Graphics Style: What Do You Prefer? Stylized Vs. Realistic

[ChengizVlad09]

As the title suggest, what is your style of preference when it comes to graphics; slightly stylized visual appearance, just like it was during the 3D Era, or something more realistic looking, like the things are now, during the HD Era? Of course, looks are not everything, but visuals have always been important part of video games. We can even come to realize that different Visualization approaches inside the world of Grand Theft Auto are one of the points why we ultimately have different Universes. On the other hand and to answer the question straight away, I have always liked that Stylized, Cartoony looking visual features of 3D games. To say that they are outdated, would be true, but only in strictly technical sense, since they are undoubtedly still beautiful, hence it would even be desirable to see some future games baring that visual tones with some modern, more advanced muscles behind their back.

Edited October 17, 2019 by ChengizVlad09

[TheSantader25]

Realistic and slightly stylized. I prefer the 3D era(and slightly V) when it comes to style. 

[Lotte]

I'm always a sucker for an extremely stylized look in general, and it's nice to have something visually distinct in a very obvious way. Pushing for realism doesn't make a very good game to play or to even look at, and it makes the humor that GTA goes for feel kind of out of place.

 

I'd love to see a modern GTA game (or GTA-adjacent game) try to do the 3D era look again with current day lighting and gamefeel backing it up.

[DOUGL4S1]

While I voted for realism, I wouldn't want an authentic realistic GTA game. A few silly items, vehicles and maybe missions are ok, but making the game with a more cartoon-esque art style, I think it would go a bit too much into Saints Row (circa 3) territory, since a cartoonish style wouldn't work that well with a more realistic-focused gameplay of the HD era.

[ChengizVlad09]

While I can't see how would extremely stylized/cartoonish GTA end-up looking or would that be any good, I would say the amount of almost comic book visual appearance of 3DU games is something that still sparks my imagination to this day and is something I'd gladly see in possible future iterations. 

 

Making some parallels and if you have seen those ENB Series graphics mods, or whatever they are called, that's the exact amount of 'realism' worthy of any despise. Not just because of the silly wet roads, but simply because that kind of over exaggerated realism is just pushing it too far in every visual aspect. It could be it doesn't look that appealing to my eye since it's not official, but the general sense that something is off and not even remotely right is just overwhelming.

[Algonquin Assassin]

Other. Stylised Realism like GTA IV.

 

Where the 3D GTAs are cartoony GTA V leans on looking as photorealistic as possible. Not necessarily a bad thing of course, but I feel GTA IV strikes a good balance. GTA IV reminds me of that Saboteur game that released a year later where despite the city's realistic looking appearance as in details present its art style was pretty exaggerated like Sin City or 300.

 

I feel GTA IV is the very similar. The city looks realistic, but the art style, colour palette isn't supposed to be "realistic" in the sense you could just walk outside in the real world. Not everyone is a fan of the drawn out/washed out colours, but to me its what gives GTA IV its unique look and feel. I don't play on PC, but I'm not a fan of those ENB Series mods or atleast what I've seen in videos. 

 

GTA IV looks weird with super realistic graphics enhancements. 

[Lioshenka]

Stylised realism, like the Renderware GTAs. That almost perfect ideallistic, yet realistic world to marvel at.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Lioshenka

[ChengizVlad09]

@SonOfLiberty 

 

" Other. Stylised Realism like GTA IV. "

 

I just knew you'd say something along that line , but fair point nonetheless. I can totally see IV as such as well. Although, inevitably, it leans more towards 'realistic looking' game, something similar to V. But, unlike V, IV still keeps some room available for artistic maneuvering in form of stylization, no doubt.V really doesn't offer that space.

 

In contrast, 3D games are all about being stylized but without being literally drawn and painted, where all the available space is used for artistic exaggeration, so to say. Resemblance to 3DU artwork is sometimes strikingly similar, something I find so visually appealing.

