Playing Older Games and How It Can Be Hard

Technology and Gaming
#1

If you’re like me, you have a hard time playing video games that have very poor-graphics. Unfortunately, for me, I have yet to play Half-Life 1, but have gone unto playing HL2, Ep. 1, and Ep. 2. Now, I know the story of HL1, but I cannot personally wait for the Black Mesa source mod to come out. So, let me ask this question to you guys tonight. Do any of you find it hard to play old games with old-graphics/textures on them? If so, has this stopped you from completing games because you found it rather boring?

Oh, and the story is great, but I play a game, rather than read a book because I like the eye-candy that it has.

#2

It’s not so bad, people used to play pong thinking that graphics don’t need to go any higher.

#3

It’s like what the Angry Video Game Nerd says. Back in the day, people were like “Oh yeah, this is awesome. It’s not going to get any better than this! Oh, what’s this? An XBox 360? Looks cool. Maybe it’ll have, I don’t know, sharper sprites, more polygons, it might even be in color.”
(Plays Grand Theft Auto IV.)
D::fffuuu::jizz:

I may not be a graphics whore, but I gotta’ say, I love how much the industry has evolved thanks to better technology.

#4

It takes some adjustment to play after a source game, mostly because the porportions of the enviroments. It’s not that bad, graphically.

#5

I just don’t like when a game has shitty graphics for its time. Half-Life looks fine to me considering it’s release date.

Spiderman: Web of Shadows and F.E.A.R are examples of visually mediocre games for their time.

The thing is, cheesy graphics can be easily overshadowed by atmosphere, sound, and gameplay.

#6

I watched Half Life 2 first, and then played Half Life 1, and it was no big deal. The game’s graphics aren’t as good of course, but the level design is still fun and exciting, and there are pretty cool cinematics (the beginning of Apprehension being my favorite, and the most “Source-like” in my opinion)

#7

Half-life is a game I loved despite it being graphically behind AS OF RIGHT NOW.

But when San Andreas came out for PC… I was so disappointed. I know it was pretty much a straight port, but gosh the graphics could have been better for 2004…

#8

Graphics don’t make a game difficult to play. Crappy mechanics make a game hard to play. Stupid story-writing makes me not want to play. Half-life has neither. Half-life is still a good game.

#9

I’m a huge retro gamer, which is quite odd considering that I never grew up in any “retro” generation. In fact, I only got into gaming just a few years ago. As long as a game looks bearable and the atmosphere keeps you immersed in the game, I’m happy.
Which is why I laugh whenever some fanboy says “oh we have slightly better graphics than you do! Take that!” I just don’t care.

#10

This, except I was slightly retro getting into gaming with the N64. Don’t care about the graphics, and a lot of times the nostalgia of “retro” games just makes them more enjoyable than newer releases.

I played Half-Life 2 first and immediately went out and bought Half-Life 1 and didn’t think twice about the downgrade on visuals.

#11

Old games rock because they run on emulators.

#12

having started my gaming with an snes I dont give a crap about graphics as long as they suit the game and the immersion. take age of empires 2, for example: I love those graphics, even more than lots of games with 3d graphics.

#13

This might not mean what I think it means but I dont mind the graphics being bad but I despise the physics being bad.

#14

This.
MeBoy on mobile phone + Pokemon Crystal ROM = :jizz:

#15

God I know! Especially ragdoll physics.
I hate the Unreal Engine 3 for this very reason.

#16

Half-Life physics are actually surprisingly better than most modern games…

I’m still not sure how I’ve managed to see that, but considering how glitchy PhysX can be, I think I have a point…

#17

I like Unreal Engine 3’s ragdolls. Instead of just flopping dead, they do interesting things like spin around and glitch out.

#18

If I recall, F.E.A.R was applauded for it’s great graphics when it was released…
.

#19

And that completely breaks the game’s immersion for me. And in games like “Bioshock”, where immersion is key to the game, the Unreal Engine 3 sucks.

#20

If low-detail textures with ultraplastic bump maps is your thing.

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.