It might not be true for sales and whatever but bear with me here.
Yes, first and foremost, this article was inspired mainly by the DLSS 5 discussion circling the media. The idea of an AI mask generated like this spawned a controversy as the Nvidia gang tries desperately to backpedal. Even so, we can discuss the issue further in a sense of graphical fidelity rather than just the anti-AI stance.
I’d like to take a moment to state that, while we will not discuss much of generative AI here, I am absolutely and undeniably against the ideas of DLSS 5 on the grounds of being anti-AI. The concept of me writing these articles and being a writer hinges on being a human source for information that functions as something generative AI cannot replace. My platform is one that will never utilize AI and always involve solely human effort from start to finish.
Good? Good. Let’s talk graphics.
Because the games I’ve seen blowing me away with graphical prowess aren’t necessarily the ones that push the boundaries towards photo-realism. Sure, Resident Evil Requiem is amazing and stunning in ways that are unique, but these come at a cost. Not just monetary, but the file size and specifications required to run these things cause a barrier to entry that not every person can pass through to experience it. Games I’ve seen that instead focus on art direction inspired by their graphical limits instead illustrate that we can make accessible and visually appealing games without a chase for realism.
The first of these games is my personal favorite, Marathon. Bungie has gone on record stating they optimized for lower end systems and this results in a focus on art direction instead of graphical fidelity. The result is, obviously, staggering. The beauty of Marathon and its world as well as the stunning UI is the result of countless artists and a firm understanding of the style they wanted to accomplish. This is not just Antireal’s work, an artist their team accidentally used during development and who was credited in the final release, but also things like Wipeout and Mirror’s Edge. The inclusion of Marathon on this list was a give in considering the recency of it, but to not discuss it would leave the rest of these entries a little dated.
The next entry I thought of was Borderlands, a game with a defined art style with cell shading used to create a visual world that was undeniably theirs. Other games have imitated it but the world of Borderlands is known for this visual style regardless of the graphical fidelity it uses. Of course, cell shading shouldn’t be solely attributed to Borderlands like some type of copyright, but it is an example of an art style being a sole visual focus rather than the lack of pixelation in a game. Essentially, the usage of cell shading in the game makes it pop and stand out so that when you see screenshots or video of it there’s an immediate association with the franchise.
Finally is the wealth of indie games that hold a visual style, specifically the creativity and art used inside old RPG Maker horror games such as The Witch’s House and IB. Limits inspire creativity, and limited resources allow for creative solutions to every aspect. Despite this, the pixel art and limited animation still manage to be effectively horrifying. Obvious other answers like Celeste also make stylistic pixel art work as a memorable presentation, but the Slay The Spire series and its latest sequel even use work in progress art as an unlockable in the former and current temporary art in the latter. The scuffed nature is a testament to the fact that perfect art isn’t needed, especially when resources are limited and placeholders are needed.
The world of art and creation cannot and should not be defined solely by realism and what looks the closest to a photo, but instead resides in stylistic choices. While one of those styles can be realistic such as with games like Bodycam, the world of gaming and media is not to be defined by it.
And honestly I wish I lived in a cartoon world anyways.