Attention to detail - Some games are untouchable.

Ever played a certain game that pays so much attention to small details that it ends up making the game a lot better than the competition?

Ok, this is not really an objective discussion....more about what suits your taste but I'll start it off first. One of my best two examples are Gears of War, and Zelda.

First things first: Gears of war has panache. It's not only badass but the way everything handles in the game is all about style. For example, the developers could've put in generic weapon animations....but if you look at how they did the shotgun reload, it's just really nice how he spins the gun like arnold does in T2. Another example is the curb stomp. Usually developers don't make players pull off "style" moves in multiplayer but they did that time with Gears.

That's attention to detail. Now for zelda, I haven't played TP but I loved wind waker. If you consider all the interactive elements of that game, there's nothing that comes close to it in the genre. When I first played the game, i was examining all the details they put in it and that has nothing to do with graphics.

Now if only developers would stop paying attention to useless gimmicks....like motion control.

Soul Calibur 4 does this for me. The textures are all crisp and clean, and the lighting is phenomenal. Most impressive though is the physics of combat, especially the elaborate throws.

lol I remember out of all the things my buddy was impressed with Gears of War it was how Marcus put the weapons away and then reached for his new weapons. He was amazed at that detail. :lol:carljohnson3456

You think that's funny?

How about supposedly "immersive" games like halo that just makes the gun appear/disappear while simulating pickups? They just magically swap themselves. Same as reloading. Don't bother putting hte clips in....just lower the gun (when dual wielding) then raise it....brand new clip.

MGS games have always had tons of detail. I always got laughs and was amazed at the things they put in the games.

Also crysis has alot of small details that really give you "wow" moments.

Bioshock has one of the most amazing environments I have ever seen in a video game. I spent a lot of my time in this game just walking around reading the ads.Palax

Now, attention to detail in terms of graphics is a different matter.

Yeah...Epic payed attention to the details. Especially that one detail about having a decent story... :DSpruceCaboose

Yeah...Epic payed attention to the details. Especially that one detail about having a decent story... :DSpruceCaboose

This game wasn't meant to be about the story. It seems like it on the surface but action games are more about exciting scenarios than plot. You just need good set pieces. Even if the story is good, it wouldn't make much of a different IMO.

I was laughing about how the locust just exist but nobody questions how they started out.

When I think of attention to detail, the MGS series comes to mind. Little things like your character's gun having a suppressor in a cutscene, if you equipped that suppressor when playing. In certain scenes, if your were holding the tranq gun instead of the handgun before the cutscene began, your character would be holding that. Or shaking the PS3 controller to "shed" Snake's camoflague while the cutscene is playing out in MGS4. Then there's the customization and attachments, and the detailed descriptions of the weapons in 2 and 3.Mordred19

yea i was about post something along those lines, SOTC comes to mind too but that only applies to the collossi more so then the environment

MGS games have always had tons of detail. I always got laughs and was amazed at the things they put in the games.

Also crysis has alot of small details that really give you "wow" moments.

Sully28

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]Yeah...Epic payed attention to the details. Especially that one detail about having a decent story... :DIbacai

98% of action games have lame stories. RE4 had a lame story. Nobody really complained though. When I talk about details, it's really gameplay details.

Bioshock has one of the most amazing environments I have ever seen in a video game. I spent a lot of my time in this game just walking around reading the ads.Palax

This I can agree with. Rapture is one of a very few game worlds where I felt true suspension of disbelief.

[QUOTE="Palax"]Bioshock has one of the most amazing environments I have ever seen in a video game. I spent a lot of my time in this game just walking around reading the ads.SpruceCaboose

This I can agree with. Rapture is one of a very few game worlds where I felt true suspension of disbelief.

I dunno dude, it seemed too claustrophobic....all these psychos around and you're the only sane person? Ya that's believable.

