| 14 SEP 2010 at 11:24pm |
JehaneSpace Cadet
Posts : 128
Joined: 15 MAY 2007
Status : Online | One of the most beautiful games I've ever played was Keepsake. It did have its downfalls (i.e. a lot of running from point A to point B) but it just looked stunning. Also, Syberia was gorgeous to look at.
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| 18 SEP 2010 at 3:54pm |
ArkadiaPrivate Detective
Posts : 558
Joined: 1 JUN 2008
Status : Online | For me, I have always adored well drawn animated art with vibrant environments.
Toonstruck
[img]http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/180880-ts.jpg[/img]
Broken Sword 1
[img]http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01356/brokensword2_1356616c.jpg[/img]
The Last Express
[img]http://www.evanmedia.com/portfolio/tle/images/opening.gif[/img]
King's Quest VII
[img]http://i11.tinypic.com/86srgpl.jpg[/img]
And I could go on! The Discworld games were all wonderful, King's Quest VI was lovely, the Kyrandia games were very beautiful, Leisure Suit Larry 7 had impeccable crispness and charm, and there are a host of other games I can't think of right now.
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| 18 SEP 2010 at 4:17pm |
markornikovJourneyman
.jpg)
Posts : 1303
Joined: 28 OCT 2011
Location: BE, Antwerp
Status : Online | dito on King's Quest VII, Broken sword II and the Runaways.
But also b]Dreamfall and Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit).
The longest journey used to be on the list, but a recent playthrough was a sudden realisation that it's graphics did not withstand the test of time, games drawn in animated art don't seem have that problem.
Non AG's: Mass Effect 2, Fallout 3 and Just Cause 2
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| 19 SEP 2010 at 7:19pm |
CrisGerSchattenjger
Posts : 2539
Joined: 28 APR 2007
Location: US
Status : Offline | thank you for the continued posts here, it is great to see some really nice views.... that one of Broken Sword at the cafe must be a promo picture as that view never appears in the game. but it is nice. Also Kings Quest VII i have never played looks like i should take a look at it.
CORRECTION: that view of the cafe is from the intro as a kind member here has pointed out, in the pregame movie.....and it is a lovely element...and we get our first view of the cafe where so much adventure is about to start....
Toonstruck looks quite intriguing, sort of the same type of extended animation we see i one of the Monkey Island games....
does anyone have pics from Black Mirror or Indigo Prophecy to share: both i have heard of and i think i tried one of the black mirrors but not sure.... but never did try indigo. thanks again for the great sharing.
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| 19 SEP 2010 at 8:09pm |
ArkadiaPrivate Detective
Posts : 558
Joined: 1 JUN 2008
Status : Online | Originally Posted By CrisGer (19 SEP 2010 7:19pm)
thank you for the continued posts here, it is great to see some really nice views.... that one of Broken Sword at the cafe must be a promo picture as that view never appears in the game. but it is nice. Also Kings Quest VII i have never played looks like i should take a look at it.
Toonstruck looks quite intriguing, sort of the same type of extended animation we see i one of the Monkey Island games....
does anyone have pics from Black Mirror or Indigo Prophecy to share: both i have heard of and i think i tried one of the black mirrors but not sure.... but never did try indigo. thanks again for the great sharing.
I believe that Broken Sword screenshot is from the game's intro, which you can see here. While it's not part of the gameplay, it does occur at the beginning of the game (though I believe you can skip it).
King's Quest VII's art is absolutely wonderful, the color palettes in that game are bright and bold and highly appealing. I love that kind of strong animated style, reminiscent of Disney movies. The game itself doesn't get the same kinds of kudos the likes of King's Quest VI got, but it's one of my personal favorites. I would recommend it, though others may disagree. It's unusually difficult to get a hold of though, for whatever reason.
Toonstruck is also strongly cartoonish, though the addition of a filmed actor in the cartoon world adds a new scale to the art design. I found the landscapes in Toonstruck to be in particular extremely appealing.
