Gaming Trends:

[Urusai Wrangler]

I guess this is where our paths diverge. :p A game can still draw me in without being realistic; World of Warcraft is full of all sorts of little details that make Azeroth seem a lot more 'real' than most games that shoot for heightened realism (like EQ2, for example). Realism doesn't help me get engrossed in a game, but rather a strong visual style that helps you believe you're part of that world. In realistic games I seem to find every graphical glitch, blurred texture, or off-the-mark physics reaction in the game, which totally breaks any semblance of immersion I might've had.

I can see realism as being important for games like Splinter Cell or Ghost Recon, or maybe more sim styled games like Forza or Gran Turismo, but on the same token I don't play any of those, either. I guess I have enough realism in real life; when I play a game I want to go to places and see things I can't see anywhere else.

I guess as an artist myself, I feel unique art direction is more important than photorealism; I would rather play an FPS whith stylized presentation such as Timesplitters, XIII, or Halo rather than something in the vein of Ghost Recon or Battlefield 1942. I had a MAJOR problem with Ghost Recon 2, in fact...I'm ex-military, and when I'm standing right next to you and unloading into you with an M60 you should be cut in half, not have all the bullets magically bounce around you while you have enough time to drop a pistol round into my braincase unharmed. It's these sort of gaffes that really screw up the whole semblance of 'realism' in games today.

[Serik]

^ very well said.

As hardware improves, realistic graphics will become so commonplace that they'll no longer be a selling point. Rather, studios will have to create entirely new art styles to separate themselves from the pack. I prefer WoW's graphics to Oblivion's any day. The former has more depth, character, and personality.

Team Fortress 2 looks amazing - and it's not even remotely realistic. The cartoony, slightly humorous models give the game character and separates it from the all-too-common fatigues&camo FPS’s.

And like you said, many games may look "realistic," but the mechanics will be simplied or changed for gameplay purposes. It's funny how so many FPS's will brag about their realism, yet still give you a crosshair instead of ironsights. If I want realism, I want total realism heheh

[Donald M.]

I'd have to agree. I have no problem accepting "cartoony" and unrealistic games on their own level whereas the more realistic a game tries to be, for me it just emphasizes how realist they aren't.

Of course, we may be discussing two different things entirely when we speak of realism. I loved Resident Evil 4 and wouldn't call it realistic.

[Leslie Lee III]

I'd have to agree. I have no problem accepting "cartoony" and unrealistic games on their own level whereas the more realistic a game tries to be, for me it just emphasizes how realist they aren't.

Of course, we may be discussing two different things entirely when we speak of realism. I loved Resident Evil 4 and wouldn't call it realistic.

Realistic and realism aren't, at all, the same things.

You may not call RE4 realistic, but there's certainly a sense of realism to the proceedings and I think that helps in the overall expierience.

[Astonishing X-Fan]

"See, I have no problem with the GTA style of game design, I just wish more developers would employ that style in something other than the emerging "crime" genre of gaming that the series inspired."

There's another major genre that you find a lot of sandbox games in: superheores.

We've got Spiderman 2, Ultimate Spider-Man, Hulk Ultimate Destruction, and Superman Returns so far.

I think it's the perfect genre for sandbox stuff, too. I'm glad to see so many comic book games go for it.

[Silliw 2]

See, I have no problem with the GTA style of game design, I just wish more developers would employ that style in something other than the emerging "crime" genre of gaming that the series inspired.

Hell yeah, I'm sick of the wangsta "urban" games. That is one reason I won't touch Aaint's Row.

I would like it for games to be less scripted. Not fully sandbox, but with AI characters that have freedom. The Halo games are a perfect example of this, as was Goldeneye.

Speaking of Goldeneye, what happened to that mission based type of FPS gameplay? Games like Black, Prey, and Doom 3 just have you running and gunning. How many run-and-gun games do we need?

[Urusai Wrangler]

Speaking of Goldeneye, what happened to that mission based type of FPS gameplay? Games like Black, Prey, and Doom 3 just have you running and gunning. How many run-and-gun games do we need?

Perfect Dark Zero has some pretty decent (if not basic) mission structure.

I wasn't interested in Team Fortress 2 until they retooled the visual presentation; now I can't wait for it.

