Games that Oppose Realism

[[Daniel Primed]]

Hey guys, I wanted to get a bit of a discussion going on games that “fight against gaming realism”. I'm referring to games that are the opposite to realistic games. Games like: Jet Grind Radio, Super Mario World 2:Yoshi's Island or We love Katamari are a few examples that come to mind.

I think that these games are very important for the gaming industry as they are so interesting and creative. I've also respected game designers that have fought against hyper realism because I think that hyper realistic games with life like gameplay are just pointless. What's the point of doing something in a game that you can do in real life?

Anyways, what games do you think fit into this genre? I did some brainstorming and came up with the following list:

Super Mario World 2:Yoshi's Island
Prappa the rapper
Fear Effect
Paper Mario
Jet Grind Radio
Zelda: WW
Viewtiful Joe
XIII
Guilty Gear
We love Katamari
Killer 7
Okami
XIII
Okami
Guilty Gear
Zelda 4 Swords
Odin Sphere

I'm particularly interested in games that started off this craze in game design.

[Boggy700]

;1605973']What's the point of doing something in a game that you can do in real life?
Well, you can get in a lot of trouble for doing some of these things in real life, not least of all dying.
But I agree with you nearly wholeheartedly.
I like games that are a creative expression of imagination.
Games like 'Grim Fandango' and 'Psychonauts' immediately spring to mind.
Mario, Kirby and Banjo Kazooie games also.
'Wind Waker' is visually beautiful as is 'XIII', but as I recall they are anti-realistic in appearance alone.
Gameplay-wise, they're not significantly unrealistic.
Wind Waker maybe, but only in that it is set in a fantasy world.
Don't get me wrong, I love them both.
What I mean to ask is, are we talking about games that are anti-realistic in gameplay or graphics or story or any combination.

Actually never mind, I understand what this thread is about and there is no need for me to over-complicate things by defining a set of standards by which the realism of videogames is brought into question. In fact, thinking about it further just makes it sound even more absurd.
I mean, 'the realism of fiction'?
The facets of the topic are too grayscale to be partitioned into black and white.
So on with sticking to the topic.

Grim Fandango
One of the greatest games ever made.
You play as Manny Calavera, a grim reaper/travel salesman in The Land Of The Dead.
A sinister plot is afoot to deprive the good souls of their rightful rewards which allow them bypass a four year walk through the perilous The Land Of The Dead into the afterlife proper.
One of your clients embarks on such a journey, and racked with guilt you follow after her in an effort to guide her safely through the dangerous world.
Skeletons, demons, giant cat races, fiery beavers, hot rods, Dada art and Robert Frost.
Hilarious, emotional, timeless and beautiful.

Also from the mind of Tim Schaffer:

Psychonauts
At Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp the children's brains are being stolen for use in a powerful psychic weapon. To save them you enter the minds of people and creatures and even yourself, explore subconscious thoughts, collect figments of imagination, unlock emotional baggage and overcome psychological torments of all kinds.
Twisted perceptions of reality, meat plants, telekinetic bears and wolves, a Godzilla homage, a level designed as a Black Velvet painting and Napoleon's final conflict in the form of a board game.
One of the most imaginative games I've ever played.

[VG Aficionado]

Sometimes I look at all these games that attempt to be realistic and I just feel that they're so boring compared to other games that just let you think about something else other than reality. Surely realistic games have a lot of fans, but I'm certain I've never had more fun with realistic games than with fictional and surrealistic games, or even than with seemingly realistic games which incorporate many fictional elements.

In the words of a Heavenly Sword developer: "Photorrealism is boring. What you want is photosurrealism."

[Boggy700]

As far as art direction goes, I want to see less realism and more style.
This is why I love the visuals of Grim Fandango, Day Of The Tentacle, XIII and Wind Waker.
All these technical graphic power improvements seem pointless, aside from the ability to run games faster, in spite of their graphical requirements.
As I've said numerous times before, I'd be content if graphical appearance never imroved from this point on.
Photorealism is slightly impressive, but I can always just look outside.
Anyway, nobody is ever satisfied with graphics these days.
We like high-end graphics because they are high-end.
But the technology should serve the entertainment.
If we are playing a game thinking about how good the graphics are, how enjoyable could the game truly be?
If anything, the graphics are distracting.

Regarding gameplay, I want a less realistic experience and a more heightened sense of action.
While I enjoy realism from time to time, it often gets in the way of enjoying the moment.
How much fun would Mario be if you could only jump a realistic height and couldn't break brick blocks by punching them?
Or if in a FPS, you could only take a few bullet wounds in the entire duration of the game?
Or indeed, if any game didn't allow you to sustain hit-points and heal yourself quickly?
Also, Mario Kart would suck.
Donkey Kong would just be a bunch of monkeys sitting around, eating bananas.