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]Yeah...Epic payed attention to the details. Especially that one detail about having a decent story... :DMaxPower15

This game wasn't meant to be about the story. It seems like it on the surface but action games are more about exciting scenarios than plot. You just need good set pieces. Even if the story is good, it wouldn't make much of a different IMO.

I was laughing about how the locust just exist but nobody questions how they started out.

That's the thing. The question exists, just not in the game itself. I read the special edition artbook, and it was like a journal entry of marcus or mabye someone else talking about emergence day.

I don't see why action games that want to have this interesting lore don't even bother to include some kind of encyclopedia of basic info at the main menu. I want details about the story and backstory, linear or optional.

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]Yeah...Epic payed attention to the details. Especially that one detail about having a decent story... :DMaxPower15

This game wasn't meant to be about the story. It seems like it on the surface but action games are more about exciting scenarios than plot. You just need good set pieces. Even if the story is good, it wouldn't make much of a different IMO.

I was laughing about how the locust just exist but nobody questions how they started out.

To you it wouldn't make a difference. To me, I view a game that tells an effective and engaging story as miles ahead of games that don't or won't make use of gaming as something more than visceral thrills.

Not that GeoW was bad, but it had so muh wasted potential it makes me almost laugh to say that they payed attention to details like how the shotgun reloading looks instead of fleshing out the story so it felt like something more than a late 80s big dumb flick.

Gears does have a lot of details , for example I just discovered a cool detail yesterday. In gridlock if you look at the newspaper stand it has a pretty cool article you might wanna read.

Plus, any Blizzard game has a lot of details in it especially WoW.

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]

[QUOTE="Palax"]Bioshock has one of the most amazing environments I have ever seen in a video game. I spent a lot of my time in this game just walking around reading the ads.MaxPower15

This I can agree with. Rapture is one of a very few game worlds where I felt true suspension of disbelief.

I dunno dude, it seemed too claustrophobic....all these psychos around and you're the only sane person? Ya that's believable.

Well, they were there longer, and the plot establishes the player's character as a "unique" person.

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]

[QUOTE="Palax"]Bioshock has one of the most amazing environments I have ever seen in a video game. I spent a lot of my time in this game just walking around reading the ads.MaxPower15

This I can agree with. Rapture is one of a very few game worlds where I felt true suspension of disbelief.

I dunno dude, it seemed too claustrophobic....all these psychos around and you're the only sane person? Ya that's believable.

Of course the plot is outlandish. Would we bother to read books, watch movies, or play games that all told the stories of average life?

No, we want fantasy. But Rapture was entirely believable as a failed utopia that went terribly wrong in the 1950s time frame. Very well done, and if you understand dystopian literature like 1984, Brave New World, Anthem, or Atlas Shrugged, the game only gets better and better the more you understand/

98% of action games have lame stories. RE4 had a lame story. Nobody really complained though. When I talk about details, it's really gameplay details.

MaxPower15

How about supposedly "immersive" games like halo that just makes the gun appear/disappear while simulating pickups? They just magically swap themselves. Same as reloading. Don't bother putting hte clips in....just lower the gun (when dual wielding) then raise it....brand new clip.

MaxPower15

Now, attention to detail in terms of graphics is a different matter.

MaxPower15

[QUOTE="MaxPower15"][QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]

[QUOTE="Palax"]Bioshock has one of the most amazing environments I have ever seen in a video game. I spent a lot of my time in this game just walking around reading the ads.SpruceCaboose

This I can agree with. Rapture is one of a very few game worlds where I felt true suspension of disbelief.

I dunno dude, it seemed too claustrophobic....all these psychos around and you're the only sane person? Ya that's believable.

Of course the plot is outlandish. Would we bother to read books, watch movies, or play games that all told the stories of average life?

No, we want fantasy. But Rapture was entirely believable as a failed utopia that went terribly wrong in the 1950s time frame. Very well done, and if you understand dystopian literature like 1984, Brave New World, Anthem, or Atlas Shrugged, the game only gets better and better the more you understand/

I cant wait to play that game man, I cant believe I havent yet. I might buy it on PS3 or buy it cheaper for the 360.

