Not in my opinion. High res graphics are little to do with the amount of scares in a game in my opinion. Just because, say, Resident Evil 5 is not as scary as the original was, does not mean that the graphics are in any way responsible for this.
Poll: Can dated graphics make games scarier?
- Thread starter Soviet Heavy
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There's FAR more to it than mere graphics. the devs have to have the right mindset, have to implement it properly, set the atmosphere right, have suitable protagonists and antagonists, etc etc, and you have to be in the right frame of mind to make a scary game work.
Graphics can go both ways, encouraging imagination vs realistic detail and suspension of disbelief vs breaking immersion. Animation, voice acting, pacing, characters, enemies, map design, scenarios - all these have to work together to make it work.
I'd argue that and reduction in scariness these days is either a) you're getting desensitised or b) the developers are not balancing their priorities, focussing on graphics over the other aspects required in order to make a complete horror experience.
Graphics can go both ways, encouraging imagination vs realistic detail and suspension of disbelief vs breaking immersion. Animation, voice acting, pacing, characters, enemies, map design, scenarios - all these have to work together to make it work.
I'd argue that and reduction in scariness these days is either a) you're getting desensitised or b) the developers are not balancing their priorities, focussing on graphics over the other aspects required in order to make a complete horror experience.
... No. Simply because there's nothing old graphics can do that new graphics cannot.
HOWEVER, in order to compensate for their shortcomings, certain old games had absolutely MASTERFUL art direction, music and... well... all the other stuff APART from graphics that make for immersive, and thus potentially scary, games.
HOWEVER, in order to compensate for their shortcomings, certain old games had absolutely MASTERFUL art direction, music and... well... all the other stuff APART from graphics that make for immersive, and thus potentially scary, games.
It's hard to be scary with your polygons hanging out. That said, they have to be quick, and hidden scares. No long cut scene "look at me I'm scary" or "I'm a 3 minute boss fight. Look I'm scary" But if they sneak up on you. Dang.
I don't feel graphics have much effect on a game's scare factor. I've seen scary games across generations as far back as the SNES, all of which managed to pull off things like gripping tension and 'squick' just as effectively. Rather, more advanced technology should (in theory) allow for more spontaneous or better-scripted horror.
I was young at the time but found the Turok games to be quite rattling, particularly the death animations/sounds, polygonal and jerky as they were, and Oblivion's voice in the second. Sound will always be a huge factor in creating tension or atmosphere so long as it's used properly. If not... well, the latest Extra Punctuation mirrors my feelings on the issue.
I was young at the time but found the Turok games to be quite rattling, particularly the death animations/sounds, polygonal and jerky as they were, and Oblivion's voice in the second. Sound will always be a huge factor in creating tension or atmosphere so long as it's used properly. If not... well, the latest Extra Punctuation mirrors my feelings on the issue.