The only thing those comparison pics have done was confuse me on which picture was the real thing. Rockstar is truly magnificent.
The only thing those comparison pics have done was confuse me on which picture was the real thing. Rockstar is truly magnificent.
KZ ShadowFall has sublime world building, with a completely unique setting from scratch, imaginative architecture and a launch game no less.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83fRJUrZ1_A
I gotta replay this game.
Regardless of how many of them are exact or just similar, just being similar alone really shows how realistic and believable their world design is. I mean, I wouldn't quite say LS was designed by a civic engineer, but when most open world games have the civic logic of a toddler, GTA V is rather well done. And not just the civic layout, but especially believable (and practical) architecture, et cetera, which that quoted reply focuses on more.KyanMehwulfe said:(from this original reply)
http://gtaforums.com/topic/491242-mapping-los-santos-buildinglandmark-analysis/page-866
http://gtaforums.com/topic/491242-mapping-los-santos-buildinglandmark-analysis/page-865
(Huge thanks to GTAF and especially Wayne Kerr his work find these is amazing)
FOR REFERENCE, pictures of in real life (IRL) Los Angeles are always first, then in-game Los Santos GTA are second.
(the top floor windows especially)
(even in examples that are stretching it at least, it shows how believable and civic-ly logical the architecture is)
(they're not exact clones but Rockstar did say they spent 100 days photographing LA to base all their buildings on, and you seen that in almost every building)
(The art at least looks believable; as if designed by an architecture, not a game designer with no concept of how cities or buildings are logically actually made)
(there's lots of obvious ones, too, like downtown LA and Shallow Pond, Hollywood, or Venice Beach being almost exact copies in LS)
(this apartment is very close to Venice Beach IRL and very close to Vespucci Beach in-game)
(this one may be stretching the coincidence but there is a motel with palm trees conveniently right beside it...)
(this could be coincidence too but this building is RIGHT NEXT to the above hotel... you can find very close by on Google Maps)
(most of GTA V's streets are also inspired by LA... which, thankfully, means their layout is much more believable than, say, GTA SA where the streets felt amazing to explore but were an illogical unbelievable mess of a mess)
(a lot of these have tweaks but you can see the similar frames, windows, etc)
(both selling tacos, too lol)
(this is the same one but it's run down, and you can even see the broken sign!)
(different windows but you can see both movie have similar frames, especially the 2nd floor indented roof)
(similar windows, again)
(same pillars and same storage area)
(obvious...)
(see the windows on the 2nd floor, and also the 2 opens on the right with the 1 window in the center piece)
(this one is stretching it.... but look at the how the 2 overhanging pieces don't exactly match up... the right one is flatter and sticks out more, and the left one is bigger and isn't 'in sync' with the other. and the vertical lines in the wall)
(not super close but look at the 'gate' in the door, the same arches, half circles, the golden pillar detail, etc)
(similarly 2nd floor windows and arches)
(more similarities)
(these are 2 good examples of ones that are not very close but clearly show that all the architecture is still realistic... the way arches are shaped, pillars are placed... they're done so in a sound and logical way)
(also the window frames often are similar to IRL)
(this one is cool... similar construction projects, AND the buildings the architecture company is in looks similar, too! the second pic is where IRL and IG the architecture company is)
(more similarly windows, frames)
(similar gate, overhead, advertising, etc)
(IRL on left, GTA V on right)
(also, there's a little bit of Rockstar San Diego, Rockstar Toronto, and Rockstar Vancouver in GTA V )
Rockstar in my opinion is the king of the open world genre in part because they don't skimp on the details in their environments. Their games (especially the GTA series) always raise the bar and are unlike anything I've played before. A lot of research and care is taken in what they do. I remember Michael Pachter criticized Rockstar for this saying that they need to release GTAs more often and paying attention to minor details such as radio stations was unnecessary. I think it's refreshing that Rockstar is one of the few developers that put quality over profit. They know if the game is good the money will come. Too often we see games ruined because they were rushed out the door to turn a profit.
Skyrim is just like any other Lord of the Rings shoot off you see out there.Absolutely.
(and more)
In terms of the world feeling more real than others that's largely a result of their budget and adhering closely to their real-world influence. The kind of detail in GTA V is only possible because of that. It feels like a real world largely because it is.
But creating a place like Skyrim, to me, is a far greater feat of world building and design.
No love for MMOs in here. I would think those are among the great world builders.
I also wonder if we should criticize GTA for making beautiful detailed world filled with people who you really only interact with through violence. One would think people are an important part of world building.
Skyrim is just like any other Lord of the Rings shoot off you see out there.