When I think of attention to detail, the MGS series comes to mind. Little things like your character's gun having a suppressor in a cutscene, if you equipped that suppressor when playing. In certain scenes, if your were holding the tranq gun instead of the handgun before the cutscene began, your character would be holding that. Or shaking the PS3 controller to "shed" Snake's camoflague while the cutscene is playing out in MGS4. Then there's the customization and attachments, and the detailed descriptions of the weapons in 2 and 3.Mordred19

During any given gen, I've never played a game that paid as much attention to detail as a MGS game. I also think the amount of detail given to areas of gameplay in Bioware games is always impressive.

[QUOTE="MaxPower15"]

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]Yeah...Epic payed attention to the details. Especially that one detail about having a decent story... :DSpruceCaboose

This game wasn't meant to be about the story. It seems like it on the surface but action games are more about exciting scenarios than plot. You just need good set pieces. Even if the story is good, it wouldn't make much of a different IMO.

I was laughing about how the locust just exist but nobody questions how they started out.

To you it wouldn't make a difference. To me, I view a game that tells an effective and engaging story as miles ahead of games that don't or won't make use of gaming as something more than visceral thrills.

Not that GeoW was bad, but it had so muh wasted potential it makes me almost laugh to say that they payed attention to details like how the shotgun reloading looks instead of fleshing out the story so it felt like something more than a late 80s big dumb flick.

Dispute on my opinion all you want....but if you name me one action game which you think had a good story, I can guarantee i'll find massive holes in it.

I'll say it again, we're not talking about gameplay details.

[QUOTE="MaxPower15"]

98% of action games have lame stories. RE4 had a lame story. Nobody really complained though. When I talk about details, it's really gameplay details.

Saturos3091

How about supposedly "immersive" games like halo that just makes the gun appear/disappear while simulating pickups? They just magically swap themselves. Same as reloading. Don't bother putting hte clips in....just lower the gun (when dual wielding) then raise it....brand new clip.

MaxPower15

Now, attention to detail in terms of graphics is a different matter.

MaxPower15

If halo provided an animation that made you literally pick up weapons....the gameplay would be different.

The multiplayer sucks because of it...the longest survivor is the one who rushed to the best items.

[QUOTE="SpruceCaboose"]

Of course the plot is outlandish. Would we bother to read books, watch movies, or play games that all told the stories of average life?

No, we want fantasy. But Rapture was entirely believable as a failed utopia that went terribly wrong in the 1950s time frame. Very well done, and if you understand dystopian literature like 1984, Brave New World, Anthem, or Atlas Shrugged, the game only gets better and better the more you understand/

carljohnson3456

I cant wait to play that game man, I cant believe I havent yet. I might buy it on PS3 or buy it cheaper for the 360.

I just realized my post contained a major grammatical error. I said it was a failed utopia that went terribly wrong, which, following the double negative, would make it a working utopia....

Oh well...its late. And yes, I highly recommend trying BioShock. Its clearly not everyone's cup of tea, but I think any fan of FPS or darker games should at least try it and decide for themselves.

Only game this generation that I played and beat in two days of long play sessions. My girlfriend hated me those two days. :D

Dispute on my opinion all you want....but if you name me one action game which you think had a good story, I can guarantee i'll find massive holes in it.

I'll say it again, we're not talking about gameplay details.

MaxPower15

Holes are one thing. Any major narrative has holes if you dig deep enough into it.

My main issue with GeoW is that its story didn't have holes. Its story was just one big hole.

i agree about gears. the animations were incredible and lots of attention to detail. like when your pistol jams and he start wacking and trying to cock it. the camera angles when you pulled off an execution or when running were amazing too.

crysis is another game where there is great attention to detail.

shooting guinea pigs in mgs4, enough said :P

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Play MGS4 and GTA4. The attention to little details is staggering.Wasdie

I keep forgetting about GTA4!

