to be seen with.

* In ''VideoGame/NoUmbrellasAllowed'', "Bob"'s appearance can be changed at Nice T and Ajik Hair, but his appearance will always be the default in the ending scenes.

* Particularly noticeable in ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', where your ''only'' piece of changeable equipment is the giant robot you ride in, of which there are five entirely different-looking models, and two {{Palette Swap}}s per model. Yet important cutscenes always default back to the original model.

In VideoGames, it's quite rare for your character to be limited to one weapon or costume. One of the benefits of using real-time-rendering and textures is that you can swap them out for other things to change the look and feel of a character's costume or give them different equipment. Often times, however (especially in earlier games), [[{{cutscene}} cutscenes]] are not rendered in real time. This can create some continuity issues, since there can be only one possible configuration of gear used in the {{cutscene}}. Usually, this is the default gear the character starts the game with.

* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** 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 almost 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 ''VideoGame/Halo2'', however, where the Chief and Arbiter would actually carry what you had equipped before a cutscene started, such as the cutscene in "Oracle" where the Arbiter will actually fire on the Heretic Leader's Banshee with whatever weapon you were carrying, and other instances would have them pick up something other than a battle rifle/carbine in a cutscene, then start the mission it preceded with those same weapons, such as "Delta Halo" starting Chief with the SMG and rocket launcher he visibly pulls out of his drop-pod.
** In ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' your armor is completely customizable, but you will always be wielding either an Assault Rifle, DMR, or Pistol during cutscenes; at the very least, the game will always actually start you with what the cutscene showed you carrying, and mid-mission cutscenes will reflect whatever you're actually carrying. 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 them]].
* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
** 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.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' has Leon always wielding his trusty handgun in the cutscenes, even though you can sell it whenever you please. There's also one cutscene in Ada's bonus "Separate Ways" mode that shows Leon going to town on Ganados with a TMP, even though you can completely skip buying the gun. In the [=PS2=] version of ''Resident Evil 4'', being pre-rendered CGI, Leon is always wearing his default costume in cutscenes as well. In the Wii version, Leon retains the tactical vest and the bonus RPD uniform in cutscenes, but not the [[BadassInANiceSuit mobster suit]].
** Much the same goes for ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5''. The armor items show up as part of the characters' models, but Sheva and Chris will ''always'' hold and use the Beretta 92 pistols they start the game with in cutscenes.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'' will always show the player character's weapons that are holstered. If the character has to draw a weapon in a cutscene, they'll always use their starter pistol, even if it's in an item box. Said pistols will also be rendered in their basic form, even if you added upgrades.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake'' will have Jill using her pistol, grenade launcher, and knife in a few cutscenes, even if they are in an item box. Jill will also fire her weapons in said scenes even if you have no ammo for them. Likewise, Carlos will always be shown wielding his assault rifle regardless of whether he has it on him or not.
* In ''Videogame/GearsOfWar'', Marcus is always wielding his Lancer in the cutscenes, regardless of whether or not you have it on you at the time. In the third game, many NPC characters in your squad are also carrying different weapons by default, but when a cutscene rolls around, everyone is suddenly using Lancers.

* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'': Every party member can given a unique outfit to wear in dungeons exploration and battles, their default outfits will switch back for events.
* The ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'' Remake shows Randi using the Mana Sword on a possessed Dyluck, no matter what weapon the player currently has equipped on him. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], with the Mana Sword being said to have the power to remove possession from people, so he would obviously use this.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'': Even if you found and equipped the SOCOM suppressor, Snake doesn't use it when he mercy kills [[spoiler:Sniper Wolf]], though admittedly this was intentional as to not completely ruin the impact of the scene with a dulled "pop" instead of an echoing "bang." Other cutscenes in the original game are a crapshoot as to whether the SOCOM will be suppressed or not, while cutscenes in ''The Twin Snakes'' will always have it appear without.
*** There was one aversion in regards to the SOCOM, however, which significantly affected what sort of equipment you could get within the first few minutes - if you picked up the SOCOM in the truck at the helipad, one of the rooms in the tank hangar held thermal goggles, and later after you talk with the DARPA chief, Snake has the pistol in the cutscene encounter with disguised Meryl. If you missed the first SOCOM, the thermal goggles were replaced by a second SOCOM, and the goggles themselves would not be available for some time. If you missed ''that'' one, then in the above cutscene Snake has no gun at all until one literally spawns at his feet for no particular reason during the first forced combat section.
** 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 - the game goes out of its way to properly depict whether you're using the M9 or not: if you don't have it equipped or missed it entirely, Raiden will enter the room without a weapon in his hands (the M9 shoved in his holster if you have it), and if you do have it equipped, Raiden enters the room with entirely different animations showing him checking his corners with the gun.
** 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 endless piles of ammo]] for the chase sequence before then.
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' follows suit, showing whatever Octo-Camo or Face-Camo textures Snake was wearing in the cutscenes (and even letting you erase them mid-cutscene by shaking the controller), but always showing him brandishing either the Operator pistol he gets five minutes into the game or the M4 Custom rifle he acquires a while after that. All cutscenes that play before intense combat such as a boss battle have the cutscene ''transition'' into the gameplay, usually with a close-up on Snake that pans to an over-the-shoulder shot, where his health bar and such appear. While the transition is seamless and looks really nice, the game will automatically place the Operator or M4 into Snake's active inventory if they aren't already there, swapping them out with other guns, which can get really annoying if you suddenly lose a gun you need or prefer over those two. This means when you gain control, you immediately have to go into the Weapons menu and reselect it, which kind of takes away the cool factor of the transition. The cutscenes also don't reflect the player's weapon modifications except during those transitions, so Snake will have a completely unmodified M4 in his hands during a regular cutscene, then in the camera angle change between that and the transition-into-gameplay, that M4 can suddenly sprout a big-ass scope on top, a silencer at the end of the barrel, a flashlight and laser sight on the left and right sides of it, and a shotgun underneath.
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker'' has Big Boss or members of his private army begin ''every'' boss battle by pointing the M16 rifle that you probably stopped using within 20 missions of the beginning at the enemy vehicle. Even if it's a giant tank the size of the shuttle transporter that said M16 wouldn't do a thing to.
** At the end of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVGroundZeroes'', 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 ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'', Snake inevitably pulls out an [=AM D114=], even if he only has a tranq pistol in his inventory.

** 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) The only exception is 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 can 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). When you use the Story Journal feature to revisit cutscenes from throughout the game, 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''.]] There's also an in-gameplay example late in ''Heavensward'', where the game outright tells you that it's going to modify your gear's appearance for the duration of a story battle (dressing up as an Ishgardian knight while fighting for them in a big free-for-all between the Grand Companies).

