Support NeoGAF

[john tv]

Just curious -- of all the PS2 RPGs released thus far, which would you say has the best graphics, and why? Images are acceptable, but try to limit them to two or three per game, if possible.

 

[Borys]

Tough question.

I'd say DQ8 and FF12 (based on the demo).

 

[olimario]

May not be as technically impressive as others, but damn is the style nice.

 

[demi]

I really like Kingdom Hearts' smoothness, that's probably my top one.

I haven't played DQ8, but it's very colorful, I like colors.

Digital Devil Saga is nice and gritty, lots of muddy colors though.

 

[Greenpanda]

Yeah, I'd definitely have to cast vote for SMT Nocturne (not DDSes) just based on pure style. Even if it's not technically the best, the style fits in with the graphics so well that I don't know any technical improvements would even make the game look much better.

Someone post a pic of the Amala Temple entryway.

edit: KH2 wins on a technical level.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

I still think FFX looks pretty damn good...



...then again, I pick my nose and eat the boogers.

 

[SolidSnakex]

 

[olimario]

I wasn't impressed at all with the lifeless in-game graphics of KH.
And the gameplay trailer of KH2 didn't seem to be much better.

 

[White Man]

Radiata Stories and DQ8, ftw.

 

[Shouta]

This will be a bit overboard =p.

Star Ocean 3 and Grandia 3 for enviroments

Final Fantasy X/X-2 and Shadow Hearts 2 for character models

Radiata Stories, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter for style, and Wild Arms 3 for style

Dark Cloud 2 and Dragon Quest 8 for overall package.

I'd give Legaia 2: Duel Saga and Arc The Lad Twilight of the Spirits a nod for character animation but I don't recall it quite as vividly so I'd need to go back and play them again before I can say anything further on that.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

This will be a bit overboard =p.

Star Ocean 3 and Grandia 3 for enviroments

Final Fantasy X/X-2 and Shadow Hearts 2 for character models

Radiata Stories, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter for style, and Wild Arms 3 for style

Dark Cloud 2 and Dragon Quest 8 for overall package.

I'd give Legaia 2: Duel Saga and Arc The Lad Twilight of the Spirits a nod for character animation but I don't recall it quite as vividly so I'd need to go back and play them again before I can say anything further on that.

IAWTMF

 

[Oblivion]

I wasn't impressed at all with the lifeless in-game graphics of KH.
And the gameplay trailer of KH2 didn't seem to be much better.

I agree. FFX was much better.

 

[demi]

I wasn't impressed at all with the lifeless in-game graphics of KH.
And the gameplay trailer of KH2 didn't seem to be much better.

It's always one step forward, two steps back with you, isn't it!

 

[Ristamar]

Quick off-topic question regarding the SMT RPGs:

I recently picked up a copy of the Deluxe DDS during the big TRU sale. Should I grab a copy of Nocturne first (there's a used one at a local EB) before I play through DDS, or does it not matter?

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Do you like clay?

Blue Dragon? Clanime?

 

[demi]

DDS and Nocturne are two seperate games.

 

[Shouta]

Nocturne doesn't have anything to do with the DDS games except share the SMT content and a battle system.

 

[Speevy]

I'd say Final Fantasy X for its time. Now (I have it) the game shows its age with real-time visuals. Soul Calibur 3 is stunning however, but that's not an RPG.

I haven't played many PS2 RPG's, but I think the following have very nice graphics.

-Dark Cloud 2
-Shadow Hearts Covenant
-Dragon Quest 8

 

[SolidSnakex]

I wasn't impressed at all with the lifeless in-game graphics of KH.
And the gameplay trailer of KH2 didn't seem to be much better.

 

[Ristamar]

Nocturne doesn't have anything to do with the DDS games except share the SMT content and a battle system.

Ah, okay. Someone had told me they were connected in some manner. I didn't realize the connection was that loose.

Thanks.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Shadow Hearts Covenant?

Nice settings, but FFX eats the corn out of it's ass overall, my friend.

 

[Bebpo]

On a tech level: Radiata Stories outside of battle, SO3, and everything Tri-Ace has and will do on the PS2. DQVIII

On an art level: SMT3, DDS, and everything Atlus R&D1 has and will do on the PS2. Baten Kaitos. KH2.

On a level that mixes art and tech to look really good: FFX, FFX-2, Shadow Hearts 2, Xenosaga ep1.

Personal pick ummm....maybe Shadow Hearts 2? Wouldn't be surprised if Valkyrie Profile 2 ends up the winner considering it's tri-ace and the art looks dead on.

 

[White Man]

Is she killing or raping Donald?

Spoiler

or both?

 

[Brofist]

pretty much DQ8 I'd say

 

[J2 Cool]

FFX? Or KH2..

 

[Jewbacca]

She is pinching his nipples.

 

[Bebpo]

For all the good art the game has, the characters are fairly low-poly. This gets reallllly obvious when you're looking at characters who aren't super cartoony looking. Heck the FF crew barely looks better than their PS1 models..... The PotC crew have awesome face textures but otherwise they don't look so hot.

