is anyone else sick of realism?

[MythicMatt]

Realism for the sake of realism is stupid. The half-realism present in CoD [FFS, I'm no expert, but shotguns don't work that way] is exactly the same amount of stupid.

Graphical realism? Nope, I like being able to tell whether I'm looking at a videogame if I stumble across some screenshot somewhere.

Mechanical realism? As long as there's a way to disable bits of it for stupid/wacky fun times.

But, a game made just for realisms' sake? I'd pass on it, but that's just my opinion.

 

[RedDeadFred]

nearly every game for the past few years has been gritty brown and realistic

Uh, what? This is simply not true. Looking at the majority of the games I've played over the last few years, I'd say that almost none of them fit this description:
Witcher 3 -It's fantasy.... and extremely colourful. The story can be quite dark, but it has a lot of humor and touching moments as well.
Transistor -Not even close.
Fallout 4 -I suppose it's somewhat brown, but compared to other Fallout games, it's perhaps the most colourful yet. It's definitely not realistic though.
Space Engineers -Build ships, run them into each other.
Farcry 4 -Quite colourful. The story isn't all that dark and gritty, it's just kind of bad. Not realistic at all.
Hearthstone -It's a card game....
Bioshock Infinite -Very colourful, a dark and touching story, not realistic at all.
AC Black Flag -Colourful, often lighthearted story, not realistic at all.
Saints Row 4 -Colourful, funny story, not realistic at all.
Shadow of Mordor -It's Mordor... there's going to be some dark colours. However, half the game is quite colourful. The story is dark, but it's really not the main selling point of the game. Not realistic at all.

Those are the games I've played over the last few years that immediately came to mind (I play a lot more games from previous years due to sales and in general, catching up on the wonders of PC gaming).

In short, I don't see where your complaints are coming from. I suppose if you restrict yourself to military shooters, then maybe your argument has some merit (though I don't see how any of those games are realistic). Seeing as you reference Battleborn and Overwatch, that might be the case. I'd suggest that you expand the genres you play. You might find that things are a lot more colourful, lighthearted, and unrealistic than you had expected.

 

[visiblenoise]

Nah, I'm pretty selective about what I play so it all still feels pretty balanced to me. It's not like you have to pay attention to everything that comes out.

 

[someguy1231]

Did anyone say they are?

Some people sure as hell want them to be like it as much as possible, which I consider both absurd and undesirable.

And people who like, say, simulations aren't playing them to have fun? If someone puts 400hrs onto a hardcore flight sim, do you think they're just freaky gluttons for self-punishment and boredom?

Complexity and cause and consequence can be hugely engaging, not to mention rewarding.

I was only speaking for myself. I just hate it when people act as if a game being "realistic" automatically or objectively makes it "better". Of course people can find anything fun. I just hate it when people try to act as if being "realistic" is the natural and logical purpose of video games in the end, instead of, you know, having fun.

Er, maybe people have fun in different ways? And how on god's green earth is subjective taste tantamount to hypocrisy? Would you rather people who like shooters go out, buy guns, and start shooting each other for the ULTIMATE realism just so they're not being filthy hypocrites? Probably not...

"Subjective taste" is hypocrisy in this case if they're claiming they like "realistic" games. Allow me to elaborate: you apparently don't disagree with me that a 100% realistic game would be a terrible idea, and I think it's safe to assume most of the people who want realistic games agree. From those two ideas, it's clear that there must exist some line where a game becomes "too realistic" for them, and where that "line" is is completely subjective and arbitrary.

I've never liked this whole idea of "drawing a line" through something that is inherently vague and subjective. Anyone who does so, at least in my eyes, is just trying to make themselves feel better about themselves by separating themselves from the people on the "other side". And don't get me started on if they act as if their "line" is the only one and start judging other people by it...

That's where the hypocrisy is for me. Trying to impose realistic standards on a medium that is ultimately a form of escapism and power fantasies is absurd and illogical. To tie this in to the whole "line" argument, they're only in favor of "realism" as long as it's on "their" side of the line, so to speak. Call it "absolutism" if you wish. I just call it "consistency" and "anti-hypocrisy".

 

[Zaltys]

The brown and gritty theme? Never liked that in the first place.
It's too unrealistic. Some game devs have clearly never been outside, if they insist that real world is brown.

 

[Fox12]

I thought it was pretty realistic when I used a dub step gun to blow up Satan in saints row 4 last night.

In short, no. I'm sick of everything needing to be colorful and funny. If anything they can make games browner and grittier : P

 

[Pyrian]

nearly every game for the past few years has been gritty brown and realistic...

Seriously, what games are you even talking about? 'Cause I would say that outside of a subset of FPS games that trend pretty much died out.

 

[Something Amyss]

What realism? The realism where a gunshot is still a trivial thing and people move like they're made of wet sponges?

I can't be sick of something we never had.

Oh, crap, someone beat me to it. Ummm...my work here is done.

More to the point, if it's dull and rbwon that bugs ya, I've had no problem finding colourful, vivid games.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

I'd like to see more dark and gritty stories as long as they're well written. As for the desaturated color scheme, frankly, it can go fuck itself with a rake. I'm getting rather sick of this notion that if a game takes itself seriously it must have an aversion to color as well, as if having more than one hue in the same image automatically undermines the story.

This is one of the many reasons why I admire The Witcher 3 for its art design. It manages to achieve a pretty grim tone through good writing while also having one of the more colorful palettes I've seen in a while. Granted, some areas are rather washed out looking, especially under certain weather conditions, but it has a nice range rather than just being all washed out all the time.