* Used in ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'', though your costume will change, Ryu is always shown holding the Dragon Sword.
* 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.
* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
** 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.]]) Thankfully, it was fixed in later UpdatedReRelease of the game.
*** It does have a few straight examples. Usually the game would do its best to show current equipment, but the more action-packed cutscenes are pre-rendered (and some are outright 2D animation). Those will always show Yuri with his default outfit and "official" weapon. The problem being, said weapon is a katana, there are very few katanas in the game, and by the time you get your hands on one you'll have passed a number of those cutscenes already.
** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', the characters will typically wield their basic starting weapons in cutscenes. However, [[TheHero Lloyd]] will switch to a generic steel sword instead of his starting [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter wooden swords]] when you get to the first town where you can buy a set, even if you didn't actually buy one much less equip it[[note]]And since you get a title for keeping the wooden swords equipped until a certain boss battle well after this point, you're pretty likely to see this in action.[[/note]]. And after he receives them, he will use his SwordOfPlotAdvancement, the Material Blades. Again, regardless of what he's actually got equipped. If Colette is wearing an alternate costume during the scene where she suffers ClothingDamage (when she [[TakingTheBullet Takes The Bullet]] [[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]]''.
** An odd example occurs in the sequel, ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'', where Emil will always use a sword that you can only obtain halfway through the game.
** Averted in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'', where the characters are shown to use whatever weapon they currently have equipped in cutscenes.
** Averted in ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria''. All cutscenes are rendered in-engine, and so will accurately reflect the party's current weapon and costume.
* In ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', characters in cutscenes always have all of the Level-Up Items that you've collected for them, even if they didn't (or couldn't) have them at that point.
* ''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.
** In most cutscenes that involve attacking/killing someone, the character will use a generic dagger instead of their equipped weapon, regardless of their class or standard weapon of choice. 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.

*** Averted in the ''Citadel'' DLC when [[spoiler: Shepard and his/her squad has been trapped in the Archives by his/her clone]]. Shepard fires his/her pistol at his/her captor and it's actually the pistol you equipped. For example, the Scorpion pistol fires sticky mines instead of bullets, meaning that Shepard fires three times, the cutscene continues, then the mines go off.

* ''Videogame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' had multiple costumes, yet only the defaults were used for in-game cutscenes. Made more egregious by how screenshots on the case and in advertisements made it appear that the game ''averted'' this trope, by using shots from [[spoiler: a bonus dungeon where the party fights copies of themselves wearing the alternate costumes]].

** From ''Videogame/MegaManX4'' onward, any animated cutscene with X shows him in his base form, with whatever armor powerups you have being absent. In game scenes keep the armor on though, leading to continuity problems in X7 and X8 which go from in game to animated during the final boss fights.

** {{Averted|Trope}} 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.
** In ''Videogame/MegaManZX Advent'', you always turn back to Model A before a cutscene. Even if it is before a boss battle and being in that form wold help you, you always start the fight in Model A.

* In the original ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'', this happens with entire characters; whilst the player can theoretically choose any combination of characters to play during the game, the cutscenes pretty much all feature the original (and seemingly default) combination of Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor and Wolverine throughout the entire game. The sequel subverts this by simply not rendering anyone else than necessary. In fact, in one cutscene, Captain America and Iron Man are seen stepping out of a teleporter with four androgynous forms behind them (your team).
* In the ''VideoGame/CallOfJuarezBoundInBlood'', characters revert to the same "quick shooter revolver" during cut scenes. This actually makes even less sense for the character Juarez, a character who carries two valuable, powerful pistols on his person at all times, yet will leave them untouched in their holsters whilst using a far inferior gun throughout the game.
* ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}: Shadow of Chernobyl'' shows the Marked One carrying an AKS-74U in every cutscene. While that makes sense for flashbacks that occur before the game begins, the player would most likely have a more powerful weapon by the end of the game. 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.)
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', and ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', Mario and Luigi (and the Toads in the latter game) are always Super Mario/Luigi/whoever in the ending cut scenes after beating Bowser (and in the latter, always Super Mario/Luigi/whoever in the credits mini game), despite whatever power up you're using at the time. You also begin the latter game's gameplay without the Super form, even though the player characters all don't actually lose it in the opening unlike the original ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros.''
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' actively shows Mario turning to Super Mario between beating Bowser and entering the Princess' room. Also, in ''[[VideoGameRemake Super Mario Advance 4]]'', when you continue playing after beating Bowser, Mario will start as Super Mario.
** In the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioAllStars'' version of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'', a Super Mushroom will drop out of the sky if you beat Bowser while small to ensure that Mario (or Luigi) is Super for the end cutscene. However, the cutscene will not reflect it if you had a Fire Flower.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'': When Mario returns to Delfino Plaza after defeating Bowser, an "X" graffiti can be seen on the side of one of the buildings during a cutscene, regardless of whether he cleaned it off during the course of the game.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' averts this, with cutscenes changing depending on what outfit Mario is wearing at the moment.

