MEMBER BLOG

The Graphical Apex
Posted on Friday, April 29 2011 @ 11:11:14 Eastern

I think I’m about satisfied with level of graphic quality games are capable of achieving. Some of my associates, along with plenty of other people, would (and likely will) call me out on the spot as soon as my words hit this page, but I implore everyone to hear me out, if only to humor me before ripping into me for one perspective over another.

First off, what I mean by I am satisfied is just what I said. I am satisfied with what developers can do, and I am reaching the limit of how much I can interpret and appreciate from it. I am by no means saying that developers shouldn’t be doing to push the boundaries of what they can do with visuals, all I am I wish to say is that we have just about reached the point where purely graphical advances are not going to get me to buy a game, or convince to throw my current console(s) or computer out a window in favor of a new or different model.
What I really want developers to do with this level of graphical prowess is to maximize the effectiveness of their games, and from what I am seeing the on the horizon, I hope that is the case. For example, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim looks beautiful, I truly mean that, but I sincerely hope that the game itself is going to hold up to those visuals when it is actually being played.

PC gamers who keep their machines on the cutting edge tell me that higher resolution and detail provided by their machines can make a big difference in gameplay, and I cannot truly dispute that. Better visuals have certainly never been a disadvantage (except maybe the processors on the computer’s I’ve had), but that isn’t what I mean by having gameplay to match the graphic detail.

I guess what I am saying is that graphics are not what makes the game for me; gameplay and story are what is most important. Good graphics are a great thing, and I would certainly like all games to look their best, but video games as a whole have reached a level where a game cannot (or at least should not) be praised or judged solely by their graphical capability, but on the things those impressive visuals are designed to makes feel a part of.