Do you reckon you can 'reset' your view of graphics?

[Cutshaw]

As i have gotten older i have started to appreciate the art direction in games rather than obsessing over raw graphic realism that most people crave.

I would go with this. For instance I have become quite interested in project C.A.R.S. if you look at the screens the cars are almost photo realistic and I'm impressed, but it doesn't warm the soul the way something like Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet does.


Regards the topic, yes, I think you can. I think you can sum it up with this quote from the living legend that is Edward Murphy.

"If you're starving and somebody throw you a cracker, you gonna be like this: "Goddamn, that's the best cracker I ever ate in my life! That ain't no regular cracker, was it? What was that, a Saltine?" Then you get married, because you think you've found the bomb. have the same crackers every day for a year. And you roll over one day and be like: ""Hey, I just got some regular old crackers."

 

[HangTime]

(GL)Quake is a very, very good example of how art direction can help. On paper, a 1996 game should look like complete pony, but it actually has quite a nice style to it. Primitive, yes, flawed, certainly; but it it is packaged up in such a way that you can still play the game, everything still makes sense, you can enjoy the game without worrying about the mediocre visuals.

Some RTS games are similar, pretty basic graphics but it just works. 'Average' (by modern standards) graphics executed well can look better than games that tried too hard, you know, the late 90s era of execessive lens flare, coloured lighting et al.

 

[Bubo]

its a lot easier playing old games with 2d sprite based graphics like old amegia and megadrive games than it is playing early 3d games some of them look truly terrible

I look at Neverwinter Nights as a classic example of this. You went from the Baldurs Gate series with their gorgeous prerendered backdrops and highly detailed sprites to distinctly ropey low rez texture blocky objects just to make it use that new 3D. Same with Ultima Online and its dabble with 3D, it really did look awful in comparison to the sprites. Basically boils down to textures more than anything. Early cards just sucked for that. Took till Dragon Age for 3D engines to catch up with 2D IMO.

 

[badcompany]

As i have gotten older i have started to appreciate the art direction in games rather than obsessing over raw graphic realism that most people crave.

agree, I was purely a graphics nut but the gradual increase in eye candy with decrease in fun factor has changed my views somewhat.

 

[Horse Pop]

Nope.

Not SNES games anyway.

For the most part 2D drawn sprites don't look old and ugly, just different.

I am playing Bastion at the minute and that is beautiful despite being 2D sprites.

 

['Wes]

I don't need to, i've been playing Banjo Kazooie again and because i enjoyed it when i first played it, i don't actually care how it looks.

 

[Nimdok]

I often get that "wow" feeling when I've been playing old games for a long period of time (only takes about a week or two of straight playing to get me into the mindset), and then move on to a newer game.

 

[R.P.L]

I can do it quite easily. I play a lot of Quake Live, but when I load up BF3 for a quick go I am blown away by the graphics everytime, same with Skyrim as I only play that game like once a month.

And then you go back to QL and get blown away by the gameplay?!

As others have said, a game can have great visual design without being technically amazing, QL being a good example.

 

[Craig321]

Do you reckon if you played nothing but SNES games for a year, then played Half-Life 1 it would look amazing, or do you think that once you've played Crysis, Half-Life 1 will always look ****?

I did another playthrough of Diablo II just before Diablo III came out. That certainly made me appreciate modern graphics (and full screen!)

 

[Black Dog]

I love playing old games and not bothered about graphics that much. If I play a game that does have plenty of eye candy then that's fine and I appriciate it.
I think you can get used to certain graphics. Playing the PS3 for a few days you get accustomed to 720p. Once you step back to the PC @ 1920 x 1080 then you really notice the difference but going back to the consoles you do get used to it again.

 

[413x]

Been playing generals recently and although first thoughts are.. This looks gash... Soon you forget about gfx and all you think about is game play, having realised this I will always have a gpu at least one generation behind current, that's if any decent new games ever come out!