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'':
** In ''VideoGame/SaintsRow1'', 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.
** The loading screens for ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' take this further, showing still scenes from the cutscenes surrounding the most recently-played mission, with a default (male) character in a wife-beater instead of the player's custom character.
** In ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'', one of the Brute takedown moves has the boss pull out the .45 Shepherd regardless of what pistol you actually have equipped (although let's be honest, especially if you have the explosive rounds upgrade, it probably ''[[ComplacentGamingSyndrome is]]'' the .45 Shepherd).
* ''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 [[LaserBlade Pillow Talk]] or [[RayGun Bazillions]] to go along with that snazzy nun costume outside of gameplay.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'', you choose your hero's gender and looks, and so everyone's character will look different. Late in the story there is an animated cutscene involving your hero riding a dragon. To reconcile this, the game forces you to wear a certain armour and helmet before riding a dragon, and this armour completely covers your hero's/heroine's face and body. What's more, the game forces you to leave all of your (also-custom) teammates behind for this scene, apparently just to avoid having to avoid explaining why they're not on the dragon too. Also, the first such scene shows bits of the hero's default outfit and the people in the series of events following the event make a big deal of the hero's outfit. Not normally an issue (you can't get anything else by then), except you can unequip it. One earlier scene (in-engine) refuses to progress until you get dressed, so it isn't clear why they didn't do it for this one as well.
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** Dante in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'' almost always wields his Alastor on his back in cutscenes, even though stronger weapons are mandatory and much more likely to be wielded most of the time. The exception is, if you should switch out Alastor for Force Edge before Phantom's first appearance, the latter [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcDAqeLw10I will be seen on his back]] in the cutscene.
** No matter which weapons you bring with you on missions in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'', Dante will always be using Rebellion and his pistols in cutscenes. Outside of the cutscenes in which he acquires new weapons, the only other time he uses something different is one time he uses Cerberus as a grappling hook.
* In ''Videogame/{{Gothic}}'', no matter which armor/robe you wear, you are always shown wearing Ore Armor during cut-scenes. In ''Gothic II'', your equipment in ending cutscenes is only determined by your faction.
* Happens to the point of [[DrinkingGame liver failure]] in ''VideoGame/FrontMissionEvolved''; while your Wanzer will always match whatever parts/paint scheme you've chosen, your weapons will ''always'' switch to what the game assumes you ''should'' be carrying at the time despite the fact that all game cutscenes are rendered fully in-engine and on-stage ''and'' the fact that your Wanzer rarely fires a shot in such scenes.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** The ending scene of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout|1}}'' shows the male protagonist wandering away into the wasteland in his blue vault suit, even though you've probably worn power armor for weeks since.
** Similarly, most endings in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' will show a final shot of The Courier walking off into the sunset wearing an Armored Vault 21 Suit, even though it's [[DummiedOut impossible to obtain without mods or cheats]] and you have likely obtained much better armor by the end of the game. The Courier in the picture is also seen from the back and using a default Male/Female hairstyle, so he/she may not even resemble the character you had designed.
* In the GBA remake 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.]]
* Happens in ''VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}''. In cutscenes, Drake will always be carrying his trusty pistol except for maybe one or two scenes where he steals/uses/finds a weapon within the cutscene. Though when you exit the cutscene you still retain your current inventory with only one or two exceptions again.
* In ''Videogame/LostPlanet 2'', the loadout you currently have equipped is usually replaced with the default machine gun in cutscenes. The exception is one cutscene which shows your team entering a corridor, pointing their weapons around while looking for hostiles. This can be amusing if a team member has a supporting weapon (like a ''shield'') equipped prior to starting the cutscene.
* ''Franchise/WarcraftExpandedUniverse'':
** Noticeably averted in ''VideoGame/WarCraft III''[='=]s Human campaign, where Arthas dumps his paladin's hammer for a cursed sword. He even has a special animation for it. The custom maps that allow different weapons to show up generally avert this, as it'd be ''more'' complicated to make sure the unit has the right weapon attachment.
** Generally averted in ''Videogame/WorldOfWarcraft''; the Cataclysm expansion released in December 2010 contains many cutscenes, and those that depict your character show you dressed exactly as you are. However, it's still worth mentioning because of one time they averted this trope ''but shouldn't have''. In the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, a couple quests involved time traveling and teaming up with yourself from other time periods. In the first quest, available at level 75, you teamed up with your "future self" -- a friendly NPC is created that looks identical to you right then, but is level 80. In the second quest, available at level 80, you teamed up with your "past self" -- a friendly NPC is created that looks identical to you but was level 75. This is bizarre because it would have made far more sense for the NPC in the first quest to look like you in certain epic armor sets, and the NPC in the second quest to look like you did when you did the first quest (especially if you have since acquired armor a Level 75 character cannot equip), but for some reason they didn't bother with that level of complexity.
** They haven't entirely figured out how to deal with [[VoluntaryShapeshifting druids]] in their various forms. Some cutscenes show the druid in their default caster form even if they were in cat or bear forms (Most of the earliest added cutscenes), some show the druid's actual current form (Many of the later added ones, including the Island Expedition animated endcards for victory/defeat), and a few flipflop between (When you walk into Kul Tiras with Jaina, the druid is in animal form, until the sentencing starts, then abruptly shifted to caster).

** Averted with costumes in ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'' and forward: your characters will always be wearing whatever unlockable costumes they have on. This can turn ''VideoGame/SilentHillOrigins'' into [[spoiler: Travis' fursuit adventures]].

** 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.
* Played straight in the first two ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' games.
** Special costumes aren't shown in cutscenes and the Blades of Chaos/Athena, despite changing their appearance with each power up, are always shown to be at level 2/1/3 (in the first game) and 4 in the second. However, the third and fourth game subvert all of this, with all the special costumes displayed in the game mode. Also, Kratos' new weapon (the Blades of Exile, Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos) and armor never change their appearance.
** ''VideoGame/GodOfWarII'' is an example of this; regardless of how far you have upgraded the Blades of Athena, in cutscenes, they almost always appear as dull and gray (as if you never upgraded them at all) and sometimes even blue (as if Kratos is still the god of war).
* While ''Videogame/JadeEmpire'' doesn't have any changeable clothing (and with the player character being a BareFistedMonk, weapons are a non-issue), each of its several pre-rendered cutscenes will show whichever of the several character models the player is using.
* ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve'' does this for both in game cut scenes and the FMV scenes. No matter what weapon you have equipped, Aya is always shown with a handgun outside of battles. The sequel mostly avoid the trope, though falls into different issues due to the animations usually still ''assuming'' she's always using a handgun. In game cut scenes that show Aya pointing her weapon at someone or something will have her use whatever weapon she has equipped, which can lead to a hilarious moment in the start of the tower mall section where Aya steps out of the elevator and aims a billy club or [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII Gunblade]] around like a handgun. In an FMV, she will always use her handgun, regardless if you have it on you or not.
* A peculiar variant occurs in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion''. After one particular sub-quest, a statue is made of the player character. However, due to certain quirks in the procedure the game uses to create the statue, it will often not actually be wearing the same equipment the player used.
* ''Videogame/PerfectDark''
** In the original game, at the end of the third level/first mission, Joanna will use any pistol/machine pistol equipped at the time for the cutscene, but will go to the default Falcon 2 if anything else is used.
** ''Zero'' has an odd variation of this: your standard weapon is a pistol with an [[SniperPistol attached scope]], LaserSight/flashlight, and suppressor. While in gameplay only the suppressor can be removed, in cutscenes, ''none'' of these are on the pistol when it appears.

** In ''Videogame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', in the last cutscene before Bastila [[spoiler:is captured by Malak]], she wields her starting double-bladed yellow lightsaber rather than whatever she had equipped when you controlled her. And later, when [[spoiler:Malak is torturing her]], she is shown wearing her original clothes from Taris rather than what you dressed her in.

** In ''Videogame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed'', Starkiller will always use a pre-scripted lightsaber in cutscenes (red in the beginning, blue later), regardless of what color the player has equipped. This is due to the fact cutscenes aren't done within the game engine but pre-rendered.