I think Assassin's Creed is also amazingly detailed. Despite the flaws, it's amazing that so much of the cities are scalable. Any part that sticks out from a surface more than 2 inches (or 3 centimeters or whatever *sigh* :P ) is something you can hold onto.

Games like MGS4 have a stunning amout of detail like someone earlier in this thread pointed out.

Something I thought only I noticed about the detail in Gears was not the animations, but the constant references to gears themselves. Just about everything had a gear on it or looked like a gear. Monuments, fences, even the wallpaper in Fenix's house. And also how Marcus work for the Coalition of Ordered Govenrments, which can be shortened to COG (for those of you who dont know, a cogs are like the "teeth" of a gear). Also how the COG tags sound like dog tags but with the reference to gears there once again. I just want to know if anyone lese noticedthis, becaus I feel like i'm the only one. I'm lonely :cry:

Some games are certainly untouchable in that regard, primarily games in the RPG/Adventure genres. The attention to detail is astounding in games like Metroid Prime, TES, etc.Saturos3091

Oh wow, Metroid Prime. Move forward, more rain hits your visor, move back, less. Look up, more, look down, less. There's entire eco-systems, not to mention so many scannable objects that have no meaning whatsoever, yet the explanations are there, simply to make the world more real.

Metroid Prime has got to be one of the most atmospheric and meticulous games ever.

[QUOTE="Saturos3091"]Some games are certainly untouchable in that regard, primarily games in the RPG/Adventure genres. The attention to detail is astounding in games like Metroid Prime, TES, etc.Tylendal

Oh wow, Metroid Prime. Move forward, more rain hits your visor, move back, less. Look up, more, look down, less. There's entire eco-systems, not to mention so many scannable objects that have no meaning whatsoever, yet the explanations are there, simply to make the world more real.

Metroid Prime has got to be one of the most atmospheric and meticulous games ever.

Most devs either don't think aobut that kind of stuff, too lazy or to busy making the bloom effects so bright that you can't see a thing.

[QUOTE="Sully28"]

MGS games have always had tons of detail. I always got laughs and was amazed at the things they put in the games.

Also crysis has alot of small details that really give you "wow" moments.

-DarthMaul-

Agree MGS series have a lot of easter eggs and detail,

i would also add games such as Warcraft 3,Half Life 2,Stalker etc.

lol I remember out of all the things my buddy was impressed with Gears of War it was how Marcus put the weapons away and then reached for his new weapons. He was amazed at that detail. :lol:carljohnson3456

OMG! Real time... Weapon change? AMAZING!

lol I remember out of all the things my buddy was impressed with Gears of War it was how Marcus put the weapons away and then reached for his new weapons. He was amazed at that detail. :lol:carljohnson3456

I find that very cool, myself. Sometiems I just play around with switching, watching how he picks and pulls each weapon.

Soul Calibur 4 does this for me. The textures are all crisp and clean, and the lighting is phenomenal. Most impressive though is the physics of combat, especially the elaborate throws.

efrucht

there are some physics that shouldnt be needed in a video game....(looks at ivy)

The Witcher had nice detail on the visual side of things. When you get drunk you can see it as blurred vision and in Geralt's walk, when you kill people you can see their heads rolling, blood spread on the floor and sword get tainted with blood. If you poison your blade you actually see Geralt smear it on the sword and the sword glitter from the coating. Weapons are not in an invisible inventory you can always see them on his person and so on. Stuff like that is not important on its own but fill the game with it and it really helps create the atmosphere.

Super Smash bros. Melee. They had things like different poses for characters when aiming a gun, or small little bolts on crates, or exact reflections on water. That game had so much detail.

Also:

RE4

TESIV: Oblivion

MGS series.

Final Fantasy series especially 12.

Metroid Prime series

and many others.

When I think of attention to detail, the MGS series comes to mind.Mordred19