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TornadoCreator on 03 January 2014
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Pemalite said:
TornadoCreator said:
As for the others. I'm decidedly unimpressed with both the PS4 and Xone when it comes to graphical fidelity. The Wii U is apparently the weaker console yet almost every recent game for it looks better than anything these new powerhouse machines can kick out. Sure Killzone may have the technically best graphics, and Knack may have more particle effects than any other game. Ryse may well be unparalleled in texture mapping technology, and Forza might well have a graphics engine so refined it remembers individual scuff marks but I don't care. None of these games have used their graphics effectively to make a truly beautiful game. I'm waiting on InFamous: Second Son, that actually looks impressive graphics wise. Nothing else has impressed me though.


Nintendo is probably best-in-the-industry when it comes to artistic style, it's why their games look great, whilst being light on graphical effects.
There is a difference between the two, which some people don't realise.

Personally, the best looking games (From a technical graphics standpoint) are on PC as it has always been.

True but for a game to be visually impressive it just needs to have good visuals that aid in the gameplay and help build an atmosphere. Sure there are more graphical effects in other games, but they achieve very little other than giving fanboys something to measure. Honestly, the game that most blew me away on graphics was Journey on PS3. It was unparalleled in beauty, and it ran in both 1080p and at 60fps too, though that's not too important. The important thing is, the game was genuinely beautiful. To go the other way; The Last Of Us was very impressive from an atmosphere point of view and the graphics are some of the better I've seen on the consoles. Like many have said before me, there's no point focusing on realistic smoke, water, or particle physics, if your game is boring and lacks flare. That's the main problem the new Killzone has.

Now when it comes to PC, you're right it will always have the best graphics... theoretically.

I'm an old PC gamer, and honestly, the PC graphics argument is so often bullshit. Rarely are people actually playing game in glorious HD graphics and high framerates, and the issues and expense in PC gaming is ridiculous sometimes. Sure the games are cheaper, and if it wasn't for the pre-owned market that would genuinely change the way I view PC gaming, but getting into PC gaming requires far too much of an investment. Decent graphics cards, hard drives, processors, RAM, it soon builds up and it so bloody fiddly. Every PC game starts the same.

Level 1 - Install the game. This should be easy, but with modern computers it's entirely possible that the thing won't install properly and you'll have to re-install it three or four times to get it to work.

Level 2 - Search the Steam Support page for "Error #3870a3c" and try to figure out why the hell the game keeps crashing to desktop, or freezing up. (There are at least 3 games I have where I've never beat this level, Steam however refuses to refund a game if you've beat level 1 though so I'm stuck with them).

Level 3 - Search the internet tirelessly for the driver you need to update your graphics cards, or whatever else is causing the issues. Finally get the game up and running.

Level 3a - BONUS LEVEL, if you're really lucky the developers will have put in this bonus level called, "repeatedly try to connect to our servers to play a single player game", this level is infamous. One sign you've unlocked this secret level is the phrase "Error 37".

Level 4 - The title screen. This is the level most console games start you on, which is a pity as you're missing out of so much fun....

Level 4a - BONUS LEVEL, if you're playing a game designed with a console in mind, you'll probably want to use a controller. This is the level where you try to get one to work. Some games simply accept the Xbox 360 wired controller, which bypasses this level, but many don't meaning you'll have the fun of starting up and configuring a program like joy2key to force your controller to emulate key-presses. Such fun...

I'd love to embrace PC gaming, I really would. I especially miss my strategy games which are just non-existent on console. The problem is, I don't have over £1000 to drop on a decent gaming rig. Sure I could get a passable gaming PC for about £400-500 but it won't be outperforming the current consoles, not by a long shot. I fell out with PC gaming years ago; I doubt it'll ever win me back. I return occationally to play Tropico 4, Civilization 4, and Dungeons Of Dredmor, but that's about it now. I don't think I could play games like Batman: Arkhan Asylum for example on PC now after playing it on consoles.

Still each to their own. Consoles to me represent convienience and the relaxed freedom to just enjoy my games without having to worry about the technicals. Some people like to micromanage, optimising their games themselves to fit their playstyle, and for them PC is great. For me it's just never going to win me back, especially with digital distribution. Steam is by far the best system for digital distribution, and I own over 30 games on Steam, but I just prefer physical media... it's the collector in me that feels that way. Hell, I've even got the physical media version of Journey for PS3.