The game does have awesome special effects.

 

[Speevy]

Shadow Hearts Covenant?

Nice settings, but FFX eats the corn out of it's ass overall, my friend.

I just started playing Final Fantasy X a few days ago. Everything, from image quality to real-time character models looks like it came out in 2001 for the PS2, which it did.

I wasn't trying to compare it to Shadow Hearts Covenant, so take that illogical argument elsewhere.

 

[White Man]

pretty much DQ8 I'd say

DQ8 looks gorgeous, and I love it, but it could definitely be dinged on some of the environments. The overworld is indeed really huge, but it's functional, not graphically fantastic. Also, the toonish characters sometimes look out of place in the often very-basically built environments.

DQ8 is definitely a visual achievement, but I don't think it easily wins the best graphics war.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

I just started playing Final Fantasy X a few days ago. Everything, from image quality to real-time character models looks like it came out in 2001 for the PS2, which it did.

I wasn't trying to compare it to Shadow Hearts Covenant, so take that illogical argument elsewhere

calm down there, Xbot... I didn't mean to offend *kiss*

 

[Brofist]

DQ8 looks gorgeous, and I love it, but it could definitely be dinged on some of the environments. The overworld is indeed really huge, but it's functional, not graphically fantastic. Also, the toonish characters sometimes look out of place in the often very-basically built environments.

DQ8 is definitely a visual achievement, but I don't think it easily wins the best graphics war.

I haven't played all that many PS2 RPGs. I've played DQ8, Radiata Stories, FFX, SMT:Nocturne, and a little of both the KH games. Out of those I thought DQ8 was the nicest looking overall, but I haven't played the Shadow Hearts games and many of the others.

 

[Speevy]

I like the look of Shadow Hearts Covenant because the visuals are very subtle.

 

[Red Scarlet]

None of the ones I've played would probably take that top spot graphically.

 

[Nostrildamus]

It seems to me that Rogue Galaxy has the best graphics currently, although I haven't played it or seen it first-hand; just judging from screens and movies.

Of those I've played, I'd say DDS 1&2, followed by FFX, followed by Shadow Hearts Covenant.

 

[Finaika]

She is pinching his nipples.

Ducks have nipples?

 

[Brosa]

To utter an EA game on this board and in this category is probably like swearing in a church but I think that The Third Age looks nice.

 

[ourumov]

I was really impressed by Xenosaga II...

 

[Reilly]

FF12

 

[BudokaiMR2]

Haven't had a chance to play it yet but DQVIII looks really nice.

I also really liked SO3, but it was underwhelming in a lot of areas.

FFX looked good technically. But my one gripe is it was so damn pretty. It annoyed me. I miss dirty citites like Midgar.

I've seen videos of Rogue Galaxy and not only does it looks good technically. But it also had a nice art style. Looking forward to playing it. I'd probably give it a top nod.

 

[ziran]

so far i'd say dq8 and ffx, but overall it's probably going to be ffxii once it's released, it looks excellent.

also grandia 3 has impressed me from what i've seen in videos.

 

[Jonnyram]

I'd say Grandia III by a long way, but it's a shame about the rest of the game

 

[Stryder]

DQVIII blew me away, screenshots don't really do it justice, you have to see and run through the game in motion. Real-time shadowing, great environments and good art direction and style all come together to make a really pretty game.

 

[Wollan]

Is it just me or did Dark Cloud 2 look better than DQ8?

 

[Flachmatuch]

Radiata Stories definitely looks the best because of progressive scan. I also loved the look of Okage although it should look a bit primitive by today, and I also support the Shadow Hearts love. TBH I've yet to see something as (relatively) impressive on the PS2 as Chrono Cross was on the PSX.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I think DQ8 is the most pleasant to look at. I like the slightly toonish style as well. It's very impressive.

SMT: Nocturne is pretty haunting from a design perspective, though it's not without issues. I still think about a lot of the characters and settings from it so that is fairly significant to me.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

I think Grandia III, DQ8 and Kingdom Hearts II are the best overall. The FF12 demo was pretty but it didn't look much different than FFX or X-2.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Dark Cloud 2. <3 How old is it now? 2 .. 3 years?

Screenshots do not do it justice. The presentation of some of the graphical elements. The way the camera pans and zooms in some scenes is really nice.

 

[callous]

Overall, I'd probably say FFX-2.

 

[The End]

Stylistically, I'd say SMT:Nocturne, Dark Cloud 2, or Dragon Quarter

Technically, I'd say FF12 or maybe Grandia 3.

 

[sammy]

Radiata Stories looks so damn good, I had no idea when i was about to pop it in ---- there's barely any reused environments, every corner is fresh and all the little details are etched in there.
The whole city is just insanely huge, I don't think I've ever explored such a huge detailed city in any RPG.
and most importantly, the weight of the characters is really nice --- most RPG characters just feel like litte mouse cursors with an avatar over them.