People saying left and right that SNES games look awful and that Chrono Trigger looks like garbage. This is the worst thread.
When hipsters are considered retro.
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Why don't we have a "low-poly PS1 inspired" games craze as we have pixel-art SNES/MD/NES?
- Thread starter newtonlod
- Start date
If anything this thread is showing that more people are becoming nostalgic for the low poly look over sprites.
The only real issue with PS1 low poly was texture warping. If you get rid of that, I don't see a problem with it. I'd hardly say it's hideous.
I'm not a huge fan of pixel art games nowadays though. Some look good, but I feel like they miss something if you don't play them on a CRT. I know you have scanline filters, but the only one I've ever truly liked was the one on the M2 Metal Slug 2 port.
I'm not a huge fan of pixel art games nowadays though. Some look good, but I feel like they miss something if you don't play them on a CRT. I know you have scanline filters, but the only one I've ever truly liked was the one on the M2 Metal Slug 2 port.
It's a much bigger hurdle to make a game in 3D, but also to emulate the specific technical limitations of those early 3D console games. What restrictions are key to the aesthetic and what can be updated? How big of a staff do you need to pull that off? How much work is it to emulate PS1 texture warping and is that where your time is best spent?
Hahahah, what? :D
I personally love sprite art much more than low-poly models, but your comment is, in turn, fucking insulting to low poly artists, including everyone who worked in the PS1 / N64 era.
Both were "technological limitations that have been superseded with modern technology", and both are a perfectly valid artistic choice now. Some examples of modern games in low poly styles in this game look frankly lovely, and I say this as someone with zero nostalgia for PSX-era visuals.
People, really, you can like one without shitting on the other. Saying any of them is invalid as an artistic choice, no matter which one, makes you seem close-minded and ignorant.
Low-poly art with modern lighting techniques can look amazing, but it's quite a bit harder to pull-off competently than pixel art. Would love to see more games going for this kind of look, honestly.
Yeah, it's not a competition. I didn't ask to every pixel art game to be obliterated from the face of the earth. I love 2D too (my first console was a SNES, Chrono Trigger and Super Metroid sits comfortably as two of my favorite games ever). Just wonder if modern low poly games existed. I mean, you can dislike it, but some posts are really hateful.
Yeah man, you need to chill a little bit. It's insulting low poly artists too, not cool.
I think it's for the same reason you don't see games modeled after the Atari 2600 era; it was a transitional time, before that style came into maturity. Where later 2D hardware produced something that could rightfully be called a "style," the earlier stuff doesn't hold up aesthetically. Same for 3D: The earliest 3D was often a jumble of muddy colors and blocky textures that are frankly ugly today. Newer games might borrow the angular geometry or minimalism of this era, or mimic the gameplay sensibilities of those games, but there's less interest in authentically trying to reproduce a "look" because there's less sense that that look was ever an important part of what made those games fun.
Yeah, me too, I got bored with pixel art with everything that came out after Shovel Knight, low poly on the other hand would probably never bore me, and I grew up with pixel art.
Nah, you are forgetting vertex jittering (due to lack of subpixel accuracy), visible seams and lack of z-buffer.
Though I don't think this thread is really suggesting to emulate PS1 3D graphics, more like the rose-tinted version (just like other indie games imitating "NES graphics" do not really have the NES constraints).
I feel rose-tinted PS1-like graphics (or Quake 1-like graphics) may be artistically interesting for horror-themed games but in general I would say low poly + simple textures or flat gradient + post effects is the way to go for stylish 3D "retro" indie games.
In answer to the "haters", any technology and any approach is valid, it's the artistry that makes the difference. For all of the awful bottom of the barrel pixel art, there will soon be an equal amount of bad low poly. But within all of that rough you can diamonds; whatever the tech, style or approach.
The video game audience is constantly expanding. Be prepared not to automatically like every style or approach :)
The video game audience is constantly expanding. Be prepared not to automatically like every style or approach :)
Low-poly artwork just doesn't work like pixel art. I'm also going to go the extra mile and say the same thing is mostly applicable to low bit pixel art too. Like NES games don't hold up as well as SNES games and modern, essentially limitless pixel art is actually gorgeous.
Similarly, N64 doesn't hold up as well as GCN or Wii. It's simply a matter of even a single generation in a lot of cases since MGS2 is acceptable in my eyes while MGS is not any more.
Similarly, N64 doesn't hold up as well as GCN or Wii. It's simply a matter of even a single generation in a lot of cases since MGS2 is acceptable in my eyes while MGS is not any more.
It's really hard to capture the feel of the era and impregnating it with an endearing style, you either end up with something that looks like shit or looks beyond the capabilities of the era, there are a few exeptions like Yikk and Never Stop Sneaking, but basically it's really hard to make graphics of that era look endearing anymore for indies.
The only safe path is emulating non realistic ones and going for a Banjo-kazooie or Jet Grind Radio style.
