Ever notice how older 2D RPGs always look good compared to older 3D RPGs?

I mean just look at Planescape Torment, BGII, Divine Divinity, etc. Those games still look good even today, especially compared to 3D games that came out in the same time period.

It seems that 2D games age well compared to 3D games. Why is that? And why don't they make more 2D games?

Yeah. I find many 2D games - certainly not just roleplaying games - are more visually appealing than 3D games. Even today. I think Diablo 2 is much nicer on the eyes than Hellgate London.

I love 2D visuals, and I think it's tragic that so many genres that I at least think are better suited to 2D visuals are abandoning them.

The only problem I have with 2D games is the limitations in resolution. There are mods and conversions, but all they do is make everything tiny and indistinguishable (wow, weird word...).

It is a bit unfair to compare some of the last 2D games to 3D-titles at that time. The 3D technology was in it's infancy compared to what devs are able to achieve with today's GPUs. I'm sure that some early 2D games look like hell compared to BG 2 and Planescape. I agree on Fallout being butt-ugly though.

two of the best things to come along with 3d gaming is physics and destructible environments. at the very least, fps is all the better for it, no matter how ugly the grandfather of 3d fps, quake, may look today.fireandcloud

I'm a 2D enthusiast but I couldn't agree more. Some genres are just perfectly suited to 3D. But some others I think are much better suited to 2D.

I don't think I'll ever be able to play a modern game as good as Abe's Oddysey, Castlevania Symphony of the Night or Street Fighter Alpha 3 again in those respective genres, though, and them being 2D is key to their quality for me.

It is a bit unfair to compare some of the last 2D games to 3D-titles at that time. The 3D technology was in it's infancy compared to what devs are able to achieve with today's GPUs. I'm sure that some early 2D games look like hell compared to BG 2 and Planescape. I agree on Fallout being butt-ugly though.

artur79

Exactly the point I was just going to make.

hey now whats up with hating on fall out, i loved that game, well both of them, i love the look and feel they had, they werent butt ugly to me... then again i think starcraft is wicked looking lol.

hey now whats up with hating on fall out, i loved that game, well both of them, i love the look and feel they had, they werent butt ugly to me... then again i think starcraft is wicked looking lol.

Twisted-Ice-God

i haven't played fallout in a long time, but i don't ever remember thinking it looked terrible.

Why does everyone insist that Fallout looks like ass? It's not horrible graphics-wise, just very low-resolution(640x480).

So is Planescape. Yet it definitely looks much, much better than Fallout. At least imo.

Why does everyone insist that Fallout looks like ass? It's not horrible graphics-wise, just very low-resolution(640x480).

So is Planescape. Yet it definitely looks much, much better than Fallout. At least imo.

artur79

I agree. I replayed Fallout about 6 months ago and played through Planescape for the first time and Planescape was much better looking.

Let me guess-you both prefer Planescape's art style to Fallout's. I take it that the Fallout art style is just generally disliked, then?NamelessPlayer

Well, the fact that three guys say that they think other games look better does not mean that this is the general consensus amongst PC-gamers. Fallout is a decent game, but Planescape has better textures (can you call it that?) and animations. Better presentation/atmosphere in general imo.

[QUOTE="NamelessPlayer"]Let me guess-you both prefer Planescape's art style to Fallout's. I take it that the Fallout art style is just generally disliked, then?artur79

Well, the fact that three guys say that they think other games look better does not mean that this is the general consensus amongst PC-gamers. Fallout is a decent game, but Planescape has better textures (can you call it that?) and animations. Better presentation/atmosphere in general imo.

I think it has to do with larger sprites for the characters.

[QUOTE="NamelessPlayer"]Let me guess-you both prefer Planescape's art style to Fallout's. I take it that the Fallout art style is just generally disliked, then?artur79

Well, the fact that three guys say that they think other games look better does not mean that this is the general consensus amongst PC-gamers. Fallout is a decent game, but Planescape has better textures (can you call it that?) and animations. Better presentation/atmosphere in general imo.

