General Video Game Discussion

[Gekko135]

I don't care how nice the games look. Stop making them less than ten hours! Or at least charge us the admission of a movie to buy the damn thing!
Go ahead guys... make yer games look sexy and sleek. Have them fucking cigarettes look photogenic.

I'll still be coming to the video store and renting your afternoon length masterpieces...
Gimme a shitty looking fallout game I can sink my fucking teeth into!




Anyway, I missed the Super Meat Boy talk... but I wanted to add one thing.

The sound track fucking rules!

Great stage music!
[YOUTUBE]ADAoSJXt6HQ[/YOUTUBE]

And this, is a fucking boss theme! Hypes me up every time I hear it.
[YOUTUBE]ATrQKgfLpD0[/YOUTUBE]

[GuetaMinute]

Not all games with amazing graphics are necessarily boring or short.

Most FPS, yes, but not all games.

[Hiroy]

Epic needs to talk about gameplay to please me instead of catering graphic whores. Showcases of graphics are always boring as shit to me, because after I buy the game I realize the showcases weren't really important.

If they really think that's how all games should look like, then they need to go make some fucking movies.

[Buuhan1]

You're ignorant if you think graphics aren't an important thing in video games. Sure, graphics don't mean shit if the game doesn't play well and there's games that look like shit but play well, but to just throw graphics a side like that is like saying the exact same thing to gameplay. They are two sides of the same coin, they always have been, and they always will.

Games like Uncharted 2 is what all games should aspire to be like. Bloody gorgeous and great gameplay.

[Insider2000]

You're ignorant if you think graphics aren't an important thing in video games.

Ignorance doesn't apply to this conversation in any way, shape, or form.

Sure, graphics don't mean shit if the game doesn't play well and there's games that look like shit but play well, but to just throw graphics a side like that is like saying the exact same thing to gameplay. They are two sides of the same coin, they always have been, and they always will.

They are called 'games'. Gameplay is the key factor.

Remove the beef patty, and a hamburger is no longer a hamburger. Remove the pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, or onions, and it's both still a hamburger and the general way I prefer eating a hamburger.

Games like Uncharted 2 is what all games should aspire to be like. Bloody gorgeous and great gameplay.

I have to wait another five years for the next chapter in Final Fantasy to come out because of graphic rendering. God knows, we can't have decent stories or gameplay, but we'll get life like graphics. That makes everything better.

[GuetaMinute]

Ehh, I'm in between the
"LOL GRAPHICS ARE TEH BEST FUCK U NINTENDO AND UR KIDDY SHIT AND BAD GFX LOOLOLOL LOOK AT MY SUPER PC PLAYING CRYSIS MAXED OUT"
and
"LOL FUCK U HD FAGS WE DONT NEED GFX WE GOT GAMEPLAY EVEN THOUGH GAMES CAN HAVE BOTH BUT WE WONT ADMIT TO IT BECUZ THE WII HAS SHITTY GFX LOL"
crowds. I can defend both, pretty much.

[Hiroy]

You're ignorant if you think graphics aren't an important thing in video games. Sure, graphics don't mean shit if the game doesn't play well and there's games that look like shit but play well, but to just throw graphics a side like that is like saying the exact same thing to gameplay. They are two sides of the same coin, they always have been, and they always will.

Games like Uncharted 2 is what all games should aspire to be like. Bloody gorgeous and great gameplay.

You missed the point bro. I'm talking about this damned showcase of facial textures, reflections and all that shit you find good. Because in all when it comes to the final product, that stuff would hardly even matter.

There were several articles I have read in past about games that are currently out. Mass Effect, Uncharted, Lair(freaking Lair), Oblivion, Bioshock, generic shooter #9000, ect. The articles went into detail about the technology used on facial textures, mapping, environmental lighting, effects and whatever tricks they can pull off to fool the human eye into thinking "IT LOOKS REAL!".

When I played they games, you think I spent 50 hours splashing about in pre-rendered water, admiring facial features like a painting, and screwing a 3D model of a woman because they looked realistic? Nah. I spent time playing the game, getting from point A to point B, and doing things that was required to obtain a reward or finish the game. When it comes to the technology behind making the game, none of that mattered to me one bit.

[Buuhan1]

Good, I'm happy for you. But advances in graphics is very important, and it is a crucial part of games rather you care about them or not. Facial mapping and textures, the way water moves when your character swims through it, and other little things that ultimately add great depth may not seem important to you, but they are important.

The advances of these elements allow artists to create worlds and have them truly realized, rather they be ultra-realstic or cartoonish. For me constantly evolving graphics means more resources to game designers, just as color and CGI were to filmmakers, or tablets and illustration software to artists. There's plenty who'd voice displeasure to CGI, or traditional artists to digital artists, but it doesn't change the fact of what these advances have allowed others to achieve.