I don't know if this is just my imagination, but I swear more and more movies are going for a washed out blue color these days. I find it so depressing to look at.

 

[Lindale FF]

I, for one, am not a very fantasy-oriented sort. For example, look at Skyrim. That game was severely lacking realism, even if I needed to add it myself, so I did. I downloaded nearly 60 realism mods. Textures, clothing, weapons, mechanics, you name it, and I have probably downloaded at least a few of that category.

I essentially turned Skyrim into Medieval Simulator. My character is always a Nord, modelled after a Viking. He is a master archer, a master blacksmith, and does not use magic at all. Basically, if the real-world Vikings never had access to a certain thingy, I never use that thingy either.

 

[Vanilla ISIS]

Yeah, I'm always pissed when I get shot in a game and then I have to go to the virtual hospital and go through months of convalescence.

 

[CaitSeith]

Only if you focus in AAA industry (where they pour their high budget in graphics and "realistic" aesthetics). On the other hand, indies have brought more colorful stuff (with some exceptions like Destructive Creations).

 

[hermes]

You mean, as a stylistic choice? Yes, I am rather tired of it.

Not that there is no room for it. Some games (like Splinter Cell, LA Noire or GTA) only work because they try to look and move like "realistic simulations"[footnote]And yes, I know it is barely there, I am not going to be pedantic about photorealism not existing unless it is indistinguishable of the real world. Photorealism is the path to an aspiration, a gradient, not a Boolean state. You might as well argue that a person is not a mountain climber unless he is capable of climbing the Everest[/footnote], and I know it tends to sell well with certain audience (the one that prefers his comicbook characters with dark colors and grim stories). But not everything needs to aspire to be realistic, and something that makes the distinction and owns it can end up with a lot more personality and age a lot better.

Consider the case of Borderlands.

Spoiler

Without the stylistic change, the game would have looked too generic. It might have been the same game, but it could be hard to look at and differentiate it from Fallout, Rage or Mad Max. The style also informed other aspects, so the humor was accentuated in subsequent DLC and sequels. As a result Borderlands 1 is still playable today and doesn't look that old (except for the UI, but that is another issue)

 

[sonicneedslovetoo]

What I hate is when people try and bring up realism when they are talking about changing a game from a balance perspective. I absolutely DESPISE that because I think it demonstrates a complete lack of caring for how a game should be designed. One thing I KNOW for certain is that if they had their way then those exact same people would start complaining that everything starts to feel the same and how there isn't any real reason to use something over something else and it wouldn't be anybodies fault but their own.

 

[Lufia Erim]

nearly every game for the past few years has been gritty brown and realistic and honestly im sick and tired of realism and games with dark gritty stories. does anyone else feel this way? Plus when Battleborn and Overwatch come out im getting them because they totally break that trend.

Well i think you need to diversify outside FPS, because there are tons of games that don't boast realism. The question is, why do you flock to the genre that tries hardest to emulate realism. I suggest a nice Jrpg to wash all the grit dark realism away

 

[CaitSeith]

nearly every game for the past few years has been gritty brown and realistic and honestly im sick and tired of realism and games with dark gritty stories. does anyone else feel this way? Plus when Battleborn and Overwatch come out im getting them because they totally break that trend.

...
why do you flock to the genre that tries hardest to emulate realism.

Love the mechanics; dislike the looks. The question is, why the genre ties to emulate so hard realism in the first place? FPS stands for First-Person Shooter, not realism emulator & shooter.

 

[Madmatty]

nearly every game for the past few years has been gritty brown and realistic

Uh, what? This is simply not true. Looking at the majority of the games I've played over the last few years, I'd say that almost none of them fit this description:
Witcher 3 -It's fantasy.... and extremely colourful. The story can be quite dark, but it has a lot of humor and touching moments as well.
Transistor -Not even close.
Fallout 4 -I suppose it's somewhat brown, but compared to other Fallout games, it's perhaps the most colourful yet. It's definitely not realistic though.
Space Engineers -Build ships, run them into each other.
Farcry 4 -Quite colourful. The story isn't all that dark and gritty, it's just kind of bad. Not realistic at all.
Hearthstone -It's a card game....
Bioshock Infinite -Very colourful, a dark and touching story, not realistic at all.
AC Black Flag -Colourful, often lighthearted story, not realistic at all.
Saints Row 4 -Colourful, funny story, not realistic at all.
Shadow of Mordor -It's Mordor... there's going to be some dark colours. However, half the game is quite colourful. The story is dark, but it's really not the main selling point of the game. Not realistic at all.

Those are the games I've played over the last few years that immediately came to mind (I play a lot more games from previous years due to sales and in general, catching up on the wonders of PC gaming).

In short, I don't see where your complaints are coming from. I suppose if you restrict yourself to military shooters, then maybe your argument has some merit (though I don't see how any of those games are realistic). Seeing as you reference Battleborn and Overwatch, that might be the case. I'd suggest that you expand the genres you play. You might find that things are a lot more colourful, lighthearted, and unrealistic than you had expected.

I actually do try to find games with actual colour and fun I'm just sick of big budget developers often assuming that we want brown borefests you know the market is currently over saturated with brown shooters I've played far cry 3 btw and I ignore brown shooters

 

[Madmatty]

Just for the record I'm talking about what this guy said here http://youtu.be/4nO0ruiJ7Rc