* In ''Videogame/DynastyWarriorsGundam 2'', story mission cutscenes always use that pilot's default mobile suit. This is fine in Official Mode where you're playing through the anime storylines and required to use specific mobile suits, but Mission Mode will play the cutscene even if you're piloting something else.
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors 8'' will have some cutscenes in the campaign modes involving the player's chosen character, often in a prelude to battle or starting the scenario InMediasRes, and will always show them with their iconic third-tier weapon no matter what equipment you give them personally in the preparation screen. This can get jarring when a character will be animated in the cutscene charging into battle with a gigantic sword...only for their weapon to instantly shrink down to a basic starting blade when the player takes control, or worse yet, not even be present, as it is possible to choose to not equip a character with their signature weapon at all.
* ''Videogame/DeadIsland'' actually does this with the entire cast. You can play solo, or play with 4 friends with identical characters, but during cutscenes all four canon characters appear regardless of who's actually present in the game.
* Inverted in ''[[VideoGame/DarkCloud Dark Cloud 2]]''. Your characters will be wearing whatever items you've given them just prior to the cutscene. Even if it makes no logical sense whatsoever to have Max dressed as a clown or Monica dressed as a {{Catgirl}}, if that's what you're wearing, then by God it'll be in the cutscene.
* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Interstate76}} Interstate '82]]'', Taurus will be shown exiting his Ferrari Expy after defeating [[spoiler:Rank Dick]], regardless of what car he was actually driving.
* Played straight in the ''Franchise/BatmanArkhamSeries'' during major cutscenes, Batman is always wearing his default batsuit, no matter what DLC you're wearing. It's somewhat justified in ''[[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity Arkham City]]'' as one cutscene involves [[spoiler:Talia lifting up Batman's cowl]], and some batsuits (like the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' one) would clash with that.
* Instances in ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games:
** 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.
** ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity'' usually averts this (to potentially hilarious results) but in the cutscene where [[WreckedWeapon Link's sword gets broken]], it's always a Soldier's Broadsword.
* ''VideoGame/BattlezoneIICombatCommander'': 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/{{Bully}}'', as well as Jimmy's outfit being retained in every cutscene, he will be shown to put away his current weapon during scripted in-game events, such as dialogue in missions. If he has something equipped when finishing a Photography class, he'll be holding it during the cutscene.
* In ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', Walker is almost always depicted carrying the two starting weapons, the [=M4A1=] assault rifle and the M9 pistol, in cutscenes. Becomes glaringly obvious when he proceeds to visibly shove said weapons back into {{Hammerspace}} immediately when the player takes control again.

** Averted in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1''. Characters always appear in any cutscene using exactly what weapon they had equipped and what armor their VirtualPaperDoll self was wearing. It gets pretty impressive (or [[{{Narm}} ridiculous]], [[RainbowPimpGear depending on what you're wearing]]) when the game remembers what to use during flashbacks. Of course, this then leads to the exact opposite problem in certain cutscenes in which the characters talk as if they're using their starting weapons when they aren't (and this gets worse in a NewGamePlus, particularly with regard to a plot-relevant weapon you get at the end of the game that you can keep for the next playthrough...)
*** The game also shoots itself in the foot in regards to Shulk's ability to see the future. For instance, his vision of Prison Island happens relatively early, and is shown multiple times before you actually get there. And each and every time, the characters will be wearing whatever they were wearing when the prediction was first made, even though you will be upgrading your equipment quite a bit between those two points. Apparently, the Monado was expecting Shulk to just really like his old outfit.
** Likewise averted in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'', with the odd exception of some characters occasionally pulling out a "Murder Pistol" like in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' to shoot or even just threaten others. This pistol, used by both {{Non Player Character}}s and party members, however is not obtainable by the player and is never seen otherwise. In one particular example, the player defeats a powerful monster, only to be confronted by its babies. The player, having possibly run into this very situation before[[spoiler: (and possibly learned a hard lesson from it)]] can choose to kill them, and if they do, their character will aim at them with their normal weapon, only for another party member to stop them and shoot them himself with the Murder Pistol.

* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** Averted similarly in ''VideoGame/{{Fire Emblem Awakening}}'', where characters that you've reclassed using Second Seals will keep their in-game model in cutscenes (though portraits will always keep them in their default class). However, this has the side effect of making certain scenes [[{{Narm}} unintentionally hilarious]] if a plot-important character is in a [[RainbowPimpGear ridiculous-looking]] or {{Stripperiffic}} class. Common culprits include Dark Mages and Sorcerers, Knights and Generals (and Great Knights except for Frederick, whose CustomUniform actually looks decent), and any of the axe-centric classes (Fighter, Barbarian, Warrior, and Berserker) for those who don't start in them.
** Flip-flops several times in ''VideoGame/{{Fire Emblem Fates}}: Birthright''. Early in the story, the player character is given a unique sword and is, by default, a sword-wielding class. However, you can reclass the player character into a non-sword-wielding class. Averted in certain cutscenes where the camera is built to show the player character using his/her unique sword but the class chosen cannot equip said sword (amusingly showing different animations - like those for the Basara, for instance - that either clip other models or are played halfway off the screen); played straight in the final chapter, where the player character will wield the unique sword regardless of current class.
* Particularly noticeable in ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'', where your ''only'' piece of changeable equipment is the giant robot you ride in, of which there are five entirely different-looking models, and two {{Palette Swap}}s per model. Yet important cutscenes always default back to the original model.
* Zigzagged by ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown''. Five troopers are shown boarding the [[DropShip Sky Ranger]] in the opening sequence, but only four are available for the mission, and they aren't even the same characters as the cutscene. Every other cutscene involving XCOM troopers averts this, however, including your first psi trooper, and in the expansion, first gene and MEC troopers. [[spoiler:The Volunteer]] is also determined by the engine, and s/he is wearing whatever customization you give him/her. This extends to the ending cutscene of the final mission, which not only uses your choice of [[spoiler:the Volunteer]], but also shows your top three soldiers [[spoiler:as the Volunteer urges them to [[HeroicSacrifice leave him/her behind]].]]
* There's a cutscene in ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'' where Jak dispatches two Metal Heads with his Blaster Rifle, regardless of whether the player has any ammo left.
* Gleefully averted with ''VideoGame/ResonanceOfFate'' (''End of Eternity'' in Japan). Not only does it have a VirtualPaperDoll aspect to it, nearly every single cutscene is done in-game, so any changes you make to the costume (which includes the A "official" costume set, and B "casual" set) as well as hair color change, glasses and others, will ''always'' be [[http://www.gamereactor.es/media/68/resonancefatemoden_206859b.jpg accurately reflected in cutscenes]].
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
** Averted in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'', ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Brotherhood]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations Revelations]]''. Every change in armor or weapons is properly represented in the cutscenes due to the majority of them being ingame.
** {{Downplayed}} in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' where the weapons you have do appear in cutscenes but armor and dyes don´t. This was actually the result of a bug too deep within the game's code to be fixed with a simple patch, and was corrected in the remaster.
** Averted once again in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'' where your weapons, armor and cosmetic changes are reflected in cutscenes. The scenes still play out like they would with the normal model, though: Edward will still try to put his hood on while using costumes that don´t have them and will try to put his hood down while using costumes that have them fixed.
* Generally averted in the ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' games, where the cutscenes will show Travis wearing whatever he's wearing and wielding whatever weapon he's using in gameplay, even getting entirely different animations for activating his beam katana before gameplay actually starts depending on the sword. The only way this is even touched on is with the Rose Nasty, the last weapon in ''[[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle Desperate Struggle]]'', which unlike all of the other weapons in the series, requires Travis to {{Dual Wield|ing}}. Since the cutscenes are all scripted with Travis using one sword, the off-hand sword will disappear if Travis is using the Rose Nasty during a cutscene.
* Due to its [[UsefulNotes/RPGMaker engine's]] 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.
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'':
** Averted in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter4 Ultimate'', where the cutscenes are played in-engine and designed to have your hunter wearing whatever armor and weapon (s)he has equipped at the time. This also includes subsequent re-watches, so you can go back and watch yourself encounter a monster for the first time while wearing a suit of armor harvested from it, or just in your skivvies.
** Similarly inverted in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'', where you hunter will always be shown with their currently-equipped armor and weapon. The cutscenes are a lot more dynamic now too, so to avoid the action clashing with your primary weapon's limitations, the hunter tends to get creative with the standard-issue slinger instead.
* In most of the ''Franchise/TombRaider'' games, Lara will always use her pistols in cutscenes no matter how many other guns she had found and used.
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'': In the sequel, one cutscene starts when you cast Whirlwind on a tornado-shaped stone formation, a spell only Sheba has access to. It's possible to use another character with another spell (both have the same effect under a different name) thanks to the JobSystem, but the cutscene always plays out as if Sheba had cast it.
* When you perform a No Mercy run in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', no matter what weapon you have equipped, you will always be depicted as killing [[spoiler:Sans, Asgore and Flowey]] with the knife. It just wouldn't be as dramatic if you did it with, say, a torn notebook.
* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'':
** ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsII'' does this often due to its more cinematic nature than previous games in the series (where mid-mission "cutscenes", at best, were typically just [=NPCs=] going through a scripted animation as the player's weapon was lowered so they couldn't interrupt it). An early instance is in the opening level, "Pyrrhic Victory", in which Mason pulls out a Hi-Power pistol to threaten Menendez and ultimately [[EyeScream shoot out his eye]], in spite of the fact that the Hi-Power is never used by any enemies he could have conceivably grabbed one off of and isn't available for the player's loadout until three missions later. Another one is halfway through "Achille's Veil", the first half of which is played as deep-cover agent Farid instead of primary protagonist David Mason; when the latter shows up in the cutscene bisecting the level, he has an [=MP7=] in his hands, which like the above is not available until the next mission - when control shifts to him here, he takes whatever Farid had, even stuff like the suit of optical camo.
** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsIII'' despite its even heavier focus on cinematics, where the player's inventory loadout and outfit is reflected in all of the cutscenes. This even carries over to the various attachments players can equip on their firearms, which will alter the way the PlayerCharacter carries his/her gun in cutscenes, such as actually holding the vertical foregrip attached to their weapon rather than their hand phasing through it to grip the weapon normally like characters in previous games in the series would typically do. There is, however, one rather silly instance of this in the very first mission, regarding the cutscene at the end wherein your character gets [[AnArmAndALeg ripped to shreds]] by an autonomous drone - you can wear whatever outfit you want to the mission, and your character's arms will be visible wearing the outfit throughout the mission, but the exact ''instant'' that drone actually starts ripping limbs off of them, your character model will switch back to the "Undercover" outfit you were forced to wear for the first time through that mission.
* Played utterly straight in ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'' - no matter what sort of loadout Michael is carrying, if he feels the need to shoot someone in the face in a cutscene he'll suddenly be carrying a pistol in a holster across his chest. Even if he has a ''different'' pistol already equipped.
* ''VideoGame/FiftyCentBloodOnTheSand'' goes to particularly extreme lengths with this trope. The game already all but ensures this by only bringing four weapons over for the pre-rendered cutscenes (the Desert Eagle, the Mossberg, the AK and the M4), but it goes above and beyond by not even keeping ''which'' rifle [[Music/FiftyCent Fiddy]] is using in the cutscene consistent - literally every other time the camera angle changes, his rifle will switch from an AK into an M4 or vice-versa.
* In ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'', 2B, 9S, and A2 all use their signature weapons (Virtuous Contract, Cruel Oath, and the Type 4-0 sword) in cutscenes, even though they're capable of using any among a massive arsenal of weapons in gameplay. Where this gets strange is that in A2's story, she starts using 2B's sword in cutscenes [[spoiler:after 2B dies due to the latter giving it to her]], but you can still have 9S using 2B's sword in sections occurring simultaneously.
* In ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'', this is mostly averted. Spider-Man will be rendered in real time with the suit you have equipped on him. The only times it's played straight are in the opening cutscene, since the devs didn't take New Game Plus into account, he's still in the classic suit until he jumps out the window, the ending chapter's cutscenes, where it switches you into the Advanced suit and the cutscene is pre-rendered to explain why the Anti-Ock Suit is based on its design, and a cutscene after Spider-Man cures himself of the effects of Scorpion's venom, where his mask (because he's for some reason only in his boxers otherwise) is still from the Classic/Advanced Suit, which then becomes an unlockable outfit in itself when you 100% the game.
* ''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 [[StarterEquipment Cattleman Revolver]] which he will then be stuck with during the mission. Cue many, many cries of FakeDifficulty.

