Question of the Day, April 19, 2010
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I think they help, though I wouldn't want game developers to mash the story together quickly for the sake of creating a beautiful world. Repetitive environments are something to be avoided, though.
Oblivion's environment makes me want to cry, it's so beautiful. I was wandering it earlier, near Cheydinhal, when the sun was rising on a clear day, and I just stood there, looking at it. The water in particular looks absolutely gorgeous when the sun hits it.
Oblivion's environment makes me want to cry, it's so beautiful. I was wandering it earlier, near Cheydinhal, when the sun was rising on a clear day, and I just stood there, looking at it. The water in particular looks absolutely gorgeous when the sun hits it.
A good game does not need a distinct setting, just as a good movie doesn't.
A great game, however, does. The environment reinforces the plot as a whole, providing as detailed a look at the story as the characters can. Imagine watching "The Matrix" without the distinct feels of inside and outside the matrix?
Actually, a better analogy comes to mind, for those who watched it: the originial Stargate series. The show was created up in Vancouver, BC, Canada... and 75-80% of the outdoor scenes were done a few miles out of the city. It became very "same-y" when every planet they gated to had the same evergreen tree enviroment.
A great game, however, does. The environment reinforces the plot as a whole, providing as detailed a look at the story as the characters can. Imagine watching "The Matrix" without the distinct feels of inside and outside the matrix?
Actually, a better analogy comes to mind, for those who watched it: the originial Stargate series. The show was created up in Vancouver, BC, Canada... and 75-80% of the outdoor scenes were done a few miles out of the city. It became very "same-y" when every planet they gated to had the same evergreen tree enviroment.
[small]You want to be noticed? You want a reply? Fine, I'll counter-quote you, Swaki...[/small]Swaki said:
Actually, I was thinking more of the brown-on-grey-on-brown wasteland areas. That one spends a majority of the game climbing over to reach locations.
Yet it was still fun. It felt like an adventure.
My opinion, the two major things that make a game good is A)Story, B)Gameplay. If there's those two, it can be 8bit for all I care, I'll still have the time of my life.
Anyway, Destructable scenes are nice for when you wanna go back and just play Thor with everything, but no there not nessecary.
There mainly good for very open-world games, because if your feelin like destroying everything, can go back and destroy everything then progress. A linear game would pose issues, speccialy when you gotta do somehting within a certian timelimit and stuff.
Anyway, Destructable scenes are nice for when you wanna go back and just play Thor with everything, but no there not nessecary.
There mainly good for very open-world games, because if your feelin like destroying everything, can go back and destroy everything then progress. A linear game would pose issues, speccialy when you gotta do somehting within a certian timelimit and stuff.
Escapist staff I am disappoint. Your last poll option should read: I couldn't care less.
OT: Not too bothered, Fallout has been mentioned a few times. Although if the gameplay isn't great and the environment also isn't great I'm not gonna be playing, no matter the story.
OT: Not too bothered, Fallout has been mentioned a few times. Although if the gameplay isn't great and the environment also isn't great I'm not gonna be playing, no matter the story.
They are not nessisary (depending on the game) but they are great. Take HL2. Without it's enviroments it would be a below average shooter with story telling and that would not have cut it. By adding the enviroments and variation in them it completed the package and turned it into a fantastic game.
It sure does help. I *LOVE* Braid's environments, and it's one of those clever games I still play from time to time. Other games with bland environments I tend to tire of quickly.
"distinctive and vibrant environments" I don't mean technicolor super green or something. But a well planned, well built environment that makes you feel like your there is critical to me. And it has to be distinctive to the point of not copying something else.. except in cases where it is, New York has been modelled so many times its nuts, I have no idea what scale to expect that city in if I ever get a chance to visit.
Every part of art direction is important. Attention to detail within environment design is just as important as in character design or creature design. If I see bland locales I often see lazy art direction as a big part of that. Epic environments can make the world what it is. Morrowind I consider a vastly better game than Oblivion and part of it has to do with the much more unique setting of the former. World-building is a given, and if there is no world-building involved you'll get a pretty bland game.
I'm not going to throw a game away if the environment is boring, but it really helps if it's not. Actually, distinctive is not nearly as important as "explorable." Final Fantasy XIII's had a distinctive setting, but running down a straight path for hours isn't my idea of fun. In fact, the least distinctive environment in that game, the vast expanse of miscellaneous nature, was the part I had the most fun in because I could explore it for awhile and forget about how annoying Vanille was.
The relatively boring and repetitive environments that Bethesda churns out are my favorite. I could explore the copied and pasted landscape of Oblivion for hours and be massively entertained without even having any quests to make things interesting.
The relatively boring and repetitive environments that Bethesda churns out are my favorite. I could explore the copied and pasted landscape of Oblivion for hours and be massively entertained without even having any quests to make things interesting.
Without Rapture, BioShock might have been a little bit less awesome. Then again, CoD4 was awesome, regardless of it taking place in 'Unspecifiedistan'. I think It depends on the game (and on what points it's trying to get sold on, i.e. plot or gameplay), but memorable atmosphere can only make a game better. After all, I'm pretty sure that I won't be playing Halo with my children in a few decades, but I plan on saving the BioShock games for the little ones--once they're old enough, of course (can you imagine the nightmares that game would give a four year old?).
It's definitely a plus, and really awsome when done right. But i could go trough a game without much variety, i will probably get bored but i will go trough it anyway...
My 4 year old cousin loves video games and every time he comes visit and i'm playing he wants to watch (and with a little help, play too), I've played left4dead, dead space, HL2, RE, etc with him he just gets bored after a while of the same thing over and over again. Popcap games on the other hand he can't get enough, also the robot unicorns attack.bassdrum said:
