Playing through Ys Viiii made me realize how important good graphics/artstyle

[Deleted member 40102]

I have around 20h on Ys Viii now and I'm enjoying gameplay a lot not gonna lie ,but I feel no immersion when playing it compared to when I boot up Xenoblade 2.

This made me realize how much important art/graphics in games more than I ever thought.

I just wish next Ys game to be more visually appealing and not go with the bare minimum standards.

 

[LegendarySkitch]

I agree with the premise but comparing to Xenoblade 2 does not help your argument. Both games feel like generic anime jrpg to me which is a definite point against both despite being good in xenoblade 2's case or amazing in Ys 8.

 

[Meffer]

I actually like how it looks and it keeps the fps high which this kind of game needs.

 

[Glass Arrows]

I agree with the premise but comparing to Xenoblade 2 does not help your argument. Both games feel like generic anime jrpg to me which is a definite point against both despite being good in xenoblade 2's case or amazing in Ys 8.

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I agree. The general art style for both is not that appealing to me, though XB2 is more mixed than anything. The character design work is mostly bad, but the environments are excellent. Ys is less offensive but generally more bland than anything.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

It's 1080p/60fps on PS4, it also has a good art direction.

I'll take that any day of the week over "graphics" or whatever. Ys IX looks fine as well.

 

[Deleted member 40102]

I agree with the premise but comparing to Xenoblade 2 does not help your argument. Both games feel like generic anime jrpg to me which is a definite point against both despite being good in xenoblade 2's case or amazing in Ys 8.

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I'm talking mostly about environment not character designs , though I agree I don't like anime character designs ethier ,but the game environment is so well put and it looks absolutely stunning even on a handheld.

 

[Jolkien]

Graphic never helped me feel immersed, the writing did, which was poor in Xenoblade Chronicle 2 and somewhat disapointing in Ys VIII. I'll take 60 fps over shiny graphic any day for action RPG.

I felt more immersed in Chrono Trigger and other oldschool jrpg than most modern one.

 

[Imitatio]

I find Ys games to look fine, but only on handhelds, whether it is PSP, Vita or Switch. They look pretty bad on the big screen due to their environmental flatness and textures.

 

[BeaconofTruth]

Ideally every thing would be good about a game. No one exactly wants to play something ugly. That said id rather have good game feel n depth over something that looks pretty n "immersion" any day of the week.

N Ys games cover that aspect very well.

 

[Soul Skater]

ys Viii's visuals are almost impressively hollow art/graphics style wise

I think I'd take technically worse graphics than it in exchange for something just a bit more stylish

 

[LossAversion]

Ys VIII has really fun gameplay and a likable cast of characters. I'll take that over good visuals anyday. Ideally, a game would have it all. But I don't think Ys VII is a bad looking game and the visuals certainly don't detract from the overall experience for me.

 

[Theswweet]

The graphics were definitely a lot more impressive on Vita.

 

[Kubricks]

I am on the other end of spectrum.... I completed Ys8 on Vita and was hooked from start to end as much as I do with Witcher 3 on my relatively good PC.

Ys8 is about fast pace dodging flash guard combat anyway. Graphic isn't that important to me.

 

[Deleted member 33120]

And yet I'd rather look at Ys VIII's characters than XB2's.

 

[Zen Hero]

Honestly playing Ys 8 just underscored to me how much I don't care about graphics. I really is such a bleh looking game, but I find it so fun to play and got drawn into the story, so I still love the game dearly.

 

[moomoo14]

I didn't really feel that way about Ys VIII, but I played it on Vita, where it's one of the most graphically impressive games on the system.

 

[Scarlet Death]

Sometimes the lighting was weird when close up on characters. Other than I enjoyed the environments. Although perhaps I've grown accustomed to Ys' art style over the years.

 

[Blade24070]

I thought Ys VIII looked just fine with the environments. Definitely far worse than XBC2 but then again, i'd say most JRPGs of this gen will falter when compared to the variety and scope of environments present in XBC2.

 

[FallenGrace]

I have around 20h on Ys Viii now and I'm enjoying gameplay a lot not gonna lie ,but I feel no immersion when playing it compared to when I boot up Xenoblade 2.

This made me realize how much important art/graphics in games more than I ever thought.

I just wish next Ys game to be more visually appealing and not go with the bare minimum standards.

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I feel the opposite, played it on PS4 and honestly it only emphasised to me that I don't care about graphics that much because of how fun the game is. Give me YsVIII over FFXV any day.


I also love Ysviii's super fast load times.

 

[Tyaren]

I agree with the premise but comparing to Xenoblade 2 does not help your argument. Both games feel like generic anime jrpg to me which is a definite point against both despite being good in xenoblade 2's case or amazing in Ys 8.

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Huh? As much as I personally dislike Xenoblade 2 (I love the original Wii Xenoblade though) Xenoblade 2 has beautiful and ispiring environment design. It's several leagues above Ys in that regard.

 

[Palette Swap]

I don't know. In the case of Ys, more than anything, what I need is a game whose gameplay feels tight and that reacts and moves in the blink of an eye. One thing I'd hate is for them to go all bells and whistles and tank the framerate, honestly.

This doesn't mean they can't improve on their engine and make it look better while keeping that gameplay tight.

 

[julia crawford]

I still think Oath looks super good.

 

[Nerokis]

Ys 1 & 2 are probably the most immersive of the entire lot, at least in the sense the OP seems to be talking about.