* In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'', Geralt has his trademark silver and steel swords, but there are a few other swords that look different, not to mention the near-useless secondary weapons. All cutscenes feature him using those default swords, even if you just hacked the final boss apart with an axe, or burned it with a torch.
* During all of the cutscenes in ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany'', the player character Preston Marlowe is shown using his M416 rifle. He even does so on Mission 6 ("Crash and Grab"), even though it is ''physically impossible to use the M416 on Mission 6.''
** The sequel proved to be a repeat offender, with cutscenes always showing Marlowe carrying the squad's new signature [=XM8=] assault rifle. Without the ACOG scope present on it when you start actually playing as him in "Cold War", at that. The one exception is the start of "No One Gets Left Behind", where Marlowe drops everything when falling out of a helicopter... only to then pull out a pistol you've only been forced to use once before and due to weapons crates may never have used since.
* ''VideoGame/ClarencesBigChance'': It doesn't matter if you ended the game in your underwear or the fancy executive suit, Clarence will still be wearing his pink suit in the ending cutscenes.
* In ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia3D'', the titular Prince loses his sword at one point and has to make do with a staff. In a cutscene following the defeat of a boss, however, it shows the Prince with sword in hand as he finishes off his opponent. A particularly egregious example as it's not even ''possible'' to have a sword at this point in the game.
* ''VideoGame/FarCry4'': Ajay always has a pistol when he needs to execute someone in a cutscene, even if none of your weapons are pistols. [[note]]Then after Pagan Min's cutscene, you have an opportunity to unlock a ''third'' ending if you have a rocket launcher in your inventory. Don't have one? Too bad, Pagan runs away and you can't do anything about it.[[/note]]
* In ''VideoGame/DigimonStoryCyberSleuth'' and ''VideoGame/DigimonStoryCyberSleuthHackersMemory'', you can buy multiple alternate outfits for your character (not to mention that they have a school uniform as an alternate outfit from the start), but in some cutscenes they'll be reverted to the default outfit. In ''Hacker's Memory'', one subquest haves the main character briefly disguise as a Demons hacker. If his outfit was changed, he'll revert to the default one while he wears the mask.
* ''VideoGame/MyChildLebensborn'': The PlayerCharacter will take a photo of the child on certain occasions and some story-related events are depicted with still images. Those photos and still images will have the child in their default outfit (or their only red outfit for Christmas) and default hairstyle, with the only possible difference being whether the scene is depicting Klaus, the male child option, or Karin, the female child option. Some cases downplay this by having the child change into the right outfit just before the event. It can still be jarring if the player has used the comb to change the child's hairstyle, or if the right outfit is out of circulation because it needs mending, which in normal gameplay prevents the player from choosing to dress the child in that outfit.
* Averted in the ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' series, you can dress your character in whatever silly items are laying around the mall and they persist during the cutscenes, so if you want to ruin a serious cutscene by wearing a Servbot helmet, footie pajamas, and elf shoes, nothing is stopping you. Where it plays it straight is that Frank, Chuck, and Nick will never be shown holding any weapons you might have had equipped, which due to the sheer amount of things you can use, would be unfeasible.
* Non-videogame example: ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' iconics are almost always portrayed in their IconicOutfit when they're being used to illustrate an adventure path...leading to a very early image in the Skull and Shackles adventure path showing a press-ganged Seltyiel and Alahazra swabbing the deck, Alahazra still wearing a very fancy white cloak and neck-straining giant golden hat. The contrast with the actual pirates making them do the swabbing is ''jarring''.
* In ''VideoGame/RemnantFromTheAshes'', your character will be holding the Repeater Pistol in the cutscene introducing the Undying King regardless of what handgun you had equipped going into it. Even worse, the game ''actually changes your equipped handgun to the Repeater'' during this cutscene, forcing you to go into the menu to change it back once you regain control. While this would normally be just a minor annoyance, the cutscene immediately throws you right into dialogue with the Undying King, and if you refuse his offer, he becomes an OptionalBoss. If you decide to fight him without realizing your weapon has been changed, you'll suddenly find yourself at a huge disadvantage. Even if you manage to re-equip your usual handgun fast enough to avoid an ass-beating, its weapon mod will be completely drained of charge due to it having been unequipped.

* In ''VideoGame/RemnantFromTheAshes'', the player character will switch to the basic repeater pistol during the cutscene introducing the Undying King, even they weren't using it before. What makes this example especially annoying is once the cutscene is over, players will discover that the game engine actually unequips your current light gun and equips the pistol, forcing you to re-equip whatever you were using before.

** 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 the cutscene in "Oracle" where the Arbiter will actually fire on the Heretic Leader's Banshee with whatever weapon you were carrying, and other instances would have them pick up something other than a battle rifle/carbine in a cutscene, then start the mission it preceded with those same weapons, such as "Delta Halo" starting Chief with the SMG and rocket launcher he visibly pulls out of his drop-pod.

** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'':
** In the first game, even if you found and equipped the SOCOM suppressor, Snake doesn't use it when he mercy kills [[spoiler:Sniper Wolf]], though admittedly this was intentional as to not completely ruin the impact of the scene with a dulled "pop" instead of an echoing "bang." Other cutscenes in the original game are a crapshoot as to whether the SOCOM will be suppressed or not, while cutscenes in ''The Twin Snakes'' will always have it appear without.

* ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' has Vincent using the vanilla Cerberus pistol (how "vanilla" a triple-barreled revolver is is relative) in cutscenes, no matter how [[GunAccessories pimped out]] you have it, or if you were using the machine gun or rifle a second ago. Avoided in cutscenes where Vincent is in his Chaos form and using Death Penalty, though this is more by accident as the player has no choice in the matter of armament in this form.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' works around this by making starting weapons unsellable.
*** 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 both of them are optional party members, so accounting for all the possibilities would require four versions of the same cutscene. Later material, like the opening of the aforementioned ''Dirge of Cerberus'', would establish they were canonically elsewhere at the time handling last-minute evacuations from underneath Meteor.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'' different dresspheres change the characters' outfits and abilities. Despite this being a major plot point, outside of battle the girls are always wearing the clothes of their default dressphere (Gunner for Yuna, Thief for Rikku, Warrior for Paine), and in cutscenes where they pull out a weapon or in minigames where they have to use their weapons, they'll always use their default dressphere's weapon, even if you changed their dressphere as soon as you were able and never went back to the default one. It gets a bit silly if, for example, you've spent the entire game training Yuna as a [[HeroesPreferSwords sword-wielding]] Warrior or Dark Knight, but in cutscenes she continually insists on pulling out a gun, [[GunsAreWorthless a weapon she has almost no experience using and has learned no skills for]], as her first response to trouble.

* 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.]]) Thankfully, it was fixed in later UpdatedReRelease of the game.
** It does have a few straight examples. Usually the game would do its best to show current equipment, but the more action-packed cutscenes are pre-rendered (and some are outright 2D animation). Those will always show Yuri with his default outfit and "official" weapon. The problem being, said weapon is a katana, there are very few katanas in the game, and by the time you get your hands on one you'll have passed a number of those cutscenes already.
* Similarly to the ''Vesperia'' example above, in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', characters in cutscenes always have all of the Level-Up Items that you've collected for them, even if they didn't (or couldn't) have them at that point.

* Similar to the "Murder Knife", certain classes in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' (specifically, Republic Trooper and Imperial Agent) carry around a "Murder Blaster" strapped to their thighs, which they only ever use to threaten or kill people in cutscenes, since in-game they don't actually have the Weapon: Blaster Pistol skill (Troopers specialize in {{Chainsaw Grip BFG}}s, while Agents get {{Sniper Rifle}}s; both can also use blaster rifles). This is less of an issue with Smugglers and Bounty Hunters, who use blaster pistols in both gameplay and cutscenes, and the Force-wielding classes, who get to use their iconic lightsabers (or [[LightningCanDoAnything Force Lightning]], in the Sith Inquisitor's case) for everything.

** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' the characters can only carry weapons that they are trained to use. Yet they will still pull out a pre-scripted gun during cutscenes, even if they don't carry that type. Most noticeably, ''everyone'' will use assault rifles in the final mission cutscenes. On the other hand, if the cutscene script calls for a weapon type the character ''does'' carry, they will use the weapon model they have equipped, but it will still ''behave'' like the default weapon of that type. For example, characters will fire the semi-automatic Mattock rifle on full auto or the Phalanx much faster than its actual firing rate.

*** When you get roasted by [[spoiler:Harbinger]] at the end, your charred and wrecked armour will be designed after the standard N-7 armour or a related suit like the Blood Dragon, even if you're wearing the various DLC armours that are structured differently. In addition, you will automatically be equipped with an unlimited-ammo Carnifex pistol even if you didn't bring a pistol at all, although given the state your armour's in, expecting your weapons to be usable might be asking a bit much!