When plot is concerned, I want a game to not take itself too seriously and more accommodating of the gameplay.
I don't want to stop what I'm doing every five minutes to have a conversation or cutscene.
I love the Half-Life games for the incorporation of the plot in an unintrusive way.
Sure, there are some parts where you are going through the motions of a cutscene, but at least you can walk around and gravity-gun things.
Besides, those times actually add to the immersive experience rather than detracting from it.
Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy, on the other hand, was like one long interactive cutscene, although it was intended to be a cinematic experience.
You even have an appearance from the game's director in the training level.



Reality never changes.

[Viper]

Far too many to list but here is a few.

Practically anything from Rare or Nintendo.

Practically all Disney games.

Hundreds of RPGs.

Most puzzle games.



And NFL Blitz.

[Hisham]

You listed Guilty Gear there twice haha.

I'd say any 2D fighter really, with fireballs, and air combos and such.

NBA Jam on the SNES was also a game which countered realism.

And I don't know if you would consider this, but Resistance is pretty orginal. Yes it is just a shooter, but it takes place in an alternate universe where WWII didn't happen, and the Chimera are taking over. Gears of War and Halo also have similar storylines with aliens or other sort of creatures warring with humans, trying to exterminate them.

[HPK]

WWII didn't happen? Man, what if WWII never happened in our universe? We wouldn't have any boring WWII games!

I like games that oppose realism, but I've always been a fan of a mixture of the two. I mean, in aspects the game seems realistic, but there are always things to remind you that you're playing a game. Metal Gear Solid is a perfect example. It's somewhat realistic but then you get guys in enhanced suits deflecting bullets and taking on soldiers with a sword.
Twisting reality. It's always nice.

[Hisham]

WWII didn't happen? Man, what if WWII never happened in our universe? We wouldn't have any boring WWII games!

I like games that oppose realism, but I've always been a fan of a mixture of the two. I mean, in aspects the game seems realistic, but there are always things to remind you that you're playing a game. Metal Gear Solid is a perfect example. It's somewhat realistic but then you get guys in enhanced suits deflecting bullets and taking on soldiers with a sword.
Twisting reality. It's always nice.

I agree, WWII shooters have been stale for the longest time. But Resistance switched up the forumula, and took place while WWII was supposed to be happening, but had a different scenerio where these creatures were taking over the world and humans had to band together to stop there advance.

[Boggy700]

I don't know much about Resistance, but plot aside, is the gameplay much different from ordinary war FPSs?

[Phoenix]

Crysis.

[Hisham]

I don't know much about Resistance, but plot aside, is the gameplay much different from ordinary war FPSs?

Well, they did have guns which could shoot through walls, and stuff like that.

Gameplay wise I guess it was similar to other war FPS's (you just really point and shoot), but it did have quite of bit of stuff that set it apart from your average shooter.

To me, really there isn't any such thing as "true realism" in games. They all have stuff that is impossible to do in real life. I mean even the most hardcore sports or racing sim still is sensationalized a bit. That is the fun of video games IMO. If you love racing in real life, you can do it, without the fear of death when you crash. Different strokes for different folks, which is why I find this "fight against realism" sorta pointless IMO. We need games of all different types of genres to appeal to everyone so that the market can continue to grow.

I don't really care either way actually. I look for games to appeal to me, whether they are realistic or not doesn't even enter my mind.

[[Daniel Primed]]

I don't know much about Resistance, but plot aside, is the gameplay much different from ordinary war FPSs?
The gameplay is somewhat different to say Medal of Honour due to its unique weapon set and design. I haven't played it but thats what I gather.

When I say realism I am refering to the graphical style of the game. That is a game that is the opposite of photorealism. I was going to mention about realism appearance instead of gameplay, but I figured that I'd just be ranting on.

[Boggy700]

Oh okay.

And 'oh, okay' about the Resistance information too.


You know, Bad Mojo mostly has photorealistic graphics (because they used photos,) yet it still had one of the most visually surreal atmospheres I've ever experienced in a videogame.
A picture. (http://www.gotgameentertainment.com/badmojo/images/screens/04.Kitchen.RGB.pict.jpg)

While I'm at it, here are some more pictures
of Grim Fandango (http://www.grim-fandango.com/media/characters/manny_celso_leave.gif)
Psychonauts (http://www.short-media.com/images/prime/articles/psychonauts/psychonauts3.jpg)
Day Of The Tentacle (http://www.fabricoffolly.co.uk/images/games/dott.gif)
and XIII (http://z.about.com/d/compactiongames/1/0/G/9/xiii1.jpg)

None of them do their respective games any justice.

