Do you prefer high end graphics or indie/hybrid graphics?

Hard Reset is an indie game (if not anymore, it was). I'll just say, I like decent graphics. It doesn't have to be the absolute cutting edge. But, something decent enough. I wouldn't go any lower than stock Fallout: New Vegas graphics.

I personally love them both, when I play a game like horizon zero dawn, sometimes I just stop to marvel at how amazing games can look nowadays, but when I play a game like bloodstained: curse of the moon, I get a warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia as I navigate through these glorious 8-bit pixelated levels.

I am very glad they both exist, and frequently switch back and forth between indie/retro and modern games.

It depends on my mood. I enjoy both high end and retro/indie graphics greatly.

I think they have their application. 8 bit or 16 graphics i don't think would fair well in VR.

Don't care. Artistry is more important to me and, you know, if the game is fun

You're right but I think some VR games look good when they go do a retro look though.

I still like my retro games hence why I’ve never sold any of my consoles from when I was a kid. I lost my 8bit and 16bit consoles when I was moving and it still saddens me. Nowadays I play most of my retro games though emulation and collections.

Depends on the game. I enjoy anything from games that look purposely retro to 4K awesomeness that make my gaming PC sweat.

I am way more into the indie or hand drawn look in games.

Games like Tree of Savior/Project Octopath Traveler/Ori and the Blind Forest really do it for me visually.

Same here. Art styles are starting to become more of my favorite.

I play whatever I see fit and if it looks fun, that's all that matters.

I guess it depends on the game. While I do enjoy some of those games with the hybrid classic look like Octopath Traveller I would say that in general I prefer the modern graphics games as I definitely play more of those.

LOL you have A LOT of hours into Xenoblade Chronicles 2. What would you rate it out of 10?

Shit the world is coming to an end because I agree with this ^ guy.

@n64dd: Yeah I played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for a fair amount of time and there’s still a lot of things to do in it. I’d give it like an 8.5 out of 10. Looking forward to the new dlc coming out for it.

I love both, but no matter if its high end or 8 bit graphics the art style has to be good or it just ruins it for me.

Meh.. I just like fun games.

I like whatever works for the developer, whatever allows them to convey the game world or appearance they're going for.

To me it's not so much about what's better, it's about appreciating their differences. It's like oil paintings? Or watercolor? Or charcoal? Idunno whatever works, man, I'm not here to judge.

With that said, I find "retro" visuals somewhat endearing and it depends on the game, too; I can't imagine Halcyon 6 done in a cutting-edge game engine, or Factorio, or Hyper Light Drifter. Some of the best shooters are cel-shaded and not really going for that high-definition look (Borderlands, XIII, etc)

I do find myself awed by beautiful reconstructed game worlds that look realistic, however. The first time I stepped into Crysis, or when I got the right combination of mods for Skyrim, or that fleeting moment where Kingdom Come ran well and looked photorealistic enough to trick my eyes.

Indie graphics can easily match AAA games these days:

Heck, even a game like Metro: Exodus is not made on an ultra large budget like ... Destiny or COD. Which look horrible in comparison.

@R4gn4r0k:

Indeed Metro games are made on a fraction of a budget compared to other AAA games and still technically ahead of most of them. The only thing 4A games lack in in facial animation etc. because they don't have access to motion capture/performance capture companies but in everything else they slaughter other devs based solely on their passion.

For me, the biggest thing is that the game runs well. I like the high end graphics, but I can also appreciate lesser graphics with good art direction and immersion.

Either is fine depending on what the game is set out to do. I do like games that push hardware though.

"Indie" isn't really a graphics style though.

the more i think about it the more i realise i dont really think about it much. i like that there is variety in the visual make up of games.

i dont disregard games just because they dont push a high end PC to the limit. at the same time i wouldnt buy a game just because it uses pixel art.

I love both, but if i had to pick just one, then easily indie multiple visual styles. I really love pixelart and i'm always open for different and unique visual directions.

Not a fan of pixel art. It looks unappealing to me. And it's not even authentic, but is fake-retro, based on what old games look like on modern emulators, instead of what they actually looked like on old CRT televisions, which smoothed-out the pixels. The authentic retro CRT look is more appealing to me, yet most "retro" themed games often go with the inauthentic pixel-art look instead of an authentic CRT look.

I'm also the type who does not believe a game is art just because it's 2D/pixels. Most of the time, I think they're just cartoony graphics. ;) Art in games can occur in games with cutting-edge graphics as well.

It's entirely game dependant, not all games need to have cutting edge graphics to be good and not all games with cutting edge graphics are good. In general, I try not to judge a book by its' cover.

I like old, but not SNES type games.

