People said the same time when Lost Odyssey came out.  Also, look at SO3 and SO4.  There is a good jump in graphical quality.  ex. the character models in SO4 are significantly more detailed.  SO3 has PS2 graphics, while SO4 has 360 graphics.  Also, you have to lower the graphical standards for RPGs since they have more content overall than shooters and  action games.  Look at Fable II, the game's graphics weren't something to write home about technically but the art style was fantastic.

 Very unlikely it will look that good in game. Looks almost definately pre rendered.

@frosty top

so RPGs are like sandbox games (GTA),,,due to having more content the game's graphics takes a hit(compared to say shooters ,action games)

That's why we have to lower our standards for graphics in RPGs, that is unless that RPG has Final Fantasy in the name.

^^^that makes sense,,,sorry i m a RPG noob,,,,never played a single RPG in my life(i rented one(fable 1) and have watched some of my friends play it for 10 min but that was it)

OMG this game looks epic i guess ps3 owners are hoping that this game is a timed exclusive after all jajaja.

Well yes to a degree. WRPGs are more sandbox in the technical sense than JRPGs in that they are character driven, there's more opportunity for supper dooper eye candy moments in JRPGs but you've still got your basic areas you can go back to.

Where there is a lot of eye candy frame rates tend to suffer because the engine isn't specifically designed for those eye candy moments in real time.

SO3 was pretty darn drab, clean cut but drab for the most part. I liked the style but apart from the eye candy "events" it was nothing to shout home about.

If you look at Eternal Sonata for example that was pretty good with the eye candy it wasn't quite the same as most tradition JRPGs, it was very short relatively speaking and quite restrictive play environment so they could afford to spend the time on the environment.

Star Ocean, if its like SO3 is going to be a monster long epic.

I wouldn't be surprised if there are some parts where you think "this could be done on an Xbox 1 quite easily".

But the good bits will shine.

Just the way it goes.

Actually, that's in game. It was featured in a trailer as part of a battle, AFIAK.

 JRPGs have nothing to do with sandbox (not that you claimed them to be, but since that term was brought up). JRPGs are the most linear games you can find. So it's not a technical issue at all if they look inferior (and they do), just a tradition of simplistic (or flat out bad) developing.

Ah, but we're talking technical. and not gameplay :)

There is a very staunch difference in *some* JRPGs and *some* WRPGs, since linearity changes design choice.

When there is more linearity, it means there are FAR more set pieces, and varied terrains/scenarios that are given. Since you aren't back-tracking on the same area often (unlike Sandbox RPGs), they are forced to make more areas that are different.

A few great games to explore for design choices:

• Mass Effect
• Oblivion
• Fallout 3
• King's Bounty: The Legend
• The Last Remnant
• Blue Dragon
• Two Worlds
• Eternal Sonata
• Tales of Vesperia

..Of the recent ones, it's very interesting to view how the game play areas are defined. Some games restrict movement in favor of far more grandoise setpieces (such as Eternal Sonata and Tales of Vesperia), while other games have no boundaries, but are far more generic (Oblivion and Fallout 3). It's a very certain tradeoff: You have to sacrifice somewhere. Either the game will have some sort of pre-rendered, you-can't-go-there background, but have tons of them that are gorgeous, or aren't as gorgeous, but you can go anywhere, and do anything.

I think playing Mass Effect and The Last Remnant bring out the contrast in design choices the most, IMO. Both are UE3 games, but follow the varied East/West philosophies of dungeon and area design. ME has more sandbox-y areas, but aren't as varied as The Last Remnant, which restricts your ability to move in favor of gorgeous level design (which is certainly varied compared to ME...Which is also varied, but not nearly as much).