Sorry if this is an old-hat topic, I promise I did use the search tool but could not find what I wanted.
I ask because I have downloaded alot of great games here, but not many have really made me go "wow" at the graphics yet. There are some nice looking games, but the graphics often look or aim retro, keeping low-res.
Even the games that have won awards fit this description.
I think the best graphics by far that I have seen, is Earl Mansin. Brilliant crisp art.
Exile looks very good also.
What game, in your opinion, fits this profile? I'm talking lush arty graphics/animation.
Thanks :)
I can name a lot of games with good graphics.
I think you'd like Nelly Cootalot (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=860).
LimpingFish's games also have great pre-rendered graphics.
Heartland (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=813)
Unbound (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=969)
A Tale of Two Kingdoms (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=905) looks beautiful.
Sektor 13 made some really good graphics too.
Infinity String (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=901)
Stargate Adventure (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=634)
This is only a demo but Gesundheit! (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=863) looks really cute with an original art style.
Bernie's graphics are pure eye candy.
Reactor 09 (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=819)
Cedric and the Revolution (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=663)
Both of the Apprentice games are worth a look.
Apprentice (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=570)
Apprentice II (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=435)
And of course all the King's Quest remakes.
King's Quest I VGA (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=36)
King's Quest II+ VGA (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=144)
King's Quest III (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=734)
And last but not least this game (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=763) is perhaps the best looking one I've ever played.
I'm not sure if most of these fit your description, since apparently you don't like low-res. But do give them a try.
I assume you're talking about free games. If you're willing to look beyond free ones, the games that jump to mind are Hauntings of Mystery Manor and Intrigue at Ghosthaven Plantation, both by Ghostlady (http://www.mysterymanor.net/ (http://www.mysterymanor.net/). Yes, the actual game graphics look like that too.) Then there's the recent Diamonds in the Rough (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33924.0). All of these are commercial games.
Pablo's listed some of the best free ones (I really recommend LimpingFish's Heartland and Unbound for the graphics). If you don't mind considering games that are currently in production, Boryokudan Rue (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=35594.0) looks gorgeous. Resonance (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=34190.0) is also another game to look out for, even though it's commercial.
I also remember an Indiana Jones game that was in production some time back - that one had some really lush graphics. Can't seem to find it now though. :(
Don't know if these are what you're looking for, but hope that helps some.
Quote from: Pablo on Sun 19/10/2008 10:52:18
A Tale of Two Kingdoms looks beautiful.
Thankyou for your replies!
You see, i've played this and feel it is too low res! I'm looking for something very high res and polished, modern and up to date.
I'll check out your other links though, thankyou! :)
As far as design goes, I'd probably have to say Apprentice II. The Legend of the Lost Lagoon would have been my first pick, but sadly it was never released.
Quote from: auriond on Sun 19/10/2008 11:04:08
I assume you're talking about free games. If you're willing to look beyond free ones, the games that jump to mind are Hauntings of Mystery Manor and Intrigue at Ghosthaven Plantation, both by Ghostlady (http://www.mysterymanor.net/ (http://www.mysterymanor.net/). Yes, the actual game graphics look like that too.) Then there's the recent Diamonds in the Rough (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33924.0). All of these are commercial games.
All these games' graphics look great, exactly where I was coming from.
I love the classic Sierra and Lucasarts Adventure games, but I feel for me that pixellized era has gone, and I want something lush ;D
Quote from: mrsix on Sun 19/10/2008 11:36:31I love the classic Sierra and Lucasarts Adventure games, but I feel for me that pixellized era has gone, and I want something lush ;D
Guess you're in the wrong place then ;)
Well, not exactly in the wrong place, but such graphics tend to come at a price!
Oh, and then there's Purgatorio (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=31674.0) - photo backgrounds, but beautifully done.
If you want to see very good hi-res graphics, you should try Broken Sword 2.5 and Zak 2: Beyond Space and Time, although both are not AGS games and rather suck at being adventurous (Zak2 being slightly better than BS2.5).
As for AGS, I think many people here like the pixellated style, but you should nonetheless give some games a try. They're great!
Quote from: nihilyst on Sun 19/10/2008 12:12:02
As for AGS, I think many people here like the pixellated style, but you should nonetheless give some games a try. They're great!
I dont have a problem with the pixellated style, if the gameplay is good and the story is good then it doesn't bother me.
Im only interested as I wanted to know if it was possible to do great graphics with AGS, and clearly it is possible. WHich is good :)
Quote from: auriond on Sun 19/10/2008 11:53:07
Well, not exactly in the wrong place, but such graphics tend to come at a price!
When you say they come at a price, in what way? Do you mean hard to actually do, time, etc, or do you mean the price comes within the engine itself?
I'm not sure most hobbyist developers have the time to make graphics that are high resolution AND great.