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| 20 SEP 2010 at 4:02am |
Pygmy_MarmosetIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 81
Joined: 18 JUL 2010
Status : Offline | Great post Arkadia, I like hand drawn / animated adventure games too. They're basically all I play because I find the CG games fake looking. Some of the very latest CG games are getting better in this regard but are still not advanced enough yet to look good. Maybe in 5 years I will play the CG games coming out.
I've not played King's Quest 7 or Toonstruck, but they're now on my list. I hope that Toonstruck 2 is released also, I signed the petition.
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| 20 SEP 2010 at 8:07am |
CrisGerSchattenjger
Posts : 2539
Joined: 28 APR 2007
Location: US
Status : Offline | wow, cool re that view of the cafe and the intro, i will have to restart my game install, it has been ages but i love that game very much, it remains in many ways i think one of the very best games ever made....and is so beautfully done. Congrats to Steve and all the gang who did that great work. I have KQ VII, in fact all the series, so i will fire it up when i feel better.
thanks so much for the great and continuing feed back from all .
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| 20 SEP 2010 at 9:56am |
markornikovJourneyman
Posts : 1303
Joined: 28 OCT 2011
Location: BE, Antwerp
Status : Online | Originally Posted By CrisGer (19 SEP 2010 7:19pm)
does anyone have pics from Black Mirror or Indigo Prophecy to share: both i have heard of and i think i tried one of the black mirrors but not sure.... but never did try indigo. thanks again for the great sharing.
http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/Indigo/Indigo.shtm
Screenshots don't do the game any justice, It's the cinematic feeling what makes this game a gem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaBJun5hrko
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| 20 SEP 2010 at 11:45am |
New WolfboySpace Cadet
Posts : 133
Joined: 27 JUL 2010
Status : Online | Originally Posted By markornikov (20 SEP 2010 9:56am)
Screenshots don't do the game any justice
Not sure I agree there, some of the shots of the city bathed in the eternal sifting deluge of perpetual snow is simply enchanting.
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| 21 SEP 2010 at 10:27am |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | I would say Chronicles of Mystery: Scorpio Ritual.
[img]http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/934/934941/chronicles-of-mystery-scorpio-ritual-20081202020404543-000.jpg[/img]
Malta felt so real I had an urgent desire to go there myself.
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 27 SEP 2010 at 4:48am |
CrisGerSchattenjger
Posts : 2539
Joined: 28 APR 2007
Location: US
Status : Offline | oooo lovely thanks so much for that piccy
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| 25 OCT 2010 at 4:06am |
MikekellyPrivate Detective
Posts : 612
Joined: 25 JUN 2004
Status : Offline | My choice is "The Tree of Life" for best graphics.
Now when the 3DS comes out, how are we going to rate games on Graphics? I'm getting a 3DS period. The adventure game genre platform I perfer does change. Lately, I've bought many adventure games for my Nintendo DS - they have all been excellent. Japanese adventure games for the DS like Hotel Dusk and Again are as good as anything ever put out. The PC for gaming as a whole is way down from its glory years. I've been averaging only 2 PC adventure games a year for about 5 years now. The publisher of these changes - from Dreamcatcher to City Interactive to Mumbo Jumbo now.
I may freeze my DS and buy nothing but 3DS games in the future. I want prices first.
The City Interactive PC games were stunning to look at. I hope they make more. The collections of their games are real bargins.
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| 25 OCT 2010 at 3:38pm |
Mr Innocent.Journeyman
Posts : 1316
Joined: 15 JAN 2008
Location: GR
Status : Offline | Of Light and Darkness had questionable gameplay at best, but at the time it was one of the most visually stunning games, both technically and artistically. But for some reason most screens I have found on the net look too dark/bland, so take the ones below as a token, and not the most representative one, of how the game looked at its best.
[IMG]http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/6066/413772j.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/366/413762.jpg[/IMG]
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| 25 OCT 2010 at 7:45pm |
CrisGerSchattenjger
Posts : 2539
Joined: 28 APR 2007
Location: US
Status : Offline | thanks for the posts...that does look quite stunning, i will seek more pics from that.
