Poll: Graphics: How important are they?

[DazZ.]

I recently picked up Fallout 2 for the first time and really enjoyed it after playing Fallout 3.

However I couldn't do the same with Diablo 2. Graphics wise id say they are on par and I went into Diablo II with such high expectations, but couldn't get sucked in.
I went into Fallout 2 with low expectations and loved it.

Afew reasons for this there; I enjoyed Fallout 2 more because id grown to love the universe from Fallout 3 and the fact I wasn't expecting much made it less of a blow than when I went into Diablo 2 with high expectations...

Played Chrono Trigger for the first time recently and loved it (but that was on a DS so definatly wasn't looking for anything graphicly stunning)

On topic of DS, new "old school style" RPG, The Dark Spire, got some good reviews even though theres next to no moving animation and could be drawn (with skill) in MS Paint.

 

[Xbowhyena]

I play the old Marathon games constantly on my computer. Go Figure.

 

[fer1wi]

Graphics should be good enough to make the game look good, but not important enough to make it the deciding factor.

Examples:

The Typing of the Dead: It came out around the 2000s. It was remade for the PS2. It didn't look that great. It was VERY fun to play (every once in a while, I jump back in fear when I misspell something on the internet)

Crysis: One of the BEST looking games out there. Has bad gameplay. It was horrid to play.

 

[esperandote]

what would you rather play, an awful game with great graphics or a great game with awful graphics?

on a related subject, have you ever played that sh2 demake... what was it's name? great game *nods*

 

[jamesworkshop]

Graphics should be good enough to make the game look good, but not important enough to make it the deciding factor.

Examples:

The Typing of the Dead: It came out around the 2000s. It was remade for the PS2. It didn't look that great. It was VERY fun to play (every once in a while, I jump back in fear when I misspell something on the internet)

Crysis: One of the BEST looking games out there. Has bad gameplay. It was horrid to play.

Crysis had the same problem as bioshock in that the experience was what you made it because you only interacted with the game as much as you wanted to, both could be completed like any other shooter and ignoring all the extra tools plasmids and Nanosuit powers respectivly that changed the way you play.

Bioshock had a massive set of tools for manipulating the enemy AI getting big daddies to fight each other or hacking the security systems and turrets to aid you.

Crysis on the other hand allowed more gameplay modes and enviroment manipulating some fairly straight foward like stealth mode and tactical ammo (tranquilizers) or armour mode to tank it or speed to outflank.

Strenght mode to go superman like jumping and pressing throw to send KPA troops high into the air or even straight down throught the roof of a shack

Another overlooked part of crysis is its very robust physics system the gameplay on low physics make buildings and trees indestructable making a flimsy shack more resistant to armour piercing rockets than Tanks and combat helicopters.
Once medium is selected the destrucive capabilites of you and the KPA increase, cover is no longer viable forever and falling trees can kill, enemies hiding in buildings can get trapped by the rubble when you chuck a grenade through the window or even reach them by simply punching a hole in the roof or making a new exit to escape.


The only game to date that took graphics drastically effected the games quality (negativly) was Rise of the robots where graphics left no room on the storage medium for anything more than about one punch animation

 

[toasterslayer]

1. gameplay
2. story
3. graphice
quote if you agree. though i think most people would swtch the story and gameplay part.

 

[Aur0ra145]

I believe that game developers should spend quite a lot of time making sure the game graphics are good. For the era we're living in you must purchase top of the line PC's to play a majority of the titles on the market.

If developers start making games which require lesser of a graphics standard, then I've essentially wasted money on my gaming rig.

 

[Katana314]

Some people say not to concern yourself with graphics at all, but that can REALLY make a game look horrible, and make it hard to get into. I'd say the most important factor is good, smooth animation. GTA: SA had some really low-res models, but since they used motion capture for the cutscenes, all the characters are pretty believable. Besides, the main reason pre-rendered footage looks so awesome is that everything is smooth.

 

[Zarthek]

I'm sure this has been said before, but graphics are just like icing on a cake. Bad icing doesn't realy ruin a good cake... unless the icing is made outa crap or something. But no matter how good the icing is, you cant save a bad cake.

In my opinion it should be gameplay>story>physics>music>sound effects>graphics
In reality its Graphics>bloom>music>sound>gameplay.... mostly



Edit: If only game developers looked at this site...

 

[kutsbear]

Maybe, it helps sure. Repetition is the true downfall of a game. I swear the amount of taxi missions in gta4.....assasins creed pick pocket-interogate-eaves drop-save citizen-assassinate repeat.....These are great games dont get me wrong but geezzzz.

 

[Screens]

Graphics are condiments that flavor a game. They aren't the meat of a dish, simply enhancing it if they are good, or masking bad gameplay.

I still play games like Diablo 2, Fallout 2, and Ocarina of Time (my best game ever) because I love their gameplay. To a six year old, indoctrinated by "realistic" graphics, these games would seem like crap, because compared to today's graphics, they suck. Conversely, I think Team Fortress 2, Oblivion, and Fallout 3 have great graphics (or visuals in the case of TF2), but all that simply enhances the already great (or good, for Fallout 3, a mediocre game in my eyes) gameplay.

Edit:

In my opinion it should be gameplay>story>physics>music>sound effects>graphics
In reality its Graphics>bloom>music>sound>gameplay.... mostly

How very, very true and very sad. Actually, I think physics are just a subgenre of gameplay. Same with sound and music and bloom and graphics.

 

[jamesworkshop]

Graphics are condiments that flavor a game. They aren't the meat of a dish, simply enhancing it if they are good, or masking bad gameplay.

In my opinion it should be gameplay>story>physics>music>sound effects>graphics
In reality its Graphics>bloom>music>sound>gameplay.... mostly

How very, very true and very sad. Actually, I think physics are just a subgenre of gameplay. Same with sound and music and bloom and graphics.

Physics is gameplay bullet trajectory, running speed, jumping the 3d game world is defined by the physics

 

[massau]

i think that the gameplay and story is more important than graphics because graphics get old but gameplay and story doesn't

 

[johnman]

With games like crysis the graphics were merely the cherry on top of an already well iced cake. The Gameplay was solid enough to get by without them, but they certinally helped the futuristic setting.

Then there are games like mount and Blade, which seen with a texture mod only look functionable, and it does not make the slightest bit of difference as the game is so much fun to play.

 

[jamesworkshop]

I believe that game developers should spend quite a lot of time making sure the game graphics are good. For the era we're living in you must purchase top of the line PC's to play a majority of the titles on the market.

If developers start making games which require lesser of a graphics standard, then I've essentially wasted money on my gaming rig.

Have you seen hardware reviewing sites lately they are stuggling to find games that challenge their video cards

the HD4770 £80
http://www.dabs.com/products/sapphire-technology-ati-radeon-4770-hd-750mhz-512mb-pci-e-2-0-2xdvi-5JSJ.html?q=hd%204770


burnout: paradise
http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1240870102UP48dbudbj_3_2.gif

crysis: warhead
http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1240870102UP48dbudbj_4_2.gif

farcry 2
http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1240870102UP48dbudbj_6_2.gif

Top of the line is a waste when a card like that manages 2xAA at 2560x1600 res the highest retail available