Are you impressed by the newest best graphics anymore?

[Menegrothx]

Very much so.

I believe there is a correlation between "being impressed with graphics" and age. I grew up with Missile Command, Pac-Man, and games like Defender that I am still impressed with. But the graphics these days are bewildering to me.

Like I mentioned in that another thread, I wasn't born in the 1970s (PS1 was my first console) and I find things like Atari 2600 homebrew games, Trilobit's Atari 2600 demos and PWPs&Viznuts VIC-20/C64 demos very impressive despite the fact that I'm not a programmer while a I've only seen couple of things on the Xbox 360 that impressed me (scenic views in Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption). But often times I get excited when I see an effect in a retro game that I have not seen in any other game on the same platform. Something very simple, like say, eyes on a game character on a Odyssey 2/2600 game can be very impressive if you're not used to seeing that in Odyssey 2/2600 games. Something as simple as a rotating cube or a waving flag on an old game console can be a million times more impressive than a seemingly photorealistic looking view or a cutscene in a modern game, when you have a vague idea of both systems capabilities and limitations. If I was better at math and had programming skills, I would be even more impressed by those demos On the other hand, I also know some older folks who are very much "graphics whores" - they refuse to play the classic games they grew up with because they have so ugly graphics!

[isiolia]

This thread is NOT ABOUT stylized graphics (ala Mario Galaxy, TF2) looking better than the most realistic graphics out there.

Art design extends to any style of graphics, not just highly stylized. Nearly everything is stylized to an extent, but that aside, you still have a wide range of possibilities at the same or similar technical level.
To a point, it can be a matter of making smart choices with what the game engine can do.

For example, while they do push the PS3, the Uncharted games don't exactly represent the cutting edge of graphics in general. I've been impressed with some of the environments in all of them. Part of that is attributable to the engine Naughty Dog wrote, but a lot more of it is what their artists turned around and did with that technology.

[J T]

I'm still blown away. Just when I think they can't get any better, they find some new way to push the envelope even further. I've spent several hours inside Outerra: Anteworld just flying around taking pictures because I just can hardly believe that they've recreated the entire planet Earth and made it so beautifully realistic. It's not even a game at this point, and I can spend tons of time just changing the position of the sun, adjusting fog levels, bending the lighting hues, and snapping screenshots. In fact, I have a hard time making progress in a lot of games these days because I'm so swept up in the graphics. I don't "hold shift to run" very often because I'm too busy soaking up the detailed environment. Several hours in, and I still don't really know what Skyrim's main storyline is about, but I've seen some amazing vistas, giants, waterfalls, caverns, elk, flowers....

I can also lose track of time just looking at pictures over at http://deadendthrills.com/

Obviously, I can enjoy games without good graphics, but I do love a good visual feast. And while I think style is more important than realism, I love to see what new styles emerge once the more realistic graphics are possible. That "Agni's Philosophy" tech demo Square-Enix just showed off is a perfect example. I think Unreal 4's demo is more technically impressive, the Square-Enix demo really showed off what their new tech can look like in the right artist's hands.

[Hazerd]

The last game that impressed me was Crysis in 2007, havent seen that HUGE of a improvement since then.

[Metal Jesus]

I love it when graphics in a new game push the artistic realism. A great example would be the new trailer for Watch Dogs from Ubisoft. You can tell they are pushing the number of high-res textures in the environment, as well as the realistic physics of clothing. Plus I just feel we have a loooooong way to go before human characters in games look real and can act & talk without looking fake.

[01toubib]

What this thread is about, is how much the latest graphics can keep on impressing?

PS3 and Xbox 360 are starting to be very outdated and limited in this regard when compared to PCs actually

A lot of people say this but I find this to be a bit harsh of an assessment sometimes because a lot of games are designed for PC then get transferred for xbox and PS3.

I find the games designed on the console, only for that console to be spectacular. (graphics wise)

[Erik_Twice]

A lot of people say this but I find this to be a bit harsh of an assessment sometimes because a lot of games are designed for PC then get transferred for xbox and PS3.

If the publisher has a multiplatform release in mind, they will always program for the Xbox. I can't think of any game that was made with multiplatforming in mind that wasn't designed for a console first.

There's a reason why Crysis 2 has a 15º field of view and a sewer system for an open-ended world.

[isiolia]

A lot of people say this but I find this to be a bit harsh of an assessment sometimes because a lot of games are designed for PC then get transferred for xbox and PS3.

Actually, to the dismay of many PC enthusiasts, it's more often the other way around these days.

In the past generations, you'd be right. It may actually be a trend that's changing too, at least until the next-gen Sony and MS consoles hit.

[AznKhmerBoi]

I was impressed with graphics when we saw the change from PSX---> Dreamcast, anything after that doesnt really excite me anymore.

It seems that everything now is too scripted and the graphics just make it more like a movie your sitting through rather than a game your playing.

Just my 5 cent



@JT,
Since the graphics were used to replicate something like that and showcasing the beauty of the world, I think i could really get excited about that.
I say this because my experience with Pilotwing was amazing because of their recreation of a scaled down USA. I really enjoy just flying around or hopping around trekking the USA.

Its too bad i dont have a power pc or else i would jump on that game for sure. Also i have seen the pics you uploaded and they do look pretty amazing!

[Gunstar Green]

If graphics were as good as they're ever going to get I would be satisfied. They do impress me and I find myself going "wow" once in a while. I'm always amazed at how the look and technology of games has evolved over time.

I do think it's a good question though, we're not wowed as much as we would have been at one time. There isn't as much room for the huge graphical jumps like we used to see in console generations.