I think Ace Quest 2 was high res...
Quote from: mrsix on Sun 19/10/2008 12:28:08
Quote from: auriond on Sun 19/10/2008 11:53:07
Well, not exactly in the wrong place, but such graphics tend to come at a price!
When you say they come at a price, in what way? Do you mean hard to actually do, time, etc, or do you mean the price comes within the engine itself?
Blood, sweat, tears.
Doesn't get much lusher than this (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/games.php?action=detail&id=879). That's what Obi says, at least. :=
Anyway. Yes, you can have some great graphics (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=35594.0) in AGS, but... well, AGS was more or less designed for pixel art. So if you try to make a game in 800x600 resolution with a lot of alpha-channel'd sprites, you'll soon run into trouble. And, of course, it's hard to get good-looking real 3D.
Quote from: bicilotti on Sun 19/10/2008 12:31:17
Quote from: mrsix on Sun 19/10/2008 12:28:08
When you say they come at a price, in what way? Do you mean hard to actually do, time, etc, or do you mean the price comes within the engine itself?
Blood, sweat, tears.
And the fact that many of the games I listed are commercial - you have to buy them. Probably due to the blood, sweat and tears that come incorporated in hi-res graphics.
Picaroon, Fallen Legend, Cosmos Quest...
Quote from: Stan on Mon 20/10/2008 08:33:48
Picaroon, Fallen Legend, Cosmos Quest...
Unreleased, Demo, Demo...
I'm pretty sure mrsix wants to
play some games....
~Trent
Infinity String.. just I dare you not to look with your mouth open the main menu image.
Really, a couple of thoughts to this late trend...
1. High resolution graphics are more time consuming to do, or, at least, you need another engine (AGS is not full 3-d, is it?).
2. In general this community produces about 200 games per year (number wrong? :S). The general idea is "do it all yourself". Earl Mansin was an 1 man deal, Apprentice was 2 men deal.
3. Some commercial games (DITR, Blackwell, etc), show maybe, but there was a budget going on.
4. In short if one is looking for stunning high resolution graphics, this is not the place to find them. If one is looking for something more specific, let him be more specific then! ;)
Quality does not come in numbers. But quality does come sometimes in experience, and experience does get a fee to be with you! You want a great looking game? Buy one, there's myriads of choices! Same with anything really. You can't really match a commercial company with a free one, except for some VERY NOTED CASES (Blender, Open office, Linux, etc). Other than that, I'm sorry to say that in music freeware are what they are and commercial are what they are... Am I bad, or wrong, or opposed to the community? I hope not, cause I really don't feel like it.
But let's face it PS has this slight extra that makes it worth $$$. Vienna samples, as well. Windows maybe as well (although in this case I would argue that if developers would follow Linux more, we would see a switch really). etc, etc...
It's a combination of things. But in all honesty, a really brilliant thing takes dedication if nothing else. And this dedication, needs to be taken from the time of someone. It's not simple to give, it's not free to give, and it shouldn't be! I love AGS, I love free AGS games, and I do try my best to help out any way I can. When my time is at stake I get paid...
[/ramble]
There sometimes seems to be a trend, as well, that I've noticed where people who make really, REALLY good graphics and make it all look as completely PROFESSIONAL as possible... don't spend much time on the writing. Or learning about writing. And it can show. I'm thinking, in particular, about "Unnamed Project Joe", if anybody else was following that project, and the utterly heartbreaking experience of playing that demo.
Of course, I don't want to generalise - there are some polymaths out there. But generally I'm highly sceptical of any solo-, two-man jobs out there with brilliant graphics...
Answering... to Jared(one man's exceptional graphics)..CHECK INFINITY STRING..(by the way it got an award for visuals)
Mind's Eye won best character art, but like the topic says, best is all just a matter of opinion. I've seen people like extremely simple styles, and that's great! I love Commodore 64 artwork, for instance, because it is a lot of work to make something look good with 16 colors and double-pixels, which impresses me.
I hope to have an even balance of writing and graphics with By the Sword. I expect the first freeware prequel, Prologue I to be released in early 2009.
Once it's released, then I'll show you all! I'll be able to mention it in this thread and blow you all away! ;D
Quote from: Dualnames on Fri 24/10/2008 12:08:53
Answering... to Jared(one man's exceptional graphics)..CHECK INFINITY STRING..(by the way it got an award for visuals)
Yeah, I looked it up last night after seeing your comment. I'm on dial-up, though, so the [meagre] size was off-putting then. But I'll d/l now and give you my verdict later.
(Sure
does look pretty...)
EDIT: Hmm, crashed my download manager a little over an hour into it. Might leave it aside for the moment..
It's too shame you have dial-up(we all been through that), so sorry wasn't aware of that fact. In case you do, well, I think Sector13 might have a version without music vox...