 

Maybe not related to GTA exclusively, but speaking in general, the problem with hyper realistic looking games is their consistency. Until we reach the point where games will undoubtedly look ' real ' it is almost certain for some visual features to creep in and appear as ' off looking ' and ' goofy ' so it can damage the visual fidelity of the said game. Of course, I don't mean all that from the ultimate far-right viewpoint or as something radical and game breaking.

 

@Lioshenka

 

" Stylised Realism ". That's bold to say in relation to 3DU games - realism part - but I agree to the fullest. I just adore low-res real images they used for textures so abundantly! Combine that with appropriate lighting effects and voila, magic. Honestly, if they could just put more poligons in models behind those textures to make them appear more dimensional and 3D and not entirely flat, I would skip on 'GTA M' - roman thousand for uninitiated. 

Ironically, take PS2 version of SA for example. That exact version has numerous visual features from both ends of spectrum, which are missing in every succeeding version, but they are still amazingly advanced; like specular lighting - don't hold my word for it, but I think it regards to car headlights and I hope that's the right term - combined with radiosity it looks so good I could swear it's the closest thing to being real. It's such a small and subtle touch, yet it fit so perfectly.

Edited October 18, 2019 by ChengizVlad09

[HikikomoriYume]

Stylized!
Realistic doesn't suit GTA at all, they should go for a more artistic approach like the top-down and 3D era games.

14 hours ago, Lotte said:

I'd love to see a modern GTA game (or GTA-adjacent game) try to do the 3D era look again with current day lighting and gamefeel backing it up.

THIS

[billiejoearmstrong8]

13 hours ago, SonOfLiberty said:

Other. Stylised Realism like GTA IV.

 

Where the 3D GTAs are cartoony GTA V leans on looking as photorealistic as possible. Not necessarily a bad thing of course, but I feel GTA IV strikes a good balance. GTA IV reminds me of that Saboteur game that released a year later where despite the city's realistic looking appearance as in details present its art style was pretty exaggerated like Sin City or 300.

 

I feel GTA IV is the very similar. The city looks realistic, but the art style, colour palette isn't supposed to be "realistic" in the sense you could just walk outside in the real world. Not everyone is a fan of the drawn out/washed out colours, but to me its what gives GTA IV its unique look and feel. I don't play on PC, but I'm not a fan of those ENB Series mods or atleast what I've seen in videos. 

 

GTA IV looks weird with super realistic graphics enhancements. 

Agreed! I think being at least partly stylised means it ages better too. When it's just the most cleanly realistic graphics possible (as in V) it's great at the time of release, but as soon as newer games come out with the same ultra realistic style done even better then that's gone and it isn't left with much, it's just a game that used to look really impressive but doesn't any more. When there's a unique artistic style incorporated that looks good for other reasons besides just being realistic (as in IV) it can still continue to look good even as games with more realistic graphics come out because it will always have that cool looking style that can't be "bettered" in the same way. 

 

I think the same thing about Bully (which is probably the most graphically similar to IV while not exactly the same), those graphics will always hold up for me because of their aesthetically pleasing stylised nature.

Edited October 18, 2019 by billiejoearmstrong8

[GTA-Biker]

I always thought 3D era GTA games were supposed to look graphically realistic,it's just that the technology they were made with is now outdated,which makes them unrealistic looking today.They even had pretty realistic looking graphics for early 2000s standards,maybe the graphics weren't as detailed as some more specialized games like shooter games, racing games, fighting games and others that didn't have to focus on many different things (for example,Max Payne 2 had better graphics,as well as physics,than GTA SA),but being open world games GTA games were jack of all trades,combining decent looking graphics with varied gameplay that featured everything from driving to shooting to melee fighting to many different side activities.

[GrudgefromSanAndreas]

welp if they ever make another lcs/vcs-style spinoff, i wish all people have cartoony faces and keyframe animation instead of motion capture, both inside and outside cutscenes (similar to pixar/dreamworks/illumination/blue sky)