Poll: Great game... And Cell Shading?

[Instant K4rma]

As many of you may or may not know, a new RPG FPS is coming out called Borderlands. The game looks very impressive, and the creators claim it to have over half a million unique weapons. The game is set in a Fallout style enviornment, and can be played splitscreen/online co-op with up to 3 other players (4 total including yourself). Any weapons, armor, expirience you get in another players world you can bring back to your own world. The game sounds very promising and the gameplay videos of it look very impressive; but there is one issue that I see a majority of gamers disliking...

Cell Shading. The comments ive read on the gameplay videos have been "These graphics suck!", "Cell shading makes it look like its for little kids." I personally have no problem with cell shading, and Im not one of those people who bash graphics. Im gameplay>graphics. But aside from my views, a lot of people are saying they refuse to get this game because of the graphics/cellshading, and I think thats ridiculous! Maybe its just me, but I hate it when people claim that games are bad based on graphics alone. Good graphics are fine, but if your deciding on buying a game or not based on its graphics, thats not a great way to decide. What do you guys think? Would you not buy a game just because its graphics arent cutting edge?

 

[metalmmaniac]

I definately don't base on graphics.

I, personally hated the cell-shading in Wind Waker, but i played through the game and thought it was quite good.

Also, XIII, was a game that proved you can use cell shading and still make a mature game.

 

[Onehandstan]

I understand what you mean, but with the graphical capabilities of modern consoles graphics have become part of the immersion. In short, good graphics have spoilt us, we no longer find it as easy to relate to a game with sub-par graphics.

 

[Skillswords]

if you base a good game o graphics, then go watch yahtzee on halo 3

 

[HonorableChairman]

To a certain extent. If it comes down to a really close call between getting game A or B, sometimes I will make a decision based on which one has a more likeable design.

But for the record I like cel-shading.

 

[Susan Arendt]

I don't equate cel shading with "inferior graphics" at all. Less realistic, yes, but to call them inferior implies that every game should look as realistic as possible, a claim I certainly dispute. Realism can add to immersion, especially when a game is set in a current-day setting, but it's not a requirement for a game to be good.

 

[A Pious Cultist]

For the record: I prefer stylised graphics.

 

[Ancientgamer]

I'm also Gameplay>Graphics, however, how do find graphics important. Or more importantly, art direction. It affects my decision, not to the point it's the deciding factor though.

 

[Fenring]

I hate to break it to all y'all. It's not cell shading. It's concept-art style. Not cell shading. I'm a member of the Borderlands forum, and I must say, the vast majority of the people there, both those who joined after the art change and before, like the style. So I think it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Sampler]

And here's me thinking the cell shading in Jet Set Radio made the game look cool and graphically superior to anything out at the time - then again I'm probably twice the average age of posters here from my view of some of the comments

 

[Bigeyez]

My Cousin fits exactly as the person you described. He looks at a game for 2 seconds and decides solely based on graphics whether he likes it or not. I've tried to show him the light be he won't listen to me. His favorite game right now is RE:5. Why? Because in his own words "it has the best graphic on da xbox so it's the best game"...Yet when he saw the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 remake for XBL he said "dude that game is gonna suck it looks like a super nintendo game, your so wasting your money on a pile of crap".../cry

Graphics generally don't matter to me as long as the game is fun. Cell shading in particular I actually like. It's different from the browns, greys, and blacks and all these realistic and gritty games have nowadays. Right now I'm remembering jet set radio and how much i loved how that game looked.

 

[Headless Zombie]

I couldn't care less about graphics, Dwarf Fort is one of my favorite games and it uses ASCII

 

[theklng]

I don't equate cel shading with "inferior graphics" at all. Less realistic, yes, but to call them inferior implies that every game should look as realistic as possible, a claim I certainly dispute. Realism can add to immersion, especially when a game is set in a current-day setting, but it's not a requirement for a game to be good.

i agree. in addition, it's worth pointing out that creating a uniform atmosphere may be the most crucial part of the art direction for any given game. whatever the style is, everything needs to fit together.

 

[Aunel]

graphics to me are just a extra, not worth paying extra for.
but I just don't like the looks of cell shading, it just looks strange to me, that's why I generally dislike cell shaded games, but Crackdown was awesome even though cell shaded.
and is Borderlands only on PS3 or is it coming to PC/360?

 

[TheBXRabbit]

The reason that people instantly judge games based on the graphics is because it's the first and easiest thing to notice, like the cover of a book. And while I don't hate cel-shading (I actually liked Wind Waker), I'd be lying if I said that I don't take graphical fidelity into consideration when choosing what to buy.

In short, there's a difference between graphical style and graphical quality.

 

[Monocle Man]

I tend to like cell-shaded graphics better. Such game tend to have more colours and tend to be less dark.
Dark as in the literal meaning of "I can't see shit".

Something can be as realistic as they want them to be but I won't be drooling over browns and greys.

As long as I can see what's going on at all times, graphics don't matter to me.

 

[scnj]

It certainly does look awesome. I especially love the graphic style. Kind of like a less crazy version of Killer7.

 

[quack35]

Gameplay is more important than graphics.

I don't think anyone in the world disagrees with that.

 

[Instant K4rma]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MadJGL7vtgk

For anyone interested in Borderlands.