Good graphics = lack of atmosphere?

[JSR]

Todays game strive for a photorealistic look, and with the horsepower in modern consoles, they are not that far off. Yet I find myself missing the graphics seen in Nintendo 64, the first Playstation and Dreamcast. They had simple 3d models that - while primitive - rarely failed to communicate what it was supposed to be. A car looked like a car, a female differed enough from a male. I'm not sure what exactly I really miss about it, but I feel that todays games look a bit generic in their visual splendor. They look boringly realistic in some ways. It's as if the complexity of modern graphics makes it that much harder to create and maintain a mood, as there are so many more elements that have to match.

Powering up Goldeneye and playing a couple missions feels really atmospheric, and as a breath of fresh air after having played Call of Duty 14. Does anybody else feel the same way?

Here are some videos where I really love the look and feel of the graphics:

[Flabio]

Yeah, I think games are currently going through a realism phase. There's not many using the extra horsepower to do more experimental visual styles at the moment, but I think it'll come.

[nakamura]

I can see what you are saying to some extent, realistic visuals do nothing for me. For me though the main issue is sound. Game music has become very sterile and sound has become poor. There seems to be a huge focus on making games cinematic and more adult, forgetting that you are playing a game.

[dvdx2]

I can see what you are saying to some extent, realistic visuals do nothing for me. For me though the main issue is sound. Game music has become very sterile and sound has become poor. There seems to be a huge focus on making games cinematic and more adult, forgetting that you are playing a game.

come over to my place and listen to dead space 2 in 7.1 uncompressed sound; think you might change your mind.....

[nakamura]

come over to my place and listen to dead space 2 in 7.1 uncompressed sound; think you might change your mind.....

Well not all games! I just find a lot of them to be really lacking.

[dvdx2]

very few people dont seem to upgrade sound, the way they have upgrade their TV for HD and are probably listening to games through tv speakers. It no wonder modern stuff donest sound the best, even DD5.1 is a massive upgrade over stereo

[Lyris]

I feel the same way. I have no interest in playing in a photorealistic world, I like seeing the abstract representations of things. Photorealism is a technical accomplishment, sure, but I'm not interested in it.

I also found the Dreamcast era tended to get the right balance between technicalities and aesthetics.

[nakamura]

very few people dont seem to upgrade sound, the way they have upgrade their TV for HD and are probably listening to games through tv speakers. It no wonder modern stuff donest sound the best, even DD5.1 is a massive upgrade over stereo

In my defence I have a 5.1 digital surround setup. The Xbox 360 is connected to it and some games certainly sound very good. I just find a real lack of game specific music in a lot of more realistic games to be a shame. I liked a pumping score going on in the background but it all seems to be realistic sounds or dull orchestrated music.

Certainly in a fair few of the games I have played. I think I used a wrong word when I said sound was poor. Clearly the quality of the sampling and sound use is high, just more the way it is implimented.

[EvilBoris]

come over to my place and listen to dead space 2 in 7.1 uncompressed sound; think you might change your mind.....

Does that line work on ladies too?

[charlesr]

Similar but more specific, I think that as resolutions increase, you expect the detail of the textures to increase in line. But instead, you start noticing repeated textures and lack of detail more. Whereas at lower resolutions, you expected it all to look a mess

[Team Andromeda]

I'm not sure what exactly I really miss about it, but I feel that todays games look a bit generic in their visual splendor. They look boringly realistic in some ways. It's as if the complexity of modern graphics makes it that much harder to create and maintain a mood, as there are so many more elements that have to match.

There were plenty of games trying to look very realistic on the DC, Saturn, PS; The likes of Colin McRae , Shenmue, SEGA Rally, F355 spring to mind for starters, and Tomb Raider is still very much TR for looks, even in HD. There is also quite a lot of games that still have a fantasy look to them ... be that Blue Dragoon, Lost Planet, Ninja Gaiden, Drakes Uncharted II, Banjo and Mirror Edge (some of the best art I've ever seen in a game)

Playing the likes of Half Life II, BF II, Mirror Edge's feel like a breath of free air to COD, Thanks to the Art and gameplay, but there COD is based on real world effects I kind of expect the visuals to try and be realistic

Game music has become very sterile and sound has become poor.

I guess there's an debate on how they doesn't seem to be such memorable tunes as in the old days, but sound effects ?. Thanks to the X-Box and now the PS3/360, Sound effects and their use in games and SS have really moved the ball forward. The sound effects in the likes of Killzone, Half Life II, BF II, Bioshock, Metro, Dead Space just create a fantastic atmosphere and put you right in the game

[Tig]

I find myself missing the graphics seen in Nintendo 64, the first Playstation and Dreamcast. They had simple 3d models that - while primitive - rarely failed to communicate what it was supposed to be. A car looked like a car, a female differed enough from a male. I'm not sure what exactly I really miss about it, but I feel that todays games look a bit generic in their visual splendor. They look boringly realistic in some ways.

I've recently re-read Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, and that book has a brilliant explanation of this.



The theory is that removing details from an image causes the meaning to become amplified. In addition to that, it prompts us to imagine the characters in the image as ourselves rather than as other people.

In comparison, highly detailed images can obscure meanings, objectify characters, and distance us as "observers" rather than getting us involved imaginatively.




I googled a few images from the book, because it explains the stuff 100% better than I can.

















that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as that goes. It's a seriously good book.

[dvdx2]

Does that line work on ladies too?

you bettcha baby....lol

[dvdx2]

Todays game strive for a photorealistic look, and with the horsepower in modern consoles, they are not that far off. Yet I find myself missing the graphics seen in Nintendo 64, the first Playstation and Dreamcast. They had simple 3d models that - while primitive - rarely failed to communicate what it was supposed to be. A car looked like a car, a female differed enough from a male. I'm not sure what exactly I really miss about it, but I feel that todays games look a bit generic in their visual splendor. They look boringly realistic in some ways. It's as if the complexity of modern graphics makes it that much harder to create and maintain a mood, as there are so many more elements that have to match.

Powering up Goldeneye and playing a couple missions feels really atmospheric, and as a breath of fresh air after having played Call of Duty 14. Does anybody else feel the same way?

Here are some videos where I really love the look and feel of the graphics:

totally agreed with you; i play my n64/ps/saturn regularly. hmmmm that vid has put me in the mood for a bit of n64 MRC..

[Kit]

I've recently re-read Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, and that book has a brilliant explanation of this.

The theory is that removing details from an image causes the meaning to become amplified. In addition to that, it prompts us to imagine the characters in the image as ourselves rather than as other people.

In comparison, highly detailed images can obscure meanings, objectify characters, and distance us as "observers" rather than getting us involved imaginatively.

I googled a few images from the book, because it explains the stuff 100% better than I can.

I think the first example is about right. With older games the environments weren’t busy enough to distract you from your goals so you could get on with the gameplay and let your mind fill in the gaps. When the visuals fill in the gaps but aren’t interactive it can end up detracting from the experience; why isn’t this useable, why can’t I open this, why can’t I just walk through here etc... this became an issue for me when I played Tomb Raider Underworld as there were rock formations and doorways that looked completely climbable, but were just there to make the game look pretty.