The only safe path is emulating non realistic ones and going for a Banjo-kazooie or Jet Grind Radio style.
Just saw this topic.
I want more PS2 indie looking games, with some improvements of course.
And as someone who started playing games on NES. I respect the style for its time. But it doesn't hold any special feeling from me. PS1/2 is when I started really getting into games. A lot of that comes from a certain look being more appealing.
I want more PS2 indie looking games, with some improvements of course.
And as someone who started playing games on NES. I respect the style for its time. But it doesn't hold any special feeling from me. PS1/2 is when I started really getting into games. A lot of that comes from a certain look being more appealing.
When people ask for the return of low-poly 3D, they're not asking for the return of all the issues that plagued it like the PS1's warping polygons, or the N64's blurry textures and perpetual fog. They're asking for the low-poly style, mixed with modern tech. Sort of an HD DS game if you will. Never Stop Sneakn' is a good example of this style done right.
Everyone says they love Legends so much and yet we have no games using that crisp polygonal style.
Im so tired of visuals like Celeste or Meat Boy despite their gameplay.
Im so tired of visuals like Celeste or Meat Boy despite their gameplay.
The limitations of the 32 bit era really brought out some incredible art direction. I'd love more low poly games that apply that keen eye on design, then implement modern tech to enhance the presentation.
Aloy from HZD → https://sketchfab.com/models/9b64eac561fa4fbfb7e2f485a6f03f6c (link to 3D Model)
it's like Vagrant Story meets Bravely Default
it's like Vagrant Story meets Bravely Default
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I think this thread highlights a generational shift. If you grew up with the PS1 as your first console you're probably nostalgic for that aesthetic. Whereas us older people who grew up with SNES, NES and older have that pixel style as our nostalgic favourite.
All of which goes to show you that 25 year olds don't know shit /s
All of which goes to show you that 25 year olds don't know shit /s
We have plenty of low poly games with clean textures. I think one issue is that a lot of textures back then were at the point where they were really trying to look like something quite specific and falling short.
In a pixelart based game, the pixels only existed to represent rather than explicitly mimic the real world counterpart. A green pixel was placed to represent grass, but, colour aside, the likeness wasn't close, and that was never the aim. However with PS1 games, we have textures that clearly try to look like the real world counterparts. Bricks on a wall look like bricks on a real wall, only pixelated and ugly at the same time.
Pixelart is an art direction, the texturing we saw in the PS1 era was a result of the technical limitations of the system. Pixelart reached its pinacle in games like King of Fighters, 3D texturing and modelling is still advancing today.
In a pixelart based game, the pixels only existed to represent rather than explicitly mimic the real world counterpart. A green pixel was placed to represent grass, but, colour aside, the likeness wasn't close, and that was never the aim. However with PS1 games, we have textures that clearly try to look like the real world counterparts. Bricks on a wall look like bricks on a real wall, only pixelated and ugly at the same time.
Pixelart is an art direction, the texturing we saw in the PS1 era was a result of the technical limitations of the system. Pixelart reached its pinacle in games like King of Fighters, 3D texturing and modelling is still advancing today.
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Majora's Mask on 3DS is basically a remake. Ocarina of Time is enhanced too. The games did not look like that back on N64.
A lot of the low poly 3D stuff just doesn't look good. There are some cases where I associate the low poly design with the character or game but that doesn't mean I care for the art style. The PS1 and Saturn games I enjoy the look of most are sprite-based.
for those who use Blender
github link → https://github.com/leukbaars/BRM-BakeUI
github link → https://github.com/leukbaars/BRM-BakeUI
it still uses low poly models
Pxel art is timeless, but the PS1/N64 era has aged horribly. Ugliest gen in gaming for me. I do quite like SEGA's Virtua games though.
These are so good. God damn, I really hope we see more games with this style.
Seems like the generation with nostalgia for these styles is finally getting into the scene.
Seems like the generation with nostalgia for these styles is finally getting into the scene.
What the fudge is this?? It's fucking beautiful and I want to know stat if this is a game or just some sort of concept thingie?
Pixel art was initially born out of technical limitations, but those limitations were in place for so long (decades) that artists honed the craft into something very pleasing to look at. This is why we get most indie games doing pixel art in the style of either the SNES (or NES) era as opposed to the Atari era.
N64 and PS1 graphics are analogous to the early days of pixel art. It's just ugly. Or even uglier since it's going for something more realistic in nature, which is prone to more criticism. Cartoony things tend to get away with a lot more.
N64 and PS1 graphics are analogous to the early days of pixel art. It's just ugly. Or even uglier since it's going for something more realistic in nature, which is prone to more criticism. Cartoony things tend to get away with a lot more.
A new adventur-ish game just got released called Paratopic; here's the release tweet:
Might as well share it here, but this is the project I mentioned a couple of posts back.
I've started working on it...
Might as well share it here, but this is the project I mentioned a couple of posts back.
I've started working on it...