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OK, so we all know that graphics don’t matter in games, that they don’t make them any better, and that they’re only there for Joe “Softcore” Public. Or are they?
Today, whilst storming ahead on Grand Valley II in GT3, it really hit home to me how important some graphics are (Bonus will know what’s I’m talking about). Anyone who has raced this course I think will agree with me that it IS beautiful. Not beautiful as in lots of lovely realistic polygons, but really, really beautiful, as in art. Picture this: Early afternoon sun glinting over a lightly wet road like golden honey, surrounded by lush greenery, a Mazda MX-5 driving along with not a soul in sight, headlights up and shining brightly, rounds the corner to a misty straight with trees as far as the eye can see. It is a really stirring image, one worthy of a digital art gallery, or at least my desktop. Now you know what I mean by beautiful. So, here’s my revised list of games with stunning graphics:
GT3
SSX
Star Wars StarFighter
Ridge Racer V
Escape from Monkey Island
So, no surprises in that list, apart from maybe Monkey 4. Anyone who’s played Guybrush’s latest adventure on the PS2 will agree that the graphics are a bit, well, shoddy. The characters are not as detailed as they could be, the animation’s jerky and the framerate’s a little low. All in all, it’s about the same standard as FF VIII. So why is it on the list? Well, I think you’ll all agree that the backdrops are stunning. Really, really, stunning. Whoever modelled them must have been really skilled and put a lot of effort into his art, and that’s what it is: Art. That’s why I believe videogame graphics are becoming more of an art form these days than they used to. With the power of next-gen consoles such as the PS2, GameCube and Xbox, artists and graphics designers can really let their imaginations flow and stir up some powerful images, without fear of being slated by critics. Forget “Advanced AI” and “Photo-realism”, I believe the future of gaming is moving away from realistic models and detailed backgrounds, and heading toward truly beautiful images, full of magnificence that stir the soul.
Today, whilst storming ahead on Grand Valley II in GT3, it really hit home to me how important some graphics are (Bonus will know what’s I’m talking about). Anyone who has raced this course I think will agree with me that it IS beautiful. Not beautiful as in lots of lovely realistic polygons, but really, really beautiful, as in art. Picture this: Early afternoon sun glinting over a lightly wet road like golden honey, surrounded by lush greenery, a Mazda MX-5 driving along with not a soul in sight, headlights up and shining brightly, rounds the corner to a misty straight with trees as far as the eye can see. It is a really stirring image, one worthy of a digital art gallery, or at least my desktop. Now you know what I mean by beautiful. So, here’s my revised list of games with stunning graphics:
GT3
SSX
Star Wars StarFighter
Ridge Racer V
Escape from Monkey Island
So, no surprises in that list, apart from maybe Monkey 4. Anyone who’s played Guybrush’s latest adventure on the PS2 will agree that the graphics are a bit, well, shoddy. The characters are not as detailed as they could be, the animation’s jerky and the framerate’s a little low. All in all, it’s about the same standard as FF VIII. So why is it on the list? Well, I think you’ll all agree that the backdrops are stunning. Really, really, stunning. Whoever modelled them must have been really skilled and put a lot of effort into his art, and that’s what it is: Art. That’s why I believe videogame graphics are becoming more of an art form these days than they used to. With the power of next-gen consoles such as the PS2, GameCube and Xbox, artists and graphics designers can really let their imaginations flow and stir up some powerful images, without fear of being slated by critics. Forget “Advanced AI” and “Photo-realism”, I believe the future of gaming is moving away from realistic models and detailed backgrounds, and heading toward truly beautiful images, full of magnificence that stir the soul.
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very true, buts its only a matter of time before the graphics do become photo-realistic. so when this happens they will be alble to recreate anything on a game. the only limitation being the space on the disc. But the main thing should always be withe graphics.
OK, so we all know that graphics don’t matter in games, that they don’t make them any better, and that they’re only there for Joe “Softcore” Public. Or are they?
Today, whilst storming ahead on Grand Valley II in GT3, it really hit home to me how important some graphics are (Bonus will know what’s I’m talking about). Anyone who has raced this course I think will agree with me that it IS beautiful. Not beautiful as in lots of lovely realistic polygons, but really, really beautiful, as in art. Picture this: Early afternoon sun glinting over a lightly wet road like golden honey, surrounded by lush greenery, a Mazda MX-5 driving along with not a soul in sight, headlights up and shining brightly, rounds the corner to a misty straight with trees as far as the eye can see. It is a really stirring image, one worthy of a digital art gallery, or at least my desktop. Now you know what I mean by beautiful. So, here’s my revised list of games with stunning graphics:
GT3
SSX
Star Wars StarFighter
Ridge Racer V
Escape from Monkey Island
So, no surprises in that list, apart from maybe Monkey 4. Anyone who’s played Guybrush’s latest adventure on the PS2 will agree that the graphics are a bit, well, shoddy. The characters are not as detailed as they could be, the animation’s jerky and the framerate’s a little low. All in all, it’s about the same standard as FF VIII. So why is it on the list? Well, I think you’ll all agree that the backdrops are stunning. Really, really, stunning. Whoever modelled them must have been really skilled and put a lot of effort into his art, and that’s what it is: Art. That’s why I believe videogame graphics are becoming more of an art form these days than they used to. With the power of next-gen consoles such as the PS2, GameCube and Xbox, artists and graphics designers can really let their imaginations flow and stir up some powerful images, without fear of being slated by critics. Forget “Advanced AI” and “Photo-realism”, I believe the future of gaming is moving away from realistic models and detailed backgrounds, and heading toward truly beautiful images, full of magnificence that stir the soul.
Today, whilst storming ahead on Grand Valley II in GT3, it really hit home to me how important some graphics are (Bonus will know what’s I’m talking about). Anyone who has raced this course I think will agree with me that it IS beautiful. Not beautiful as in lots of lovely realistic polygons, but really, really beautiful, as in art. Picture this: Early afternoon sun glinting over a lightly wet road like golden honey, surrounded by lush greenery, a Mazda MX-5 driving along with not a soul in sight, headlights up and shining brightly, rounds the corner to a misty straight with trees as far as the eye can see. It is a really stirring image, one worthy of a digital art gallery, or at least my desktop. Now you know what I mean by beautiful. So, here’s my revised list of games with stunning graphics:
GT3
SSX
Star Wars StarFighter
Ridge Racer V
Escape from Monkey Island
So, no surprises in that list, apart from maybe Monkey 4. Anyone who’s played Guybrush’s latest adventure on the PS2 will agree that the graphics are a bit, well, shoddy. The characters are not as detailed as they could be, the animation’s jerky and the framerate’s a little low. All in all, it’s about the same standard as FF VIII. So why is it on the list? Well, I think you’ll all agree that the backdrops are stunning. Really, really, stunning. Whoever modelled them must have been really skilled and put a lot of effort into his art, and that’s what it is: Art. That’s why I believe videogame graphics are becoming more of an art form these days than they used to. With the power of next-gen consoles such as the PS2, GameCube and Xbox, artists and graphics designers can really let their imaginations flow and stir up some powerful images, without fear of being slated by critics. Forget “Advanced AI” and “Photo-realism”, I believe the future of gaming is moving away from realistic models and detailed backgrounds, and heading toward truly beautiful images, full of magnificence that stir the soul.
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