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[Unicorn]

I think this was from someone in GAF:

I think I realize why I like low-poly so much: It reminds me of action figures, like GI Joes. something about knowing where the points of articulation can be. Such as these MK renders above. Reminds me of the MK action figures I had growing up.

 

[luka]

i've always felt mechwarrior 2 dos always looked far more attractive than it's 3d accelerated counterparts and even the later, more technically advanced games. the simple geometry, sparse textures, stark palette and overall lack of visual clutter made it easy to parse and pleasant to look at.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

I'm still utterly baffled at the vitriolic reaction from people at the mere thought of low-polygon aesthetic making a return. I think it's beautiful, and a great asset to visually think outside the box.



so goddamn charming

Was waiting for the Legends games to pop up! I'm 100% with you on this. I recently played through all three games on my Vita, and goddamn they have a visual style that holds up super well all these years later.

The other example I most recently played is Rival Schools. Delicious.

 

[John Rabbit]

Actually you know what game hasnt been posted yet i adore the look of? Alpha Waves!!
A 3d platformer in 1990, game was ahead of its time:

oh this looks awesome, never heard of it.

randomly reminded me of CyberBykes:

 

[Astral/H3X]

I love the aesthetic of low poly, but I HATE muddy textures, low resolution, and bad framerate. But a game with textures that are made of cleaner lines (not necessarily higher res, just "cleaner"), with higher rendering resolution and a solid framerate would make me squeal. F Zero X looks a lot better than most other N64 games precisely for these reasons (aside of course from the same resolution).

 

[NormalFish]

Only real issue with these graphics i the modern day is overzealous use of dithering. Some games it can look kind of nice but with a nice cable instead of composite or s-video so that you can see every pixel? Some games turn in to a mess.

 

[krypt0nian]

Oh Spyro....you were too good for us.

<3

 

[ULTROS!]

I love Dreamcast low-poly stuff placed into an HD display:


Resident Evil CODE: Veronica HD

Space Channel 5 pt. 2

 

[Kindekuma]

Probably one of my favorite low-poly games of all time. Still play it to this day.

 

[ckohler]

Battlezone (1998)

Such a great game too. A first person RTS.

 

[K.Sabot]

Low poly + sharp chunky pixel textures ala PS1 - the texture warping and we have perfection.

I would play so many low poly jrpg style games.

 

[Rlan]

Also from the DS in HD thread:

 

[JCX]

Love this era of games. Sure it's part nostalgia, but it reminds me of s time before the need for utter graphical perfection.

 

[Mdk7]

Also from the DS in HD thread:

Man, What i would do for another Power Stone.

 

[Deified Data]

No Morrowind love?

 

[butzopower]

I always liked the goofy lighting and boxy models in Gloom (Quake 2 mod):

Source: http://www.planetgloom.com/

 

[hipgnosis]

I absolutely love the low-poly look. It always makes me sad when people say that PS1 and N64 games have aged terribly and are unplayable. To me that era is the golden age of video games.

 

[butzopower]

I also think the Quake 2 railgun particles are much cooler than the Quake 3 railgun light ray:

vs

 

[itchyass86]

Yeah, I really hope that in a few years Low-Poly will be the new go to retro aesthetic opposed to 8/16 bit pixel art.

I love the look of MGS1.

A Hind D... ?

 

[Lijik]

something i dig is when indie devs mix up lowpoly art styles with a restricted og gameboy palette but the only games ive seen do it are small jam games

 

[Symphonia]

 

[Philippo]

God i miss the lowpoly PSX/N64 era so much.

 

[AESplusF]

God i miss the lowpoly PSX/N64 era so much.

Me too, PS2 era too, this thread is making me all sentimental

 

[Sevenfold]

I fed Stun Runner as a hobby in my childhood. There was an arcade on the Blackpool prom with it in with the proper sit on cabinet. Watching the Youtube video now I can't believe how bad the frame rate was considering how fluid it felt when you got good at it.
I was so upset the day it disapeared from the arcade. It made me love the low poly clunk.

Shit even the cabinet was low poly


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlgpj6fZQ4U

 

[spekkeh]

I'm partial to the chunkiness of N64 and Sega Model 1 games. I don't consider them beautiful per se, but endearing in their solid looking blocky worlds. But the dithered, warping mess of PS1 era games can sod right off. Only a mother with nostalgia goggles can love that.

