Your stance on graphics.

[Squilookle]

Graphics can make a great game better, but graphics cannot make a great game.

This pretty much sums up my stance on the subject too.

For me graphics are to games what paper is to books. As long as it isn't rough on your senses and presents the content clearly enough, it is fine. Any extra gloss is just window dressing.


After all, if it came down to choosing between this:

And this:

I would take lesser graphics for more action ANY day.

 

[Katnap_Devikat]

I second Mount and Blade as good example of Good Gameplay vs Mediocre Graphics.

I also still play the original Empire Earth, so yeah graphics don't do it for me all that often.

 

[brainslurper]

I think it is either 2d or hyper realistic crysis graphics. And there is no in between.

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/videogames/detail-page/metro.2033.05.lg.jpg
Like this.
http://bulk.destructoid.com/ul/167059-/BTR_Screenshot_04-620x.jpg
Or like this.
That is all.

 

[veloper]

For a full-priced game you can demand everything, including nice visuals.

From a very cheap indie game, I only expect good gameplay.

 

[brainslurper]

Graphics, in the end, are just a part of an entire package.

Yes. I like nice graphics. But the game has to follow through with dynamic, enjoyable gameplay and well as a narrative if applicable.

Great graphics but a terrible game, is still a terrible gaming experience.

Less focus should be put on Graphics as a separate part of a gmae that should be judged on its merits separately

Now that I think about it, there are really no genuinely bad games with superb graphics. Games like Crysis and Metro 2033 both have great stories and great graphics. I am of course talking modern 3d games here. Usually suck games have suck graphics.

 

[LittleBlondeGoth]

I have two stances on this.

First is for when I'm playing older games. In this instance, the graphics don't bother me. If I'm playing FFVI, then I know I'm going to have blocky sprites, but that's actually part of its charm. It was made God knows how many years ago, I'm not going to hold graphics against it - that was then and this is now. So I won't be stopped from enjoying something because it's old and not incredibly shiny any more, because times change.

New things. Shoddy graphics still won't stop me playing something, but I'm more willing to call a game out on it. In this day and age, there's very little excuse for having poor quality aesthetics. Look at God of War, Mass Effect, Gran Turismo. It can be done, so do it. Case in point here is Dragon Age. I love that game, I really do. But when I play it, there's a niggling bit of my brain that says "look at the hands on those models, surely they could have done better than that?".

 

[ImprovizoR]

Graphics are important to a certain degree. But they are never important as gameplay, atmosphere, story and even music. Look at Morrowind and Oblivion for example. Oblivion is prettier of course, but I still like Morrowind better because it's more immersive thanks to all the other factors I mentioned.

 

[ReaperGrimm]

Some of the greatest games I've played have pretty lame graphics by today's standards. Give me good game play and interesting story, characters, world ect, and i'am good. Nice graphics are just nice to have.

 

[Vrach]

I like graphics. I like good graphics. I like photo realistic graphics. I like well-executed cartoon graphics (f. ex. XIII). I like stylized graphics. I will praise a game on good graphics. I will scold a game for bad graphics.

It's a part of the game, like any other. It has its value, it doesn't hold the same value for every game and I take it with everything else, not based on some rule set that's supposed to prove how awesome I am at picking games I play.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I'm pretty much the Gameplay over Graphic since I think it's quite shallow for my brother wouldn't play Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic because of the graphic (something I don't want to become but I'm not implying everyone are like that). I do how to admit that I was in awe when I saw Gear of War with my own eyes when he brought it over last time so graphic does got values.

 

[Vault101]

they are important

if they werent than we would ALL be A-ok with playing a game with Deus ex type graphics (those polygon people....*shudder*)

it also has to do with ones ability to be drawn in

 

[BigTortoise]

Please don't hurt my GPU is all I'm saying ;_;

 

[omega3711]

I can play a game with bad graphics provided that the gameplay does something to make up for it and I am willing to forgive a game for poor mechanics if the graphics truly are spectacular.

 

[Zantos]

A lot of my favourite games, graphically speaking, look like turd but are aesthetically awesome. Particularly the steampunk awesome of Final Fantasy IX and Fable's comicey old England vibe. It's not about gangbanging the latest SLI setup until it burns out, more looking at what they have to work with and making the most of it.

I won't buy a game purely on it's graphics though. I refuse to buy LA Noire until my friends stop banging on about how amazing the faces look for long enough to tell me if it's actually a good game, and as nice as Battlefield 3 looks it'll be getting bought for the gameplay not the pretty graphics.