artfully stylized graphics will always be better because they will look timeless
Stop stressing my GPU and start hiring artists
Submitted 2 weeks ago by ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world to [deleted]
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/4d7ed2cc-f99e-4384-901b-544e03a29c62.jpeg
Comments
big_slap@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
M137@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
There are several games who we’re just “this looks like reality” when they released who have aged well too. Half-life 2 (even without the updates) being the first one I think of, but I also think the first Far Cry and Crysis look amazing even now. Good design will age well no matter, the only thing that goes away is the immediate excitement of how impressively real it looks for the ones that went for that, but they still stir something inside people who experience them for the first time decades later.
YourMomsTrashman@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Psychonauts!!
M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
I would be happy if they stopped making everything look somehow both covered in vaseline while also being more reflective then a fucking mirror.
Just look at this shit in the demo:
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
When reflections became a thing in graphics, they were the new hotness. But unfortunately they’re overused because people seem to think that reflections are the best indicator of graphical realism. They’re a factor for sure, but overly reflective isn’t the same as realistic reflections
M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Like 3d tv, this is just a fad. Most people I know turn off raytracing in a few min (even though they spent $1000s on hardware to do raytracing). The generated frames and full ray and pathtracing have such low payout vs the cost. Unless something changes this is all pointless waste.
Best example I can think of is the rtx portal looking and running like ass compared to the now very old original.
kamen@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
This works for a tech demo if you want to show off a new rendering engine or a new GPU. But yeah, if you base the whole game around that, it’s like those movies with more CGI than plot.
muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
In this world, there is no dust or dirt and everything looks like an early 2000’s Apple product.
M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
And if there is dirt, its glossy and reflective. I swear they are trying to give uncanny valley vibes on everything now.
Bababasti@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
I mean, effects like these have their time and place as well. Looking for a sci-fi setting in a distant future where these robots coming fresh out the factory like that? Cool. But I get your sentiment, if everything just looks like this because it just can and no conceptual thought goes into it, it’s crap.
M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Oh yeah, for sure there is a place for it. But a big part of the whole selling point for raytracing is it will just do its thing and look good. However it looks like this.
MIDItheKID@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Hah. Remember in the Xbox 360 era when everything looked like it was wrapped in saran wrap? I hated that so much. It’s like - some if not most objects are not that reflective. Yes light bounces off of things, but it’s such an “all or none” solution. Things in real life are so much more diffused.
M0oP0o@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Its odd that things become shiny and greasy everytime the industry pushes graphics. I want to play a game that is by it’s very nature not the real world. If you want to do a photo realistic game then bring back FMV.
rustyricotta@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Mirro’s Edge is still beautiful to this day, despite being 17 years old
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Dear AAA game studios: Just look at Hades II.
LOOK AT IT. A good chunk of the art you see on every playthrough isn’t even animated.
I’m probably going to clear 300+ hours on this thing before I put it down, and I’ll likely tell everyone to buy it because it’s that good. Photorealism is the last thing I care about.
AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Similarly Schedule I. Tyler optimized TF out of the very unrealistic graphics in that game, and is only hiring an artist so that the expansion looks pretty.
muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
So I remember playing xenosaga 3 on the PS2. The visual effects on some of the mech attacks were absolutely stunning. It was sooooo pretty.
PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
I like both, they each have their place
Raglesnarf@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
you know what, I’ll just keep playing the same old decade old games I’ve been playing
Xotic56@lemmy.sdf.org 2 weeks ago
I wish they’d make more games like Disco Elysium where the whole thing looks like a painting.
Zapados@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
I wish they’d make more games that have unique art styles.
ieGod@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
The indie scene is where you’ll find the most creative takes. There are some truly stunning styles that mainstream games would probably never try.
spykee@lemmings.world 2 weeks ago
Lara Croft pointy top
No matter who denies it, this is peak artfully stylised graphics for any game ever made.umbrella@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
id be happy if they actually optimized their games instead of releasing half baked buggy slow garbage
AgentOrangesicle@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
But Clair Obscur, tho.
Like, damn.
starman2112@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Anyone who says photorealism and stylized art are mutually exclusive needs to play Clair Obscur, then delete their comment
AgentOrangesicle@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I watched my friend play Mall Simulator, and in spite of it not being graphically intensive, the game breaks down when there are too many assets in the world. Absolute respect to the people that optimize games.
RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Well… Ontologically speaking…
nlgranger@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Plague tale (requiem in particular) is also ridiculously beautiful on mid range GPUs. I couldn’t believe my graphic card was able to do that. It’s a shame games reviews and screenshots don’t account for average setups because that’s what most of us have and some developers deserve praise to make it work for us.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
Hand draw each frame. Now do it 60 or more times per second.
Hjalamanger@feddit.nu 2 weeks ago
Yes, you only have to replace your GPU with about 800 000 artists (assuming the take four hours to draw a frame)
Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
And since they have to do it 4 hours in advance, it’s technically using FrameGeneration. 😩
ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
There’s a guy in my computer doing that for me
FishFace@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Meh, I like high fidelity graphics. Most “artfully stylised” games are not to my taste either - pixel graphics do nothing for me and nor do a lot of flat 2D graphics. Stuff like GRIS is beautiful, but it seems to be an outlier. So for visually engaging stuff I find it’s AAA mostly realistic graphics - if not “photorealistic” - for me.
Yuyarl@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
A person with different tastes than me, grrrr. It’s diametrically opposite for me. All AAA, no matter what studio, not ID, not Lorien, their graphics just never look as vibrant as lo-fi graphics of a game made by, at most, 5 people. They do have some impressive aspects but, overall, because they try to look more “”“real”“” they end up looking more mundane and boring to me. Nothing will ever compete with artistic abstraction of lo-fi games 🥀
db2@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Why do that when I can just ask Sora to make it for me? Then I don’t have to engage my brain at all!