[GuetaMinute]

I'm one of those who believes better graphics can actually make the experience more complete, and immerse one more into the game. Imagine an incredibly atmospheric FPS (Metroid Prime) with maxed-out Crysis graphics.

Graphics don't make a game, but they can certainly enrich the overall experience.

Sometimes I wish I was rich and could afford a super-fucking-awesome PC and play all these exclusives coming out this year (or some that'll clearly run and play better on PC because that was the platform they're intended for)

[Cyber-Robin]

Wind Waker had nice graphics. Although they look kinda blocky nowadays. Still beautiful.

Had nice gameplay too (except that whole triforce collection crap. God I hated that)

But the problem I'm finding is too many devs are going for graphics and turning out poorer games in general. God of War 3 looks amazing compared to 1 and 2. Yet it's pretty darn bleh. As is FF XIII. Assassin's Creed 2 and Bioshock managed to balance them a bit.

[Robby]

Final Fantasy 4, 5 and 6 beat the shit out of final fantasy 10, 12 and 13, and they were done on Super Nintendo. Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 9 are generally better liked than the later games as well, and they were on Playstation.

Mario 1, 2, 3, and Super are great games. Donkey Kong Country.Sonic 1, 2, 3, and Knuckles. Chrono Trigger. Mario Kart was a perfect game on the SNES, and it hasn't changed much over the course of all the systems and graphic upgrades. The original Star Fox was a series of triangles and squares and it was fantastic.

Tetris and Pacman are among the greatest games ever made.

Yes, I'll take Super Metroid over regular Metroid any day, but it was a better game all around anyway. Graphics are important, sure. But they haven't *needed* to be photorealistic for the last 20 years, and they don't need to be now. The difference between Virtua Fighter 2 and Virtua Fighter 5 is so minimal beyond the graphic upgrades and minor tweaks its almost a moot point.

Graphics do matter, if they're bad to the point of distraction (for instance, I find Phantasy Star nearly unplayable) but they're not the end all be all. GAMEPLAY is king, every time.

[MagiciteKefka]

If we're talking graphics that makes good games, we just have to mention Okami. Sure, even without the beautiful art direction the game would have been great, but it wouldn't have been as memorable.

I'm mostly a fan of modern games, since i was born in 1993. I kinda grew up with a Playstation and a N64, but i've played loads of more old school games now that i'm older. Final Fantasy VI and IX are two of my favourite games, and that has nothing at all to do with graphics. I still consider FFXIII to be a good game, but that's mostly because of the graphics, no one can deny that the game looked great.

[Robby]

If we're talking graphics that makes good games, we just have to mention Okami. Sure, even without the beautiful art direction the game would have been great, but it wouldn't have been as memorable.

Yes, and that just proves the point. Its not photorealistic, and its much more memorable for it. Its also going to age really well because its so stylized, the look they achieved will always be cool.

[MagiciteKefka]

Yes, and that just proves the point. Its not photorealistic, and its much more memorable for it. Its also going to age really well because its so stylized, the look they achieved will always be cool.

Yup, true. Okami has for the latest 10 years or so been the pinnacle of video game graphics, for me at least.

[Buuhan1]

Yup, true. Okami has for the latest 10 years or so been the pinnacle of video game graphics, for me at least.

Considering the game's only 5 years old, that's some serious praise right there. But I agree, Okami will definitely be one of those games that holds up. It's already considered a classic, it could quite possibly be considered a "holy grail" of gaming in another decade or two. I still feel sad I never played it for more than a few hours back when it came out.

[MagiciteKefka]

Considering the game's only 5 years old, that's some serious praise right there.

Yeah, it is. But i haven't seen a game before that pushes the graphics on its own console (in this case the PS2) in a completely other direction from what most people want. Most people want realistic graphics, Okami went in the completely opposite way. But of course, games from the SNES and PS/N64 era pushed its consoles limits as well, but they didn't do anything spectacular that really grabbed my interest. Sure, the games look nice, but Okami has been the only one where i was truly amazed.

[GuetaMinute]

Holy shit does everyone suck on Okami's d now? Or at least everyone on AP Forums?

[Cyber-Robin]

Because Okami deserves it. Seriously. It's that damn good. I don't think I've ever met anyone who is serious about games and doesn't like Okami.

But does it surprise you that a Forum for a Japanese Manga loves an Awesome Japanese Game?

[MagiciteKefka]

Holy shit does everyone suck on Okami's d now? Or at least everyone on AP Forums?

Have you even played Okami before?

I agree with Cyber though, it is just that damn good, and anyone who's played it will understand that.

[Mr. Zoro]

I feel ashamed to say I haven't played Okami yet..

Or, having not played video games recently. I just started playing Super Street Fighter 4 the other day and just got back into the groove. Sure, I suck, but it's still a ton of fun.


Oh, video games, how I've missed you so~~