Do graphics contribute to atmosphere in games?

[Imran Siddiqui]

one can hardly say that graphics dont matter *at all*

It wasn't totally my intent to say it. I was responding to Apoc's claims that since Fable's graphics are 'cartoony' (wha?) that means the game will have crap atmosphere. So I said graphics have little impact on the atmosphere. Other things such as the story, the setting, the interactivity with the game world count much more for atmosphere than mere graphics.

[Zero]

well how game looks does matter though.

If Doom3 was cartoony, it would hurt the serious/demonic theme. Cartoony graphic is gonna help create, fun less serious kiddie image.

not to say just because game looks cartoony, the game is gonna be less serious and kiddie-like... but graphics gonna help make that feel if everything else doesnt steer it away from it.

[Dis]

Originally posted by pg
fallout had bad graphics? news to me.

fallout had good graphics for it's time. It still couldn't compete with shooter games. But compared to other RPG's at the time, it had good graphics.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

one can hardly say that graphics dont matter *at all*

It wasn't totally my intent to say it. I was responding to Apoc's claims that since Fable's graphics are 'cartoony' (wha?) that means the game will have crap atmosphere. So I said graphics have little impact on the atmosphere. Other things such as the story, the setting, the interactivity with the game world count much more for atmosphere than mere graphics.

Graphics have a HUGE impact on the atmosphere; it's the quality thereof that has the lesser effect. The TYPE of graphics is what's important, and cartoony graphics can seriously damage certain atmospheres.

[Urban Ranger]

I guess the original question is a little vague.

Do graphics contribute to atmosphere in games?

If "contribute" is construed as "having a positive effect," the answer is maybe.

If "contribute" is construed as "having an effect," the answer is yes.

[Arnelos]

Do they matter? You bet they do.

However, graphics can be a detriment as much as a contributor. For every game where the graphics enhance the atmosphere of the game, there are other games where the graphics (or the reliance on graphics over other factors) actually detracts from the game.

I'd say that graphics are but one of many important elements to making a great game. While it is true that far to many publishers and designers get caught up in over-emphasizing graphics and thus graphics lead to the detriment of the game as a whole, there are also gems of games that truly use grahpics for their potential.... to enhance an already great game.

For such games, there is NO QUESTION but that they contribute to and enhance their overall greatness. If only such games were more common.

[Kuciwalker]

I think it's obviously the latter

[lord of the mark]

graphics clearly matters, as I think even Imran was implicitlyt conceding, when he criticized the graphics in Baldurs Gate.

There are different elements of graphics - depictions of characters and units, terrain and buildings, weather, combat and spell effects, etc. The important elements will differ among genres and settings, of course.

The graphics clearly contribute to the atmoshere in SMAC, for example - the terrain contributes to the sense of a disturbing, "otherworldy" and dangerous Chiron.


I think Imran was thinking of RPGs only at that point, and I think we thinking of mainly character depictions.

And im not sure that text adventures are relevant here. A novel doesnt have cinematography, but that doesnt mean cinematography is irrelevant to a movie. Its a different medium. Arguably a PC or video game with images is a different medium from a text adventure.

and of course one element of atmosphere can be poor, and the game can still have great atmosphere. For example music, or sound, or even plot (does 1602 AD have a "story" yet it has great atmosphere)

A+B+C = X is NOT contradicted by the possibility that X is large even when A is zero.

[Buck Birdseed]

Text adventures suck.

[Dis]

they seemed cool when I was a kid. I would never play one today. But when you were a kid, graphics were bad-imagination was better. Things are better today I don't have to waste brain power on imagining things

Although I have never finished a text adventure. I was very young, and couldn't figure them out. Plus I grew bored of them. The most enjoyment I got was typing unusual things and seeing if there were any funny responses to my action