Next-gen games need more Pixar-like graphics, more imaginative designs and new gameplay ideas

Grand Theft Scratchy

Grand Theft Scratchy

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I think we need to see more games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Kena: Bridge of Spirits, games with Pixar-like graphics and imaginative designs and ideas, in the AAA game development space. We have plenty of games with realistic graphics as well as stylized anime graphics between Western and Japanese developers but I can't think of many that look like you are playing a Pixar movie with a cartoony CGI design. I think the next Kingdom Hearts when it is inevitably announced will be another such game to look forward to in that regard. Otherwise, Ember Lab's upcoming indie Kena: Bridge of Spirits looks pretty spectacular.

What are your thoughts, GAF? Are you happy with most game graphics and their artistic designs?
 
I think they're a welcome addition. I wanna see a game like Jak and Daxter use that art style or some new platformers
 
I agree with more variety in art-styles. There is this thing in all domains where a certain style dominates for a certain amount of time until it becomes over-saturated....

I was a big fan of the style they used in Crash 4, for instance.

Of course R&C looked incredible and Returnal had it's own particular style too.

But we have many games with very little style, like the Assassins Creed games... in my opinion have very little artistic flair.
 
I think the cartoon style was already captured fairly well in the last gen. It still looks nice and all but I don't really get any 'next-gen' vibes from it nowadays.

For me, it's mainly geometry that I find lacking in modern games. Even when the games otherwise look fantastic then they still usually have that chunky look to the geometry. Things like textures and post-effects are already a mostly solved problem, in my opinion.

Even Wii U games like MK8 look absolutely fantastic at higher resolutions like 8k. Is it better than R&C? Maybe not but I also wouldn't call it a massive leap.

 
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I just want more games like BOTW where there is great consistency across all of the in-game assets. You never/rarely have super high-poly assets next to low-poly assets in that game.
 
I won't mandate any sort of graphical tier like "Pixar" level, but prefer to just see solid games overall and with good art direction.

One of the reasons why Psychonauts 2 is so high on my anticipated list is its art style. It just oozes personality. The dialogue, level design, characters and humor all helps create a great world to visit (Psychonauts 1) and I have high expectations for the sequel.
 
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I like to tell myself I can appreciate different artstyles in realistic games, without being dick obvious like resorting to big eyes and cartoon style.
 
StateofMajora said:
Yeah luigis mansion is one of the switch games where it wouldn't look out of place as a ps4 game. Great animation and graphics.
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Usually when people talking about "Pixar" like, they mostly talking about animation more than texture and lighting, and Luigis Mansion's animation was fantastic.
 
If we have more of them, that'd be nice, they don't need to be like that, imo... Anything will get old hat eventually
 
Not just Pixar but i'd like to see them go all out with differing styles like Love, Death and Robots.


Stray is a good start.

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spawn said:
I will argue that we are already there and it looks better than Pixar


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That is an issue of artistic style, NOT of horsepower lol.

This gen is going to be great, metrics be damned. No matter what style or budget the game has, everything will hopefully be sharp, load quickly, and run at 60 FPS.
 
I played most of the ratchet and clank games and didn't think the latest was really innovative for whatever reason. Pretty and great performance, but standard fair gameplay wise honestly. Hoping Kena is more fun tbh.
 
elliot5 said:
I won't mandate any sort of graphical tier like "Pixar" level, but prefer to just see solid games overall and with good art direction.

One of the reasons why Psychonauts 2 is so high on my anticipated list is its art style. It just oozes personality. The dialogue, level design, characters and humor all helps create a great world to visit (Psychonauts 1) and I have high expectations for the sequel.
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That's what I'm getting at, games designed with personality, charm etc. Basically I just want see more games with Pixar-like graphics/art style. And that's not to say they should replace existing games that look different, rather that new IPs or spin-offs could adopt a similar cartoony CGI presentation, different interpretations of the style (Psychonauts 2 being a good example).
 
A requirement for art, design and creative thinking is kind of dumb. R&C has always been a showcase but in no way is it the pinnacle of anything.
 
Yeah right. You'll get more running, jumping, and shooting, and you'll continue to buy them in droves. Meanwhile, I probably dumped more time into unique games like Fez, Echochrome, and Flower, than all shooters combined. There's a lot of do as I say, not as I do involved here, as Pixar-like graphics cost money. And you'll only see those kinds of budgets for games that fall into well-established gameplay genres.
 
CitizenZ said:
A requirement for art, design and creative thinking is kind of dumb. R&C has always been a showcase but in no way is it the pinnacle of anything.
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I'd say the latest Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart is the closest we've ever gotten to Pixar visuals
 
Sad but true, no triple-A games in the last 3-4 years have done anything different. Shadow of Mordor/War was onto something with the dynamic enemies but they showed they had 0 creativity with it (going with runes and the typical upgrade crap in RPG's).
 
Fully agree. Games that aim for maximum realism are A) boring in both their looks and gameplay, and B) get old incredibly fast, year or two later they already start to look dated and the shortcoming become visible since there are already new, better looking titles on the market. Games that focus first and foremost on the artstyle hold up really well for years, decades even, and by not being realistic hence having to be believable, down to earth, they have waaay more room for creative freedom when it comes to the gameplay.
 
Yes yes yes!!

And anything I can play with the kids beside me will get 1 point extra if I would rate it. Ratchet is a 10/10, even has Swedish localization with proper voice acting 👌
 
I have to admit I am getting bored of generic realistic - looking games

I've been enjoying indie games more and more, and games like Ori and Little Nightmares are much higher on my list then anything these massive big budget studios have put out.
 
Alright so, Pixar-quality graphics, never seen before art styles, and completely new gameplay formulas for table 5. Coming right up.
Can i get you something else? Coffee maybe? No?
 
No thanks, i like my ratchet and kena from time to time but i still vastly prefer realistic or semi realistic artstyles.
 
We need variety... And I think we have it.

The truth is, realistic graphics impress for the time... While artistic/ cartoony graphics age far better and stand the test of time.

I predict in 10 years time that Luigi's Mansion 3 will still look good yet Last of Us 2 will look dated.
 
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