* From ''Videogame/MegaManX4'' onward, any animated cutscene with X shows him in his base form, with whatever armor powerups you have being absent. In game scenes keep the armor on though, leading to continuity problems in X7 and X8 which go from in game to animated during the final boss fights.
* In ''Videogame/MegaManZX Advent'', you always turn back to Model A before a cutscene. Even if it is before a boss battle and being in that form wold help you, you always start the fight in Model A.
* ''Videogame/MegaManZero'' games always have Zero with his default red coloration in hand-drawn cutscene images. In the first game this is justified as there's no way to change his appearance, but in the second game and beyond there are a number of different possible colors for Zero to be, due to Forms or Body Chips.
* {{Averted|Trope}} 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.
* In the original ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'', this happens with entire characters; whilst the player can theoretically choose any combination of characters to play during the game, the cutscenes pretty much all feature the original (and seemingly default) combination of Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor and Wolverine throughout the entire game.
** The sequel subverts this by simply not rendering anyone else than necessary. In fact, in one cutscene, Captain America and Iron Man are seen stepping out of a teleporter with four androgynous forms behind them (your team).

* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'' and ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', Mario and Luigi (and the Toads in the latter game) are always Super Mario/Luigi/whoever in the ending cut scenes after beating Bowser (and in the latter, always Super Mario/Luigi/whoever in the credits mini game), despite whatever power up you're using at the time. You also begin the latter game's gameplay without the Super form, even though the player characters all don't actually lose it in the opening unlike the original ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros.''

** In the ''[[CompilationRerelease Super Mario All-Stars]]'' version of ''Super Mario Bros.'', a Super Mushroom will drop out of the sky if you beat Bowser while small to ensure that Mario (or Luigi) is Super for the end cutscene. However, the cutscene will not reflect it if you had a Fire Flower.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' averts this, with cutscenes changing depending on what outfit Mario is wearing at the moment.

* ''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 [[LaserBlade 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 Franchise/StarWars games!
* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' the characters will typically wield their basic starting weapons in cutscenes. However, [[TheHero Lloyd]] will switch to a generic steel sword instead of his starting [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter wooden swords]] when you get to the first town where you can buy a set, even if you didn't actually buy one much less equip it[[note]]And since you get a title for keeping the wooden swords equipped until a certain boss battle well after this point, you're pretty likely to see this in action.[[/note]]. And after he receives them, he will use his SwordOfPlotAdvancement, the Material Blades. Again, regardless of what he's actually got equipped.
** If Colette is wearing an alternate costume during the scene where she suffers ClothingDamage (when she [[TakingTheBullet Takes The Bullet]] [[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]]''.
** An odd example occurs in the sequel, ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'', where Emil will always use a sword that you can only obtain halfway through the game.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'', where the characters are shown to use whatever weapon they currently have equipped in cutscenes.
* When the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' games started using prerendered cutscenes starting in ''Tools of Destruction'', Ratchet always switched to some generic armor for cutscenes. In ''A Crack in Time'', the developers worked around this by giving Ratchet an upgradeable HardLight armor suit that was simply turned off during cutscenes.
** Another example occurs in ''Going Commando'': Ratchet always uses the ''Heavy'' Lancer in cutscenes, even if you haven't upgraded the regular Lancer yet. (Though since it's your go-to BoringButPractical weapon throughout the game, you basically have to ''try'' to not have it upgraded by that point, but still...)
* In ''Videogame/DragonQuestIX'' you choose your hero's gender and looks, and so everyone's character will look different. Late in the story there is an animated cutscene involving your hero riding a dragon. To reconcile this, the game forces you to wear a certain armour and helmet before riding a dragon, and this armour completely covers your hero's/heroine's face and body. What's more, the game forces you to leave all of your (also-custom) teammates behind for this scene, apparently just to avoid having to avoid explaining why they're not on the dragon too. Also, the first such scene shows bits of the hero's default outfit and the people in the series of events following the event make a big deal of the hero's outfit. Not normally an issue (you can't get anything else by then), except you can unequip it. One earlier scene (in-engine) refuses to progress until you get dressed, so it isn't clear why they didn't do it for this one as well.

* In ''Videogame/{{Gothic}}'', no matter which armor/robe you wear, you are always shown wearing Ore Armor during cut-scenes.
* In ''Gothic II'', your equipment in ending cutscenes is only determined by your faction.

* Happens in ''Videogame/{{Uncharted}}''. In cutscenes Drake will always be carrying his trusty pistol except for maybe one or two scenes where he steals/uses/finds a weapon within the cutscene. Though when you exit the cutscene you still retain your current inventory with only one or two exceptions again.

* Generally averted in ''Videogame/WorldOfWarcraft''; the Cataclysm expansion released in December 2010 contains many cutscenes, and those that depict your character show you dressed exactly as you are. However, it's still worth mentioning because of one time they averted this trope ''but shouldn't have''. In the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, a couple quests involved time traveling and teaming up with yourself from other time periods. In the first quest, available at level 75, you teamed up with your "future self" -- a friendly NPC is created that looks identical to you right then, but is level 80. In the second quest, available at level 80, you teamed up with your "past self" -- a friendly NPC is created that looks identical to you but was level 75. This is bizarre because it would have made far more sense for the NPC in the first quest to look like you in certain epic armor sets, and the NPC in the second quest to look like you did when you did the first quest (especially if you have since acquired armor a Level 75 character cannot equip), but for some reason they didn't bother with that level of complexity.

* Played straight in the first two ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' games: Special costumes aren't shown in cutscenes and the Blades of Chaos/Athena, despite changing their appearance with each power up, are always shown to be at level 2/1/3 (in the first game) and 4 in the second. However, the third and fourth game subvert all of this, with all the special costumes displayed in the game mode. Also, Kratos' new weapon (the Blades of Exile, Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos) and armor never change their appearance.

* In ''Videogame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', in the last cutscene before Bastila [[spoiler:is captured by Malak]], she wields her starting double-bladed yellow lightsaber rather than whatever she had equipped when you controlled her. And later, when [[spoiler:Malak is torturing her]], she is shown wearing her original clothes from Taris rather than what you dressed her in.

* In ''Videogame/StarWarsTheForceUnleashed'', Starkiller will always use a pre-scripted lightsaber in cutscenes (red in the beginning, blue later), regardless of what color the player has equipped. This is due to the fact cutscenes aren't done within the game engine but pre-rendered.

* Played straight in the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'' during major cutscenes, Batman is always wearing his default batsuit, no matter what DLC you're wearing. It's somewhat justified in ''[[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity Arkham City]]'' as one cutscene involves [[spoiler:Talia lifting up Batman's cowl]], and some batsuits (like the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' one) would clash with that.

