With the success of massive RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 that actually offer player choice again, Peterson is excited to release his game to an audience that does want more again. After a rough period of RPGs where player choice and ingenuity were watered down, there’s now a hunger for more branching paths and player freedom.

  • MaggiWuerze@feddit.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    23 hours ago

    Because it is an easy metric and looks good in trailers. Indie games prove again and again, that good games come from good gameplay and not from photo realistic graphics

    • samc
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      22 hours ago

      I agree, but my point was that cost isn’t a sufficient explanation.

      I think I particularly agree with @megopie@beehaw.org: one reason we see photo-realism instead of more stylised graphics is that it is more generic, and thus less dependent on a specific team.

      The more artistic/creative your work, the less interchangeable your workers are.

      • megopie@beehaw.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        21 hours ago

        I hadn’t even thought about preferences for photorealism being a streamlining thing, but it does fit the idea.

        I think it’s also a risk aversion thing as well. Few people will complain about a game looking realistic, so it’s very low risk from the point of view of publishers/investors/marketing. Most people will prefer a unique and stylized look that meshes with the game, but investors and marketing teams can’t be sure in any given case, so it’s written off as a risk.