UnluckyKate
Member
Every Platinum games
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Technically impressive games with terrible art style
- Thread starter egocrata
- Start date
That description sounds about right. I remember reading a magazine preview/interview for this game where they spent a lot of time shitting on CRPGs and talking about how much better JRPGs were.
TheRedSnifit
Member
RoadHazard
Gold Member
Commander Keen
Was that actually impressive technically? I guess it kind of was for PC platformers at the time. But yes, I agree that it has always been ugly as sin. The same year as the first Keen game came out we had Super Mario World on the SNES (well, Japan did).
TheRedSnifit
Member
Yeah, it was the first use of adaptive tile refresh.
fabricated backlash
Member
No one disputes its technical merits, but the art direction is extremely inconsistent.
Not technically impressive tho but agreed
lvl99 Pixel
Member
does the original starfox count?
Crysis 2. While it's not "terrible", it does leave a lot to be desired. Take this screenshot as an example:
The designs of the aliens aren't all that great and the humans look like generic video game military characters that would fit in with a Modern Warfare game. There was a lot of technically awesome stuff going on in Crysis 2 but the art style just wasn't there.
The designs of the aliens aren't all that great and the humans look like generic video game military characters that would fit in with a Modern Warfare game. There was a lot of technically awesome stuff going on in Crysis 2 but the art style just wasn't there.
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
I think Chronicles of Riddick wins this.
Jawbreaker
Member
I can maybe see where some people are coming from in regards to the original Crysis, but 2 and 3 can be quite lovely.
I agree that the art direction in their games (outside of a few characters and enemies) is generally poor, but they're definitely not technically impressive. : p
I agree that the art direction in their games (outside of a few characters and enemies) is generally poor, but they're definitely not technically impressive. : p
nelsonroyale
Member
It would probably be a better description of the content of their posts, rather than what they are commenting on...
sobaka770
Banned
Every Crysis game. (Yes, even the first one) Everything looked technically perfect but it definitely lacked variety and soul.
Dragon Age: Inquisition - looked like generic fantasy even more so that Origins. Technically though probably better than Mass effect: Andromeda.
Dragon Age: Inquisition - looked like generic fantasy even more so that Origins. Technically though probably better than Mass effect: Andromeda.
However, Andromeda does seem to have some form of art style at least
You have counter examples even on this page ...
I dont think people really do not know what 'terrible' means, its like only awesome and awful exists in their scales and definitions...
capitalCORN
Member
We're back to the "bad art" days!
Deadpool_X
Banned
The Conduit and Conduit 2 were both technically impressive for the Wii, but that art was generic as I've ever seen.
Or maybe what constitutes good art is entirely subjective, and people with different opinions than you aren't infantile strawmen who are incapable of knowing what the word "terrible" means.
The real winners.
Crysis has a PERFECT art style but they had to mess it up for the sequels.
The art style of gears has always been deadful. It's dude-bro edgy teen appeal at its worst.
The bland colours didn't help.
Good games, terrible art design.
Crysis 2. While it's not "terrible", it does leave a lot to be desired. Take this screenshot as an example:
The designs of the aliens aren't all that great and the humans look like generic video game military characters that would fit in with a Modern Warfare game. There was a lot of technically awesome stuff going on in Crysis 2 but the art style just wasn't there.
But that's not even from the game, that's a pre release material and the game looks different.
Rushersauce
Banned
Nothing wrong on that.
There is difference between terrible and average. You can be generally objective about how the art is constructed, even though its not up your tea personally.
Otherwise this thread doesnt have any purpose, because there will always be completely polarizing opinions on the same stuff.
MisterFalcon
Member
Just Cause 3 should have been more impressive then 2 but for some reason it did not work for me and looked worse.
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
Most AAA western games, honestly. Especially Bethesda games. I loved Fallout 3 but I beat the campaign in 14 hours and never touched it again because I couldn't stand to look at it.
And I'd take Wind Waker's gamecube graphics over Crysis any day.
And I'd take Wind Waker's gamecube graphics over Crysis any day.
FairFriend
Member
Golden Axe on the PS3
Technically what its doing was impressive for the time. But the art style just killed it
? The PS3 port was unplayable in the latest levels. The game relies heavily on timing and the sub 30 framerate (when the game is supposed to be running at 60!) completely breaks the experience.
