Glorious Pre-rendered Master Race

[MrEco]

I know not everyone likes them, but I absolutely love pre-rendered backgrounds in games. This thread is meant as a tribute to them, and I hope I'm not the only one who can appreciate their immobile beauty.

So come one and come all, post some examples of your favorite pre-rendered backgrounds throughout gaming.


(Final Fantasy 7)



(Final Fantasy 9)



(Myst)



(Resident Evil)



(Resident Evil 2)



(Alone in the Dark)

[Menegrothx]

The Longest Journey had a lot of them. I can't find my favorites by a quick google picture search, but some scenery was quite breath taking in that game


It was quite popular late 1990s&early 2000s adventure games, like Grim Fandango, Syberia, Sanitarium and Blade Runner

The Infinity Engine games (Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale)




Arcanum is another RPG that uses the style

The Oddworld games (and Heart of Darkness) were quite gorgeous



Many JRPGs used prerendered backgrounds too like Koudelka&Shadow Hearts, Legend of Dragoon, Parasite Eve etc

Any one who likes oldschool RPGs and prerendered background should keep an eye out for Torment tides of Numenera and Project Eternity, the upcoming kickstarter RPGs that are spiritual sequels to the Infinity engine games

[BoringSupreez]

Pre-rendered environments were great up until this gen. We now have consoles capable of rendering backgrounds that look as good as pre-rendered in real time, and real-time brings the advantages of interactibility and changes (destructible environments).

That doesn't change the fact that in previous generations, games that used pre-rendered environments were (are) some of the most beautiful games of their time. FFVII, Oddworld, and the original Fallouts have that unique look to them that you just can't find anymore. And don't forget REmake, which could almost pass for a current-gen game despite having been released 11 years ago on the Gamecube.

[Menegrothx]

Yup, the lack of interactibility is the biggest downfall of prerendered backgrounds, but to be fair not that many games utilize the environment that well to begin with, so it doesn't necessarily make that big of a difference

[Damm64]

I haven't played the whole game yet but koudelka has some nice backgrounds

[fvgazi]

I remember being angered by pre-rendered backgorunds back in the day, but now it evokes this sense of nostalgia. I've grown to love them, especially as I've gone more towards playing RPG's.

Parasite Eve sticks out in my mind because it's one of the more recent games I've finished.

[J T]

Here's your "master race". :p

[Menegrothx]

That ain't even pre-rendered. This is a SNES game with pre-rendered backgrounds

[J T]

It's rendered in clay.

[winds]

I still think Resident Evil Remake on the GC has some of the greatest looking graphics due to it's fantastic use of pre-rendered backgrounds and amazing lighting effects. I remember staring at screenshots of it before its release and being in absolute awe. It didn't disappoint at all. I can still look at these screenshots and find it comparible with most games today.