Do detailed graphics help or hurt platformers?

[alienjesus]

The problem I have with these new HD graphics 2D platformers is that so manyt of them just scream 'photoshop' and 'illustrator' to me. Despite the games going for their own style, something about the computer programs being used just seems to suck all the life out of them

[o.pwuaioc]

What about games like bit.trip runner? Not 2.5D, but some of those backgrounds are really, really distracting. Is that part of the game, the charm?

[Mucx]

Played Rayman Origins the other day... love it, there should be more platformers like this. It combines an awesome art style and great gameplay together. (and the background and extras on-screen aren't a distraction).

[AppleQueso]

I think the busy and over-complicated look of modern 2D games is them overcompensating for being nearly completely irrelevant for almost an entire generation and a half.

[noiseredux]

I don't mind 2.5 if done right. Wario World on the Gamecube for example.

isn't Wario World a pure 3D platformer?

[AppleQueso]

I don't mind 2.5 if done right. Wario World on the Gamecube for example.

isn't Wario World a pure 3D platformer?

Sure is. Other than the camera being at a fixed angle (think something like the first two Metal Gear Solid games), I'm not sure where he gets the idea that it's 2.5D.

[ZeroAX]

I think the busy and over-complicated look of modern 2D games is them overcompensating for being nearly completely irrelevant for almost an entire generation and a half.

I think it also has a lot to do with the mentality of modern gamers that a game should have amazing graphics otherwise it's not worth its price tag (which is bullshit. The Godfather is worth way more than a piece of shit like Avatar), and thus they NEED to be impressive, even if it's counter productive for the gameplay.


Platform games are all about level design. The lion's share of the budget should go there (after they get the jumping and movement physics and camera movement down of course), not to make detailed 2D art which you won't have a chance to pay attention to.

A very good example of minimalistic art which works amazing to the game's advantage was Locoroco for the PSP.

On the other hand, even though I love it, I always lose my character in LBP1 and 2 on the PS3.

[GigaPepsiMan]

"2.5D" is something which is normally done wrong by a lot of developers, Klonoa is probably the best game to play if you want to see an example of a "2.5D" game done correctly.

[Radical Lanzar]

Long story short, detailed graphics have NOTHING to do with hurting platformers. What hurts plaformers and has ALWAYS hurt platformers is when the background, foreground, HUD and even the sprites all share a common theme of consistency. It's actually very hard to pinpoint what is going on screen or what is going on at any given time.

The original Mario? Different HUD, background (non existant) foreground (scenery) and a pixelated Mario. Simple stuff.

Sonic Generations has Sonic, the background and foreground all rolled into one. No wonder it is hard to see what's going on. The HUD is barely noticeable. That's sad.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Long story short, detailed graphics have NOTHING to do with hurting platformers. What hurts plaformers and has ALWAYS hurt platformers is when the background, foreground, HUD and even the sprites all share a common theme of consistency. It's actually very hard to pinpoint what is going on screen or what is going on at any given time.

The original Mario? Different HUD, background (non existant) foreground (scenery) and a pixelated Mario. Simple stuff.

Sonic Generations has Sonic, the background and foreground all rolled into one. No wonder it is hard to see what's going on. The HUD is barely noticeable. That's sad.

Sonic Generations is fine. Depth of field and the fact that the backgrounds are extremely deep makes it pretty damn easy to see what's going on in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjDJd6Ay5jw