EldenLord@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Depends. Some horror games really sell the value of photorealism well
Gonzako@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ll be honest, I like both.
InputZero@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Agreed, it really depends on the game. Battlefield with Art Stylized graphics would look terrible, just like how if Final Fantasy was done with Realistic graphics would be weird.
zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
The last several final fantasy games have been done with realistic graphics though lol
REDACTED@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Would you honestly prefer artistic over photorealistic in games like GTA, Arma, 7 days to die, every driving or racing sim, escape from tarkov/stalker, and majority of other popular titles? Yeah, no.
Drusas@fedia.io 2 weeks ago
I must have missed the part where OP said, "There shouldn't be any photorealistic games."
REDACTED@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Neither OP said “some”, your argument is non-existent, I was simply giving examples about games where photorealistic graphics aren’t a bad thing
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I loved the goffy over the top graphics of older GTA games like Vice City, San Andreas etc. I played GTA 5 for a bit and then dropped it cause I feel the game lost some of its charm with the more realistic graphics
merc@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
The trouble with photorealism is that you very easily stumble into the uncanny valley. In addition, something that often looks “photorealistic” today will look really dated in a few years.
If you go with artfully styled games, it can actually be much harder. You need to adopt a consistent artistic style and have that style be used by many different artists. Unlike with photorealism, there isn’t always going to be a reference available. You have to watch that over time, and as the scope of the game grows, the style remains consistent. But, when it’s done well, it can be amazing.
One of my favourites in terms of artful styling is the game Interstate '76. It came out at a time when full motion video cutscenes were the style of the day. You’d have low resolution graphics, and then come in with a VHS-quality cutscene with real actors and real sets. Then back into low resolution graphics. Interstate '76 chose an amazing artistic style, then did in-engine cutscenes, which kept the style consistent.
The other master of this, IMO, is World of Warcraft. It must be a gargantuan undertaking to have a game with that many different models and to have a consistent style for all of them, but they mostly do. They often do out-of-engine cutscenes, but their style is so consistent that their cutscenes just look like even more detailed shots from that same world.
yermaw@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
something that often looks “photorealistic” today will look really dated in a few years
Check the overall vibe of game cube games VS ps2/xbox. N64 VS PS1. Colourful pretty games stand the test of time way better than realism.
RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Rule #1: Never get out of the car
merc@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
What was that?!
Flying saucer.
Oh.
Beebabe@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Wow had been interesting lately. The last expansion I played, there were legitimately zones that I thought “I can’t believe this is wow” compared to the vanilla zones. You can still tell after a moment, but it is just a lot more detailed. I do love the point you make here. It reminded me of my first experience with uncanny valley in a game. I prefer not to have that experience tbh.
merc@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Were you thinking “I can’t believe this is WoW” or “I can’t believe how good this looks?”
Because, I haven’t experienced the first one. To me, once I’m in the game, there really seems to be an amazing consistency in how things look. After a while things look “realistic” but in a “realistic for WoW” way. Like, obviously Orcs and Demons are not realistic, but the consistency is so strong that how things look, and move, and behave is so strong and predictable.
untorquer@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
something that often looks “photorealistic” today will look really dated in a few years.
I’m fairly certain that with AI framegen and he hyperfocus on raytracing this paradigm is broken. Were going from consecutive titles looking better to stagnation while only projects with some breathing room in production will advance visually. (E.g. new witcher).
menas@lemmy.wtf 2 weeks ago
GPU consumption is more reliable to know how old a game is than its graphics.
When Minecraft was released, I thought it was an accident. That no other game could be popular and run with with an inappropriate language such as Java.
I was so wrong.
brucethemoose@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I mean, there aren’t a lot of Java games, and C# isn’t that bad if that’s what you’re referencing.
The old Civ games were a lot of Python, which is perhaps the most atrocious of all. But they worked okay.
menas@lemmy.wtf 2 weeks ago
No, I was referencing to Javascript or game release too soon that turn computers into toasters. Last I played was RVchere yet; less polygons than Half Life Source, constantly crash because we got not enough ressources.
AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
I loved Firewatch’s art style. And story. It was a masterpiece.
Schmuppes@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
It’s a shame that “In The Valley Of Gods” is unlikely to happen anymore.
RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Art directors are expensive. A guy that can “google it” is much more cost effective.
Grostleton@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Darktide: Porque no los dos?
LynxIsInvicible@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I do like pacific drive but can’t play on my potato
sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Genuine question:
Kenshi.
Does that count as ah, heh, a lo-fi take on photorealism, or… stylized?
Many people run mods that add a bit of tasteful cel-shading type borders, but you can also go the other way and crank up texture resolution levels.
mika_mika@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I like anime waifu and I think it’s timeless. The problem is, because it’s everywhere, there are a lot of not great to offensive games that use it
orioler25@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Jesus god and more pre-rendered graphics.
Glide@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Monster Hunter Rise was more visually satisfying that Wilds. Prove me wrong (you can’t).
saigot@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
These aren’t mutually exclusive
mad_lentil@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
High-fidelity and artfully stylized aren’t, but photorealism is like… a photo.
CubitOom@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Photo realism still requires art direction.
Think of a movie.
PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
I think they mean that you can like both, you don’t have to choose only one to like
sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Don’t make me point at the TitanFall 2 and MGSV sign again.
Its just that that’s hard for developers to develop, for management to allow, so, instead, use horrifically unoptimized UE5!