Is Photorealism a bad aproach?
I personally prefer anime or cartoon 2d art to 3d art. I think if both are good it's just personal taste what art style you like best. But I'm not fond of low-res pixel art, I like high-res 2d art.
I'd like to say more photorealism makes you more immersed, but Minecraft seems to prove that wrong...
I like photorealistic games as long as they don't lag, but I agree with the others. It mostly depends on the style of the game. I wouldn't want to play Zelda Windwaker with my enemies' heads falling away and blood spurting out...it just wouldn't match the playstyle.
I'd be more afraid in a situation where I saw a ghoul pop out of a wall in Fallout 3 than in Minecraft, however. In my opinion, it simply depends on the game design and playstyle, and how serious it's taking its story and characters and such. Like I said before, some things just don't feel right in certain situations, like a cartoony Doom 3 (or whatever the latest is, I've only played the super-pixellated one for DOS) would just not feel right on the eyes, would it? Especially since they were probably aiming for a bit of fear.
I like photorealistic games as long as they don't lag, but I agree with the others. It mostly depends on the style of the game. I wouldn't want to play Zelda Windwaker with my enemies' heads falling away and blood spurting out...it just wouldn't match the playstyle.
I'd be more afraid in a situation where I saw a ghoul pop out of a wall in Fallout 3 than in Minecraft, however. In my opinion, it simply depends on the game design and playstyle, and how serious it's taking its story and characters and such. Like I said before, some things just don't feel right in certain situations, like a cartoony Doom 3 (or whatever the latest is, I've only played the super-pixellated one for DOS) would just not feel right on the eyes, would it? Especially since they were probably aiming for a bit of fear.
I've seen some extremely frightening horror animes. So there's a situation where a cartoony style can be very effective at creating a serious immersive atmosphere.
I think it all depends on what who your target audience is and what kind of game you're trying to make.
There is definitely a push in western gaming to make things "more realistic" and in eastern gaming it's not as huge as a deal.
If you're making a horror game, the trend is go towards more realism. If it's something more tongue-in-cheek, you could go more cartoon-y.
Whichever style you go for, I believe games need to follow their own internal logic and consistency of style. Graphics alone don't always need to carry a theme--you could potentially have cartoonish graphics but still convey an adult game or horror plot by the actions of the actors and how seriously the plot is and is dealt with (though the tone of the art may wash some of the impact of the story if the art and tone/plot class too much; which may not be a bad thing). Eg: a plot where everybody dies with much realistic blood and gore may leave the player feeling grossed out or freaked out vs. cartoonish violence may actually make the player laugh out loud.
I think it's impossible to say "photorealism good, cartoons bad". It ALL depends on what kind of impact you want the medium to have. That will always be subjective too so not everyone will agree.
There is definitely a push in western gaming to make things "more realistic" and in eastern gaming it's not as huge as a deal.
If you're making a horror game, the trend is go towards more realism. If it's something more tongue-in-cheek, you could go more cartoon-y.
Whichever style you go for, I believe games need to follow their own internal logic and consistency of style. Graphics alone don't always need to carry a theme--you could potentially have cartoonish graphics but still convey an adult game or horror plot by the actions of the actors and how seriously the plot is and is dealt with (though the tone of the art may wash some of the impact of the story if the art and tone/plot class too much; which may not be a bad thing). Eg: a plot where everybody dies with much realistic blood and gore may leave the player feeling grossed out or freaked out vs. cartoonish violence may actually make the player laugh out loud.
I think it's impossible to say "photorealism good, cartoons bad". It ALL depends on what kind of impact you want the medium to have. That will always be subjective too so not everyone will agree.
Good responses in general here. It's all in your preference.
Personally, I am tired of realistic-looking games because the palette tends to be very bland.
IMHO realism is very limiting. I'd like to see the industry produce some style that goes beyond MW2 or WoW.
Personally, I am tired of realistic-looking games because the palette tends to be very bland.
IMHO realism is very limiting. I'd like to see the industry produce some style that goes beyond MW2 or WoW.
IMHO realism is very limiting. I'd like to see the industry produce some style that goes beyond MW2 or WoW.
I don't get it. WoW isn't exactly realistic looking, is it? MW2 and WoW are apples and oranges, too. But I do agree, I'd like more stylized games rather than realistic ones.
[quote name='third_ronin' timestamp='1312491880' post='4844705']
IMHO realism is very limiting. I'd like to see the industry produce some style that goes beyond MW2 or WoW.
I don't get it. WoW isn't exactly realistic looking, is it? MW2 and WoW are apples and oranges, too. But I do agree, I'd like more stylized games rather than realistic ones.
[/quote]
Nothing to get, I was a hair off-topic ;) Apologies to the OP.
I am just tired of reviewing art candidates online portfolios that are largely WoW -inspired. My inevitable response is "O.K., so what is your style?" to which I get the "uhhhhhhh...."
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