* ''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.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1''. Characters always appear in any cutscene using exactly what weapon they had equipped and what armor their VirtualPaperDoll self was wearing. It gets pretty impressive (or [[{{Narm}} ridiculous]], [[RainbowPimpGear depending on what you're wearing]]) when the game remembers what to use during flashbacks. Of course, this then leads to the exact opposite problem in certain cutscenes in which the characters talk as if they're using their starting weapons when they aren't (and this gets worse in a NewGamePlus, particularly with regard to a plot-relevant weapon you get at the end of the game that you can keep for the next playthrough...)
** The game also shoots itself in the foot in regards to Shulk's ability to see the future. For instance, his vision of Prison Island happens relatively early, and is shown multiple times before you actually get there. And each and every time, the characters will be wearing whatever they were wearing when the prediction was first made, even though you will be upgrading your equipment quite a bit between those two points. Apparently, the Monado was expecting Shulk to just really like his old outfit.
* Likewise averted in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'', with the odd exception of some characters occasionally pulling out a "Murder Pistol" like in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' to shoot or even just threaten others. This pistol, used by both {{Non Player Character}}s and party members, however is not obtainable by the player and is never seen otherwise. In one particular example, the player defeats a powerful monster, only to be confronted by its babies. The player, having possibly run into this very situation before[[spoiler: (and possibly learned a hard lesson from it)]] can choose to kill them, and if they do, their character will aim at them with their normal weapon, only for another party member to stop them and shoot them himself with the Murder Pistol.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', up to a point. For most of the game, it's pretty good about it - the [[EmpathicWeapon Blade]] characters have equipped in cutscenes is their plot-relevant partner they won't drop anyway, which of [[LiteralSplitPersonality Pyra or Mythra]] you have equipped at a time isn't a big deal because the two can [[SharingABody hot-swap at will]], and Rex has a plot-enforced partner whose weapons are shown when his primary is unavailable for plot reasons. However, all bets are off as of chapter seven's climax, as [[spoiler:Nia's ability to switch modes and Rex's Master Driver abilities]] mean reality might not reflect cutscenes still following these rules. NewGamePlus also removes many of the restrictions cutscenes rely on to make sense, but this is hardly the most canon-violating thing one can do in NG+, and WordOfGod admits these perks are impossible to reconcile with the plot (let alone presentation) anyway.
* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' handles cutscenes a few different ways. Some correctly show the party's current outfit and class weapon, some use their current outfit but use their default weapon, and some revert both outfit and weapon the that characters' default class. It's not as jarring as many examples though, as the game is in love with GameplayAndStoryIntegration and the ability to change weapons and class-based overclothes on the fly is an in-universe phenomenon. The game also dodges involving classes (and horrific clipping issues) during camp scenes entirely but having the characters shed their class-based overclothes completely.
* Averted similarly in ''VideoGame/{{Fire Emblem Awakening}}'', where characters that you've reclassed using Second Seals will keep their in-game model in cutscenes (though portraits will always keep them in their default class). However, this has the side effect of making certain scenes [[{{Narm}} unintentionally hilarious]] if a plot-important character is in a [[RainbowPimpGear ridiculous-looking]] or {{Stripperiffic}} class. Common culprits include Dark Mages and Sorcerers, Knights and Generals (and Great Knights except for Frederick, whose CustomUniform actually looks decent), and any of the axe-centric classes (Fighter, Barbarian, Warrior, and Berserker) for those who don't start in them.

* Noticeably averted in ''VideoGame/WarCraft III''[='=]s Human campaign, where Arthas dumps his paladin's hammer for a cursed sword. He even has a special animation for it.
** The custom maps that allow different weapons to show up generally avert this, as it'd be ''more'' complicated to make sure the unit has the right weapon attachment.

* When you perform a No Mercy run in ''{{VideoGame/Undertale}}'', no matter what weapon you have equipped, you will always be depicted as killing [[spoiler:Sans, Asgore and Flowey]] with the knife. It just wouldn't be as dramatic if you did it with, say, a torn notebook.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria''. All cutscenes are rendered in-engine, and so will accurately reflect the party's current weapon and costume.

* In ''VideoGame/DigimonStoryCyberSleuth'' and ''VideoGame/DigimonStoryCyberSleuthHackersMemory'', you can buy multiple alternate outfits for your character (not to mention that they have a school uniform as an alternate outfit from the start), but in some cutscenes they'll be reverted to the default outfit.
** In ''Hacker's Memory'', one subquest haves the main character briefly disguise as a Demons hacker. If his outfit was changed, he'll revert to the default one while he wears the mask.

* In ''VideoGame/RemnantFromTheAshes'' the player character will switch to the basic repeater pistol during the cutscene introducing the Undying King, even they weren't using it before. What makes this example especially annoying is once the cutscene is over, players will discover that the game engine actually unequips your current light gun and equips the pistol, forcing you to re-equip whatever you were using before.

** Similarly inverted in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'', where you hunter will always be shown with their currently-equipped armor and weapon. The cutscenes are a lot more dynamic now too, so to avoid the action clashing with your primary weapon's limitations, the hunter tends to get creative with the standard-issues slinger instead.

** In most cutscenes that involve attacking/killing someone, the character will use a generic dagger 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.

* During all of the cutscenes in ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany'', the player character Preston Marlowe is shown using his WeaponOfChoice M416 rifle. He even does so on Mission 6 ("Crash and Grab"), even though it is ''physically impossible to use the M416 on Mission 6.''

* When you perform a KillEmAll run in ''{{VideoGame/Undertale}}'', no matter what weapon you have equipped, you will always be depicted as killing [[spoiler:Sans, Asgore and Flowey]] with the knife. It just wouldn't be as dramatic if you did it with, say, a torn notebook.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter 4 Ultimate'', where the cutscenes are played in-engine and designed to have your hunter wearing whatever armor and weapon (s)he has equipped at the time. This also includes subsequent re-watches, so you can go back and watch yourself encounter a monster for the first time while wearing a suit of armor harvested from it, or just in your skivvies.

* In ''VideoGame/RemnantFromTheAshes'' the player character will switch to the basic repeater pistol during the cutscene introducing the Undying King. What makes this example especially annoying is once the cutscene is over, players will discover that the game engine actually unequips your current light gun and equips the pistol, forcing you to re-equip whatever you were using before.

* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' hands cutscenes a few different ways. Some correctly show the party's current outfit and class weapon, some use their current outfit but use their default weapon, and some revert both outfit and weapon the that characters' default class. It's not as jarring as many examples though, as the game is in love with GameplatAndStoryIntegration and the ability to change weapons and class-based overclothes on the fly is an in-universe phenomenon. The game also dodges involving classes (and horrific clipping issues) during camp scenes entirely but having the characters shed their class-based overclothes completely.

** 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 can 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''.]] There's also an in-gameplay example late in ''Heavensward'', where the game outright tells you that it's going to modify your gear's appearance for the duration of a story battle (dressing up as an Ishgardian knight while fighting for them in a big free-for-all between the Grand Companies).

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bulletstorm}}, Grayson will always be carrying the Peacemaker Carbine in cutscenes, with any other weapons the player had beforehand disappearing into {{Hammerspace}}.