Games with overwhelming gameplay and underwhelming graphics

[Vesayen]

What PC games can you think of which have stellar gameplay, but entirley underwhelming graphics, even when it was released? Bonus points if the game is less then 5 or 6 years old.

First one to come to mind for me, is Dominions 2. It is an empire builder game where you play the role of a god fighting other gods, trying to conquer the world. Very detailed, very in depth, QUITE fun. Graphics were total crap, even when initially released. Include a screen shot or 2 if you feel like it.


This is the game map which is the focus of most of the game.



A battle(the "high point" of the graphics in the game):



Still, very, very fun, very very addictive. Fantastic single player, also makes great lan play. The learning curve is steeper then most RPGs or FPSs but then again, they have a low learning curve. It is *far* less steep then say, Europa Universalis, or Hearts of Iron(1 or 2). Highly recommended to any strategy fan.

[Skanky Burns]

Mount and Blade. It is still in development, the graphics don't quite match the gameplay.

[quantum_mechani]

Re: Games with overwhelming gameplay and underwhelming graphics

Originally posted by Vesayen
First one to come to mind for me, is Dominions 2. I

First that comes to mind for me as well. Though I never quite got 'total crap graphics' opinions. Yeah they are not 3d and some are a bit pixelated, but for all that they have a certain charm.

In general though, I have to say for strategy games, top-of-the-line graphics and great gameplay seem to mutually exclusive.

[LDiCesare]

ADOM and NetHack. They are old, but the graphics are really underwhelming.
I agree that Dominions II is great despite the graphics.
Star Chamber - the Harbinger Saga is also a game with poor graphics and solid gameplay.

[DrSpike]

Any really old classic basically. Some games that receive a lot of attention around here that have awful graphics and great gameplay are old RPGs, such as Fallout and BG.

Old TBS too, like X-Com and Civ1.

[duke o' york]

Bubble Bobble.

[Lazerus]

Dominions 2, now theres a game i haven't played in awhile. Personally i love the graphics since they actually run on my computer unlike most games these days

[General Ludd]

Dominions 2 is a nice game, but I'd hardly call the gameplay "overwhelming"

[El_Cid]

Pong, Tetris, Pacman etc.
Most suggestions will be very old games i suspect. Do you mean for more modern titles, say after 1990? Things like Ultima?

[Vesayen]

Originally posted by Skanky Burns
Mount and Blade. It is still in development, the graphics don't quite match the gameplay.

Mount and Blade does not have bad graphics....

[Sandman]

Stars! is/was quite nice.

[Vesayen]

Stars! is/was great!

[Spaced Cowboy]

Originally posted by Vesayen
Stars! is great!

Corrected, I still play this.

I've got Dominions 2, but never played it.

I too wish we would reverse the trend of graphics over gameplay. More graphics seems to equal more bugs.

[quantum_mechani]

Originally posted by General Ludd
Dominions 2 is a nice game, but I'd hardly call the gameplay "overwhelming"

I can't think of a game where the term 'overwhelming gameplay' could be more accurately applied... certainly it's sheer overwhelming options have put off some people I have tried to get to play it.

Even if you take overwhelming to simply mean good, I can only think of two games that can hold candle to dom2: SMAC and Master of Magic.

Oh, and shame on people who have it but have never played it.

[Spaced Cowboy]

What can I say...the grapix suxored..