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| 27 OCT 2010 at 10:57pm |
AvakaJourneyman
Posts : 1437
Joined: 17 SEP 2003
Status : Online | Originally Posted By nik2008ofs (25 OCT 2010 3:38pm)
Of Light and Darkness had questionable gameplay at best, but at the time it was one of the most visually stunning games, both technically and artistically. But for some reason most screens I have found on the net look too dark/bland, so take the ones below as a token, and not the most representative one, of how the game looked at its best.
[IMG]http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/6066/413772j.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/366/413762.jpg[/IMG]
I bought that game for the pictures that I saw. I could NEVER play or finish that game! But the pictures were pretty ...guess you can't always judge by it's cover. :-?
Myst IV - Never finished it. Got frustrated with it.&&Myst V - Did not finish it either. Very disappointing.&&ATTWN - BORING!!! Never finished it. Kept falling asleep.&&Paradise - So far .... not so good&&Voyage - Not on my favorite list
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| 23 JAN 2011 at 7:56pm |
ThaumaturgeJourneyman
Posts : 999
Joined: 11 MAY 2006
Status : Offline | *casts Animate Thread*
I may well forget some examples that I'd rather include, but here are a few games that come to mind:
Within the adventure genre:
Keepsake.
Myst IV: Revelation.
I recall the first entry into the dream world, combined with the music that accompanied it, to be especially beautiful.
The Longest Journey and Dreamfall.
The Quest for Glory series.
Erana's garden from the fourth game and, perhaps most beautiful to me of this series, the Heart of the World, stand out in my memory.
Outside of adventure games:
Aquaria.
Ah, Aquaria... I see, to recall finding this game to be very much one of the more beautiful games that I recall, of any genre: lovely visuals (admittedly with, alas, a few apparent joints on some sprites), and interesting story, and some truly beautiful music, all combining to wonderful effect. I recall at times just sitting at the title screen, listening to the title music and looking at the backdrop, which together mingled sadness, hope and striving...
~
There are a few games that I'm unsure of, largely due, I think, to the time that has passed since playing them: Eternally Us, The Marionette, and Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder come to mind.
~
Hmm... A thought occurs to me: There seem to be a number of games that have art that I am very fond of, but which I do not truly classify as "beautiful": the delightful, run-down metal world of Machinarium, or the strange gray land found in Spooks, or the eerie spaces of The Museum of Broken Memories or others games by Jonas Kyratzes, or the dark places of the Dark Fall games, for example.
I suppose that they have beauty; merely not the conventional sort.
MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
*ahem*
Sorry.
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| 24 JAN 2011 at 7:46pm |
RaySorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 360
Joined: 21 OCT 2002
Location: US, CA
Status : Offline | Wow. This is an overwhelming question for those of us who have played a lot of Adventure games. I doubt if I could pick an absolute favorite, but among them would surely be:
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars
Machinarium
Riven
The Longest Journey
Syberia
Simon the Sorcerer
Discworld Noir
Grim Fandango
The Feeble Files
Reah (at least the first few scenes)
Remember, procrastinate now. Don't put it off!!
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| 25 JAN 2011 at 3:16am |
JKingSchattenjger
Posts : 2349
Joined: 4 MAY 2008
Location: 0
Status : Offline | While it's been mentoned already, there's every reason to single out Myst IV anyway---and Myst V does a damned admirable job, too, I might add!
I don't believe either of these have been mentioned, but of the old guard I'd have to say that Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (particularly Crete, Barnett College, the Azores and Atlantis itself) and The Legend of Kyrandia are real artistic gems.
Otherwise it's mostly all been said already, I think. [smiley=thumbs.gif]
You can't kill someone in a studio.
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| 25 JAN 2011 at 7:35pm |
CrisGerSchattenjger
Posts : 2539
Joined: 28 APR 2007
Location: US
Status : Offline | Yes, Atlantis and Kyrandia, esp I and II are all favorites of mine and on the list already that i keep...but it is great to hear all the ideas and thoughts here.... in some ways, almost everything in games is Art, for it is all made, created from nothingness...from the void.... but in terms of beautiful artiwise all the suggestions here are really cool thanks a lot.
i have started making some tentative categories to place games and their art style into, and it appears that there has been an evolution of sorts...these are my tentative categories so far:
Artistic I
Artistic II
Animated I
Animated II
Realistic I
Realistic II
Non Adventure
Artistic are any games that are purely creative, from the early Sierra games and Kyrandia style adventure games to say a watershed time about 2000 when just about any effect was possible so artistic style became more of a discresionary choice..and less a matter of doing what was possible.
