Unrealistic games are more fun than Realistic ones

[RCBH928]

Open topic,
This is what I noticed.

Back like around the early N64 days I remember thinking how cool it would be to have a 3D world to move around in and be realistic like a movie(something like Goldeneye back then) but I guess its like be careful what you wish for thing. Fast Forward now, I find games not as fun to play and I noticed because they are just TOO realistic to be a game or to be fun. Graphics and movement is so real, one of the games I hate is COD because its so life like it doesn't feel like a game.

I just played Metal Gear : Twin Snakes and I had a ton of fun, while this game is supposed to be realistic the graphics were still arcade/cartoon like making you believe this is a game in the end. Its not extremely real it sucks the fun out of it. i can bring other examples like Mario Sunshine.

Do you agree or disagree with me?

[o.pwuaioc]

What are you talking about. This isn't realistic?

[Hateshinai]

^
Seems like an average weekend to me...

[Ora Ora!]

Can't say that I agree. I can enjoy both "realistic" and unrealistic games equally. I love games such as OFP, ARMA II, GT5/Forza, RFactor the older Tom Clancy titles, etc. Are you off put by realistic graphics or is it the gameplay? (based on your post, I would imagine the former) You mentioned COD and that's about as far away from realism as you can get in terms of gameplay mechanics.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I've been playing some modern Western RPGs lately, like Risen and Dragon Age II. The characters are so realistic that they look fake (if that made sense). They end up looking like mannequins and the way they move their faces and bodies is incredibly awkward to look at.

So yeah, I don't like "realistic" graphics either. The best modern day graphics belong to really colorful 2D shooters or cell-shaded anime games.

I'm firm believer that technologically advanced graphics don't usually equal "good" graphics. My favorite visuals are found on the SNES and Saturn.

[dogman91]

That is one of the theories I have on why games are so much fun to play... doing things I can't do in real life that I have complete control of in a game. Part of me thinks Xenoblade Chronicles and games like Ocarina of Time are popular also partly because of the vast world and amount of freedom to roam around... that is at least a big factor for me; especially why I enjoy open-world 3D platformers as well. In real life, you can't simply go on an "adventure" like that... either you sight-see on vacation or go to work/school and stick to the same place the entire time! Not to mention also, the sense of discovery by exploring that is obviously lacking in a world where literally everywhere is mapped out perfectly.

I think we have a craving to escape the real world because of how boring it is really... we need our fix. Maybe it's because we need to have some fun, or maybe it's because we crave something as human beings that means a little more than an our average lives in modern society. Yes, quite deep and maybe a speck exaggerated... but that's how I see things!

Anyway, I say realistic games are all fine and good because they're still not very realistic anyway unless we join the army (and even then it's not)... the zanier it is the more interesting it is though, at least for me. Battlefield 3 isn't exactly a game I'm getting too excited about...

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I've been playing some modern Western RPGs lately, like Risen and Dragon Age II. The characters are so realistic that they look fake (if that made sense). They end up looking like mannequins and the way they move their faces and bodies is incredibly awkward to look at.

Yes, what you are experiencing is the start of the uncanny valley in videogames. We are coming to the point where tech will be good enough to make some really nice looking people, but there will still be something missing. It'll be interesting to watch this happen, as I think more developers will go for a more stylized approach in the coming years. Besides, once we hit "full" realism, that will be the only way to really distinguish yourself from the other games.

[GigaPepsiMan]

I think this is a problem that goes hand in hand with current technology.
It isn't that the games are too realistic, there are some very good sims out there, I think the problem arises when we are giving these somewhat realistic visualts to fantasy games and any other game that is not set in a realistic reality.
It works with some games but other games would be better off going for a different graphical style or visual design.
We can all agree that No More Heroes (for example) wouldn't have been the game it was if it was made to look real.

[Inazuma]

I completely agree that unrealistic games are more fun than realistic ones. This is one of the main reasons I play mostly Japanese games. They look better and play better.

Super Mario World looks much better than Call of Duty to me. I know that CoD is far more graphically advanced but it looks extremely fucking ugly to me. Super Mario World also destroys CoD in the gameplay department as well.

[Hatta]

I wouldn't say that. I would say that the drive for realism will often force developers to sacrifice game design in favor of graphics quality. But there's nothing fundamental that makes a realistic game less fun to play.

It's also the case that what passes for realism isn't really all that realistic usually. For instance, reality isn't all brown and greys.