Two Words: Fallout, Diablo. 2d RPG's don't always look good...Mediocre_man90

IDK about you guys but I still think Diablo 2 and Diablo still look damned good... The only gripe I had about them was the lack of support of anything higher then a 600 x 800 resolution.

Two Words: Fallout, Diablo. 2d RPG's don't always look good...Mediocre_man90

Diablo had the best Graphics for its Time.

With 2D games, you only have to make things look good from one perspective.
With 3D games, on the other hand, the art has to look good from (close to) every perspective. Unless, that is, the game is locked at a certain perspective, in which case I don't know.

I find guilty gear x to be more visually appealing than most 3d fighting games out even now.

i love the way bg2 looked, heck even 1 was beautiful to me. i love diablo as well. still play those games. honestly i prefer doom to halo... there is just something about the fighting through hell... i love it. and when it comes to enviornment i love fallouts envoirnment, same for fallout 2... they just are fun to be in that rundown kinda world. thats my only complaint with most shooters, the world isnt ever gritty and harsh to me like doom was.

i want an rpg that has grit dang it, so i hope fallout 3 can do it. oh please bethesda do it for me...

I find guilty gear x to be more visually appealing than most 3d fighting games out even now.

lenson

I agree.

I mean just look at Planescape Torment, BGII, Divine Divinity, etc. Those games still look good even today, especially compared to 3D games that came out in the same time period.

It seems that 2D games age well compared to 3D games. Why is that? And why don't they make more 2D games?

Timberwolf5578

It's because 2D games were always made CORRECTLY.

Two Words: Fallout, Diablo. 2d RPG's don't always look good...Mediocre_man90

Diablo 2 looks great in my opinion!

the thing is some 2d art styles are just smoother and looks like its a renassance (sorry for spelling) painting in motion. like diablo 2 still looks good and i prefer its art style of WoW ( nver played it myself but ive seen others play it). Civ 3, i find, looks better than civ 4 cause civ 4 went 3d and thus was limited since it was made to run on lower systems.

the 2d sprites and art style has a chamr that makes its graphics able to last while the 3d graphics cannot since it is constantly improving. I can still say i like starcraft's graphics but i cannot say i like cs 1.6's

[QUOTE="Mediocre_man90"]Two Words: Fallout, Diablo. 2d RPG's don't always look good...daytona_178

Diablo 2 looks great in my opinion!

Diablo 2 is an amazing rpg.. It is a bench mark for all other rpgs when it comes to STAT based character development.. The story was dark and twisted and gave me enough to move on.. Though of course its nothing like Baldur's Gate 2 or any of the other heavy hitters when it comes to story.. But I honestly think one thing that needs to be strided for is the TALENT tree.. I have never played a rpg like this so much where I could play the same character class several times over and make completely new characters each time different from one another.. The addition of the item system was amazing and what made it so cravingly addictive specially for online play..

[QUOTE="Mediocre_man90"]Two Words: Fallout, Diablo. 2d RPG's don't always look good...daytona_178

Diablo 2 looks great in my opinion!

Diablo 2 is an amazing rpg.. It is a bench mark for all other rpgs when it comes to STAT based character development.. The story was dark and twisted and gave me enough to move on.. Though of course its nothing like Baldur's Gate 2 or any of the other heavy hitters when it comes to story.. But I honestly think one thing that needs to be strided for is the TALENT tree.. I have never played a rpg like this so much where I could play the same character class several times over and make completely new characters each time different from one another.. The addition of the item system was amazing and what made it so cravingly addictive specially for online play..

Alot of times I like strategy in my rpg's and Diablo 2's character development system gave to what I wanted.. Though the DND/D20 system is really indepth with character development, its really no where near to Diablo.. The reason being is its from the pen and paper.. Which its rules encompass everything from spells, combat, to doing checks on scratching yoru own butt.. Unfortantely games havn't been able to affectively give this kind of experience like the pen and paper could.. Diablo 2 directly specializes in combat.. Which makes it a indepeth combat character development system, which is amazing..