 

[DavidBoring]

David Braben's Virus in The Amiga

 

[Acosta]

I used to think it was hideous but over the past 10 years it has charmed its way into my heart. Especially Sega Model 1 and Namco System 21 stuff.

This is me. Back in the time I though it was the worst that has happened to videogames and was puzzled how we went from beautiful sprites to this. 3D didn't grow up on me until PS2 (specifically with Devil May Cry). But now I feel there is certain charm on this.

Winning Run from Namco

 

[Candescence]

To be quite frank, a lot of this is something of a mixed bag for me, some games just look awful while others look great. But stuff like model warping, muddy textures and low resolutions can go sod right off. I'm more partial to the N64 over the PS1, frankly.

I'll take low-poly models and pixelated textures as long as they look good (generally more cartoony aesthetics), but I'd rather dispose of the rest of that gen's limitations.

 

[owasog]

There is no game more beautiful than the original Unreal. Such beauty with so few polygons:

 

[PsionBolt]

This might be pushing the limits of what can be considered "low poly", being as new as it is, but I love the look that a lot of games with mid-tier production values on PSP have. It's part of why I'm always super excited when a new PSP game or localization is announced.

Black Rock Shooter:

Fate/Extra (CCC):

I have to say though, more than anything it's the pixel-tastic textures that I love. The muddy, blurry textures that were common in N64 and old PC games just don't do it for me.

 

[Lijik]

I think deliberately low resolutions have more potential than theyre given credit for. I played a chunk of COP in a higher res back when that hd ds game thread was current, and it was surreal. To pull off its open world the game does all kinds of tricks like cars turning into trapezoids when theyre far away enough. As you can imagine that looks obvious and offputting at high res but looks normal at the regular ds resolution. The visual clarity is a hinderance

That got me thinking a deliberately low res game that used a simple, abstract geometric style could work. Something where itd help to have the mind visually fill in the blanks like a surreal horror game could benefit from that id think.

 

[chiimisu]

This might be pushing the limits of what can be considered "low poly", being as new as it is, but I love the look that a lot of games with mid-tier production values on PSP have. It's part of why I'm always super excited when a new PSP game or localization is announced.

I have to say though, more than anything it's the pixel-tastic textures that I love. The muddy, blurry textures that were common in N64 and old PC games just don't do it for me.

Agreed! I really enjoy this look <3

 

[John Kowalski]

love this thread

 

[R1CHO]

I am getting pretty tired of the amount of indie "retro" 2d pixel art graphics we have been getting in the last years, only a few look good; i gladly would take more low fidelity 3d graphics instead.

 

[Shmuppers]

What a great thread. Here's some screens I took from Xenogears:

 

[Ombala]

Im requesting some ELITE pictures/gifs and more Jaguar games.

 

[Jaeger]

This thread is beautiful. More RE, please.

 

[adelante]

This comes to mind.: WipeOut PSX model viewer

 

[missile]

I love these threads. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Stairouais]

Favourite racers on Ps1.
also, there's a serious lack of Omega Boost on this thread

 

[Galamauth]

Project M N64 April Fools

 

[JC Sera]

does ghost trick count (I love low poly so much)

 

[PdotMichael]

I'm not sure if I would put Dreamcast games under the low poly umbrella. Though maybe I'm just too old.

 

[Bulbasaur]

There were a few games towards the end of the DS's life that really amazed me. Okamiden being my favorite

 

[FaintDeftone]

Man, this thread reminded me of how much I loved Fighting Vipers. I really need to hunt down the Dreamcast import of the sequel.

 

[Carroway]

Silent Hill is a personal standout for me. A game that worked within the limitations of the console. By giving me just enough to make out what a thing was supposed to look like, but left just enough to imagination to utterly terrify me.

 

[Steejee]

The two PC games I always think back to first for my low poly youth:

Stunts: (The PC Speaker intro music is burned into my brain)

Test Drive III:

 

[nico1982]

LHX. It was unbelievably realistic back in the '90

 

[soxinthebox]

Those Bloody Roar models in the OP look so good.

 

[Razmos]

Huh, my antivirus got set off by a picture in the first page, panzer-dragoon-saga3.jpg, happens every time I load the thread.

anyway, this thread brought back some nostalgia. Glad someone posted FFVIII