When a new console comes out it is always the high end realistic games that impress the most.

A game with a unique art style usually ages better.

I went with high end in the poll because it is the reason to keep upgrading.

High end for games that cant be the same without good graphics and this is a fine example to all the "graphics dont matter" peeps of this board ( which in majority are sheep for a reason and this is something started to be mentioned with Wii because before Wii even sheep where in graphics big time but anyways ).

Check Mortal kombat potato mode for example. Now imagine this mode for games like BOTW, RE7, Witcher 3, GoW, UC4 etc ... nah, games wouldnt be the same if they would look like that. Or even worse imagine those with PS1 graphics ....Same games, different experience because of graphics alone.

On the other hand indie like games are fine for what they offer. Some of my best games the last 2 generations are indie like games. They can work with simple 2D sprite based graphics. But that wont change the fact that graphics do matter, with one way or another.

We need gaming to go forward and one day we reach realistic 3D graphics not to go back to early 90s

I prefer very high budget graphics. In fact, I'd like to see a cel shaded high budget game with amazing 3d models and art.

I'd prefer a more cohesive cel shaded look than what they're doing with the latest DQ and God Eater with those non cel-shaded backgrounds.

Depends entirely on the game. I'll always prefer AAA budget graphics, but i'll never be disinterested in a game due to graphics.

High end I honestly just can't get immersed in indies games and I don't find their gameplay fun. But I still can go back to old games of the 2000's like Max Payne, Half Life 2, RE4, Condemned and F.E.A.R. ect.. and enjoy them alot .

I'm all for high-end games; maxing everything I can throw on my PC but I appreciate art. I love how Cuphead and Octopath Traveler look for example.

I'm a mix between the two. Sure, fancy graphics look great, but older graphics can be just as fun as well as cheaper. Guess that's why I love playing the older consoles so much.

I agree but on the other hand there are experiences that work with graphics. Resident Evil 7 for example. Can you imagine this game be any good with PS1 graphics ? So imo not all games can be fun regardless of graphics. Some are relating the core experience on graphics. Dead Space, Uncharted, RE7 to name a few.

Yeah, i remember watching a RE1 preview on Gamepro and i was all over it. Bought it day 1, had a blast and was my favorite game of that year by far. For its era was great but for todays standards, i dont know those graphics could work anymore on this specific genre. Resident evil 2 remake though, oh boy, will make alot of people appreciate what graphics can really do in gaming. Graphics do matter alot in the end for many games out there, youll see.

High End AAA Graphics are the best.

I can’t stand indie games and retro graphics. I played them to death in the 90’s and don’t want to go back.

However, I make some exceptions lile Sonic Mania and Chrono Trigger.

Yeah i agree on that one. Another of my old time favorites, Symphony of the night and SM64. Imo the golden age of gaming, that transition from 2D to 3D was the biggest gameplay revolution since like forever, and we might not see anything like that ever again.

Gamepro yeah, haha funny memories. Still remember the preview of Resident Evil, it had GREEN as blood in the pictures and i was "wtf, why ? Oh well ". Then when i played the game blood was red and i was like " wow, its red. awesome !! " with excitement. So many way different and new experiences back then, one after the other. Missed those days, games were feeling so fresh :)

Both. Never stopped liking 2D or hand drawn art games. I actually wish they still made more of them that weren't just limited to indie games. That being said, I think the 8 bit and 16 bit retro graphics are actually overdone. I'm not talking "retro", but rather just more 2D games in general - preferably ones with modern animations rather than limited to 16 bit or 32 bit style.

I still play old 2D graphics games such as Red Alert 2, Grim Fandango, and Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far. But, I've had no interest in the more recent games with pastel-looking graphics (both 2D and 3D).

One of my all-time favorite games (Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far).

@jun_aka_pekto said:

I still play old 2D graphics games such as Red Alert 2, Grim Fandango, and Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far. But, I've had no interest in the more recent games with pastel-looking graphics (both 2D and 3D).

One of my all-time favorite games (Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far).

Never heard of it. What is it?

Real-time tactical war game.

For story oriented games, I prefer great graphics. For more arcade or quick fun games, I don't really care. I still love classic games going all the way back to the NES as well so...

Shinji Mikami said that, if the 3D technology was more powerful back then, RE1 would've turned out to be a very different game. His original prototype design for RE1 was strikingly similar to RE7: first-person, fully 3D, psychological horror. But because the PS1 hardware was too weak, he decided to go with pre-rendered backdrops, fixed camera angles, and tank controls.

Hard to say, love both. I think I play more games with retro graphics right now though.

Exactly. RE was aiming for first person all along. They tried first person with a RE side game, dont remember which i did own it for a while but was ... bad.