Graphics?

[Steven]

Good graphics aye, do we really need special effects such as reflections and shadows to have a good game? Do you reckon it'd be nice to have game developers spend all the time they spend on adding graphics effects to games on improving gameplay or something else? It seems as if that's what there doing; focusing on graphics more then gameplay. The uber graphics make it harder to run on most people's PC's aswell. It seems as if in lots of games more time is spent on graphics then gameplay. A modern game can be good without good graphics, take San Andreas for example.

BTW My PC runs most games so that's not what I'm on about.

 

[Spectre01]

People like eye-candy. A game is a lot more fun when the graphics are nice. Graphics make gameplay elements like level design and combat look nicer.

 

[AmishSlayer]

Graphics can add to immersion but hardly ever affect gameplay directly (unless it's something like tall grass for cover and smoke and whatnot). As far as I'm concerned a game could have below average graphics and still be the best game of all time.

Games that spend too much time on graphics end up like Doom 3. It looks nice but has beyond boring gameplay. My roomate bought the Doom 3 collectors edition for xbox. We've played the old Doom games co-op tons of times.

 

[AmishSlayer]

San Andreas looks like ass. I'm sorry, but it's true.

A game doesn't have to have good graphics to be fun, but it sure makes the experience much more enjoyable. Note that "good" is not restricted to special effects, but rather, art style. I don't care that Majora's Mask is an N64 game; it looks better than half the stuff on the XBox anyway.

SA does look like crap but I don't care. The main reason the game got old fast for me is because IT'S THE SAME GAME. They just added some weapons, vehicles, cities and whatnot. You can only sandbox so much in crime worlds.

You brought up another good point about Zelda. Even though technically the graphics are junk compared to today's games it still looks very good. Overall cohesion of graphics and visual style can play a big role.

 

[Ennui]

graphics aren't that important to me. it's more atmosphere, which graphics can contribute to, but sound's a huge part of it as well.

i mean, i love starcraft and it's got eight year old archaic pixelart graphics.

 

[bam23]

I need good graphics in a game. It's very hard for me to stay into a game with bad graphics. Games with "unique" graphics (Darwinia) are ok with me.

Yeah, call me shallow.

 

[63]

Visuals are great as long as it doesn't interfere with my fps. It does get annoying when EVERY game starts to look like Doom 3 (everything plastic-ified, honestly, NOTHING looks like that in real life). Plus bloom + HDR suck.

 

[Spoonoop]

Good graphics are always something nice to have in any kind of game. But ultimately the gameplay is everything. I mean... today I played Sim Ant for 2 hours, for some reason. That game kicks ass!

 

[Qonfused]

I need good graphics in a game. It's very hard for me to stay into a game with bad graphics. Games with "unique" graphics (Darwinia) are ok with me.

Yeah, call me shallow.

I'm kind of the same way to an extent. Why do you think they're going for graphics lately: because they can now. New platforms have been released. A game needs to have fun, interesting gameplay while keeping the graphics up to par. SA looks like crap and I don't care for SA. Why? Partly because of the graphics but mainly because (as stated) it's the same game. Oh, you can swim now? Too bad the water looks like a picture of goatse and made into textures.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

I think 'atmosphere' as Ennui refered to it as, plays a big role, like Unreal tournament GOYE (1999) and 2004 are completely different in atmosphere but I like'm both.

 

[Alexferris]

The reasoning behind the "old games were better" is purely based on the experience you had with it when you first played it. Graphics add immersion, and (especially for those who like cinematic experiences) is vital to a good game. Graphics should always be on par with what the designer is trying to accomplish, gameplay wise. Half-Life 2 wouldn't be nearly as awesome if it was run on an old Quake engine. The radiosity, most importantly, makes the game comfortable to play. Some developers do go overboard, though, and I can already see that a lot of PS3 games will look amazing but play like any other console shooter.

 

[Ennui]

Visuals are great as long as it doesn't interfere with my fps. It does get annoying when EVERY game starts to look like Doom 3 (everything plastic-ified, honestly, NOTHING looks like that in real life). Plus bloom + HDR suck.

lighting like in doom3 and fear looks silly, unrealistic, and even campy. i wonder when developers will get that simulated lighting, especially dynamic lighting, looks kind of stupid.

 

[VictimOfScience]

I guess it depends on the type of game. Its hard to have a FPS with poor graphics. That said, some of the best RPGs have had lackluster graphics--look at the Ultimas for example--some of the greatest RPGs ever are in that series and the graphics were extremely simplistic. The graphics for Dragon Quest 8 are GORGEOUS but I have spent countless hours enjoying virtually every DW/DQ game since DW1!

Action games too don't require be-all, end-all graphics. Castlevania:SotN is without a doubt one of the best games ever made and yet it features 2-D graphics and its infinitely better than any of the 3-D iterations of the series. Ms. Pac Man is one of the most addicitve games ever and yet the graphics are, again, not stellar. Tetris too, or Bubble-Bobble, Darwinia, etc etc etc.

Adventure games don't require the most intense graphics around either to be seriously fun. Any of the Quest series by Sierra or any Lucasarts adventure are arguably more fun than any recent adventure that might have better graphics, even though I loved Black Mirror and Still Life and Runaway, etc.

You don't necessarily need specular bump-mapping and realtime dynamic shadows and HDR to make a great game. FPSs I think are the main pusher of graphics because they are inherently trying to make a realistsic world that you are (supposed to be) viewing with your own eyes. That's not a bad thing unless every game developer and gamer starts to take on the mindset that better graphics = better game. There is nothing wrong with graphics getting better, just as long as the games don't suffer for it.

 

[armanguy]

Im gonna make this simple the only reason i play cs source instead of cs 1.6 is because cs source look 1000X better.

Its like playing ps2 games and then going back and playing n64 games it actualy hurts your eyes when you do.

 

[Dalamari]

The GTA games and WoW don't really need good graphics to be fun, but games like NFS: Most Wanted, Call of Duty 2, or PGR3 really wouldn't be worth looking at without their fancy looks

 

[ríomhaire]

I don't give a rat's ass about graphics, Deus Ex over Doom 3 any day.