[Nightcrawler]

There's another major genre that you find a lot of sandbox games in: superheores.

We've got Spiderman 2, Ultimate Spider-Man, Hulk Ultimate Destruction, and Superman Returns so far.

I think it's the perfect genre for sandbox stuff, too. I'm glad to see so many comic book games go for it.

Very good point.

[Xero Kaiser]

I kinda disagree with he Guts/Kenshiro/Simpson allegory; honestly I can't get into the archtypical "cool badass" hero types. I prefer heroes like Earthworm Jim, Dr.Muto, Munch, Kameo, and Raz (Psychonauts). RARE games in particular are favorites of mine.

I was with you until you mentioned Dr. Muto.

But yeah, comical characters are cool (i.e. Disgaea) but that's rare for that to get pulled off in a RPG. If I have to choose between characters looking like this..



or this...


...gimme the "badass". I know that not all JRPG characters look quite that bad. But these overly-flamboyant characters are infecting more games than they need to.

Hell yeah, I'm sick of the wangsta "urban" games. That is one reason I won't touch Aaint's Row.

Too bad. You're missing a hell of a game

[Kid Kamikaze10]

Seriously, there is only one RPG main character, IMO, that was almost as cool as Gatts, and that's Chrono.

Also, Saint's Row is an awesome game. It may be very similar to GTA, but it has all the good stuff from GTA, and more. It's better than San Andreas, and it's far from realistic (or even gritty for that matter, it's really funny).

[Phrozen]

More tactical RPGs. I want Shining Force and Tactics Ogre to come back.
Less exclusive liscensing for sports games. This will kill quality

[Black Atom]

For me, what makes a game immersive has nothing to do with realism; it's about how engaged I am in the game. A good example is Sonic Adventure 2 for the Dreamcast vs. Sonic Rush for the DS. The former has 3D environments and everything, but many of the levels simply require that you hold up on the D-pad--far less engaging than Sonic Rush, which is a side-scroller, but requires more timing and reaction. Neither game strives for ultra realism, obviously, but if you have super-real settings but the gameplay isn't engaging, who needs it?

But if we're just ragging on games we don't want to see anymore, I could do without just about all of the superhero games. Granted, I haven't played them all, but has a single one been great? I mean, is there a single superhero game that's worth playing aside from the fact that it has your favorite character's running around in it?

And please stop making Mortal Kombat games.

[Urusai Wrangler]

I was with you until you mentioned Dr. Muto.

Dr.Muto was an awesome, awesome game if you're into oldschool play mechanics. Plenty of modern action/platformers could learn a trick or two from its level design.

I know that not all JRPG characters look quite that bad. But these overly-flamboyant characters are infecting more games than they need to.

Now see, I like those first two designs. To me, the bottom guy looks little more than Sword-Swinging Generidude v.626, and in terms of character design, I consider him uninteresting and instantly forgettable. It seems that there's two schools of game design theory, and I'm more interested in the more fantastic, less realistic of the two.

[Kid Kamikaze10]

Now see, I like those first two designs. To me, the bottom guy looks little more than Sword-Swinging Generidude v.626, and in terms of character design, I consider him uninteresting and instantly forgettable. It seems that there's two schools of game design theory, and I'm more interested in the more fantastic, less realistic of the two.

He's FAR more interesting than those other two. Just read the Beserk Manga, and you will forget you ever said that. He is by far my favorite manga character ever, and that was not a great Gatts picture, admittingly.

Oh, and Black Atom, here's a list of Superhero games that are great:

Death and Return of Superman
Marvel Superheroes and the MVC games
Spiderman 2, and the Playstation Spiderman game
Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
X-Men Legends I and II
City of Heroes
Freedom Force and it's sequel
Comic Zone (if that counts)


Those and more.

[DrewTheXenocide]

But if we're just ragging on games we don't want to see anymore, I could do without just about all of the superhero games. Granted, I haven't played them all, but has a single one been great? I mean, is there a single superhero game that's worth playing aside from the fact that it has your favorite character's running around in it?

The first Spider-Man game on the PSX was pretty damn good.

That is, except for the whole "you can't go on the ground because of gas!" thing.

And I hear the Ultimate Spidey game was pretty good too.