Doctor_Thomas
Member
Yep. Technically impressive on every level... but it was so brown. So ugly compared to GTA San Andreas and V.
immortald3ath
Member
These threads always end up with playstation fans defending their exclusives while criticizing every other game.....
And lol @ ppl mentioning World of Warcraft.
And lol @ ppl mentioning World of Warcraft.
sobaka770
Banned
If you refer to the screenshots posted, then these "counter-examples" just prove my point. I, personally, do think that it's terrible that such technical prowess is wasted on bland forest, generic jungle, generic military and, frankly, uninspired messy aliens.
It's all so forgettable, I finished the first game and could only remember that first half was in jungle and second half was in snow. I can't remember memorable enemy designs, environmental features, some scene with great lighting and view. The levels all mesh together and nothing stood out.
There's a thread on how Horizon uses lighting to create a beautiful picture. Even a simple walk through a forest is screenshot-worthy. Crysis does go for realism but end up visually boring, even when it shows you an ocean island view with impressive draw distance.
crazy monkey
Banned
The conduit on wii.
Spacecowboy77
Member
Dwarf Fortress
capitalCORN
Member
Remember when people used to bitch about bloom? And speaking of Crysis, Assault didn't stand out? Core didn't stand out?
If we're talking about contemporary games from major studios I can't think of any instance of bad art direction. Sometimes bland, sure, but always decent, at least. Even stuff like Mortal Kombat is campy on purpose. You have to go back to the 8 and 16 bit, when it was still possible to make a game and not have a single professional artist in the team (coders did everything), and even then it only happened in B tier games.
In other words: people are just naming games with normal or even good art direction because they simply don't like what's rendered on the screen.
In other words: people are just naming games with normal or even good art direction because they simply don't like what's rendered on the screen.
Spieler Eins
Member
Horizon for me. The characters look unintentionally dumb and creepy, plus the mixture of unspoiled nature with the machines doesn't feel right at all. Particularly because the overall look gives off a pretentious atmosphere, which is the last thing a game with robot dinosaurs should have. Though the biggest bane are definitely the horrid characters, which is why I haven't bought it yet.
Jawbreaker
Member
Are you sure it's unspoiled nature?
LordOcidax
Member
Crysis
Beyond​ two Souls
Quantum Break
Beyond​ two Souls
Quantum Break
You got that backwards, artistically Platinum games are great but they always perform like crap.
God bless the day we will get a Platinum game completely locked at 60fps.
shawnbuddy
Member
Sudeki was a very impressive-looking, technically ambitious RPG on Xbox, but man, these character designs.
Even if I don't enjoy a particular art style I think I got to give points for cohesion on things like Arkham Asylum (which admittedly grew on me). I think when I think of "terrible art styles" I tend to think of games where certain things stick out as breaking the mold in weird ways.
Like realistic textures in cartooney games which was probably more of a technical limitation like bugs life on N64.
Like realistic textures in cartooney games which was probably more of a technical limitation like bugs life on N64.
You should play the game. I can't say anything without spoiling stuff. But play it.
My vote goes to Oblivion
edit: Oh and Arkham Knight. I mean it looks great, but something about the art style just turned me off.
What does the bolded even mean? Pretentious atmosphere indeed!
Now, I'm not sure how technically impressive Yooka Laylee is (probably not very), but I really dislike the style of the main characters. They just look a bit ordinary to me, the proportions don't appeal
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
Regarding the Arkham games, I love the look and feel of Gotham in those but some of the character designs are fairly poor. Batman himself being the worst example. Arkham Origins is actually the superior game by far in that area. Everyone looks so much better.
LordOcidax
Member
I dont think that Platinum games are technically impressive.
Spieler Eins
Member
What I'm sure of is that white barbarians with rasta hair and creepy clean doll faces weird me out, let alone don't fit into a world with machine monsters.
That I barely need to look at it to know that it's gonna drown me in some pseudo-serious story, instead of being the silly fun that a game about robot dinosaurs should be.
Ok wow. You clearly have no idea what the game is about.
GoldCrusader
Member
Skyrim and Oblivion have the worst character designs ever. Never will I get over them.
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