Author Topic: Why do all 360 games look the same? (Read 7219 times)

NWR_pap64 · « **on:** July 30, 2007, 11:43:49 AM »

First of all, I am very happy with my 360. This is just something I noticed while playing some demos and games.

Has anyone noticed that some 360 games look the same in terms of graphical design, character modeling, textures and even small graphical touches like blur and bloom?

In the last few days I've played the following games:
- Perfect Dark Zero
- Kameo
- The Darkness
- F.E.A.R
- Call of duty 2
- Fight Night Round 3
- Project GOTHAM racing
- Lost Planet
- Dead rising

In all of them I noticed something; they all share similar graphical traits, textures and even engines. The only exceptions are Dead Rising and Lost Planet. They both share a very unique graphics engine that separates them from the other 360 games (I personally love the blur they use in the animation). But many of the games look somewhat similar to each other.

Do all of these games use a special 360 engine that comes with the development kits or is this the curse of hi def next gen graphics?

It doesn't bug me that much, but I think developers should be more creative and make something unique every once in a while. After a while it begins to get old.

Or am I missing something here...

LuigiHann · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2007, 11:50:25 AM »

It's actually all one game. They just put different labels on it to see if you'll notice.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2007, 11:51:32 AM »

It's called "Shiny-itis," a disease that most next-gen games suffer from...It takes a game and puts this nasty plastic sheen over everything...

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:01:40 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
First of all, I am very happy with my 360. This is just something I noticed while playing some demos and games.

Has anyone noticed that some 360 games look the same in terms of graphical design, character modeling, textures and even small graphical touches like blur and bloom?

In the last few days I've played the following games:
- Perfect Dark Zero
- Kameo
- The Darkness
- F.E.A.R
- Call of duty 2
- Fight Night Round 3
- Project GOTHAM racing
- Lost Planet
- Dead rising

In all of them I noticed something; they all share similar graphical traits, textures and even engines. The only exceptions are Dead Rising and Lost Planet. They both share a very unique graphics engine that separates them from the other 360 games (I personally love the blur they use in the animation). But many of the games look somewhat similar to each other.

Do all of these games use a special 360 engine that comes with the development kits or is this the curse of hi def next gen graphics?

It doesn't bug me that much, but I think developers should be more creative and make something unique every once in a while. After a while it begins to get old.

Or am I missing something here...

Now you know what I mean about games sharing similar visuals and even settings (Though it is strange you mention Kameo because that had a different visual style from the others).

NWR_pap64 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:03:35 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
It's called "Shiny-itis," a disease that most next-gen games suffer from...It takes a game and puts this nasty plastic sheen over everything...

That's something I forgot to mention. I too have noticed that the graphics look very shiny, a little too shiny on some occasions.

And this is without even mentioning bloom lighting and brown for realism!

And Gold, I mentioned Kameo because I noticed that some of the textures look similar to the ones in Perfect Dark Zero and some other games. It does have a different style, yes, but some of the same tricks are being used.

ShyGuy · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:17:46 PM »

Obligatory VGCats link

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:22:39 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
It's called "Shiny-itis," a disease that most next-gen games suffer from...It takes a game and puts this nasty plastic sheen over everything...

That's something I forgot to mention. I too have noticed that the graphics look very shiny, a little too shiny on some occasions.

And this is without even mentioning bloom lighting and brown for realism!

And Gold, I mentioned Kameo because I noticed that some of the textures look similar to the ones in Perfect Dark Zero and some other games. It does have a different style, yes, but some of the same tricks are being used.

Well I really wouldn't be surprised if Kameo borrowed from PD0 (Or vice versa) since Rare was developing them simulaneously.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:42:16 PM »

Which is pretty sad, really, considering both games should pretty much have had completely different art styles...The shiny rocks looked REALLY out of place in PDZ...*shrug*

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2007, 12:44:33 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
Which is pretty sad, really, considering both games should pretty much have had completely different art styles...The shiny rocks looked REALLY out of place in PDZ...*shrug*

Maybe the villains like the rocks shiney so they polished them?

Sir_Stabbalot · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2007, 01:03:17 PM »

I still don't get why they put that brown filter over the screen in Gears of War. The game looks much better with the video set to Vibrant Colors. It brings out a lot of details that otherwise get washed away.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:11:39 PM »

Its all very Unreal.... I wonder if any of those games are using the same engine?

that is a legitimate question and not a thinly veiled attempt at sarcasm...... seriously

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:24:38 PM »

I don't think any of the games listed use the Unreal engine...

(Actually, I'm not sure about Capcom's Dead Rising and Lost Planet...Capcom has licensed UE3, but who knows what games they have used it on...)

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:29:58 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
I don't think any of the games listed use the Unreal engine...

(Actually, I'm not sure about Capcom's Dead Rising and Lost Planet...Capcom has licensed UE3, but who knows what games they have used it on...)

If only Lost Planet had the gameplay to match its visuals.

NWR_pap64 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:47:36 PM »

I checked and the only 360 game that uses the Unreal 3 engine is Gears of war.

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:50:02 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
I checked and the only 360 game that uses the Unreal 3 engine is Gears of war.

Gears of War is the best example of generic visual style.

ShyGuy · « **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2007, 04:56:16 PM »

Unreal 2.5 or Renderware for the engines I'm guessing.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #16 on:** July 30, 2007, 05:02:45 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: pap64
I checked and the only 360 game that uses the Unreal 3 engine is Gears of war.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas, too...

that Baby guy · « **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2007, 05:14:32 PM »

Gears of War is probably one of the few 360 titles that actually look good in action. The rest just feature a bunch of glare to blind you into thinking they're good graphics. [/fanboy]

KDR_11k · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2007, 09:53:57 PM »

FEAR uses Lithtech I think. Still looks very generic (I only played the PC version), kinda like applying Doom3 to Half-Life. I think they also overdo it on the specularity, that seems to be the modern way because otherwise people don't see the normalmaps (Battlefield 2 uses normalmaps too AFAIK but they used realistic lighting on stuff so the end result doesn't look like action figures).

ryancoke · « **Reply #19 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:32:12 AM »

Because users have different tastes for what they like to see in a game, developers should build in more visual options. Like in GTA:VC on PS2 (and probably the other versions) you can turn off some of the lighting effects that simulate a sunset/sunrise. I found it too hard to see with that setting on and had much more fun with the game when I turned it off. PC games usually have lots of visual settings and I don't see why console games can't.

capamerica · « **Reply #20 on:** July 31, 2007, 04:30:30 AM »

Welcome to NextGen were everything looks the same...

Ceric · « **Reply #21 on:** July 31, 2007, 04:42:32 AM »

Like real life :0

Kairon · « **Reply #22 on:** July 31, 2007, 04:54:57 AM »

But at least in real life, we can play videogames that look different.

Ceric · « **Reply #23 on:** July 31, 2007, 06:25:08 AM »

It's coming Kairon, Its Coming. I mean you can already play Spore in the The Sims.

that Baby guy · « **Reply #24 on:** July 31, 2007, 06:36:10 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: capamerica
Welcome to NextGen were everything looks the same...

Where everybody knows your na-a-ame...

News:

Author Topic: Why do all 360 games look the same? (Read 7219 times)