Also, check out this cool Day Of The Tentacle mural.
http://www.pixelguerilla.org/dott/

[Mach]

Nice thread discussion, Dan. Good to see you around.

[Hisham]

Ohh you meant graphically.

Sounded like you meant gameplay from your first post.

[TheGreenElf]

Killer 7 is a kick in the ass to realism, not only putting it very stylistically, but even more so by taking all-to-real and controversial topics and showing them for what they are.

[masonite]

echochrome :)

[Teh Roxor!]

Graphical realism in video games seems to be to be a misappropriation of resources to me. Sometimes it's cool, but there very little creativity involved. Why waste that canvas on photorealism when you could do something very stylistically unique? Painters don't often paint for total realism. Granted, painters and game developers will often have different goals in mind.

[the boney king of nowhere.]

gitaroo man.

[Phoenix]

I've always been a fan of Super Mario Sunshine's just-barely-surreal vibe it has going. It's just realistic enough to make you appreciate the other crap that's going on.

[[Daniel Primed]]

Graphical realism in video games seems to be to be a misappropriation of resources to me. Sometimes it's cool, but there very little creativity involved. Why waste that canvas on photorealism when you could do something very stylistically unique?
I think that some developers go for this approach just to impress those technology junkies who just want to flaunt their technology to their friends. Its definetly a wasted resource.

Saying this though games with an alternative take on the reality are different again. Compare Killzone 2 to Crysis where KZ2 is based in an alternate reality setting. These games are still definetly interesting as they combine the both perspectives.

My apologies on the previous confusion. :)

[VG Aficionado]

Tetris anyone?

[Gaul]

I've also respected game designers that have fought against hyper realism because I think that hyper realistic games with life like gameplay are just pointless. What's the point of doing something in a game that you can do in real life?


Your right. I can kill nazi's in a realistic fashion in real life if i want to.

[Boggy700]

Your right. I can kill nazi's in a realistic fashion in real life if i want to.
You can.
You'd get in trouble, but you can.

[Gaul]

well I can't do it in 1945, can I?

[Boggy700]

That's true, but you could dress someone up like a Nazi and kill them.
That would be a fine example of visual non-realism.

[Phoenix]

That's true, but you could dress someone up like a Nazi and kill them.
That would be a fine example of visual non-realism."Video games made my son go on a shooting rampage through FuhrerCon '07. Ban them all!"

[Boggy700]

Yeah, and nobody blames Indiana Jones.



I like the visual style of the GTA3 series.

[TheGreenElf]

Graphical realism in video games seems to be to be a misappropriation of resources to me. Sometimes it's cool, but there very little creativity involved. Why waste that canvas on photorealism when you could do something very stylistically unique? Painters don't often paint for total realism. Granted, painters and game developers will often have different goals in mind.

Well, cel shading would get quite boring quickly if not for these games, and realistic ones can be just as good. It really just comes down to the type of game. Look at it game-by-game. Would Killer 7 or Viewtiful Joe be better with an ultra-realistic style? Not at all. But was ultra-realism the best route for Gears of War? Undoubtedly.

It also seems the only games people really bring to mind (of course I see the exceptions though) are cel shaded games. But look at a game like Twilight Princess. Overrated game? Well that's my opinion, but if the team did one thing well, it was giving the game a very unique art direction. Another example of incredible art direction is World of Warcraft. I will give Blizzard kudos, nobody seems to have art-direction anywhere near that of Blizzard. Take a look at some of the lands of WOW. They are on some amazing graphics engine, but the scale and beauty of the world is jaw-dropping.

I like the visual style of the GTA3 series.

I think that was just finding a balance between Realistic graphics and a completely open world on the PS2. I don't really see any visual flair for the game.

[Boggy700]

I think that was just finding a balance between Realistic graphics and a completely open world on the PS2. I don't really see any visual flair for the game.
Probably, but for whatever reason the games do have a distinct visual style.

Rather than just settle for mediocre graphics with a realistic imagery, they took it in a more comic-book illustration direction, especially with regards to character design.
Less details on the textures in lieu of simple appearances and easily identifiable forms of vibrant color.
The GTA3 have always presented audiences with an encapsulation of the era in which they are set, but they do so with stylistic exaggeration.

If you compare the visuals of the GTA3 series with an older game that has a similar level of graphics as limited by the hardware of it's time, you should notice a difference.
One such difference is the size of people.
I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the people in GTA3 games are proportionately smaller than the usual people in both third-person and first-person games.
I find they're almost like toys in comparison.

Visually, the GTA3 series is instantly identifiable, so it is clear that it does have it's own distinct art style.

[Teh Roxor!]

But was ultra-realism the best route for Gears of War?
In my opinion, no. Not that I don't see the appeal of realism, it's just not what I would prefer.

It may explain my lack of interest in games like Gears of War.