I disagree about the series in general, though. All the Ys games I've played have had lovely vibes to them. Games like Oath, while having rather basic graphics, still manage to feel warm and inviting somehow.

 

[Imitatio]

Give me YsVIII over FFXV any day.

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If FF XV was half as fun to play as Ys VIII, it'd be GOTG. So, yeah, I agree generally. Gameplay > visuals.

 

[Tora]

Yeah the game looks horrible, on Switch anyway. Not usually bothered by graphics but it feels cheap.

Gameplay is pretty clean though in fairness.

 

[Springy]

I don't think graphics do a whole lot for my immersion in a world beyond the initial superficial impressions. Writing, however, will make all the difference to how absorbed I can be.

I found neither example in the OP that immersive.

 

[QisTopTier]

I had no time to worry about how immersed I was by the visuals when my Inferno no heal blind run took 150% of my focus on not dying.

Also it's my GotG so far (ps4)

 

[Kuro]

Of all games you have to mention Xenoblade 2 lol. The environments in that at least look good but still.

 

[eXistor]

Old Ys games had a really nice early 90's anime look (I guess because they were exactly that), but as anime has become more homogenized, so has Ys' art style. It's a shame, I'd love for the series to go back to that older style, it's so much more classy. Outside of that, Ys VIII was incredibly fun and among the best in the series.

 

[mescalineeyes]

The graphics/art are the main reason I haven't picked this game up yet.

 

[Łazy]

Exact opposite for me.

 

[Eila]

And to think Ys VIII was such a huge leap compared to previous Falcom games...

 

[Mexen]

Yeah OK I'll admit the art was not my favorite but the game play and parts of the story made up for it. Once you go flash...

 

[Wise]

Didn't like the graphics at all in xenoblade either. Was below average imo. Almost every jrpg this gen have so so graphics. Only pretty games are ffxv and WoFF, Kingdom Hearts 3, Persona 5 and the upcoming Tales of Arise

 

[MaverickHunterAsh]

But Ys VIII's art style and graphics are great (at least on PS4, they are a little rough on Switch). Exploring the island was a genuine treat, and I loved how all the different game areas exist relative to one another in the sense that you can look in the distance in any direction and get a realistic bearing for where you are on the island because you can see places you've already been.

I loved the designs of the entire main cast, too. Graphics don't need to be cutting-edge to be great.

God, I fucking LOVE Ys VIII though.

 

[SmittyWerbenManJensen]

Yup. Agreed.

The game is very disappointing, and I regret spending money on it. Easily my least favorite RPG I've played on the Switch. It was all way too cliche, plus the story was boring and did not pay off at all.

 

[Garegga]

This game needs a better map.
In fact I quit the game because of that shitty map.

 

[Hey Please]

Looked at the game today on YT and looks like a typical JRPG with a lot of "fan service" female character design.

And as for the art style, the characters look way too saturated.

 

[Laserbeam]

You're right about the visuals lacking a little in terms of style. I can't really argue that much.

But what surprised me about Ys Viii is how addictive and engaging the gameplay is. It caught me off guard and I was pretty hooked on that game right to the end (and doing all of the side stuff). The exploration/upgrading/finding new townspeople is a fantastic gameplay loop that felt very rewarding to me... so I guess I really didn't care about the visuals much.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I don't think anyone would argue that graphics aren't important, but it didn't stop me from loving the game.

 

[Onix555]

I actually liked the whole island setting, despite the PS2+ graphics and tiny little zone areas.
If they had made PS3 the base system for it, i'm sure it would have come out better in that regard.

Also the Switch port sucked from a tech perspective, way too low res. Still, really fun game as a whole; nailed the ARPG gameplay

 

[Deleted member 11413]

I like how Ys VIII looks, never had a problem with it.

 

[PER_Soul]

While I loved Ys VIII I think the problem in that department compared to XC2 or other JRPG is that the models just seem kinda generic, failing somewhat to capture the character artwork especially compared to XC2 (regardless if you like the designs themselves)

 

[Hieroph]

Ys 8 looks amazing on PS4. A lot of that scenery is just damn impressive.

Give me YsVIII over FFXV any day.

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Why not both? Ys 8 and FF15 are two really great games. They actually have a lot in common too gameplay wise, so they're like two different takes on the same base concept. I'm pretty sure that most people who enjoy FF15 will enjoy Ys 8 and vice versa.

 

[FallenGrace]

I actually liked the whole island setting, despite the PS2+ graphics and tiny little zone areas.
If they had made PS3 the base system for it, i'm sure it would have come out better in that regard.

Also the Switch port sucked from a tech perspective, way too low res. Still, really fun game as a whole; nailed the ARPG gameplay

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I played both the Switch and PS4 versions. The Switch had this weird horrible grain filter effect, the PS4 version was so crisp and clear. They were like night and day the difference.

 

[SmokedSalmon]

I think the scope of both games are very different. I would be remiss to say Ys VIII had good graphics, but everything fits the lost island theme so I would say the art direction is very good and consistent. I really like the environment design of Xenoblade 2, though the setting kind of lets them get away with anything, but I feel like having different designs from different artists makes things less consistent feeling. Nia walking in after the Nomura's characters in the beginning is a scene that particularly through me off.

 

[SpottieO]

That's interesting because I preferred about everything about Ys VIII than XB2. Characters, setting, story and combat I found were all better (imo) in Ys. Plus it's performance was like a million times better in handheld on Switch,