Animated is a hard one to seperate early on, for many of the artistic and realistic style games look like cartoons or are a bit cartoonish animation style esp with the moving parts....but Animation in my mental list would be more like Loom and the early Lucas Arts games while other stylized games like Grim Fandango wouild be more on the art side...
Animation 2 would be more modern games that are decidedly animation style like the Runnaway series, Beyond Good and Evil, Blonde, Broken Sword ....
Realistic are games that try to be realistic in feeling even early on, like the early Blade Runner, on up to the later Myst games, any of the adventure games that have a predominantly realistic feeling....and the second category of realistic would be the photo realistic shooters, other games that really strive for a total feeling of realism with high detail like Deus Ex 2, Half Life, Far Cry, Max Payne, Vampire Masquerade, Mafia and so forth.
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| 25 JAN 2011 at 9:32pm |
Terry PenrodGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 6693
Joined: 16 OCT 2004
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | .
Did anyone else think that The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time was an especially beautiful time-traveling PC adventure game with its elegant depictions of the three great mythical cities past and future plus those sweeping panoramic vistas and highly polished cut scenes?
Cheers, Terry
.
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| 25 JAN 2011 at 11:47pm |
SirDaveGuild Master
Posts : 4940
Joined: 17 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Terry_Penrod (25 JAN 2011 9:32pm)
.
Did anyone else think that The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time was an especially beautiful time-traveling PC adventure game with its elegant depictions of the three great mythical cities past and future plus those sweeping panoramic vistas and highly polished cut scenes?
Cheers, Terry .
Definitely yes.
The future ain't what it used to be!
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| 26 JAN 2011 at 7:12am |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
Joined: 3 JUL 2010
Location: US
Status : Offline | Out of the older games, I'd say Loom and Kyrandia. Newer, I'd say Keepsake and Syberia; but when it gets newer than that it's hard to choose because most modern games' graphics look good.
Then I'd maybe have to go for cartoonies that have a 'different' more original look and atmosphere; and though there are more that I can't remember right now, I'd say Vampyre story, Whispered World, and my personal favorites: the "rawn" series (Painted Tower and Dark Flight) would qualify.
Keep in mind the title asks for "most beautiful" -which means to me "aesthetically pleasing" as opposed to merely "realistic" . You can have "realistic" art that is realistic to the point of photorealism, but that still strikes you as "ugly". So I mentioned the cartoonies that I did, because I found them aesthetically pleasing to my eye.
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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| 26 JAN 2011 at 3:30pm |
Terry PenrodGrand Inquisitor
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Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | .
That's the reason many of us list games like Grim Fandango as one of the most beautiful, artistically original adventure titles ever made. It's highly unrealistic, but highly creative / stylized and at least to me, very pleasing to the eye.
Another from that era is Monkey Island 3, which captures the classic, animated Disney cartoon style to a tee. It is quite beautiful in its own way as are the games you listed above, Traveller.
Cheers, Terry
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| 26 JAN 2011 at 3:39pm |
TravellerGuild Master
Posts : 4039
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Location: US
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Terry_Penrod (26 JAN 2011 3:30pm)
.
That's the reason many of us list games like Grim Fandango as one of the most beautiful, artistically original adventure titles ever made. It's highly unrealistic, but highly creative / stylized and at least to me, very pleasing to the eye.
I wouldn't disagree with that assessment, Terry. I didn't list the game, because I could never get farther than a few minutes into the game due to all kinds of weird bugs manifesting, especially with character movement. Manny would tend to get stuck and I wouldn't be able to get him to move out of the place he'd be stuck in.
So I sadly have not really seen enough of the game to comment on the art in it. :'(
* * * Just call me Trav. * * *
“Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Robert Bloch
"They are not reciprocally sublated--the one does not sublate the other externally--but each sublates itself in itself and is in its own self the opposite of itself" (Hegel, from The Doctrine of Being)..."
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