If you're gonna downplay GTAV for having LA as a direct reference, Skyrim plays it pretty fucking straight compared to the mountain of fantasy art you have out there.
On top of that, while Los Santos usually feels like a real, living city, Skyrim is pretty silly in this regard, with places that should come off as prominent human towns like Whiterun, look and feel like an outpost with a couple of houses.
Moreover, it's not like Whiterun is directly lifted from Jackson's rendition of Edoras or anything
Imagine he said Morrowind instead.
Skyrim is just like any other Lord of the Rings shoot off you see out there.
If you're gonna downplay GTAV for having LA as a direct reference, Skyrim plays it pretty fucking straight compared to the mountain of fantasy art you have out there.
On top of that, while Los Santos usually feels like a real, living city, Skyrim is pretty silly in this regard, with places that should come off as prominent human towns like Whiterun, look and feel like an outpost with a couple of houses.
Moreover, it's not like Whiterun is directly lifted from Jackson's rendition of Edoras or anything
As i said, R* ability in creating believable environments is surely related to having a huge budget, but also with a great expertise and artistry they have in that regard.
It's probably their best quality, actually.
I loved GTAV but you don't get points for copying a city that actually exists. They did an impressive job, but they "just" rebuilt LA.
By contrast, MonilithSoft is creating VASTLY more original worlds with their Xenoblade games.
Copying the real world and changing the billboards helps with that, I think.
They're hardly original. They take bits and pieces and condense it all into a mini-city. Not that they're not good at it, but it's hardly world-building. More like world-copying.
I loved GTAV but you don't get points for copying a city that actually exists. They did an impressive job, but they "just" rebuilt LA.
Yeah, I should be shocked people are using that...but it is GAF so...I'd actually argue that copying a real city/area to the detail GTA:V has done is more work because you have to study all the different regions and their culture and blend it all as seamlessly as possible into one world, whereas with original worlds the artist doesn't have to be as grounded to reality.
I'd actually argue that copying a real city/area to the detail GTA:V has done is more work because you have to study all the different regions and their culture and blend it all as seamlessly as possible into one world, whereas with original worlds the artist doesn't have to be as grounded to reality.
Well GTA is made in Scotland. So technically it is foreign :lolThis argument would have merit if it was a foreign culture and foreign architecture they were adapting into the GTA games.
LA? NY? Miami? These places and their respective regional quirks are all in the public consciousness of Americans. You hardly need to do an intensive in-situ ethnography to "understand" these places.
LA? NY? Miami? These places and their respective regional quirks are all in the public consciousness of Americans. You hardly need to do an intensive in-situ ethnography to "understand" these cities.
KZ ShadowFall has sublime world building, with a completely unique setting from scratch, imaginative architecture and a launch game no less.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83fRJUrZ1_A
I gotta replay this game.
I really wish this game was playable with skippable cutscenes and shorter load times, it really kills replays.
Yes. Only rivaled by Bethesda.
I loved GTAV but you don't get points for copying a city that actually exists. They did an impressive job, but they "just" rebuilt LA.
By contrast, MonilithSoft is creating VASTLY more original worlds with their Xenoblade games.
This is actually one of the areas I think Assassin's Creed does well. Paris in AC Unity was beautiful.They do have the benefit of basically having infinite time and money to work on their stuff which shows.
Under another publisher I am sure GTA's worlds would have become as bland and copy + paste-y as the cities in Assassins Creed games.
I,d love to see what volition could do with similar budgets
I was looking at some footage of Max Payne 3 on PC and despite being a last gen game, somehow, i was impressed with what i was watching. I actually did play the game on a 360 when it was released and thought it was the best looking game ever but today i was thinking that after all these years (and the next-gen consoles being released) it might not look that great to me. But i was wrong.
Its the same thing with the original GTA5. I still believe this game (not even the remaster) looks better than Watch Dogs on a PS4.
It seems to me that the reason of this is the way the world/backgrounds are designed. Sure, Watch Dogs have better graphics with more "modern" effects and such but why is that the city doesn't look that good? Is it because Rockstar designs better textures? (kinda like Valve?) Maybe its the geometry detail? I feel like GTA 5 still has a bigger geometry detail at any given scene than Watch Dogs. Is it the lighting? GTA4 had awful lighting but Max Payne 3 and GTA 5 look very natural. Is it because the towns look busier? Still, that doesn't effect Max Payne though.
I think its the combination of high geometry detail and the way Rockstar designs buildings and structures. Even areas that look boring in other games (offices, garages, tunnels, narrow alleys) look great in GTA5 or Max Payne 3.
Thoughts?